·
Start with beatles revolution sample 2 sec
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samples <2 sec - happy birthday jaws hall of
mountain king beethovens 5th god save queen
deutchlandlied beatles revolution marseillaise
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Everything except the big bang has context.
·
One of the delights of information technology
that has developed during my lifetime is the ease of exploring the context from
any starting point.
·
I can spend hours entering "rabbit
holes" and emerging somewhere else presented with new holes to explore.
·
When I heard the recording of the French
National Anthem played at Wembley after the Paris attacks in 2015, I remember
going down a rabbit hole for a few hours exploring it's various contexts.
·
November 2015
Paris attacks - Wikipedia
·
November 2015
Paris attacks - Wikipedia
·
In the case of the Wembley match, it wasn't
enough as England won 2-0.
La Marseillaise music and lyrics was
composed in 1792 Apr 25 by a little known composer Rouget de Lisle - but
more on that later.
·
What about the origins and power of other national
anthems ?
·
God Save the Queen is in slow or funeral march
time.
·
The origin tune probably composed in 1619
by John Bull
(composer) - Wikipedia (not the
fictitious literary personification of England John Bull - Wikipedia). The most recognised lyrics were first
published in 1745 with no attribution. God Save the
Queen - Wikipedia
·
Deutschlandlied -
Wikipedia The german national
anthem is equally funerial.
·
(6) German anthem in
Olympiastadion - YouTube
·
The French fired the musical salvo of the Marseillaise
in 1792 at the Austrian Emperor, Leopold II
(older brother of Marie Antoinette) in the first days of the French
Revolutionary Wars 1792-1802
·
The Austrians asked their best composer, incidentally
the greatest composer the world has ever seen, Joseph Haydn, to inspire the
counterattack.
·
5 years later (there was no hurry, the war would last a
decade) on the birthday of Austrian Emperor Francis II
- "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser" (God Save Francis the Emperor) or
the Kaiserhymne.
·
In 1841, new lyrics from von
Fallersleben transformed it into "Das Lied der Deutschen".
·
In 1854, new lyrics transformed it into "Gott
erhalte, Gott beschütze" (God preserve, God protect).
·
A few years after the Austrian Empire disintegrated
in 1918, the German president adopted Deutschlandlied
with an emphasis on the woke 3rd stanza.
·
The nazi's re-emphasised the first stanza during
WW2.
·
It wasn't until 1952, that Deutschlandlied
once again became Germany's national anthem using the 3rd stanza.
·
·
As we move around Europe, the birth place of
National Anthems, we quickly realise that many countries also have marches -
but just seems to miss in terms of gravitas.
·
(Spotify has a good list of orchestral versions
of European national anthems Spotify –
European Hymns (The Most Famous National Anthems))
·
(6) Spain National Anthem vs
Italy Euro 2020 // "La Marcha Real" - YouTube start at 20sec
·
·
(6) Italy National Anthem
(2010 World Cup) - YouTube
·
La Marseillaise has both the battle ready march
tempo as well as the gravitas and passion.
·
When and who composed these anthems:
·
·
·
Other eauropean national anthems are
·
Marcha Real - Wikipedia composed Manuel
de Espinosa de los Monteros, 1761
Adopted 1770. No official lyrics
but many many historic, political and ethnic versions for Spaniards fight each
other over.
·
(8) La Marcha Real - Himno
de España/Spanish National Anthem/Hino da Espanha - YouTube Lalala
·
·
Il Canto degli
Italiani - Wikipedia Composed in
1847 by Goffredo Mameli set to music by Michele Novaro and pressed into service
as a national anthem only on 12 October 1946
·
·
Other rabbit holes that we pass by:
·
the
copycat origin of royal anthems in the 1400 - 1600's;
·
the
broadeniog of royal anthems to national anthems in European countries.
·
The spread of national anthems in the 1700's;
·
The enrgising of national anthem adoption probably
from the success of the Marseillaise.
·
How "un-woke" are the lyrics of
various national anthems
The next rabbit hole, that I did
go down was:
Why
·
Revolution
·
1775 April 19 – September 3, 1783: American Revolutionary War
·
American
Revolutionary War - Wikipedia
·
1778 Feb 6: France and the United States
signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce regulating trade between the two
countries, followed by a defensive military alliance against Britain, the
Treaty of Alliance. In return for French guarantees of American independence,
Congress undertook to defend their interests in the West Indies, while both
sides agreed not to make a separate peace; conflict over these provisions would
lead to the 1798 to 1800 Quasi-War.[181] Charles III of Spain was invited to
join on the same terms but refused, largely due to concerns over the impact of
the Revolution on Spanish colonies in the Americas.
