From April 14 to 16, the University Chorale of Boston College and the Boston College Symphony Orchestra performed Ludwig van Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony which contains the famous “An die Freude” or “Ode to Joy.” This piece was chosen as the finale of the concert to symbolize the joy that the retiring choir director, John Finney, has had during his time at Boston College.
The Ninth Symphony by Beethoven is often cited as one of the most profound pieces of music ever composed. It has been said that Beethoven’s Ninth was so influential that for many years after its composition, it was simply referred to as ‘The Ninth;’ you wouldn’t need to say, ‘Beethoven,’ you wouldn’t need to say ‘symphony,’ people recognized the historical significance of those words. The Ninth Symphony is a journey of emotion and wonders. The entire piece consists of four movements and is more than an hour long. It explores the depths of human emotions before emerging gloriously into an anthem for all mankind and beautifully demonstrates how all of creation is unified in the worship of God.
The entire symphony centers around trying to find the universal theme of music. The symphony begins in the first movement by setting the stage and sense of scale while the orchestra begins to try and find its voice. In the second, we are treated to movement between a soft yet intense buildup to a full tutti which grips the listener, exploring the heights of what music can truly offer. The third movement gives us a softer theme but no less grand. Beethoven paints a field of trees or a golden valley of flowers, but the music is written in a way that feels as if something is missing.
Between the third and fourth movements, there is no pause. As soon as the third ends, the fourth begins with a powerful incline of horns and timpani, climaxing, climbing up yet not yet reaching the heavens. The theme lowers back down and suddenly the cellos and basses emerge. They speak as if to say, “let us find the theme we’ve been looking for!” They seem to be ignored as the theme that opened the movement repeats with the horns. After this again fails, the cellos and bases come in again saying, “let us come all together and find this universal theme we have been searching for, longing for.”
Then, we hear the opening theme from the first movement, shimmering strings followed by descending fifths. The cellos and basses come in again saying, “there is something here, let’s keep looking.” The quick staccato theme from the second movement comes in with the flutes who are saying, “we have the theme,” but the cellos and basses come in again saying, “we have not yet found our theme.” The melody from the third movement enters, and the cellos and basses respond, “this is not the theme either.” After this response, a new theme emerges, and the cellos and basses respond and seem to answer saying, “our theme is somewhere here, we can find it now.” The cellos and basses are playing in a harmonious response to the rest of the orchestra and their new theme saying, “we have almost arrived at the theme we have been searching for, let us try to find it, and now you should tell us what you think.”
Now, emerging from complete silence, the cellos and basses begin playing the famous theme of “Ode to Joy.” They play the entirety of the melody when, before repeating, the violas join in. The three are playing together, the supporting theme is the bassoon which has the most delightful sound accompanying the strings. After another time around the melody, the violins fall in, saying, “Yes! This is our theme, let us play with you!” They play together before the “Ode to Joy” theme is picked up by the horns and the tutti is reached. They continue for a while until the theme from the beginning of the movement comes back, but after it dies down, there are no more cellos and basses to respond.
Piercing the silence is one of the greatest of revelations, the human voice:
O Freunde, nicht diese Töne
Oh Friends, not these sounds
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen und freudenvollere
Rather, let us turn to sounds more pleasant and more joyful
These words come from “An Die Freude” or “Ode To Joy,” a poem by Frederich Schiller. They pierce the silence and the environment created by the instruments over the last three movements. Beethoven couldn’t have chosen a better poem to accompany this symphony as its themes and messages fit perfectly with the theme of universal brotherhood that the music has been leading to. This is best seen in the third verse which can be seen below:
All creatures drink of Joy
At nature’s breasts;
All the good, all the evil
Follow in her trail of roses.
She gave us kisses and the fruit of the vine,
And a friend faithful even to death;
Desire for life is given even to the worm
And the Cherubs stand before God!The themes of universal brotherhood and the sanctity of mankind are built on and developed in Schiller’s poem as well as the rest of the symphony. The message we get: all of creation is there to be called closer to God, from us as brothers, to the themes of music, to even the small worm. Beethoven’s Ninth has for good reason been rendered as the greatest piece of music ever composed and its themes pierce directly to what it means to be human. The performance done by the Boston College Chorale and Orchestra was spectacular and my only complaint is that they didn’t perform the other three movements as well.
Born and Raised to Jewish parents in New York City, Kai Breskin is a recent convert to the Catholic Faith. A member of the Boston College class of 2026, he is studying Political Science, Philosophy, and History. His intellectual passions include Christian theology, history, and liturgical study. His hobbies include sailing, playing the piano, and singing, with a specific focus in Gregorian Chant.
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