Dear Teachers and Students,

On behalf of everyone at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, especially the musicians and our partners at Reference Recordings and Soundmirror, we’re delighted to share with you our GRAMMY-nominated recording of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and invite you to share your thoughts about the ideas of freedom, brotherhood and joy that Beethoven communicates with music.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is a monumental work about the revered human values of freedom, joy and brotherhood, and I believe that Beethoven’s extraordinary musical expression of belief in humanity is something that seems needed right now. This recording was made in June of 2019, in advance of the 250th anniversary year of the birth of Beethoven, the most performed, influential and known composer throughout history. We were proud to release this recording earlier this year to both celebrate Beethoven, as well as the 125th anniversary season of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

This work cannot be done without outstanding voices, so we are thrilled to have fantastic partners on this endeavor—our superb Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, and the exceptional Christina Landshamer, soprano, Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano, Werner Güra, tenor, and Shenyang, bass-baritone, whose agile voices radiate empathy and hope.

This most famous of all symphonies is rightly one of the most popular and magnificent works in music history. It is therefore no wonder that Beethoven 9 has been performed on many important occasions, including the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany in 1989 under the baton of Leonard Bernstein. This work, too, has sometimes become the victim of political and ideological appropriation, for example, performed on various occasions to seemingly express Beethoven’s ideals of freedom, equality and brotherhood against a backdrop of extreme and inhuman regimes. Nonetheless, with this astonishing music, Beethoven has humbly addressed himself to all of humanity and thus provided an important musical manifesto for the world that undoubtedly reaches far beyond its musical content.

I hope that you enjoy listening to this recording. I would be very happy to hear what you think about it, what brings you joy, and thoughts you might want to share about the ideals of freedom, equality and brother expressed in music. I also hope to see you at Heinz Hall very soon.

Warmest best wishes,
Manfred Honeck
Music Director, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
education_outreach@pittsburghsymphony.org

Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso (Live)

Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": II. Scherzo. Molto vivace (Live)

Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": III. Adagio molto e cantabile (Live)

Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 "Choral": IV. Finale. Presto (Live)

In his meticulous music notes which accompany the recording, Manfred Honeck details his unique interpretation which draws inspiration from the historical context and musical structure of Beethoven Symphony No. 9. Throughout, Honeck approaches the towering work like a great journey and opportunity for discovery, seeking to bring out and vividly reveal the emotional content and meaning behind the notes. View the Booklet →

This album was recorded in beautiful and historic Heinz Hall, home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, in superb audiophile sound, and is the eleventh in the highly acclaimed Pittsburgh Live! series of multi-channel hybrid SACD released on the FRESH! imprint from Reference Recordings. This series has received GRAMMY® nominations in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Its recordings of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5/Barber Adagio for Strings won the 2018 GRAMMY® Award for Best Orchestral Performance and for Best Engineered Classical Album.

This release and the entire Pittsburgh Live! series are recorded and mastered by the team at Soundmirror, whose outstanding orchestral, solo, opera and chamber recordings have received more than 130 GRAMMY® nominations and awards. For over 40 years, Soundmirror has recorded for every major classical record label, including Reference Recordings.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra recordings are made possible by generous grants from BNY Mellon, Hansen Foundation, and Cheryl and Jim Redmond. This recording is also in memory of Dr. John H. Feist and Madeline P. Feist.