According to Schindler, Beethoven finally completed his Ninth Symphony in this month. The history of this Symphony is a very long one, as can be seen in his sketch books.
@First Performance Of 9th Symphony@2
Today is the great day. It is the day of the first performance of the Ninth Symphony. To this programme, Beethoven added some pieces from his Missa Solemnis. It was Madame Ungher, the contralto, who later related to Sir George Grove the following anecdote:
"At the close of the performance an incident occurred which must have brought tears to many an eye in the room. The master, though placed in the midst of this confluence of music, heard nothing of it at all and was not even sensible of the applause of the audience at the end of the great work, but continued standing with his back to the audience, and beating the time, till I made him turn around and face the people, who were still clapping their hands...His turning around, and the sudden conviction thereby that he had not done so before because he could not hear what was going on, acted like an electric shock on all present, and a volcanic explosion of sympathy followed, which was repeated again and again, and seemed as if it would never end."
