Edelweiss ( song ) - wikipedia Edelweiss ( song ) For other uses, see Edelweiss ( disambiguation ). `` Edelweiss '' Song Published 1959 Genre Showtune Composer ( s ) Richard Rodgers Lyricist ( s ) Oscar Hammerstein II The Edelweiss white flower Leontopodium alpinum `` Edelweiss '' is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. It is named after the edelweiss, a white flower found high in the Alps ( Leontopodium alpinum ). It was created for the 1959 Broadway production of The Sound of Music in the role originated by performer Theodore Bikel as a song for the character of Captain Georg Ludwig von Trapp. In the musical, Captain von Trapp and his family sing this song during the concert near the end of Act II as a statement of Austrian patriotism in the face of the pressure put upon him to join the navy of Nazi Germany following the Anschluss. It is also Captain von Trapp 's subliminal goodbye to his beloved homeland, using the flower as a symbol of his loyalty to Austria. In the 1965 film adaptation, the song is also sung by the Captain earlier in the film when he rediscovers music with his children. Contents 1 Writing of the song 2 Film adaptation 3 Misconceptions about the song 4 Legal problems 5 Other versions 6 References Writing of the song While The Sound of Music was in tryouts in Boston, Richard Rodgers felt Captain von Trapp should have a song with which he would bid farewell to the Austria he knew and loved. Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II decided to write an extra song that Captain von Trapp would sing in the festival concert sequence towards the end of the show. As they were writing it, they felt that this song could also utilize the guitar - playing and folk - singing talents of Theodore Bikel, who had been cast as the Captain. The Lindsay and Crouse script provides the metaphor of the simple edelweiss wildflower as a symbol of the Austria that Captain von Trapp, Maria, and their children knew would live on, in their hearts, despite the Nazi annexation of their homeland. The metaphor of this song builds on an earlier scene when Gretl presents a bouquet of edelweiss flowers to Baroness Elsa Schräder during her visit to the von Trapp household. Rodgers provided a simple, yet haunting and affecting waltz - time melody, to the simple Italian style ritornello lyric that Hammerstein wrote about the appearance of the edelweiss flower. This song turned out to be one of the most beloved songs in the musical, and also one of the best - loved songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein. This song was the last song that Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote together ; Hammerstein was suffering from stomach cancer, which would take his life nine months after The Sound of Music opened on Broadway. Film adaptation Although the stage production uses the song only during the concert sequence, Ernest Lehman 's screenplay for the film adaptation uses the song twice. Lehman created a scene that makes extra use of the song. This scene, inspired by a line in the original script by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, calls for Captain von Trapp to sing this song with his children in their family drawing room and rediscover the love he felt for them, with Liesl accompanying him. Lehman also expanded the scope of the song when it was sung in the Salzburg Festival concert scene so that Captain von Trapp and his family would call the crowds to join in the song with him, in defiance of the Nazi soldiers posted around the arena. Misconceptions about the song The great popularity of the song in the Anglophone world has led many of its audience to believe that it is an Austrian folk song or even the official national anthem. Austria 's official anthem is in fact `` Land der Berge, Land am Strome '' and the anthem used from 1929 until the Anschluss was `` Sei gesegnet ohne Ende. '' The edelweiss is a popular flower in Austria and was featured on the old 1 Schilling coin. It can also now be seen on the 2 cent Euro coin. The flower is protected in Austria and illegal to pick. An `` edelweiss '' is also worn as a cap emblem by certain Austrian Army and the German Gebirgsjäger ( mountain troopers ) units stationed in the nearby Bavarian Alps. There is similar confusion about another song co-authored by Hammerstein, `` Ol ' Man River '' from the musical Show Boat, which is widely ( though erroneously ) believed to be a Negro spiritual. The similarity in misconception about the two songs has been noted by two writers, both of whom see it as tribute to Hammerstein 's talents. Alyson McLamore in her book Musical Theater : An Appreciation writes, `` The last song to be written for the show was ' Edelweiss, ' a tender little homage to a native flower of Austria that has the effect of authentic Austrian folksong, much as ' Ol ' Man River ' struck listeners as a genuine African American spiritual. '' Hugh Fordin in his biography of Oscar Hammerstein speaks of `` the ability of the authors to simulate the quality of an authentic folk song... ' Ol ' Man River ' had the ring of a black laborer 's song... Thirty years later, ' Edelweiss ' was widely believed to be an old Austrian song, though Oscar... composed it for the Sound of Music. '' Theodore Bikel, in his autobiography, Theo ( 2002 ), wrote that, after performances, he was approached by native Austrians who said they were