200 JAHRE BEETHOVEN 9

Program:
Tan Dun: Nine "Ode to Compassion" (commissioned composition on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th Symphony)
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor op. 125

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony occupies a special position as the culmination of his symphonic oeuvre: premiered in Vienna in 1824, its final movement was the first to include choir and vocal soloists with the setting of Friedrich Schiller's ode "An die Freude". As a European anthem, "Freude schöner Götterfunken" has long since become a leitmotif for peace and international understanding - a message that (unfortunately) could not be more relevant today! The German National Youth Orchestra and the World Youth Choir are celebrating the 200th anniversary of its premiere with a major international project: they are combining Beethoven's symphony with the commissioned composition Nine "Ode to Compassion" by the Chinese-American composer Tan Dun, which combines classical and modern musical elements as well as Asian and European musical styles. As a dialog between the Chinese poet Qu Yuan (ca. 340 - 278 BC) and Friedrich Schiller (1759 - 1805) (as well as between Tan Dun and Ludwig van Beethoven), the most important symphony in music history will be illuminated from a forward-looking perspective - for an intercultural understanding and reflection on "the beauty of man, the beauty of the spirit, the beauty of the earth" (Tan Dun).

National Youth Orchestra
Iris Hendrickx Soprano
Jo-Pei Weng alto
Xavier Moreno Tenor
Johannes Schendel Bass
World Youth Choir
Jörn Hinnerk Andresen Conductor