# Question about Beethoven and poetry



## Pinky (Jan 12, 2008)

Hi, I'm new to this forum. I have a question I hope someone can answer - did Beethoven write poetry? If so, do you know where I can find any of it?

Thanks!


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

Well, I'll reply with what probably is Beethoven "common knowledge:"

The opening words of the final movement of Beethoven's 9th- "O Freunde, nicht diese töne!
Sondern laßt uns angenehmere anstimmen
und freudenvollere!"

Are not Schiller's, but Beethoven's own. If Beethoven had any other prominent verse of note, I'm not aware of it.

I rate Beethoven at the absolute summit of Western Art Music... but if you're looking for a composer who mates musical genius with a gift for word-play, you'll have to look elsewhere.
(Ahem! Wagner...)


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

Chi_town/Philly said:


> but if you're looking for a composer who mates musical genius with a gift for word-play, you'll have to look elsewhere.


Mozart is supposed to have been good at "word-play".


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## Pinky (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks Chi_town/Philly - I appreciate your information and suggestion.


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## Lever Du Jour (Dec 12, 2019)

I believe he said something among the lines of "I would rather write 1000 notes than a single word"


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