The Faithful Hussar

Last updated

"The Faithful Hussar" (German: "Der treue Husar") is a German song based on a folk song known in various versions since the 19th century. In its current standard form, it is a song from the Cologne Carnival since the 1920s.

Contents

Origin and history

A source claims, that in the estate of Caspar Josef Carl von Mylius  [ de ] (1749–1831) a handwritten version of the text from 1781 was found, that Mylius brought from Austria to Cologne. [1] The proof was found after his death in 1831. This version is supposedly the oldest ever. Since this version has not been published, the exact wording and the correspondence with later versions cannot currently be verified.

In 1808 Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano in the third volume of their collection Des Knaben Wunderhorn published a version of the text under the title "Die gute Sieben" (The good seven). [2] Achim von Arnim had compiled from this text from five different versions, that had been recorded by Bernhard Joseph Docen, Auguste Pattberg, Bettina von Arnim and two unknown senders. [3]

In 1816 Johann Gustav Gottlieb Büsching first published a melody to the song, that has been recorded by Carl Hohnbaum in Franconia, which does not match today's popular tune. [4]

In Münsterische Geschichten (1825) we find a version similar in wording to the now popular one. [5] In 1856 Ludwig Erk in the first edition of his collection Deutscher Liederhort published three different versions of the song. [6] The 1893 version of the same collection compiled by Franz Magnus Böhme contains seven different versions of the text and five different melodies. [7]

In the earliest published versions of the text, the acting person is mostly referred to as Knabe (boy) or Edelknabe (squire). The editors of the Wunderhorn also received two entries referring to a "brave soldier", which were not used for the Wunderhorn version though. [3] Evidence for versions of the text referring to a "hussar" as acting in person date back to the 1880s only: they were recorded in 1880 at Imbden near Dransfeld (Province of Hanover) and in 1885 in Oberlahnkreis (today Limburg-Weilburg) and Kreis Wetzlar. [7]

The folk song collector Elizabeth Marriage  [ de ] points in 1902 to the prevalence of the song and mentions the hero – in their version of the text "a young hussar" – appears "mostly as a fine boy, also young boy, brave soldier, red hussar". [8]

Today's popular version of the song was composed by Cologne Carnival composer and former military bandleader Heinrich Frantzen  [ de ] (1880–1953) [9] [10] as a marching song. [11] Cologne-based music publisher Gustav Gerdes (now part of Hans Gerig publishers) published the song in 1924. The march was allegedly composed on the occasion of establishing the Cologne Carnival society "K.G. Treuer Husar Blau-Gelb" in 1925. [12] Originally, the lyrics taken from the folk song were added only the refrain-like part of the piece. Which version of the text served as the model to Frantzen is not known. The tune does not match any of the melodies published in the 19th century. It is unclear whether Frantzen did cite an existing tune, or whether the march was completely composed by himself. The note in a sheet music issue of original publisher states: "This is the only popular and protected version of the 'Faithful Hussar' with the additional composition by Heinrich Frantzen". [13] Joseph "Jupp" Frantzen, the composer's son, allegedly has added the additional lyrics [14] [15] subsequently.

Content

The ballad is about a soldier or – depending on the version of the text – young boy who is separated from his beloved one, and is only allowed to return to her when she is already mortally ill. While the first verses are largely the same in most versions, there are strong deviations in the later verses. Since nowadays almost always only the first verse – usually in a happy mood drinking – is sung in Germany, the sad love story is usually not perceived. [16]

Lyrics and melody

The Faithful Hussar

Es war einmal ein treuer Husar,
Der liebt' sein Mädchen ein ganzes Jahr,
Ein ganzes Jahr und noch viel mehr,
Die Liebe nahm kein Ende mehr.

Der Knab' der fuhr ins fremde Land,
Derweil ward ihm sein Mädchen krank,
Sie ward so krank bis auf den Tod,
Drei Tag, drei Nacht sprach sie kein Wort.

Und als der Knab' die Botschaft kriegt,
Daß sein Herzlieb am Sterben liegt,
Verließ er gleich sein Hab und Gut,
Wollt seh'n, was sein Herzliebchen tut.

Ach Mutter bring' geschwind ein Licht,
Mein Liebchen stirbt, ich seh' es nicht,
Das war fürwahr ein treuer Husar,
Der liebt' sein Mädchen ein ganzes Jahr.

Und als er zum Herzliebchen kam,
Ganz leise gab sie ihm die Hand,
Die ganze Hand und noch viel mehr,
Die Liebe nahm kein Ende mehr.

