I have been wondering for years

[JamesRAllred]

I have wondered, what are the words to Ode to Joy? English translation? Who wrote them, why did Beethoven use them?

[cosplusisin]

http://mx.geocities.com/sergio_bolanos/himnoen.htm

[Amalie]

Originally posted by JamesRAllred:
I have wondered, what are the words to Ode to Joy? English translation? Who wrote them, why did Beethoven use them?

James,
For information on Beethoven's 9th, visit the Symphony page on this site.
http://www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/symphonies.html

For the Finale of the 9th, Beethoven conceived the idea of adding the ultimate "instrument" --- the human vioce--- to the score, and thus magnifying the movement into a comprehensive Hymn to Joy, for which he selected Schiller's wonderful poem 'Ode to Joy'.
It was the final idea of a plan that had been slumbering in his mind for many years back in his youthful days, around 1793.
In 1811, fragments began to appear in his sketchbooks on the subject.
It was Beethoven's original intention to make the 9th Symphony a purely instrumental work, and it was not until he had sketched an instrumental fourth movement that he decided to gratify his life long desire to set Schiller's 'Ode to Joy' to music.
The original fourth movement, already sketched, was therefore set aside for the time, but was utilized later as the Finale to his String Quartet, Opus 132.



[This message has been edited by Amalie (edited 06-07-2004).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by JamesRAllred:
I have wondered, what are the words to Ode to Joy? English translation? Who wrote them, why did Beethoven use them?

See the symphony pages on this site www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/symphonies.html

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'Man know thyself'

[JamesRAllred]

This is great! Thank you for your help, now I will enjoy the 9th even more.

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