Beethoven’s ninth and final symphony, premiered years after illness left the composer completely deaf, revolutionized the symphonic form with vocal soloists and a chorus joining the orchestra to sing his setting of Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy,” celebrating the brotherhood of all humanity. Premiered 200 years ago with Beethoven seated beside the conductor facing the orchestra, at its conclusion, one of the soloists turned the composer around to see the thunderous applause he no longer could hear. Tito Muñoz leads four vocal soloists, The Phoenix Symphony Chorus and orchestra in this orchestral masterpiece.
