Rien n’est jamais acquis l’homme ni sa force
Ni sa faiblesse ni son coeur et quand il croit
Ouvrir ses bras son ombre est celle d’une croix
Et quand il croit serrer son bonheur il le broie
Sa vie est un trange et douloureux divorce
Il n’y a pas d’amour heureux.
2Sa vie elle ressemble ces soldats sans armes
Qu’on avait habills pour un autre destin
quoi peut leur servir de se lever matin
Eux qu’on retrouve au soir dsarms incertains
Dites ces mots ma vie et retenez vos larmes
Il n’y a pas d’amour heureux.
3Mon bel amour mon cher amour ma dchirure
Je te porte dans moi comme un oiseau bless
Et ceux-l sans savoir nous regardent passer
Rptant aprs moi ces mots que j’ai tresss
Et qui pour tes grands yeux tout aussitt moururent
Il n’y a pas d’amour heureux.
4Le temps d’apprendre vivre il est dj trop tard
Que pleurent dans la nuit nos coeurs l’unisson
Ce qu’il faut de malheur pour la moindre chanson
Ce qu’il faut de regrets pour payer un frisson
Ce qu’il faut de sanglots pour un air de guitare
Il n’y a pas d’amour heureux
Bien sûr il y a les guerres d’Irlande Et les peuplades sans musique Bien sûr tout ce manque de tendres Il n’y a plus d’Amérique Bien sûr l’argent n’a pas d’odeur Mais pas d’odeur me monte au nez Bien sûr on marche sur les fleurs Mais voir un ami pleurer!
Bien sûr il y a nos défaites Et puis la mort qui est tout au bout Nos corps inclinent déjà la tête Étonnés d’être encore debout Bien sûr les femmes infidèles Et les oiseaux assassinés Bien sûr nos cœurs perdent leurs ailes Mais mais voir un ami pleurer!
Bien sûr ces villes épuisées Par ces enfants de cinquante ans Notre impuissance à les aider Et nos amours qui ont mal aux dents Bien sûr le temps qui va trop vite Ces métro remplis de noyés La vérité qui nous évite Mais voir un ami pleurer!
Bien sûr nos miroirs sont intègres Ni le courage d’être juifs Ni l’élégance d’être nègres On se croit mèche on n’est que suif Et tous ces hommes qui sont nos frères Tellement qu’on n’est plus étonnés Que par amour ils nous lacèrent Mais voir un ami pleurer!
An igloo,whichmeans“house” in theInuitlanguage, is a traditional,dome-shapedEskimodwellingwith a lowtunnelentranceconstructed of blocks of snowplaced in an ascendingspiral.AlthoughigloosarecommonlyassociatedwiththeInuit,theywerepredominantlyconstructed by people of Canada’sCentralArcticandGreenland’sThulearea.What is a kudlik, andhowdid it helpstrengthenthestructuralintegrity of igloos?More…Discuss
Today In History. What Happened This Day In History
A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.
Today in History January 15
1624
Riots flare in Mexico when it is announced that all churches are to be closed.
1811
In a secret session, Congress plans to annex Spanish East Florida.
1865
Union troops capture Fort Fisher, North Carolina.
1913
The first telephone line between Berlin and New York is inaugurated.
1919
Peasants in Central Russia rise against the Bolsheviks.
1920
The Dry Law goes into effect in the United States. Selling liquor and beer becomes illegal.
1920
The United States approves a $150 million loan to Poland, Austria and Armenia to aid in their war with the Russian communists.
1927
The Dumbarton Bridge opens in San Francisco carrying the first auto traffic across the bay.
1929
The U.S. Senate ratifies the Kellogg-Briand anti-war pact.
1930
Amelia Earhart sets an aviation record for women at 171 mph in a Lockheed Vega.
1936
In London, Japan quits all naval disarmament talks after being denied equality.
1944
The U.S. Fifth Army successfully breaks the German Winter Line in Italy with the capture of Mount Trocchio.
