Sunday, April 15, 2012

Animal Farm Chapter 4

Russia’s National Anthem
Throughout history Russia has had several national anthems. The first was called "Боже, царя храни", translating to God Save the Czar. The song was to the tune of the British song God Save the Queen.  Its lyrics translated into English are roughly:
 God save the noble Tsar!
Long may he live, in power,
In happiness,
In peace to reign!
Dread of his enemies,
Faith’s sure defender,
God save the Tsar! 
            This was the national anthem from its adoption until 1917 when it was replaced by a Russian translation of the Hymn of the French Revolution. Themes from it can be heard in Tchaikovsky’s well known 1812 overture along with themes from the original anthem, God Save the Czar.
Link to Hymn of the French Revolution:
            In 1944, the Hymn of the French Revolution was replaced by the Stalinist song Hymn of the Soviet Union. After Stalin’s death it became forbidden to sing the song but, in 1977, the original lyrics were edited to remove the Stalinist aspects and it was acceptable to sing the song again. After that, there were disputes over the national anthem but in 2001 it was decided to be the Hymn of the Soviet Union with new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov.
Link to current national anthem:
Japan’s National Anthem
            Japan’s national anthem is based off a poem called 君が代 or Kimigayo. In 1860, it was put to music by William Fenton who was the band master of the Japanese army. In 1881 a committee chose a different tune to put the poem to by Oku Yoshiisa. This song was not officially adopted until 1999. Japan’s national anthem is one of the shortest in the world.
Link to Kimigayo:
Spain’s National Anthem
             The origins of Spain’s national anthem are disputed. Some people say it was composed by a German to be given to King Carlos III. It is also said to have been a French song brought to Spain by King Philip V. Under King Carlos III, it was rearranged for military orchestras. In July of 1942, it was declared the national anthem. There are no official lyrics to the song but a well known version was written by Eduardo Marquina. Spain’s national anthem is one of the few in the world without lyrics.
Link to Spain’s national anthem with unofficial lyrics:
            National anthems and monuments bring more patriotism to countries. It gives the people a sense of national pride to all and unites them because they experienced the same hardships. It also makes them think more highly of their country and that if they have won one battle they can win another.

Sources Used
recordings of national anthems were found on You Tube

1 comment:

  1. These are some really interseting songs! I think it's fascinating how the song was "forbidden" to be sung after Stalin's death, kind of how the Beasts of England song waas forbidden. I'd love to see you reflect further on how anthems bring people together and the power they have and then possibly tie that back into the animal's experience with songs as well

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