Beethoven House

The 9th Symphony

A Baden composition?

In 1823 Ludwig van Beethoven is once more staying in the Kupferschmiedhaus, now the Beethovenhaus, during his curative retreat. He is plagued by numerous physical ailments, including jaundice, gout and rheumatism.

In addition the famous composer is, as colleague Carl Maria von Weber notes during a visit in October, 1823, nearly completely deaf at this stage. According to Weber it is necessary to write everything down for him.

Perhaps Beethoven already feels the end coming; in spite of all physical adversity he works flat out on one of his most famous works, his 9th Symphony, during the summer of 1823.

First drafts of the 9th have already been made in 1817, but it is not until 1822 that he takes the project up again. And now he develops a plan to integrate Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” into the final movement of the symphony – in a radical way, for this is the first time that a composer uses the human voice in a symphony. This revolutionary enterprise is realised for the most part in Baden, in the summer of 1823.

In 1985 the main motif of the 4th movement of the 9th Symphony is declared the official European hymn. Admittedly in a version without text and therefore without the human voice, in order that the language of one country is not favoured over another.

In the Beethoven House the 9th Symphony is presented to visitors in a special way - in its own exhibit room you can not only listen to the 4th movement, you can see it in a special visualisation.

In addition a special listening laboratory offers the opportunity to investigate the basic principles of hearing music and the phenomenon of sound. With audio-visual apparatus one can experience the composer’s increasing deafness. An impressive experience for all ages.