1949
Chinese Communists occupy Tientsin after a 27-hour battle with Nationalist forces.
1965
Sir Winston Churchill suffers a severe stroke.
1967
Some 462 Yale faculty members call for an end to the bombing in North Vietnam.
1973
US President Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action by US troops in Vietnam.
1973
Four of six remaining Watergate defendants plead guilty.
1975
The Alvor Agreement is signed, ending the Angolan War of independence and granting that country independence from Portugal.
1976
Sara Jane Moore sentenced to life in prison for her failed attempt to assassinate US President Gerald Ford.
1991
UN deadline for Iraq to withdraw its forces from occupied Kuwait passes, setting the stage for Operation Desert Storm.
1991
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II approves Australia instituting its own Victoria Cross honors system, the first county in the British Commonwealth permitted to do so.
1992
Slovenia and Croatia’s independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is recognized by the international community.
2001
Wikipedia goes online.
Born on January 15
1622
Moliere [Jean Baptiste Poquelin], French comic dramatist best remembered for his play La Tartuffe.
1716
Philip Livingston, signatory to the Declaration of Independence.
Princess Michael of Kent (Baroness Marie Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz), married to Prince Michael of Kent, grandson of Britain’s King George V.
1948
Ronnie Van Zant, singer, songwriter; founding member of Lynyrd Skynyrd band.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A new inspector general blasted the New York City Police Department on Monday for failing to punish officers who used banned chokeholds on citizens, sometimes as a first response in a confrontation.
The first official report by police Inspector General Philip Eure comes a month after New York was shaken first by a grand jury’s decision not to indict an NYPD officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner and then by the killing of two NYPD officers by a gunman avenging the Staten Island man’s death.
It looked at 10 recent cases in which the NYPD’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), an independent agency tasked with investigating excessive force claims, concluded officers used chokeholds, which are banned by police department regulations. The cases were documented between 2009 and July 2014 and do not include Garner’s death on July 17, 2014.
Among the 10 cases was a Bronx high school student who was walking away from school officials disciplining her on Jan. 8, 2008, and was placed in a chokehold by a police officer assigned to the building, the report said.
EW YORK (Reuters) – A new inspector general blasted the New York City Police Department on Monday for failing to punish officers who used banned chokeholds on citizens, sometimes as a first response in a confrontation.
The first official report by police Inspector General Philip Eure comes a month after New York was shaken first by a grand jury’s decision not to indict an NYPD officer in the chokehold death of Eric Garner and then by the killing of two NYPD officers by a gunman avenging the Staten Island man’s death.
It looked at 10 recent cases in which the NYPD’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), an independent agency tasked with investigating excessive force claims, concluded officers used chokeholds, which are banned by police department regulations. The cases were documented between 2009 and July 2014 and do not include Garner’s death on July 17, 2014.
Among the 10 cases was a Bronx high school student who was walking away from school officials disciplining her on Jan. 8, 2008, and was placed in a chokehold by a police officer assigned to the building, the report said.
Marguerite had survived many threats in the twenty-six years she had been in wilderness of Canada. She had lived through Iroquois attacks, a fire that destroyed her small village, plagues on the … continue reading
Macdonald was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. He played a crucial role in expanding Canada‘s territories to include the Northwest Territories and British Columbia and earned much praise for his role in forging a nation of sprawling geographic size, with two disparate European colonial origins and a multiplicity of cultural backgrounds and political views. What was the Pacific scandal, and how did it affect Macdonald’s career? More…Discuss
In a statement police said that Ashton Carleton Larmond and Carlos Larmond, both 25, were planning to leave Canada to engage in terrorist activities abroad.
Police say Ashton Larmond is charged with facilitating terrorist activity among other charges.
Carlos Larmond faces charges of participation in the activity of a terrorist group and attempting to leave Canada to participate in terrorist activity abroad.
