Marcha Real
| English: Royal March | |
|---|---|
 1761 sheet music | |
National anthem ofSpain | |
| Also known as | "La Marcha Granadera"(English:" The Grenadier March ") |
| Music | Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros,1761,[1]Bartolomé Pérez Casas(orchestration, 1908),Francisco Grau(harmonization, 1997) |
| Adopted | 3 September 1770 |
| Readopted | 1823, 1874, July 1942 |
| Relinquished | 7 April 1822, 1873, 9 December 1931 |
| Audio sample | |
Marcha Real(instrumental) | |
TheMarcha Real(Spanish pronunciation:[ˈmaɾtʃareˈal];lit. 'Royal March') is thenational anthemofSpain.It is one of only four national anthems in the world – along with those ofBosnia and Herzegovina,San MarinoandKosovo– that have no official lyrics.[2]Although many different lyrics have been made for it in the past, it has never had official lyrics as a national anthem.[3]
History[edit]
One of the oldest in the world, the Spanish national anthem was first printed in a document dated 1761 and entitledLibro de la Ordenanza de los Toques de Pífanos y Tambores que se tocan nuevamente en la Ynfantª Española(Book of the Ordinance of Newly Played MilitaryFifeandDrumCalls by The Spanish Infantry), by Manuel de Espinosa. There, it is entitledLa Marcha Granadera(English:March of theGrenadiers). According to the document, Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros is the composer.
There is a misconception that its author wasFrederick II of Prussia,a great lover of music. That mistaken belief arose in 1861 when it was published as fact in the periodicalLa España militar(Military Spain). In 1864, Col. Antonio Vallecillo published the story in the diaryEl Espíritu Público(The Public Spirit), claiming a supposed Prussian origin forMarcha Real.According to Vallecillo, the anthem was a gift from Frederick II to theCount of Colomera,who was serving in thePrussian Courtto learn the military tactics developed by Frederick II's army, under orders of KingCharles III.In 1868, this spurious history was published inLos Sucesos,changing the beneficiary of the gift to theCount of Aranda.The myth was picked up in different publications of 1884 and 1903 until it was included in 1908 in theEnciclopedia Espasa.
In 1770, Charles III declared theMarcha de Granaderosthe official Honor March, an act that formalized the tradition of playing it in public, especially on solemn occasions. It became the official Spanish anthem duringIsabel II's reign.
In 1870, after the1868 Revolution,General Juan Primorganized a national contest to create a new official state anthem, and a jury consisting of three well-known composers was chosen to designate a winning entry. Although over 400 compositions were submitted, including those written by the young composersFederico Chueca,Ruperto ChapíandTomás Bretón,a new anthem was never selected. After extensive deliberations, the jury had advised thatMarcha de Granaderoswas already considered the country's official anthem, and the contest was suspended.[4]ByAlfonso XIII's time, the Royal Circular Order of 27 August 1908 established the musical score orchestrated by Bartolomé Pérez Casas, Superior musician of the Royal Corps of Halberdier Guards, as the official version; it is known traditionally as theGrenadier Marchor theRoyal Spanish March.During the SpanishSecond RepublictheHimno de Riegowas adopted as the anthem of the republic.[5]
The current symphonic version of theMarcha Realthat replaced the Pérez Casas one was written by maestroFrancisco Grauand is the official one after the Royal Decree of 10 October 1997, when the Kingdom of Spain bought the author rights of theMarcha Real,then belonging to Pérez Casas's heirs. According to the Royal Decree 1560/1997, it should be in the key of B-flat major and a tempo of 76 bpm (♩=76), with a form of AABB and a duration of 52 seconds.
Current version[edit]
The current official version ofMarcha Real,as described in Royal Decree 1560/1997,[6]is a sixteen-bar long phrase, divided in two sections, each one is made up of four repeated bars (AABB form). Tempo is set to ♩= 76 and key to B-flat.
The long, complete version is thehonors musicfor theKing,while a shorter version without the repetitions is performed for thePrincess of Asturias,thePresident of the Government of Spain,or during sporting events.
There are also three official arrangements: one for orchestra, another for military band, and a third for organ, written byFrancisco Grauand requested by theGovernment of Spain.All in all, there are six different official adaptations, for each arrangement and length. They all were recorded by theSpanish National Orchestraand theSpanish Royal Guard Bandas an official recording and released oncompact discfor a limited period of time.
