Karajan was sly

[terry]

From LE MONDE:
When asked to direct the Ode to Joy as European Hymn, he changed some notes in order to get copyrights for him and his descendants.
Well, if he wasn't the greatest musician, he surely was the greatest businessman Now they are trying to ask to someone else to record it again.
Has anyone heard this version? Where are these notes exactly?

[atserriotserri]

From LE MONDE:
When asked to direct the Ode to Joy as European Hymn, he changed some notes in order to get copyrights for him and his descendants.
Well, if he wasn't the greatest musician, he surely was the greatest businessman Now they are trying to ask to someone else to record it again.
Has anyone heard this version? Where are these notes exactly?

Well, I'm not that sure about that information. As far as I know, Karajan was commissioned to arrange the prelude of the Ode to Joy for piano, string quartet and orchestra, so he had to do the transcription and I presume that he had to make some arrangement even in the orchestral version (at least the end, presumably).

As always, it's necessary to find the answer in the real sources: If you go to http://www.ena.lu/ (a website payed by all of us european taxpayers that virtually you cannot find if you don't know its existence, that's a good communication programme). Up right you'll find the language selector.
On the left folders click on special files, there on "the symbols of european union", there on "anthem". You'll find the sound file containing the official anthem (first doc on the right) as well as some letters concerning the debates, decisions, etc... concerning the hymn. The last one rises some light due to the fact that in 1972 there was the "Rhodesia question".

When noticed that Rhodesia designated as anthem the Ode to Joy, it was questioned of it was the original Beethoven score or the arrangement by Karajan. Such letter states that on 1974 Karajan was the owner of the rights. No documents afterwards should imply there has been no change and therefore he did not transferred those rights to EU.

Now just sharpen your ears and look for "arrangements".