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley‘s Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus is a gothic novel that spawned a new genre of horror stories. It tells the story of Frankenstein, a scientist who discovers how to bring inanimate matter to life and, in the process, creates a man-monster. When Frankenstein fails to provide a mate to satisfy the creature’s human emotions, it seeks revenge. Mary Shelley came up with the idea for the novel while vacationing at the home of what famous poet? More…Discuss
This audio reading of The Devil’s Dictionary is read by
Peter Yearsley, Chip, John Hicken, Kathy, Geetu Melwani, Michael Kirkpatrick, Kara Shallenberg, Denny Sayers, Fox in the Stars, Kevin Devine, Gesine, David Barnes, Aldark, dreamword
Contents (SampleS) 17 sections: Preface, and Letters A-Z (like the ones bellow)
The person or persons who have associated work with this document (the “Dedicator” or “Certifier”) hereby either (a) certifies that, to the best of his knowledge, the work of authorship identified is in the public domain of the country from which the work is published, or (b) hereby dedicates whatever copyright the dedicators holds in the work of authorship identified below (the “Work”) to the public domain. A certifier, moreover, dedicates any copyright interest he may have in the associated work, and for these purposes, is described as a “dedicator” below.
A certifier has taken reasonable steps to verify the copyright status of this work. Certifier recognizes that his good faith efforts may not shield him from liability if in fact the work certified is not in the public domain.
Dedicator makes this dedication for the benefit of the public at large and to the detriment of the Dedicator’s heirs and successors. Dedicator intends this dedication to be an overt act of relinquishment in perpetuity of all present and future rights under copyright law, whether vested or contingent, in the Work. Dedicator understands that such relinquishment of all rights includes the relinquishment of all rights to enforce (by lawsuit or otherwise) those copyrights in the Work.
Dedicator recognizes that, once placed in the public domain, the Work may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, used, modified, built upon, or otherwise exploited by anyone for any purpose, commercial or non-commercial, and in any way, including by methods that have not yet been invented or conceived.
In April, astronomers discovered the first Earth-size planet within a star’s habitable zone, the region where liquid water can exist. This artist’s concept shows the planet, dubbed Kepler-186f, which is 1.1 times the size of Earth. The ultimate goal is to find another planet just like Earth, and this one—although more like a cousin than a twin—is close. NASA Ames/SETI Institute/JPL-Caltech
Scientists discovered some pretty amazing things in space this year. There were yet more planets, including the first Earth-like one in a star’s habitable zone. Astronomers found what might be a black-hole triplet, stars in the midst of merging into one giant one, and a star made of diamond.
More Best of 2014:
The Best and Worst of Science in 2014
These Are Our Favorite Maps of the Year
The Best Science Visualizations of 2014
But some of the most exciting things were found right in our own solar system. These discoveries include the first rings ever seen around an asteroid, plumes of water vapor spewing out from the dwarf planet Ceres, a disintegrating asteroid, and what appears to be a new dwarf planet billions of miles away. Oh, and we landed on a comet for the first time. Here are some of the most fantastic
Many believe that the large fireball observed in the sky above Ontario, Canada, and at least six US states in 1965 was nothing more than a passing meteor. However, some witnesses in the small town of Kecksburg, Pennsylvania, claim a car-sized, acorn-shaped object with hieroglyphic-like markings crashed in a nearby wood and was then carted off by the military. Government officials long denied these allegations, but 40 years later, in 2005, NASA made what admission regarding the suspicious object? More…Discuss
A nationwide night of storytelling, Tellabration was started in 1988 by storyteller J. G. (“Paw-Paw”) Pinkerton. The event began with storytelling in six communities in Connecticut. The next year, Texas and Missouri also had Tellabrations, and, by 1991, storytelling on this night was happening in 72 communities in 27 states, as well as in locations in Bermuda and Canada. Eventually, the length of Tellabrations extended to a weekend. Proceeds of the event go toward developing the archives of Storytelling Foundation International in Jonesborough, Tennessee. More…Discuss
Prince Edward Island (PEI) is a Canadian province situated in the Maritimes. It is the nation’s smallest province in both size and population, but it has Canada‘s highest population density. With its fertile, distinctive red soil and its agreeable climate, the island has become known as the Garden of the Gulf. Tourism and fishing contribute to the island’s economy, and there may be natural gas deposits beneath its eastern end. What Canadian author and PEI native set most of her novels there? More…Discuss
We don’t use the term “working class” here because it’s a taboo term. You’re supposed to say “middle class,” because it helps diminish the understanding that there’s a class war going on.
