| |
| |
TO MISQUOTE PLATO...
... "music gives charm and gaiety to life and to everything." We here at the Fondation Napoléon are great believers in this, and this week we have a whole host of media files to delight your ears. The highly-anticipated screenings of Abel Gance's Napoléon have already started at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, but for those unable to attend (or indeed for those who have attended and simply want to relive the moment), over in the magazine on the right-hand side, we have a Spotify link to Carl Davis' film score as well as a two-part interview with the composer himself. More Gance talk and music can be found in the Cinementals podcast, and a Youtube link to excerpts from Arthur Honegger's original score, also in our Magazine section over on the right-hand side. But that's not all, for as part of our final update on the upcoming international conference scheduled for next week, we have an exclusive music file of Peter Hicks, the foundation's International Relations Manager, playing two extracts from Daniel Steibelt's L'incendie de Moscou. These particular extracts will not be heard at the conference, so the only way to hear them is by reading this newsletter. Sticking with all-things Russia, our latest book of the month is actually a series: Alexander Mikaberidze's Russian Voices of the Napoleonic Wars, which presents previously unknown and unavailable Russian primary sources in English. Russia also figures heavily in a new exhibition - "The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812" - taking place at the Hillwood Estate in Washington, DC. Stepping back across the Atlantic and down into the Mediterranean, we bring you more exhibition news, with details of the latest Second Empire event opening at the Musée de la Maison Bonaparte in Ajaccio, Corsica. Further down, we bring you a BBC article on Yves Jégo's theme park plans, which includes a preliminary sketch of the park's layout. 200 years ago sees Sweden and Russia reach an agreement, whilst in 150 years ago, there is finally some good news for the Prince Napoleon.
|
|
|
| |
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Russian Voices of the Napoleonic Wars, translated and edited by Alexander Mikaberidze
Russia played a decisive role in the Napoleonic Wars and their success in the struggle against Napoleonic France allowed Russian leaders to influence the course of European history. Yet for a number of reasons, Russian voices are often times absent from the pages of historical accounts. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Napoleonic Wars, the "Russian Voices of the Napoleonic Wars" series will gradually present previously unknown or unavailable Russian primary sources. The historian behind the series, Alexander Mikaberidze, assistant professor of European history at Louisiana State University, spoke to napoleon.org about the project.
The French book of the month is Les mystères du butin de Waterloo (edited by Jean Tulard), the catalogue that accompanies the exhibition.
|
|
|
| |
WHAT'S ON
"Visites impériales : Napoléon III et Eugénie à Ajaccio", Ajaccio, France
The imperial family made two visits to Corsica during the reign of Napoleon III. The first, on 14 September 1860, involved the emperor and the empress, whilst the second, on 29 August 1869, saw Eugenie and the Prince Imperial arrive on the island to mark one hundred years since the birth of Napoleon I, the dynasty's founder. These two visits had a profound impact on Corsica and were widely covered by the newspapers and journals of the time. Through newspaper accounts, prints, paintings and period clothing, this exhibition - which runs until 1 July - takes a look back at these two visits and how they unfolded.
|
|
|
| |
"The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812", Washington, DC, USA
The Hillwood Estate in Washington, DC, is organising a host of Russia 1812 events as part of the worldwide bicentenary commemorations taking place this year. A new exhibition, "The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812", opened recently at the Hillwood Museum, which - it is claimed - holds the most comprehensive collection of Russian imperial art outside of Russia. The exhibition (which runs until 2 June) includes items of porcelain, Napoleonic armour, and even examples of empire-style fashion. Later on in April, there will also be a special book-signing event and lecture on Napoleon and Russia, given by Dominic Lieven, whose recent work Russia Against Napoleon was awarded the foreign-language history prize by the Fondation Napoléon.
|
|
|
| |
PRESS REVIEW
BBC: update on Yves Jégo's theme park plans
The BBC website features a lengthy article on Yves Jégo's plans to build a Napoleonic theme park. Aside from details taken from the announcement released to the press, the article also includes an early drawing which offers an intriguing glimpse into the potential layout of the park. These provisional sketches suggest that the park will be divided into different regions and will feature sections dedicated to the important episodes of Napoleon's life and career, such as the Battle of Trafalgar, Moscow in flames, the islands of Elba and St Helena, and the Egyptian campaign. There even appears to be a section on Napoleonic symbolism, including the bee and the eagle.
|
|
|
| |
FONDATION NAPOLEON NEWS
"1812, la campagne de Russie: Regards croisés sur une guerre européenne", Paris, France
The international conference taking place on 4 and 5 April next week is not just about fascinating discussions on the history and historiography of the 1812 campaign. For in amongst the different papers to be presented over the two days, there will be a musical contribution from the Fondation Napoléon's Peter Hicks, who will close Wednesday's proceedings with a short recital of 1812-themed piano music. And as a special bonus for our newsletter readers, we bring you an exclusive, previously-unreleased MP3 of Peter playing two extracts from Daniel Steibelt's L'incendie de Moscou: "Désespoir" and "Voeu pour la préservation du Tsar Alexandre". The track can be listened to online in your browser or you can download it to your computer (right-click on the link, save target as...). You will need a media player (such as iTunes or Windows Media Player) to play it on your computer.
