10 - The AI That Finished Beethoven's 10th Symphony: Creative AI and Music Generation

Beethoven died in 1827 with his 10th Symphony unfinished. Two centuries later, a team of scientists, composers, and an AI resurrected it — note by note. In this episode of AI Freaky Facts, Steve explores how artificial intelligence studied Beethoven’s style, decoded his sketches, and composed a full symphony in his voice. Is it homage, forgery, or something entirely new?

Keywords: Beethoven, AI Freaky Facts, AI music, artificial intelligence, unfinished symphony, Beethoven X, machine creativity, neural networks, classical music, deep learning, music technology, creative AI, Ahmed Elgammal, Walter Werzowa, Deutsche Telekom, AI composition, Generative Adversarial Network, Ethics and AI

References:

1. Beethoven X Project Official Site – https://www.beethovenx-ai.com

2. Ahmed Elgammal’s Art & AI Lab at Rutgers University – https://sites.rutgers.edu/ahmed-elgammal/

3. Deutsche Telekom’s Beethoven X Press Release – https://www.telekom.com/en/company/details/beethoven-x-experiment-accomplished-638044

4. Coverage of Beethoven X Premiere – https://www.hannesschalle.com/beethovenx

5. Smithsonian: How Artificial Intelligence Completed Beethoven’s Unfinished Tenth Symphony – https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-artificial-intelligence-completed-beethovens-unfinished-10th-symphony-180978753/

6. The Ethical Challenges of AI and Beethoven's 10th Symphony – https://jakobmoberly.com/blog/f/the-ethical-challenges-of-ai-and-beethovens-10th-symphony

7. Music Creation Technology Based on Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) – https://journal.esrgroups.org/jes/article/view/4372

8. Details of the life and works of Beethoven: https://www.classicals.de/beethoven

Music Credits:

1. Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67

Recording: Arturo Toscanini with NBC Symphony Orchestra (1939)

https://archive.org/details/BeethovenSymphonyNo.5

Courtesy of Internet Archive. Public domain recording.

2. Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 "Moonlight" – I. Adagio sostenuto

Recording provided by Musopen

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ludwig_van_Beethoven_-_sonata_no._14_in_c_sharp_minor_%27moonlight%27,_op._27_no._2_-_i._adagio_sostenuto.ogg

Courtesy of Musopen via Wikimedia Commons.

3. Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 "Choral" – II. Molto vivace (Scherzo)

Recording: Jascha Horenstein, Pantheon XP 2250

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:02_Horenstein_9._Beethoven_Pantheon_XP_2250_-_2._Satz.flac

Performed by Jascha Horenstein. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

4. Für Elise (Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor) Internet Archive link License: No known copyright restrictions -

https://archive.org/details/LudwigVanBeethoven02FrElise

Courtesy of Internet Archive. Uploaded by VoiceOfDissent.

This podcast is narrated by the host's own voice, powered by AI.