Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle

Full biography Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle

Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle was a French composer who lived from May 10 , 1760 to June 26, 1836. He is best known for writing the words and music of the Chant de guerre pour l'armée du Rhin in 1792 , which would later be known as La Marseillaise and become the national anthem of France.

Rouget de Lisle was born in Lons-le-Saunier , Jura, France and studied music from a young age. Despite his musical talent, he pursued a career in the military and served as a captain in the French army.

It was while he was stationed in Strasbourg during the French Revolution that Rouget de Lisle composed La Marseillaise. The song was initially written as a patriotic hymn for soldiers, and it quickly became popular throughout France. Eventually, in 1795, it was officially adopted as the national anthem of France.

Aside from La Marseillaise, Rouget de Lisle did not write anything else of significance in his musical career. However, his legacy lives on through his famous composition and the continued use of La Marseillaise as the national anthem of France.

In addition to his musical career, Rouget de Lisle was also a moderate republican and wrote a few works on political theory. He died on June 26, 1836, in Choisy-le-Roi, France, at the age of 76.