civique:As all French schoolchildren know, La Marseillaise – originally the Chant de guer
civique:As all French schoolchildren know, La Marseillaise – originally the Chant de guerre pour l’armée du Rhin – was written by Joseph Rouget de Lisle, an army officer stationed in Strasbourg in 1792. A constitutional monarchist and amateur composer who was exalted by war fever and an evening’s champagne, Rouget reputedly produced his hymn in a single night after hearing Strasbourg’s Mayor Dietrich and other local elites complain that Ça ira and La carmagnole were vulgar songs unfit for soldiers. […][La Marseillaise], written within days of the declaration of war, focuses on powerful and threatening enemies. Although the song begins by declaring that “the day of glory is upon us,” it immediately continues with a fierce reminder of the real subject: “against us, the bloody standard of tyranny is raised.” The lyrics conjure up an invading horde that will not simply overrun the countryside but “come into your very midst,” killing sons and wives before enslaving the nation. In the end, the song does promise victory, but a victory that may be achieved only at great cost: “All are soldiers to battle you. If the fall, our young heros, the earth will produce new ones.” […][Its] rhythm is slower [than the one of Ça ira], closer to the pace of marching. Obviously a more formal composition, the tune is more complicated than the simple, repetitious melody of its predecessor; its steady rhythm and swelling notes ameliorate the fearful images conjured by the lyrics. This music lends greater sensibility to a song whose learned lyrics are difficult and likely to be confusing when heard in performance: the brief pause before the chorus and the swelling of the voice as the singer declaims “To arms, citizens, form your battalions” make absolutely clear the song’s central message.Singing the French Revolution (Laura Mason), p. 94ff. -- source link
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