Moreover, the scherzo arrives in the second movement and before instead of after the slow movement. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony's untraditional arrangement might have irked performers as well as critics.

Although Beethoven was still venerated by the Viennese public, a follow-up performance of the Ninth Symphony was not well attended or well received. In fact, the second performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony brought in a shamefully small crowd: the venue was only half full and ticket sales barely earned the orchestra enough money to cover expenses (Huscher, 2007). The mixed critical and audience responses to his final symphony must have troubled Beethoven and solidified his decision to retire for good.

Some critics came close to panning the premiere, denouncing the musicians for their performances and also the composition itself. The symphony was deemed too difficult to perform, too unwieldy to include in a concert program, and was subsequently shelved for quite...
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