The Ninth Symphony was to remain misunderstood and unpopular for a long time. The reason for this is that the great choral finale was considered as an isolated element, wheras it is inextricably connected to the first three parts.

In these purely instrumental parts, Ludwig van Beethoven describes the restless, searching human being. The first part is furthest removed from the brilliant finale : it is a movement full of uncontrollable force, a world of chaos. Unrest is again central in the sparkling Scherzo (Molto vivace). In the slow Adagio, fear and agitation make way for a profound melancholy, from which the utopian choral finale then develops. For the first time in history of music, Ludwig van Beethoven uses a text to build up to a climax in a symphonic work. With this intervention, Ludwig van Beethoven, the absolute master of musical logic, does not detract one bit from the laws of musical organisation. The text is not used as a means for creating unity, but is originally interwoven with the orchestral texture.