Happy birthday, Beethoven!

The Classical Network wrapped up its anticipatory day-long celebration yesterday evening at 6:00. We were hoping to raise $8000, an amount tied in numerically to our 35th anniversary (3+5 = 8; get it?), but we came up a little shy at around $6500 – and that thanks to a couple of very generous listeners who stepped up fairly late in the game.

Regrettably, this meant I was unable to fulfill my personal ambition to share with you a dynamite complete performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which I was hoping to play if we met our goal by about 4:50. I really worked hard on the selection, too!

In case you are curious, the recording features Leontyne Price, Maureen Forrester, David Poleri, and Giorgio Tozzi as the vocal soloists, with the New England Conservatory Chorus and the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Charles Munch. This misplaced treasure, from 1958, was buried deep in my personal library, as part of EMI’s Great Conductors of the 20th Century Series. Everyone in the studio was blown away by the hell-bent intensity of the finale, which was all we had time for. I ruefully commented that if we had been able to hear the first and second movements, as I had hoped, they would have realized that by the end Munch and crew sound almost winded by comparison.

Alas, any airing of the Ninth is and should be a special occasion, so this now-cherished recording will go back on my shelf until the next opportunity. Or you can listen to it here:

Thank you to all of you who kept the day from being a total “bust.” (Cue Schroeder.) We will still be accepting contributions over the weekend, if you’d like to send a little gift in the name of Ludwig Van, by way of wwfm.org. Thank you for supporting WWFM – The Classical Network, and more great music to you for the holidays and the year to come.