Tuesday, January 28, 2003

Dates to Remember

Background of the Week: Voltaire (author of Candide)

“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”

— Voltaire (1694-1778)

Francois Marie Arouet (Voltaire) was born in Paris on November 21, 1694. As a youth he studied at a Jesuit college in Paris and made friends among the Parisian aristocrats. His humorous verses made him a favorite in society circles, but in 1717 his sharp wit got him into trouble with the authorities. He was imprisoned in the Bastille for eleven months for writing a scathing satire of the French government. During his time in prison Francois Marie wrote his first theatrical success, Oedipe, and adopted his pen name of "Voltaire."

In 1726, Voltaire insulted the powerful young nobleman, Chevalier De Rohan, and was given two options: imprisonment or exile. He chose exile and from 1726 to 1729 lived in England. While in England, Voltaire was attracted to the philosophy of John Locke and ideas of mathematician and scientist Sir Isaac Newton. He studied England's Constitutional Monarchy and its religious tolerance. Voltaire was particularly interested in the philosophical rationalism of the time, and in the study of the natural sciences. After returning to Paris he wrote a book praising English customs and institutions. It was interpreted as criticism of the French government and, in 1734, Voltaire was forced to leave Paris again.

A well-educated woman friend, the Marquise du Chatelet, invited Voltaire to move into her Chateau de Cirey near Luneville in eastern France. They studied the natural sciences together for several years. In 1746, Voltaire was voted into the Academie Francaise. Following the death of the Marquise he purchased an estate called Ferney near the French-Swiss border, where he lived until just before his death. Ferney soon became the intellectual capital of Europe. Voltaire worked continuously throughout the years, producing a constant flow of books, plays and other publications, and writing hundreds of letters to his circle of friends. He was always a voice of reason, and an outspoken critic of religious intolerance and persecution. Voltaire returned to a hero's welcome in Paris at age 83. The excitement of the trip was too much for him and he died in Paris. Because of his criticism of the church Voltaire was first denied burial in church ground, but was eventually buried at an abbey in Champagne. In 1791 his remains were moved to a resting place at the Pantheon in Paris.

In 1814 a group of "ultras" (right-wing religious) stole Voltaire's remains and dumped them in a garbage heap. No one was the wiser for some 50 years. His enormous sarcophagus (opposite Rousseau's) was checked and the remains were gone. His heart, however, had been removed from his body, and now resides in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. His brain had also been removed and traded hands several times over the next 100 years, but disappeared after an auction.[*]

"Shameless Plugs"

♫ Pippin Pocket Opera: Don Giovanni. With Marcelle Dronkers as Donna Anna. Sunday, February 2 at 3:00 pm (Martin Meyer Auditorium at Temple Emanu-El, San Francisco); and Sunday, June 1 at 2:00 pm (Florence Gould Theatre, Legion of Honor, San Francisco). Tickets are $32 general/$16 student. Call 1-800-303-1677 or see www.pocketopera.org.

♫ Duruflé Requiem, Revisited. The Arlington Community Church in Kensington has begun rehearsing the Duruflé Requiem and welcomes additional singers. If interested, contact director Leslie Moorjani at 510-843-7745, or just show up. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings from 8-9:30 pm at the church, 52 Arlington Avenue.

♫ Speaking of Singers. . . Bella Musica’s spring program has room for a few more voices, particularly on the lower parts (alto, tenor, bass). If you know someone who might enjoy the music we’re performing, it’s not yet too late! Please encourage singing friends/relatives/enemies/strangers to contact Arlene (510-525-5393) by the end of January.


[*] Biographical information adapted from http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95nov/voltaire.html.