Ninth Symphony

Cultural  

1. One of the great achievements of European music, it was Ludwig van Beethoven's last symphony; known also as the “Choral” Symphony. Its finale is a musical setting of Friedrich von Schiller's “Ode to Joy,” a hymn to the unity and freedom of humanity.

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Example Sentences

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony played no small role in lifting the collective mood, preparing Tokyo to create what now feels like the world’s most arresting capital.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

The set contains a powerful performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony under the conductor and composer Igor Markevitch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

This, Nicholas says, helps guide an audience through the Ninth Symphony because "this is the biggest he ever wrote. It's a mammoth piece."

From BBC • Aug. 30, 2024

She recently recorded Mahler’s Ninth Symphony with her ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra at the storied Musikverein, an experience that brought Leonard Bernstein, one of her mentors, to mind.

From New York Times • May 6, 2024

In the first year Lamoureux had Beethoven's Ninth Symphony performed, as well as a large part of Lohengrin, and numerous works of young French musicians.

From Musicians of To-Day by Blaiklock, Mary