the “Ode to Joy”‏

by richibi

the “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, the
last part of the fourth movement, not to mention the
entire 9th Symphony itself, is without question the most
celebrated piece of music in the service of humanity in 
the very history of music, it brings together everyone in
an appeal for universal concord, community and hope
through the example of the music itself, a splendid array
of people and purposes in one common inspirational
aspiration, that aspiration not in any way dominion
but universal joy 
 
can we do it 
 
they do it here, in spades  
 
a Japanese orchestra and chorus of ten thousand, yes, 
ten thousand, perform superbly this German composer, 
interesting considering our not so distant bellicose past, 
it is a Japanese tradition apparently at the end of
December, in commemoration in this instance, Osaka,
1911, of the victims of the recent tsunami, they play in 
complete and utterly admirable harmony, each doing 
splendid honour to each as indeed the music suggests 
we all should
 
maybe we can, maybe we are, doing it  
 
 
incidentally no one had included voices ever in a
symphony before Beethoven, the premiere must
have been extraordinary 
 
this performance sure is  
 
 
Richard   
 
psst: Leonard Bernstein conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in
         the full symphony, Placido Domingo sings with the chorus,
         it’s 1970