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La Marseillaise

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La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France.

Marseillaise-page1
Marseillaise-page1

It is a powerful song that many people use to show pride. This anthem has a very strong and stirring melody. Its lyrics help to unite people through a shared sense of patriotism. Because it is so famous, it has been used in many different kinds of music. You might hear it in classical pieces or even in popular songs. It remains a symbol of the French spirit today.

The song was first written in 1792.

Pils rouget lisle chantant marseillaise mb (Musée)
Pils rouget lisle chantant marseillaise mb (Musée)

A man named Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle composed it. He lived in the city of Strasbourg. At the time, France was at war with Austria. The Mayor of Strasbourg, Baron Philippe-Frédéric de Dietrich, asked him for help. He wanted a song to rally soldiers to defend their homeland. Rouget de Lisle wrote the piece that same evening. He called it the "War Song for the Army of the Rhine."

The song earned its famous nickname in a special way. In late May of 1792, volunteers from Marseille began singing it. These volunteers were called fédérés. They sang the song while marching into the city of Paris. This happened around July 30, 1792. The melody was so catchy that it spread quickly. It became a rallying call for the French Revolution. The song helped spread new ideas to many citizens.

History shows that the anthem has faced many changes. The French National Convention officially adopted it in 1795.

Later, the song lost its status during the reign of Napoleon I. It was even banned by kings like Louis XVIII and Charles X. However, it was brought back after the July Revolution of 1830. During the Franco-Prussian War, the government used it to motivate people. It was finally restored as the permanent national anthem in 1879.

Many great musicians have played with this famous tune. Hector Berlioz made a version for a chorus and an orchestra around 1830. Franz Liszt wrote a special version just for the piano. During World War I, a bandleader named James Reese Europe played a jazz version. Even the composer Robert Schumann used the melody in his piano works. In 1919, people used the song during protests in Korea. It is a song that connects many different parts of history.

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