Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83 based; site hound.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!hound!rfg From: rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) Newsgroups: net.music.classical Subject: Re: music and nazism Message-ID: <1318@hound.UUCP> Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 21:45:58 EDT Article-I.D.: hound.1318 Posted: Thu Aug 22 21:45:58 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 04:09:32 EDT References: <152@vice.UUCP> <1689@psuvax1.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 25 Ach! Mein Gott! Here go I getting involved in this assinine subject. Aren't you folks confusing two entirely different songs? The old austrian tune, immortalized by haydn, etc. is the theme of the German National Anthem: Deutschland, Deutschland, uber alles.... think of it as like the star spangled banner. Many germans could proudly sing that song, before, during, and after WW II. It had no more connection with the Nazi Party than the star strangled banner does with the republican party with Reagan in office. The Nazi party had another song entirely, haunting and beautiful itself, I have no idea where it came from. It is the "Horst Vessel" song. Horst was , I think, a brown shirt youth who was killed in one of the street battles in the early 30's. Anyhow, the song was dedicated to him and became the official Nazi Party anthem, but not the national anthem. Again, think, perhaps, of "Happy days are here again" and FDR, although we americans just don't get political about our songs the way europeans do. I wish someone could explain the origin of the horst vessel song. If modern, who composed it? it sounds pretty good, especially on horns. Too bad it was ruined by its association. But I don't think that Deutschland uber alles was ruined by association. Until I started reading some of this stuff recently I didn't think anyone thought it was. -- "It's the thought, if any, that counts!" Dick Grantges hound!rfg