Freude schöner götterfunken beethoven biography

1 May 2024, 21:04

Discover the German and English text to one of the great anthems of all time, ‘Ode to Joy’ – the triumphant choral climax of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

For over 20 years, Beethoven had been fascinated with German poet Friedrich Schiller’s haunting poem An die Freude (‘Ode to Joy’). Penned by Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1808, it was the latter version that formed the basis for Beethoven’s famous musical setting in his Ninth Symphony.

Beethoven added some extra opening lines to Schiller’s poem, which went:

O Freunde, nicht diese Töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen,
Und freudenvollere.

Freude!
Freude!

The German composer then set the text to a triumphant hymnal theme, which became the fourth and final movement of his ‘Choral’ Symphony.

“The Ninth is the culmination of Beethoven’s genius,” says Beethoven expert and Classic FM presenter, John Suchet. “He uses solo voices