Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony

On May 7th, 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven took the podium at the Kärntnertor Theater in Vienna and conducted the first performance of his 9th Symphony. Like a thunderbolt, a symphony that would become an anthem for unity and joy was unleashed into the world. 200 years later, his music is as vital and relevant as it was two centuries ago.

So, how did he do it? Maybe the more important question, though, is why? Why does a collection of notes speak to us in such a powerful way? Why do Classical California listeners consistently vote Beethoven’s 9th into the top spot on our Ultimate Playlist year after year after year? In fact, since the inception of the Classical California Ultimate Playlist, Beethoven’s 9th has never not been #1.

On May 7th, 2024, at 7 pm, Classical California’s Brian Lauritzen presented a celebration and appreciation of Beethoven’s 9th. Together we explore the question of how this symphony changed music forever and why we still connect with it so deeply today.

You can listen to Brian's introduction to the Beethoven's 9th Symphony here:

And hear the San Francisco Symphony and Michael Tilson Thomas perform it here: