Noting the New Year

 Several musical pieces are associated with New Year’s Eve and the new year. Here is a brief history of probably the most famous song for New Year’s Day: Auld Lang Syne.

The song started as an 18^th century Scottish folk song with Robert Burns’ collection of older lyrics. Its first recorded use was heard as the end of the 1782 opera Rosina’s overture by English composer William Shield. Ten years later Haydn arranged Auld Lang Syne and more than 400 other Scottish folk songs, which helped popularize the song. Beethoven also wrote an arrangement of song in his 1814 collection 12 Scottish Folksongs. In the early 20^th century, songwriter George M. Cohan integrated the first part of Auld Lang Syne into the last part of the chorus of his song “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” During World War One, British soldiers sang “We’re Here Because We’re Here” to the tune of Auld Lang Syne . A decade later John Philip Sousa incorporated the melody of Auld Lang Syne in his march “Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company.” About 50 years ago English composer Ernest Tomlinson wrote a Fantasia on Auld Lang Syne, which wove in 152 snippets of other composers.

Since its beginning, Auld Lang Syne has been translated into many languages and sung around the world. Its pentatonic scale matches Eastern Asian scales, which has helped its adoption in those cultures. Tomoko may have sung it as a child growing up. Just as New Year’s Day is universal, so is its mascot song Auld Lang Syne.

New Year in Japan

Tomoko remembers how people celebrated the new year in Japan. 

In Japan, Tomoko grew up in a Protestant family, and she converted to Catholicism when in college. On New Year's Eve, Catholics remember St. Sylvester:  the 34th pope who died on December 31st. More known is January 1: the solemnity of Mary. Traditionally, many Japanese families visit shrines to give respect to their ancestors and to with for a happy new year: a practice called Hatsumode. As with Lunar New Year, families might give their children a red envelope with some money: otoshidama. 

Tomoko likes to get up early, so she may have watched the first sunrise of the year: a practice known as Hatsuhinode.

Tomoko also remembers her mother cleaning the house. New Year has been a time to fresh starts, so Tomoko's mother probably followed the tradition of oosouji: big cleaning. 

Food hold special meaning for Tomoko On New Year's Eve her family would likely have eaten soba (buckwheat noodle soup) on New Year's Eve. On New Year's Day they might have eaten ozoni: a vegetable and chicken soup that is associated with long life. Mikan, a citrus fruit that resembles a tangerine, might also have been eaten at that time.  

Regardless of the culture, Tomoko agrees that New Year's a good time to start out right -- with MUSIC! May 2023 be harmonious. 

Start the New Year Right with Piano Pieces

 

What better way to bring in the new year than with music? And piano music offers a way for an individual to kinesthetically set the tone for the upcoming 365 days.

The new year is a time of creation. As the 18^th century was coming to a close, Joseph Haydn wrote the sacred oratorio The Creation to depict the creation of the world. While it was originally scored for voice and symphonic orchestra, it has also been arranged for solo and four-hand piano.

J. S. Bach thought systematically about the year, not surprisingly; “In dir ist Freude” is a gladsome way to herald the new year. This chorale prelude is one of the preludes collected in Bach’s Orgelbüchlein, which marks various points in the liturgical year.

Particularly in Vienna, people welcome the new by clapping to Johann Strauss’s Radetzky March, composed in 1848. It can be arranged for piano solo and duets. The Champagne Polka is another selection by Johann Strauss that fits for New Year’s Eve parties. He wrote the piece as a little joke, imitating the sound of champagne bottles being uncorked. While the piano version does not “pop” as convincingly, it still captures the spirit of the pol,ka

Since 1936 musicians gather to perform at New Year’s concert in Vienna, and Johann Strauss II’s Pizzicato Polka was played that first year. Another piece by Strauss II performed at the first concert was Die Fledermaus Overture of his famous opera. This Strauss’s Blue Danube is another piece performed at the New Year’s concert, often as an encore. All three pieces have been arranged for the piano.

The modern English composer Ernest Tomlinson appreciated light classical music. In 1976 he created Fantasia on Auld Lang Syne, which uses that traditional song as the main theme, but also weaves in snippets of other 150 other pieces. Another orchestral composition, it has also been scored for the piano.

May 2022 be harmonious….