200 YEARS AGO
Treaty between Russia and Sweden signed 5 April 1812
On 5 April, Swedish crown prince Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte - contrary to Napoleon's expectations that his former general would fall into line with him - gave notice of his intention to govern Swedish foreign policy as an independent ruler and signed a defensive and offensive alliance with Alexander I and Russia. The treaty outlined the incorporation of Norway - part of the Kingdom of Denmark and therefore a French ally - into the Swedish kingdom, with Sweden agreeing in turn not to contest Russian possession of Finland. Alexander promised troops to Bernadotte in order to seize Norway, with the pay-off being that once Norwegian territory had been secured, Sweden would carry out diversionary operations against Napoleon's rearguard in Germany.
150 YEARS AGO
Some good news for Plon-Plon
Finally in March, the Prince Napoleon saw his luck turn. After a run in with the emperor, angry exchanges with the Senate, and an aborted duel with the Duc d'Aumale, on 30 March 1862, the Moniteur Universel announced that his wife, Princess Clotilde, was with child. The combination of pious princess and anticlerical prince led to many jokes about the pregnancy, even in imperial circles. Matilde, the prince's sister, is said to have remarked shortly after the announcement (according to notorious gossiper Horace de Viel Castel): "A child of Clotilde? Why it is a devil in a font."
Wishing you an excellent "Napoleonic" week,
Peter Hicks & Hamish Davey Wright
Historians and web-editors
THE NAPOLEON.ORG BULLETIN, N° 621, 30 MARCH - 5 APRIL 2012
Interested in the work of the Fondation Napoléon? Why not participate, either generally or in a specific project, by making a donation?
© This Napoleon.org weekly bulletin is published by the Fondation Napoléon. Reproduction or all or part of this bulletin is forbidden, without prior agreement of the Fondation Napoléon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OPERATION ST HELENA
The Fondation Napoléon and the Souvenir Napoléonien, in association with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have announced an international fund-raising campaign to restore and save Napoleon I's residence on the island of St Helena. All the details regarding the campaign as well as donation forms and advice for donating from outside France, can be found on napoleon.org.
FONDATION NAPOLEON ON THE WEB
Each week we offer you a "mystery link" to somewhere on napoleon.org. Click on the link to discover a part of the website you might not have visited before...
MAGAZINE
Just published
- Napoleonic Lives, by Carole Divall
Press review
- BBC: early sketch of Yves Jégo's Napoleonic theme park
- Swan Ways spring 2012 newsletter
Seen on the web (external links)
- Cinementals podcast: Abel Gance's Napoléon
- Listen to Carl Davis' score for Abel Gance's Napoléon on Spotify
- Interview with Carl Davis: "Creating the Napoleon Score"
- Youtube: excerpts from Arthur Honegger's score for Napoléon
EVENTS
On now and coming up
A selection of events taking place now or in the coming weeks, taken from our What's on listings.
Conferences
- "1812, la campagne de Russie: Regards croisés sur une guerre européenne", Paris, France [04/04/2012 - 05/04/2012]
Full details
Exhibitions
- "La Berline de Napoléon: le mystère du butin de Waterloo", Paris, France [07/03/2012 - 08/07/2012]
Full details
- "Visites impériales : Napoléon III et Eugénie à Ajaccio", Ajaccio, France [31/03/2012 - 01/07/2012]
Full details
- "The Style that Ruled the Empires: Russia, Napoleon, and 1812", Washington, DC, USA [14/02/2012-02/06/2012]
Full details
- "Beresina – Swiss soldiers in Napoleon's Russian campaign 1812", Lucerne, Switzerland [21/03/2012 - 19/08/2012]
Full details
Film
- Abel Gance's Napoléon, San Francisco, USA [24/03/2012 - 01/04/2012]
Full details
Talks
- "Napoleon and Russia" with Dominic Lieven, Washington, DC, USA [24/04/2012]
Full details
NAPOLEON.ORG
The best of the month:
- Book of the month
- Painting of the month
- Objet d'Art of the month
- Article of the month
NAPOLEONICA.LA REVUE
Available free on Cairn.info
NAPOLEONICA ARCHIVES ONLINE
THE BIBLIOTHÈQUE MARTIAL-LAPEYRE FONDATION NAPOLEON LIBRARY
The library is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 1pm – 6pm and on Thursdays from 10am – 3pm.
The library will be closed exceptionally on 4 and 5 April.
Online catalogue
Digital Library
Contact
ACCOUNT DETAILS
To change your email address, unsubscribe, and sign up for the French information bulletin.
|
|
