"Ode to Joy" is the main part of the fourth movement of Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony".
"Ode to Joy", also known as "Ode to Joy" (Ode an die Freude in German), is a poem written by the German poet Schiller in 1785. Beethoven composed it and it became the main part of the fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony, which includes four independent parts, chorus and orchestra.
The music (without text) composed by Beethoven has become the anthem of the European Union and the anthem of the Council of Europe. It was also used as the national anthem of Rhodesia from 1974 to 1979. Raise the Voice of Rhodesia".
Schiller's "An die Freude" was first composed in 1785 and included in the magazine "Thalia" published the following year. This poem is a Franciscan poem. Schiller revised "An die Freude" in 1803 and deleted some words. The lyrics used by Beethoven in the fourth movement of Symphony No. 9 are based on Schiller's 1803 version of "An die Freude". 》as the basis.
Extended information:
"Ode to Joy" is actually the final movement of "Beethoven's Ninth Symphony".
The "Ninth Symphony" began to enter the creation stage in the autumn of 1822. But Beethoven spent almost half his life brewing and planning. It was not until after the completion of the "Missa Solemnis" that the composer began to compose this grand work that embodies his life's strength and belief.
"Ode to Joy" was originally a poem by the German poet Schiller, which is majestic and has a magnificent artistic conception. Beethoven himself was a loyal admirer of Schiller. This "Ode to Joy" is also one of Beethoven's favorite poems. Schiller's desire for freedom and equal life expressed in the poem is actually exactly Beethoven's highest ideal, which has always been longing for peace and harmony.
So the composer began planning to turn this poem into a vocal work when he was young. According to expert research and investigation of historical materials, some of Beethoven's early works indeed have the later " The final "Ode to Joy" movement of the Ninth Symphony is not a complete and mature prototype.
Beethoven once said: "It has been my wish for 20 years to compose Schiller's "Ode to Joy" into a song!"