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Introduction to Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland was born the son of a notary public
in the town of Clamecy, central France, in 1866. After graduating with
distinction in history from the Ecohle Normale Supérieure, he was
selected to undertake a two-year study period in Rome. He gained a doctorate
in literature, returned to his old school to teach history of music, then
went on to teach at the University of Paris. He had a passion for drama
and produced many works, although he did not achieve major success in this
field. However, Rolland’s biography of Beethoven imparted great emotional
impact on its readers and brought hope and encouragement to life. The work
that brought Rolland’s name to fame was Jean-Christophe. He received the
literature prize from the French Academy, and became the recipient of the
1915 Nobel Prize for literature. His second major work, The Enchanted Soul,
parallels Jean-Christophe in its grandeur. These works are a source of
hope and courage for those who desire a righteous life and freedom in a
modern world filled with injustice and inconsistencies. The Pacifist Rolland Rolland was born to a Catholic family. Although he abandoned God in his youth, he maintained a strong religious nature as expressed in his words “I am religious at heart.” Indeed, love may be his God. Romain Rolland and his works have continued to provide deep spiritual inspiration in Japan for the past sixty years. |
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| Biographical Sketch of Romain Rolland | ||||
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| Year | Age | Romain Rolland | Reference | |
| 1866 | Romain Edme Paul-Émile Rolland, born 29 January in Clamecy, Nièvre, Bourgogne to Emile Rolland and Antoinette Marie Courot. | Yukichi Fukuzawa Seiyou Jijyo; Marx, Capital vol.1; Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869) | ||
| 1871 | 5 | Madeleine, younger sister of Romain, dies at age 3. | Prussia/France War (defeat of France); The Paris Commune and its failure | |
| 1872 | 6 | Second sister of Romain is born, named Madeleine, who contributed greatly to Romain (- 1960) | ||
| 1873-1880 | 7 | Enters Collège de Clamecy (presently Collège Romain Rolland) | Péguy,Barbusse,Blum are born | |
| 1875 | 9 | Develops passion for the works of Shakespeare | ||
| 1880 | 14 |
The Rolland family moves to Paris (October); Romain enters Saint-Louis
high school. |
Labour Party established in France | |
| 1882 | 16 | Travels in Switzerland; Receives a revelation from nature; Transfres to Lous-le-Grand High school to prepare for entry to l’Ecole Normale; Meets Paul Claudel. | Tripartite Alliance | |
| 1883 | 17 | Introduced to the works of Victor Hugo in Switzerland. | Nietzsche, F.W. Also sprach Zarathustra | |
| 1884 | 18 | Receives a revelation from reading Spinoza, Ethica;Develops enthusiasm for the works of Beethoven, Wagner and Shakespeare; Fails entrance exam to l’École Normale. | Rodin ‘The Burghers of Calais ’ | |
| 1885 | 19 | Meets Hugo (March) before his death in May; Fails for the second time to enter l’École Normale; Reads the works of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. | Berlin Conference (1878), Discuss Division of Africa | |
| 1886-1889 | 20 |
Passes l’École Normale examination (July), and enters in November, in the same class as Félex (André) Suarès; Visits Renan in December. |
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| 1887 | 21 | Corresponds in writing with Tolstoy; Decides to specialise in history. | Formation of French Indochina | |
| 1888 | 22 | Writes theoretical essay Credo quia Verum, (April-May), in which the philosophical basis for Roman’s beliefs was formed; Travels in Switzerland. Visits César Franck | ||
| 1889 | 23 | Graduates from l’École Normale (August) and qualifies as professor in history; Selected to study at l’ École Française de Rome and researches in the archives of the Vatican. | Promulgation of the Imperial Diet Constitution | |
| 1890 | 24 | Friendship with Malwida of Meysenbug flourishes; Meets Sofia Bertolini; Visits various museums in Italy and enjoys the Italian country; Revelation of Janiculum. | The first May Day in France; The first election for the House of Representatives; The Imperial Rescript on Education; | |
