βAll men become brothers . . .nBe embraced, ye millions!βn nThe Ninth Symphony, a symbol of freedom and joy, was Beethovenβs mightiest attempt to help humanity find its way from darkness to light, from chaos to peace. Yet the work was born in a repressive era, with terrified Bourbons, Hapsburgs, and Romanovs using every means at their disposal to squelch populist rumblings in the wake of the French Revolution and Napoleonβs wars. Ironically, the premiere of this hymn to universal brotherhood took place in Vienna, the capital of a nation that Metternich was turning into the first modern police state.nnThe Ninthβs unveiling, on May 7, 1824, was the most significant artistic event of the year, and the work remains one of the most precedent-shattering and influential compositions in the history of musicβa reference point and inspiration that resonates even today. But in The Ninth, eminent music historian Harvey Sachs demonstrates that Beethoven was not alone in his discontent with the state of the world. Lord Byron died in 1824 during an attempt to free Greece from the domination of the Ottoman empire; Delacroix painted a masterpiece in support of that same cause; Pushkin, suffering at the hands of an autocratic czar, began to draft his anti-authoritarian play Boris Godunov; and Stendhal and Heine wrote works that mocked conventional ways of thinking.nnThe Ninth Symphony was so unorthodox that it amazed and confused listeners at its premiereβdescribed by Sachs in vibrant detailβyet it became a standard for subsequent generations of creative artists, and its composer came to embody the Romantic cult of genius. In this unconventional, provocative new book, Beethovenβs masterwork becomes a prism through which we may view the politics, aesthetics, and overall climate of the era.nnPart biography, part history, part memoir, The Ninth brilliantly explores the intricacies of Beethovenβs last symphonyβhow it brought forth the power of the individual while celebrating the collective spirit of humanity.
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