Copyright issues[edit]
As the harmonisation ofMarcha Realwas written by Pérez Casas in the early 20th century, the copyright has not yet expired. The government bought it from Pérez Casas' estate in 1997 for 130 millionpesetas(781,315.734euros) to avoid future legal problems.[7]Until it expires, the copyright belongs to theMinistry of Cultureandcollecting societiescharge copyright fees, which has led to criticism.[8]
As a result, many different harmonisations have been devised by performers to avoid paying. Nonetheless, the rights to the 1997Francisco Graurevision were transferred to the government at no charge, but they were not placed in thepublic domain.[9]
Music[edit]
-
Piano sheet music ofMarcha Real
Lyrics[edit]
Though theMarcha Realhas no official lyrics, words have been written and used for it in the past. One version was used duringAlfonso XIII's reign and another duringthe Francoist State;however, none of them were ever made official. The national anthem has been played without words since 1978 when lyrics that had been approved byGeneral Francisco Francowere abandoned.[10]Occasionally the Francoist lyrics have been erroneously performed after their abandonment.[11]
Lyrics competition[edit]
After witnessing a rendition ofYou'll Never Walk AloneatAnfieldin 2007, the President of theSpanish Olympic Committee(COE), Alejandro Blanco, said he felt inspired to seek lyrics toLa Marcha Realahead ofMadrid's bidto host the2016 Olympic Games.[12][13][14]That same yearTelecinco,enticed by the COE, organized a national contest and posted 25 different lyrics on their website which they thought best matched COE's requirements. The winner was chosen, although only 40,000 people voted. The lyrics byEnrique Hernández-Luike,magazine publisher and poet, spoke of freedom, peace and the Constitution.[15]The winning lyrics were sung by the Ronda de Aranzueque choir in Pastrana, and filmed by German television.[16]However, the COE organized a new competition for the lyrics, which resulted in between 2,000 and 7,000 entries (depending on source). A private team of jurors chose the entry by Paulino Cubero, then unemployed.[17]The new lyrics received criticism, resulting in them being pulled only five days later, and the idea was scrapped indefinitely.[18]
A number of theautonomous communities of Spainhave theirown regional anthems.
Former lyrics[edit]
Lyrics during Alfonso XIII's reign[edit]
These lyrics were written byEduardo Marquina(1879–1946) on the occasion of Alfonso XIII's silver wedding anniversary.[19]Still, they were never made official.[3]
La bandera de España(Coro)
Gloria, gloria, corona de la Patria,
soberana luz
que es oro en tu Pendón.
Vida, vida, futuro de la Patria,
que en tus ojos es
abierto corazón...!
Púrpura y oro: bandera inmortal;
en tus colores, juntas, carne y alma están.
Púrpura y oro: querer y lograr;
Tú eres, bandera, el signo del humano afán.
España guiadora(Solo)
¡Pide, España! ¡Tu nombre llevaremos
donde quieras tú;
que honrarlo es nuestra ley!
¡Manda, España, y unidos lucharemos,
porque vivas tú,
sin tregua pueblo y rey!
Una bandera gloriosa nos das;
¡nadie, viviendo, España, nos la arrancará!
Para que, un día, nos pueda cubrir,
¡danos, España, el gozo de morir por ti!
¡Viva España!...(Coro)
¡Viva España! Del grito de la Patria,
la explosión triunfal
abrió camino al sol;
¡Viva España! repiten veinte pueblos
y al hablar dan fe
del ánimo español...
¡Marquen arado martillo y clarín
su noble ritmo al grito de la Patria fe!
¡Guíe la mente a la mano hasta el fin,
al "Viva España" asista toda España en pie!
Flag of Spain(Chorus)
Glory, glory, crown of the Fatherland
sovereign light
which in your standard is gold.
Life, life, future of the Fatherland,
in your eyes it is
an open heart
Purple and gold: immortal flag;
in your colors, together, flesh and soul are.
Purple and gold: to want and to achieve;
You are, flag, the sign of human effort.
Spain guiding(Solo)
Ask of us, Spain! Your name we will take
anywhere you want;
because honoring it is our law!
Command us, Spain, and united we will fight,
so that you may live,
relentless people and king!
You give us a glorious flag;
Nobody, who is alive, Spain, will take it from us!
So that, one day, we can be covered by it,
Give us, Spain, the joy of dying for you!
Long live Spain!...(Chorus)
Long live Spain! The cry of the Fatherland,
the triumphant explosion
Has opened the way to the sun;
Long live Spain! repeated twenty peoples
and when they speak they have faith
in the Spanish will...
Mark plow hammer and bugle
your noble rhythm at the cry of the Fatherland faith!
Guide the mind and the hand until the end,
the "Long Live Spain" Spain attends all standing!
Franco-era lyrics[edit]
Lyrics were adapted from an earlier version on 1928 written byJosé María Pemán(1897–1981) during the reign of Alfonso XIII and the government of Miguel Primo de Rivera.[20]The changes, made by Peman himself, intended to fit the symbols of the extremeright-wingideology ofGeneral Francisco Franco,referred to asNational-Catholicism,which were the "salute with the extended right arm" and the "yoke and arrows".The yoke and arrows were the appropriated symbol ofFalangismin Spain.
