Ode to Joy

January 22, 2015  |   Feature,   World
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Here is a flashmob performing one of the best-known works of the repertoire of classical music: Ode an die Freude (Ode to Joy) Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No.9. The symphony was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony. Among critics, it is almost universally considered to be Beethoven’s greatest work, and is considered by many to be the greatest piece of western music ever written!

In 2001, Beethoven’s autograph score of the Ninth Symphony was added to the United Nations World Heritage List, becoming the first musical score to be so honored. The Philharmonic Society of London originally commissioned the symphony in 1817, when Beethoven was 47-years old. The main composition work was done between autumn 1822 and the completion of the autograph in February 1824. It celebrates a rich and interesting history since its premiered in Vienna in 1824. Today, it stands as one of the most played symphonies in the world.