Beethoven blazed new trails in his symphonies, but his ninth took the cake.  It was longer, more varied and complex—ending with a resounding “Ode to Joy.”

It was a hard act to follow—and not just in terms of quality, but quantity—for the number nine, itself, would haunt symphonic composers for the next 200 years.

In this hour, the impact of Beethoven’s Ninth on Brahms, Bruckner, Dvorak, Mahler, Shostakovich, Vaughan Williams, and Glass.