Tune of the Day: La Brabançonne
The “Brabançonne” is the national anthem of the Kingdom of Belgium. Its French title refers to the region of Brabant, and the name is maintained untranslated in Belgium's other two official languages, Dutch and German. The author of the verses, Alexandre Deceht, had originally called the poem “La Bruxelloise”; his publisher, however, thought it better to broaden the scope from the city's to the area's name.
The anthem had its genesis when Belgium gained its independence in 1830. Opera singer and conductor François Van Campenhout composed the score, based on the tune of a French song called “L'Air des lanciers polonais” (“the tune of the Polish Lancers”) by the French poet Eugène de Pradel, whose tune was itself an adaptation of the tune of a song, “L'Air du magistrat irréprochable”, found in a popular collection of drinking songs called La Clé du caveau (“The Key to the cellar”).
Thanks to Ralph for suggesting this piece!