Since Beethoven, the number nine has become associated with fate in the symphonic repertoire. Schubert, Bruckner and Mahler all feared the number, and not without reason. Beethoven’s Ninth, the greatest of all symphonies, is unsurpassable; after Beethoven, many composers would not tempt fate, believing that after the ninth only death might follow. Noneless, Shostakovich eventually made it to 15, breaking the imagined curse. His Symphony No. 9, written in 1945, is a work full of joie de vivre, or... as its composer described it, “a joyful little piece”. Originally intended to celebrate the triumphant conclusion to the Second World War, the symphony’s simple development, light and carefree character, and sometimes satirical, acerbic tone was not greeted with satisfaction by its commissioner. Reviews following the première in Leningrad under the baton of Yevgeny Mravinsky – combined with the unfavourable political balance of power within the cultural scene of the time – condemned Shostakovich to a forced seclusion right up until 1953. By contrast, Beethoven’s symphony, which enjoyed legendary status from the very time of its creation, has far outgrown itself. It has long ceased to be merely a piece of music, but a symbol and concept, a receptacle of ideas valid to this day, and a hymn to the triumphant victory of humanity over chaos and darkness. Presented by: Hungarian Radio Music Groups
Parking information
We wish to inform you that in the event that Müpa Budapest's underground garage and outdoor car park are operating at full capacity, it is advisable to plan for increased waiting times when you arrive. In order to avoid this, we recommend that you depart for our events in time, so that you you can find the ideal parking spot quickly and smoothly and arrive for our performance in comfort. The Müpa Budapest underground garage gates will be operated by an automatic number plate recognition system. Parking is free of charge for visitors with tickets to any of our paid performances on that given day. The detailed parking policy of Müpa Budapest is available here.
Safe ticket purchase
Dear Visitors, please note that only tickets purchased from the Müpa website and official ticket offices are guaranteed to be valid. To avoid possible inconvenience, we suggest buying tickets to our performances and concerts via the mupa.hu website, the Interticket national network (jegy.hu) or at our official ticket offices.