5 Facts About Beethoven’s Ninth and Schiller’s ‘Ode to Joy’
- The choral finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony sets Friedrich Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy” (An die Freude).
- Schiller wrote the poem in 1785 and revised it in 1803.
- Beethoven chose the poem for its themes of universal brotherhood and joy.
- The symphony was the first major example of a composer using a chorus in a symphony.
- The “Ode to Joy” melody is now widely recognized as a symbol of unity and hope.