Beethoven's Symphony No. 9

The Orquestra XXI and the Coro Lisboa Cantat present Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig van Beethoven, in the year marking the bicentenary of the composer's death. Premiered in 1824, the work marked the history of Western music by integrating, in its final movement, soloists and choir on verses from Friedrich Schiller's Ode to Joy. Beethoven thus gives musical form to an aspiration for fraternity among peoples that remains associated with the symphony's reception. The programme also includes the national premiere of Ambra, by the Norwegian composer Kristine Tjøgersen, conceived as a homage to Beethoven's work. Known for a language that crosses sound, nature and imagination, Tjøgersen proposes a contemporary response to the composer's influence. Placed in dialogue, the two works bring together different times and languages, revealing Beethoven's permanence in the musical creation of our days. Pre-concert talk by Dinis Sousa at 4:30 PM. El Corte Inglés supports the CCB Classical Music Mediation Programme. Accessibility: Session with Audio Description.