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The music tells the dramatic life story of the “Maid of Orléans” – from her early visions to her courageous deeds in the Hundred Years’ War and her tragic end. Even as a teenager, Jeanne reported heavenly inspirations that moved her to aid France. In 1429, she led the French troops to victory at Orléans, fearlessly riding at the forefront despite her wounds, and paved the way for Charles VII to be crowned in Reims. Political intrigues and military setbacks diminished her influence. In 1430, she was captured, handed over to the English, and condemned as a heretic in an ecclesiastical trial. On May 30, 1431, Jeanne was burned at the stake in Rouen. Only in 1456 was she posthumously acquitted; in 1920, she was canonized. The work by Otto M. Schwarz condenses her life into a musical narrative full of courage, sacrifice, and an enduring legend.
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