Caltech Athenaeum (Photo – athenaeumcaltech.com)
Poet Paul Verlaine, buried in the Batignolles cemetery in Paris (17th arrondissement), penned these iconic lines: “Les sanglots longs des violins de l’automne bercent mon cœur d’une langueur monotone…” (The long sobs of the violins of autumn lull my heart with a monotonous languor…). This haunting phrase, broadcast on the BBC, was a “coded” message signaling the French Resistance of the imminent Allied Forces’ landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944.
By Christopher Bonin
In addition to this broadcast, millions of records were produced and sent to France to boost the morale of American troops during World War II. These original “V-Discs” can still be found in flea markets and museums across France, and some are carefully preserved in the Radio France archives (Groupe de radios publiques d’état) in Paris. The entire collection, produced between 1943 and 1948, is also housed in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
These records, initiated by the United States Department of War, feature works by Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, Louis Prima, Duke Ellington, and Bing Crosby, among others.
On a recent trip to Pasadena, I had a magical experience. After a delightful lunch at Caltech’s Athenaeum restaurant with my US mom, Patricia, we tuned in to an original 1945 recording by Pierre Monteux and the New York Philharmonic on the car radio. With the Southern California sun shining, it was unforgettable!
Born in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, Monteux became a naturalized American in 1942. He had worked for the Odéon theater (6th arrondissement) and recorded “V-Discs.” Monteux, who also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, had conducted the Paris Symphony Orchestra in 1929. Their motto, “One can live without music, but not so well,” reflects the enduring connection between France, California, and the United States.
Leave a Reply