# Music and Politics



## Guest (Oct 29, 2007)

I had the idea of such a thread, as I listened to Gretry's opera : Richard Cœur de Lion, composed in 1784.

The Aria " O Richard, O Mon Roy" became the royalist hymn during the French Revolution.

_O Richard! O my king!
The Universe abandons you!
On earth, it is only me
Who is interested in you!
Alone in the universe
I would break the chains
when everyone else deserted you!
_

During the revolution era, many revolutionary songs were composed on classical arias. I chose the example of a royalist song, because those kind of songs are practically forgotten nowadays (and also, because the first post of such a thread has to be a bit provocative…)

extract of the audio file


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## Guarnerius (Oct 15, 2007)

Hi!

First of all, that title makes me to think about a certain Giordano Opera: Andrea Chenier. Surely, it deals with politics and the general circumstances during revolutionary era.
Originally royalist Maddalena di Coigny falls in love with the poet Andrea Chenier. Of course we need also some baritone role (to mix up their plans) Mr. Carlo Gérard, a servant, later a revolutionary leader.

I'm not 100% sure, if the following Gavotte -like excerpt was originally a "folk song" as it obviously was intended to be, but anyway I write it, the melody is catchy:

Chorus of crowd singing background interrupts the royalists dancing their Gavotte: 
"Night and day we carry misery with us; we are the wretched poor, dying of hunger. Famished, languishing, dying, we fall on the barren soil!"

Surely there are many many other examples from various composers, those historical facts, themes, and happenings have their mark often in Opera music. That's why especially the "Verismo" style I find so fascinating!


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## Oneiros (Aug 28, 2006)

Music and Politics? Poor Shostakovich...


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## Michael Ferris (Oct 25, 2007)

Music has always played a great role in politics. If you look at the national anthem of just about any country and go back into its own history. You will find that national anthems often caused revolutions to start and end, the lifting of morals in a society, as well as the consolidation of an identity. The most interesting national anthems are the French anthem, the American Anthem, the German Anthem, and the British. There are of course many others. In order to pick an Austrian national anthem for example was very difficult, but was considered so important that they actually held a contest which lasted for more than a year. The new European national anthem is also a great topic of discussion, for the European identity with the EU is one of its greatest challenges. 
Also, if you look into our vast world history, you will see that certain pieces, even by the greats had political motives. Keep in mind that the church in Europe for example always was incredibly involved in politics and the fact that they used music as a means of persuation. It is an interesting topic, but has to be researched in depth.


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## Guarnerius (Oct 15, 2007)

Dear Michael,

You are talking very wisely! Not to mention political aspects, but also the church has often involved in political and national revolutions since ages...

Now You mentioned that church, it makes me to think about Verdi's Don Carlos. There is Filip II (King of Spain), and his son Don Carlos and his (or both) beloved French Elisabetta. What a problematic situation..! The happenings are directly related to the exciting political situations in those days... And surely, so popular idea in Operas is the fear of church power, that awesome Grand Inquisitior (my favourites Raimondi, Ghiaurov, Salminen), I mean.

So what is the grand conclusion: Music can reflect not only the fictious themes, but as well quite real happenings in individual lifes and also larger contexts, politics included, which makes it even more interesting! It gives to the listener some extra "kicks" to think, those details were happened in real life (at least partly), not just fictitious! Also it is fascinating to notice, what was the general atmosphere and opinions at the moment, when the composition was made (nowadays, our point of view is naturally different, when we already know the wider consequences etc.). But that is totally different story...


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## Guest (Nov 15, 2007)

When I started the thread, I thought carelessly of things without importance, but I realize, now, that it is a very thorny issue. Politic influences music, music fires politic eloquence, politic encourages or persecutes musicians, religions inspire composers as where as Politic Inspires Religions – or the contrary… Difficult, indeed, and I don’t know what to say, now…

There are so many examples of these interlaced issues…

- Verdi’s Nabucco, which was a political melodrama whose famous and moving chorus of exiled Jews, “Va pensiero,” was considered as a plea for the unification of Italy;
- Chopin's Revolutionary Etude, which was a homage;
- Krier’s “Le rêve passe”, who sings the bitter reverses of French troops conducted by the little “Napoleon”

...without talking about Richard Strauss, Shostakovich, or Kurt Weil, who fled Nazi Germany in March 1933, …


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## Manuel (Feb 1, 2007)

> First of all, that title makes me to think about a certain Giordano Opera: Andrea Chenier. Surely, it deals with politics and the general circumstances during revolutionary era.


But I don't think it's a political committed opera. I'm sure at the time of composing it Giordano was comfort enough with the idea that his situation would not be by any means endangered, as he was revealing one hundred year old political distresses.

Shostakovich, on the other hand, was brave enough to depict the death of a tyro in Lady Macbeth.



> So what is the grand conclusion: Music can reflect not only the fictious themes, but as well quite real happenings in individual lifes and also larger contexts, politics included,


With all that in mind Verdi had to rearrange _Un Ballo in maschera_, on behalf of political correctness.


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## Guarnerius (Oct 15, 2007)

Hmmm... feels that it could be own thread the subject of the composers themselves suffering personally from the political distress during their times.

Mentioning for example Shostakovich, people generally tend to think that his life and security was endangered and horrible, but just recently came a research, which says that he was enjoying very secured and priviledged life, just like the other intelligentsia. Hmmm... difficult to say, which one is correct, unless we didn't live at the same period...

Next it comes to my mind "unpopular" composer Erich Korngold, who had to move to US during the Nazis period. Actually, there he created a successful career as a movie film music composer, too.

So thinking about the compositions dealing with the political stuff... and on the other hand composers themselves as a "method of greater forces" and their personal position in society hierarchy... Practically they can be totally different things.


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## Michael Ferris (Oct 25, 2007)

I just did a blog article on Hans Werner Henze. On another thread I mentioned that I am doing a blog where I research composers and write a little article on them once a week. Well, in any case, my latest article on Hans Werner Henze shows quite well how he used his music to fulfill his political agenda. I think it fits right into this subject. http://blog.ferrisguitar.com


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

Also along the lines of the contribution by *Guarnerius* is the (now fringe) opera by Auber, Masaniello, ou La muetta de Portici, which found resonance with those who worked for Belgian independence.


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