Beethoven’s 9th Symphony reminds me of a journey. This perception could because I watched the animated musical-bar version of the symphony which made the piece move as it scrolled by. The meaning of the journey of the 9th Symphony is fluid. The type of journey changed every time I listened to the 9th Symphony depending on the journey going on in my life at the moment. The 9th Symphony could be taken as a literal journey, some parts of it reminded me of my walk home from Lehman after classes, or it could be a figurative journey, like the journey of growing up.
Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, on the other hand, felt much more rigid. The title “Swan Lake” immediately reminded me of the story of the ugly duckling. The music also made me think of dancing, since I know Swan Lake is a ballet. I found Tchaikovsky’s music pleasant to listen to, but I didn’t like Swan Lake as much as Beethoven’s 9th Symphony because Swan Lake felt more predictable. After I finished listening to the first few movements of Swan Lake I went straight back to listening to the 9th Symphony.