"Grüß Gott, grüß Gott, Herzliebste mein!
Was machst du hier im Bett allein?"
"Hab dank, hab Dank, mein treuer Knab'!
Mit mir wird's heißen bald: ins Grab!"

"Grüß Gott, grüß Gott, mein feiner Knab.
Mit mir wills gehen ins kühle Grab."
"Ach nein, ach nein, mein liebes Kind,
Dieweil wir so Verliebte sind."

"Ach nein, ach nein, nicht so geschwind,
Dieweil wir zwei Verliebte sind;
Ach nein, ach nein, Herzliebste mein,
Die Lieb und Treu muß länger sein."

Er nahm sie gleich in seinen Arm,
Da war sie kalt und nimmer warm;
"Geschwind, geschwind bringt mir ein Licht!
Sonst stirbt mein Schatz, daß's niemand sicht."

Und als das Mägdlein gestorben war,
Da legt er's auf die Totenbahr.
Wo krieg ich nun sechs junge Knab'n,
Die mein Herzlieb zu Grabe trag'n?

Wo kriegen wir sechs Träger her?
Sechs Bauernbuben die sind so schwer.
Sechs brave Husaren müssen es sein,
Die tragen mein Herzliebchen heim.

Jetzt muß ich tragen ein schwarzes Kleid,
Das ist für mich ein großes Leid,
Ein großes Leid und noch viel mehr,
Die Trauer nimmt kein Ende mehr. [17]

A faithful soldier, without fear,
He loved his girl for one whole year,
For one whole year and longer yet,
His love for her, he'd ne'er forget.

This youth to foreign land did roam,
While his true love, fell ill at home.
Sick unto death, she no one heard.
Three days and nights she spoke no word.

And when the youth received the news,
That his dear love, her life may lose,
He left his place and all he had,
To see his love, went this young lad...

Oh mother, bring forth a light,
My darling dies, I do not see,
That was indeed a faithful hussar,
He loves his girl a whole year.

And when he came to his darling,
Very softly, she gave him her hand,
The whole hand and much more,
Love never came to an end.

"Greetings, greetings, my dearest!
What are you doing alone in bed?"
"Thanks, thanks, my faithful lad!
With me it will soon be in the grave."

"Greetings, greetings, my fine boy.
Let me go to the cool grave."
"Oh no, oh no, my dear child,
Because we are so in love. "

"Oh no, oh no, not so fast,
Because we are two lovers;
Oh no, oh no, my heart tells me,
The love and faith must last longer."

He took her in his arms to hold,
She was not warm, forever cold.
"Oh quick, oh quick, bring light to me,
Else my love dies, no one will see."

And when the maid had died,
He puts on the funeral bier.
Where do I get six young boys,
To carry my dear to the grave?

Pallbearers we need two times three,
Six farmhands they are so heavy.
It must be six of soldiers brave,
To carry my love to her grave.

A long black coat, I must now wear.
A sorrow great, is what I bear.
A sorrow great and so much more,
My grief it will end nevermore. [18]

The song is featured at the end of the 1957 Stanley Kubrick film Paths of Glory , [19] where a female German prisoner, portrayed by Kubrick's later wife Christiane Kubrick, sings this song in front of French soldiers, stirring strong emotions among them. [20]

Recordings by British artists Ted Heath and Vera Lynn (as "Don't Cry My Love") both reached the Billboard Top 100. [21] Lynn's rendition also reached #29 in the UK. [22] American artists such as Louis Armstrong also played the piece. [23] Armstrong's version reached #27 in the UK charts in 1956.

Related Research Articles

<i>Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen</i> Song cycle by Gustav Mahler

Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen is a song cycle by Gustav Mahler on his own texts. The cycle of four lieder for medium voice was written around 1884–85 in the wake of Mahler's unhappy love for soprano Johanna Richter, whom he met as the conductor of the opera house in Kassel, Germany, and orchestrated and revised in the 1890s.

