French Revolution and Music - Essay Example

Running Head: French Revolution and Music French Revolution and Music of French Revolution and Music Introduction The French revolution changed the culture and civilization of Europe. The impact of the French revolution on Western values, culture, ideas and politics was deep and profound. Many of the modern Western concepts like democracy, human rights, individualism, representative governments, transparency and written constitutions are all inheritance of the French revolution. The conquest of many countries by the French revolutionary armies led to the creation of nationalism in these states. Many of them desired to achieve unification in order to create powerful states. Another effect of the French revolution was the reaction against the domination of the Christianity. This led to an overthrow of the Christian Church’s political power in Europe. A series of uprisings were inspired by the French revolution in the nineteenth century. The huge impact of the revolution was also deeply felt in music. However the importance of the French revolution in shaping the music of the nineteenth century has only been recently studied by scholars and researchers. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven were inspired by the revolutionary music of France. They created their own music which became the inspiration and standard for European music in the nineteenth century (Boyd, 1992). Revolutionary France displayed a remarkable revolution and innovation in music. La Marseillaise was the anthem of the revolutionary forces which created a new spirit of revolutionary fervor and spirit amongst the French masses. Songs, dances, opera and parts of the revolutionary constitution all used music to spread the values and principles of the French revolution which mesmerized the masses. Revolutionary Music The French revolutionary regime sought to use music as a tool of education to reimburse the loss suffered by the masses from the decline of state and church institutions. Opera was rapidly transformed under the revolutionary regime. The French revolution began in 1798 as the French people sough to radically restructure their society. They wished to destroy the power of the aristocrats. The cry of liberty, individualism, and equality of human beings was a powerful revolutionary concept that shook the foundations of the conservative society. The influence of Christianity was also deeply resented by the French people. They wished to create a more rational and scientific belief system. They wanted to get rid of the Christian traditions like the Christian calendar and other influences. Music was used as an instrument by the revolutionaries to spread their values and principles (Mongrédien, 1996). The late eighteenth century witnessed the creation of a music school which began to train bands for the new army. Laws were passed which pressurized the masses to sing revolutionary songs. French composers were forced to write songs which praised the achievements of the French revolution. Research has found that an estimated one thousand revolutionary songs were written during the initial years of the revolution. There were other changes also as display grounds were created in major parts of France. The regime also launched musical ceremonies which glorified and eulogized the virtues of the revolution. Hymm for Thermidor by Gossec and Symphonie Funèbre et Triomphale by Berlioz were popular songs and hymns that extolled the achievements and objectives of the French revolution (Mongrédien, 1996). Sonata, operas and symphony Opera also began to change as the stories were about people who resisted tyranny and oppression. These rescue operas deeply influenced composers like Mozart and Beethoven. The French revolution led to the creation of several schools of thought in society. One school of thought supported the aristocracy and conservative regimes while another school of thought supported the French revolution. The latter insisted that the nobles had acquired too much power. The rise of a middle class led to aspirations of power and influence in society (Dean, 1995). Composers in Europe began to change their occupations as traditionally they had to serve nobles. But many composers were also making money by working at public concerts. String quartet was an influence of the French revolution which was known as chamber music. This type of music has singers use instruments. Players were mixed together and interacted to create a new style of music. Viola and cello were the violins which were used by the composers. Melody and harmony was used to create lines and writing for the string quartet. Another influence of the French revolution was the symphony which was deeply rooted in opera. They used elaborate instrumental composition which was much lengthier and developed. The French revolution also influenced sonatas in which stringed instruments were given an equal status (Dean, 1995). Mozart was also deeply influenced by the French revolution as he was living in Vienna at the end of the eighteenth century. He used his music to highlight the evils of feudalism. His works were influenced by the revolutionary regime in France. Beethoven and French Revolution Beethoven’s music also radically changed because of the influence of the French revolution (Abraham, 1982). His music is filled with tales of valor, courage and heroism which were essential elements of the French revolution. His music was considered to be friendly to the ideals of the French revolution. He pushed music to its heights by his symphonies, piano concerts, sonatas, songs and opera. The music of Beethoven was based on struggle and inner tension. He perfected a technique of sonata which consisted of three movements. The first movement was very fast which was followed by a slower second movement. The final movement had more humor and jokes inside it. His symphonies were also different from the contemporary music of that time period. Equilibrium and balance were the chief characteristics of his symphonies. The inner conflict was a feature of Beethoven’s symphonies as it changed the temperament of the music. Beethoven’s sounds were rough, craggy, and jagged. The music of Beethoven created a new kind of revolution just as the French revolution had created a new society. The intense conflict of his music pushed him to make impressive music (Abraham, 1982). The Eroica was his third symphony which departed from traditional symphonies. The symphony had a political tone because during that time a young army officer, Napoleon Bonaparte was rising and dominating the revolutionary government. Beethoven believed that Bonaparte would be the guardian of the revolution. However this would be an understandable mistake which Beethoven would bitterly attack in his later symphonies. Romanticism and French Revolution Romanticism was a movement which was also deeply influenced by the French revolution. Music was radically changed because of the influence of the revolution on the movement. Music was