Ode to Joy (Go, Habs, Go!)

Kent Nagano (wearing his Habs jersey) and the Montreal OSM

Talk about convergence. Wednesday night I went to the season’s closing concert of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM) who were playing one of my favourites: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Salle Wilfrid Pelletier was conspicuously empty – not because Montrealers don’t enjoy Beethoven, but because the entire city was abuzz with a knock-out hockey duel: the Montreal Canadians (also known as the Habs) were in their final match against the Philadelphia Penguins. It was game seven out of seven. The winner got to go to the quarter final of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the looser got poutine thrown at him in the streets.

All day long the streets of downtown Montreal were filled with antsy hockey fans; it seemed everybody was wearing the red-and-blue Habs jersey. Around 7pm the streets emptied and bars and restaurants with TVs filled to the brim, and soon the first cheers erupted as the Habs scored their first goal 30 seconds into the game.

Well, I think hockey is all very nice, but I’d rather hear the Ninth. The evening commenced with Beethoven’s First Symphony, a pleasant little piece, memorable, light, harmonious. Between movements iPhones and Blackberries quickly came to life in every row, checking the hockey score. The well-coiffed, grey haired elderly lady in front of us turned around. “Three – zero for the Habs,” she whispered.

It was four – zero at intermission.

And then the good stuff: Beethoven’s Ninth, the piece of music which brings me to tears every time. The OSM played it beautifully (though Kent Nagano is an excellent conductor I still prefer the Karajan version). Beethoven’s late work is so wonderfully powerful, nearly violent, loud, energetic, it just sweeps you up. When the chorus started the tears began. The soloists were superb. Strong and brilliantly clear, their voices filled the hall. And as I was sitting there balling into my wad of Kleenex, I realized that this was probably exactly the moment the Habs were winning the game – just as the chorus launched into the Ode to Joy, thousands of Habs fans were cheering their victory in the Bell Centre. Convergence.

Of course, as the Ninth rang out, the entire audience was on its feet, cheering and applauding the OSM and the singer’s awesome performance. But then came the moment music and hockey combined: Kent Nagano strode onto the stage for his final bow of the season wearing his own Habs jersery with NAGANO spelled on the back. The crowd went nuts.

Habs Fans downtown Montreal (The Gazette)

As we left Place-des-Arts, the roads were filled with Habs fans in various states of drunkenness, hollering, honking their car’s horns, blaring, whooping (and, sadly, smashing in a few store windows on Ste-Catherine Street, though those weren’t really the Habs fans).

So, here’s a suggestion: for the next Habs game, instead of the lame “olé, olé, olé, oleeeé”, belt out the Ode to Joy. Friedrich Schiller’s sublime poem survives the test of time and is still one of my favourite pieces of poetry. It speaks so eloquently of love, peace, and joy, it has yet to be outdone.

Seid umschlungen, ihr Millionen! Go, Habs, Go!

Friedrich Schiller, Ludvig van Beethoven

An die Freude (Ode to Joy, original German version)

Freude, schöner Götterfunken
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was die Mode streng geteilt;
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.

Wem der große Wurf gelungen,
Eines Freundes Freund zu sein;
Wer ein holdes Weib errungen,
Mische seinen Jubel ein!
Ja, wer auch nur eine Seele
Sein nennt auf dem Erdenrund!
Und wer’s nie gekonnt, der stehle
Weinend sich aus diesem Bund!

Freude trinken alle Wesen
An den Brüsten der Natur;
Alle Guten, alle Bösen
Folgen ihrer Rosenspur.
Küße gab sie uns und Reben,
Einen Freund, geprüft im Tod;
Wollust ward dem Wurm gegeben,
Und der Cherub steht vor Gott.

Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen
Durch des Himmels prächt’gen Plan,
Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,
Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen.

Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, über’m Sternenzelt
Muss ein lieber Vater wohnen.
Ihr stürzt nieder, Millionen?
Ahnest du den Schöpfer, Welt?
Such’ ihn über’m Sternenzelt!
Über Sternen muss er wohnen.

And here’s the English translation

Joy, beautiful spark of divinity
Daughter of Elysium,
We enter, drunk with fire,
Into your sanctuary, heavenly (daughter)!
Your magic reunites
What custom strictly divided.
All men become brothers,
Where your gentle wing rests.

Whoever has had the great fortune
To be a friend’s friend,
Whoever has won a devoted wife,
Join in our jubilation!
Indeed, whoever can call even one soul,
His own on this earth!
And whoever was never able to, must creep
Tearfully away from this band!

Joy all creatures drink
At the breasts of nature;
All good, all bad
Follow her trail of roses.
Kisses she gave us, and wine,
A friend, proved in death;
Pleasure was given to the worm,
And the cherub stands before God.

Glad, as His suns fly
Through the Heaven’s glorious design,
Run, brothers, your path,
Joyful, as a hero to victory.

Be embraced, millions!
This kiss for the whole world!
Brothers, above the starry canopy
Must a loving Father dwell.
Do you bow down, millions?
Do you sense the Creator, world?
Seek Him beyond the starry canopy!
Beyond the stars must He dwell.