Beethoven Heeds Call, Rolls Over

Has the great composer summoned, from beyond the grave, a new press agent? Beethoven has gotten more press lately than Madonna, and better press at that: a new book, an auction jaw-dropper, and even a starring role in the European Union.

The common connection is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, his last symphonic work. The piece, with its stirring and well known "Ode to Joy" is such an icon in western music that it has been said that the 74-minute capacity of the original CD standard was established in order to fit it onto a single disc.

On May 22, Sotheby's in London auctioned off some stacks of paper for 2.1 million British pounds, approximately $3.47 million. Those papers contained virtually the complete score of the symphony in manuscript, mostly scribed by copyist, but with Beethoven's own corrections and changes scribbled throughout. And his caustic comments ("You damned fool!"). Also in the collection were 110 unbound pages of individual parts for vocal soloists, chorus and some other instruments.

Sotheby's pointed out in its auction information that the collection "has never been offered for sale before and is almost certainly the only source of the entire symphony which will ever come on the market."

The manuscript may have been used at the May 7, 1824 premier, at which point the composer was so deaf that musicians had to direct his attention to turn around and witness the uproarious ovation going on behind him after its conclusion.

Meanwhile, Esteban Buch has received strong reviews for his "Beethoven's Ninth: A Political History" (Univ. of Chicago Press). The author tries to make sense of what an Economist reviewer calls the "wildly divergent interpretations and appropriations" that have followed the piece. Beloved by the Nazis, the "Ode to Joy" has been used since as a rallying cry for universal brotherhood at Olympic Games and at the fall of the Eastern Bloc -- with Leonard Bernstein's altering "freude" (joy) into "freiheit" (freedom).

Which brings us to the latest story in the Beethoven phenomenon. The Ode to Joy has been the official anthem of Europe since 1972, but it has no official lyrics. People stand silently, though presumably with enthusiasm, while it plays.

In a political union so careful to avoid playing favorites that even its currency - the euro - depicts buildings and monuments that have been run through a de-flavorizer, how can there be official lyrics that will work across all its national languages? (Official tongues now: 12. When 10 more nations join next year: 20.)

Christoph Leitl, head of EuroChambers (an umbrella of Europe's 1,600 local chambers of commerce) wants to run a contest to write lyrics. He envisions different versions in each language, and a cacophony of different languages being sung together. But "together."

Others are not so sure. In a May 7, 2003 Wall Street Journal article, Greek foreign minister wonders aloud, "Could you have one song with different languages?" And some cheeky British ex-patriates, uneasy even of the concept of a united Europe, penned the following version:

"Shades of Hitler, shades of Stalin
Yes sir, no sir, three bags full
If you want to gain your freedom
Give up all the euro-bull..."

Perhaps what they say about music being the universal language means literally music, without words at all.

Examine Sotheby's detailed,official description of the auction lot

Read BBC's coverage of the auction results

Listen to National Public Radio's May 22 account of the historic auction, along with some background on the Ninth Symphony

Read the April 7, 2003 NY Times article before the auction [fee required]

Listen to the European Union anthem and learn more of its history

Read the April 26, 2003 Economist review of Buch's "Beethoven's Ninth: A Political History" [fee required]

Read the publisher's description of the book, with excerpts available.