changed as previously it had been used in the state courts, churches and castles of nobles. Now it was transformed into a public form of art. New concert halls were created for the public. Several new instruments like the tuba and saxophone were introduced. This increased the skill levels of the music composers. The French revolution changed the music of Europe by introducing the idea that music should be universal (Ozouf, 1988). It was believed to cross all geographical boundaries and genres. It was also considered that music should propagate enlightened and progressive values. Reflection was another feature of the romantic time period as it would highlight the quality of music. Exotic music was also developed by composers in the nineteenth century which was influenced from pre Christian and pagan ideas and beliefs. Folk legends and myths were also used to develop the music of the nineteenth century. Finally the works of classical musicians were also to be used to develop and compose music. The French revolution created the concept of inspiration in music. Another idea was the use of a victorious end. Several other notions were also created which included the concept of suffering musician and the idea of musicians as celebrities (Ozouf, 1988). Several new genres of music were created which included the lied, lyric poems, dramatic poems and balladic poems. Melody and lyrics Music was given a new meaning by the revolutionary regime as it increased its examination of theatres and operas. Laws were passed which made opera and drama subservient to the ideals and propaganda of the revolutionary regime. The revolutionary regime was not enthusiastic about music which was simply for entertainment; they required music that was oriented towards the propagation of the virtues and achievements of the revolution (Ozouf, 1988). This created a new genre of music which was known as occasional works. Music was extensively used by composers to ridicule the external and internal enemies of the revolution. Humor also was an essential part of the music which ridiculed the ancient French nobility and aristocracy. Most of the humor in music was very crude as it demonized and ridiculed the counterrevolutionary forces that sought to reestablish the ancient French regime. Music provided the regime with an instrument to use and manipulate their rhetoric and propaganda over the masses. Previous governments had simply used music to divert the attention of the masses from real problems. The French revolutionary regime however used music as an instrument to spread its virtues and achievements. Revolutionary music was simple and precise which combined with the elements of excellence. These concepts provided composers to transform traditional musical values into innovative concepts. Melody was an important element of French revolutionary music because it conveyed the message in a clear and explicit manner. Music and lyrics were created by composers which were clear in their message. Attractive melodies were used which utilized the simplest methods by composers (Ozouf, 1988). Impact on European Music The orchestra was developed as a result of the influence of the French revolution on music. Several standard musical forms were developed and formalized in Vienna. The idea of symphony was also developed because of the French revolution. Emotional depth was added to the classical forms of music (Ozouf, 1988). Artists and composers expressed their emotions in different ways. Local history and legends were increasingly used in operas and melodies. Dance rhythms of native countries were used to inspire symphonies and instrumental music. Existing instruments evolved and new instruments were invented by people. Several styles were created which included chamber music or music for a small ensemble. Chamber music style was highly popular because of its friendliness. The string quartet became the most influential chamber music genre of the time period. String quartet had a four line texture which was ideal for composers. It followed the same movement scheme of the sonata cycle. Many symphonies also began to change after the revolution, as they became rich and filled with emotion. Angular themes were used to promote music. The size of the orchestra became greater by emphasis on brass, clarinets, and percussion instruments. Compositions were introduced which had universal appeal. Concertos combined virtuosity with symphonic structure. Free enterprise and liberty were the themes of the new songs and hymns which were created by composers in Europe. New instruments were developed while new forms of melodies were invented. The size of the orchestra also increased which increased the expressiveness and range of all composers (Ozouf, 1988). Conclusion The French revolution was a massive social upheaval that radically transformed France. It also had a profound influence on Western civilization. Many of the values of the West like democracy, written constitutions, representative governments, liberty, and individualism were all influenced by the French revolution. It is not surprising that music was also altered and changed by the French revolution. The new French revolutionary regime embarked upon a policy of using music to propagate the values, principles and achievements of the revolution. Laws were passed which called for theatres to conduct concerts and programs which ran revolutionary songs. Composers were pressurized to write revolutionary songs that eulogized and glorified the revolution. The impact was also deep in Europe as many composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven transformed their music style. New instruments were developed as a result of the influence of the French revolution. Melodies which were unplayable had now become widely spread because of the technology available. Composers used music to highlight the new values and principles which were spreading in Europe. Chamber music became highly popular after the French revolution in which singers used instruments. Melody and harmony was used to write lines for symphony. The French revolution also changed the concept of opera. Before the French revolution, music had been the exclusive domain of the aristocracy and churches. With the loss of the state buildings and churches, the new regime encouraged the building of public grounds and halls where elaborate musical ceremonies were conducted. References: Boyd, Malcolm, ed. Music and the French Revolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Mongrédien, Jean. French Music from the Enlightenment to Romanticism. Translated by Sylvain Frémaux. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1996 Dean, Winton. "Opera under the French Revolution." Proceedings of the Royal Music Association. 1995 Abraham, Gerald, ed. The Age of Beethoven, 1790-1830. New Oxford History of Music, vol. 8. London: Oxford University Press, 1982. Ozouf, Mona. Festivals and the French Revolution. Translated by Alan Sheridan. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1988 Read More