A few months ago, I played the last movement of Shostakovich's Fifth symphony and went to cast my vote against our current dirt in White House. Nowdays, a celebrated cellist Matt Haimovitz released his new album. In there, he introduces his cello version of our “The Star-Spangled Banner” inspired by the infamous Jimi Hendrix’s performance during the Woodstock. When I heard it I got a very special feeling, not the same what I had from Hendrix. Our National Anthem vintage of 2004 has a very different taste and a very different flavor. It is not any more a celebration of the testeronial freedom that made Hendrix’s electric guitar to go wild but rather a deliberate masochistically-ironic self-distraction, superbly performed but an academic musician. Bravo, Matt Haimovitz, bravo to your musical exploit and bravo to you timely expressed citizen’s position. Now, it is a time for us, the Americans, to start practicing to play the last movement of the Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique”...

To listen Haimovitz's "Anthem"

The Cat

...that rendition was awesome.

I actually think it sounds a helluva lot like Jimi, even if the motivation and times are different. From what I gather, he wasn't necessarily making the grand statement about Vietnam that many have assumed was the case. Also, he played the English national anthem at the Isle of Wight gig in a similar style, so who's to say?

There's a review of the Anthem CD at:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_10_3/music-42-september-2003.html

I have one on the way...

Antonio J. wrote:

I'm not american, but I've always felt respect and admiration for your country, and your national anthem has been a moving music for me. That version is pretty awkward. Don't know if it reflects a feeling of some of you about your country and current circumstances. I hope it doesn't.

Antonio, I understand where are you coming form. Let me bring a quote from a brilliant contemporary dramaturgist Aaron Sorkin - the author and creator of “The West Wing”. The quote is by President Andrew Shepherd from the Sorkin’s second movie “American President”:

America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've got to want it bad, because it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil who is standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the 'land of the free'? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the “land of the free.”

Besides everything, I personally very much agree with the strategic direction, satire and sarcasm of Matt Haimovitz’s. Mr. Haimovitz is touring around the world performing his “Anthem”. I heard an interview with Matt Haimovitz on NPR and I find his feedback - how the different nations perceive his “Anthem” in context of the “today’s US” - being very interesting.

The caT

Well, that's something I've always respected of the USA, the ease you have to criticize your own contry and people, and even making movies or jokes at it. Here people don't have such a mentality, and some things are "untouchable". I hope that you never change. I agree that to be really the "land of free" everyone should be entitled to and respected while expressing his/her opinion.

Going back to the anthem, I wish I could see what's actually Mr Haimovitz point. It's not I dislike the music, nor that I find it irrespectful, but I'd like to "understand" what does he mean with this version, apart from the obvious criticism to some political circumstances.

Regards.