delighted to hear that old folk tune again. Legal problems The estates of Rodgers and Hammerstein have not authorized the use of alternative lyrics with the melody of the song, making certain commercial uses of those versions potentially infringing if they do not fall under fair use. Rodgers stated that `` he would take legal action against any group '' using the `` Edelweiss '' melody with altered words ; the current rightsholders comply with his wishes, refusing to grant permission for these commercial requests, which are `` inconsistent with the creators ' intentions ''. Other versions This article may contain indiscriminate, excessive, or irrelevant examples. Please improve the article by adding more descriptive text and removing less pertinent examples. See Wikipedia 's guide to writing better articles for further suggestions. ( July 2017 ) This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2014 ) Theodore Bikel, who originated the role of Captain von Trapp on Broadway, performed `` Edelweiss '' ( as a duet with Mary Martin ) on the original cast album, and included it in his album, In My Own Lifetime - 12 Musical Theater Classics. Playback singer Bill Lee dubbed the singing voice of Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp in the 1965 film adaptation, and its soundtrack album, which included this song. Josephine Siao Fong - Fong ( 蕭芳芳 ) performed a Chinese ( Cantonese ) version of the song in the 1967 film, Lightning Killer ( 閃電 煞 星 ). The Belgian performer Michael Junior performed this song in his concerts. German Americans play the same tune every year during the Oktoberfest in Hard Bargain Farm, Maryland, with the ringing of cowbells. A slightly altered version of the song has been sung by Shamrock Rovers supporters since the 1960s. The Irish group Tony and The Graduates had a # 7 hit in the Irish Charts with their cover version in November 1966. The English singer Vince Hill reached # 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1967 with his cover version of the track. The Canadian singer Sarah Slean has performed the song as a singalong in her concerts. Linda Eder recorded a version of the song for her 2003 album, Broadway, My Way. 10 - year - old Hollie Steel performed the song on the third series of Britain 's Got Talent and infamously broke down halfway through due to nerves. It is also due to be her second single, for her album, Hollie, which was released on 29 March 2010. Elaine Paige recorded the song for her 2006 album, Essential Musicals. The virtual singer Megurine Luka performed this song. The song was featured in a comedy skit performed by Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein on Seth and Alex 's Almost Live Comedy Show, in which Borstein opposes MacFarlane 's singing of the song, only to be jokingly reminded that, as a result of the Holocaust, Borstein 's only competition as a female Jewish comedian in Hollywood is Sarah Silverman. Borstein then joins MacFarlane in singing the song. Bryn Terfel has included this song in his 1996 Rodgers & Hammerstein album, Something Wonderful : Bryn Terfel Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein. Julie Andrews has recorded it for her Richard Rodgers tribute album Broadway : The Music of Richard Rodgers. Iranian singer Farhad Mehrad performed it in both Persian and English in opposition to Iran 's post-revolutionary regime, pointing the similarities between Iran after revolution and Austria under Nazi occupation. Austrian singers, Sigrid & Marina made a recording of the song in 2009. André Rieu has recorded his own arrangement and released it on his 2002 album, Dreaming. Tanya Donelly, best known for her work with Throwing Muses, The Breeders, and Belly recorded a version of the song which was self - released as a free download on her website, circa 2001. Joe Junior and Sire Ma performed this song in their roles as Louis Kim and Kim Yee - Wah respectively in TVB 's 2012 series Bullet Brain. The Voice Australia contestant Celia Pavey performed and recorded Edelweiss in May 2013. Andy Conaghan recorded the song for ABC Classics as part of a compilation album, I Dreamed a Dream : The Hit Songs of Broadway in 2013. Stephen Moyer performed the song as part of his role as Captain Georg von Trapp during the December 2013 television broadcast of The Sound of Music Live ! on NBC. The song is frequently performed by The von Trapps, the real life great - grandchildren of the Captain and Maria. It appears on their A Capella album and on their 2014 album, the latter of which is also a duet with Charmian Carr ( who played Liesl in the movie ). A performance by Jeanette Olsson is used as the opening sequence music for the Amazon Original Series The Man in the High Castle. Singer / songwriter Lady Gaga performed the song along with a medley of others from the musical as part of a tribute to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the film at the 87th Academy Awards. Victor Garber, as his character Martin Stein impersonating Max Lorenz in a Nazi - run Parisian Nightclub, sang a cover of this song in Legends of Tomorrow. Violinist Vov Dylan recorded this track as part of his `` World Lullabies '' album which has been a fundraiser for Australia 's branch of `` Starlight Foundation '' References Jump up ^ `` Was `` Edelweiss '' Based on an Austrian Folk Song ? ``. Entertainment Urban Legends Revealed. July 25, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Maslon, Lawrence ( 2007 ), The Sound of Music Companion, New York : Simon and Schuster, p. 177, ISBN 1416549544 Jump up ^ `` Oscar Hammerstein II Is Dead ''. The New York Times. August 23, 1960. p. 1. Retrieved February 10, 2014. Jump up ^ `` How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria ''. BBC. November 7, 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2014. Jump up ^ Meriam, Ray ( 1999 ). Gebirgsjaeger : Germany 's Mountain Troops. World War II Arsenal. 