The story of a failure: The “national anthem” in nineteenth century Spain

Abstract

Music as a vehicle susceptible of moving and transmitting ideological contents has always played a prominent role in social struggle. Particularly relevant in this regard is the role of music in the patriotic or political mobilization of societies and cultures, which is a form of mass mobilization. “National anthems” achieved great importance in Europe and America, coinciding with the processes of revolution and independence, and with the increasing national consciousness in many territories during the nineteenth century. In Spain, however, several attempts to establish a national anthem failed. The “royal march” worked de facto as national march, but it did not have enough social support or the symbolic dimension to constitute a “national anthem”. In the 1830-40’s many voices claimed that the Himno de Riego was declared national anthem. In the 60’s, coinciding with the African War, composers as Chueca or Gabalda wrote national hymns as well; even someone suggested that a cantiga of Alfonso X el Sabio became a hymn. In 1896 there was also an attempt to transform the march of the Zarzuela Cádiz, of Chueca, in a national hymn. And still in the early twentieth century many voices insisted on the need for Spain to have a national anthem. During those years on fashion hymns were very important, and many of them, from different countries, were published in arrangement for piano. This article tries to explore this process, analyzing the causes of the successive failures from the social, political and musical points of view.