There is perhaps no more glorious a symphony than the final one by Ludwig van Beethoven. With its rousing chorus, commonly known as Ode to Joy, this is not only one of the composer’s most loved works, it is one of the most performed symphonies in the world. The Los Angeles Philharmonic, under the baton of Xian Zhang, will perform Beethoven’s Ninth on Tuesday and Thursday at the Hollywood Bowl.
Beethoven’s Ninth in D Minor is an approximately 75-minute symphony. It had its world premiere in 1824. The composer used Friedrich Schiller’s poem An die Freude for the fourth movement.
Joining the LA Phil for this performance will be Liv Redpath, soprano; Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano; Toby Spence, tenor and Michael Sumuel, bass. The Los Angeles Master Chorale will also be part of the performance.
Opening the concert will be the world premiere of Observatory by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. Check back for our interview with Shaw about this piece which was commissioned by the LA Philharmonic.
A world premiere and one of the world’s most beloved symphonies. There’s a reason this is on our list of This Week in Culture.
For tickets for Tuesday night’s performance go here.
For tickets for Thursday night’s performance go here.
Drawing of Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler. Lithography by Josef Kriehuber (Courtesy of the New York Public Library Archives)