AN DIE FREUDE (ODE TO JOY) – EXCERPTS FROM SYMPHONY NO. 9
The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra turn Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” into a climactic tour de force.
ABOUT 'AN DIE FREUDE (ODE TO JOY)'
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven
Text: Friedrich Schiller
The choral finale of Beethoven’s epic Symphony No. 9, composed in 1824, was a revolutionary moment that fundamentally transformed the culture of 19th-century Europe. Beethoven had for some time wanted to set Friedrich Schiller’s poem about joy and brotherhood, and this symphony, which marks a symbolic turn from the old rules and systems, was the perfect opportunity. In this finale, the melody—an intentionally simple, folksy tune—is transformed through a series of variations into a climactic tour de force.
Independent of its original symphonic setting, Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” has become an anthem of rejoicing, a call to replace division and confrontation with love, unity, and understanding.