Beethoven – Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 (1923 Historic Recording)

This is the first-ever complete recording of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, recorded in 1923 by Deutsche Grammophon. Conducted by Bruno Seidler-Winkler, this version captures the raw emotion of Beethoven’s masterpiece from over 100 years ago. 🎻 Orchestra & Chorus: Neues Symphonie-Orchester (Berlin) Berlin Staatskapelle Chorus Soloists: Ethel Hansa (soprano), Eleanor Schlosshauer (contralto), Eugen Transky (tenor), Albert Fischer (bass) 📜 Why This Recording is Important: 🎧 First complete recording of Beethoven's 9th Symphony 🎼 Issued by Deutsche Grammophon in 1923 🏛 Historically significant as one of the earliest symphony recordings ever 📅 Movements & Timestamps: ⏳ 00:00 - I. Allegro ma non troppo e poco maestoso ⏳ 12:30 - II. Molto vivace ⏳ 25:40 - III. Adagio molto e cantabile ⏳ 42:10 - IV. Presto; Allegro assai ("Ode to Joy") This recording is of great historical importance as being the first complete recording of the Beethoven Ninth ever put on sale, and very likely the first one actually recorded (Albert Coates' recording of the Ninth, on HMV in England, was completed on November 8, 1923, and was issued in May, 1924, in time for the 100th anniversary of the symphony's first performance). Earlier, in 1921, Frieder Weissmann had directed a recording of the finale only, for German Parlophon (with a couple of the purely orchestral passages cut, including roughly the first half of the introduction), but this was released only in 1924, and only by English Parlophone, combined with Weissmann's January 1924 recording of the first three movements. The Ninth's finale was re-recorded by Parlophon in 1925, with Eduard Mörike conducting, and it was this recording that was used in the German Parlophon and American Odeon issues of the Beethoven Ninth, along with the aforementioned Weissmann-recorded movements. Bruno Seidler-Winkler (1880-1960) was the musical director of Deutsche Grammophon from 1903 to 1923, and conducted hundreds of recordings for them during this time. This recording of the Beethoven Ninth, dating as it does from the end of his time there, constitutes an impressive valedictory undertaking for the company.