3. Merriam Press. p. 44. ISBN 1576381633. Jump up ^ Steyn, Mark ( December 5, 1997 ). `` Where Have You Gone, Oscar Hammerstein ? ''. Slate. Retrieved February 10, 2014. Jump up ^ McLamore, Alyson ( 2004 ). Musical theater : an appreciation. Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 156. ISBN 0 - 13 - 048583 - 7. Jump up ^ Fordin, Hugh ( 1995 ). Getting to know him : a biography of Oscar Hammerstein II. Da Capo Press. p. 102. ISBN 0 - 306 - 80668 - 1. Jump up ^ McIntyre, Dean ( 2001 ). `` The Edelweiss Benediction : It 's Still Against the Law ''. General Board of Discipleship. The United Methodist Church. Retrieved April 28, 2015. Jump up ^ Dan Benedict, Jr. ( 1999 ). `` '' Edelweiss '' - A Song We Love But Must Not Abuse ``. General Board of Discipleship. The United Methodist Church. Retrieved April 28, 2015. Jump up ^ 閃電 煞 星 ( 全 片 ) on YouTube Jump up ^ 閃電 煞 星 ( 1967 ) Lightning Killer Jump up ^ Roberts, David ( 2006 ). British Hit Singles & Albums ( 19th ed. ). London : Guinness World Records Limited. p. 253. ISBN 1 - 904994 - 10 - 5. Jump up ^ Hollie Steel - 1st + 2nd Attempts, Britain 's Got Talent Semi-Final on YouTube Jump up ^ `` I Dreamed A Dream -- Hit Songs of Broadway ''. ABC. Retrieved 14 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` ' Edelweiss ' : An American Song for Global Dystopia ''. Retrieved 24 November 2015. Jump up ^ `` I Ca n't Tell Which of These Two Moments From Last Night 's Legends of Tomorrow I Love More ''. io9. Retrieved 24 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` World Lullabies ''. Sanity. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 27. Rodgers and Hammerstein Stage musicals Oklahoma ! Carousel Allegro South Pacific The King and I Me and Juliet Pipe Dream Flower Drum Song The Sound of Music A Grand Night for Singing State Fair Cinderella Productions I Remember Mama Annie Get Your Gun Happy Birthday John Loves Mary Show Boat The Happy Time Burning Bright Films State Fair Oklahoma ! Carousel The King and I South Pacific Flower Drum Song State Fair The Sound of Music Cinderella Television Cinderella The Sound of Music Live ! Songs `` Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin ' '' `` The Surrey with the Fringe on Top '' `` Kansas City '' `` I Cai n't Say No '' `` Many a New Day '' `` It 's a Scandal ! It 's a Outrage ! '' `` People Will Say We 're in Love '' `` Lonely Room '' `` The Farmer and the Cowman '' `` All Er Nuthin ' '' `` Oklahoma '' `` If I Loved You '' `` Soliloquy '' `` You 'll Never Walk Alone '' `` It Might as Well Be Spring '' `` That 's for Me '' `` A Fellow Needs a Girl '' `` So Far '' `` Some Enchanted Evening '' `` There Is Nothing Like a Dame '' `` Bali Ha'i '' `` I 'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair '' `` I 'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy '' `` Younger Than Springtime '' `` Happy Talk '' `` You 've Got to Be Carefully Taught '' `` I Whistle a Happy Tune '' `` Hello, Young Lovers '' `` Getting to Know You '' `` We Kiss in a Shadow '' `` Something Wonderful '' `` I Have Dreamed '' `` Shall We Dance ? '' `` No Other Love '' `` I Enjoy Being a Girl '' `` The Sound of Music '' `` Maria '' `` My Favorite Things '' `` Do - Re-Mi '' `` Sixteen Going on Seventeen '' `` The Lonely Goatherd '' `` Climb Ev'ry Mountain '' `` So Long, Farewell '' `` No Way to Stop It '' `` Edelweiss '' Related articles `` Something Good '' The Sound of Music The Sound of Music : Music from the NBC Television Event Maria von Trapp 's The Story of the Trapp Family Singers Films The Trapp Family ( 1956 ) The Trapp Family in America ( 1958 ) The Sound of Music ( 1965 ) Other adaptations The Sound of Music ( 1959 musical ) Trapp Family Story ( 1991 anime ) The Sound of Music Live ! ( 2013 ) The Sound of Music Live ( 2015 ) Songs `` The Sound of Music '' `` Maria '' `` My Favorite Things '' `` Do - Re-Mi '' `` Sixteen Going on Seventeen '' `` The Lonely Goatherd '' `` Climb Ev'ry Mountain '' `` No Way to Stop It '' `` So Long, Farewell '' `` Edelweiss '' `` Something Good '' Albums The Groovy Sound of Music ( 1964 ) The Sound of Music ( 1965 soundtrack ) The Sound of Music : Music from the NBC Television Event ( 2013 ) Legacy The von Trapps Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edelweiss_(song)&oldid=795476752 '' Categories : 1959 songs Harry Connick Jr. songs Hollie Steel songs Songs from The Sound of Music Songs with music by Richard Rodgers Songs with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles needing clarification from January 2017 Articles with too many examples Articles needing additional references from February 2014 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Svenska Türkçe 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 14 August 2017, at 13 : 44. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who sang edelweiss in the sound of music
Answer: Theodore Bikel