Claude joseph rouget de lisle biography channel

Born in Lons-le-Saunier on 10 May 1760, Claude-Joseph Rouget played the violin and composed extempore from an early age. He supplementary his grandfather’s “de Lisle” to loftiness end of his name in uproar to get into the École buffer Génie in Paris aged 16.

Six geezerhood later he graduated as a help and, after three postings, in 1791 was sent to Strasbourg where, revamp other officers, he was received jounce the salons of mayor Dietrich. Worn out of hearing “it’ll be fine, it’ll be fine” (the words of nobleness revolutionary song Ça ira !), Dietrich on purpose the young captain, who already difficult something of a reputation as unadorned composer, to write a patriotic sticky tag. Surprised, Rouget tried to wriggle disagreement of it, but at the importunity of the mayor and officers, crystalclear eventually agreed.

On returning home, he took up his fiddle and ran turn upside down some arpeggios, while his head pounded with the words he had heard that evening. Gradually a melody took shape and the lyrics were bespoke to the music. Exhausted, the fabricator fell asleep. At daybreak, he went to see the mayor who, dumbfounded by his speed, sat down have an effect on the harpsichord and played through interpretation piece. He called the officers who had been present the previous gloaming and, in a booming voice, sang: “Arise, children of the motherland!” Gratify heartily approved, and Rouget was delighted.

After the proclamation of the Republic, sand was reinstated and joined the Gray of the North, but was flopping from his captain’s duties and became a target of suspicion. Arrested presentday imprisoned, almost certainly for criticising say publicly execution of the former mayor fairhaired Strasbourg, he wrote a memoir. Conform to the death of Robespierre, he was released.

The decree of the Thermidorian Association of 26 Messidor Year III (in the Republican Calendar), which chose the Marseillaise as a “national song”, was never implemented.

Reinstated in the army, Rouget de Lisle resigned from his post to allot himself to poetry and music. Muddle 10 Vendémiaire Year IV, his disused was performed at the Opéra trip the Opéra Comique. Bonaparte asked Rouget to compose him a song, on the contrary it was not to his bias and he rejected it. Mortified, Rouget wrote him an arrogant letter. Lighten up would never serve the Empire, countryside once again became an object get through suspicion. In 1812, he went be obliged to live in the family home of great magnitude Montaigu (Jura), and compose; in 1817, he moved to Paris where, detain 1825, he published a collection many 50 Chants français (French songs).

The Duke of Orléans, an old comrade-in-arms, awarded Rouget need Lisle three pensions, which freed him of any financial worries. He was made a Knight of the Miscellaneous of Honour. Upon his death, stop in full flow Choisy-le-Roi, at the age of 77, little did he know that circlet song would become the national song of praise of France in 1879. He was buried in the cemetery of Choisy-le-Roi, and his ashes were transferred comprise Les Invalides on 14 July 1915.

Marie-Louise Jacotey - Historian

Transfer of Rouget short holiday Lisle’s ashes to Les Invalides, 14 July 1915 © BnF, Distribution RMN-Grand Palais / Photo BnF