The ambitious programme planned for Beethoven’s composer’s night at the Theater an der Wien on 22 December 1808 included the world premi?re of the Fifth and Sixth Symphonies, the Piano Concerto in G major, two movements of the Mass in C major, a concert aria and a piano improvisation. In the last moment the composer decided to round off the concert with another ‘brilliant work’ that would feature a choir (since there was one on stage already). A spur-of-the-moment work with a completely unique structure, the Choral Fantasy included the piano improvisation (which at the world premi?re the composer did in fact improvise and only noted down the final version when it was published in 1810). This is followed by the first half of the main part termed ‘Finale’ which also features the orchestra. After a recitative-like introduction the music shifts from C minor to C major and the piano intones a slightly modified version of Beethoven’s lied Gegenliebe (Love returned, 1794/95), which is followed by numerous variations. In the second half of the ‘Finale’ first the soloists – two sopranos and a contralto, then two tenors and a bass – sing the theme of the lied, and eventually the choir joins in. The work is rounded off by a passionate, truly ‘brilliant’ coda. Due to the constraint of time the poem Beethoven latterly added to the music is a kind of ‘Ode to Art’ and consequently its choice of theme makes it comparable with the Ode to Joy set to music in his Ninth. Numerous details of the music are also ‘anticipate’ his Ninth, in particular the theme of the lied which is a kind of archetype of the Ode to Joy with many recognisable features.