Reviewer: Connor S. Rousseau
Venue: The Temple Theatre
Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra and Saginaw Choral Society perform Beethoven’s 9th symphony
The Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra’s 90th season concluded with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony on the 9th of May. Before the music began, special recognition was given to Donald James Carlyon, a man who dedicated 60 years of service to the SBSO Board of Directors. The concert was therefore dedicated to Carlyon, who passed away last year at the age of 101.
The final concert of the season began with Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Op. 84. This piece set the standard of excellence the audience has come to expect from Saginaw’s time-honored orchestra. It’s easy for the audience to eagerly await the famous Ode to Joy, but the orchestra put just as much effort and energy into the Egmont Overture, another of Beethoven’s finest works. Any piece of music preceding Beethoven’s 9th would need to be stellar if it were to hold a candle to Beethoven’s 9th, and Egmont delivered. I don’t think a piece from any other composer would have been of the same caliber, worthy to precede Ode to Joy, so the orchestra chose wisely in selecting the Egmont Overture.
There’s no denying Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 was the capstone of the orchestra’s entire season. A revered symphony over 200 years old, its four movements stand the test of time as one of the finest ever composed. The programs for the audience were rich in historical information about Egmont, Ode to Joy, and Beethoven as a musician and composer. I was impressed by the thought, time, and detail put into creating the program and providing a great educational experience to those audience members eager to learn about the music’s historical significance, the theory behind it, and a careful analysis of its themes.
In Beethoven’s 9th, the orchestra understood the importance of musical dynamics and the unity of sound it requires. One must remember that for music to be performed well, it takes more than an orchestra of well-tuned instruments to hit all the right notes at all the right times. Beethoven himself famously stated: “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.” The dynamics play a role in the musical story as much as the notes themselves, and the SBSO understands this, as well as each individual musician. Their delivery of the bold, bolstering moments was exceptional because of the calm, reserved instrumentation that preceded it.
As a former clarinetist in a marching band, I found that my section was often drowned out by percussionists and brass instruments, such as trumpet and trombone, during our performances and parades, but this is simply not true with the SBSO. Each instrument has its value and its moment as Beethoven intended in his music. Beethoven was virtually deaf at the time of composing his 9th symphony, but even so, he ensured no one would be deaf to the significant sound of each instrument.
In the eyes of the instrumentalists, particularly the stringed instruments at the front, I could see unwavering focus and determination. In each face I saw persistence, perseverance, and the will to deliver the best possible performance. I must remind myself at every concert what stamina these musicians possess to sit and play such intense music without pause. It should also be noted that this concert had no intermission, and the musicians performed for just under two hours without a break. That takes passion. That takes purpose.
In the fourth movement of Beethoven’s 9th, the audience finally heard the talent of the Saginaw Choral Society. They sat behind the orchestra for the entirety of the 9th symphony, reminding each audience member that they would soon join the orchestra for the capstone of the entire event. Guest artists sang saintly solos throughout this movement, including Catherine Moss, soprano, Emily Marvosh, mezzo-soprano, Thomas Studebaker, tenor, and Ryne Cherry, baritone. The choir’s ethereal entrance gave me goosebumps, and a celestial force seemed to have descended from the heavens to visit the Temple Theater in that moment. It was the closest I’ve felt to something otherworldly than anything I can remember.
This fourth movement started like a train barreling down a track at full force and a sense of impending doom. Suddenly, calm. Ode to Joy could be heard with an attentive ear, but it was low, solemn, and almost sad. Beethoven seemed to tease us with this theme for several minutes before the climax, during which the orchestra and choir sang the original German “Ode to Joy.”
Overall, the symphony captured Beethoven’s genius in every way. Through proper articulation, strongly delivered dynamics, and a consistent rhythmic rhyme and reason, the SBSO delivered a concert worthy of its 90th season, a concert worthy of Beethoven himself. I have a phone with me almost everywhere I go. I can instantly play any of Beethoven’s symphonies and listen to them through my headphones. But nothing beats hearing it in a live concert. If I got goosebumps hearing it live in 2026, I can only imagine what an otherworldly experience it must have been for people hearing it for the first time in 1824.