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Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 "Ode to Freedom"

June Anderson soprano | Sarah Walker mezzo-soprano | Klaus König tenor | Jan-Hendrik Rootering bass
Symphonieorchester des Bayrischen Rundfunks; Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks; Members of the Rundfunkchor Berlin; Kinderchor der Philharmonie Dresden
Leonard Bernstein

Leonard Bernstein’s historical concert in celebration of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 has long become almost as legendary as the revolutionary moment that it celebrated.

Recorded at the beautiful Schauspielhaus right on Gendarmenmarkt in the centre of Berlin on Christmas 1989, it has now become available on DVD, along with a short documentary film as bonus. The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 1989 unleashed a wave of democratisation in Central and Eastern Europe that radically transformed the world order and Leonard Bernstein spontaneously accepted an invitation to conduct a performance to mark this new era.

It was only fitting that East Germany’s new-found freedom should be celebrated with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The monumental work, perhaps the world’s most famous Symphony, was inspired by Schiller´s poem “Ode to Joy”, a passionate eulogy to freedom. Adding to the symbolism of the event, Bernstein conducted an orchestra and chorus formed from musicians from both East and West Germany (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Staatskapelle Dresden), as well as the United States (New York Philharmonic), Great Britain (London Symphony), France (Orchestre de Paris) and the Soviet Union (Orchestra of the Kirov Theater).

Repertoire

L.v. Beethoven: Symphony No.9 in D minor, Op.125

Facts DVD Blu-ray

Item number
2072039
UPC number
880242720399
Region code
0
Sound format
PCM Stereo
Dolby Digital 5.1
dts 5.1
Release
Total running time
94 mins
Subtitles
English, French, German, Spanish
Booklet notes
English, French, German
No. of discs
1
Recording
1989