logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2021
1h 1m

Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Part 2

JOSHUA WEILERSTEIN
About this episode

The cycle is complete! Would it surprise you to find out that Beethoven’s 9th Symphony wasn’t his last piece? Would it surprise you that he was actually considering an all instrumental movement for the last movement? Or how about that the second performance of the piece was given to a half full hall and it took decades for the piece to become popular? Or how about the famous words “All men will become brothers?” What did that phrase mean to Beethoven? We'll talk about all this and more in Part 2!

Up next
Aug 22
Sticky Notes meets You'll Hear It
I had such a wonderful time joining the jazz podcast You'll Hear It! We talked about the meeting of jazz and classical music, a topic I've explored before, but never in this much depth and never with so much input from jazz musicians and experts like Peter Martin and Adam Maness. ... Show More
1h 10m
Mar 2025
Amy Beach, "Gaelic" Symphony
Amy Beach is a name that might not be familiar to you. She was born in 1867 and died in 1944, and her life was one of the most fascinating and varied in musical history. She was a child prodigy, became a successful pianist, and then pivoted to composing at her husband’s request. ... Show More
1 h
Feb 2025
Sticky Notes en Français! Shostakovich Symphonie No. 13 (Bonus Episode)
Voici un épisode bonus spécial de Sticky Notes en français, en avant-première de mes concerts avec l'Orchestre National de Lille, présentant la 13e symphonie de Shostakovich. Si vous souhaitez écouter la version anglaise de cet épisode, elle est disponible dans les archives. Je m ... Show More
1h 10m
Recommended Episodes
May 2020
Beethoven's Silent Symphony
May 7, 1824. One of the great musical icons in history, Ludwig Van Beethoven, steps onto stage at the Kärntnertor Theater in Vienna. The audience is electric, buzzing with anticipation for a brand new symphony from the legendary composer. But there’s a rumor on their minds, somet ... Show More
30m 35s
Oct 2015
Symphony No. 2: Desperation and Determination
Ludwig van Beethoven's Second Symphony came at a pivot point in his life. Musically, the composer moved toward the more epic, revolutionary style that would define his later symphonies. Personally, Beethoven sank into despair as his hearing loss worsened. 
14m 48s
May 2022
Beethoven's Silent Symphony (Replay)
History repeats itself this week with an episode from the HISTORY This Week archives: May 7, 1824. One of the great musical icons in history, Ludwig Van Beethoven, steps onto stage at the Kärntnertor Theater in Vienna. The audience is electric, buzzing with anticipation for a bra ... Show More
34m 41s
May 2019
“There is only one Beethoven”
Everybody knows the Beethoven story: He’s a brilliant composer who faced hearing loss; a genius who couldn’t listen to his own masterpieces. But there’s a different way to consider the story we think we know. 
35m 31s
Jun 2008
Beethoven: (Pathetique - Patetica 2nd Movement) Sonata Op. 13 No. 8: II Adagio cantabile
This recording is the 2nd movement of Beethoven's popular Sonata Pathetique Op. 13 No. 8. The second movement is Adagio cantabile. "Cantabile" indicates that this movement should be played like a song, or something that has a distinct melody that one could sing along with. This p ... Show More
4m 53s
Jun 2024
Beethoven symphonies and 20th century politics
Synopsis No four notes in classical music are more familiar than those that open Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Their powerful psychological resonance has often extended beyond music into overtly political contexts. For example, on today’s date in 1941, the British Broadcasting Comp ... Show More
2 m
Oct 2021
La Xe symphonie de Beethoven achevée par une IA ?
Ce n’est pas la première fois que l’on vous parle d’intelligence artificielle et de musique dans ce podcast. Et pour cause, l’IA pourrait à terme remplacer les artistes si l’on en croit certains experts. Une hypothèse pas si absurde que cela quand on sait qu’une IA est récemment ... Show More
2m 22s
Dec 2023
Episode #192- Who Killed Mozart? (Part I)
There are few artists who are praised with the same level of hyperbole as Wolfgang Mozart. The German poet Franz Alexander von Kleist once said “Mozart's music is so beautiful as to entice angels down to earth.” The famous Russian composer Tchaikovsky declared that Mozart was no ... Show More
1h 8m
Nov 2015
Symphony No. 8: A Musical Look Back
A fun, almost comical, moment before Beethoven stepped away from the symphony for a decade and wrote his ultimate triumph. 
15m 56s
Sep 2020
THE 5TH — MOVEMENT I, A Battle Brewing
You know Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. You’ve heard it in films, advertisements, parodied in Saturday morning cartoons and disco-ized in Saturday Night Fever. The Fifth Symphony is a given, so much so that it blends into the background. You know this piece, but how well? Of all the ... Show More
27m 48s