On this Day!!

[Joy]

May 7th, 1824 - First performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in Vienna's Kaerntnerthor Theater, with Michael Umlauf conducting. The effect of the symphony was great and the applause enthusiastic. Unfortunately, Beethoven, who had been deaf for many years, did not realize the audience was applauding until at the end of the performance Caroline Unger turned him around to see it. He bowed, and now thunderous applause burst forth. He dedcated the work to King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia.

"Joy gave us kisses and wine,
a friend tried to the uttermost;
even the worm was granted pleasure
and the Cherub stands before God"

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Peter]

Goodness how uncanny, without realising the date I purchased a print of Gustav Klimt's Beethovenfries today which depicts scenes from the 9th symphony!

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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

Absolutely uncanny! You must have known instinctively!!

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[melvyn]

Originally posted by Joy:
May 7th, 1824 - First performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in Vienna's Kaerntnerthor Theater, with Michael Umlauf conducting. The effect of the symphony was great and the applause enthusiastic. Unfortunately, Beethoven, who had been deaf for many years, did not realize the audience was applauding until at the end of the performance Caroline Unger turned him around to see it. He bowed, and now thunderous applause burst forth.

This famous story has always struck me as rather odd. Surely the Master must have realised that the orchestra had finished playing, and would have instinctively turned round to see what the audience reaction was. What was he doing? Staring into empty space? Fallen asleep? Did he not see the conductor turn around to the audience to acknowledge the applause? Perhaps he wasn't interested in the audience's reaction.

Do we know where Beethoven was sitting? Was he on the stage or in the audience? Presumably he must have been on the stage if he was in a position to be turned around to face the audience. In that case why was he sitting with his back to the audience in the first place?

Melvyn.

[Joy]

There is a lot of questions to be asked about that day, Melvyn, you're right. When exactly did he appear on stage? Was it for the entire concert or just for the finale of the 9th? Maybe he was so engrossed in his music and conducting that he didn't realize the concert was over. I read he was 16 bars or so behind the orchestra while he was conducting and kept on conducting even after it was finished. A lot of questions and no solid answers I'm afraid. Isn't there an exact description of what happened that historic day? If there is, I haven't found it. If anyone else has, maybe they can tell us!

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[lysander]

Originally posted by Joy:
There is a lot of questions to be asked about that day, Melvyn, you're right. When exactly did he appear on stage? Was it for the entire concert or just for the finale of the 9th? Maybe he was so engrossed in his music and conducting that he didn't realize the concert was over. I read he was 16 bars or so behind the orchestra while he was conducting and kept on conducting even

after it was finished. A lot of questions and no solid answers I'm afraid. Isn't there an exact description of what happened that historic day? If there is, I haven't found it. If anyone else has, maybe they can tell us!

I agree with you Joy,
It would be wonderful to have an exact account of this unforgettable epoch making event.

From what I have read in Lewis Lockwood's book on Beethoven, which I am sure you would agree is a fairly reliable source, reports that:
At the first performance of the Ninth symphony on May 7th 1824, in the Royal Imperial Court Theatre, In the presence of a large audience that included the Royal Family, ( Barry Cooper's biography of Beethoven, states that the Royal Box remained empty), Beethoven tried to conduct the symphony, while the musicians quietly agreed not to follow his beat but to follow Ignaz Umlauf, who was standing by where the performers could see him, Either at the end of the Scherzo or at the end of the symphony (we are not sure which), amid wild enthusiastic, tumultuous applause, Beethoven stood pouring over his score while the contralto singer Caroline Unger plucked at his sleeve and pointed to the cheering audience - whereupon he turned and bowed to them all.
This story was reported to Thayer by the pianist Sigismund Thalberg in Paris 1860.


One of the most perceptive responses was that of Czerny, who was amazed by the incredible energy of the Ninth Sympnony:-

Beethoven...in the most striking manner astonished everyone who feared that after ten years of deafness only dry, abstract, unimaginative works could be produced. His new symphony for the most part breathes such a fresh, lively, indeed youthful spirit; so much power, innovation and beauty as ever [came] from the head of this original man, although he certainly sometimes led the old wigs to shake their heads.


A recent medical scholar has found that Beethoven's deafness even in the last years was not absolute but fluctuated considerably.
Beethoven's use of a resonance plate on the piano along with his ear trumpet when playing and improvising is attested to by Freidrich Wieck, who visited him in 1826.
The "resonance plate" was a sound-conduction device tha amplified individual sounds when placed on he piano, though it may well have caused a jumbling effect when chords were struck.


