No Political Music Without Beethoven? | Part 5 of the film project A World Without Beethoven?

Описание: "All people become brothers...” – the message of Ode to Joy, the final movement of Beethoven’s ninth symphony. Today, the piece is not only the European Union’s official hymn; it has become a symbol of peace, freedom, and human rights. Symphony No. 9 emboldens musicians around the world to take positions on political matters.

In this installment of A World Without Beethoven?, the Berlin Philharmonic’s French horn player Sarah Willis outlines how Beethoven became the first political composer, and shows us how social critique and political engagement can be expressed through music. Proof can be found in Beethoven’s works; including in the opera Fidelio, in his Symphony No. 3 (Eroica), and in the final movement of his Symphony No. 9; Ode to Joy.

Key figures in this video are British singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero, and German politician – and fan of Beethoven – Norbert Lammert.

Billy Bragg rose to fame in the mid-1980s with his protest songs against Britain’s Thatcher government, declaring solidarity with miners striking over the closure of their pits. Bragg wrote new lyrics for Ode to Joy in the song ‘Ode to the NHS’ – for Britain’s National Health Service. He says of Beethoven’s influence “I think Beethoven can be a role model today. When I was tasked with writing a new English language lyric for the Ode to Joy, rather than try to translate directly the original poem, I just took one line: ‘Alle Menschen werden Brüder’ – all people become brothers, that’s that universal idea of humanity – and built on that.”

Gabriela Montero loves Beethoven, and she is renowned for her political engagement. For many years now she has been a decisive critic of the political regime in her homeland, Venezuela. She had this to say about Beethoven: “He knew that music is a great amplifier and magnifier of underlying motivations. He is an example of using the beautiful tool of music to tell a story, to raise awareness, and to leave an imprint in history.”

Norbert Lammert was president of the German federal parliament – the Bundestag – for twelve years. For him, music in the tradition of Beethoven is of great importance to politics: “The influence that music and musicians have had on societal development is remarkable, especially in recent human history.”

No Political Music Without Beethoven? is one of the focuses of the Deutsche Welle documentary film project A World Without Beethoven? In it, the question is posed of how the world might look if Beethoven and his work had never existed – a thought experiment as fascinating as it is provocative. The other focuses of the series are: No Concert Business Without Beethoven?, No Concept Albums Without Beethoven?, No Rock Riffs Without Beethoven?, No Movie Soundtracks Without Beethoven?, No Precise Tempo Without Beethoven?, and No Jazz Without Beethoven?.

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