Memory of the World; 2012 - unesdoc - Unesco

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Ludwig van Beethoven:
Symphony no. 9, D minor, op. 125
Inscribed 2001
What is it
The autograph score, leaves and historic records
of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9, D minor, op 125.
Why was it inscribed
The composition is among the most important
symphonies of the 19th century, with an influence that
spans the 20th century to the present day. It was the last
symphony Beethoven completed and is counted among
his finest works. The poem An die Freude (‘Ode to Joy’)
is sung in the final movement and was the first
instrumental symphony composed with human voices.
Where is it
Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany;
Beethoven-Haus, Bonn, Germany;
Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv, Frankfurt, Germany
The ninth symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)
is one of the most famous music compositions in the
world and is considered by many to be among the finest
pieces of music ever written. Beethoven completed the
work in 1824 and since its first performance its influence
has been long-lasting and extensive.
It was the first instrumental symphony composed
with human voices. Friedrich Schiller’s An die Freude
(‘Ode to Joy’) , written in the 18th century, is a hymn of
praise to God and a celebration of humanity and is set
in the symphony’s fourth and final movement.
Although well known and appreciated around the
world, the symphony has particular resonance in
the German consciousness. West Germany (Federal
Republic of Germany) and East Germany (German
Democratic Republic) fielded a unified team in the
Olympic competitions between 1956 and 1964 and used
the first stanza of the final movement as their anthem.
The symphony was played in celebration of the Fall of the
Berlin Wall in 1989 and the reunification of East and West
Germany. Across Eastern Europe as a whole it became an
anthem of celebration of the ending of Communism.
Other countries and organizations used the final
movement as their own anthem with different lyrics,
332 Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony no. 9, D minor, op. 125
and the work is often played in orchestral performances on
New Year’s Eve.
Beethoven’s original manuscript is held in two separate
institutions in Germany – the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin has
all except two leaves which are in the Beethoven-Haus in
Bonn. The two repositories also have two other autograph
manuscripts which are single parts for certain instruments:
contrabassoon, used in the fourth movement, and
trombone, used in the second and fourth movements only.
Some of the most important performances of this work
comprise the third element of the listing, making a living
musical memory of the symphony. Although it would