It’s true that there was a one-sided class war, and that’s because the other side hadn’t chosen to participate, so the union leadership had for years pursued a policy of making a compact with the corporations, in which their workers, say the autoworkers—would get certain benefits like fairly decent wages, health benefits and so on. But it wouldn’t engage the general class structure. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why Canada has a national health program and the United States doesn’t. The same unions on the other side of the border were calling for health care for everybody. Here they were calling for health care for themselves and they got it. Of course, it’s a compact with corporations that the corporations can break anytime they want, and by the 1970s they were planning to break it and we’ve seen what has happened since.
This is just one part of a long and continuing class war against working people and the poor. It’s a war that is conducted by a highly class-conscious business leadership, and it’s one of the reasons for the unusual history of the U.S. labor movement. In the U.S., organized labor has been repeatedly and extensively crushed, and has endured a very violent history as compared with other countries.
Heinz was a pioneer in the American food industry. He got an early start in the food business, peddling surplus home-grown vegetables to neighbors by the age of eight. In 1876, he, his brother, and a cousin founded a pickles and condiments company that became the H. J. Heinz Company when he bought them out in 1888. The company’s tomato ketchup quickly became a bestseller and remains the most popular ketchup in the US today. Why did Heinz make “57 varieties” his company slogan? More…Discuss
Growing old is never easy, but for some it is easier than others, and where they live has a lot to do with it. An index evaluating thequality of life of older adults in 96 countries around the globe has ranked Norway the best country in the world for older people, followed closely by Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, and Germany. Australia, Western Europe, and North America also rank high on the list. The index weighs factors such as income security, health, personal capability, and whether the elderly live in an “enabling environment.” More…Discuss
“Sierra Leone’s explosion of Ebola cases in early summer all appears to stem from one traditional healer’s funeral at which 14 women were infected, according to scientists studying the blood of victims.
The funeral, which took place in mid-May, constitutes a “super-spreader” event comparable to a 2003 one in a Hong Kong hotel in which one doctor from China dying of SARS infected nine other guests who spread the virus throughout the city and to Vietnam and Canada.”
In the years leading up to British Columbia’s entrance into the Confederation of Canada, a series of gold rushes prompted financial crises in the region as well as fears that the US might attempt to annex the British colony. In 1871, British Columbia became the Confederation’s sixth province, strengthening Canada’s hand in international trade. In return, Canada assumed a large portion of the province’s debt. What is the meaning of British Columbia’s Latin motto, “Splendor sine occasu”? More…
On Friday evenings in July and August, dances and accompanying songs are performed by the ‘Ksan, or Gitxsan, Indians in a longhouse in the Indian Village in Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada. The dances are said to go back to pre-history; they were revived in 1958, and the ‘Ksan dancers have since performed in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City, Missouri, and even Australia. Performers must be Git ‘Ksan, meaning “People of the ‘Ksan” (named after the nearby Skeena River). More…Discuss
