Half a century since the song "The First Spring"

Fifty years have passed since composer Van Cao wrote the first melodies for his masterpiece "The First Spring": "Then spring gently arrives with the swallows / The ordinary season, the joyful season has now arrived / That longed-for spring is coming for the first time"... Born during the first spring of peace in the country, when the land was united, the song is not only one of the most beautiful spring love songs but also a harmonious blend of love and the aspiration for peace.

Following the great victory of Spring 1975, the entire nation rejoiced in the triumph. Artists and writers also opened their hearts to embrace a new wave of creative inspiration. Composer Van Cao, who was always deeply concerned about the nation's destiny, was no exception. He pondered, and then the poetic, poignant lyrics and gentle waltz melody of the song "The First Spring" resonated from the old piano in his house at 108 Yet Kieu Street ( Hanoi ), in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) in 1976. "The First Spring" also marked his return to songwriting after a 26-year hiatus.

At that time, amidst a musical landscape filled with heroic melodies and the fervent spirit of celebrating victory, composer Van Cao chose a unique, simple, and profound approach to "The First Spring," using familiar and relatable lyrics that nonetheless exuded a rare beauty and elegance. Van Cao shared the title of the song, "The First Spring," with his son, the painter Van Thao: "For me, my whole life has been dedicated to the revolution, experiencing many ups and downs, joys and sorrows, but the ultimate goal I pursued has been achieved. The country has been unified; for me, that is the first spring. Today, that spring has come to me, to the nation…"

With a gentle, soft waltz and just a few brushstrokes, composer Van Cao painted a picture of a pure, bright spring, familiar and close to the hearts of the Vietnamese people: the sound of roosters crowing at noon, smoke rising over the river... A "normal season" of nature and the earth, yet full of freshness and overwhelming emotion, because it was the first spring of the nation fully restored to peace, independence, and unity. And there are also the tears of happiness of a mother welcoming her child home, the pain and joy, the deep anxieties and worries... A nation just emerging from war, cherishing in its hands a miraculous and fragile happiness, like a dream, yet real.

But all of them radiate a hopeful belief in the new spring: "From here, people know their homeland / From here, people know how to care for each other / From here, people know how to love each other"... Composer Van Cao was incredibly subtle and profound when he wrote the words in the chorus, from "know," to "care," to "love." It is a process of emotional growth, of connection, of harmony between hearts, "for so many souls." That first spring not only fills people's hearts with the beauty of nature but also is a picture of overflowing happiness of reunion and gathering. What could be warmer, more moving, and more profound than the image of a mother and her children gathered together: "Tears on your shoulder / Drops warming your shoulders / The joy of the moment is sparkling…". These are tears of happiness, of love reborn. The song was prominently featured on the back cover of the Saigon Liberation newspaper's Spring 1976 issue.

According to musician Truong Quang Luc, "It can be said that 'The First Spring' was also the first song printed in a revolutionary spring newspaper in Saigon after the liberation of South Vietnam and the reunification of the country." The documentary film "The National Anthem Writer" (directed by Dang Linh), about the life of musician Van Cao, to be released at the end of 2025, reveals another special story. From its inception, for reasons unknown, "The First Spring" was translated into Russian by the Moscow Music Publishing House and broadcast on Moscow Radio with a royalties of 100 rubles for the author. Van Cao's family was very happy and surprised. At that time, he wrote a letter authorizing his daughter, Huong Huong, who was studying music there, to collect the payment on his behalf, with the message, "Keep it and spend it..." Furthermore, the song was included in the list of the 200 best songs in the world by the former Soviet Union. This honor made him extremely happy.

"The song 'First Spring' was loved by many singers, but it wasn't until 1995, through the impressive performance of singer Thanh Thúy – with the youthful voice of a girl not yet 20 years old – that the song truly "shone." From then on, "The First Spring" began a new life, spreading intensely and resonating in the musical life and in the hearts of the public until today. Poet and musician Nguyễn Thụy Kha commented that Văn Cao wrote "The First Spring" – a work written after the country's reunification – with inspiration from humanity.

It can be said that composer Van Cao found his own unique perspective on the events of April 30, 1975, to write "The First Spring," expressing the joy of a nation having completed its struggle for independence and brought an end to a period of arduous war. The miracle of that spring of reunification, of the love between people, served as a bridge to erase all divisions and heal the wounds of war. It is this profound and humane message that has given the masterpiece "The First Spring" its enduring beauty and vitality.

People's Artist Thanh Thúy: "I sang with purity, simplicity, and heartfelt emotion..."

I had the opportunity to perform the song "First Spring" by the late composer Van Cao after winning first prize in the "Ho Chi Minh City Television Singing Contest". The song was included in the music video album "Morning in Truth," directed by Dinh Anh Dung, which introduced the musical portrait of composer Van Cao and was released in 1995, after Van Cao's passing. Looking back on this event, I think it was a great happiness and a special opportunity in my artistic career.

Before that, I had never heard of the song "First Spring." And the emotions I felt while recording this song in the studio were unforgettable. When composer Manh Trinh, who arranged the song, gave me the lyrics, I practiced very quickly and recorded it in one go from beginning to end. Afterwards, we only had to fix a few minor mistakes; we didn't have to record multiple times.

During the recording, I sang with the clear, unadorned voice of youth, with the poignant emotions conveyed through the melody and lyrics, full of imagery of a fresh, peaceful spring, with the space and all things rejoicing. But the song's content not only expresses the great joys of the country's first peaceful spring, but also the anxious longing of a mother in that peaceful spring while her son goes to fight for the liberation of the homeland...

Over the years, every spring, I receive messages from fans expressing their affection for the song "The First Spring" as performed by me. This affection grows even warmer when I tour in countries with large Vietnamese expatriate communities. Fans often recognize and appreciate me for having performed this song in music videos made years ago. For me, the late composer Van Cao's "The First Spring" is a highly artistic song with profound humanistic value and enduring vitality. Every spring, when the melody of this song resonates, the atmosphere is filled with images of spring, and people's hearts are filled with love and connection. Life becomes even more beautiful as a result.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/van-hoa/nua-the-ky-ca-khuc-mua-xuan-dau-tien-i803989/