Pick up Beethoven’s famous and representative works!
Ludwig van Beethoven created innovative music that served as a bridge from the Classical to the Romantic era, leaving a profound influence on later generations.
His music is passionate yet rich in beautiful melodies, and it conveys a sense of essential depth, as if pursuing things to their very core.
There are many masterpieces that everyone has heard at least once, such as “Fate” (Symphony No.
5) and “Für Elise.”
In this article, we’ve picked out some of Beethoven’s famous and representative works.
Why not immerse yourself in the music of Beethoven, one of the great composers?
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[Beethoven] Pick Up Masterpieces and Signature Works! (171–180)
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, Fourth Movement “Ode to Joy”Ludwig van Beethoven
As the year draws to a close, Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No.
9 in D minor, Op.
125 is performed by a wide variety of orchestras and choirs.
In particular, the fourth movement—known as the “Ode to Joy”—is beloved across generations.
Because many piano method books include various arrangements of the fourth movement’s theme, it is also extremely popular among piano learners.
Performances of arrangements close to the original let listeners enjoy the piano’s uniquely rich sonority—often said to capture the power of an entire orchestra on a single instrument.
Symphony No. 9 “Choral”Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven’s Symphony No.
9, also famously nicknamed “The Ninth.” It’s performed in many places at the end of the year.
You’ve probably heard the fourth movement with chorus at least once, right? The choral melody is also familiar in Japan as the song “Ode to Joy” with Japanese lyrics.
It has been translated into countless languages around the world and is sometimes sung in those languages as well.
Take this opportunity to experience “The Ninth” from beginning to end!
Symphony No. 9 “Choral,” Movement IIILudwig van Beethoven
When you think of the Ninth, it’s become a standard piece that’s always performed at the end of the year, but the famous Ode to Joy isn’t all there is to the Ninth.
In particular, the beauty of the third movement defies description and boasts an exceptionally high level of perfection.
From Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 — Fourth Movement “Ode to Joy”Ludwig van Beethoven
In Japan, it is affectionately known as “the Ninth,” and as the year draws to a close, performances of the Ninth are held all over the country.
The lyrics of this piece are based on Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy,” and in Japan the choral section is also called the “Song of Joy.” While there had been symphonic works that used voices before, this is considered the first work to employ vocal parts effectively.
In addition to voices, it also uses percussion instruments—such as cymbals and triangle—that had rarely been used in symphonies up to that point.
Symphony No. 9 “With Chorus”Ludwig van Beethoven
Affectionately known in Japan by the abbreviation “Daiku” (The Ninth), this piece is so beloved that events where everyone sings the Ninth together are held across the country at year’s end.
Symphony No.
9 is the ninth and final symphony Beethoven composed.
Because he included four vocal soloists and a mixed chorus in the final fourth movement, it is also called the “Choral” symphony.
The text uses Schiller’s poem “An die Freude” (Ode to Joy), and its main theme is widely known as the “Ode to Joy.” It premiered in 1824, though Beethoven is said to have aspired since around 1792 to set Schiller’s poem to his own music someday.
[Beethoven] Pick Up Masterpieces and Signature Works! (181–190)
Symphony No. 5, First Movement “Fate”Ludwig van Beethoven
This piece is Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, affectionately known in Japan as “Fate.” Listening as you follow the ingenious structure—from the striking opening, through the depths of darkness, step by step into a brighter world—is truly thrilling.
It feels almost like riding a roller coaster.
Even within the first movement there’s a shift from darkness to light, and across movements I through IV the music grows progressively brighter, so I recommend listening to all the movements straight through.
Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”Ludwig van Beethoven
Known as the “Pastoral,” Symphony No.
6 is one of Beethoven’s most celebrated works, rivaling the fame of Symphony No.
5, the “Fate.” It is also a very rare example of a piece to which Beethoven himself gave programmatic titles.
Characterized by a gentle, expansive development that seems to convey the calm atmosphere of abundant nature, it offers a different side of Beethoven in contrast to the impassioned “Fate.” The composer himself stated that it is not a depiction of rural scenery, but rather an expression of the joyful feelings of people in the countryside.
In any case, let us immerse ourselves in the world of the “Pastoral” and savor the bountiful autumn.