| 1891 | 25 | Returns to France, visiting Malwida and Bayreuth en Route (July); Writes Empédocle and Orsino | Otsu incident | |
| 1892 | 26 | Marries Clotilde, daughter of Michel Bréal, professor of linguistics at Collège de France (January 31); Travels to Rome with wife to gather material for a thesis and stays until spring of the following year. | ||
| 1893 | 27 | Becomes instructor of lycée high school in Paris. | The Sino-Japanese War (1894) | |
| 1895 | 29 |
Becomes Doctor of Literature; Major work: |
The Sino-Japan Peace Treaty; Tripartite Intervention; Formation of Labour Confederation in France | |
| 1896 | 30 | Participate in editing Drama Art Review | Bergson, H. Material and Memory | |
| 1897 | 31 | Fist publication of dramatical works; Saint Louis (in Revue de Paris, Mar-Apr 1987); Writes Jeanne de Piennes (April-Nov.). | Dreyfus Incident | |
| 1898 | 32 | Publication and performance of Aërt; Listens to Jean Jaurés’ speech; Writes Les Loups at the height of the Dreyfus incident, which is performed on 18 May and published by Péguy. | Protest by Zola | |
| 1899 | 33 | Le Triomphe de la Raison published, performed in June. | ||
| 1900 | 34 | Travels to Rome with wife; Death of mother’s father, Edme Courot; Assists with Péguy’s publication, Cahiers de la Quinzaine; Danton published and performed. | Frequent strikes in France; Issue of the Law of Peace Police | |
| 1901 | 35 | Divorces Clotilde; Attends the Beethoven Memorial Festival in Meinz. | ||
| 1902 | 36 | Le 14 Juillet published and performed; Uses income from this to make a final visit to see Malwida in Rome; Accepts to lecture history of music for citizens; Publication of autobiography ‘Millet’. | Great victory of socialist party in House of Commons in France; Anglo-Japanese Alliance Treaty | |
| 1903 | 37 | Malwida’s death (April); La Vie de Beethoven published, and captures people’s mind; Thesis on Drama for Masses published; Le Temps viendra published and performed. | ||
| 1904 | 38 | The first volumes of Jean-Christophe, L’Aube and Le Matin published; Lectures History of Music at the University of Paris. | The Russo-Japanese War | |
| 1905 | 39 | L’Adolescent, the third volume of Jean-Christophe Published; Travels to Alsace-Lorraine. |
The first Morocco incident | |
| 1906 | 40 | La Révolte, fourth volume of Jean-Christophe published; La Vie de Michel-Ange published. | ||
| 1907 | 41 | La Foire sur la Place (vol 5) and Antoinette (vol 6) published. | Tripartite Agreement between Britain, France and Russia | |
| 1908 | 42 | Dans la Maion (vol 7), ‘Musiciens d’aujourd’hui’ ‘Musiciens d’autrefois’ published. | ||
| 1909 | 43 | Les Amis (vol 8), Le 14 Juillet, Danton, Les Loups published. | ||
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1910 |
44 | Le Buisson ardent (vol 9), Hendél published; Suffers severe injury in a car accident. | Tolstoy dies; Japanese Annexation of Korea; Publication of Shirakaba | |
| 1911 | 45 | La Nouvelle Journée (vol 10), la Vie de Tolstoï published. | ||
| 1912 | 46 | Completion of Jean-Christophe; Retires from teaching at the University of Paris and starts a career in writing. | Morocco becomes part of French territory | |
| 1913 | 47 | Resides in Switzerland from April to September and writes Colas Brengnon. Jean-Christophe receives literature prize from the French Academy; Meets Zweig,Lilke; Writesスタンダールと音楽、信仰の悲劇 | ||
| 1914 | 48 | Departs for Switzerland (June) and vows not to return to France. Au-dessus de la mêlée published. An open letter to Grehardt Hauptmann; Works with and contribution to the International Red Cross. |
The first World War; Péguy dies |
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| 1915 | 49 | Publishes a collection of essays entitled Au-dessus de la mêlée which contains an essay of the same title. | ||
| 1916 | 50 | The magazine Demain is established in January by Henri Guilbeaux and Rolland assists with this through to its last issue (Oct 1918); Receives the 1915 Nobel Prize for literature and donates the entire sum to the International Red Cross and other organisations to benefit society. Friendship with Gorky (1868-1936) begins. | Tagore visits Japan | |
| 1917 | 51 | Turns down request by Lenin to visit Russia with him. | Lenin returns to Russia | |
| 1918 | 52 | Empédocle d’Agrigente published; Send an open letter to president Wilson on peace. | February and October revolutions in Russia | |
| 1919 | 53 |