Canada’s northernmost territory of Nunavut was established on July 9, 1993, through a land claim signed by the national government and the Inuit of the Nunavut Settlement Area. Most of the day’s activities take place in Nunavut’s hub and capital city, Iqaluit. Festivities include barbeques, parades, traditional Inuit games, and feasts featuring local cuisine of caribou, walrus, and arctic char. In recent years, the day’s program has also included organized tournaments of cribbage, checkers, and Scrabble. More…Discuss
A promise I made To myself I will not be bored I will learn to not be bored To find the elements in Things People Water Air Dirt Fire That will be interesting Enough Not to bore me To look for antiboring-antiboring-anti Behavior thumb sucking Smoking whatever Drinking to unbore And immature mature relationships Turning to be boring now I Walk away from boring And get fit as I walk, and now I can tell what’s boring I can unbore and stay that way Way to go
Long before a national holiday was established, this day of the year had been observed by Canada’s Inuit, Métis, and First Nations peoples as a celebration of Aboriginal heritage. In 1996, the Canadian government made June 21 an official holiday, including all citizens in the observance. Celebrations take place throughout Canada, and are organized by the regional offices of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Canadian Heritage. Some festivities are modest celebrations; others exhibit a stronger focus on culture and tradition by holding canoe races, powwows, and awareness events. More…Discuss
Quand nous en serons au temps des cerises Et gai rossignol et merle moqueur Seront tous en fête Les belles auront la folie en tête Et les amoureux du soleil au cur
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises Sifflera bien mieux le merle moqueur Mais il est bien court le temps des cerises Où l’on s’en va deux cueillir en rêvant Des pendants d’oreilles Cerises d’amour aux robes pareilles Tombant sous la feuille en gouttes de sang Mais il est bien court le temps des cerises Pendants de corail qu’on cueille en rêvant
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises Si vous avez peur des chagrins d’amour Evitez les belles Moi qui ne crains pas les peines cruelles Je ne vivrai pas sans souffrir un jour Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises Vous aurez aussi des chagrins d’amour
J’aimerai toujours le temps des cerises C’est de ce temps-là que je garde au cur Une plaie ouverte Et Dame Fortune, en m’étant offerte Ne saura jamais calmer ma douleur J’aimerai toujours le temps des cerises Et le souvenir que je garde au cur
— lyrics by Jean-Baptiste Clément and music by Antoine Renard
Par le petit garçon qui meurt près de sa mère Tandis que des enfants s’amusent au parterre Et par l’oiseau blessé qui ne sait pas comment Son aile tout à coup s’ensanglante et descend Par la soif et la faim et le délire ardent Je vous salue, Marie.
Par les gosses battus, par l’ivrogne qui rentre Par l’âne qui reçoit des coups de pied au ventre Et par l’humiliation de l’innocent châtié Par la vierge vendue qu’on a déshabillée Par le fils dont la mère a été insultée Je vous salue, Marie.
Par la vieille qui, trébuchant sous trop de poids S’écrie: ” Mon Dieu ! ” par le malheureux dont les bras Ne purent s’appuyer sur une amour humaine Comme la Croix du Fils sur Simon de Cyrène Par le cheval tombé sous le chariot qu’il traîne Je vous salue, Marie.
Par les quatre horizons qui crucifient le monde Par tous ceux dont la chair se déchire ou succombe Par ceux qui sont sans pieds, par ceux qui sont sans mains Par le malade que l’on opère et qui geint Et par le juste mis au rang des assassins Je vous salue, Marie.
Par la mère apprenant que son fils est guéri Par l’oiseau rappelant l’oiseau tombé du nid Par l’herbe qui a soif et recueille l’ondée Par le baiser perdu par l’amour redonné Et par le mendiant retrouvant sa monnaie Je vous salue, Marie.
