The best carols for the holidaysNine poems to pray by the Nativity SceneThe city of Bethlehem: history and archaeologyIn the last quarter of 1824, Ernst Anschütz (1780-1861) published the "Musikalisches Schulgesangbuch". It contains the carol "O Tannenbaum", which he had written himself. The song has become a carol that is sung all over the world and has established predecessors and curious successors.
Its author is much less known than the song itself. Ernst Anschütz was born in 1780 in the mountain village of Goldlauter near Suhl. His father was a local vicar and wanted Ernst to succeed him one day. Although he studied theology, philosophy and pedagogy in Leipzig, he decided not to accept the pastorate of Goldlauter which had been reserved for him for two years after his father's death. He remained in Leipzig to work as a teacher at the Erste Bürgerschule, organist and cantor at the Neue Kirche and as a private teacher of singing, piano, viola, violin, cello and clarinet. However, his salary was so poor that he struggled to support his wife and seven children. Nevertheless, he was a respected man in Leipzig.
"The fir tree" and much more
However, he left no public trace there. Neither the First Citizens' School, nor the New Church, nor his grave have survived the passage of time. However, the city archives have preserved photographs of Anschütz and the manuscripts of some of his best-known songs. These include "Der Tannebaum," written in October 1824 and known today as "O Tannenbaum." He also wrote the lyrics to "Fox, you stole the goose" in June 1824. "The Mill Vibrates by the Stream" followed in April 1835, and you can ask to see these pieces.
The same is true of the copy of his unpublished eight-page autobiography preserved in the City History Museum. In it he speaks at length of his "Musical School Hymnal," published in four volumes from 1824 to 1830 by Carl Ernst Reclam. It contains mainly songs of praise to the Lord, along with joyful hunting, hiking and children's songs, but also repeated laments for the rapid passage of time.
In the hymnal, the pieces composed or endowed with lyrics by Anschütz are accompanied by songs and melodies by other composers, such as Luther, Bach, Klopstock or Mozart. Anschütz writes: "If I calculate all the costs involved, I have gained little or nothing from this work. That this work was not without value is shown by the fact that strangers and friends stole from me and lined their notebooks and exercise books with my works. But it has always been my lot in life that where I sowed, others reaped; where I planted, others plucked the fruit."
Christmas instead of love sorrows
But Anschütz also drew inspiration from other composers and lyricists. The immediate predecessor of his Christmas Tree Song comes from Joachim August Zarnack. In 1820, he published a collection of songs containing the tragic love song "O Tannenbaum". Anschütz largely adopted its first stanza. He turned Zarnack's "You are green not only in summer, but also in winter, when it ices and snows" into "You are green not only in summer, but also in winter, when it snows." For Zarnack, the evergreen fir tree symbolizes eternal love. In contrast, the other three verses of his song lament infidelity: "O girl, O girl, how false is your disposition." Anschütz, on the other hand, strikes a consoling note by singing of a hopeful Christmas instead of the sadness of love: "How often a tree of yours has not delighted me at Christmas." The last verse reads, "O fir tree, your dress will teach me something: hope and constancy give strength and comfort at all times."
Like Zarnack, Anschütz adapted his Christmas Tree Song to the melody of the song "Long Live the Carpenter's Mate", which first appeared in print in 1799. Numerous texts are sung to this tune, with or without direct reference to Anschütz. For example, the hymn "Red Flag" of the British Labour Party or the hymn of Maryland and other US states. During World War I, there was the version "O Hindenburg, O Hindenburg, how beautiful are thy victories". After the defeat and abdication of Wilhelm II, the mocking song "O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, the emperor has cut in burlap" emerged.
A noble branch
The song of the evergreen fir tree has a long tradition. Zarnack took it from a nursery rhyme published by Clemens Brentano in the third volume of the song collection "The child's magic horn" (1808): "O fir tree, O fir tree, you are for me a noble branch, you are so faithful, hard to believe, green in summer as well as in winter". Brentano, in turn, was inspired by an old Silesian folk song, which says: "O fir, O fir, thou art a noble branch. You grow in winter as in summer." The Coburg court composer Melchior Franck (1579-1639) then wrote: "O fir, O fir, thou art a noble branch! You green our winter, our dear summer." Apart from the opening words "O fir tree", this version corresponds to a verse from the 16th century love song "A stable boy hangs his bridle high up on a Christmas tree".
On the initiative of Goldlauter-Heidersbach district mayor Matthias Gering and his fellow campaigners, Deutsche Post issues the special stamp "200 years of the carol O Tannenbaum" in December. Unfortunately, the promoters were unable to include Ernst Anschütz's name on the stamp. Thus, public tribute to Anschütz remains a unique feature of his hometown. In front of the vicarage where he was born is a memorial stone. Its metal relief lists Anschütz's most famous songs and presents us with his portrait. The model was the portrait Willibald Ryno Anschütz painted of his father around 1830. The song trail created in Anschütz's honor also ends at the vicarage and runs four kilometers uphill and downhill around Goldlauter, located on the southern slopes of the Thuringian Forest, with six stations that invite you to sing along.
The lyrics of the songs are written on boards. The corresponding melody can be consulted via an app. The station in front of the vicarage encourages you to sing "O Tannenbaum".
This is a translation of an article that first appeared on the website Die-Tagespost. For the original article in German, see here . Republished in Omnes with permission.
