The Ninth Symphony of Beethoven, Its Rich History

Adrienne Rich’s poem “The Ninth Symphony of Beethoven Understood at Last as a Sexual Message” has become fixture in musicological accounts and the ever since its introduction to discipline an influential essay by Susan McClary. But though work been cited numerous books articles intervening decades, it remained yoked McClary’s text, with critics rarely considering on own terms. This paper considers what is stake our discipline’s reliance “Beethoven” poem. After taking stock use hands musicologists publication Feminine Endings, asking end authors reference work, returns order stage more explicit confrontation reestablish connections contemporary discussions feminism, consider significance musicology.