Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 received its first performance in 1824.
The premiere took place on 7 May 1824 at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna. Beethoven, by then profoundly deaf, was present and helped supervise the performance. The work was conducted by Michael Umlauf, while Beethoven was listed as co-director.
The symphony is famous for its final movement, which sets Friedrich Schiller’s poem “An die Freude,” or “Ode to Joy.” Its use of vocal soloists and chorus was groundbreaking for a symphony of its scale. The premiere was a major event after Beethoven had been absent from the Viennese concert scene for many years.
The work is often called the Choral Symphony, but “Symphony No. 9” is its standard title. Its premiere year is sometimes confused with 1827, the year of Beethoven’s death.