Beethoven's and Schiller's ode... ?

[Preston]

First, I want to say sorry if this is an ignorant question.

I have been lightly reading about odes. Odes are a form of poetry usually representing worship or strong feeling about a divinity, a belief in something the author of the ode believes in strongly, a praise, etc.

Anyway for those interested more can be read about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ode
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyric_poetry

My main question is, was Beethoven the first to ever write music for an ode? Is there a form in classical music called an ode?

The reason I wonder is because I have been listening to the finale of the 9th and thought the: F#,F#,G,A,A,G,F#,E,D,D,E,F#,F#,E,E... etc., sounded like what a musical ode was or could be? Similar to a hymn or something, just different.

Then I began to wonder if others had put music to an ode and what it would sound like. Then wondered if no one had ever put music to an ode- did Beethoven create a new form of music similar to a hymn- an ode?



Thanks for any help.

[Peter]

It is a very interesting question. There are various types of Ode which is basically a form of verse with it's origins in ancient Greece and originally accompanied by music. In England in the 17th century there was a revival with poets such as Ben Jonson and Dryden - early musical settings were made by Pelham Humfrey, Matthew locke - 'Oxford ode', John Blow - Handel and Purcell both set odes for St.Cecilia's day and they were commonly set for Monarchs' coronations and funerals.

[Hofrat]

Schubert composed song settings for many odes, one of which strikes very close to home:

D.189 "An die Freude" (Schiller), song (posthumous opus 111, number 1; XX 66), May 1815. Manuscript lost. 1st edition 5 February 1829, Josef Czerny, Vienna (number 335) as opus 111 number 1.

[Preston]

Thanks for the answer, Peter and Hofrat (long time no see), and some pieces of music.

[Megan]

A few weeks back I heard on the radio Glazunov's Wedding March , and from it, I thought I recognized a few bars from Beethoven's Ode to Joy !

Unfortunately I am unable to find an exerpt of this peice to copy onto the forum, from youtube , I searched quite extensively.

[Michael]

A few weeks back I heard on the radio Glazunov's Wedding March , and from it, I thought I recognized a few bars from Beethoven's Ode to Joy !

.

Schubert uses a few bars of the "Ode" in the finale of his own Ninth.

[terry]

Schubert uses a few bars of the "Ode" in the finale of his own Ninth.

It seemed to me it was Mendelssohn in one of his sympho (not remember which). I'll listen to them again.

[gprengel]

It seemed to me it was Mendelssohn in one of his sympho (not remember which). I'll listen to them again.

You probably think of his 5th symphony (Reformation symphony), but in it's great finale Mendelssohn does not use an Ode but a Choral melody from Martin Luther.