...a symphony which could present its creator's image of the world," a concept which "lay at the heart of the Romantic revolution" and through which Beethoven "first brought Romanticism into Western music ("Ludwig Van Beethoven," Internet). Of course, it is Beethoven's momentous and magnificent Symphony no. 9, the Choral, which continues to thrill music lovers all over the world. This incredible piece of music stirs up a galaxy of human emotions, ranging from sadness to joy and exhilaration to melancholia. The first eight notes are the most powerful and memorable and possibly symbolize the greatest opening lines in the history of Western music. One story about Beethoven and this particular symphony is quite moving. On May 7th, 1824 in Vienna, even though he was stone deaf, Beethoven managed to successfully conduct the orchestra at the premier of this symphony and when it was over, it is said that a member of the chorus "turned him around so that he could see the thunderous cheers that were resounding through the hall" ("Ludwig Van Beethoven," Internet).

Whether this story is true has not been fully determined, but it is clear that the audience at the premier of the Ninth Symphony heard things that night which had never been heard before in Western music. A number of years ago, one of Beethoven's biographers wrote...

For musicians, few have managed to escape from Beethoven's overpowering musical influence, for today, he stands as the penultimate musical revolutionary who literally broke the mold of classical music and created new and innovative ways to express the inner emotions of humankind.
Bibliography

Blackburn, John P. The Life and Works of Beethoven. New York: Modern Library, 2003.

Ludwig Van Beethoven." Classical Music Pages. 2000. Internet. Retrieved November 3, 2008 at http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/beethoven.html.

Morrison, George T. Beethoven: Biography of a…