Was Ludwig van Beethoven told over a hundred years ago that one day his ninth symphony would be played in far away Africa, he would have dismissed it.

These were the words of the MC for last Monday’s performance of the four movements of the legendary musician’s famous ninth symphony by the world-renowned La Scala Orchestra from Milan, Italy.


Madam Dina Reindhorf, the MC told the record turn-out at the National Theatre, “let me let you into a secret. The concert was arranged by Busumuru Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General.”

Madam Dina was a one-time Director of the National Symphony Orchestra and her handling of the function gave it a certain appealing touch, especially as she gave a brief background of La Scala, whose history she traced to 1778.

The world’s greatest orchestra was in Accra as part of the country’s Golden Jubilee celebration of independence.

This orchestra in which renowned classical musicians like Verdi and Rossini, among others, performed their premiers, not forgetting Conductor Herbert von Karajan, is a group to be patronised by connoisseurs and lovers of good music.

It should be noted that this was the first time Africa hosted this respectable orchestra. When its hundred and eighty-membership stepped on the rostrum, the hall was rocked with an infectious ovation.

The white-skinned audience competed near favourably with their dark counterparts at the performance.

There were many elderly but sophisticated looking citizens who reminded one of products of grammar school days when the study of Latin and classics was part of the curriculum.

A woman who was separated from this writer by an empty seat said she was reserving the place for her Music Teacher. I guessed she was the headmistress of a school where Music was taught as a subject.

Members of the diplomatic community were copiously represented, including other important dignitaries like Busumuru Kofi Annan.

The man of the night was Conductor Daniel Barenboim, whose name is a household one to lovers of BBC’s classical music programmes.

He attracted a similar applause when he came in last and ordered a rendition of the Ghanaian national anthem.

“And now Italy,” he said at the end of Ghana’s anthem.
The two anthems done, he delivered a brief but interesting anecdote.

The performance, he said, was special because he had learnt that this was the first live performance of Beethoven’s 9th symphony in Ghana.

It started, as he said, “as a crazy dream when the symbol of justice, Kofi Annan, and I dreamt this event. It was made possible by many people, including the Mayor of Milan and others on the stage.”

Music, he said, is a universal phenomenon and cuts across boundaries and racial lines.

The ninth symphony, composed by Beethoven in his mature age, took two years to be completed, 1822 to 1824, and has been adopted as the anthem of the European Union (EU).

The whole work was about setting to music the Ode To Joy by Schiller, an idea he conceptualized since 1799.

Of the four movements, it is the grand finale, Allegro Finale, in D Major, with its introduction of the chorus that stands apart as it underscores the brotherhood of man.

The combination of these powerful voices in tenor, bass and soprano takes the listener into another realm as Conductor Daniel Baremboim controls the sounds.

The first three movements are Allegro, Adagio and Scherzo.
Critics are said to have noted that Beethoven selected from Schiller’s works what was musically possible and rejected which were not and arrived at this wonderful work, which has stood the test of time as one of the finest from this genius.

The first three movements were stressful for the Conductor as he used his baton to direct affairs. He perspired as he gesticulated orders to the violinists, the French horn blowers and indeed all the 180 members of the orchestra.

Though arguably the most complex of the movements, the fourth saw Daniel Baremboim more relaxed.

When the performances were done, the audience looked satisfied for the ¢300,000 they had each paid to watch this maiden concert in Ghana.