Hymn of the Nations

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Hymn of the Nations is a curious, patriotic work for tenor soloist, chorus, and orchestra, composed by the Italian operatic composer Verdi in the early 1860s. Verdi utilized the national anthems of several European nations. In 1943, Arturo Toscanini revived the work for inclusion in an OWI documentary about the role of Italian-Americans in adding the Allies during World War II. Toscanini added a bridge passion to include arrangements of the anthems of the United States and the Soviet Union. 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. It has been reissued on DVD.