The words that Beethoven set to music in his Choral Symphony (No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125) were written in 1785 by the German poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805). The title in German is An die Freude – which literally means 'to joy'.
Beethoven completed his symphony in 1824. He died three years later, aged 56.
© Haydn Thompson 2021