Colas Breugnon, Liluli published; Mother’s death. Les Précurseurs, Déclaration d’Independence de l’Esprit published. 過去の国への音楽のたび published; Writes to Tagore. |
Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg murdered; Non-obedience movement of Gandhi; Peace Treaty of Versailles | |
| 1920 | 54 | Pierre et Luce, Clerambault published. | The League of Nations established | |
| 1922 | 56 | Les Vaincus published; L’Ame enchantée, Annette et Sylvie published. | ||
| 1923 | 57 | L’Ame enchantée, L’Été published. Mahatma Gandhi published; The magazine Europe established; Begins correspondence with Maria Koudacheva. | Formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | |
| 1924 | 58 | Meets with Richard Strauss in Vienna; Mourns death of Lenin; Le Voyage intérieur published; Writes Le Périple. | Lenin dies | |
| 1925 | 59 | The Game of Love and Death (Le Jeu de l’Amour et de la Mort) published, performed. | ||
| 1926 | 60 |
Celebrates 60th birthday on 29 June; February issue of Europe is a special memorial edition dedicated to the works of Rolland; Visited by Nelson and Tagore. |
Rise of world fascism | |
| 1927 | 61 | Becomes honorary president of the International Association for Anti-fascism; Resumes research into Beethoven; L’Ame enchantée, Mère et fils presented; Gives a talk entitled In Gratitude of Beethoven at the Beethoven Centenary festival in Vienna. | Execution of ????????? | |
| 1928 | 62 | Engages in research of India. L’Héroique a l’Appassionata presented. | Paris Treaty for Renunciation of War | |
| 1929 | 63 | Meets Maria Koudacheva. La Vie de Ramakrishna published. Receives many visitors from Japan. | World Economic Crisis | |
| 1930 | 64 | Goethe et Beethoven, La Vie de Vivekananda published. | London Disarmament Conference | |
| 1931 | 65 |
Father dies at age 94; Receives visit from Gandhi. Presents スピノザの閃光。 |
Manchuria Incident | |
| 1932 | 66 | Choix de lettres a Malwida von Meysenbug published; L’Ame enchantée,、一つの世界の死刑 published; Serves as honorary president at the Anti-war and Anti-fascism conference held in Amsterdam. | The Nazis becomes the major party in general election in Germany | |
| 1933 | 67 | Completes L’Ame enchantée. Becomes honorary chairman of the International Association for Anti-fascism; Refuses the Goethe Medal from the Nazi government. | The Nazis prohibits other parties | |
| 1934 | 68 | Marries Maria Koudacheva; Signs first statement of the Anti-fascist association. | Hitler becomes Der Führer and prime minister; The Balkan Treaty | |
| 1935 | 69 |
Quinze ans de combat, Par la Révolution, la Paix published; Visits the USSR and stays with Gorki. Barbusse’s death in Moscow; Malraux reads Rolland’s condolences at the funeral. |
French Italian Agreement | |
| 1936 | 70 | Rolland’s 70th anniversary celebration is held in Bloch and Aragon; Le 14 Juillet, Danton performed with the support of the Popular Front Government; Informed of death of Gorki. Visits Paris; Compagnons de route published. | Formation of the French popular front; Victory of Spanish Popular Front; Spanish Civil War; 2.26 Incident in Japan | |
| 1937 | 71 | Decides to return to France and buys a house in Vézelay; Le Chant de la Résurrection published. | The China-Japan War | |
| 1938 | 72 | Moves to Vézelay. | ||
| 1939 | 73 | The Game of Love and Death becomes a repertoire of the Comédie-Française at the 150th anniversary of the French revolution. Robespierre published. | The World War Two | |
| 1940 | 74 |
Continues to write in hospital; German army enters Vézelay; Friendship with Paul Claudel resumed. |
The fall of Paris; The Tripartite Alliance between Japan, Germany and Italy | |
| 1941 | 75 | Friendship with Louis Gillet restored. | The Pacific War | |
| 1942 | 76 | Le Voyage intérieur published. | ||
| 1943 | 77 | La Neavième Symphonie, Les Derniers Quatuors published; Becomes seriously ill and eyesight fades. | Surrender of Italy | |
| 1944 | 78 | Attends the Revolution memorial reception at the Russian Embassy; Péguy published; Ends life in Vézelay on 30 December; The funeral is held in St. Martin’s church in Clemency, but body is later transferred to a small cemetery in Brèves in accordance with Rolland’s will. | Liberation of Paris | |
| Publications after death Finita Comoedia (1945) ベートーベンの恋人たち (1949) 自伝敷居 （１９４５） 周航（１９４５） 回想録（１９５６） Other diaries and writings. |
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| Compiled by Akio Kiyohara, Tsushiko Arima. |
