Well to me it shows the age of Esperanto itself - most people I talk to assume Esperanto was something of the 60's / 70's. And that’s the one who don't immediately assume I'm talking about Spanish. Personally I recon it’s a step up from my Australian Anthem and that was adopted in the 80's!

I get the impression that La Espero was written as a poem by Zamenhoff and was later set to music. It is rather bland but the lyrics are clear, simple, and easily learned.

I'm also not crazy about "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the U.S. national anthem. (Come to think of it, that's about the only place I've ever heard the word "spangled" used.) It also was originally written as a poem, then later set to the tune of a British pub song. I think there are so many better songs (e.g. "God Bless America", "America the Beautiful," "Stars and Stripes Forever," etc.) I guess tradition wins out.

I'm curious if anyone has an opinion on an existing Esperanto song that, in his or her opinion, could better serve as the anthem.

Mustelvulpo:I get the impression that La Espero was written as a poem by Zamenhoff and was later set to music. It is rather bland but the lyrics are clear, simple, and easily learned.
...
I'm curious if anyone has an opinion on an existing Esperanto song that, in his or her opinion, could better serve as the anthem.

Since some time I don't see much of contemporary value of anthems (at least) in Europe. In my opinion someone should be free to use owns "anthem" from the whole excisting Esperanto music portfolio. If someone doesn't find the proper one s/he could create the one ones. That's also the choice idea of Sintel rekontas E-o. The requirements for proper "anthems" were that some E-o music fits some Sintel movie scences from a semantic view. Do, there are some folks who like or dislike Hiphopostilo de Nova kanto or Rokostilo de Junaj Idealistoj or Regeostilo de La Persisto. It's someones decision to own taste. I also dislike that Anthem behaviour to stand up when Anthem sounds up and dash my right fist to my left chest part to confuse my heartbeat. Ehm, sorry, not my kind of thing. I prefer to jump around (0:43m) *grrr*.

I took a look at the regarding Vikipedio entry again and find something quite interesting:

"... Himno Esperantista

La unua, kiu komponis muzikon por La Espero estis Cl. Adelsköld, membro de la Reĝa Akademio de Sciencoj en Stokholmo. Li dediĉis ĝin al la Kongreso de la Paco en Roma en 1891 kaj disdonis je memoro al ĉiu kongresano. La januara numero de "La Esperantisto" 1892 ĝoje salutis tiun fakton kaj substrekis, ke tio estas nia unua originala muzika verko "en nia lingvo." Longan tempon tiu muziko estis la oficiala himno de Esperanto..."

"... Ankoraŭ en 1903 Zamenhof en respondo al prof. R. Deshayes proponis (je ties proponita muziko por La Espero) prefere krei muzikon por La Vojo, por kiu ĝis nun "ankoraŭ neniu faris muzikon" (Zamenhof pli ŝatis La Vojo'n ol "La Espero'n"). Tamen ne unu ankoraŭ komponaĵo estis kreita poste je la temo de la Espero. Multaj ankaŭ adaptis jam ekzistantajn melodiojn (Gavoton de Lulli), aliaj kreis diversajn melodiojn por ĥoroj, solkantoj, piano ktp...."

Does somebody know a ressource where to hear that La Vojo (especially of Ĝanfranko/Gianfranco Molle) music interpretation(s)? I only found spoken ones:

acortesf (youtube user) | pauswa1966 (youtube user)| Peranto1 (youtube user)

"... Ekesto kaj statuso

L. L. Zamenhof (1859-1917) skribis la vortojn kaj, inter dek-duo da arioj, tiu komponita de la franco Félicien Menu de Ménil, marŝa venkmelodio iĝis la plej fama, kvankam neniam oficiale aprobita fare de Universala Kongreso. Tiu preskaŭ militisma melodio ne estis la ario, per kiu la poemo unue kantiĝis. La unuan, nemarŝan melodion, komponis jam en 1891 la svedo Cl. Adelsköld. Dum la 1-a UK 1905 estis proponitaj du himnoj: tiu de Adelsköld kaj tiu de Ménil. Neniu el ili estis definitive akceptita kiel oficiala. La koncerna decido estis jena: ". . . la demando pri la universala himno estas prokrastata ĝis la venonta kongreso".

