Tuesday, July 1 :: 7:30 PM

Rockport Chamber Music Festival

Film: Beethoven's Nine: Ode to Humanity

Featuring an Exclusive Panel Discussion Session with:
Larry Weinstein, director | Jeremy Eichler, author
Steven Pinker, Harvard Professor of Psychology & author | Rebecca Goldstein, Harvard Professor of Psychology & author

Celebrate Beethoven’s iconic last symphony with Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Larry Weinstein. This compelling documentary explores the enduring legacy of Beethoven’s Ninth through the perspectives of nine individuals, from Ukrainian musicians to a deaf composer, highlighting its profound themes of struggle, hope and humanity. The evening will feature a panel discussion with director Larry Weinstein, author Jeremy Eichler and Harvard psychology professors Steven Pinker and Rebecca Goldstein.

In early 2023, filmmaker Larry Weinstein set out to make a documentary about Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It was supposed to be about how far we have come in the two hundred years since it was written. But when world events pull Larry into his own film, the question becomes a deeply personal one. Beethoven’s Nine is a documentary about music, but also about war and hope. It follows nine unique individuals, including Ukrainian musicians, a deaf composer, a Polish rock star, a best-selling author, a legendary cartoonist and Weinstein himself, as they try to better understand the legacy of Beethoven’s Ninth, the composer’s own struggles, the inspiration music can provide and how humanity continues to look for hope even in the darkest times.