Music Director Edo de Waart, is joined by a stellar group of soloists and Voices New Zealand to end the Beethoven Festival in style.

Beethoven's Eighth Symphony is light-hearted and cheerful. It is one of Beethoven's shortest symphonies, with a second movement much faster than most symphonic second movements. It is said to imitate the newly invented metronome. Beethoven met the metronome's inventor, Johann Mälzel, at a dinner party while writing this work.

The Ninth Symphony is regarded as one of Beethoven's finest works. It has the largest orchestra of his symphonies and was the first symphony by a major composer to use voices. In the final movement, the voices sing the triumphant Ode to Joy, a poem by Friedrich Schiller.

The work premiered in 1824 in Vienna. The audience gave rousing ovations, including waving handkerchiefs and lifting hats so that the deaf composer, who could not hear the applause, could see the ecstatic response.

Beethoven's Choral Symphony is frequently featured in film, TV and even video games.

As we head towards the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birthday in 2020, his music is as relevant today as it was when it premiered.

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