Anthem - Intellect

Anthem
of European Municipalities in 1962 recorded a ‘European song’ based on Beethoven’s
music, which had the advantage of being quite well known, though the lyrics were felt
to be a bigger problem.
Activities in support of an anthem were particularly lively in Belgium, the
Netherlands and France. It was less surprisingly also often used in Germany, for
instance as a national anthem in sporting events where the two States entered a joint
team, for instance at the Oslo Winter Olympics 1952 and the Tokyo Games 1964.
Germany’s affection for the tune actually went back to the Third Reich, where it
was played at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, for Hitler’s birthday and in concentration
camps. 344
The year 1970 was a Beethoven anniversary year, as he was born in 1770, which
contributed to putting his work the focus of the anthem discussions. Also, early in
1971, Stanley Kubrick’s movie A Clockwork Orange was released. Like Anthony Burgess’
novel from 1962, it placed the final movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in a key
narrative position, as the tune that the delinquent Alex first likes and then is tortured
with by playing it together with extremely violent films from Nazi Germany. In spite of
the very negative associations made with the theme in the story, it became immensely
popular, not least when the film soundtrack with Wendy (formerly Walter) Carlos’
arrangement of the music for Robert Moog’s recently invented electronic synthesiser
was released in 1972.
Hence the huge popularity of the Ode to Joy, which is now a tune on
everyone’s lips, a tune, however, which has lost its power to involve
and unite, having become a soundtrack for films, documentaries,
advertising spots, sporting events and much else besides. 345
Adding to the pressure from institutions such as the Council of European Municipalities
and the Committee on Local Authorities of the Consultative Assembly, a ‘Round
Table for Europe Day’ in February 1971 also concluded ‘it would be desirable for a
European anthem to be instituted to symbolise the faith of our peoples in the cause of
European unity’. This was in April 1971 supported by the Consultative Assembly and
the Committee of Ministers. A Consultative Assembly report in June 1971 considered
a selection to be made from suggestions received by the General Secretariat, or a
Europe-wide competition to be organised, but both these options were discarded.
All members were against the idea of a competition for the
purpose of ‘producing’ an anthem; on the other hand, it was agreed
unanimously that Beethoven’s music was representative of the
European genius and was capable of uniting the hearts and minds
of all Europeans, including the younger generation. Also, bearing
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