Art Appreciation-GE6115

Course Project

Ludwig Van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony

For Refference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HljSXSm6v9

“Oh friends, not these sounds!

Let us instead strike up more pleasing
and more joyful ones!
Joy!
Joy!”
- Text from the 4th movement of Symphony no. 9

Beethoven’s 9th is my all-time favorite music. The movement of this music not just
reflects the colorful life of a person but also it reflects mine as well. As a musician myself, (I
am a choirmaster, organist and composer in our church) I am deeply fascinated in Classical
Music, especially “Beethoven” ones. This kind of music plays in my imagination as I can
relate myself to this kinds of music.

This symphony was composed by the great Ludwig Van Beethoven, he was a
German Composer. Beethoven’s 9th symphony is very special because he composed it when
he is almost deaf. The structure of this symphony is like a roller-coaster ride. There were
part that is very sad, there were part that is exciting, there were part that is joyful, there
were also part that is triumphant. For a musician, it is impossible to create a music if you
are deaf. It is witnessed that on the premiere of this symphony in Vienna, Beethoven
insisted that he should conduct the orchestra, even thought that he is actually near deaf
that time. This kind of insistent led to the fascination of the audience present that even
though he is out beat in conducting the symphony goes well. This was the last Symphony
that he composed.

I chose this art as my favored one because like its structure, my life is like a roller-
coaster ride. There are times in my life where I feel sad, joyful, triumphant and exciting. I
think that is the essence of life, whereas we can experience anything in life. And that is why
I am deeply touched by this music. I think like this music, Beethoven also had a very
colorful life to the point that he expresses it through music. Beethoven’s 9 th symphony, as I
just stated is full of powerful emotion, it can bring fascination to the listener’s imagination.
How I wish that someday, I can listen it through live orchestra.

Art Appreciation is very important to my program. As A Psychology Student we are

encourage to have a good observation to the things that around us. Everything that the
world offer us to see is a kind of art, and the most beautiful and important art is Life itself.
Psychology is also about the understanding of life. I can say that it is very crucial to be more
appreciative to arts.