Beethoven powerfully presented
ON Saturday evening Dunedin Town Hall was filled with the music of one of the most famous and most performed symphonies of all time, Symphony No.9 in D Minor Op.125 by Ludwig van Beethoven (17701827).
Dunedin Symphony Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Young was in fine form and together with City Choir Dunedin (directed by David Burchell) and soloists Amanda Atlas (soprano), Katie Trigg (mezzosoprano), Simon O’Neill (tenor) and Jonathan Lemalu (bass), they enthralled the very large audience with the drama and magnitude of Beethoven’s masterpiece, also known as the Choral Symphony which stands today as a grand celebration of late classical repertoire. History tells us Beethoven completed his 9th symphony in 182224 towards the end of his life, a time when he was steadily losing his hearing.
He became profoundly deaf before the symphony’s premiere performance.
Astute dynamics and attention to instrument sectional detail spelt success as the orchestra worked its way through four long movements. From the opening bars of Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso the 60 musicians responded to Young’s demand for definition and clarity of thematic passages and fullbodied delivery. The 2nd movement Molto Vivace with its elements of surprise and moments of unexpectedness achieved fine scherzo characterisation, before the calm harmonic entry of Adagio molto e cantabile, a movement to highlight the beauty of legato and lyricism.
Then came the final movement Allegro assai when the choir of 80, plus soloists, joined to create a magnificent presentation of power and jubilation. The ominous opening and cello introduction of poet Friedrich Schiller’s An Die Freude (Ode to Joy), always heralds something great is coming, and then the climactic pinnacles came fast and strong, with all soloists and City Choir delivering loud and clear.
Prolonged acclamation acknowledged a performance filled with emotion, straight from the heart.
After Covid cancellations and uncertainties, the evening was indeed a celebration and a triumphant performance which will long be remembered.