Page:Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (Grove).djvu/11

 for the Basses, with the words of the ode itself following immediately for soprano solo. And, though this was altered almost as soon as written down, — the words of the recitative being changed into, "O friends, not these tones! Let us sing something pleasanter and fuller of joy!" and the words of the ode itself being given first to the bass voice,— yet the method of the connection remained the same. How strongly is all this hesitation corroborated by Beethoven's own words to Rochlitz in 1822: "You see, for some time past I have not been able to write easily. I sit and think and think and get it all settled, but it won't come on the paper; and a great work troubles me immensely at the outset. Once get into it, and it's all right."

The first performance of the Symphony was on May 7, 1824, at the Kärnthnerthor Theatre, Vienna, at a concert given by Beethoven, in compliance with a request addressed to him by all the principal musicians, both professional and amateur, of that city.

In a letter to Schindler, quoted by Lenz, he calls the day "Fracktag," because he had the bore of putting on a smarter coat than usual. His deafness had by this time become total, but that did not keep him out of the orchestra. He stood by the side of Umlauf, the conductor, to indicate the times of the