George J
Herefordshire member
... the life of CJ Hambro. That means nothing to most of you, but Hambro was the President [Speaker] of the Storting [Parliament] when the Nazis invaded Norway in April 1940. This YouTube video from his State Funeral in 1964.
Well Hambro had the ear of King Haakon [who did not rule the country, the Storting did] and helped the King to refuse to submit to the German demand that Quisling should become Statsminister [Prime Minister]. King Haakon had a huge dislike of German Imperialism [as you might expect from a Danish Royal Prince, as born], but Hambro had a world view of the art of politics and what can be done. Thus the King forced the Regierung [Cabinet] to face his abdication if it decided to accede to the Nazi demand [a serious risk among the flabbier members] to appoint Quisling and Statsminister - this meant that the Norwegian Government in Exile [in London] never surrendered to the Nazis, and the Norwegian Merchant Marine [third largest in the world in 1940] could continue to serve the Allies [only Britain and the Empire at the time] under the order of their democratic government [feeble though it was without Haakon and Hambro]. Without the Norwegian Merchant Marine, Britain would have lost the War before the USA joined in after Pearl Harbour, due to food shortage.
Hambro was one of those unheard-of vital heroes, from an apparently small and insignificant country, who changed World History.
For me it is delightful that Hambro chose German music for his funeral. He knew the Germans were not inherently Nazi, and that they should be given the credit for their place in the World without malice. Magnanimous even after all he saw.
Quite a good demonstration of very old style music making also. Not at all sure that is how the modern Oslo Phil would play this music nowadays!
This an interesting little piece of history and not an especially great piece of music making. And the political point is clear. Forgive.
Otto Klemperer was right, music is political. Furtwangler tried to deny that link.
Best wishes from George Fredrik
Well Hambro had the ear of King Haakon [who did not rule the country, the Storting did] and helped the King to refuse to submit to the German demand that Quisling should become Statsminister [Prime Minister]. King Haakon had a huge dislike of German Imperialism [as you might expect from a Danish Royal Prince, as born], but Hambro had a world view of the art of politics and what can be done. Thus the King forced the Regierung [Cabinet] to face his abdication if it decided to accede to the Nazi demand [a serious risk among the flabbier members] to appoint Quisling and Statsminister - this meant that the Norwegian Government in Exile [in London] never surrendered to the Nazis, and the Norwegian Merchant Marine [third largest in the world in 1940] could continue to serve the Allies [only Britain and the Empire at the time] under the order of their democratic government [feeble though it was without Haakon and Hambro]. Without the Norwegian Merchant Marine, Britain would have lost the War before the USA joined in after Pearl Harbour, due to food shortage.
Hambro was one of those unheard-of vital heroes, from an apparently small and insignificant country, who changed World History.
For me it is delightful that Hambro chose German music for his funeral. He knew the Germans were not inherently Nazi, and that they should be given the credit for their place in the World without malice. Magnanimous even after all he saw.
Quite a good demonstration of very old style music making also. Not at all sure that is how the modern Oslo Phil would play this music nowadays!
This an interesting little piece of history and not an especially great piece of music making. And the political point is clear. Forgive.
Otto Klemperer was right, music is political. Furtwangler tried to deny that link.
Best wishes from George Fredrik
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