It is the absolute symbol of Christmas, bringing together pagans and believers, natural or plastic, it thrones in our squares and in our homes: the tree. Indispensable to the festive spirit, its greenery is adorned according to the tastes of light garlands, colored balls, realization in salt dough for children or small birds. And there is a song known to all that pays homage to this king of the forests: “My beautiful tree”.
Far from living rooms and Christmas, the melody appears in the XVIe century in Germanic Silesia. One of the first known scores of “O Tannenbaum” dates from 1615. It is by Melchior Franck (1580-1639), a popular and prolific German composer, especially with regard to religious music.
A love song
In 1819-1820, still no reference to the family celebration in the …