·
American
Revolutionary War - Wikipedia
·
1782 Nov 30: British-American
negotiations in Paris led to preliminaries signed November 1782 acknowledging
US independence. Full treaty Sep 1783
·
American
Revolutionary War - Wikipedia
·
1783: Painting: Treaty of Paris, by
Benjamin West (1783), depicts the American delegation at the Treaty of Paris
(left to right): John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry
Laurens, and William Temple Franklin. The British delegation refused to pose,
and the painting was never completed.
·
Treaty of Paris
(1783) - Wikipedia
·
1787 May 25 (drafting) - 1787 Sept
17: The Constitution of the United
States is the supreme law of the United States of America.[3] It superseded the
Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution.
·
Constitution
of the United States - Wikipedia
·
1789 French Revolution: 5 May 1789 – 9 November
1799
·
French Revolution - Wikipedia
·
1789 Jan: Jefferson was cooperating with
Lafayette on a drsft for a "declaration of rights"
George
Athan Billias, ed. (2009). American Constitutionalism Heard Round the World,
1776–1989: A Global Perspective. NYU Press. p. 92. ISBN 9780814791394.
·
1789 May 5: The Estates-General convened
in the Menus-Plaisirs du Roi on5 May 1789, near the Palace of Versailles rather
than in Paris; the choice of location was interpreted as an attempt to control
their debates. As was customary, each Estate assembled in separate rooms, whose
furnishings and opening ceremonies deliberately emphasised the superiority of
the First and Second Estates. They also insisted on enforcing the rule that
only those who owned land could sit as deputies for the Second Estate, and thus
excluded the immensely popular Comte de Mirabeau.[39]
·
French Revolution - Wikipedia
·
1789 July 11 "Declaration of the
Rights of Man" was proposed and accepted by the National Assembly. Likely that this influenced Jefferson to
successfully seek Madison's support for a "Bill of Rights" back in
the USA
·
1789 Jul 14 Bastille Day: Many of these
soldiers joined the mob in attacking the Bastille, a royal fortress with large
stores of arms and ammunition. Its governor, Bernard-René de Launay,
surrendered after several hours of fighting that cost the lives of 83
attackers. Taken to the Hôtel de Ville, he was executed, his head placed on a
pike and paraded around the city; the fortress was then torn down in a
remarkably short time. Although rumoured to hold many prisoners, the Bastille
held only seven: four forgers, two noblemen held for "immoral
behaviour", and a murder suspect. Nevertheless, as a potent symbol of the
Ancien Régime, its destruction was viewed as a triumph and Bastille Day is
still celebrated every year.[45] In French culture, some see its fall as the
start of the Revolution.[46]
·
French Revolution - Wikipedia
·
1789 Sept 25: US Congress approved twelve articles of
amendment to US Constitution
·
Timeline
of drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution - Wikipedia
·
1791 June 20 - Kings Flight to
Varennes: late the next day, Louis was recognised as he passed through
Varennes, arrested and taken back to Paris. The attempted escape had a profound
impact on public opinion; since it was clear Louis had been seeking refuge in
Austria, the Assembly now demanded oaths of loyalty to the regime, and began
preparing for war, while fear of 'spies and traitors' became pervasive.
·
French Revolution -
Wikipedia
·
1791 July 17 radicals led by Jacques
Pierre Brissot prepared a petition demanding his deposition, and on 17 July, an
immense crowd gathered in the Champ de Mars to sign. Led by Lafayette, the
National Guard was ordered to "preserve public order" and responded
to a barrage of stones by firing into the crowd, killing between 13 and 50
people.[81]. The massacre badly damaged
Lafayette's reputation; the authorities responded by closing radical clubs and
newspapers, while their leaders went into exile or hiding, including Marat.[82]
On 27 August, Emperor Leopold II and Frederick William II of Prussia issued the
Declaration of Pillnitz declaring their support for Louis, and hinting at an
invasion of France on his behalf. In reality, the meeting between Leopold and
Frederick was primarily to discuss the Partitions of Poland; the Declaration
was intended to satisfy Comte d'Artois and other French émigrés but the threat
rallied popular support behind the regime.[83]
·
French Revolution -
Wikipedia
·
1791 Aug 10: a combined force of the Paris National Guard
and provincial fédérés attacked the Tuileries Palace, killing many of the Swiss
Guards protecting it.[95] Louis and his family took refuge with the Assembly
and shortly after 11:00 am, the deputies present voted to 'temporarily relieve
the king', effectively suspending the monarchy.[96]
·
French Revolution -
Wikipedia
·
1791 Aug 27: Holy Roman Emperor Leopold
II, brother of Louis XVI's Queen Marie Antoinette, had initially looked on the
Revolution with equanimity, but became more and more disturbed as the
Revolution became more radical, although he still hoped to avoid war.
