Episode 46 – The Choral

John tells the remarkable story of the night of Friday May 7th, 1824 - when Beethoven arrived to conduct a concert that was widely expected to be a disaster. As the great composer stood at the podium, the audience heard - for the first time - what would be his final symphony. John reveals the real story behind Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, including the reason why a professional conductor was hired to stand behind Beethoven without his knowledge, how the audience reacted to a work unlike anything they had ever heard before, and how pure drama unfolded as Beethoven attempted to incorporate the voices that gave this entirely new kind of symphony it’s nickname; the Choral. All the Beethoven pieces featured in this podcast are taken from the 90-disc Naxos box set, the Complete Beethoven Edition. You can buy yours by heading to Presto Classical and Europadisc.