By: Brady Cheng

200 years ago, Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote a musical composition known as, ‘Ode to Joy’. It is very famous, and many people today are listening to it right now.

“Ode to Joy” represents unity and positivity. It’s a global anthem that aims for a world where everyone is united as brothers. The message from a poem by Friedrich Schiller has been embraced by many different cultures around the world. It is a composition using Schiller’s poem “To Joy.” Schiller wrote it like a fun drinking song with verses.

This song had a huge impact on the world because it was easy to remember, it sounded good, and it was short. It is in common time, with four beats per measure. It is very easy to learn and memorize, unlike ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ and other songs that are difficult to memorize.

This song was different because it was the first symphony to have singing in it. The beginning parts are just music, then suddenly a chorus starts in the last part.

It reviews enlightenment ideas like belief in reason, democracy, and equal treatment. “Ode to Joy” is usually seen as a symbol of hope and has been used throughout history. For example, it was used to protest the actions of the Pinochet regime, which was when Augusto Pinochet seized power and killed, tortured, and imprisoned tens of thousands of people. In Japan, it is performed on New Year’s Eve to represent a new beginning. In 1998, Seiji Ozawa conducted a performance with singers from different countries for the opening of the Winter Olympics in Nagano.

Beethoven made this song for us to believe in, to unite people together and build a stronger world.

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