Funeral Hymn for General Hoche
This hymn was performed at the state funeral held in Paris for Lazare Hoche. Only twenty–nine when he died, Hoche was already famous for his daring military leadership against the Prussians in 1793 and for the role he played in helping to quell counter–revolution in the west of France.
1797-00-00
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/620/
620
Hymn for the Festival of Marriage
Although festivals drew much smaller audiences during the final years of the Revolution, the government continued to celebrate them. Now, however, they tended to commemorate apolitical events: thus a festival, and hymn, devoted to the subject of marriage.
1798
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/618/
618
Hymn of 21 January
With lyrics drawn from a <em>Republican Ode </em>composed by the revolutionary poet Lebrun in 1793, this hymn commemorates the execution of Louis XVI.
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/616/
616
Hymn of 9 Thermidor
This hymn commemorates the overthrow of Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety by the men of the National Convention. It had its debut performance on the first anniversary of that event (27 July 1795).
1795-07-27
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/617/
617
It’ll Be Okay
Popular during the early years of the Revolution, this song’s lively tune and repetitive chorus expressed revolutionaries’ hopefulness about the future. Singers manipulated its malleable lyrics to address a broad range of topical issues.
1790-05-00
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/623/
623
Oh Richard, Oh, My King!
This aria from the Gretry opera,<em> Richard the Lion–Hearted, </em>was adopted by royalists during the early years of the Revolution. The song’s accusation that the king had been abandoned by all but his most devoted followers made it a suitable counter–revolutionary anthem.
1785
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/622/
622
Patriotic Song on the Unveiling of the Busts of Marat and Le Pelletier (1793)
This song illustrates the fluid boundary between "high" and "popular" musical forms. Althought these lyrics were set to a new composition by Joseph Gossec, they could also be sung to a tune already familiar to many French men and women. The song honors journalist Jean–Paul Marat and deputy Michel LePelletier, both of whom had been assasinated and were considered martyrs to the Revolution.
1793
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/621/
621
Song for the Festival of Old Age
This song was composed for one of the many Directorial festivals that were not overtly political. Several, like the festival for which this song was composed, celebrated important moments in the life cycle.
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/619/
619
Song of the Marseillaise of the Federation of 10 August, Year II
One of many hymns that was composed by rhyming new lyrics to the wildly popular tune of the "Marseillaise," this song was performed at a festival celebrating the first anniversary of the republican revolution of August 10.
1793-08-10
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/615/
615
Te Deum for the Federation of July 14, 1790 at the Champ de Mars
A hymn written by Joseph Gossec to celebrate national unity on the first anniversary of the taking of the Bastille. Combining old and new, Gossec set a traditional Latin text to music scored for wind instruments (rather than the common organ), the sound of which carried well at the outdoor festival.
1790-07-14
http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/614/
614