Against a backdrop of Gaasbeek castle, the residence of the Count of Egmont, Meyer pays homage to a desire for freedom and a zest for life. The desire for freedom behind the Netherlands' resistance to the Inquisition and the repressive politics of Philipp II and the zest for life shown by the people of the Netherlands. Goethe's text is a fitting accompaniment to this ode to freedom and justice and against cruelty and oppression.