{"id":14527,"date":"2022-03-01T09:45:53","date_gmt":"2022-03-01T08:45:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riccardomuti.com\/?p=14527"},"modified":"2022-03-09T11:09:18","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T10:09:18","slug":"riccardo-muti-conducts-beethovens-ninth-an-ode-to-joy-at-an-awful-moment-of-sadness-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riccardomuti.com\/en\/2022\/03\/01\/riccardo-muti-conducts-beethovens-ninth-an-ode-to-joy-at-an-awful-moment-of-sadness-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Riccardo Muti conducts Beethoven’s Ninth, an ode to joy at an awful moment of sadness"},"content":{"rendered":"

CSO, Riccardo Muti: a superb Beethoven No. 9 delivers \u2018ode to joy at an awful moment of sadness\u2019<\/h3>\n

\u2013 Kyle MacMillan | February 25, 2022<\/p>\n

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra\u2019s set of four performances of Ludwig van Beethoven\u2019s famed Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, were originally scheduled on what seemed to be ordinary February dates.<\/p>\n

But fate has a way of intervening sometimes. The timing turned out be unexpectedly momentous, with Thursday evening\u2019s concert taking place on the second day of Russia\u2019s horrific attack on the Ukraine.<\/p>\n

There is no more fitting work for this dark moment than this landmark symphony, which sums up Beethoven\u2019s lifelong belief in hope and freedom. It shows the best of what humanity has to offer while the world is witnessing the worst.<\/p>\n

As was certainly expected, music director Riccardo Muti offered a few remarks before the concert, eloquently offering up the performance of this uplifting work as a statement of support for the Ukrainian people.<\/p>\n

To hearty applause from the audience, he condemned hate and violence and noted the final movement\u2019s setting of Friedrich von Schiller\u2019s \u201cOde to Joy,\u201d saying that \u201cjoy without peace cannot exist.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>