| "Solidaritätslied" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Language | German |
| English title | Solidarity Song |
| Written | 1929–1931 |
| Genre | Industrial folk music |
| Composer | Hanns Eisler |
| Lyricist | Bertolt Brecht |
The "Solidaritätslied" ("Solidarity Song") is arevolutionaryworking song written between 1929 and 1931 byBertolt Brecht, and set to music byHanns Eisler. It was written against the background of theGreat Depression, theWorld War I, and the social issues caused by theIndustrial Revolution that were explored in Brecht's 1932 filmKuhle Wampe in which the song also appeared.[1]
Two versions of the text exist, both written by Brecht. The better known version is the second, written during theSpanish Civil War, which is more abstract and ideological. The first version is more closely tied to the filmKuhle Wampe. In 1932, the song was first performed with the collaboration of several working-men's choirs. The song spread quickly in the final months of theWeimar Republic, particularly at sporting events.
Theurtext begins with the following verse:
Kommt heraus aus eurem Loche, | Come out of your hole |
In Eisler's arrangement, the first four syllables of the word "Solidarity" are repeated on the same pitch (a "D" above asubdominantG minor chord), while the final syllable is sung onesemitone (half step) lower, aC♯ over adominantA major chord. The final four bars of the song repeat this chord change, ending on the dominant instead of the more natural return to thetonic, leaving the end of the song open, both musically and textually:
Wessen Morgen ist der Morgen, | Whose tomorrow is tomorrow, |
The melody follows theBACH motif. The four notes are heard in the bars 1, 2, 5, and 6; the "D" and "C♯" in bars 9 and 10 continue the sequence.
The text has been translated into multiple languages.[2] The best known version was performed byErnst Busch, who also appeared inKuhle Wampe.
In 1961, a group of noted East German composers produced the joint compositionOrchestervariationen über Eislers Solidaritätslied ("Orchestral variations of Eisler's Solidarity Song"). Among these wereAndre Asriel,Fritz Geißler, Herbert Kirmße,Günter Kochan,Siegfried Köhler,Dieter Nowka [de],Joachim Werzlau andRuth Zechlin, some of whom were students of Eisler.
Frederic Rzewski's 1975 piano compositionThe People United Will Never Be Defeated! cites the "Solidaritätslied" at Variation 26.
The final two bars were used as aninterval signal by the East German broadcasterStimme der DDR [de].