La Konstitucio de la Esperanta Civito oficialigis ĝin (tamen kun alia partituro: arĉoj kaj flutoj, anstataŭ tamburoj kaj trumpetoj).

...

Kontraŭuloj

Ĉefe en Eŭropo kelkaj homoj kontraŭas al uzo de "La Espero" kiel himno. Al nuntempaj eŭropanoj himnoj estas signoj de nacioj, sed en aliaj lokoj, tiu ligo ne estas tiel klara. En Brazilo, ekzemple, ĉiuj sportaj kluboj havas siajn proprajn himnojn, kiujn oni kantas, ekzemple, dum futbalaj ludoj ..."

"... Dum la 3-a UK okazas jam ia diskutado kaj estas akceptita, ke la "Kongreso konsilu al niaj Germanaj amikoj organizi, por la proksima Kongreso, feston en kiu oni ludos ĉiujn muzikojn, verkitajn sur "La Espero" de Z." En la decidaroj de la postaj UK-j nenio estas trovebla pri tiu materialo. Tiel do tradicie la muziko de Ménil fariĝis la oficiala himno. ..."

papageto fajfas L.E. *grrr*

Evildela:Well to me it shows the age of Esperanto itself - most people I talk to assume Esperanto was something of the 60's / 70's. And that’s the one who don't immediately assume I'm talking about Spanish. Personally I recon it’s a step up from my Australian Anthem and that was adopted in the 80's!

Yeah, the Aussie anthem seems to have the effect of sometimes making people, especially athletes, giggle while singing it. Not the best look but it does occasionally have a bit of larrikin charm about it. God Save The Queen, like it or not, did not have quite the same effect.

(BTW the EO translation of 'girt' is ĉirkaŭita, I believe.)

3rdblade:

Evildela:Well to me it shows the age of Esperanto itself - most people I talk to assume Esperanto was something of the 60's / 70's. And that’s the one who don't immediately assume I'm talking about Spanish. Personally I recon it’s a step up from my Australian Anthem and that was adopted in the 80's!

Yeah, the Aussie anthem seems to have the effect of sometimes making people, especially athletes, giggle while singing it. Not the best look but it does occasionally have a bit of larrikin charm about it. God Save The Queen, like it or not, did not have quite the same effect.

(BTW the EO translation of 'girt' is ĉirkaŭita, I believe.)

Meh, surrounded just doesn't have the same effect. I propose a new Esperanto particle word: "göt", using a newly proposed letter: "ö"


(Interestingly, girt is the past tense of "gird" gird. I dunno who knew that, I just thought it was some random series of "gir-" words)

ceigered:

3rdblade:

Evildela:Well to me it shows the age of Esperanto itself - most people I talk to assume Esperanto was something of the 60's / 70's. And that’s the one who don't immediately assume I'm talking about Spanish. Personally I recon it’s a step up from my Australian Anthem and that was adopted in the 80's!

Yeah, the Aussie anthem seems to have the effect of sometimes making people, especially athletes, giggle while singing it. Not the best look but it does occasionally have a bit of larrikin charm about it. God Save The Queen, like it or not, did not have quite the same effect.

(BTW the EO translation of 'girt' is ĉirkaŭita, I believe.)

Meh, surrounded just doesn't have the same effect. I propose a new Esperanto particle word: "göt", using a newly proposed letter: "ö"


(Interestingly, girt is the past tense of "gird" gird. I dunno who knew that, I just thought it was some random series of "gir-" words)

Two things I like about the Australian national anthem:
1. Almost all Australians know what the word 'girt' means, which makes us seem really intellectual.
2. It can be sung to the theme tune of Gilligan's Island.

Hhm, very outstanding that anthem | imagesaustralia.com

"Our home is girt by sea". It's interesting that the sea has such a lot importance over the land. But taking a look at the Australian map. Yes, most Australian citizens live at the sea. I'm not sure but maybe most anthems contain lyrics about the land by itselve only and not what is surounding the country. Interesting.