Voltaire & Kasilag
Born in 1694 in Paris, France, François-Marie Arouet, also known as Voltaire, established himself as one of the leading writers of the Enlightenment period. His famed works include the tragic play Zaïre, the historical study The Age of Louis XIV and the satirical novella Candide. Often at odds with French authorities over his politically and religiously charged works, he was twice imprisoned and spent many years in exile. He died shortly after returning to Paris in 1778.
Voltaire’s historical writings form a significant part of his output, including works, as mentioned, on Louis XIV, Louis XV, Charles XII, Peter the Great, the Holy Roman Empire, and even a pioneering universal history. These histories were highly regarded in his lifetime, and Voltaire was a powerful influence on the other great historians of the age: Hume, Gibbon and Robertson. Despite this, writers now are uncomfortable in trying to explain the importance of Voltaire as a historian.
Voltaire wrote poetry and plays, as well as historical and philosophical works. His most well-known poetry includes "The Henriade" (1723) and "The Maid of Orleans," which he started writing in 1730 but never fully completed.
Among the earliest of Voltaire's best-known plays is his adaptation of Sophocles' tragedy Oedipus, which was first performed in 1718. Voltaire followed with a string of dramatic tragedies, including Mariamne in 1724. His Zaïre in 1732, written in verse, was something of a departure from previous works. Until that point, Voltaire's tragedies had centered on a fatal flaw in the
protagonist's character; however, the tragedy in Zaïre was the result of circumstance. Following Zaïre, Voltaire continued to write tragic plays, including Mahomet in 1736 and Nanine in 1749.
Candide is the story of a gentle man who, though pummeled and slapped in every direction by fate, clings desperately to the belief that he lives in "the best of all possible worlds." On the surface a witty, bantering tale, this eighteenth-century classic is actually a savage, satiric thrust at the philosophical optimism that proclaims that all disaster and human suffering is part of a benevolent cosmic plan. Fast, funny, often outrageous, the French philosopher's immortal narrative takes Candide around the world to discover that, contrary to the teachings of his distinguished tutor Dr. Pangloss, all is not always for the best. Alive with wit, brilliance, and graceful storytelling, Candide has become Voltaire's most celebrated work.
In Candide, Voltaire uses many writing techniques which can also be found in the works of Cervantes, Alighieri, Rabelais and Moliere. The use of the various styles and conventions shows that, despite the passage of centuries and the language differences, certain writing techniques will always be effective. One common literary technique is the author's use of one or more of his characters as his 'voice' to speak out the authors views on a certain subject.
Filipino composer Lucrecia Kasilag was notably recognized as “prolific, exploring, in particular, the possible conjunction of Eastern and Western instruments and material.“ She had involved herself wholly in sharpening the Filipino audience’s appreciation of music. Kasilag’s pioneering task to discover the Filipino roots through ethnic music and fusing it with Western influences has led many Filipino composers to experiment with such an approach.
Kasilag wrote more than 200 compositions which include folksongs, opera, and orchestral works. Her orchestral body of work includes “Love Songs,” “Legend of the Sarimanok,” “Ang Pamana,” “Philippine Scenes,” “Her Son,” “Jose,” “Sisa,” “Awit ng mga Awit Psalms,” “Fantaisie on a 4-Note Theme,” and “East Meets Jazz Ethnika.”
As educator, composer, and performer, Kasilag was known for incorporating indigenous Filipino music with Western influences, thus paving the way for more experimentation among Filipino musicians. She also did pioneering research on Filipino ethnic dances and culture. In 1989, she was the lone addition to the roster of National Artists. She was conferred honorary doctorate degrees by the Centro Escolar University, PWU, and New York’s St. John’s University. Fondly called “Tita King,” Kasilag died on August 16, 2008.
Both Voltaire and Kasilag have their impacts in their respective fields as it affected so many people. Today, both are highly recognized accomplishing much in the world. Both composers had their ups and downs, but that did not stop them from pursuing their passion.
Sources
Voltaire. (2018, March 07). Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/voltaire-9520178.
Voltairefoundation. (2015, April 02). Voltaire: Historian of modernity. Retrieved from
https://voltairefoundation.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/voltaire-historian-of-modernity/.
Himig | Features. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.himig.com.ph/features/32-lucrecia-r-kasilag.