THROUGH THE FIRE: ‘Ode to Joy’ – The Brother/Sisterhood of Mankind

By BILL WATANABE

One of the most amazing works of music is Beethoven’s great 9^thSymphony, which includes the “Ode to Joy” chorus. Some people have called it perhaps the greatest creative work of art in human history – and to think that Beethoven composed it while being deaf!

The words, crafted by a German poet named Friedrich Schiller in 1785, were put to music by Beethoven in 1824 and inaugurally performed to thunderous applause and cheers, although Beethoven could hear neither the music nor the applause.

“Ode to Joy” has become the world’s anthem to freedom and brotherly love. It was played in Tienanmen Square in China by student protestors against the Communist regime; it was sung in the streets in Chile by women demonstrating against the Pinochet dictatorship; it was performed in commemoration of the fall of the Berlin Wall; and it is sung every December by choruses in Japan numbering in the thousands.

There is a beautiful history that connects “Ode to Joy” with Japan. Japan fought for the Western powers in World War I against Germany, and thousands of German POWs were sent to Japan and placed into camps. One of the prisoner camps was located in a town called Naruto on the island of Shikoku.

Because of the benevolent treatment of the POWs at Naruto by the Japanese administrators and local village people, the German prisoners, in appreciation, performed Beethoven’s 9^thSymphony in 1918. This marked the first time the 9^thSymphony had ever been performed in Asia. 

Over the years, the performing of the 9^thand the singing of “Ode to Joy” and its lyrical reminder that “all mankind are brothers” have become a national Japanese phenomenon.

In the winter of 2008, I was invited to join other Nikkei folks in L.A. to sing Beethoven’s 9^that Disney Concert Hall! What a treat! About 200 Japanese and JAs practiced every Friday for six months, which was challenging because we had to learn the lyrics in German! Plus, I don’t read music so I listened to an audio tape every night until the words and music were etched in my brain. 

We performed at Disney Concert Hall on July 10, 2009, along with the capable Japanese American symphony and four wonderful soloists.

This has now become a Japanese American tradition as Beethoven’s 9^thSymphony and “Ode to Joy” will be performed at the JACCC on Jan. 7, 2024. I plan to be there to once again appreciate the genius of Beethoven and the beautiful music and singing of men and women proclaiming the bonds of human unity. 

I encourage you to come to this concert (it’s free but you need to reserve a ticket) — what a great way to finish the New Year’s holiday season!

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Bill Watanabe writes from Silver Lake near Downtown Los Angeles and can be reached at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those ofThe Rafu Shimpo.