It’s exactly 200 years since Beethoven scribbled down a theme in D minor in his sketch book, which he later used, slightly altered, in the 2nd movement of his 9th Symphony. Beethoven had thought of setting Schiller’s Ode to Joy much earlier. As early as 1803 Ferdinand Ries mentioned a complete setting of the text by Beethoven which no longer survives.

The vocal score of the finale of the 9th Symphony is based on the vocal score made by Carl Reinecke around the end of the 19th century. The ve...