D or B-flat

[Ries]

First post. Be nice!

Ok, so we know that Del Mar recommends playing the D that Beethoven actually wrote at measure 81 in the 1st movement of Symphony 9, rather than the B-flat that was formerly always played in its place (due to the fact that it matches the two other occurrences of the melody, albeit in different keys, in the movement).

Which do you think is correct? Well, we know that Beethoven WROTE the D but could it be, as has always been assumed, a mistake?

[Peter]

Welcome to the forum Ries - it's a hard one, I personally prefer the Bb as it makes more sense and sounds better, but that could just be years of hearing it that way so the D sounds a wrong note to me.

[Ries]

Thank you for the reply, Peter.

I must admit this fascinates me. Jonathan Del Mar insists that Beethoven definitely meant the D (apparently he wrote the D note out twice in different octaves), but it does seem somewhat bizarre to set-up a motif that you are going to use throughout a 15 minute movement using a different melodic pattern to the one that you are going to use subsequently!