Thread: Should we replace the National Anthem with Ode to Joy?

The Ode to Joy is quite simply one of the greatest musical achievements in musical history. Not only is it considered Beethoven's masterpiece but it also complemented by Schiller's inspirational and timeless poem about the brotherhood of man.

The National Anthem by contrast is a plodding dirge that saps the spirit of anyone unfortunate to be within earshot of it. Its lyrics are quite frankly creepy with its encouragement of the listener to prostrate himself in total servility to his glorious monarch.

Compare this beautiful section of ode to joy:

Joy, beautiful spark of gods
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter drunk with fire,
Heavenly one, your sanctuary!
Your magic binds again
What custom strictly divided.
All men become brothers,
Where your gentle wing rests.

with this:

O lord God arise,
Scatter our enemies,
And make them fall!
Confound their knavish tricks,
Confuse their politics,
On you our hopes we fix,
God save the Queen!

It's embarrassing that the British people still have this as their national anthem.

Still, at least we won't have to hear it for much longer if Rumpuy gets his way!

Yes. "Our" anthem is so bad that the tune and similar words have from time to time been used as a national hymn by a significant number of the great nations of Europe. It was the Imperial German anthem until 1918 and the music of its replacement was itself inspired by "God Save the King"

http://www.historytoday.com/MainArti...&amid=30283355

During his first vist to London Haydn was greatly impressed by the enthusiasm with which theatre audiences sang ‘God Save the King’. On his return from his second visit he reported this to his friends in high places. Either Count Saurau or Baron van Swieten (the evidence is not clear) then commissioned an Austrian version, the text to be written by Lorenz Haschka to music by Haydn. The result was ‘God Save Emperor Francis!’, first performed in all the theatres in Vienna and in many other places throughout the Habsburg monarchy on February 12th, 1797, the Emperor’s birthday. Translated, the first verse runs as follows:

God save Emperor Francis Our good Emperor Francis! Long live Emperor Francis In the brightest splendour of good fortune! May the leaves of laurel bloom for him As a garland of honour, wherever he goes. God save Emperor Francis!

The melody was borrowed by Hoffmann von Fallersleben for his "Deutschlandlied", now the German national hymn.

But of course you wouldn't know any of this, would you?

The so-called European anthem is merely a barrel-organ precis of the final movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Schiller's words are never used by the EU, and they are hardly appropriate anyway.

I have no doubt that Beethoven would have despised both the mutilation of his music and its cynical use by timeserving political scum.