According to his first biographer Anton Schindler, Beethoven wrote the following lines from Schiller’s ‘An die Freude’ – Ode to Joy – above the stave for emphasis in Symphony N°9, Op. 125. “O friends, no more these sounds! Let us sing songs that are more cheerful and full of joy!”: these words inspired the first major example of scoring of vocal parts in a symphony, and the largest and most epic work in Beethoven’s oeuvre.

The scale of Op. 125 is even more extraordinary because Beethoven had to completely imagine its sound. By this time completely deaf, he could not conduct its premiere on 7 May 1824 at Vienna’s Kärntnertortheater, so this was done by the theatre’s Kappellmeister Michael Umlauf. Beethoven, however, stood at Umlauf’s side, directing all the tempi. At the end of the concert, he did not hear the wild applause, and had to be swung around by the alto soloist Karoline Unger to see the standing ovation. According to an account by the British music writer Sir George Grove (1820 – 1900), following a later meeting with Unger, “His (Beethoven’s) turning about, and the sudden conviction thereby forced on everybody that he had not done so before because he could not hear what was going on acted like an electric shock on all present, and a volcanic explosion of sympathy and admiration followed.”

In 1972, the Council of Europe adopted a stirring instrumental arrangement of Beethoven’s chorus as its anthem, and it became the official anthem of the EU in 1985. with its message of unity in diversity. You can watch EUYO perform it in the video below, recorded in 2020 in our home of Grafenegg and conducted by Marin Alsop. 

On the occasion of the bicentenary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, five partners across the Cultural, Heritage and Civil Society sectors – including EUYO! – have launched a challenge inviting contemporary reinterpretations of the Ode to Joy. It’s open to citizens across the whole of Europe, including non-EU member states. Submissions may be made in any of the official or regional languages of Europe and participants can take part either as individuals or in groups – including Civil Society Organisations and NGOs.

All artistic interpretations are welcome, from symphonic orchestras to other musical genres such as rap or electro music; performances such as dance, theatre or flash mob; audiovisual content such as creative videos or graphic art; and written expression through means such as storytelling.

The deadline for submissions is 21 June 2024. All further information on how to apply can be found on the Ode2Joy website.