Commissioned by the U.S. Office of War Information, this short film features conductor Arturo Toscanini leading the NBC Symphony Orchestra, tenor Jan Peerce, and the Westminster Choir in Verdi’s Inno delle nazioni. Originally composed in the 1860s as a musical tribute to Europe, Toscanini expanded the score to include The Star-Spangled Banner and The Internationale in honor of the Allied struggle and Italian partisans. Filmed in NBC’s Studio 8H, the documentary interweaves performance with scenes of Toscanini at home, emphasizing his anti-fascist stance and celebrating the liberation of Italy. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.
Hymn of the Nations explores themes of short film. A blend of Music and Documentary, it is available to stream for free in HD on Ernax — no account required.
Genre: Music, Documentary
Runtime: 31 min
Director: Alexander Hammid
Writers: May Sarton
Cast: Arturo Toscanini, Jan Peerce, Burgess Meredith, Walfredo Toscanini, Knox Manning, The Westminister Choir
Country: United States of America
Language: English, Italian
Themes: short film
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