Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) completed his masterpiece, Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 in 1824. During nineteenth century, Beethoven’s Ninth was an icon of symphonic genre universally. In 1840, a talented genius, German composer, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) composed Symphony No. 2 in B-flat Major Op. 52, “Lobgesang” After its premiere, this work performed continuously and enjoyed by audience with success. However, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang received criticism: that his work lacked “inner necessity” by Adolf Bernard Marx (1795-1866), Richard Wagner (1813-1883), August Wilhelm Ambros (1816-1876) and among other. This short paper examines why the critics were complaining regarding the lack of “inner necessity” of Lobgesang and what particularly
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For example, the second instrumental movement of Lobgesang contains orchestral recitative for whole movement, and it is one of significant feature at the beginning of forth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth. At the scherzo section of Lobgesang, Mendelssohn set main melody line, and it is accompanied by string section with pizzicato. Besides, at the trio section of Lobgesang, wind instruments play theme like choral tune, and string section plays scherzo theme and accompaniment with pizzicato. Beethoven used orchestral recitative at pick up measure nine to eighteen, measure twenty-four to twenty- nine, measure thirty-eight to forty-eight, measure sixty-five to seventy-seven, and measure eighty-one to ninety-one. Furthermore, Beethoven recalls previous musical material at the beginning of forth movement. At measure thirty to thirty-six, he set the signal from the first movement of his Ninth, and the scherzo theme recalled at measure forty-eight to fifty-five. Thus, Mendelssohn also recalled the themes from previous movement for the beginning of the last vocal sections before the choir entrance “Alles was Odem hat.” Mendelssohn reused the rhythmic material of string from measure thirty-five of the third instrumental movement of Lobgesang, and the principal theme with trombones at the beginning of the first instrumental movement of Lobgesang is also recalled from measure three with wind
For example, the second instrumental movement of Lobgesang contains orchestral recitative for whole movement, and it is one of significant feature at the beginning of forth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth. At the scherzo section of Lobgesang, Mendelssohn set main melody line, and it is accompanied by string section with pizzicato. Besides, at the trio section of Lobgesang, wind instruments play theme like choral tune, and string section plays scherzo theme and accompaniment with pizzicato. Beethoven used orchestral recitative at pick up measure nine to eighteen, measure twenty-four to twenty- nine, measure thirty-eight to forty-eight, measure sixty-five to seventy-seven, and measure eighty-one to ninety-one. Furthermore, Beethoven recalls previous musical material at the beginning of forth movement. At measure thirty to thirty-six, he set the signal from the first movement of his Ninth, and the scherzo theme recalled at measure forty-eight to fifty-five. Thus, Mendelssohn also recalled the themes from previous movement for the beginning of the last vocal sections before the choir entrance “Alles was Odem hat.” Mendelssohn reused the rhythmic material of string from measure thirty-five of the third instrumental movement of Lobgesang, and the principal theme with trombones at the beginning of the first instrumental movement of Lobgesang is also recalled from measure three with wind