Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 ''Choral'' - London Symphony Chorus & Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini, Sheila Armstrong, Anna Reynolds, Robert Tear, John Shirley-Quirk / Unesco Classics / Disky Audio CD 1999 / DCL 706352

UPC 0724357063524

The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is a choral symphony, the final complete symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven, composed between 1822 and 1824. It was first performed in Vienna on 7 May 1824. The symphony is regarded by many critics and musicologists as a masterpiece of Western classical music and one of the supreme achievements in the entire history of music. One of the best-known works in common practice music, it stands as one of the most frequently performed symphonies in the world.

The Ninth was the first example of a major composer scoring vocal parts in a symphony. The final (4th) movement of the symphony features four vocal soloists and a chorus in the parallel modulated key of D major. The text was adapted from the "An die Freude (Ode to Joy)", a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803, with additional text written by Beethoven.

In 2001, Beethoven's original, hand-written manuscript of the score, held by the Berlin State Library, was added to the Memory of the World Programme Heritage list established by the United Nations, becoming the first musical score so designated.

Tracklist:

1.  I.  Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso   18:20

2.  II. Molto vivace - Presto   11:47

3.  III. Adagio molto e cantabile - Andante   16:23

4.  IV.  Presto - Allegro assai

     Alla Marcia - Andante maestoso

     Adagio ma non troppo, ma divoto

     Allegro energico, sempre ben marcato

     Allegro ma non tanto prestissimo   26:01

• Soprano - Sheila Armstrong
• Contralto - Anna Reynolds
• Tenor - Robert Tear
• Bass - John Shirley-Quirk
• Choir, orchestra - London Symphony Chorus & Orchestra
• Conducted by - Carlo Maria Giulini