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Today we are going to talk about something different: Music.
I know it's a bit long, but worth it, believe me.
What's the origin of Hatikvah (Anthem)?
Why is there an old melody that we all know, although we don't know what's its name, in a lot of different musical compositions from all around Europe?
We will explain it here: From the Mantovana to the Hatikvah.

At the end of the XVI century, Giuseppe Cenci, an italian musician, compossed a song called "La Mantovana", it had a great repercussion in european music during that century and even in centuries beyond.
(YOU WILL HAVE TO COPY THE URL IN ORDER TO HEAR THE VIDEOS)

-La MANTOVANA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-JFmOXlMbI

This songs follow a simple progression:


As time progressed the melody was used in many compositions from different countries, both popular and academic.
One of those compositions that used the melody in the most effective way was the famous "Vltava" from the "Ma Vlast" of Bedrich Smetana, a series of symphonic poems.

-After 1:00 you can hear the progression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI8iTETiSqU

The melody was adapted to different styles as the music evolved and became part of many popular songs from various countries:

-Ik zag Cecilia Komen, Nederlands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Fg9G9lmQ8

-Vem kan segla, Norway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4o24qv_G5Y

-Kateryna Kucheriava, Ukraina: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6Zk7c-tlPQ

-My mistress is prettie, Scotlan😛 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyARyxT1N0A


But perhaps the most important popular song that has this tune is "Carul cu boi", a romanian folk song from the late nineteenth century that undeniably influenced Samuel Cohen to compose what would be the anthem of the future State of Israel, the Hatikvah.

-Carul cu boi : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adTjy-TIW_Q

-Hatikvah : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKl_zf818dg

However I did a little research and I discovered, quite by chance, that there is a precedent to La Mantovana with a similar renaissance structure, "Diferencias sobre "el canto llano del caballero" " made in mid the sixteenth century by Antonio de Cabezon, organist song composer Spanish although small was blinded got become a great musician, it was composed before "La Mantovana" so... Is it's really this 500 hundred years-old spanish song the original song that used the famous melody?

-Diferencias sobre "el canto llano del caballero" : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfXkN3j1_hQ

You can clearly hear the melody at the beginning of his work, and even if you have some ear can hear the similarity to the symphonic poem "Vltava" of Bedrich Smetana.

Antonio de Cabezon died in 1566, while Cenci in 1616, 50 years later.
This leads to the question:
Is it really the composition of Giuseppe Cenci which influenced European music? Or was actually an earlier composition of a Spanish forgotten and almost unknown artist that made this?

Thanks for reading,

Yaron Merteyn, Director of Hatikvah.