Behind the Scenes of Beethoven 9

On 29 January 2011, Manchester Camerata conducted by Music Director Douglas Boyd and joined by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus (CBSO) plus a team of top flight soloists: Rebecca von Lipinski (soprano), Anna Grevelius (mezzo soprano), Peter Wedd (tenor) and Roderick Williams  (baritone) performed the magnificent Beethoven 9 in front of a capacity crowd at The Bridgewater Hall.

Below you can read and listen to comments from those taking part in the concert which not only was being recorded for later release, but was being filmed for showing on Medici.tv.  Click the images to hear the interviews made on the day.

“I think that just doing the Beethoven is one of the most emotional things you can do – whether it’s attached to the end of an era or whatever.  I suppose it’s added by the fact that I am doing it with my friends, people who have supported me over the years.  And we’ve all grown together.”

Richard Williamson – Principal Viola

“It’s got absolutely everything in it – every single range of human emotion you could imagine.  It’s quite a frightening piece to play in some ways because there’s so much there.  It captures the heart in ways that so few pieces do.”

“People always feel that they want to pull out all the stops when Dougie’s at the helm.  He’s taught us all a tremendous amount about all of the repertoir we’ve done with him, particularly the Beethoven.  It’s been a tremendous privalege.”

“The thing about Beethoven’s Choral Symphony is that it’s such a massive piece and so different from any of the other symphonies, and in fact most of the orchestra’s repertoir.  It’s an immensely difficult and challenging piece, but it’s also very exciting to play.  You can’t have passengers at all, everybody has to give 100%” 

“My mother always told me,  Anna – always wear a beautiful dress because nobody will hear you!!  It’s a real ensemble piece – in this size there’s the possibility to play with each other in a different way, it’s more intimate.”

“It’s never the same each time they do it, it’s always different, and it is in those differences, different ideas and philosophies that the individual conductors want. that the choir find their interest. It’s a phenomenal piece.”

For Wagner it proved that you couldn’t have music on its own, you had to have voices.  Lots of other composers tried to immitate many of the ideas in the 9th. It’s such an amazing work in so many ways. Such depth, drama and such directness of appeal.”