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Background

• Commissioned by the Philharmonic Society of London in 1817. Composed between 1822 and 1824.
• First performed at the Theater am Kärntnertor, Vienna, on 7 May 1824; Beethoven was by then completely deaf.
• The final symphonic movement features a full chorus and soloists — the first major symphony to do so.

Recordings

• 9 Symphonies (Remastered).
  Gwyneth Jones (soprano), Hanna Schwarz (contralto), René Kollo (tenor), Kurt Moll (bass).
  Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor.
  Wiener Philharmoniker.
  Leonard Bernstein.
  Deutsche Grammophon.
• Symphonie No. 9.
  Gundula Janowitz (soprano), Grace Bumbry (mezzo), Jess Thomas (Tenor), George London (bass).
  Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele.
  Karl Böhm.
  Orfeo.
  Diapason d’Or (2018): Collectionneur.
  
  
• The Symphonies
  Katerina Beranova (soprano), Lilli Paasikivi (alto), Robert Dean Smith (tenor) & Hanno Müller-Brachmann (bass).
  GewandhausChor, GewandhausKinderchor & MDF Rundfunkchor. Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
  Riccardo Chailly · DECCA
  Gramophone Magazine (2011): Disc of the Month
  Gramophone Awards (2012): Finalist Orchestral
  Presto Recording of the Week (2012).
  Radio 3 (2020): Building a Library Recommended

• Complete Symphonies
  Sara Swietlicki (Soprano), Morten Grove Frandsen (Countertenor), Ilker Arcayürek (Tenor), Lars Moller (Baritone). Danish National Concert Choir
  Danish Chamber Orchestra
  Adam Fischer · NAXOS
  Presto Recording of the Week (2019).
  Presto Recordings of the Year (2019): Finalist.
  International Classical Music Awards (2020): Winner Recording of the Year
  Opus Klassik Awards (2020): Nominee Conductor of the Year.
  Opus Klassik Awards (2020): Winner Orchestral (19th Century Music)
  Radio 3 (2020): Building a Library Recommended
• Symphony No.9.
  Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (soprano), Elsa Cavelti (mezzo-soprano), Ernst Haefliger (tenor), Otto Edelmann (bass). Lucerne Festival Orchestra.
  Philharmonia Orchestra.
  Wilhelm Furtwangler.
  Audite.
  Gramophone Awards (1995): Winner Historic Non-Vocal.

• Symphonie Nr. 9.
  Sally Matthews (soprano), Gerhild Romberger Alto), Mark Padmore (tenor), Gerald Finley (bass).
  Chor und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.
  Bernard Haitink.
  BR Klassik.
  Opus Klassik Awards (2020): Nominee Female Singer of the Year (Romberger).
  Opus Klassik (2020): Nominee Male Singer of the Year (Padmore).
  Opus Klassik (2020): Nominee Conductor of the Year.
  
  
• Symphonies Nos. 1–9
  Charlotte Margiono (soprano), Birgit Remmert (alto), Ridolf Schasching (tenor), Robert Holl (bass)
  Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Arnold Schoenberg Choir
  Nikolaus Harnoncourt · Teldec
  Gramophone Magazine: 100 Greatest Recordings
  Gramophone Awards (1992): Recording of the Year
  Radio 3 (2005): Budget Choice.
  Radio 3 (2020): Building a Library Recommended.
  
  
• Symphony No. 9 'Choral', Choral Fantasy in C minor Op. 80
  Christiane Karg (soprano), Sophie Harmsen (mezzo), Werner Gura (tenor), Florian Boesch (baritone)
  Kristian Bezuidenhout (fortepiano)
  Zurcher Sing-Akademie.
  Freiburger Barockorchester
  Pablo Heras-Casado · Harmonia Mundi
  BBC Music Magazine (2020): Orchestral Choice

• Symphony No. 9
  Christina Landshamer (soprano), Jennifer Johnson Cano (mezzo-soprano), Werner Güra (tenor), Shenyang (bass-baritone)
  Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
  Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
  Manfred Honeck · Reference Recordings
  Radio 3 (2021): Record of the Week
  Granny Awards (2022): Nominee Best Orchestral Performance.
  Grammy Awards (2022): Nominee Best Engineered Classical Album.
• 9 Symphonies.
  Gundula Janowitz (soprano), Hilde Rössel-Majdan (contralto), Waldemar Kmentt (tenor), Walter Berry (bass).
  Wiener Singverein.
  Berliner Philharmoniker.
  Herbert von Karajan.
  Deutsche Grammophon.
  Presto Favourites: Recommended Recording.
• The 9 Symphonies and Overtures.
  Aase Nordmo Løvberg (soprano), Christa Ludwig (mezzo-soprano), Hans Hotter (bass, contralto), Waldemar Kmentt (tenor), Birgit Nilsson (soprano).
  Philharmonia Chorus.
  Philharmonia Orchestra.
  Otto Klemperer.
  Warner Classics.
  Radio 3 (2009): First Choice.
  Presto Recording of the Week (2010)

• The Complete Symphonies.
  Maria Bengtsson (soprano), Corinna Scheurle (mezzo-soprano), Mauro Peter (tenor), Dimitry Ivashchenko (bass).
  Collegium Vocale 1704.
  Kammerakademie Potsdam.
  Antonello Manacorda.
  Sony.
  Radio 3 (2024): Building a Library Recommended (Symphony No. 4).
  
  
• Symphonien 1–9
  Annette Dasch (soprano), Eva Vogel (mezzo), Christian Elsner (tenor), Dimitry Ivashchenko (bass)
  Rundfunkchor Berlin
  Berliner Philharmoniker
  Sir Simon Rattle
  Berliner Philharmoniker
  BBC Music Magazine (2016): Disc of the Month
  Diapason d'Or de l'Annee (2016): Winner Musique Symphonique
  Presto Recording of the Week (2016).
  Presto Recordings of the Year (2016): Finalist.
  
  
• Revolution Volume II. Symphonies 6 & 9
  Sara Gouzy (soprano), Salome Fischer (alto), Mingjie Lei (tenor), Manuel Walser (baritone)
  Le Concert des Nations
  Jordi Savall
  Alia Vox
  Gramophone Magazine (2022): Recording of the Month
  Gramophone Awards (2022): Finalist Orchestral.
  Radio 3 (2022): Building a Library Recommended
  International Classical Music Awards (2023): Nominated Symphonic Music.

• Symphony No. 9.
  Ann-Helen Moen (soprano), Marianne Beate Kielland (alto), Allan Clayton (tenor), Neal Davies (bass).
  Bach Collegium Japan.
  Masaaki Suzuki.
  BIS.
  Presto Recordings of the Year (2019): Finalist.

• The Symphonies.
  Helena Juntunen (soprano), Katarina Karnéus (mezzo-soprano), Daniel Norman (tenor), Neal Davies (bass-baritone).
  Minnesota Chorale.
  Minnesota Orchestra.
  Osmo Vanska.
  BIS.
  Gramophone Magazine (2006): Editor’s Choice.
• Symphony No. 9.
  Annemarie Kremer (soprano), Wilke te Brummelstroete (alt), Marcel Reijans (tenor), Geert Smits (baritone).
  Consensus Vocalis Choir, Klaas Stok (choir conductor).
  The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra.
  Jan Willem de Vriend.
  Challenge Records.​

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