The Ninth Symphony was premiered on Monday, May 7, 1824 in the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna.

The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" was the last complete symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, it incorporates part of the Ode an die Freude ("Ode To Joy"), a poem by Friedrich Schiller, with text sung by soloists and a chorus in the last movement. It is the first example of a major composer using the human voice on the same level with instruments in a symphony. This was a controversial move at that period, but after that, using voices became popular in symphonies.

• the ninth was composed when Beethoven was completely deaf
• Ode to Joy is the official anthem of the European Union.
• the original manuscript sold in 2003 for $3.3 million USD