Brass Band of the Army of the German Federal Republic- 25 National Anthems

DSCN1151This was $3.

I am not really sure what I was looking for with this purchase.  So I really do not know what to say about it.  Maybe this is signaling the onset of a mental disease.  Either way, this album is what it says it is; a collection of National Anthems.

Maybe not this generation or the next, but within three generations, I predict that the traditional National Anthems will be replaced because most of them are no longer relevant as far as music goes.  I predict they will be replaced by modern compositions.  In turn, some of the younger anthems will follow suit.

There was not much I could find on the conductor, Gerhard Scholtz, born in 1913.  According to users on Youtube, he was one of the conductors of Bundeswehr military bands.  His work with the Heeresmusikkorps 6 was among his best.  He also  influenced his contemporaries such as Major Hans Herzberg, Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Stephan, Major Hans Friess.  This according to Marchfan876, anyway. Scholtz would die in 1991

Lack of diversity is one of the things that disappointed me about this album.  Other than the two superstars of the genre (Great Britain and France) as well as the freshest songs (US and Canada), the rest of the anthems (with the exception of Japan) really sound the same to me.  I was disappointed that the music was not more reflective of the country they are intended to nationalize.  I excepted the anthems to embody the stereotypes I envision of those nation’s people. DSCN1152

One the positive side, the album has a real Ramones feel to it as most of the songs are around a minute.  And there are some big composers including Mozart and Haydin.  Flag_of_Czechoslovakia_svgFor a sample, I wanted to go with a country that is no longer in existence.  This album had two (USSR does not count); Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.  I went with the Czechoslovakia.  Their national anthem is a combination of two tunes the Czech “Kde Domoj Muj” (Where is My Home) and the Slovak “Nad Tatru Sa Blyska”.  The Slovak tunes talks about a lightening storm over the Tatra mountains which signifies a threat to the Slovaks.  The Slovak people in turn, rise up to answer the call.  I was slightly disappointed to find out after the fact that both countries adapted their component as their national anthem after the split so this song really is not defunct.  However, I am not listening to this album again.  Once is enough.

The High Tatras
The High Tatras

Meh.  I will wait for the next batch of modernized anthems. I will also get my head examined in the meantime.