Reception of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony Since 1900 Essay

Introduction

The Beethoven’s 9^th symphony has been the basis of vocal settings and structural innovation to the music composers emerging after the nineteenth century. The 9^th symphony was however developed from the 8^th symphony which comprised of voices developed by Berlioz. It is believed that a composer by the name Mahler significantly influenced the 9^th symphony through his works. This paper seeks to analyze the reception of Beethoven’s 9th symphony since 1900.

The symphony development

Several ideas boosted Mahler’s in his composing career. Among the ideas includes the articulation of the symphony as a journey coupled with various stages of experiences and events. This quality gives the music a practical objective which further boosts its listeners. It also differentiates this musical style from the rest. Mahler’s also modified Beethoven’s symphony in order to change the status and the weight of the music. This piece of music, therefore, transformed Beethoven’s music from having a public perspective to more dynamic and substantial music. The 9th edition also incorporates the philosophical and individual symphonic style which has received great support and attention from the listeners. This music edition also uses a large-scale vocal finale to improve on the complexity of the first Beethoven masterpiece. There are also a lot of superstitions in the 9th edition which has also added flavor into this form of music.

It is believed that Mahler’s work in the ninth manifested his chromatic writing which reversed the spiritual assertion and solidarity amongst human beings as supported by Beethoven’s. These writings were however musical and philosophical. They were philosophical since they expressed human predicament which portrays their extraordinary power and beauty. The ninth symphony was universally interpreted by the musicians in both Germany and Austria by this time.

Despite the fact the Beethoven’s project was a fictitious or utopian project to the majority, it gradually gained popularity and acceptance in the musical arena as the societies yarned for better and improved music (Painter 26). And since the symphony represented an ideal concept to the human beings, it therefore heavily expressed the strengths and experiences of Beethoven. The symphonic style also enhanced the proper coordination of different voices between the musicians. This is because it greatly reduced tonal conflicts as the voices are vividly differentiated. This character emotionalized the symphony making it like the listener’s own.

The importance of the ninth Beethoven’s symphony

The symphony has made it possible to emotionalize a musical piece both in the thoughts of personal individuals and strangers. The same has also been translated to the crowds as the symphony is performed. The performance of symphony is banded together with the instrumentals in order to produce a heroic self on the stage. This quality made the symphony more acceptable and appealing to the listeners and the crowd in the case of stage performances. Beethoven’s symphony, therefore, united the extreme stand in the individual’s lives regardless of whether private or public.

Beethoven’s symphony translation to suit the current generation

It was also expected that more narrative templates could follow Beethoven’s heroic writings as technology and experiences changed with time. More emotionalized melodies could be established with the new musical instruments invented. With the newly invented musical instruments, the symphony clarity and quality are enhanced. This has led to the increase of the symphony’s listeners in the current generation. The sweet, emotional, and experiential tones have also contributed to quality improvement (Pasler 395). The slow movement and dancing quality has made the symphony be loved by the elderly listeners. This is because the music does not involve its listeners and dancers in a rigorous body movement as they seek to follow the musical tunes and melodies.

There has also been a change in the symphony’s program all of which were aimed at establishing more quality music. Among the changes made were the symphony tempo, the conductors in this case tend to make the music more slowly and grandly than the original one (Barry 209). In the past few decades, there has been some emergence of historically informed performances which seek to improve and adjust Mahler’s ideas on Beethoven’s symphonies. These melodies are therefore translated into modern orchestra sound but still retain their original tone and quality. In the many live concerts and super audio CDs, such musical symphonies have been able to win support from many listeners around the globe. The orchestra sound effectively uses Mahler’s interpretation of Beethoven in order to capture the valuable qualities and ideas.

Conclusion

The ninth Beethoven’s symphony has greatly transformed the musical arena making as it provided quality and more harnessed vocal tunes. The symphony has recently received more support from the listeners due to its slow pace and memorable experiences. Their emotional experiences also make them livelier when being performed on the stage a quality that has helped to increase their popularity. Considering that this was Mahler’s idea, it is important to appreciate his work even as we continue enjoying Beethoven’s melodies. In order to maintain their originality, it is important to always interpret Mahler’s historical ideas.

Works cited

Barry, Barbara. The philosopher’s stone: essays in the transformation of musical structure. NY, Pendragon Press. 2000. Web.

Painter, Karen. Symphonic aspirations: German music and politics, 1900-1945. London, Harvard University Press. 2007. Web.

Pasler, Jann. Writing through music: essay on music, culture, and politics. New York, Oxford University Press US, 2008. Web.