Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 | The Berlin Celebration Concert "Ode To Freedom"

On Christmas Day December 1989 Leonard Bernstein conducted Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony featuring an international cast in the Konzerthaus at Gendarmenmark, Berlin, following the historical fall of the Berlin Wall. Significantly the words from Schiller’s Ode An Die Freude (Ode To Joy) were changed: the word “Freude” (Joy) became “Freiheit” (Freedom).

Orchestra featured members of both German States and the four Occupation Powers. Four soloists, three choirs and members of six top orchestras, representing the two German States and the four Occupying Power States of post-war Berlin, participated: musicians from orchestras of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, from Dresden, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), London, New York and Paris. Three choirs supported Bernstein at his great Berlin Ode To Freedom concert: the Bavarian Radio Chorus; members of the Radio Chorus of what had been East Berlin; and the Children’s Choir of the Dresden Philharmonie. The solo quartet featured June Anderson, soprano; Sarah Walker, mezzo-soprano; Klaus König, tenor; and Jan-Hendrik Rootering, bass.

Leonard Bernstein observed, “I feel this is a heaven-sent moment to sing “Freiheit” wherever the score indicates the word “Freude”. If ever there was a historic time to take an academic risk in the name of human joy, this is it, and I am sure we have Beethoven’s blessing. “Es lebe die Freiheit!”