One of the world’s greatest pieces of music written by one of the world’s greatest composers. See pages from Beethoven’s original manuscript for his ninth symphony at the Theatermuseum’s Joy, a Shining Divine Spark presentation.
- Beethoven wrote the piece in Vienna
- A collaboration with the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin & Wiener Philharmoniker
- Runs May 1 – Jul 1, 2024
- See also:
An Ode to Joy
(Portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven from 1823 attributed to Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller; part of the historical musical instrument collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien; press photo © KHM-Museumsverband)
A few pieces of music seem visceral fixtures in the collective human conscience. Think, for example, of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries or Spinal Tap’s Stonehenge (editor’s note: um, what?).
And, of course, we have Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: one of the most recognisable pieces of music in existence. Not least because an adapted version of the iconic fourth movement is now the official anthem of the EU.
The vocal parts of that fourth movement famously draw on the Ode to Joy poem by Friedrich Schiller.
Vienna actually has a monument to Schiller, but the city can do much better than that when it comes to building a connection to Beethoven’s version.
The composer wrote the symphony here, for example. Go to Ungargasse 5 and you can see the house he finished it in (and a plaque commemorating the act).
(Beethoven’s ninth symphony premiered at the Kärntnertortheater, pictured here sometime before 1870 in a photo from the Valentin A. Heck publishing house and Michael Frankenstein & Comp. photo studio; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 246077; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)
However, Beethoven’s original manuscript for the piece resides in Germany at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin.
For a few weeks, though, selected pages are on public view at the Theatermuseum in Palais Lobkowitz in the very centre of Vienna, along with complementary insight from musicologist Otto Biba.
The presentation coincides with the 200th anniversary of the premiere of the work in Vienna on May 7th, 1824. Sadly, the Kärntnertortheater that hosted that event no longer exists.
This opportunity to see excerpts from Beethoven’s autograph stems from a collaboration between the two museal institutions and the Wiener Philharmoniker orchestra. The latter use the opportunity to play three concerts in the palais during the music’s brief stay in Vienna.
The Lobkowitz aristocratic residence actually witnessed the premiere of Beethoven’s 3rd symphony (ah, Vienna, capital of classical music) and the palais music room makes a fine location for hosting the sheet music under the presentation title Joy, a Shining Divine Spark.
We have 8 pages in all, as well as a couple of bonuses that include an original edition of the score open at the title page and a hand copy of a facsimile edition owned by the renowned conductor, Riccardo Muti.
(One of the pages of sheet music; press photo © KHM-Museumsverband)
However much I might read or hear about some momentous historical event or creation, to actually see evidence of that event or creation in physical form always leaves me strangely moved.
The paper on display once felt the hand of Beethoven and witnessed those moments of inspiration that saw the pen fall and commemorate greatness in ink. Imagine!
And the detail!
You see where Beethoven scratched out parts and had to put the erased lines back in by hand. Or where he wrote little notes and observations. Or added the text passages from Ode to Joy in the fourth movement.
Finally, can we also take a moment to pay due respect to Beethoven’s copyists? The composer possessed many qualities and skills. Legible penmanship was not one of them.
Dates, tickets & tips
View these pieces of music history from May 1st to July 1st, 2024. An entrance ticket for or from the Theatermuseum includes the special exhibitions inside.
If you’d like to explore Beethoven’s life and works further, many places in Vienna have a connection with the composer. He’s buried here, for example, and the city has a Beethoven Museum. My guide covers the important locations.
The Theatermuseum also celebrates another musical great later in 2024 (beginning in December) with a look at the life and work of Johann Strauss II: the King of the Waltz turns 200 in 2025. That exhibition should include, for example, the original score for the famous operetta, Die Fledermaus.
How to get to the ninth
Just follow the travel tips at the end of the main Theatermuseum article.
Once inside, the exhibition is up one level. Go up the stairs and turn right to enter the Klimt Nuda Veritas room. Joy, a Shining Divine Spark is in the room beyond that.
Address: Lobkowitzplatz 2, 1010 Vienna