What's wrong with Haydn?

Mr. Soelarto Hadisoemarto claims in his letter, published in The Jakarta Post, May 4, 1996, that an inappropriate melody was played during the ceremony for the late Ibu Tien, shown on television. What is wrong with the melody, which, among other alternatives, in former times, for a short period, was linked with the Deutschland ueber alles?

The melody is a masterpiece of composer Haydn, who created it long before any text was added to it. The first text attached was Gott erhalte, Gott beschutze unsern lieben Kaiser Franz (God save the Kaiser). Thus it became the national anthem of Austria in the first half of the last century.

Later Hofmann von Fallersleben wrote the poem Deutschland ueber alles, which fit the same melody. Up to 1945, it was then the German anthem.

Still using this melody from Haydn, 1949 the German anthem became Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit (unity, justice and liberty).

So, why write about Deutschland ueber alles? Whoever decided on the sound track for the ceremony broadcasts, they selected a beautiful masterpiece, full of pathos, from one of the world's most outstanding composers. And in this sense, the music was appropriate to this very special sad occasion.

MAX ARNO RICHTER

Bandung, West Java