The Dutch national Anthem restored
- Musicians:
Piet Stryckers (gamba), Willem Ceuleers (composer, vocals, recorder ), Patrick Denecker (recorder) - Recording : Dick Wursten – Production: Procant vzw. commanded by Stadtverwaltung Worms (Luther-commemoration and exhibition 2021)
The Dutch national anthem, the ‘Wilhelmus’, is originally a protestant poem (an acrostic), dedicated to Prince William of Orange (count of Nassou). It’s one of the more sophisticated battle songs from the beginning of the Dutch Revolt. In it William claims leadership over the Dutch revolution. It’s legitimate (“It looks like a revolt, but it’s not. It’s obedience to the Highest Majesty), and William’s commitment cannot be disputed. The first battles in this war took place in 1568, and were not quite successful – they are mentioned in the song, stanzas 11-12. Apparently the conquest of Den Briel (1st of April 1572) had not yet taken place. It’s not mentioned and the tone is quite subdued. The one but last stanza is a ‘farewell’ stanza. William leaves ‘his country’ and temporarily withdraws (to his German native castle: the Dillenburg?). This gives us a perfect terminus post/ante quem, and provides us with an approximate date: ca. 1570.
In the first text edition we know of, there are no music notes, only a tune indication: to the tune of ‘Chartres’. This refers to the a French ballad about the protestant Siege of Chartres by the Prince of Condé (de Bourbon): French War of Religions: a debacle, 1568. The first line of the ballad is telling: Oh la folle Enterprise du Prince de Condé (Oh, what a silly enterprise of the Duke of Condé, trying to conquer Chartres). The songbook used for the video above is the ‘Geuzenliedboek’ of 1576, printed in Antwerp: (“geuzen”, ‘les gueux’ (Dutch revolutionaries): beggars song book).
The tune used in this recording dates from 1607 (later than Oh la folle enterprise, which is boringly simple in its scansion ). The 1607 version accompanies a German song for the Count of Braunschweig – on the tune of Wilhelmus von Nassawen (see below). Apparently this melody was quite wellknown in the German lands, and had taken a little more challenging form. More info, and music examples at the website (in Dutch) of Procant vzw : https://website.procant.be/het-wilhelmus/ . For those interested in the development of the melody between 1574 and 1626 (the tune use nowadays, first published in Valerius’ Gedenck-clanck’), see F. Noske, ‘Early Sources of the Dutch National Anthem (1574—1626)’, in Fontes Artis Musicae , 1966/13, No. 1, pp. 87-94. Finally: The recording we made, using the melody of 1607: prelude, stanzas 1 and 6.
| Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Ben ick van Duytschen bloet Den Vaderlant getrouwe Blyf ick tot in den doot: Een Prince van Oraengien Ben ick vry onverveert, Den Coninck van Hispaengien Heb ick altijt gheeert. | Mijn Schilt en mijn betrouwen Sijt ghy o Godt mijn Heer, Op u so wil ick bouwen Verlaet mij nemmermeer: Dat ick toch vroom mach blijven U dienaer taller stondt, Die Tyranny verdrijven, Die my mijn hert doorwont. |
Title of the Plano print from 1607:
Ein Lied von dem Hochwürdigen Durchl. hochgeb. Fürsten und Herren Heinrichen Julio postulirten Bisschoffe des Stiffts Halberstadt und Herzogen zu Braunschweig und Lüneburgk. In der Melodey: Wilhelmus von Nassawen bin ich von Teutschem Blut, (plano 1607). Set for four voices. Incipit: „Aus Braunschweigischen stammen / ich Hein rich Julius.” … 66 strophen. Berlin, Deutsche Staatsbibliothek.
Dick Wursten, 7 February 2022