Marmor, Stein und Eisen bricht (Drafi Deutscher, 1965) - Sant'Eustachio

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Playlist Yesterday's Art For Today's Music: Churches in Rome
Marmor, Stein und Eisen bricht, written by Rudolf-Günter Loose, Drafi Deutscher and Christian Bruhn, performed by Drafi Deutscher and His Magics

Once upon a time in Rome there was Placido, praefectus legionis, a high official of the empire (commander of the Legion); it was the 1st century AD and while he was hunting he met a deer that had a luminous cross between its antlers that blinded him: it was Jesus Christ who was calling him. Placido was baptized with the name Eustace and with him his wife and children. They were all martyred by Emperor Hadrian. Their house was transformed into a domus eclesiae: there is still news of it in 795, with Pope Leo III. Pope Celestine III had it rebuilt from scratch (the Romanesque bell tower dates back to 1196), but between the 17th and 18th centuries it was rebuilt in late-Baroque/Rococo style, more or less as it is today. Halfway between Navona Square and the Pantheon, the Basilica of St. Eustace overlooks a small square that bears the name of the Saint, known by Romans and tourists for its coffee: there is a coffee bar, frequented by senators and their bag carriers (watch out for cameras and policemen) from the nearby Madama Palace, the only coffe bar where you can see the teaspoon standing up in the cream inside the cup. If you love Italian espresso, try it.

In the video:
0:23 The facade is the work of Cesare Corvara (1703), the portico by Giovan Battista Contini. Note that the thirteenth-century bell tower has been reinforced over the centuries by including mullioned windows (except the top floor), which is very useful for building civil buildings alongside. At the top of the facade is the figure of the deer, symbol of the Saint.
0:45 The interior of the basilica, with a single nave and a Latin cross with three chapels on each side, is the work of Cesare Corvara and Antonio Canevari.
1:07 Antonio Canevari and Giovanni Domenico Navone worked on the apse and presbytery; the high altar in bronze and polychrome marble is by Nicola Salvi (1739), known for the Trevi Fountain, and is covered by a canopy built by Fedinando Fuga (1749); the altarpiece with the “Martyrdom of Saint Eustace” is by Francesco Fernandi (1726-27).
1:29 Two paintings by Giacomo Zoboli, altarpieces in the transept: on the left, Meeting between the Holy Virgin and Elizabeth (Visitation), 1727 and Saint Jerome listens to the trumpet of the Last Judgement, 1729.
1:51 On the left, by Pietro Gagliardi, the Holy Family leaves the Temple (Why did you seek me?). 19th century; on the right, by Francesco Nappi, Annunciation, 1615-20.
2:13 I don’t know how producer Christian Bruhn managed to have the single “Marmor, Stein und Eisen Bricht”, recorded in West Berlin, in the two Germanies, released in 1965 practically at the same time. Here we see the 45 produced by VEB Deutsche Schallplatten, the only record company in the German Democratic Republic after the nationalization required during the Soviet occupation.

Drafi Deutscher was born in West Berlin to a family of Hungarian (Sinti) origins. A well-known singer-songwriter, he wrote more than 200 songs for himself and for fellow singers from all over the world: for example, his songs include “Belfast” (Boney M, 1977) and Guardian Angel (himself but with one of his pseudonyms, Masquerade, 1983). “Marmor, Stein und Eisen Bricht” (= Marble, stone and iron break [but not our love]) was one of his biggest hits: 1st in Austria and Germany, 3rd in Holland; Drafi himself performed an English version written by the Belgian Marcel Stellman with the title “Marble Breaks And Iron Bends” which reached 80th place in the USA and was reinterpreted in about twenty covers, first of all by the English “The Deejays” (same lyrics but with the title “Dum, Dum”); also the Spanish version “Marmol, Piedra, Hierro” (=Marble, stone, iron) written by Stellman was sung by Drafi, while the French version “Le Fer, Le Marbre Et L'Acier” (=Iron, marble and steel) was performed by Jackie Delmone and others.

In Italy, as usual, the lyricists were not satisfied with “translating” the original: so the expert lyricist Alberto Testa wrote “Vai vai” (=go, go!): a song first entrusted to the young Adele Maffina who took it to the well-known television program Canzonissima, then to the Como beat group “I Patrizi” and finally to Gianni Pettenati who brought it to the general public as the backing track of the successful song “Un cavallo per la testa” (=A horse for the head).

DESCRIPTION IN ITALIAN AT THE FIRST COMMENT