By the time Beethoven's Symphony
No. 9, with its huge 'Ode to Joy' climax, was premiered on 7 May 1824, the
composer was profoundly deaf.
Ludwig van Beethoven’s
revolutionary Ninth Symphony is, without question, one of the greatest works in
classical repertoire.
“The Ninth is the culmination of
Beethoven’s genius,” says Classic FM composer and Beethoven expert, John
Suchet. “He uses solo voices in a
symphony for the first time, setting the words of Schiller’s poem An die
Freude. It is the longest and most complex of all his symphonies, which we may
regard it as the pinnacle of his achievement, because it is his last symphony –
but he was working on his Tenth when he died.”
For almost 200 years, the famous
hymnal theme to this symphony’s finale – the ‘Ode to Joy’ – has symbolized
hope, unity and fellowship – across borders and through conflicts.
Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ is arguably
the greatest symphony ever composed: the summit of his achievements, a
masterful musical celebration of the human race and a massive work that makes
all who hear it feel better about life. And yet, Beethoven himself never
actually heard it.
The man who had done more than
anyone before him to change the way we hear music had become one for whom
sounds could no longer exist – and the bitter irony of this was not lost on
him.
Despite his deteriorating
hearing, though, Beethoven persevered with writing this mammoth symphony.
Encouraged, no doubt, by his status as the composer of the moment, he penned a
colossal work. But, when Beethoven conducted its premiere, he was famously
unaware of the rapturous response his ninth symphony received. It took one of
the musicians to alert him to the cheering audience – and that was only at the
end of the second movement.
What are the lyrics to ‘Ode to
Joy’?
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is famous
for its setting of Friedrich Schiller’s poem ‘Ode to Joy’ – a text the composer
had been fascinated with for over twenty years. Here’s just a short passage
below.
Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligthum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Which translates into English as:
Joy, bright spark of divinity,
Daughter of Elysium,
Fire-inspired we tread
Within thy sanctuary.
Thy magic power re-unites
All that custom has divided,
All men become brothers,
Under the sway of thy gentle
wings.
Triumphant words that perfectly
match the power and scale of Beethoven’s immortal music.
How did the ‘Ode to Joy’ become
the EU Anthem?
Since 1985, Beethoven’s ‘Ode to
Joy’ has been the melody used to symbolize the European Union. Although there are no words in the official
anthem, the poem ‘Ode to Joy’ expresses Schiller’s vision of the human race
becoming brothers – a vision Beethoven shared. It was first adopted by the
Council of Europe in 1972, before EU leaders took it on just over a decade
later. On the EU’s official website, it says: “In the universal language of
music, this anthem expresses the European ideals of freedom, peace and
solidarity.”