National Anthems

Originally posted by Soothfast
The Star-Spangled Banner never "did it" for me. It's kind of hackneyed and the lyrics ridiculous.

I would love to change our National Anthem to America the Beautiful, but it will never, ever, ever in a gazillion years be changed.

Originally posted by Suzianne
I would love to change our National Anthem to America the Beautiful, but it will never, ever, ever in a gazillion years be changed.

It is indeed much prettier than our current anthem and our very own shadow anthem. Will never happen!

Originally posted by Teinosuke
There's some scholarly doubt about this story! Here's Roger Parker, from a lecture entitled 'Verdi and Milan'.

http://www.gresham.ac.uk/print/2092

Pieces such as 'Va pensiero' became, and to some degree have remained, entangled in an alluring tale about opera and politics, a neat tying-together of the two that we seem willing and eager to consume siero' became a potent recollection of simpler times.

Indeed arguments in both directions. However, I have relatives by marriage who went back as far as the Risorgimiento. They say their grandparents would talk about the Verdi signs everywhere during the period. I agree Verdi had nothing to do with it nor was he a revolutionary like Wagner was in the 1840's. I agree entirely that the "Va Pensiero" as national anthem may have started as a myth, but has indeed taken a life of its own. MY wife and I honeymooned in Rome. Her uncle Michele was an ardent opera fanatic. He openly talked about preferring "Va Pensiero" to Canto degli Italiani. Inasmuch as that not making it fact frequently these legends have more reality than scholars can uncover. I myself prefer it to their current anthem.

However, the material you cite makes a compelling argument to the contrary and is very well written indeed. Perhaps the truth lays somewhere in the middle. Lastly just because Mussollini did does not make it entirely awful. After all he did make the trains run on time! Also, if Parker is indeed correct the "Va Pensiero" chorus as anthem still ends up being a darn good yarn!

Originally posted by Teinosuke
Not really 1619, though a melody by John Bull from that date apparently has some similarities. However, the anthem as anthem is really an eighteenth-century creation.

For me, far and away the most stirring national song we have is 'Jerusalem' ('And did those feet in ancient time...'😉. Magnificent words by a great poet, William Blake, and a wonderfully s ...[text shortened]... by the crowd at the Last Night of the Proms:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8VH0sbEU20

Wonderful clips indeed, and I stand corrected!

Originally posted by Teinosuke
...while the Spanish National Anthem has no words at all!

My Spaniard friends have never explained why their anthem has no words. Do you know? It is quite beautiful.

Uruguay's is amongst the prettiest and quite operatic.

I also like your choice of Bulgaria's anthem. Quite intriguing!

Originally posted by Suzianne
I would love to change our National Anthem to America the Beautiful, but it will never, ever, ever in a gazillion years be changed.

True. Other nations move on, but the U.S. seems frozen in time, unwilling to change even in the face of overwhelming evidence in favor of change. We keep the penny, don't do simple things to help the visually impaired such as make different denominations of paper bills different sizes, we can't cope with the dead-easy metric system, we fetishize guns and equate them with freedom, we don't incorporate the fantastically superior roundabout concept in our roadway system -- on and on it goes...

...Oh, and we cling to a national anthem that sounds like a cat fight and basically idolizes the flag. Huh.

Originally posted by scacchipazzo

My Spaniard friends have never explained why their anthem has no words. Do you know? It is quite beautiful.

The Spanish anthem has never had official words, but it did have unofficial words in the time of Franco. These were abandoned after the dictator's death and it has been wordless ever since.

The Spanish Olympic Committee, making a bid to host the games in 2016, apparently suggested that now would be a sensible time to make some new words. According to Wikipedia, the main problem seems to be the diversity of the Spanish regions, many of which have their own anthems, and which might have problems agreeing on a wording to represent the whole of Spain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcha_Real

I also like your choice of Bulgaria's anthem. Quite intriguing!

