Beethoven Symphony No 9 Concert Report

Aiden Thompson
MUSI-2573-31382
Professor Skara

At this concert I would consider myself a casual listener, Music has always been a way for me to

express my emotions. I'm still listening to music, whether I'm walking, getting ready for the day,

or just hanging out in my bed. I've always used music as a means of escaping life.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is a piece from the classical period, In this report Beethoven

Symphony No. 9 played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on September 18, 2014 at

Orchestra Hall. I was mesmerized by how the singer and vocalist worked together to create such

an angelic harmony. This concert was a success and a work of art in its own right.This symphony

was an incredible concert that included a diverse variety of vocalists and musical instruments

that packed the hall with unity, rhythm, and harmonies. The concert begins as the conductor (

Riccardo Muti ) reaches the downstage area, he is greeted by applause from the audience. The

conductor extends a greeting to the concertmaster before bowing to the crowd. For concert

viewing, the audience is seated on the floor near the stage or in a balcony area. The audience is

dressed elegantly in business and evening wear. The orchestra members are clad in black and

white formal wear. The men wear black suits with white collared shirts and ties, while the

women wear standard black dresses and pantsuits.The conductor wears a black button-down suit

with a white undershirt and tie. The chorus, who is sitting behind the choir, is clad in black as

well. Instruments are used to compose the ensemble. After the strings, the woodwinds, horns,

drums, soloists, and chorus take their places in front of the conductor.
The symphony no 9 is composed of four movements, the first is a movement called allegro ma

non troppo starts with a pianissimo volume from the string family, then soon transitions to a

fortissimo volume with the addition of the woodwinds, brass, and percussion parts. The melody

changes in this movement, switching from a crescendo to a more decrescendo note. Scherzo:

molto vivace is the name of the second movement, which has a fast and lively tempo. The

second movement is divided into two sections: A, which is a scherzo, and B, which is a trio. This

movement is more compressed than the first and is in the key of D minor. The string family plays

in unison to keep the tempo fast and upbeat in this movement, which starts with a forte volume.

Adagio molto e cantabile, the third movement, begins somewhat later than the others. The

melody in this piece alternates between two melodies. The first melody is played by the violins

and consists of wind instrument interjections. Before the first melody is changed, a second

melody is added. This rhythm is a little quicker, and it's in the key of D.

Ode to Joy is the final movement, which starts with a forte tempo and an upbeat melody from the

winds, and is disrupted by the cellos and basses, which all play in rhythm at a decrescendo

volume. The chorus rose from their seats as the tempo and texture changed, and the first voice

from the chorus began to sing afterwards, accompanied by fellow chorus members.The chorus

and orchestra alternated on and off throughout the piece until the climax, where they all returned

in harmony, maintaining a slow pace. When the chorus fermata, the orchestra begins with a fast

tempo, and the movement ends abruptly in silence. The orchestra and chorus were immediately

cheered by the crowd. The conductor motions for the orchestra to rise before shaking the concert

master's hand and turning to face the crowd to thank them for their applause before exiting the

stage. In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this concert; it was a wonderful piece with a variety of
melodies and rhythms, and the chorus sounded fantastic, especially when blended in with the

orchestra.