Hymn of the Nations 80 years old

Hymn of the Nations, originally titled Arturo Toscanini: Hymn of the Nations, is a 1944 film directed by Alexander Hammid, which features the "Inno delle nazioni," a patriotic work for tenor soloist, chorus, and orchestra, composed by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi in the early 1860s. (For this musical work, Verdi utilized the national anthems of several European nations.) In December 1943, Arturo Toscanini filmed a performance of this music for inclusion in an Office of War Information documentary about the role of Italian-Americans in aiding the Allies during World War II. Toscanini added a bridge passage to include arrangements of "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the United States and "The Internationale" for the Soviet Union and the Italian partisans. Joining Toscanini in the filmed performance in NBC Studio 8-H, were tenor Jan Peerce, the Westminster Choir, and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. The film also included the overture to Verdi's opera La Forza del Destino.

Credits

Hymn of the Nations Cast

Name Character
Burgess Meredith He was 37, 89 years old when he died as Narrator(voice)
Jan Peerce He was 40, 80 years old when he died as Himself/Host

Hymn of the Nations Crew

Name Department
Boris Kaufman as Cinematography. He was 38 (73) years old when He died Crew
Boris Kaufman as Editor. He was 38 (73) years old when He died Editing
Alexander Hammid as Director. Directing
Arrigo Boito as Other. He was 102 (76) years old when He died Writing
Hymn of the Nations poster
Hymn of the Nations (80 years)

  • Release day: Tuesday, February 01, 1944
  • Runtime: 31 minutes