For the little boy who lays dying close to his mother While children play on the flower bed And for the wounded bird that doesn’t know how His wing became suddenly bloody and falls from the sky For the thirst and the hunger and the feverous delirium Hail, Mary
For the beaten children, for the drunk who returns home For the ass who gets kicked in the stomach And for the humiliation of the innocents who are punished For the sold virgin that is undressed For the son whose mother has been insulted Hail, Mary
For the old woman who stumbles under too much weight Exclaiming “My God!”, for the unfortunate ones whose arms Couldn’t rely on a human love Like Simon of Cyrene bearing the Cross of the Son For the fallen horse under the chariot that it drags Hail, Mary
For the four horizons that crucify the world For all those whose flesh is torn or dies For all those who are without feet, who are without hands For the sick that are operated on and moan And for the just put among the ranks of killers Hail, Mary
For the mother learning that her son is healed For the bird calling the fallen bird back to the nest For the thirsty grass that gathers rain For the lost kiss returned by love And for the beggar who finds his money again Hail, Mary
Researchers are attributing an uptick in suicides in North America and Europe to the recent economic crisis. An analysis of data from 24 European countries, the US, and Canada attributes 10,000 suicides to the recession. It is perhaps not surprising that unemployment, losing one’s home, or being in debt drives some to take their own lives, but it is interesting to note that this is not the case everywhere. Austria, Sweden, and Finland showed no increase in suicides. All three invest in programs that help people return to work, suggesting that there are ways to mitigate the psychological burden brought on by economic troubles. More…
Totem poles are towering sculptures carved from trees by a number of Native American peoples along the Pacific Northwest coast of North America. They display mythological images, usually animal spirits. The poles
Totem poles in front of houses in Alert Bay, British Columbia in the 1900s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
are erected to identify the owner of a house or other property, welcome visitors, indicate a portal or passageway, mark a gravesite, and even to ridicule an important person who failed in some way. Why was this last type of pole—a “shame pole”—erected in Cordova, Alaska, in 2007? More…Discuss
Pregnant women may want to keep off the roads after learning this statistic: women in their second trimester are 42 percent more likely to be involved in acar crash that sends them to the hospital than they were prior to becoming pregnant. Why this is remains to be determined, but researchers suspect that the physical effects of pregnancy at this stage—fatigue, nausea, anxiety, mood fluctuations—can lead to distractedness behind the wheel. More…Discuss
A popular topping for pancakes, waffles, French toast, and the like, maple syrup comes from the sap of sugar maple and black maple trees. In springtime, taps inserted in the trees begin flowing with sap, which is collected, strained, and concentrated by boiling. Native Americans were the first to prepare syrup from maple sap, using hot rocks or freezing to concentrate the sap. They shared their methods with arriving colonists—and the rest is history. What is produced by boiling down maple syrup? More…Discuss
Niagara Falls is a set of three spectacular waterfalls located on the US-Canadian border. The Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls are renowned for their beauty, and Niagara Falls as a whole is both a valuable source of hydroelectric power and a challenging project for environmental preservation. It is also a popular site for daredevils. In 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to go over the falls in a barrel. She survived and had what to say about the experience? More…Discuss
From 1903 until 1957, this holiday in honor of the British Empire was known as Empire Day and celebrated on May 24, Queen Victoria‘s birthday. Between 1958 and 1966, it was called British Commonwealth Day. Then it was switched to Queen Elizabeth II‘s official birthday in June, and the name was shortened to Commonwealth Day. It is now observed annually on the second Monday in March. In Canada it is still celebrated on May 24 (or the Monday before) and referred to as Victoria Day. More…Discuss
If your teen frequently consumes energy drinks, this could be a red flag that he or she engages in other risky behaviors. A Canadian study found that high school students who reported a higher frequency of energy drink use were more likely to also feel depressed, engage in risk-taking behaviors, drink alcohol, and use drugs. Energy drinks’ marketing campaigns may be somewhat to blame for the association, as they are designed make the products seem extreme and exciting. This likely increases their appeal to young people, especially those already prone to sensation seeking. More…Discuss
Curling is a team sport in which players slide heavy stones with handles toward a target or “tee.” The stones closest to the tee at the end of play earn points. After a stone is hurled, players called “sweepers” use special brooms to sweep the ice ahead of the stone. This affords them some measure of control over the stone’s trajectory and allows them to get it closer to the tee or even knock away or block the opposing team’s stones. Though curling is very popular in Canada, it originated where? More…
Rhapsodie D’Auvergne for Piano and Orchestra By Saint-Saens
(2008 Annual Concert at Glenn Gould Studio Toronto Soloist:Emily Pei’En Fan Conductor: Tony Fan with Chinese Artists Society of Toronto Youth Orchestra)
In 1886 Saint-Saëns debuted two of his most renowned compositions: The Carnival of the Animals andSymphony No. 3, dedicated to Franz Liszt, who died that year. That same year, however, Vincent d’Indyand his allies had Saint-Saëns removed from the Société Nationale de Musique. Two years later, Saint-Saëns’s mother died, driving the mourning composer away from France to the Canary Islands under the alias “Sannois”. Over the next several years he travelled around the world, visiting exotic locations in Europe, North Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. Saint-Saëns chronicled his travels in many popular books using his nom de plume, Sannois.
