Voyager: Europe: National Anthems CD - Import

Columbia River Entertainment presents a budget-priced album of 18 European national anthems, performed by the sort of wind and percussion ensemble that is customarily employed at official functions. Little or no regional ethnicity is detectable in this series of very formal processionals. Instead they manifest a generic and somewhat militaristic convention that seems to have precious little to do with the peoples who are nominally represented by governments, politicians, generals, admirals and uniformed band conductors. Most of these anthems are brief and to the point, lasting an average of 60 to 90 seconds. Italy's receives the full three-minute treatment, while Britain's "God Save the Queen" gets the prize for brevity at 46 seconds. Given that the names of the countries represented here are listed in Spanish, those who do not speak that language might enjoy the puzzle, although most of these (Grecia, Suiza, Luxemburgo, Holanda, Dinamarca, Belgica, Noruega, Rusia and Irlanda) are easy enough to guess. Germany, however, is called Alemania, Sweden is Suecia and the word Inglaterra is used to refer to merry old England. ~ arwulf arwulf