Beethoven's 9th Symphony

Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 — composed while Beethoven was completely deaf — is widely considered the greatest symphony ever written and one of humanity's crowning cultural achievements. Completed in 1824 when Beethoven was profoundly deaf (he had not heard a sound for years), the Ninth is revolutionary in every dimension. It was the first symphony by a major composer to include a choral section — the famous "Ode to Joy" setting of Friedrich Schiller's poem in the final movement. The premiere in Vienna on May 7, 1824, was a legendary event. Beethoven conducted from the stage (despite his deafness) while the actual conductor led the orchestra. When the symphony ended, the audience gave a thunderous standing ovation — but Beethoven, hearing nothing, continued beating time until a soloist turned him around to see the acclaim. The "Ode to Joy" is now the anthem of the European Union and has become a universal symbol of human brotherhood and joy.