Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser ("God Save Emperor Francis") is an anthem to the Emperor Francis II of the Holy Roman Empire and later of Austria, written by Lorenz Leopold Haschka (1749-1827) and set to a tune written by Joseph Haydn in 1797. In English it is sometimes called the "Emperor's Hymn." Francis II Francis I Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, who may also be referred to as Francis von Habsburg or Emperor Franz I of Austria (February 12, 1768 - March 2, 1835) was the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until August 6, 1806, when the Empire was disbanded. ... This page is about the Germanic empire. ... Franz Joseph Haydn, (March 31 or April 1, 1732 – May 31, 1809) was a leading composer of the Classical period, called the Father of the Symphony and Father of the String Quartet. His friendly disposition also earned him another title: Papa Haydn. ... 1797 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Words and music

The sound file given below (played on a piano) uses the harmony Haydn employed for the string quartet version of his song, which he prepared later in the year 1797.

Click to hear; ogg format, 156k.

The German words can be translated approximately as follows: Download high resolution version (844x300, 16 KB)Image file: words and notes of Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser by Joseph Haydn. ... Download high resolution version (844x300, 16 KB)Image file: words and notes of Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser by Joseph Haydn. ... Ogg is a patent-free, fully open multimedia bitstream container format designed for efficient streaming and file compression (storage). ...

God save Francis the Emperor, our good Emperor Francis!

Long live Francis the Emperor in the brightest splendor of bliss!

May laurel branches bloom for him, wherever he goes, as a wreath of honor.

(God save ...)

History

The song was written at a time when Austria was seriously threatened by France and patriotic feeling was high. An Austrian aristocrat, Count Joseph Franz Saurau, had the idea of commissioning the anthem. Saurau later wrote:

"I had a text fashioned by the worthy poet Haschka; and to have it set to music, I turned to our immortal compatriot Haydn, who, I felt, was the only man capable of creating something that could be placed at the side of ... 'God Save the King'."

"Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser" was first performed on the Emperor's birthday, February 12, 1797. It proved popular, and came to serve as the unofficial first national anthem of Austria. This article is on the British patriotic anthem. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1797 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is formally recognized by a countrys government as their states official national song. ...

Composition

Just as on many other occasions in his career, Haydn in composing "Gott erhalte" is believed to have mined his mental store of folk songs, which he learned in childhood and perhaps also in field work during adult life. The particular folk source of "Gott erhalte" appears to be Croatian in origin, and is known in Međimurje and northern regions of Croatia under the name "Stal se jesem". The version below was collected by a field worker in the Croatian-speaking village of Schandorf-Cemba, in eastern Austria: This article discusses the influence of folk music on the work of the celebrated composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). ... Medjimurje (Međimurska županija, Muraköz in Hungarian) is a triangle-shaped county in the northernmost part of Croatia. ...

Click to hear; ogg format, 41k.

The English musicologist William H. Hadow, following the work of Franjo Kuhač, has discussed various versions of the tune, but he does not mention the most familiar of them, which is the German folksong "O wie wohl ist mir am Abend," the first line of which is virtually identical. He describes how Haydn transformed and (in the opinion of many) exalted his source material. The tonic note in the high octave near the end, felt by Charles Rosen and others to be the climax of Haydn's melody, appears in none of the folk originals. Download high resolution version (883x242, 13 KB)Musical notation for Croatian folk song Vjutro rano Created by Opus33 using Sibelius software. ... Download high resolution version (883x242, 13 KB)Musical notation for Croatian folk song Vjutro rano Created by Opus33 using Sibelius software. ... Ogg is a patent-free, fully open multimedia bitstream container format designed for efficient streaming and file compression (storage). ... Charles Rosen (born May 5, 1927) is an American pianist and music theorist. ...

Haydn's patriotism appears to have been unsophisticated and fully sincere. During his frail and sickly old age (1802-1809), Haydn often would struggle to the piano to play his song, often with great feeling, as a form of consolation in his long illness. Patriotism is a feeling of love and devotion to ones own homeland (patria, the land of ones fathers). ...

Later uses of the tune

Long after the composer's death, his melody was used as the tune of Hoffmann von Fallersleben's Das Lied der Deutschen (1841), whose text begins "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles"; see the Wikipedia article just cited for full details concerning this setting. The tune has also been used as a hymn in English, to lyrics by John Newton which begin "Glorious things of thee are spoken/Zion, city of our God." 1, 2 August Heinrich Hoffmann, who used Hoffmann von Fallersleben as his pen name, was a German poet. ... Das Lied der Deutschen (The Song of the Germans), more commonly known as Das Deutschlandlied (The Song of Germany) in Germany, has been used, wholly or partially, as the national anthem of Germany since 1922. ... A hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to a god. ... John Newton (July 24, 1725–December 21, 1807) was an English slave trader, who repented of his crimes against humanity later in life, and became a clergyman and writer who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. ...

After the death of Francis in 1835, the tune was given new lyrics that praised his successor, Ferdinand: "Segen Öst'reichs hohem Sohne / Unserm Kaiser Ferdinand!" ("Blessings to Austria's high son / Our Emperor Ferdinand!"). After Ferdinand's abdication in 1848, the original lyrics were used again because his successor (Francis Joseph) was also named Francis. However, in 1854, yet again new lyrics were selected: "Gott erhalte, Gott beschütze / Unsern Kaiser, unser Land!" ("God preserve, God protect / Our Emperor, our country!"). The tune stopped being used for official purposes in Austria when monarchy was abolished in 1919. 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... His Imperial Majesty Ferdinand I Karl Leopold Joseph Franz Marchlin Emperor of Austria King of Hungary and Bohemia (April 19, 1793 - June 29, 1875) succeeded his father (Franz II Holy Roman Emperor/Franz I of Austria) as Emperor and King in 1835 and was forced to abdicate in 1848. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Franz Joseph I Franz Joseph (in English also Francis Joseph) (August 18, 1830 - November 21, 1916) of the Habsburg Dynasty was Emperor of Austria and King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and King of Hungary from 1867 until 1916. ... 1854 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

There has also been uses of the tune in classical music. Classical music is music considered classical, as sophisticated and refined, in a regional tradition. ...

