Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

Cambridge Music Handbooks

by Nicholas Cook

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is acknowledged as one of the supreme masterpieces of the Western tradition. More than any other musical work it has become an international symbol of unity and affirmation. Yet early critics rejected it as cryptic and eccentric, the product of a deaf and aging composer. Nicholas Cook's guide charts the dramatic transformation in the reception of this work. The story begins in Vienna, with the responses of listeners at the first performance, and ends in contemporary China and Japan, where the symphony has acquired diametrically opposed interpretations. The account embraces many of the major figures of nineteenth- and twentieth-century music, among them Wagner and Schenker. Including an account of the sketches, an examination of the performance tradition, and a suggested new interpretation, this book opens up new dimensions in our understanding of Beethoven's last symphony.

Genres: Music, Art

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Nicholas Cook is a British musicologist and writer. In 2009 he became the 1684 Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge, where he is a Fellow of Darwin College. Previously, he was professorial research fellow at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he directed the Arts and Humanities Research Council Research Centre for the History and Analysis of Recorded Music (CHARM). He has also taught at the University of Hong Kong, University of Sydney, and University of Southampton, where he served as dean of arts.

He is a former editor of the Journal of the Royal Musical Association and was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2001.

Reviews

[Illiterate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reception history. If the outline is unsurprising, the details are interesting. Cook’s move “beyond interpretation” is, of course, just another interpretation.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book about Beethoven's Ninth focuses on the reception history of the piece and the way it has been interpreted over the last two centuries. I found the material very interesting, especially the attention to the criticisms and negative views of the work at its premiere and during the following years. Cook gives a valuable perspective on the symphony's journey from a misunderstood and radical work to the beloved and emblematic pillar of the western art music canon that it became. Cook also discusses the ways the Ninth has been interpreted and the meanings ascribed to it, from a reflection of Beethoven's own life and emotional experiences to a heroic anthem of universal joy and brotherhood, highlighting the contributions of Wagner, Schenker, and Adorno.