The Bulgarian anthem has such a uniquely Slavic sound. I realise I tend to like anthems which have a certain undertone of sadness / wistfulness to them, in wording or melody or both. I prefer 'Jerusalem' to my country's other national songs because it acknowledges that we have problems and need to strive to improve our country, rather than unthinkingly celebrating it. And I'm also very fond of the Israeli anthem "Hatikvah", with a melody also used by Smetana in 'Ma Vlast", in a minor key, and with those wistful words, "Our hope is not yet lost".

Originally posted by Soothfast
And here I thought the Godzilla films were the pinnacle of Japanese cinema!

Alas, alas, what a thought!

If you're looking for some really great Japanese cinema, I recommend Kenji Mizoguchi (Ugetsu, Sansho the Bailiff - two masterpieces of humanist cinema in period settings) and Yasujiro Ozu (Late Spring, Early Summer, Tokyo Story - a trilogy of understated family dramas that speak volumes about change, relationships, and the ageing process.

Originally posted by Teinosuke
Teinosuke Kinugasa isn't my favourite Japanese director, but has the advantage as a username that no one else is likely to pick it! The quality of the work of this director, who lived from 1896 to 1982, is inconsistent, but his avant-garde silent film A Page of Madness (1926) is one of the masterpieces of Japanese and world cinema in the 1920s. Gate of Hell (1953), one of Japan's first colour films, is also admired by many.

Thank you.

Originally posted by Teinosuke
I realise I tend to like anthems which have a certain undertone of sadness / wistfulness to them, in wording or melody or both.

How about the Thai anthem?

Personally, I dislike it word wise, as it's quite indirectly threatening in a way of it's own IMHO.

The words are, as translated:

"Thailand embraces in its bosom all people of Thai blood
Every inch of Thailand belongs to the Thais
It has long maintained its sovereignty
Because the Thais have always been united
The Thai people are peace-loving
But they are no cowards at war
They shall allow no one to rob them of their independence
Nor shall they suffer tyranny
All Thais are ready to give up every drop of blood
For the nation's safety, freedom and progress."

Here's the anthem itself:

YouTube

Very regimented, if you ask me.

-----------------------------

However, we also have a Royal Thai Anthem, for the Royal family, which I find much more serene.

Words are:

"I, subject of His great Majesty,
Prostrate my heart and head,
To pay respect to the King, whose merits are boundless,
Sole and supreme Sovereign,
The greatest of Siam,
The greatest in honor,
We are joyous because of the royal rule,
The fruits of your merits preserve
The people in happiness and peace,
May it be that
whatever He wills,
be done
according to the hopes of His great heart
as we wish Him victory, hurrah! "

sounded here:

YouTube

Much more representative of Thai culture. 😉

-m.

Originally posted by mikelom
How about the Thai anthem?

Personally, I dislike it word wise, as it's quite indirectly threatening in a way of it's own IMHO.

The words are, as translated:

"Thailand embraces in its bosom all people of Thai blood
Every inch of Thailand belongs to the Thais
It has long maintained its sovereignty
Because the Thais have always been united
The ...[text shortened]... w.youtube.com/watch?v=iV5s19ISOYU

Much more representative of Thai culture. 😉

-m.

Frightening! Beyond bellicose! Is the music pretty at least?

Originally posted by scacchipazzo
Frightening! Beyond bellicose! Is the music pretty at least?

For the King's anthem yes; for the National anthem?... As frightening as the words... lol.

-m.

Originally posted by mikelom
For the King's anthem yes; for the National anthem?... As frightening as the words... lol.

-m.

Well as long as they're congruent that is great! Perhaps it should be used as background music for horror films? Incidental music for theater of the macabre? Might actually work!

Originally posted by Suzianne
I would love to change our National Anthem to America the Beautiful, but it will never, ever, ever in a gazillion years be changed.

I would love to get rid of God Save The Queen for NZ and UK

A new UK anthem would be problematic though as I am not aware of
any song that celebrates the whole of the UK.
(Land of Hope & Glory is too English)

Originally posted by wolfgang59
I would love to get rid of God Save The Queen for NZ and UK

A new UK anthem would be problematic though as I am not aware of
any song that celebrates the whole of the UK.
(Land of Hope & Glory is too English)

You don't like Rule Britannia? That basically covers the whole UK, does it not?