Episode 1
The hidden Gaelic melodies behind songs by Beethoven – and why they were kept secret. Na fuinn Ghà idhlig air cùl òrain le Beethoven – agus carson a chaidh an cumail dìomhair.
When piper Allan MacDonald revealed Beethoven’s song Enchantress, Farewell was a reworking of Gaelic song Mnathan á Ghlinne Seo, German Gaelic-learner Michael Klevenhaus turned detective. We follow his quest to discover more works by the maestro based on traditional music of Gaeldom. Michael reveals that the melodies’ origins were deliberately hidden from Beethoven and the public by Edinburgh publisher George Thomson, who commissioned the arrangements from the composer.
With the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion still within living memory, Thomson wanted to strip the Gaelic songs of their titles, lyrics and the ‘taint’ of Jacobitism.
Discovering a wealth of Beethoven’s forgotten Gaelic songs, Michael and Allan MacDonald stage a concert featuring both Beethoven’s and the ancient Gaelic versions.
Nuair a thuig am pìobaire Ailean Dòmhnallach gu robh’m fonn a chuir Beethoven ris an òran Enchantress, Farewell, cà irdeach dhan òran Ghà idhlig Mnathan a’Ghlinne Seo, thug sin air Gearmailteach a dh’ionnsaich Gà idhlig, Mìcheal Klevenhaus, dhol an sàs ann an rannsachadh fad’is farsaing. Tha sinn ga leantail is e a’lorg obair eile an fhir-ciùil, stèidhichte air fuinn Ghaidhealach.
Tha Mìcheal a’dearbhadh gun deach freumh nam fonn a’chleith air Beethoven: bha am foillsichear Seòras MacThòmais a Dùn Èideann, a dh’iarr air Beethoven dreach a chuir orra, a’cumail sin aige fhèin. Le Bliadhna Theà rlaich fhathast an cuimhne dhaoine, bha MacThòmais deònach faclan nan òran a sguabadh as, mus biodh blas Seumasach orra.
Nuair a lorg Mìcheal is Ailean stòras òran Ghà idhlig san robh Beethoven an sà s, chuir iad cuirm air chois, an dà chuid le dreach Beethoven orra, agus anns an t-seann nòs Ghà idhlig.
In Gaelic with English subtitles
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Credit
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Narrator | Michael Klevenhaus |
Broadcasts
- Wed 16 Dec 2020 21:00
- Sun 20 Dec 2020 21:00
- Fri 17 Dec 2021 21:00
- Fri 16 Dec 2022 21:00
- Fri 1 Dec 2023 21:35
- Sat 2 Dec 2023 23:20
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