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And now, that he may carry out consistently the plan which he had conceived for introducing Schiller's poem, Beethoven again suddenly dismisses his irresolution, and allows his music to be interrupted by the horrible cry which we have twice already heard, and which might well be an impersonation of the opposite to all that is embodied in the "Ode to Joy." But, this time, out of the chaos emerges—like Venus rising from the sea—the human voice. The rebuke of the prophet finds articulate speech; and Beethoven addresses us, in his own words and through the Bass singer, in a noble strain of florid recitative:—
O friends and brothers, these tones no longer!
Rather let us raise together now our voices,
And sing more joyfully.
With which exhortation, we enter the vocal portion of the Symphony. The whole of the following six numbers are formed on the great melody so recently played (No. 35), or on motifs formed out of it or upon it.
1. Quartet and Chorus: Allegro assai (D major):—
Joy, thou spark of heavenly brightness,
Daughter from Elysium!
Hearts on fire, with step of lightness,
On thy holy ground we come.
Thou canst bind all, each to other,
Custom sternly rends apart:
All mankind are friend and brother
Where thy soft wing fans the heart.
