Just try and imagine, that the man who wrote this was, stone deaf. Not only, could he imagine what it would sound like, he would never get to hear it performed by an orchestra. That is dedication, and utter genius. To be that driven. But it is so sad, at the same time. People use the word genius nowadays, so flippantly, but this is what true genius is.
*** 【Ode to Joy】 Ode an die Freude, Beethoven Sympony 9 (Choral) 4th German lyrics & English Translation
Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" in the final movement of Symphony No. 9 is an emotional masterpiece for several reasons:
Universal Message: The theme of brotherhood and unity, as expressed in Friedrich Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy," resonates deeply. It speaks to humanity's shared struggles and hopes, making it a timeless anthem of optimism and connection.
Triumph Over Adversity: Beethoven composed this symphony while completely deaf, and it's seen as a triumph of the human spirit over personal and physical limitations. This story adds a profound emotional layer to the music.
Musical Power: The movement builds from quiet anticipation to an explosive chorus, blending voices and instruments in a way that stirs both joy and awe. The grandeur of the orchestration and the choir's crescendo evoke powerful emotions.
Cultural Significance: "Ode to Joy" has been used in many pivotal moments of history, symbolizing freedom, unity, and peace. Its emotional weight is often tied to these larger contexts of human experience.
Hearing it at 00:55:51 might coincide with a particularly intense moment in the piece, amplifying the emotional impact.
***
Friedrich Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy" ("An die Freude" in German) was written in 1785 and later revised in 1803. The poem celebrates the idea of universal brotherhood and the unity of mankind through joy and love. Schiller envisioned a world where all people, regardless of class or nationality, are united by common human values and shared happiness.
Its most famous adaptation is in the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, where Beethoven set Schiller's words to music. The "Ode to Joy" section, sung by a full choir, exudes a spirit of triumph, peace, and unity, making it a symbol of hope and harmony across the world.
The poem’s themes align with ideals of enlightenment and humanity, making it a timeless and powerful piece of literature, especially when paired with Beethoven’s music.
Here is the English translation of Friedrich Schiller's "Ode to Joy":
Ode to Joy
Joy, beautiful spark of divinity,
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter, drunk with fire,
Heavenly One, your sanctuary!
Your magic binds again
What custom strictly divided;
All men become brothers,
Wherever your gentle wing rests.
Whoever has achieved the great feat
Of being a friend's friend,
Whoever has won a lovely woman,
Let them join in our rejoicing!
Yes, even if only one soul
Calls theirs on the earth!
And whoever cannot, let them steal away
Weeping from this fellowship.
All creatures drink of joy
At nature's breast;
All good, all evil
Follow her trail of roses.
She gave us kisses and wine,
A friend, proven in death;
Pleasure was given to the worm,
And the cherub stands before God!
Gladly, as His suns fly
Through the glorious order of Heaven,
Brothers, run your course,
Joyfully, like a hero to victory.
Be embraced, you millions!
This kiss is for the whole world!
Brothers, above the starry canopy
There must dwell a loving Father.
Do you fall prostrate, you millions?
World, do you sense your Creator?
The poem celebrates joy as a force that unites humanity and connects it to the divine. The imagery of nature, friendship, and the divine emphasizes universal brotherhood, peace, and harmony.
****
Here is the original German text of Friedrich Schiller's "Ode to Joy" (An die Freude), as used by Beethoven in his Symphony No. 9:
Ode to Joy (An die Freude)
Freude, schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer's nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund.
Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küsse gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott!
Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt'gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über'm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Sucht ihn über'm Sternenzelt,
Über Sternen muß er wohnen.
This is the version Beethoven set to music, though some verses are omitted in the symphony's performance. The poem expresses themes of joy, unity, and divine presence.
Beethoven - Symphony No.9 (10000 Japanese) - Freude schöner Götterfunken
@hal5626 2 years ago This is a traditional event that has been going on in Japan for 40 years. At the end of every year, 10,000 people gather in the hall of Osaka Castle to sing the Ninth Song. All participants spend a year attending lessons in preparation for this day. Then, sing prayerfully and confirm that singing can help you communicate with others. I'm happy that this video has reached people all over the world. Danke!
By the time Beethoven composed this, he was fully deaf, so he never actually heard it in his life, except in his own mind… so if he was listening from heaven, he must have been dancing with joy to hear this. I‘m also impressed by the singers‘ perfect pronunciation of German, as it‘s not an easy language to pronounce for Japanese native speakers.
I'm a musician from Germany who also was part of the Gewandhaus choir and singing this sinfonie, and I'm so touched by this video. the commitment of the conductor..
I honestly cry every time I watch the ending, you can tell how much this Sinfonie means to the conductor. He is just amazing and gives all his heart. Also the big choir. They learned all the german words, they applied to be in the concert. ? Musicians all over the world are simply the same, music just overcomes all the differences.
And I'm so happy to see how music can unite us all, from Asia to Europe, to America. ? 'Alle Menschen werden Brüder' (all people become brothers and sisters), it says in the Sinfonie. And it's right.
The first performance of Beethoven's 9th in Japan was done by the German POWs of WW1 in the Bando POW camp in Naruto city, 30 minutes drive from my hometown. Later, it has become our tradition that Beethoven's 9th be played in every year-end in many cities throughout Japan.
The POWs in Bando were permitted to go out of the camp quite freely and they interacted with the local people. Many of the Germans were common people such as bakers, carpenters, mechanics, farmers ...
