"Beethoven Choral Fantasy in C minor" genre: Piano
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	Beethoven's Choral Fantasia for Piano, Chorus, Orchestra. 1988 Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, New York. Dimitris Sgouros (piano) with the Manhattan Philharmonic (conductor Peter Tiboris). Chorus comprised of several North American high school choir groups. Sopranos: Jean Bystrom, Melissa Coyne. Mezzo-Soprano: Dina Ipavic. Tenor: Steven Tritten. Baritone: Keith Lynch. Bass: Rodney Brown.
	Credits: Dimitris Sgouros (soloist), Manhattan Philharmonic
	Story Behind the Song Beethoven's Choral Fantasy was composed just days before its first performance, in Vienna, on December 22, 1808 On December of 1808, Beethoven staged an Akademie (that is, a public concert for his own profit) in the Theater-an-der-Wein. This landmark event-a concert lasting some four hours in an unheated theater(!)-saw the premieres of the fifth and sixth symphonies, together with performances of the fourth piano concerto (with Beethoven himself at the piano), his aria Ah! Perfido!, and sections of the Mass in C Major. Knowing that he had a chorus available for this event, Beethoven contrived a truly unique piece as a "big finish"-a work that he advertised as a "...Fantasia for the Pianoforte, which ends with the gradual entrance of the entire orchestra and the introduction of choruses as a finale." This work, rather hastily composed in the days leading up to the Akademie, was not completely finished by the time of its premiere-much of the piano part was improvised on the spot that night! No one listening to the Choral Fantasy will fail to hear a similarity between the main theme and the famous "Ode to Joy" tune-indeed, the Choral Fantasy seems to been just one step in the long genesis of this melody. The "joy" theme first appears in song Gegenliebe (1794), and, after the Choral Fantasy, it shows up in his song Kleine Blumen, kleine Blätter (1810), and finally as the "Ode to Joy" in the ninth symphony (1824). In the Choral Fantasy, it first appears in the low strings after a lengthy opening cadenza. The central section is taken up with a series of variations on this theme, leading to grand choral finale. (The text, an exalted hymn to beauty and art, was probably written by Beethoven's friend Christoph Kuffner.) The work ends with a brilliant presto coda.

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