Chicago Symphony Orchestra Performance

Due to my work schedules and bad timing of concerts I sadly was not able to enjoy a live rendition of a concert. So, I have instead decided to view an online video by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and their rendition of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in D minor. The performance was conducted by director Riccardo Muti, and was played in the Chicago Symphony Center. Before the performance there was a small but meaningful moment of dedication for a young individual named Charlie, who would have been nineteen on the date of the performance. To celebrate the joy and love this individual brought everywhere they went their family bought seats for people filming the performance to share it, and for people who otherwise could not have afforded

it so that as many people as possible could share the experience it brought. After that short interval the orchestra was shown standing in a stiff but calm stance as if they had complete control over not only their body, but each individual was toned for their instrument like true master craftsmen. Then the conductor of the orchestra Riccardo Muti came to the stage, and the pure stage presence this man gave off was astounding even from just watching the video. It was almost as if you could see all the orchestra take one breath in and hold it until he told them to play.
Then the concert began with the first movement of Beethoven’s 9th titled “Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestro. (Beethoven)” The beginning of this movement could only be described as powerful with it delving into more of a ballroom piece. The texture of the movement is easy to point out as the movement is polyphonic in nature due to the violins and trumpets playing the main theme, but the flutes and tubas play a backup reply of the main theme. The dynamics which start only moments into the movement already show Beethoven’s pure skill as each instrument weaves with another to form various crescendos and diminuendos. As the piece continues the melody of the movement becomes clearer as the beginning sounds like a ballroom theme with a story to tell, that ends in a prefect fashion to lead into the next movement. In short the first movement of Beethoven’s 9th is an extremely strong opening piece to such a strong piece of art. The melody alone fits together the rest of the performance wonderfully while preparing the crowd for the main ensemble.
The second movement in this piece is named “Molto Vivace (Beethoven)”.

The second movement begins after a short pause after the first movement, which showed some very interesting details about how a live performance works. There was no clapping or no noise. Just silence as the performers wiped their brows and took a drink as they needed. They quickly picked the second movement up with quick successful crescendos that lead up to the main theme of the second movement. However, there was something different about the second movement than the first, and that difference is that there were three trombones of varying types added. During the movement, the dynamics of this piece caught my ear as you could hear them building up to moments where the entire ensemble would play then one instrument at a time they would back off in a crescendo and decrescendo style. Around the middle of the movement the movement fell into a more cheery and light melody than the earlier first movement, allowing instead to imagine the first spring day after a long winter in the house. The harmony between the instruments in this section bring forth a more childlike tone, which reminds me of the work “Sumer Is Icumen In.” This movement was much nicer to listen to than the previous through its mixtures of melody and dynamics. The soft melody throughout the piece between the crescendos of the ensemble made this my second favorite movement in Beethoven’s

9th.
Finally, we have the fourth movement of Beethoven’s 9th named “Ode to Joy.

(Beethoven)” This movement was my personal favorite out of the four due to the explosive feeling the vocals combined with the symphony leave you with. The movement begins with an explosive beginning, combining sharp crescendos that lead down in a step style. The movement quickly descends into a subtle melody, but as the movement continues you can hear a blend of all the different movements in this one piece. The movement quickly picks itself back up into a powerful and exhilarating movement. The harmony of all the movements alongside the chorus makes this movement sounds extremely powerful. Combine the harmony with the dynamics Beethoven chose to use throughout this movement gave the overall piece the finale it dutifully deserved. Overall the fourth movement is known around the world just for its name for good reason. This movement combines such grace and skillful vocals alongside a range of musical virtuosos to give Beethoven’s 9th a perfect closing

chapter.
At the end of this experience there was the applause you would expect after such a masterpiece, a standing ovation, cheers from all around. One thing I did not expect was the conductor shook hands with what I had to assume where his first Violinists, because he shook hands with no others while on stage. Another practice that was unknown to me was that as the conductor exits the stage, the symphony remains still, never moving. The only people on stage that moved at the same time the conductor did were the four main vocalists, no others. Overall this was a very worthwhile experience and it has opened my eyes to the world of live classical concerts, and shows me that I must take the time to see a few classical concerts at some point soon.