Another variation on Canada’s national anthem

Another variation on Canada’s national anthem

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norman lebrecht

August 25, 2017

We’ve reported before that the source of ‘O Canada’ is to be found in Mozart’s Magic Flute.

But it has just leaped out from another place, taking us completely by surprise.

Ivan Ilic’s wonderful Chandos excavation of the forgotten music of Antoine Reicha contains a whole sonata built on a theme that we would now recognise as O Canada.

It’s laconic, witty and ever-so-slightly disrespectful to Mozart.

You really need to hear it.

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