The Story Behind Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”

  Almost two centuries have passed and Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” remains a symbol of hope, peace, and fellowship. It’s a masterful musical celebration that makes everyone who listens to it feel almost instantly imbued with a torrent of positive emotions. In fact, life always seems beautiful when this piece plays. However, for its creator, it was more like an ode to rage and redemption. At a time when sounds no longer existed for him and he felt devastated by the worst curse for a musician, composing this anthem was an ode to effort and artistic survival. He managed to…