Some taught their professional skills to the local people. So Baumkuchen has become one of our favorite sweets. They were earning money by teaching, doing jobs or selling the products from the firms and factories of the camp. Some of them became richer than the local people. Some were amateur musicians and taught playing musical instruments to the locals.
The German musicians formed an orchestra. After the signing of the peace treaty, the governor of the camp, Colonel Toyohisa Matsue (松江豊寿), made a speech to the Germans, "Now there is no friend and foe...".
The orchestra played Beethoven's 9th for the people in and out of the camp. All POWs being men, the female chorus part had been arranged for men. On Nov. 27th 2011, the German president Christian Wulff visited the camp site and paid floral tribute to the cenotaph of the POWs who died during the interment. The cenotaph has been taken care of by the local people.
Today, one of the biggest meat product manufacturers in Japan has its roots in what the locals learnt from the German POWs. The heritages of the German POWs are now deeply rooted in our country. Beer, sausage, Baumkuchen ... and Beethoven's 9th.
Fourth Movement from Symphony No. 9 第九 in D Minor, Op. 125 'Choral' (Excerpt) Composed by: Ludwig van Beethoven Conducted by: Seiji Ozawa 小澤 征爾 指揮 Live performance with the one of the greatest conductors of all time Seiji Ozawa conducting Mito Chamber Orchestra 水戸室内管弦楽団! 00:00 Presto. Allegro assai ('Ode to Joy'; excerpt); 06:53 Choir 13:53 3EM27 ¹ ¹ Evangelion EP24 BGM Shinji vs. Kaworu scene theme, from Neon Genesis Evangelion OST 新世紀 エヴァ ンゲリオン 曲 • 【公式】ダイジェスト これまでの『ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版：Ｑ』 Enjoy our playlist: • Neon Genesis Evangelion Soundtrack (L...
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, "Choral" Recorded: 2017-10-15
Soloists : Rie Miyake (Soprano),
Mihoko Fujimura (Mezzo-Soprano),
Kei Fukui (Tenor),
Markus Eiche (Baritone)
Chorus : Tokyo Opera Singers (Chorus Master: Toshiaki Murakami)
SEIJI OZAWA Born in Shenyang, China (then Mukden, Manchuria) in 1935, Ozawa studied conducting at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo in the 1950’s under Hideo Saito (1902-74).
In 1959, he placed first in the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. After apprenticing under the tutelage of Herbert von Karajan (1908-89), he went on to serve as assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Leonard Bernstein (1918-90).
Thereafter, he successively served as musical director for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), among others. Since 1992 Ozawa has led the Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto, which was renamed the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in 2015. He has also been avidly instructing budding musicians at such places as the Seiji Ozawa Ongaku-juku.
In 2011, he won the 23rd Praemium Imperiale in Honor of Prince Takamatsu, a global arts prize awarded annually by the Japan Art Association.
In 2015, he became the first-ever Japanese recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors award in the United States.
In 2016, his recording of Ravel’s L’Enfant et Les Sortileges (“The Child and the Spells”), with the Saito Kinen Orchestra under his direction, won the Grammy award for best opera recording.
Also, he was awarded honorary membership of the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) in 2010, and of the Berliner Philharmoniker (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) in 2015. In 2013, he became the new director general of Art Tower Mito (ATM), succeeding Hidekazu Yoshida (1913-2012), the first person to hold that position.
Excerpt from Beethoven Symphony No. 9 - Seiji Ozawa & Radek Babora?k - Mito Chamber Orchestra (ベートーヴェン) • Video www.arttowermito.or.jp/mco/en/archive/single.php?id=article_1428 ?????? ???????? 9 Soundtrack from: • Neon Genesis Evangelion (Anime Series) 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン • Evangelion: Death and Rebirth 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 劇場版 シト新生 • The End of Evangelion 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 劇場版 Air/まごころを、君に Rebuild of Evangelion ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版 • Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:序 • Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:破 • Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:Q • Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time シン?エヴァンゲリオン劇場版:|| Home-video releases: ○ EVA 1.11 『序（1.11）』 ○ EVA 2.22 『破（2.22）』 ○ EVA 3.33 『Q（3.33）』 ○ EVA 3.0+1.01 / 3.0+1.11 • Super Robot Wars スーパーロボット大戦（スパロボ） #SeijiOzawa#小澤征爾#Beethoven#evangelion#neongenesisevangelion#nge#shirosagisu
Okay , Ludwig , with your beautiful, powerful music, you made me think deeply of God in the realm beyond the stars and of our eternal life with him beyond this mundane material existence , and by doing so, you brought tears to my eyes. Mission accomplished wonderfully , better than any preacher I have ever met could do so. Thank you , and I hope to see you there.
Today May 4, I accidentally stumbled upon the house where Schiller wrote this song, Schiller house, Leipzig, Germany. I was not aware when I visited Leipzig about this Symphony and the song before today, being a musician from India I rarely followed western classical. However today was magical and I am writing this comment travelling back Leipzig to Berlin and listening to this on youtube on RE train. Something has changed in me today after understanding the English meaning of this song plus the legendary music from Beethoven. I am one step closer to the creator. Thank you Schiller, Thank you Beethoven.
? Musicians all over the world are simply the same, music just overcomes all the differences.
@nupurwaikar
4 months ago (edited)