Classical / Early-Romantic · 1824
Symphony No. 9 — 'Ode to Joy' theme
L. v. BeethovenOp. 125
- Key
- D
- Time
- 4/4
- Tempo
- ♩=120
- AO focus
- AO3
Incipit
Form
Theme from the choral fourth movement of Beethoven's last symphony. The melody is first stated by cellos and basses in unison, then taken up by the full orchestra and chorus on Schiller's text 'An die Freude'.
Teaching points
- Strophic theme — eight bars long, melodically self-contained, ideal for first-listen recognition exercises
- Range of just a 6th (D up to B) — singable for any school choir
- AO3: how does Beethoven build a 25-minute movement from this 8-bar theme? Track the transformations
- AO1: a perfect first piece for a school choir — manageable range, universal text, immediate recognition
Full score ↓Public domain
Score: IMSLP (Breitkopf urtext + later editions, all public domain).