A bicentennial celebration of the Marquis’ Farewell Tour of U.S.

By Bryan Hay 

In celebration of the bicentennial of the Marquis de Lafayette’s Farewell Tour of the U.S. and Lafayette College’s unique place in his legacy, the French National Orchestra of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes will present a multimedia performance with familial, musical, and historical connections and contexts April 27, 2 p.m. in the Williams Center for the Arts.

Conducted by Thomas Zehetmair, the orchestra will present The Lafayette Musical & Immersive Bicentennial Tour throughout April in key cities that feted Lafayette as the nation’s guest with balls, parades, and reunions during his Farewell Tour 1824-1825.

It will symbolically end its U.S. tour at Lafayette College, which received its name after James Madison Porter and other Easton residents met the aging French aristocrat and hero of the American Revolution during an event in his honor in Philadelphia.

The program will reflect Lafayette’s times and his civil rights advocacy, including works by composers well known and active during his lifetime: “Overture to L’amant anonyme” by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier Saint-Georges, one of the first known classical composers of African descent; “Andante” for strings by Ruth Crawford Seeger; Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major K. 219 by Mozart and performed by Zehetmair; “Passacaglia, Burlesque and Chorale” by Zehetmair for string orchestra, which is receiving its world premiere on this tour; and Great Fugue in B-flat Major Op. 133, by Beethoven.

Virginie de Pusy Lafayette, a direct seventh generation descendant of the Marquis de Lafayette, will speak about the heritage and legacy of her famous relative and after the performance will join orchestra members and concert attendees for a reception hosted by the College.

French National Orchestra of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to present The Lafayette Musical & Immersive Bicentennial Tour on April 27 at Williams Center | Image by Holymage

“Performing our last concert at Lafayette College will be the conclusion of a tour awakening history in our conscience and dedicated to the young people as a message of hope,” says Lila Forcade, director general of the French National Orchestra of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, which is based in the same region as the Marquis’ birthplace in central France.

The orchestra’s tour celebrating the bicentennial of Lafayette’s return to America 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence also commemorates the transatlantic friendship between France and the U.S. that will always remain, she says.

“By giving the final note to Lafayette College, we share values precious to us: innovation, well-being, and excellence,” Forcade adds. “This college stands as an emblem of courage and liberty, strong ideals deeply loved by Lafayette.”

French National Orchestra of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes to present The Lafayette Musical & Immersive Bicentennial Tour on April 27 at Williams Center | Image by Holymage

Ty Furman, director of the Performance Series, took immediate interest in the multimedia texture of the two-hour program, with intermission, and how light, sound, and the spoken word will come together to tell the story of Lafayette and his final visit to the U.S. as the last surviving major general from the American Revolution. An actor in period attire will narrate Lafayette’s story.

“Although Lafayette never made it to Easton, there’s this certain affinity we have for him at Lafayette College and a desire to get to know him even better,” he observes. “To celebrate our namesake with a performance by an orchestra from the region of his birth and to hear from one of his descendants are particularly powerful.”

In every way, the performance will provide an opportunity to simply smile and enjoy the legacy of Marquis de Lafayette and Lafayette College, which is preparing to celebrate its own bicentennial.

“It feels like a celebration, and that’s what I really hope it is,” Furman says. “It will be a warm, comfortable community performance where one can walk away feeling good about our institution and feeling good about the deep impact the Marquis de Lafayette had on this region, on the United States, and the world.”

To purchase tickets to The Lafayette Musical & Immersive Bicentennial Tour, visit williamscenter.lafayette.edu/lafayette-tour.