Signifying Europe Figure 7.1. The lyrics of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; words written by Beethoven are shown in italics; Schiller’s original had a handful of more verses inserted before and after the words ‘Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?/Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?/Such’ ihn über’m Sternenzelt!/Über Sternen muss er wohnen’. 154
<strong>Anthem</strong> 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 155