What better way to tie a bow on this term of music appreciation than to attend one of the most iconic symphonies of all time, by one of the greatest composers of all time, performed right here by our very own Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven’s 9th symphony has so many complexities and nuances, backstories and legends, but I think at it’s core it all flows from this simple but grand idea idea: amidst the difficulty, darkness and general ‘Sturm und Drang’ of life, there is joy to be found in the human spirit, and that joy will triumph.
The concert didn’t start with the 9th symphony, but rather a short but fitting opening piece by Charles Ives called “The Unanswered Question”. This piece featured a very quiet underlying grounding created by the string section of the orchestra, a basso continuo of sorts. On top of this base, from one corner of the balcony, a solo trumpet ‘asked a question’ and was soon after answered by a small section of wind instruments from the other corner of the balcony. This three dimensional aspect of the piece created the impression of immersion within the music much as it might have felt in Bach church being surrounded on all sides by organ pipes.
The trumpet asked the same question six more times for a total of seven. Each time the woodwinds answered, but their answers became more confused, more dissonant until at last the seventh time went unanswered. Until… Beethoven’s 9th symphony rose from the silence to ‘answer the question’. In his opening remarks, the conductor commented that he didn’t know what question the trumpet kept asking, but he did know that the answer was the 9th symphony.
By flowing directing into the first movement of the symphony, the conductor made the statement that Beethoven’s 9th answered the question in a way that the woodwinds from the first piece never could. There really are no better words than, “In the beginning,” from the first line of Genesis to attempt to describe the opening of the 9th symphony. Formlessness found form, gathered itself, then the full orchestra launched into the music of Beethoven.
I won’t try to dissect the symphony in detail as many other have doubtless done this, and done it better than I could. I will however try to sum up what I felt and how it impacted me personally. I’ve listed to recordings of the 9th symphony many times before, but to hear it live is an altogether different and more visceral experience. After simply walking in and seeing the size of the choir seated behind the orchestra, the suspense already began to build.
There was no intermission, and I’m grateful for that decision. It allowed each movement to flow directly from the previous, highlighting their differences, and their unique qualities. All the movements are incredible, but other than the jubilant fourth, the third movement has always been my favourite. The melody of the main theme just moves me, and within the context of the larger symphony, I love that the movement directly before the climactic ending is the slowest, most subtle one.
When the fourth movement started and the choir stood up, the anticipation in the room was palpable as we all sat on the edge of our seats taking in the music in it’s full glory. When it was all over, every single person in the room was on their feet applauding, for how could one not. Even now as I write this and think back to last night, I can’t help but have a smile of my face. Maybe that is what it’s all about. Beethoven somehow seemed to create, in his 9th symphony, a piece that reminds us of the euphoria of life itself! An ode to joy indeed.