I love working from home because I always feel so productive! Also - I can actually play music out loud or use headphones if needed! It is also a must when blogging. Music just helps me work. I have even started listening to certain soundtracks when reading, something I never use to do. What about you?
Here are some of my music mixes I made for working, writing and studying. Also, some short soundtrack suites, 18th century music and the big one - (something I have always wanted to own) music from Versailles box set! <3
Antonie Vestier, Portrait de François-Joseph Gossec, 1791
Francois Joseph Gossec was a talented musician and his own worst critic. He was born in 1734 and would develop a true talent and passion for symphonies. Unfortunately for the young Gossec, France was not in the market for symphonies. In fact, quite opposite, there was a general disdain for a symphony, and lyrics were in. Le Opera was all the rage.
Marie Antoinette loved music, theater, concerts and was a great patron of the opera. She even had her own theater! By 1777 she was taking singing lessons by the composer Piccinni two times a week! He came to Paris from Italy where he was very well known, and Italian opera continued to increase in popularity while he was there.
Antoinette's brother, the Emperor Joseph, wrote to her suggesting another Italian composer, Sacchini. Sacchini had been working in London at the time. It was only natural for her to look into the composer. Soon after she received Joesph's letter Sacchini was working on French operas in Paris! He worked in the style of Gluck, but his pieces never gained much success until his Oedipe à Colone. Unfortunately, although it became very popular, this did not happen until 1786, a year after he died!
Listen to clips from his famous opera below and then fill out the new poll! (it will take you to a new window to see the results)
I love having music playing while I am working so every now and then I am going to highlight some music that you might enjoy listening to as well! I call it an 18th Century Blog Play-List, because I am oh-so-creative!
The musical adventure will start with Christoph Willibald Gluck, who pioneered a new sound for Opera around the mid 18th century. He worked in Vienna, but moved to Paris and was supported in France. Marie Antoinette was always passionate about music and did her part of supporting music. In Paris, Gluck exhibited a new sound for opera that was a fusion of dramatic sincerity and intensity of feeling.
Like a good modern day emo song! Start out mellow, then remember your heart is broken and scream, and end it off with the intense finale!
He was quite groundbreaking for the time and wrote 8 operas for the Paris stage. He knew what he was doing! His opera Alceste was performed in Paris 23 April 1776.
The story is that King Admeto of Thessaly falls ill and it is said he will only regain health if someone makes a sacrifice of their lives to the gods. No one is willing to give up their lives, except for Admeto's Queen, Alceste. The King regains health and finds out his queen is on her way to her doom. He prays that she is spared, but the gods refuse.
King and Queen have tearful goodbyes, and the King decides that he will follow her and die with her. Once he made this choice, the gods decide to spare Queen Alceste, for the Kings generous decision to sacrifice himself.
The player below lets you hear 30 second clips from all the songs on the album, so breeze through l'opéra and let me know what you think!
Whether you wish you could time travel to the court of Versailles or the Highlands of Scotland, this comprehensive guide will walk you through how to make and wear your 18th century dream gown.
was performed in Paris 23 April 1776. 
