Music in Languedoc
Languedoc traditions are admired and listened to. During the traditional festivals, it is not uncommon to hear the typical sound of an instrument from the region or the "coblas", the Catalan orchestras.On the material side, the territory is particularly oriented towards wind instruments. The best known is probably the Languedoc oboe. Until the Revolution, it was used for consular ceremonies and popular festivities organised from Agde to Nîmes and from the Cévennes foothills to theHérault valley. After a brief disappearance in the 1970s, the instrument is experiencing a revival. Today it is visible in many events such as carnivals and Languedoc jousts. Another typical instrument of the region is the fife, a kind of small transverse flute on which all styles of music can be played. Two playing techniques, each providing a different sound, are possible: playing as on a western transverse flute or using its phalanxes as on an oriental instrument.
During the summer performances of the coblas, in the squares of the Catalan villages, traditional music is king. Produced by a dozen musicians, it uses typical accessories such as the flaviol, a recorder, and the tambori, a small tambourine that is played with a sledgehammer (wooden stick). Historically, these instruments are the oldest and most representative of Catalan popular music. In the orchestra, there are also tible (high-pitched oboe), tenora (oboe with thirteen keys, made from jujube wood) and fiscorn (brass with pistons from the flugelhorn family).
It is important to underline that Languedoc-Roussillon is not just a land of sunshine where cicadas sing. It is a country that has seen the birth of jewels of French culture of which we have reason to be proud. Men of passage, natives and adopted, musicians and singers, an increased range of artists has forged the cultural identity of the region. Poets who have put their love of Languedoc into music include the great Charles Trenet from Narbonne (La Mer, Y'a d' la joie, Douce France), Georges Brassens from Sète (Chanson pour l'Auvergnat, Les Copains d'abord, Supplique pour être entertré à la plage de Sète ) and Bobby Lapointe from Pézenas (Le Poisson Fa, Ta Katie T'a Quitté). More recently, the territory, and more particularly Carcassonne, could boast of being the birthplace of Olivia Ruiz(La Femme chocolat, J'traine les pieds).
Local dances
Traditionally, the sound of the coblas goes hand in hand with the sardana, the Catalan dance par excellence. The discipline requires dancers to form a circle and hold hands, then they must throw or lower their arms, animating the circle, enlarging or reducing it, to the rhythm of the music. This dance acquired its definitive form in the 19th century and is practiced during the summer at aplecs , traditional gatherings where passers-by can enter the circle and mingle with the dancers. The transmission of this traditional dance, which was sung by Charles Trenet and painted by Picasso, is ensured by various associations.During the férias (Carcassonne, Nîmes, Béziers...) and other bullfighting gatherings, one can also contemplate the beauty of flamenco and Seville. These two traditional dances originating from Spain often come to animate the streets in parallel to the festivities. To differentiate between them, it's very simple: flamenco is danced alone and is accompanied by clapping hands and feet, while the more joyful Sevillian dance is practised by two, one or more couples, in a circle or in a group.
In the Hérault region,and more particularly in Montpellier, it is the dance of the easel (also called "jeu du chevalet") that has earned its place in local history. An important element of tradition, it is an integral part of the intangible heritage of the Languedoc region. This essentially carnivalesque dance, which can take on different sizes and forms depending on the places where it is practised, originated in the Middle Ages. If its true origin is not known, a legend is attached to it. It tells that the consuls of Montpellier, tired of seeing Peter II of Aragon losing interest in Marie de Montpellier, succeeded in introducing the spouse into the marriage bed on a beautiful night in 1208. From that evening was born James of Aragon. After his birth, Peter of Aragon brought Marie de Montpellier on his horse and the child from Mireval to the city of Montpellier. When they arrived in the city, the inhabitants celebrated both the bride and groom and their child as well as the horse. They asked the king to keep the precious mount, and this right was granted to them. The animal lived for 20 years and every year it became the centre of interest of great celebrations. People danced around it, feasting in memory of the birth of James 1st. The dance of the easel was born.
