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Andy Suarez's's's's's Page on Music and Things Musically Related!!!!!!

During our Cruise and stay in the different areas of France, one of the main forms of entertainment will be music and its general enjoyment. Lined up (and in no particular order) for the 10 day event will be various bands of France including French pop-sensations Phoenix and Camille. On land, events such as the touring of the Versailles Opera House and the viewing of a performance by the French National Orchestra located in Paris. Both on and off of the cruise we will listen to a range of composers from Jean-Baptiste Lully to the little known Daniel Auber to popular Impressionist composer, Claude Debussy. On the cruise, in lobbies and elevators, the sounds of Edith Piaf and Django Reinhardt will play endlessly.


 * The Baroque Period and Jean-Baptiste Lully**

The Baroque period of orchestral music began as a Germanic (I use the term Germanic as Germany became a nation in 1871 and until then was simply provinces and states sharing a common language) movement in the early 17th century which took some time to spread to the rest of Europe, gaining popularity from 1700 to roughly 1750. The style of music was known for its "primitive" melodies and harmonies as well as its exploration of form. During the time there was much experimentation with new combinations of instruments and thus the early Baroque period came together in one definitive sound at the end of the period mentioned above, which is also referred to as the "High" Baroque period. Jean-Baptiste Lully, of Italian birth originally, was a composer of the "Middle" Baroque period. Having moved to France at a young age and adopting the French culture, he is known as a French composer rather than an Italian. He spent most of his time in King Louis XIV's court and was his personal composer and dancer. He had no formal training, but had a natural affinity for dancing and music. His time in the royal court was spent writing ballets and, after some aging and a decline in his ability to dance, operas. His most popular composition was entitled //Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme//.

media type="youtube" key="hFNU-W5oSC8" height="344" width="425" Jean-Baptiste (de) Lully - Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme


 * The Romantic Period and Daniel Auber**

The Romantic period of orchestral and chamber music spanned from roughly 1820 to 1900. While the term "romantic" may commonly be used in the sense of "love," the Romantic period of music was meant to bring forth emotions from within, not simply love. Romanticism seeks to develop an "expansion of formal structures within a composition, making the pieces more passionate and expressive." During the Romantic period, the new idea of "nationalism" began to take hold in Europe, having originated during the French Revolution when the French warded off invading monarchical nations. The ethnocentric idea that one country's people could far supersede those of others was brought forth in Romantic landscape painting as well as Romantic music. Daniel Francois Espirit Auber was son of a printer who learned music at an early age. After much study of musical composition and throughout his life wrote many operas and concertos. Being recognized by the French government as a nation's greatness, his compositions were quickly successful and he became one of the most popular French composers of the 19th Century, though his pieces are more difficult to find today and are not as recognized by operatic enthusiasts. Of his many compositions, the opera //La Muette de Portici// (orignally entitled //Masaniello// after the opera's hero) was one of his biggest successes and perhaps his most renowned. media type="youtube" key="q3Fwo7Uj9Sk" height="344" width="425" Daniel Auber - La Muette de Portici


 * Impressionism and Claude Debussy

** Impressionism began in the late 19th century and continued until the mid 20th century. Centralized mostly in France, the Impressionist movement coincided with the Impressionist art and the like. The focus of Impressionist music was not meant to evoke an emotion, but to rather set a mood. Impressionism was a sort of rebellion against the Romantic period which, as noted earlier, focused on the drawing of inner feeling. This Romantic view was seen as excessive and Impressionism sought to bring this to a close. One method was the shortening of their compositions from operas, symphonies and concertos to brief pieces such as preludes and nocturnes. While Claude Debussy is seen as one of the foremost composers of the Impressionist movement, he did not actually see himself as such and denounced the title by saying he was simply "trying to do something different." His experimental nature displeased other composers clinging to the Romantic movement and his pieces were quite short. Tchaikovsky once described one of Debussy's pieces as "too short...terribly shriveled, and lacks unity." Debussy's dislike for form and rigidity inspired him to compose more in the realm of artistic freedom. media type="youtube" key="BzeCUlZz5aE" height="344" width="425" Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune media type="youtube" key="T1i_2HYmJkA" height="344" width="425" John Williams - Clair de Lune


 * On a Completely Unrelated Note:**

media type="youtube" key="Tn_95hdy6Nw" height="344" width="425" John Williams - Imperial March

**Back to the French:

Transfrancelantic Musical Itinerary**

On our trip to France we will experience the different operatic and symphonic forms of music. Whilst aboard the cruise ship, the musical choice will be far more lax and energetic than a "Classical" ensemble. For the first night, while not a French musician, but a native of New Orleans, the ship will feature the music of Harry Connick Jr., performed by the man himself in order to give our good tourists the nice transition from American subculture to full immersion in the French musical experience. Day two will see the popular French musician, Camille, performing her songs for the guests of this extravagant cruise. Our fourth night of delight will peak with a performance of Daniel Auber's Romantic piece //La Muette de Potici// in the most romantic city in the world, Paris as during the Romantic movement, Paris was a source of much literature and the happening place to be. During our sixth day in France the happy voyagers of the Transfrancelantic Cruisline will have the opportunity to experience Jean-Baptiste (de) Lully's full //Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme// in the Versailles opera house where Monsieur Lully would have performed during his friendship with the King of France. Day seven will see us joining our Impressionist artists with the sounds of Claude Debussy. Our tenth and final day of the cruise, those who would like to "cut loose" and go wild will have that opportunity as there will be a concert extravaganza! Headlining the event and brining the transition back to the Americas will be French band Phoenix who sing in English with our other previous guests opening for the all-night festivities. Needless to say, this final event will result in a raucous dance party wherein peoples' faces will be thoroughly rocked off. media type="youtube" key="O0XhHQbu2ts" height="344" width="425" Django Reinhart Documentary Camille Dalmais, known as Camille is a French singer, song writer and actress. She was born in 1978 in Paris and currently has four cds out. occasional [|actress]. http://www.camille-music.commedia type="youtube" key="A-jjVrWyI_8" height="344" width="425"

media type="youtube" key="-PUfsmJQrXY" height="344" width="425" Phoenix - Too Young
 * Go To:**

Transfrancelantic Homepage Transfrancelantic Art Page Transfrancelantic Literature Page


 * Works Cited:**

Teachout, Terry. //The New Tonalists//. Commentary; December 1997 Young, Webster. //Can There Be Great Composers Anymore?// Intercollegiate Review; Spring2008, Vol. 43 Issue 1 [|http://www.baroquemusic.org/ bardefn.html] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_music http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Debussy [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Daniel_Auber] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressionism_music http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Baptiste_Lully [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Romantic_music]