MUSIC 225 – “ODE TO JOY” SCENE

Dr. Joelle El Khoury

JULY 3, 2018
AMIL KABA
 Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” was composed and adapted by him in 1824 as it

was first written in 1785 by a German poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller. This

symphony is considered by a lot of musicologists as one of the greatest western music work.

Beethoven’s 9th symphony, was considered as a major turning point for classical music; a

catapult into the Romantic Period. In the movie “Immortal Beloved”, the “Ode to Joy” piece is

played in one of the most exciting scenes of the movie. Furthermore, this short paper will be

briefly discussing and analyzing that specific scene.

The scene starts in a very detailed way; when Beethoven looks towards the orchestra

while it plays, he glances up and sees stars painted above, which triggers a childhood memory.

The movie viewers are then guided through the journey of suffering and pain towards the joy.

Beethoven suffered from deafness accompanied with illness midway through his life; however,

this was not his only pain. The real suffering arose from being the son of an abusive father, and

also the way he was always pulled back by the world and them not being able to understand him.

Within the flashback, young Beethoven remembers seeing the shadow of his father with a

stick which resembles the beating he used to get. Nevertheless, this time young Beethoven

sprints through the forest to escape the horrific pain and chaos mentioned earlier. He decides to

leave all of his personal demons and misery behind him and escape to what is called mother

nature. Additionally, what makes the scene more dramatic and thrilling is the symphony in the

background and the way it is charging, building, and developing. Beethoven then arrives at a

lake and the symphony stops for a bit as if it is preparing for something huge and full of energy.

As the French horn plays calmly, he removes his clothes and lays on his back in the river. Young

Beethoven floats underneath a sky filled with stars; Moreover, as the scene is zoomed out

further, the reflection of the stars on the river is clear, and resembling how Beethoven is floating
between the stars in a universe of his own escaping all of the troubles. Most importantly, not

forgetting the orchestra’s brilliant crescendo as Beethoven becomes harder to distinguish from

the stars around him.

Beethoven reaches to deliver a message of unity and solidarity and it is reinforced in the

“Ode to Joy”. The following part in Schiller’s text captures both the musical unity that

Beethoven strived for in the symphony, and a human unity:

“Ty magic power re-unites.

All that custom has divided.
All men become brothers.
Under the sway of thy gentle wings.”

The language of unity and brotherhood in Schiller’s text delivers the symphony’s note for the

unity amongst mankind.

One might argue and say how Beethoven created such a masterpiece calling for joy, unity

and freedom with all the troubles and sadness he faced. This creates a paradox; however,

referring to Plato’s theory about how the absolute world contains the ultimate and the most true

and intelligible reality. Beethoven was inspired by the beauty you see at once as peace will never

be eternal. One can never reach the absolute good and if he/she tries to do so in order to live

happily, the opposite will happen instead. It is just an instant where you can see perfection;

nevertheless, you cannot keep it forever.

Towards the end of the scene, the movie relapses to the present, the “Ode to Joy”

symphony comes to an end without him realizing. The conductor was forced to tap his shoulder

for him to turn towards the crowd which rises to give him not one, but five fervent standing

ovations.
References:

Beethoven, Ludwig van. Symphony No. 9 in D Minor. Perf. Gwyneth Jones, Hanna Schwartz,
René Kollo, Kurt Moll. Wiener Philharmonker and Vienna State Opera Choir Concert
Association. Cond. Leonard Bernstein. Polygram Records/ Deutsche Grammophon.
1990. CD.

Schiller, Friedrich. “Ode to Joy.” Trans: Undocumented. Andre Rieu Translations. Andre Rieu
Translations, n.d.