I Don’t Speak French or ..,

[RBarron10]

I don’t speak French or whatever that language is that is in the narration that the Blue Devils are using. But I would sure like to know what they’re saying in English? And how does it fit into the show? Does anyone know?

[Cappybara]

The speech is by Charles de Gaulle during what I believe was WWII. Here is a direct translation as provided by @Rylan in the BD thread. Apparently this speech affected Matisse deeply as morale was quite low in France during Nazi encroachment.
 

"The French defeat was caused by the enemy's mechanical, air, and ground force. The lightning action of this mechanical force brought about the collapse of the morale of the command and the government.

Faced with this collapse, two paths open up. That of abandonment and despair, leading to capitulation, is the one chosen by the Pétain government. The other is that of honor and hope, it is the one that we have taken, my companions and I.

We believe that the honor of the French consists in continuing the war alongside their allies, and we are determined to do so. We hope that one day, a superior mechanical force will allow us to have victory and deliver the motherland."

 

And here is a slightly more in depth explanation provided by @resipsaloquitur

 

“During the drum break, which I like to call the Charles De Galle movement, you see the guards imitate the human pose of the famous cut-out called The Fall of Icarus (see below). The flags they bear contain yellow suns, or stars if you want to be mythological. At the same time, the drumline hammer out hard, fast beats that resemble artillery fire.

Icarus both responded to and reflected on the extraordinary, horrific circumstances Matisse endured of war, illness, and separation from his family. According to Hilary Spurling, the artist's biographer, Matisse admitted that the splashes of yellow surrounding Icarus depict exploding artillery shells he'd witnessed in 1943. It is said that Matisse created Icarus while German troops were stationed in the very building that he lived in. The cut-out can be seen as an act of defiance, an artist's statement on the domination of the Third Reich.

How life affirming - ironically - is this depiction of the dying fall of Icarus.” 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Cappybara

[RBarron10]

Thanks so much for the explanation.  Sometimes I wish some of these shows came with cliff notes, so I could fully enjoy the craftsmanship of the total design of these programs.

[Chief Guns]

Along with @Rylan @resipsaloquitur @Cappybara who do phenomenal breakdowns of BD shows, this vid should help you as well. 

Enjoy!

 

[Rylan]

38 minutes ago, RBarron10 said:

Thanks so much for the explanation.  Sometimes I wish some of these shows came with cliff notes, so I could fully enjoy the craftsmanship of the total design of these programs.

This desire to want to learn more about the theme, I believe, is the reason why BD and many other corps pick show themes that may seem too abstract at first but in reality it’s just a subject matter we don’t know about yet. 

[IllianaLancerContra]

Matisse during WW2 is a somewhat problematic individual- he stayed in Vichy France, and after signing a Nazi ‘Aryan Status Oath’ was allowed to continue to work. 
 

His (estranged) wife, son, and daughter assisted the Resistance; his daughter was captured & tortured by the Gestapo.  She was sent to a concentration camp but managed to escape and survived the war.  

[RBarron10]

Drum corps, and a history lesson. Wow.

[Tim K]

I’m sure the marching members and folks from Les Stentors understood it very well! 🙂

[IllianaLancerContra]

1 hour ago, Tim K said:

I’m sure the marching members and folks from Les Stentors understood it very well! 🙂

Les Stentors.  Putting the International in Drum Corps International. 
 

 

[Orwellian Wiress]

I love the idea behind this- at first it looks like just another fun "art show", but actually has deep and disturbing undertones.