National Anthems

Kevster

I don't know if this thread will catch-on but anyway. I always had a fondness to national anthems and my two favourites are the French and Italian ones. I don't know if you could classify them as 'Classical' but, then again, what is 'classical'? It is a very general term.

Anyway:

• The French one was originally written by Claude Joseph Rouget De Lisle and is called La Marseillaise. I have a great version of it sung by Mireille Mathieu
  
• The Italian one was originally written by Goffredo Mameli and is called L'Inno Di Mameli. My version is sung by Mario Del Monaco

Coileach dearg

Kevster, you should hear Hector Berlioz's version of La Marseillaise, great stuff.

Actually hang on a second:

http://www.marseillaise.org/english/berlioz.html

You should also listen to the national anthrm of Uruguay, very catchy. Turkish one isn't bad either, not too sure who composed it though.

Not being biased here but our own national anthem is as inspiring as any of them (just see a packed Croke Park for example).

Hagar

What about the National Anthem of Jibrovia by Billy Connolly?

Kevster

The what? ...by who?!

Hagar

It's from one of his live shows. The Albert Hall I think.

"We come from Jibrovia and we don't give a shít" to the tune of the Archers.

tSubh Dearg

Hagar please, this is a serious forum for serious peoples...

>_>
<_<

Hagar

Sorry.:o

Kevster

I'm not a fan of Billy Connolly and have never heard of this Jibrovia thing (Which is probably best!)

Hagar

It was actually a humourous comment on how inspiring National Anthems were, after all that is their purpose. The music must move the hearer. His point was that the music of the British National Anthem was slow insipid and wouldn't move the listener. He also found fault with the words of the anthem in particular its exhortation to "go north the cowardly scots to crush" in the sixth verse. His suggestion that it be replaced by the rousing tune of the Archers was an appeal to populist ideals in much the same way as the Irish National Anthem has been supplanted by "Ireland's Call" at rugby matches. So although the post may have seemed entirely flippant and I have apologised for this, the basic point remains valid ie the non-inspirational of the British National Anthem as a piece of music. Not so far off topic really.

Kevster

I saw no yrouble with your post. Anyway, I never liked the British national anthem myself - Rule Brittania should have been it! i'm not a fan of Ireland's call either. It's humiliating / embarrassing.


Kevin.

purple'n'gold

The German national anthem is always worth listening to, then again it was written by Haydn

Sandwich

Have long found it curious that two of the best 'National Anthems' arent official national anthems : Waltzing Matilda, and Land of my Fathers.

JaneHudson

My favourite ever has to be AMANDLA the South african one. It was used in a film I saw and it was very sad. Can't remember the name of the film though. It was about apartheid and I think it was made in the early 80s.

mambo

Sandwich wrote:

Have long found it curious that two of the best 'National Anthems' arent official national anthems : Waltzing Matilda, and Land of my Fathers.

I suppose "The Fields of Athenry" is Ireland's unofficial anthem at this stage? Or maybe "Danny Boy"?

Either is better than "Ireland's Call" anyway...

MadsL

JaneHudson wrote:

My favourite ever has to be AMANDLA the South african one. It was used in a film I saw and it was very sad. Can't remember the name of the film though. It was about apartheid and I think it was made in the early 80s.

Cry freedom

Piste

I love La Marseillaise! I'm trying to learn it cos I only knew the first line and kept singing that over and over again...

Sev

Not a national anthem... but the american "national march", the stars and stripes has occupied my consciousness for past 5 months. Thats how long ive been trying to perfect the Horowitz transcription of it. It's like my favourite piano piece ever now. It's such an epic arrangement... check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeGTPE1Z_qs

The Mad Hatter

*votes for the European national anthem* (hehe)

Piste

Does Europe have a national anthem?


Or were you maing a eurovision joke?

mambo

"Ode to Joy", baby, "Ode to Joy"!

From http://europa.eu/abc/symbols/anthem/index_en.htm

This is the anthem not only of the European Union but also of Europe in a wider sense. The melody comes from the Ninth Symphony composed in 1823 by Ludwig Van Beethoven.

For the final movement of this symphony, Beethoven set to music the "Ode to Joy" written in 1785 by Friedrich von Schiller. This poem expresses Schiller's idealistic vision of the human race becoming brothers - a vision Beethoven shared.

In 1972, the Council of Europe (the same body that designed the European flag) adopted Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" theme as its own anthem. The well-known conductor Herbert Von Karajan was asked to write three instrumental arrangements - for solo piano, for wind instruments and for symphony orchestra. Without words, in the universal language of music, this anthem expresses the ideals of freedom, peace and solidarity for which Europe stands.

In 1985, it was adopted by EU heads of State and government as the official anthem of the European Union. It is not intended to replace the national anthems of the Member States but rather to celebrate the values they all share and their unity in diversity.

Sandwich

And do we think it was the good choice?

mambo

Sandwich wrote:

And do we think it was the good choice?

Well can you think of a better one?

Maybe we should ask Phil Coulter to come up with something stirring...

Sandwich

mambo wrote:

Well can you think of a better one?

Dunno, and depends what you expect from an anthem.
Maybe its sacrilege but i never really thought much of its theme (the 9th). Without even straying from Beethoven, its near relation from the choral fantasy is far superior IMHO. And I suppose it should be something from one of Mozart/Beeth/Bach as the 3 untouchables of European musical history.

Maybe we should ask Phil Coulter to come up with something stirring...

Well............... maybe not (tho if you're giving him a dig about Irelands Call I would have to defend him - its perfect stadium crowd stuff, even if you could never imagine buying a recording of it to actually listen to)

murphaph

Check this out. I think it's just brilliant.

il gatto

Apparently, when many South American countries gained their independence, there was a rush to Italian composers to try and emulate the stirring Italian anthem. Unfortunately, many ended up with long winded operatic anthems with little decernable melody or rhythm.
My favourites would be 1. French 2. Italian 3. German 4. Irish
I wouldn't include the European anthem, as it's a far superior piece of music and it's just wrong to include it next to "Sinn a Fianna" or "Fratelli Italia".
By the way, I recommend looking up a translation of La Marseillaise. Scary stuff.

Marathon Man

Niall - Dahlia wrote:

No other anthem compares to the glorious chorus of the workers uniting to sing for mother Russia!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLcc19mt4eA

Though seriously, that's a great anthem. I'm guessing it hasn't been changed since the fall of the USSR, though I'm probably wrong.

your correct. it hasnt been changed and it is bloody awesome. Here are two other samples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuV8Kgm5Tu8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpKRd2xQeq8

Man i wish i was Russian.

p.s. not really

Piste

It sounds like the opening credits to a disney movie set in a kingdom far far away...