A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Wacht am Rhein, Die

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Wacht am Rhein, Die by Max Friedländer

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3939116A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — Wacht am Rhein, DieGeorge GroveMax Friedländer

WACHT AM RHEIN, DIE (The guard of the Rhine.) A modern German Volkslied, which during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870–71 was so popular as to become a national song.

${ \relative b { \time 4/4 \key ees \major \partial 4 \tempo "Allegro marcato." \autoBeamOff \override Score.Rest #'style = #'classical bes4 | ees4. g8 bes4 bes | g4. bes8 ees4 ees-. | %end line 1 f-. g-. aes-. f-. | ees4.-. d8 d4 bes | %end line 2 g'4*3/2-. g8 f8. f16 e8. e16 | f2 r4 d | %end line 3 c8. c16 d8. ees16 d4 c | bes2 r4 bes | %end line 4 f'4. ees8 d4 d | ees4. bes8 bes4 bes | aes'4. g8 f4 f | %end line 5 g4. f8 ees4 r | bes2^^ bes4 b | c4. d8 ees4 ees | %end line 6 ees2^^ f^^ | g^^ r | ees^^ ees4^^ ees^^ | ees4. g8 bes4 aes | %eol7 g2^^ f^^ ees^^\fermata r4 \bar "|" } \addlyrics { Es braust ein Ruf wie Don -- ner -- hall, wie Schwert -- ge -- klirr und Wo -- gen -- prall; zum Rhein, zum Rhein, zum deut -- schen Rhein! Wer will des Stro -- mes Hü -- ter sein? Lieb' Va -- ter -- land, magst ru -- hig sein, lieb' Va -- ter -- land, magst ru -- hig sein; fest steht und treu die Wacht, die Wacht am Rhein! fest steht und treu die Wacht, die Wacht am Rhein! } }$

The poem is by Max Schneckenburger, a manufacturer, born Feb. 17, 1819, at Thalheim in Würtemberg, and died May 3, 1849, at Burgdorf near Berne. It had its birth in 1840, when the left bank of the Rhine was threatened by France, and was soon seized on by composers:—F. Mendel of Berne (1840); Leopold Schröter of Worlitz (1852); and F. W. Bering of Strassburg, and lastly by Carl Wilhelm, the author of the melody given above, born at Schmalkalden in 1815, pupil of Aloys Schmidt, Anton André, and Spohr, and from 1840 to 1865 conductor of the Liedertafel in Crefeld. The song was composed by him as a part-song for men's voices, March 14, 1854, was first sung on the 11th of the following June, and quickly found its way into print. In 1871 Wilhelm received a pension of £150 a-year from the Emperor, but did not long survive his good fortune, as he died Aug. 16, 1873, in his native town, where a monument has been erected to him.

The 'Wacht am Rhein' is the subject of the famous 'National Denkmal' near Bingen, by Johannes Schilling, the sculptor, which was unveiled by the Emperor in 1883. It must not be confounded with another Rhine-song (poem by N. Becker) of equal popularity in its time—

Sie sollen ihn nicht haben,
Den freien deutschen Rhein,

which was set to music by Kreutzer and many more, and sung everywhere in 1840 and 41. The song is sharply criticised by Mendelssohn in his letters of Nov. 18 and 20, 1840, and Feb. 27, 1841, and was answered by Alfred de Musset in the well-known 'Nous l'avons eu, votre Rhin allemand.'

[ M. F. ]