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A musical journey
with Beethoven

I admit to being a frustrated classical musician. When I watch television, go to the movies and read magazines, I find that there simply isn't much classical music in everyday life. Perhaps you'll see a string quartet playing during a wedding scene, but we just don't see symphony orchestras on prime-time television very often.

Beethoven Symphony No. 9 The Honolulu Symphony is joined by the Honolulu Symphony Chorus In concert: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Place: Blaisdell Concert Hall Tickets: $28 to $73 Call: 792-2000 or Ticketmaster at 877-750-4400

But one legendary composer and one symphony have crossed over into popular culture -- Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It's been featured in movies, novels, ballet productions and, of course, countless orchestra concerts.

Beethoven's life was the focus of a passionate movie called "Immortal Beloved," and you'll even see his face popping up on posters, T-shirts and the stuff of everyday life around Honolulu.

Next Wednesday, the Honolulu Symphony presents Beethoven's Ninth, conducted by our new artistic advisor, maestro JoAnn Falletta. Karen Kennedy returns to conduct our Honolulu Symphony Chorus in what promises to be a touching musical experience for everyone.

Why does this particular symphony -- and Beethoven himself -- connect so deeply with so many people? The Ninth Symphony is the culmination of Beethoven's creative life. Performed for the first time in 1824, it represents more than eight years of work by the composer. Although suffering from deafness and depression, Beethoven wrote the Ninth in his soundless world and introduced a stunning new musical format.

Beethoven began writing the Ninth in 1816 and by 1819 he had most of the four movements, or sections, planned. Then he spent a great deal of time trying to put his vision for the last movement on paper.

This last movement is what makes it completely different from anything written up to that time. Never before had a composer put the forces of orchestra, chorus and vocal soloists on stage together and not called it an opera. It was the most inspired and successful expansion of the symphony ever written.

The first three movements of the symphony have innovations as well. The first movement begins with gentle murmuring, as if the sounds were coming from a distance. This movement has a dark flavor to it, slowly building tension and drama throughout.

If the first movement leaves you enthused, the second movement will leave you breathless. It's called a "scherzo," racing by with pulsating performances by many sections of the orchestra, especially the big kettle drums known as the timpani.

The next innovation Beethoven put in place was the order of the second and third movements. Beethoven reversed the typical "slow then fast" order so the second movement is invigoratingly fast.

The third movement by contrast is slower and bursting with poignant and touching melodies.

Beginning with the first movement, the music takes us on a journey through two sets of melodies with variations. The emotional third movement makes a profound impact leading to the famous fourth movement.

For many years, Beethoven had been fascinated by the words of the poet Friedrich Schiller. He tried to find a way to include Schiller's poem, "An der Freude," or "Ode to Joy" in one of his compositions.

Beethoven knew how shocking it would be for the audience to suddenly hear someone sing during a symphony and in a way, he created a brand new symphony in this last movement. It begins with a dramatic flash of sound and then brings us musical snapshots from the other movements. In between these snapshots, we begin to hear the famous theme he wrote for the words Ode to Joy.

Following the introduction, the baritone soloist sings: "Oh Friends, not these tones! Let us rather raise our voices together in more pleasant and joyful ones." Then we transition to a moving passage as we hear the orchestra, chorus and vocal soloists perform together, with the chorus singing the beautiful, poetic passage:

"Joy, beautiful spark of the gods,

Daughter of Elysium,

Be embraced, ye millions!

With this kiss for all the world!"

These words bring a message of peace and universal fellowship to us all. This is what makes Beethoven's Ninth so special and why it continues to break many of the barriers facing classical music today.

Even if you've never heard the symphony in a concert hall, I bet you've heard part of the Ninth somewhere in popular culture. You can find the second and final movements featured prominently in the Stanley Kubrick film "A Clockwork Orange" and the final movement was adapted by Michael Kamen in his score for the 1989 thriller "Die Hard," which Bruce Willis fans will remember.

And maybe some of you remember that the opening measures of the second movement were used as theme music for an American news broadcast in the 1960s: "The Huntley-Brinkley Report."

With its message of peace and hope, the Honolulu Symphony's yearly performance of Beethoven's Ninth has become a tradition here in Honolulu. In many countries around the world, such as Japan, it is a tradition to experience the Ninth as we enter the new year.

We hope all of you will take advantage of this unique opportunity to experience Beethoven's musical prayer for peace.

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