Beethoven: Choral Fantasy, Op. 80 // BBC Proms 2015

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The Fantasy (Fantasia) for piano, vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra, Op. 80, was composed in 1808 by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is known as the Choral Fantasy (Chorphantasie). Beethoven wrote the piece to conclude the Akademie, a benefit concert for him on 22 December 1808, performed by soloists, chorus and orchestra. The long program presented also the first performances of his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies and the Fourth Piano Concerto. Beethoven was the composer of all pieces, the pianist and the conductor.

The unusual composition unites piano, voices and orchestra. The work begins in C minor, but modulates during the second final movement to C major. The choral section at the end shows similarities in themes to the finale of his later Ninth Symphony.

The premiere performance seems to have been a rather troubled one; according to the composer's secretary, Anton Schindler, it "simply fell apart," a result most likely attributable to insufficient rehearsal time. Because of a mistake in the execution of the piece, it was stopped half way through and restarted. In Ignaz von Seyfried's words:

"When the master brought out his orchestral Fantasia with choruses, he arranged with me at the somewhat hurried rehearsal, with wet voice-parts as usual, that the second variation should be played without repeat. In the evening, however, absorbed in his creation, he forgot all about the instructions which he had given, repeated the first part while the orchestra accompanied the second, which sounded not altogether edifying. A trifle too late, the Concertmaster, Unrath, noticed the mistake, looked in surprise at his lost companions, stopped playing and called out dryly: ‘Again!’ A little displeased, the violinist Anton Wranitzky asked ‘With repeats?’ ‘Yes,’ came the answer, and now the thing went straight as a string."