Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony premiered in Vienna in 1824.
The first performance took place on 7 May 1824 at the Theater am Kärntnertor. Beethoven had completed the symphony after years of work, despite having become profoundly deaf. The concert also included premieres of parts of the Missa solemnis and other music.
The Ninth is especially famous for its final movement, which introduces voices and a chorus to a symphonic structure. The text comes from Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy,” though Beethoven selected and adapted passages rather than setting the complete poem.
A common misconception is that Beethoven conducted the premiere in an ordinary practical sense. He was present and attempted to participate, but Michael Umlauf directed the orchestra because Beethoven could no longer hear the performance reliably. The symphony later became a major cultural symbol across Europe and beyond.