Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was played in Vienna for its 200th anniversary. The premiere of Beethoven's masterpiece took place in Vienna on the 7th of May, 1824. Beethoven lived and worked in Vienna for most of his life. He wrote many of his famous works there. A woman who sang in the choir told the BBC: "It's the whole world to us to be able to sing this wonderful message of love. You're lifted up…when you're singing."

Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is one of the greatest and most widely-recognized pieces of music ever written. The symphony's fourth movement is called Ode to Joy. A version of Ode to Joy is the anthem of the European Union. The Ode represents peace and international understanding. The singer in the choir said Beethoven's Ninth was "wonderful". She said it "moves from the darkness to the light".