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Noon Edition

In Conclusion Podcast

Welcome to the Ether Game Weekly Podcast! As Indiana University ends its school year, Ether Game is looking at some famous finales and consummate codas, in a show we're calling "In Conclusion"! To get you started (or for those of you who just cannot wait for Tuesday nights), you can sharpen your skills with our podcast selection. Remember to keep your ears out for a portion of Tuesday night's Teaser selection. And don't forget to tune into the full show on Tuesday, May 2nd at 8:00pm for a chance to win a prize!

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): SYMPHONY NO. 9 IN D MINOR, "CHORAL": IV. Finale

Berlin Philharmonic; Herbert von Karajan, conductor. Beethoven: Symphonien / Ouvertüren (Deutsche Grammophon)

To put it bluntly, the finale of Beethoven's ninth and final symphony is one hell of an ending. Beethoven does many remarkable things in this movement. For one, he introduces voices, both soloists and a full choir, something that was basically never done in an orchestral symphony before. Also, instead of using a typical symphonic form, he uses his fourth and final movement to recap the melodies from the previous three movements, and then turns it into a set of variations on his "Ode To Joy" theme. It's essentially, what Charles Rosen calls, "a symphony within a symphony." And then there's the text, which comes from poet Friedrich Schiller, and calls for an idealistic universal brotherhood, remarkable given that Beethoven lived most of his life as a...how should I put this? An angry loner.

Music Heard On This Episode

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