There were no singular official lyrics at the time,[3]though they became popular in certain contexts. In fact, the school textbook "Enciclopedia Álvarez" featured different lyrics that were taught to children.[21]
Interpretation and etiquette[edit]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(December 2016) |
Military bandsof theSpanish Armed Forcesand theNational Police Corps of Spainand civilianMarching bandsandConcert bandsplay the B flat-major version of the anthem adapted for wind bands (as arranged by Francisco Grau), and playing the A major version is optional.
The bugle callTo the Colorsin Spain is the version played byBugle bandsin Spanish churches in religious occasions and processions organized by civil groups and the parishes. Various versions adapted for the drum and the bugle are used, even though brass instruments play the anthem as well. But in some bugle bands, the A flat version of the anthem (the old official one, adapted for the bugle) is played. Only a bugle call is sounded when the B flat version is played.
Being the national anthem, and played in honor of the King and the Queen of Spain, it is common for all to stand once it is played. Even though it is also played in church events, respect for the royal family is required by everyone in attendance; civilians stand at attention, and those in uniform salute when not in formation.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^https:// europeanasounds.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/partitura1-700x546.jpg[permanent dead link]
- ^"Spain – Marcha Real".NationalAnthems.me.Retrieved2011-11-23.
- ^abc"Las otras letras del himno | elmundo.es".elmundo.es.
- ^Francisco Javier Molero Caminero (26 June 2019).Hasta aquí hemos llegado: Recopilación histórica de la vieja piel de toro(in European Spanish). Punto Rojo Libros S.L. p. 487.ISBN978-84-17988-93-7.
- ^María del Rosario Ruiz Mateos (21 October 2010).Manual de Protocolo General. Formación para el Empleo.EDITORIAL CEP. p. 81.ISBN978-84-681-8473-9.
- ^"Real Decreto 1560/1997, de 10 de octubre, por el que se regula el Himno Nacional".Boletín Oficial del Estado.1997(244). 11 October 1997.
- ^"Real Decreto 1543/1997, de 3 de octubre, sobre adquisición por el Estado de los derechos de explotación de determinadas obras musicales y encomienda de su administración al Ministerio de Educación y Cultura".Boletín Oficial del Estado.1997(243). 10 October 1997.
- ^"El himno da aún mucho dinero".Crónica. #604. May 27, 2007.
"Cuando el himno es de un particular".Periodista Digital. May 27, 2007. - ^"Real Decreto 2027/1998, de 18 de septiembre, de aceptación de la cesión gratuita efectuada por el maestro don Francisco Grau Vergara de los derechos de explotación por la revisión y orquestación del Himno Nacional y atribución de la administración de tales derechos al Ministerio de Educación y Cultura".Boletín Oficial del Estado.1998(233). 29 September 1998.
- ^Elkington, Mark (January 16, 2008)."Divisive national anthem lyrics ditched".Reuters.RetrievedAugust 24,2016.
- ^Curtis, Joe (2019-05-08)."Italian choir mistakenly sings Franco-era national anthem to the King of Spain".City AM.Retrieved2023-03-07.
- ^Liverpool fans help inspire Spain to write words to anthemArchived2008-02-02 at theWayback MachineReuters, 5 June 2007
- ^Spain to add lyrics to wordless national anthemNBC News,26 June 2007
- ^"Lost for Words",The Economist,Vol 384 Number 8539.
- ^"El concurso para poner letra al Himno Nacional de la web de Telecinco ya tiene ganador"(in Spanish).Diario ABC.July 18, 2007.RetrievedMay 10,2018.
- ^"El concurso para poner letra al Himno Nacional de la web de Telecinco ya tiene ganador"(in Spanish). La Crónica de Guadalajara. September 20, 2007.RetrievedMay 10,2018.
- ^"'¡Viva España! Cantemos todos juntos con distinta voz y un solo corazón'"(in Spanish).Unidad Editorial.January 11, 2008.Retrieved2018-05-10.
- ^Garrido,Héctor M. (January 16, 2008)."El himno de España vuelve a quedarse sin letra"(in Spanish).Grupo PRISA.Retrieved2018-05-10.
- ^"ABC MADRID 17-05-1927 página 3 - Archivo ABC".abc.August 5, 2019.
- ^
Marcha Real de España (José María Pemán).(Original text in Spanish)
- ^Dramatización sobreEl Florido Pensil,deAndrés Sopeña Monsalve,Barcelona, Crítica, 1994, ISBN 84-7423-673-8
External links[edit]
- El Himno Nacional Español se encuentra regulado por el Real Decreto 1.560/1997, de 10 de Octubre
- The National Anthem (Prime Minister's Office site)
- Streaming audio, lyrics and information about theMarcha Real
- 2008 Spanish National Anthem Lyrics in Englishandin Spanish
- MIDI File
- MP3 version by Band ofRegimento Inmemorial del Rey N°1
- UNANU– TheUnion Nacional de Antiguos Oficiales y Suboficiales de las Milicias Universitariashas a website about the anthem, with a complete instrumental version. Archived fromthe originalon 22 October 2004.
- English translation of the proposed new lyrics
