The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #24662   Message #671200
Posted By: Wilfried Schaum
18-Mar-02 - 07:38 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: Looking for hymn set to 'Ode to Joy'
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Looking for hymn set to 'Ode to Joy'
Unfortunately Joe's text only contains a few stanzas, and it is a little bit muddled up.
Here is a link to Schiller's poem "To Joy": http://www.uni-giessen.de/~gb1053/mudcat.htm
I have added the traditional tune of 1801; poem with tune are given as sung by German students about 1890. It is an early version of the poem; later on Schiller did some minimal changes, which are recorded also.
Especially in stanza 8 you will find a catalogue of civil virtues, references to which are preserved till today in German everyday speech.
Keeping in mind the purpose of an European anthem the poem fits well with its description of Joy creating harmony and unity. It is not sung in official use because of the length of the text and the variety of languages, but played by the band and listened to in the right state of mind.

Wilfried