GOTT ERHALTE FRANZ DEN KAISER

Created on 17/03/2009
Latest update on 30/11/2023

Artist: Joseph Haydn
Author: Joseph Haydn
Year: 1797

More precisely the Poco Adagio, Cantabile part. Later he re-used the same motiv in his Streichquartett N°77 in C-Dur Hob. III: 77 (op. 76 N°3) - "Kaiser Quartett". Ode to Franz II, Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire, later of Austria. First performance: February 12, 1797, the Emperor's birthday. Lyrics: Lorenz Leopold Haschka. Written while Austria was challenged by France and also as a jealous reaction upon British anthem God Save The King. According to Haydn's valet, this was the last piece the maestro played on piano before he died.

Covers:

1841:

August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben [lyrics Das Lied der Deutschen; in combination with Haydn's melody this became the anthem of the Weimar Republic in 1922 and the West German national anthem since the Olympic Games of 1952; during Hitler the first two stanzas were used, since 1952 only the third one ("Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit…")]

1892:

Emile Berliner [to demonstrate his disc invention; Berliner was from Hanover, Germany]

1906:

Odeon Orchester [with Friedrich Kark]

1972:

Stan Kenton [on his national anthems lp]

1972:

Jonathan King [as Theme From The 1972 Munich Olympics, with an instrumental version on the B-side played backwards; silently shelved following the terrorist action against the Israeli delegation]

1974:

Nico [as Das Lied der Deutschen]

1980:

Dead Kennedys [inspiration for California Über Alles]

2006:

Laibach [as Germania]

Unknown to Hitler, the melody had Croatian roots: Stal Se Jesem from the Medjimurje region.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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