Ode to Joy - History, Lyrics and Translation

History of Ode to Joy 

Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” was composed in 1824, in the final movement of his last, and arguably most famous, symphony, Symphony No. 9. The premiere took place in Vienna on May 7, 1824, and despite its unpracticed and under-rehearsed presentation, the audience was ecstatic. It was the first time Beethoven had appeared on stage in 12 years.

At the end of the performance (though some sources say it could have been after the 2nd movement), it was said that Beethoven continued conducting even though the music had ended. One of the soloists stopped him and turned him around to accept his applause. The audience was well aware of Beethoven’s health and hearing loss, so in addition to clapping, they threw their hats and scarves in the air so that he could see their overwhelming approval.

In 1972, the Council of Europe made Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” its official anthem. Years later, in 1985, the European Union did the same. Although Schiller’s text isn’t sung in the anthem, the music conveys the same ideas of freedom, peace, and unity.

During World War I, German prisoners held captive by Japan introduced their captors to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Years later, Japanese orchestras began performing it. Then, after the devastating events of World War II, many Japanese orchestras began performing it at the end of the year, hoping to bring in enough audience members to help fund reconstruction efforts. Since then, it has become a Japanese tradition to perform Beethoven’s 9th symphony at the end of the year.

In many English churches, the hymn “Joyful, Joyful we adore thee” written in 1907 by the American author Henry van Dyke, is set and sung to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” melody. Perhaps the most popular modern recording of the hymn can be heard in the 1993 movie, Sister Act 2, sung by Lauren Hill and cast.

German “Ode to Joy” Lyrics

The “Ode to Joy” text that Beethoven employed, and slightly modified, was written by the German poet, Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, in the summer of 1785. It was a celebratory poem addressing the unity of all mankind.