On May 7, 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9 in D Minor was premiered at the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of one of the greatest moments in classical music history, Maestro Riccardo Muti and the Vienna Philharmonic perform Beethoven's Ninth, his final complete symphony, at the Vienna Musikverein on the day of the premiere. Muti has studied the score of the beloved "Choral" Symphony for 50 years and proves himself to be “the best connoisseur of the Viennese sound, perfectly balanced in internalized expression, in beguiling colours” (Kronenzeitung). Joined by the Wiener Singverein as well as the exquisite soloists Julia Kleiter, Marianne Crebassa, Michael Spyres and Günther Groissböck, this performance is a momentous occasion befitting the anniversary of this highly significant piece of music. The concerto is also a tribute to the memorable premiere 200 years ago in terms of the instrumentation, as it was played by the orchestra of the Kärntnertortheater, the former court opera theater – the predecessors of today’s Vienna Philharmonic. Film image, synopsis and related credits courtesy of Stage Access and Dieter Nagl.