A final mention is given to the "Lo butavant", a form of bourrée typical of the Languedoc region. Considered nowadays as extinct, it was danced in a part of Haut-Languedoc(Monts de Lacaune, Somail, Espinouse...) and in a band of the Hérault from Bédarieux to Minerve. The music that accompanied it was composed of accordion, a possible bodega (a wind instrument of the bagpipe family) and a grailha (a double reed oboe representative of the Lower Languedoc).
Theatre and opera
If contemporary artists are making the theatres of Languedoc-Roussillon vibrate with talent, there is one character who, by the mere evocation of his name, is synonymous with theatre: Molière. After a difficult start in the capital, Jean-Baptiste Poquelin and his troupe, l'Illustre Théâtre, decided to embark on a provincial adventure in order to make their first steps.Between 1647 and 1657, the artists travelled throughout the Languedoc, meeting people who helped them observe the customs of the time and gleaned information that incorporated plays by the author, notably La Comtesse d'Escarbagnas and Monsieur de Pourceaugnac. During their journey, they made stops in Carcassonne, Béziers, Narbonne, Montpellier, Nîmes and of course Pézenas. The city of Pezenas cultivates this passage with passion, quoting the great Marcel Pagnol: "If Jean-Baptiste Poquelin was born in Paris, Molière was born in Pezenas". Every year, it organizes a series of events in his honor.
During his stay in the Languedoc region, the writer met some astonishing figures who left their mark on him: the Count of Aubijoux, Pierre Goudouli, Armand de Bourbon prince de Conti, the libertine Sarrasin, the poet d'Assoucy... After their journey, Molière and the Illustre Théâtre returned to the capital in 1657. They then found the direct protection of Louis XIV. Renamed "La Troupe du Roi" (The King's Company), they were a great success in the city and at court.
In another genre, opera also has its place in the Languedoc. Celebrated by many associations and music schools, it is in Montpellier that we find the greatest representative of the former Languedoc-Roussillon region in this field: the Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier/Occitanie. The organization was born in 2001, when the Montpellier Opera, a real centre for lyric creation and production, merged with the Orchestra which, when it was created in 1979, helped to give a new impetus to the activity of intramural opera in France and abroad. Today,this ensemble is made up of the Salle Molière, the great hall of the Opéra Comédie, theOpéra Berlioz and the Salle Pasteur within the Corum. It can thus welcome nearly 100,000 spectators each year. In order not to limit this universe to the Hérault prefecture, an important artistic and educational network has been woven throughout the territory. The Opera and the Orchestra are present throughout the musical seasons.
The concert halls
When it comes to hosting cultural events, the Languedoc has everything to please. Its offer varies from showbars to gigantic zenith theatres, pocket theatres and monuments of international importance. Outdoors or in grandiose settings dating back several centuries, artists express their talent in front of an audience of curious people who are always delighted to be able to contemplate the richness of the ancient region.While it is difficult to list all these venues, a lapidary list gives a good idea of the different options left to performers and spectators. It should be noted that, for the majority of the member departments of the former Languedoc-Roussillon region, the addresses vary from a few dozen seats to several hundred. A diversity of facilities that can accommodate all forms of performance, from the Pyrénées-Orientales to the Gard.
In the Gard, moreover, lovers of the stage and poetry will be seduced by the theatres of Nîmes, such as the Périscope or Le Petit Subito,unless they prefer to settle in the majestic setting of the Arènes. Further west, in the Hérault region, the offer varies from the impressive Zénith Sud de France inLattes, on the border of Montpellier, to the Beziers Arena,via the amazing Théâtre de la Mer inSète and Théâtre de Pézenas. Not to mention the countless small theatres and green spaces that regularly welcome artists to the department. The same is true in the Pyrénées-Orientales where the very unusual Théâtre de l'Archipelstands alongside the Palais des Congrèsand the Boîte à rire in Perpignan, the Palais des fêtes in Rivesaltes and the Théâtre des Aspres in Thuir. In the Aude, the theatres and cafés-theatres are more popular for lively outings, unless you are looking for a great show at the Narbonne Arena. In Lozère, in Mende, one will note the presence of Scènes croisées, the only conventioned stage of the department.