·
1791 August 27, Leopold and King
Frederick William II of Prussia, in consultation with emigrant French nobles,
issued the Declaration of Pillnitz, which declared the interest
of the monarchs of Europe in the well-being of Louis and his family, and
threatened vague but severe consequences if anything should befall them.
Although Leopold saw the Pillnitz Declaration as a non-committal gesture to
placate the sentiments of French monarchists and nobles, it was seen in France
as a serious threat and was denounced by the revolutionary leaders.[6]
·
1792 Mar 1 Leopold died (probably from
severe onset pleurisy rather than French spies…). About a year and a half before his younger
sister, Marie on 16 October 1793 from severe decapitation.
·
1792 April 20 France eventually issued an
ultimatum demanding that the Habsburg monarchy of Austria under Leopold II, who
was also Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, renounce any hostile alliances and
withdraw its troops from the French border.[7] The reply was evasive, and the
French Assembly voted for war on 20 April 1792 against Francis II (who
succeeded Leopold II), after a long list of grievances presented by foreign
minister Charles François Dumouriez. Dumouriez prepared an immediate invasion
of the Austrian Netherlands, where he expected the local population to rise
against Austrian rule as they had earlier in 1790. However, the revolution had
thoroughly disorganized the army, and the forces raised were insufficient for
the invasion. Following the declaration of war, French soldiers deserted en
masse and in one case murdered their general, Théobald Dillon.[8]
·
French
Revolutionary Wars - Wikipedia
·
1792 April 20 – 27 March 1802 - French
Legislative Assembly declared war on Austria
·
Campaigns
of 1792 in the French Revolutionary Wars - Wikipedia
·
1792 Apr 25 : One lasting morale-boosting
effect was the composition of the battle hymn Chant de guerre pour l'armée du
Rhin ("War Song for the Rhine Army") by Rouget de Lisle in April
1792. It became popular among French soldiers nationwide, and was soon
identified with a battalion from Marseille. Thus, the song became known as La
Marseillaise, and on 26 Messidor III (14 July 1795) and again on 14 February
1879 it was officially recognised as the national anthem of France.[10]
·
The French national anthem, La Marseillaise, was
composed in Strasbourg, April 25, while the French were still mustering
troops, as the "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" ("War Song
for the Army of the Rhine").
·
Campaigns
of 1792 in the French Revolutionary Wars - Wikipedia
·
Strasbourg - Tournai 450km Google Maps
·
1792 April 29 - The French army performed
poorly in the first engagements. At the Battle of Marquain near Tournai (29
April), French soldiers fled almost at first sight of the Austrian outposts and
murdered their general Théobald Dillon, whom they accused of treason.
·
Campaigns
of 1792 in the French Revolutionary Wars - Wikipedia
·
Nicolas, Count Luckner (German: Johann
Nikolaus, Graf Luckner; 12 January 1722, Cham in der Oberpfalz – 4 January
1794, Paris) was a German officer in French service who rose to become a
Marshal of France. Luckner grew up in
Cham, in eastern Bavaria and received his early education from the Jesuits in
Passau. Before entering the French service, Luckner spent time in the Bavarian,
Dutch and Hanoverian armies. He fought as a commander of hussars during the
Seven Years' War (1756–1763) in the Hanoverian army against the French. Luckner
joined the French army in 1763 with the rank of lieutenant general. In 1784 he
became a Danish count. He supported the
French Revolution, and the year 1791 saw Luckner become a Marshal of France. In
1791–92 Luckner served as the first commander of the Army of the Rhine.
·
In 25 April 1792, Rouget de Lisle dedicated to
him the Chant de Guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin (War Song of the Army of the
Rhine), which was to become better known as the Marseillaise.
·
He was arrested by the Revolutionary Tribunal
and sentenced to death. He died by the guillotine in Paris in 1794.
·
Nicolas, Count Luckner He was given
command of the Army of the Rhine from December 1791 to May 1792, then of the
Army of the North from May to July 1792: he took the city of Menin on 19 June,
those of Kortrijk and Ypres on 20 June, but he was forced to retreat to
Valenciennes, having not been supported.
·
It was to him that Rouget de Lisle dedicated, in
April 1792, his famous War Song for the Army of the Rhine, otherwise named,
subsequently, the Marseillaise1.
·
Nicolas Luckner -
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
·
1808 The Spanish American wars of
independence (25 September 1808 – 29 September 1833; Spanish: Guerras de
independencia hispanoamericanas) were numerous wars in Spanish America with the
aim of political independence from Spanish rule during the early 19th century.