Lysander.

[Joy]

Thanks Lysander for that information. I certainly have to agree with Czerny!

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[melvyn]

Ah - A bit of confusion has crept in here, but I think I can understand it better now. I originally thought that Beethoven was conducting, but Joy's original message said that Michael Umlauf was conducting so I thought I must have got it wrong. Now it appears that they both were! If Beethoven was playing the part of the conductor, that would explain why he had his back to the audience.

Yes, if the audience started applauding after the scherzo, that explains why Beethoven would not have realised what was happening. Also, if the orchestra was ahead of him and finished first(!) that would also provide an explanation. So although we will never know what actually happened, it is no longer such a mystery now.

In the second scenario, imagine what would have gone through Beethoven's mind when the orchestra suddenly stopped playing and the applause broke out just as he was mentally building up to the finale. He must have thought that everybody had gone mad, and ruined the best bit. And what a bizarre sight for the audience to hear that dramatic conclusion, and yet still see Beethoven continuing to wave his arms about. They must have wondered what on earth was coming next!

Melvyn.

[Steppenwolf]

Originally posted by melvyn:
Ah - A bit of confusion has crept in here, but I think I can understand it better now. I originally thought that Beethoven was conducting, but Joy's original message said that Michael Umlauf was conducting so I thought I must have got it wrong. Now it appears that they both were! If Beethoven was playing the part of the conductor, that would explain why he had his back to the audience.

Yes, if the audience started applauding after the scherzo, that explains why Beethoven would not have realised what was happening. Also, if the orchestra was ahead of him and finished first(!) that would also provide an explanation. So although we will never know what actually happened, it is no longer such a mystery now.

In the second scenario, imagine what would have gone through Beethoven's mind when the orchestra suddenly stopped playing and the applause broke out just as he was mentally building up to the finale. He must have thought that everybody had gone mad, and ruined the best bit. And what a bizarre sight for the audience to hear that dramatic conclusion, and yet still see Beethoven continuing to wave his arms about. They must have wondered what on earth was coming next!

Melvyn.

An account I read (I believe it was a different one to the account quoted above) explained that the orchestra had been instructed beforehand to ignore Beethoven during the performance, and only follow the real conductor Umlauf. LvB stubbornly insisted that he could conduct, and so stood before the orchestra waving his hands, out of time. When the orchestra had finished, he was still busily conducting, unaware. That's when he was turned around to see the audience giving a standing ovation.

[Joy]

Originally posted by melvyn:
Ah - A bit of confusion has crept in here, but I think I can understand it better now. I originally thought that Beethoven was conducting, but Joy's original message said that Michael Umlauf was conducting so I thought I must have got it wrong. Now it appears that they both were! If Beethoven was playing the part of the conductor, that would explain why he had his back to the audience.

Yes, if the audience started applauding after the scherzo, that explains why Beethoven would not have realised what was happening. Also, if the orchestra was ahead of him and finished first(!) that would also provide an explanation. So although we will never know what actually happened, it is no longer such a mystery now.

In the second scenario, imagine what would have gone through Beethoven's mind when the orchestra suddenly stopped playing and the applause broke out just as he was mentally building up to the finale. He must have thought that everybody had gone mad, and ruined the best bit. And what a bizarre sight for the audience to hear that dramatic conclusion, and yet still see Beethoven continuing to wave his arms about. They must have wondered what on earth was coming next!

Melvyn.

There were two conductors and as Steppenwolf pointed out the orchestra was instructed to watch only Umlauf and ignore Beethoven. You're right the audience must have been confused at the end especially but so excited at the concert maybe they didn't mind the confusion. When the applause broke out after the start of the Scherzo maybe that's what threw Beethoven off. He maybe didn't realize the audience was applauding and the orchestra begun again and he thought there was no interruption. It must have terribly confusing for Beethoven as well to be up there and not being able to hear what was going on. I think he was pretty brave in the first place to even attempt this! I still would like to know if Beethoven was on stage for the entire concert, the entire 9th, or just for the finale?? Still some more unanswered questions.


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[spaceray]

I found a picture of an 1879 Lithograph of Michael Umlauf conducting The 9th May 7th 1824,the orchestra plays Michael is looking warily over his shoulder at Beethoven whose arms are tightly folded , B is glaring down in concentration .