I love Hitchcock. If you are a fan of his films (and his sexy women) then you'll really love this photo set with some great behind the scenes commentary.
Beethoven's 9th Symphony - A Must See
A couple of years ago, my wife convinced me that buying season tickets to the Pasadena Symphony was a good idea. The truth is that we just wanted to have some time together in an "adult" atmosphere - a little break from the kids.
I've always had an eclectic taste for music which has always included a fair amount of classical music from dead, white guys. At an early age my parents had me in piano lessons which I took right up until high school; not to mention that from the 6th Grade to 9th Grade I was "in band" playing the trumpet (and keyboards in the Jazz Band).
The broad exposure always left me with an appreciation for classical music. So, when we were attending the Pasadena Symphony, many of the selections and composers were very familiar to me.
Anyways, after a few evenings of Shostakovitch, Debussy and Rachmaninoff (all very good) there was an evening dedicated to Beethoven's 9th Symphony. At first, my reaction was "yeah, Ode to Joy, I know that one." Although, I'd never experienced the 9th Symphony, live, in its entirety - I felt like I knew what to expect.
One of the cool things about the Pasadena Symphony is that prior to each show, they do a short 15-25 minute "Pre Show Notes" talk. This provides us lay people with the opportunity to learn a bit more about the selections, the composer, the history, etc. Each "Pre Show" talk was informative and we got in the habit of arriving early. (To get away from the kids and to give us time to enjoy a cocktail before the main event).
To make a long story short, Beethoven's 9th should ONLY be experienced in its entirety with a live chorus and all of its glory. In spite of my prior exposure to classical music, I don't think I'd ever been so moved, enthralled and awe'd by a single piece of classical music. Perhaps it was a result of the pre-show talk that helped us understand the complexity in the piece, or how Beethoven broke all of the rules (literally) or how he did things so unconventional (like throwing in a Turkish March, or including a singing chorus at the end of an orchestral piece!)
What brought all of this up was an article by Stuart Isacoff in this weekend's Wall Street Journal, Beethoven's Summation. Isacoff does a great job of summarizing why this piece is so great:
In 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven, 53, deaf, cantankerous and increasingly world weary, bared his soul in a work so stunning in originality, scale and emotional power that virtually every great composer who followed has lived under its shadow. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, with its final movement for chorus, four vocal soloists and orchestra set to Friedrich Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy," left so great an impact on the classical music world that a superstition arose in its wake. "It seems that the ninth is a limit," stated Arnold Schoenberg, mulling over the fortunes of Schubert, Bruckner, Mahler and other symphonists who never managed to complete a 10th symphony. "He who wants to go beyond it must pass away."
Beethoven was a consummate modernists in his day - even at his old age.
Towards the end of the WSJ article (I got such a kick out of this) the author refers to a few critics and pundits, Susan McClary, who described the 9th Symphony as:
"murderous rage of a rapist incapable of attaining release"
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but, woah.....who has the rage?!
Anyways, if you get the opportunity, take the time and try to attend a live performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. No matter what kind of music fan you are - you will be moved.
