Help: Treuer Hussar

Subject: Treuer Hussar
From: toadfrog
Date: 10 Jun 01 - 06:13 PM

This came up in connection with the thread about sad military songs. I just happened to hear it sung this morning, on a program about Stanley Kubrick, and posted the first verse and a link to the rest on that thread which is linked here, so I don't have to write it out again.

I was wondering if any of our German mudcatters know more about the history, and emotional connotations of this particular song? When I lived in Germany, it seemed to me it was constantly being sung.

Subject: RE: Help: Treuer Hussar
From: Luke
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 07:41 AM

Just a note. My friend Lotus Dickey used to sing a beautiful song called "The Wounded Hussar". It is mournful and very romantic. The tune is beautiful and would be wonderful as an instrumental piece. It is published in the Lotus Dickey songbook which also comes with accompanying audio tapes.

The verse starts: All alone to the banks of the dark rolling Danube, fair Adelade hied when the battle was ore.

It is a song Lotus learned from his father and is from the revolutionary war I believe.

Luke

Subject: RE: Help: Treuer Hussar
From: GUEST,Wilfried
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 08:13 AM

In the late fifties this wonderful song was used as a sentimental - carnival hit! So it was spread all over Germany. There is an American movie, black and white, with Kirk Douglas acting a French Colonel defending some French soldiers courtmartialled; unfortunately I don't know the English title. Here you find a touching scene: in a French tavern behind the lines frequented by soldiers on leave a German girl is presented on a makeshift stage, and as a representative of an enemy nation joked and sneered at. When coerced to sing a song she sings the Faithful Hussard, and the rough soldiery is touched by the sad and simple song. They calm down, even tears may be seen when they think of their own beloved. Remarkable in this song is the faith of the hussard; in former times the light cavalry was hold as unreliable in love affairs, even more than any other branches of service.

Subject: RE: Help: Treuer Hussar
From: The Walrus at work
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 08:20 AM

Wilfred,

It sounds like the film you are writing about is "Paths of Glory", In my opinion, one of Kubrick's finest films.

Regards

Walrus

Subject: RE: Help: Treuer Hussar
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 12:08 PM

Click here for an earlier thread on "The Wounded Hussar".

Regards

Subject: RE: Help: Treuer Hussar
From: toadfrog
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 02:17 PM

Thanks everybody. "Paths of Glory" has to be correct. "Carnival hit" also sounds right; but I'm not sure I understand what it means in this context. Something played at kirmess?

Subject: RE: Help: Treuer Hussar
From: Rollo
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 06:05 PM

"Treuer Hussar" being a march, the marching bands use to play it in carnival time. Like many german songs connected to soldiery, it associates marching troops stomping around and singing mechanically some verses about the shady sides of military service without thinking about the words.

Maybe a special kind of sarcasm to play such songs in carnival time. But I reckon it`s just stupidity.

Subject: RE: Help: Treuer Hussar
From: Wolfgang
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 06:57 AM

I had no idea that this was a traditional song at all before reading this thread. I only knew it until now as a carnival song from the 1950s.

The carneval version and the traditional have nothing in common except the tune and the chorus. 'Constantly sung' is only the carnival version. The traditional song seems to originate from 1781. The lyrics (not the tune) remind me of the 'unfortunate rake' group of songs (Streets of Laredo, Lock Hostpital, Soldier/Sailor cut down in his prime, St. James infirmary...).

Carnival version is here with links to the 1781 and 1825 versions.

I can't help thinking that even the 1781 version was written tongue in cheek (my thinking goes along Wilfried's lines), but I have no proof for this.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Help: Treuer Hussar
From: GUEST,link for treuer hussar
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 11:40 AM

http://www.acronet.net/~robokopp/Lieder/dertreue.html