Tomorrow I have the honor to conduct for the second time in my career Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. I can’t help but think that if the New York Phil had performed this with a choir from North Korea then the world would have been on that stage, not just an orchestra from America. It brings to mind Bernstein’s famous 1989 performance celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall and him changing the word Joy to the word Freedom…..
Historical “documents” that are celebrated as cornerstones for humanity and freedom, include: the Rosetta Stone, the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence and our own Constitution. I truly believe that Beethoven’s 9th is music’s Magna Constitution, and everything that was written after (not to diminish some extraordinary works), were its amendments, right up until Rite of Spring which became the new revised version. To me it’s truly remarkable that the work was written at all.
Beethoven, sickly, deaf, depressed, enraged, no marriage, few friends and all but cast out by society. How could someone in this situation write an “Ode to Joy”? His optimism and sheer will to rise above it all proves that any challenge can be overcome, the most powerful personal message I get from his music. Beethoven turned an orchestra into a mirror, so that the audience suddenly were hearing and watching themselves and their world, not just attending a performance. It’s no coincidence that this monument only gains in relevance. Even less than two weeks ago it was the work played when Kosovo declared independence. It’s transcendence is proven in that even though it was played for Hitler’s birthday during WWII, the work is not tainted by this association, the Ode to Joy melody has been the EU anthem since 1972. The Symphony seems to be a counter balance for anything that happens, whether it’s a tragedy or a triumph. I think it would even work as the Super Bowl halftime show!
Beethoven’s true achievement was not his musical genius and barrier breaking compositional style. It was that he made music relevant and about humanity itself. In North Korea this week The Phil played An American in Paris. If they had played Beethoven’s 9th they could have renamed it The World in Pyongyang.