The Spanish National Anthem has no words. Spain’s national anthem is one of the very few national anthems which has no words. But where did the anthem come from, and why are there no lyrics? Keep scrolling to find out.
What is the History behind Spain’s national anthem?
One of the oldest in the world, the Spanish national anthem was first printed in a document dated 1761 and entitled Libro de la Ordenanza de los Toques de Pífanos y Tambores que se tocan nuevamente en la Ynfant
Española (Book of the Ordinance of Newly Played Military Fife and Drum Calls by The Spanish Infantry), by Manuel de Espinosa.
There, it is entitled La Marcha Granadera (English: March of the Grenadiers). According to the document, Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros is the composer.
There is a misconception that its author was Frederick II of Prussia, a great lover of music.
That mistaken belief arose in 1861 when it was published as fact in the periodical La España militar (Military Spain).
In 1864, Col. Antonio Vallecillo published the story in the diary El Espíritu Público (The Public Spirit), claiming a supposed Prussian origin for Marcha Real.
According to Vallecillo, the anthem was a gift from Frederick II to the Count of Colomera, who was serving in the Prussian Court to learn the military tactics developed by Frederick II’s army, under orders of King Charles III.
In 1868, this spurious history was published in Los Sucesos, changing the beneficiary of the gift to the Count of Aranda.
The myth was picked up in different publications of 1884 and 1903 until it was included in 1908 in the Enciclopedia Espasa.
In 1770, Charles III declared the Marcha de Granaderos the official Honor March, an act that formalized the tradition of playing it in public, especially on solemn occasions.
It became the official Spanish anthem during Isabel II’s reign.
In 1870, after the 1868 Revolution, General Juan Prim organized a national contest to create a new official state anthem, and a jury consisting of three well-known composers was chosen to designate a winning entry.
The Country’s Official Anthem
Although over 400 compositions were submitted, including those written by the young composers Federico Chueca, Ruperto Chapí, and Tomás Bretón, a new anthem was never selected.
After extensive deliberations, the jury had advised that Marcha de Granaderos was already considered the country’s official anthem, and the contest was suspended.
By Alfonso XIII’s time, the Royal Circular Order of 27 August 1908 established the musical score orchestrated by Bartolomé Pérez Casas, Superior musician of the Royal Corps of Halberdier Guards, as the official version.
it is known traditionally as the Grenadier March or the Royal Spanish March. During the Spanish Second Republic, the Himno de Riego was adopted as the anthem of the republic.
The current symphonic version of the Marcha Real that replaced the Pérez Casas one was written by maestro Francisco Grau and is the official one after the Royal Decree of 10 October 1997, when the Kingdom of Spain bought the author rights of the Marcha Real, then belonging to Pérez Casas’s heirs.
According to the Royal Decree 1560/1997, it should be in the key of B-flat major and a tempo of 76 bpm (♩=76), with a form of AABB and a duration of 52 seconds.
Why does Spain’s national anthem have no lyrics?
‘Marcha Real’ was composed in 1761 by Manuel de Espinosa de los Monteros, who wrote the tune as a military march for the Spanish Infantry.
In the 1770s, Charles III declared it the official march of Spain, and it later became the country’s national anthem.
There have been several attempts to set words to the ‘Marcha Real’, some of which have been used at past events. However, none of the suggested lyrics have been officially approved by the Spanish government.
Did the lyrics change during Franco’s dictatorship?
During the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, the following lyrics, written by fascist poet José María Pemán, were employed.
Long live Spain! Raise your arms, sons
Of the Spanish People, which rebirths anew.
Glory to the Fatherland that knew how to follow,
Over the Ocean blue, the course of the setting sun.
Triumph, Spain! The yokes and the arrows
Sing to the rhythm of the anthem of faith.
Let’s stand and sing along with them
For the new and strong life of work and peace.
Long live Spain! Raise your arms, sons
Of the Spanish People, which rebirths anew.
Glory to the Fatherland that knew how to follow,
Over the Ocean blue, the course of the setting sun.
On Franco’s death and Spain’s move to democracy, the lyrics were dropped.
Current version
The current official version of Marcha Real, as described in Royal Decree 1560/1997,[6] is a sixteen-bar long phrase, divided into two sections, each one is made up of four repeated bars (AABB form). The tempo is set to ♩= 76 and the key to B-flat.
The long, complete version is the honors music for the King, while a shorter version without the repetitions is performed for the Princess of Asturias, the President of the Government of Spain, or during sporting events.
Conclusion
There are also three official arrangements: one for orchestra, another for military band, and a third for organ, written by Francisco Grau and requested by the Government of Spain.
All in all, there are six different official adaptations, for each arrangement and length.
They’ve been recorded by the Spanish National Orchestra and the Spanish Royal Guard Band as official recordings and released on compact disc for a limited period.