<i>Die Herzogin von Chicago</i>

Die Herzogin von Chicago is an operetta in two acts, a prologue, and an epilogue. The music was composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán with a libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien on April 5, 1928, and played for 372 performances. The work was presented in out-of-town tryouts in Newark, New Jersey and Springfield, Massachusetts by the Shuberts in 1929, but it did not make it to Broadway. The piece was forgotten until 1997, when the Lubo Opera Company performed it in concert in New York, after which Light Opera Works of Illinois performed the work in 1998 in a fully staged version with a new translation by Philip Kraus and Gregory Opelka. In 1999, Richard Bonynge made a recording of the work, which revived international interest in it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Konstantin Wecker</span> German musician

Konstantin Alexander Wecker is a German Liedermacher (singer-songwriter) who also works as a composer, author and actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Die Gedanken sind frei</span> German song about freedom of thought

"Die Gedanken sind frei" is a German song about freedom of thought. The original lyricist and the composer are unknown, though the most popular version was rendered by Hoffmann von Fallersleben in 1842.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Holm</span> German singer, musician, songwriter and record producer

Michael Holm is a German singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is primarily known as a singer of Schlager music. Although his first appearance in the hit parade was in 1962, he had his first big hit in 1969. "Mendocino", the German adaptation of a song by the Sir Douglas Quintet, was the biggest selling single that year in (Germany). The record was released in September 1969, reached number three for five weeks, selling over a million copies. Ariola presented him with a gold record in October 1970.

Fritz Löhner-Beda, born Bedřich Löwy, was an Austrian librettist, lyricist and writer. Once nearly forgotten, many of his songs and tunes remain popular today. He was murdered in Auschwitz III Monowitz concentration camp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ireen Sheer</span> German-English singer

Ireen Sheer is a German-English singer. She had a top five hit on the German singles chart with "Goodbye Mama" in 1973. She went on to finish fourth at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 representing Luxembourg, sixth at the Eurovision Song Contest 1978 representing Germany, and thirteenth at the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 representing Luxembourg again.

"Hänschen klein" by Franz Wiedemann (1821–1882) is a German folk song that originated in the Biedermeier period (1815–1848) of German history in the 19th century, and later became a nursery song in the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber</span> Canon by Mozart

"Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber" is a canon for three voices in B-flat major, K. 233/382d. The music was long thought to have been composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during 1782 in Vienna, but now thought to be the work of Wenzel Trnka. The lyrics appear to stem from Mozart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony No. 8 (Penderecki)</span> Symphony by Krzysztof Penderecki

The Symphony No. 8 "Lieder der Vergänglichkeit" by Krzysztof Penderecki is a choral symphony in twelve relatively short movements set to 19th and early 20th-century German poems. The work was completed and premiered in 2005. The symphony has an approximate duration of 35 minutes. Penderecki revised the symphony in 2007 by adding a few more poem settings and the piece has expanded to around 50 minutes. Although given the designation Symphony No. 8, it was not actually the final symphony Penderecki completed before his death in March 2020; the Sixth Symphony, begun in 2008, was not completed until 2017.

Volkslied is a genre of popular songs in German which are traditionally sung. While many of them were first passed orally, several collections were published from the late 18th century. Later, some popular songs were also included in this classification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welcome and Farewell</span>

"Welcome and Farewell" is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe from the collection Sesenheimer Lieder. It was published for the first time in 1775 in the women's magazine Iris. Franz Schubert set it to music as a lied (D.767).

"Schlafe, mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein" is perhaps the most famous Wiegenlied, dating from the 18th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud</span> Summer hymn

"Geh aus, mein Herz, und suche Freud" is a summer hymn with a text in German by theologian Paul Gerhardt written in 1653. It was first published that same year in the fifth edition of Johann Crüger's hymnal Praxis pietatis melica. It was sung to several melodies, the most popular one composed by August Harder, and later became a Volkslied in an abridged version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit</span> 16th century German Lutheran hymn

"Was mein Gott will, das g'scheh allzeit" is a Lutheran hymn in German. The text from c. 1550 is attributed to Albert, Duke of Prussia. The melody, Zahn No. 7568, goes back to a tune by Claudin de Sermisy, written in 1529 for a secular French song. The hymn has belonged to core Lutheran hymnody without interruption and is part of the Protestant hymnal Evangelisches Gesangbuch as EG 364.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macht hoch die Tür</span>

"Macht hoch die Tür" is a German popular Advent hymn, written in Ducal Prussia in the 17th century. The lyrics were written by Georg Weissel in 1623, for the inauguration of the Altroßgärter Kirche in Königsberg. The melody that is now associated with the text appeared first in 1704 in the hymnal by Johann Anastasius Freylinghausen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zu Bethlehem geboren</span>

"Zu Bethlehem geboren" is a German Christmas carol. The text is attributed to Friedrich Spee, and was first printed in the collection Geistlichen Psälterlein by Johannes Heringsdorf in Cologne in 1637. The author was unknown until the 20th century, but research of style and content arrived at the attribution. The song was printed with a then-popular secular melody in 1638. The song appears in current Catholic and Protestant hymnals.