These began shortly after the start of the French invasion of Spain during the
Napoleonic Wars. Thus, the strict period of military campaigns would go from
the battle of Chacaltaya (1809), in present-day Bolivia, to the battle of
Tampico (1829), in Mexico.[6][7]
·
Spanish
American wars of independence - Wikipedia
·
War Song to the Armies of the Borders on the air
of Sarguines (Chant de guerre aux armées
des frontières sur l'air de Sarguines)
====================================================================
A meme is a word invented by Richard Dawkins in 1976. He had written "The Selfish Gene" describing the way in which genes evolved on earth by collecting into complexes that we call organisms. These organisms (e.g. us) are machines that arose because they improved the frequency and spread of the genes inside them. At the end of the book, he introduces the concept of the meme - thought, act or thing that is able to spread and gain influence through the cooperation of a host. As he worked on genes, he had realised that the speed of evolution of human culture was making physical evolution irrelevant for our species. We were changing ourselves and the planet millions of time faster than any process of physical evolution. The atoms of this cultural change, he called memes. Analogous to genes, their purposeless propagation alters culture. They can split, mutate, become extinct etc etc.
The term meme is helpful because it strips back cultural pretensions and brings together analysis of all thoughts, actions and things, no matter how different. It encourages evaluation of the influence of the Coke label and a Cézanne painting in the same way. What is it's spread and frequency over time. How was it created ? What effects has it had on it's hosts. What memplexes is it connected to.
When I think of a thought, act or thing, I imagine it as a node on a web. It is connected in dimensions to other thoughts, actions or things. The more connections, the larger the node appears.
Music is just one example - but one that, second only to family, gives life a sense of purpose (a fiction that is essential to happiness).
Sound Samples - Classical Memes - 2min
All artists are in the business of meme creation. They may protest that they create for themselves. Those for whom this is true are unknown to us as their memes died with them. Musicians have been creating enormously powerful memes since the dawn of our species. I would predict that member of contemporary upperclass western culture would recognise most of these samples and be able to name at least a few.
These samples are memes in themselves - but much longer memes - one verse, one movement, the whole opus also exist at much lower frequency - how many people listen to the whole of even the first movement of Beethoven's Fifth ?
These atoms of culture when some memes loose power and other gain power.
So
Vocalisation as part of sound communication in addition to stamping, banging clubs, body stance and movement was probably in wide use between Hominoidea possibly up to 30 million years ago. Cultures evolved effective vocalisations for a range of situations - e.g. grooming, mating and most importantly - signalling and fighting.
Sounds: 2001
protestations to being creating only for themselves
in form, from the viewpoint of their spread and of the way that that influence and thus history
way of thinking as the label brings together
Every thought, action or thing is a node in the web of existence with innumerable connections in space and time.
Consider "La Marseillaise". The name alone is recognised in probably more people than know of the town to which it refers. The tune is instantly recognisable by an even greater proportion. This powerful node links to France, nationalism, history, revolution, militarism, march music, battle music, and the commercialisation of memes.
The tune is an immensely powerful meme. The lyrics are mutualistic in that they add power but comparatively rarely exist on their own.
Some people spend significant portions of their life in deliberate attempts to create memes. A meme's success is measured by it's frequency and spread over time and space. Beethoven, Dickens, Yves_Saint_Laurent - all created powerful memes through the creation of works that continue to replicate and spread all over the planet. Huge numbers of minor talents spend hours on the internet partly enticed by the faint possibility that their meme will go viral. The scale of the meme's recognition brings money and power.
Rouget de Lisle was explicitly set the task of enhancing the power of French troops by giving them a song to sing.
Many have used the meme's power by swapping their own lyrics - catholic, russia, civil war ec
Memes are a big business people trying with all their might to create them every day.
It is significant because it is one of the most successful musical memes on the planet at this moment. Since the most likely date of composition (25 April 1792), the music spread rapidly through France, then Europe, then North America, and has been "used" in a range of countries for a range of purposes by changing the lyrics.
The original purpose of the song was to improve the effectiveness of French soldiers.
Even though La Marseillaise sounds like a dinner sauce or a mispronunciation of Marseilles, it's sound is instantly recognisable by a very large proportion of people who grew up under the influence of almost any European Culture.
It's story could start with the earliest threat vocalisation that evolved probably in early chordates such as tetrapods even before the dinosaurs.
1.1
1.2 Auditory
1.3 Olfactory
1.4 Electric
1.5 Touch
1.6 Seismic
1.7 Thermal
Marseilles sung as a military march with drums. (Révolution Française - La Chute du Roi Louis XVI)
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