Dear Old Stockholm

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"Dear Old Stockholm" is a Swedish folk song, best known in the English-speaking world for versions by jazz artists such as Stan Getz, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. The original Swedish title, "Ack Värmeland Du Sköna"/"Värmlandsvisan", may be roughly translated as "Oh Värmland Thou Art Beautiful". The song was originally written by the Värmlandian Dan Anders Fryxell in his musical "Vermlandsflickan" (The Värmlandian Girl). The song was subsequently incorporated 1846 in F.A. Dahlgren's play "Värmlänningarna" (The Värmlandians). In Sweden, this composition is often performed as an anonymous treasure of the Swedish folksong tradition.

The song's melody bears some resemblance to an ancient (and very popular) folk song of indeterminate origin, which was later adapted by Bedrich Smetana for his symphonic poem, Vltava (also known as "The Moldau"), and which is also the basis for the Israeli national anthem, Hatikva. In Edvard Grieg's incidental music for Peer Gynt "Åse's Song" is also similar in melody.

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Last updated on Tuesday July 01, 2008 at 15:38:42 PDT (GMT -0700)
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