Musical Monday: Victor Hugo

Victor Hugo is considered to be one of the greatest French Romantic writers of all time. He was known as a novelist, poet, playwright, humanitarian, and politician. His original works inspired today's adaptations of Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Hugo's literary career lasted over sixty years and during that time he explored a variety of different genres. 

Hugo wrote some of his best works including Les Misérables during his exile. In 1851, when Napoleon III took control of France, he abolished their democratic system of government. During this time, Hugo denounced Napoleon III's coup d'état, and his liberal views on social injustice, press freedom, and the death penalty labeled him a traitor and forced him into exile. 

We chose Hugo's quote "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent," because Hugo viewed music as a way to speak unpopular opinions or express what was not allowed to be said. This week is a difficult holiday for many and is often misrepresented throughout our history. We hope for those that are struggling this week to find comfort in music and the expressions it can offer.