• Shortly after finishing his melody, Haydn used it as the basis for the second movement (a theme and variations) of his famous string quartet opus 76 no. 3, the "Emperor" Quartet (1797).
• Carl Czerny wrote a set of variations for piano and string quartet, his Opus 73. This link offers a sound illustration.
• Henryk Wieniawski wrote a set of variations on the tune for unaccompanied violin (Variations on the Austrian National Anthem, from L'école Moderne, opus 10), which is reputed to be one of the most difficult unaccompanied violin showpieces ever composed.
• Tchaikovsky arranged the work for orchestra in 1876.

In music, variation is a formal technique where material is altered during repetition; reiteration with changes. ... The resident string quartet of the Library of Congress in 1963 A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string instruments—usually two violins, a viola and cello—or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... Carl Czerny (sometimes Karl; February 21, 1791 – July 15, 1857) was an Austrian pianist, composer and teacher. ... This article is about the modern musical instrument. ... The resident string quartet of the Library of Congress in 1963 A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string instruments—usually two violins, a viola and cello—or a piece written to be performed by such a group. ... Henryk Wieniawski (10 July 1835 – 31 March 1880) was a Polish composer and violinist. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky   listen? (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October 25, 1893 (O.S.)) was a Russian composer of the Romantic era. ... Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ...

Full text

Haschka's poem contains many verses, reproduced below. For translations of the text into several of the languages that were spoken in the Austrian Empire, see Translations of Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser. This article needs cleanup. ...

Gott erhalte Franz, den Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz!
Lange lebe Franz, der Kaiser,
In des Glückes hellstem Glanz!
Ihm erblühen Lorbeerreiser,
Wo er geht, zum Ehrenkranz!
|: Gott erhalte Franz, den Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz! :|

Laß von seiner Fahne Spitzen
Strahlen Sieg und Fruchtbarkeit!
Laß in seinem Rate Sitzen
Weisheit, Klugheit, Redlichkeit;
Und mit Seiner Hoheit Blitzen
Schalten nur Gerechtigkeit!
|: Gott erhalte Franz, den Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz! :|

Ströme deiner Gaben Fülle
Über ihn, sein Haus und Reich!
Brich der Bosheit Macht, enthülle
Jeden Schelm- und Bubenstreich!
Dein Gesetz sei stets sein Wille,
Dieser uns Gesetzen gleich.
|: Gott erhalte Franz, den Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz! :|

Froh erleb' er seiner Lande,
Seiner Völker höchsten Flor!
Seh' sie, Eins durch Bruderbande,
Ragen allen andern vor!
Und vernehm' noch an dem Rande
Später Gruft der Endkel Chor.
|: Gott erhalte Franz, den Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz! :|

Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz,
Hoch als Herrscher, hoch als Weiser,
Steht er in des Ruhmes Glanz;
Liebe windet Lorbeerreiser
Ihm zum ewig grünen Kranz.
|: Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz! :|

Über blühende Gefilde
Reicht sein Scepter weit und breit;
Säulen seines Throns sind milde,
Biedersinn und Redlichkeit,
Und von seinem Wappenschilde
Strahlet die Gerechtigkeit.
|: Gott erhalte unsern Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz! :|

Sich mit Tugenden zu schmücken,
Achtet er der Sorgen werth,
Nicht um Völker zu erdrücken
Flammt in seiner Hand das Schwert:
Sie zu segnen, zu beglücken,
Ist der Preis, den er begehrt,
|: Gott erhalte unsern Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz! :|

Er zerbrach der Knechtschaft Bande,
Hob zur Freiheit uns empor!
Früh' erleb' er deutscher Lande,
Deutscher Völker höchsten Flor,
Und vernehme noch am Rande
Später Gruft der Enkel Chor:
|: Gott erhalte unsern Kaiser,
Unsern guten Kaiser Franz! :|

Burney's translation

During Haydn's lifetime, the musicologist Charles Burney, a friend of the composer, made a English translation of the first verse which is more felicitous if less literal than the one given above. Musicology is the scientific study of music (Greek: musike = music and logos = word). ... Charles Burney by Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1781 Charles Burney (April 12, 1726 - April 12, 1814) was an English musical historian and father of author Fanny Burney. ...

God preserve the Emp'ror Francis
Sov'reign ever good and great;
Save, o save him from mischances
In Prosperity and State!
May his Laurels ever blooming
Be by Patriot Virtue fed;
May his worth the world illumine
And bring back the Sheep misled!
God preserve our Emp'ror Francis!
Sov'reign ever good and great.

The penultimate couplet about sheep lacks a counterpart in the original German and appears to be Burney's own contribution.

See also

• Das Lied der Deutschen
• Haydn and folk music

Das Lied der Deutschen (The Song of the Germans), more commonly known as Das Deutschlandlied (The Song of Germany) in Germany, has been used, wholly or partially, as the national anthem of Germany since 1922. ... This article discusses the influence of folk music on the work of the celebrated composer Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). ...

External link

• Image of the autograph score, from the "aeiou" music history site