In 1908, he had the distinction of being the first celebrated composer to write a musical score to a motion picture, The Assassination of the Duke of Guise (L’assassinat du duc de Guise), directed by Charles Le Bargy and André Calmettes, adapted by Henri Lavedan, featuring actors of the Comédie Française. It was 18 minutes long, a considerable run time for the day.
Saint-Saëns continued to write on musical, scientific and historical topics, travelling frequently before spending his last years in Algiers, Algeria. In recognition of his accomplishments, the government of France awarded him the Légion d’honneur.
Saint-Saëns died of pneumonia on 16 December 1921 at the Hôtel de l’Oasis in Algiers. His body was repatriated to Paris, honoured by state funeral at La Madeleine, and interred at Cimetière du Montparnasse in Paris.
Relationships with other composers
Saint-Saëns was either friend or enemy to some of Europe’s most distinguished musicians. He stayed close to Franz Liszt and maintained a fast friendship with his pupil Gabriel Fauré, who replaced him as organist and choirmaster when he retired. Additionally, he was a teacher and friend to Isidor Philipp, who headed the piano department at the Paris Conservatory for several decades and was a composer and editor of the music of many composers. But despite his strong advocacy of French music, Saint-Saëns openly despised many of his fellow-composers in France such as Franck, d’Indy, and Massenet. Saint-Saëns also hated the music of Claude Debussy; he is reported to have told Pierre Lalo, music critic, and son of composer Édouard Lalo, “I have stayed in Paris to speak ill of Pelléas et Mélisande.” The personal animosity was mutual; Debussy quipped: “I have a horror of sentimentality, and I cannot forget that its name is Saint-Saëns.” On other occasions, however, Debussy acknowledged an admiration for Saint-Saëns’s musical talents.
Saint-Saëns had been an early champion of Richard Wagner‘s music in France, teaching his pieces during his tenure at the École Niedermeyer and premiering the March from Tannhäuser. He had stunned even Wagner himself when he sight-read the entire orchestral scores of Lohengrin, Tristan und Isolde, andSiegfried, prompting Hans von Bülow to refer to him as, “the greatest musical mind” of the era. However, despite admitting appreciation for the power of Wagner’s work, Saint-Saëns defiantly stated that he was not an aficionado. In 1886, Saint-Saëns was punished for some particularly harsh and anti-German comments on the Paris production of Lohengrin by losing engagements and receiving negative reviews throughout Germany. Later, after World War I, Saint-Saëns angered both French and Germans with his inflammatory articles entitled Germanophilie, which ruthlessly attacked Wagner.[2]
Saint-Saëns edited Jean-Philippe Rameau‘s Pièces de clavecin, and published them in 1895 through Durand in Paris (re-printed by Dover in 1993).
On 29 May 1913, Saint-Saëns stormed out of the première of Igor Stravinsky‘s Le sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring), allegedly infuriated over what he considered the misuse of the bassoon in the ballet’s opening bars.
[caption id="attachment_99163" align="alignnone" width="300"] CIDSE – TOGETHER FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE (CHANGE FOR THE PLANET -CARE FOR THE PROPLE-ACCESS THIS NEW WEBSITE FROM EUZICASA)[/caption]
CIDSE - TOGETHER FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE (CHANGE FOR THE PLANET -CARE FOR THE PROPLE-ACCESS THIS NEW WEBSITE FROM EUZICASA)