"Ach, wie ist's möglich dann" also known as "Treue Liebe", and “How Can I Leave Thee” is a German now-traditional song. Friedrich Wilhelm Kücken (1810–1882), a German composer and conductor, claimed to have composed the tune, and that it was later modified "probably by Silcher" and given the general name Thüringer Volkslied. Its popularity helped Kücken get chosen for the court of Paul Frederick, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The tune is used at West Point, Lincoln University (Missouri) and Wake Forest University. Marlene Dietrich sang the song and it has been used in some movies, e.g. Three Comrades uses the melody throughout the film as Leitmotif for love. Similarly, Max Ophüls used it in the same year as a leitmotiv in Le Roman de Werther. The silent film Ach, wie ist's möglich dann (1913) by Peter Ostermayr bears the song's title.

"Schlaf, Kindlein, schlaf" is a German lullaby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G. G. Anderson</span> German singer and composer

Gerd Günther Grabowski, better known by his stage name G. G. Anderson, is a German Schlager singer, composer, and music producer.

References

  1. Website of "Rote Funken", the oldest carnival corps in Cologne Archived 2014-08-21 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Achim von Arnim, Clemens Brentano (Hrsg.): Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Alte deutsche Lieder. Volume 3. Mohr und Zimmer, Heidelberg 1808, pp. 34–36 (Online at Deutsches Textarchiv)
  3. 1 2 Heinz Rölleke  [ de ] (ed.): Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Lesarten und Erläuterungen, Teil 3 (= Band 9,3 of the Frankfurt Brentano Edition). Kohlhammer Verlag, Stuttgart 1978, ISBN   3-17-002284-9, pp. 63–71.
  4. Johann Gustav Büsching: Wöchentliche Nachrichten für Freunde der Geschichte, Kunst und Gelahrtheit des Mittelalters. Volume II. Holäuser, Breslau 1816, pp. 292 f. ( online , p. 292, at Google Books).
  5. Friedrich Arnold Steinmann (Hrsg.): Münsterische Geschichten, Sagen und Legenden: nebst einem Anhange von Volksliedern und Sprüchwörtern. Coppenrath, Münster 1825, pp. 218–219 ( online , p. 218, at Google Books).
  6. Ludwig Erk: Deutscher Liederhort . Enslin, Berlin 1856, pp. 95–99 (online at Wikisource).
  7. 1 2 Ludwig Erk, Franz Magnus Böhme (eds.): Deutscher Liederhort . Vol. 1. Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig 1893 (reprint: Olms, Hildesheim 1963), pp. 329–333.
  8. Elizabeth Marriage: Volkslieder aus der badischen Pfalz. Niemeyer, Halle 1902, pp. 38–39 ( online , p. 38, at Google Books).
  9. "Frantzen, Heinr." In: Paul Frank, Wilhelm Altmann: Kurzgefaßtes Tonkünstler-Lexikon, Part 1, reprint of 1936 edition, 15. ed.., Heinrichshofen's Verlag, Wilhelmshaven 1971, p. 171.
  10. LCCN   no2009148796
  11. "Der treue Husar March" on YouTube, performed by the music corps of the Schutzpolizei Berlin, conducted by Heinz Winkel  [ de ]
  12. K.G. Treuer Husar Blau-Gelb von 1925 e.V. Köln
  13. "Dieses ist die einzige populäre und geschützte Fassung des 'treuen Husaren' mit der zusätzlichen Komposition von Heinrich Frantzen". Die Super-Stimmungs-Polonaise (GG 438). Gerig, Köln n.d. [ca. 1966]
  14. Lyrics in Cologne dialect und standard German
  15. Audio on YouTube, version with complete lyrics performed by Willy Millowitsch
  16. Theo Mang, Sunhilt Mang (eds.): Der Liederquell. Noetzel, Wilhelmshaven 2007, ISBN   978-3-7959-0850-8, pp. 520–521.
  17. Lyrics at ingeb.org
  18. Some stanzas from "Paths of Glory (1957)". filmsite.org.
  19. Paths of Glory at IMDb
  20. Film clip on YouTube, Paths of Glory
  21. Whitburn, Joel (1991). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. p. [ page needed ]. ISBN   0-89820-089-X.
  22. "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1957-03-21. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
  23. Minn, Michael; Scott Johnson. "The Louis Armstrong Discography". michaelminn.net. Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.

Further reading