Ode to Joy comes from the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, first performed in Vienna in 1824, with a melody setting Friedrich Schiller's poem of the same name. Its simple, singable theme has made it one of the most recognised classical melodies in the world, later adopted as the anthem of Europe. Because the tune is so widely known, even a few seconds instantly signals joy, unity and triumph, which keeps it popular in films, adverts, celebrations and short online videos.