Posts Tagged ‘Édith Piaf’

Music and France. Indissolubility in centuries …

Music and France. Indissolubility in centuries …In our consciousness Paris associates with a large quantity of sights, we name it the capital of world fashion (as, basically, the whole France) however it is simply impossible to present this remarkable city without music by which almost all areas of life in the country are impregnated.

If to address to history it is possible to notice that the French musical culture was substantially affected by the Roman-Italian traditions. So, many researchers assert that in the seventh century in music of Italy and France many common features were observed. First of all it was influenced by the Catholic Church which by that time had huge influence on Apennines peninsula and expanded it in other countries of Europe.

However, the Catholic dogmatism in the French music has given way to musical traditions of the Celtic tribes.

It is remarkable, that exactly monks from the French monasteries became founders of the theoretical base (polyphony, the musical letter) which musicians use today. The tenth century was marked by blossoming of the epic musical genre which has been focused on caroling of medieval ladies and their nice knights, valorously and bravely battling for the beloved France.

The brightest representatives of music of that time were jugglers who in parallel with circus performances sang songs. Besides, as a rule, these musicians performed the music of exclusively own composition.

In the thirteenth century blossoming of the French song genre has been noted. At that time any significant action did not do without performing ballads and rondo. And then in the country stringed, percussion and wind musical instruments began to appear.

The French Revolution has left the significant trace not only in political life of the country, but also in music. The people battling on the Parisian barricades, composed thousands of songs. Part for them is known to musicologists today, and most known of them, such as the Marseillaise and Carmagnole, are popular with the people.

The period after the First World War is noted by a great popularity of the American and South American musical directions. The so-called genre “revue” which has come from across the ocean, was represented, for example, by such performers as Josephine Baker, Mistinguett and Maurice Auguste Chevalier. On musical scene in 1930-40th it was already observed a bigger variety of styles and directions; then the brilliant career of Édith Piaf has begun, who by right is the foundress of modern French song art.

After the Second World War France has received a new direction in music which has received the name “chanson” (do not confuse it to “Russian chanson”) which brightest representatives were Leo Ferre, Jacques Brel, Boris Vian and, naturally, Charles Aznavour.

In the sixties France has not stood aside from gaining popularity all over the world twist and rock-n-roll, and the most significant French representatives of the given genres are Silvie Vartan and Johnny Hollyday.

Since eightieth the French performers have even more often started to mix many musical genres in the songs (jazz, chanson, blues, rock …). Today all over the world such names as Patricia Kaas, Mylene Farmer and Vanessa Paradis which adequately continue to develop nice traditions of the French music are known.

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Modern cemeteries of Paris

Modern cemeteries of ParisGoing to this or that place, travelers pursue definite purposes. Thus one person can go for visiting museums, and it will be much more interesting to another to spend time at a theatre or a cabaret …

People go to Paris with various purposes. Someone to see the Louvre and Pompidou’s Center, someone – to take a walk on quays of the Seine …

But there are also those who go to Paris to visit cemeteries about which we will tell in our article.

Modern Parisian cemeteries are situated on the place of the city cemeteries of the beginning of the nineteenth century; therefore the oldest tombs are dated this time.

In the centre of Paris there is Cimetière de Passy, and others three – Cimetière de Montmartre, Cimetière du Montparnasse and Père Lachaise settle down in northern, southern and eastern parts of the city accordingly. Annually about ten thousand foreign tourists – judges of silence of local avenues- visit them.

One of the greatest cemeteries of Paris is Père Lachaise. Among those interred here are: Molière and Honoré de Balzac, Édith Piaf and Sarah Bernhardt, Amedeo Modigliani and Jean de La Fontaine, Oscar Wilde and Marcel Proust and many other known people. The most visited on a cemetery is the tomb of the founder of legendary American rock group The Doors – Jim Morrison who has become the symbol of the whole generation of people in the different countries of the world. Daily near his memorial it is possible to see groups of tourists and sets of flowers.

Cimetière de Montmartre is the cemetery which is situated in the northern part of the city; it has been opened in the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century on a place of an old mine on extraction of plaster. Since then there has appeared more than twenty thousand tombs on a cemetery. The most well-known people buried here are André-Marie Ampère, René Waldeck-Rousseau, Lili Boulanger, Hector Berlioz, Horace Vernet, Jean-Claude Briali and Victor Brauner.

On the southern cemetery Cimetière du Montparnasse, established in 1824, the great Russian chess player world champion Alexander Alekhin, the former head of the government of Iran Shapour Bakhtiar, the French poet and playwright Théodore de Banville and other well-known persons are buried here.

In the suburbs of the French capital cimetière communal de Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois founded by natives of Russia settles down. Here the last shelter was found by many representatives of Russian emigration in Paris.

We will acquaint you with the Parisian cemeteries in more details, their history and well-known “lodgers” later in our new materials.

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Chanson …Aznavour… Paris …

Charles AznavourFor the domestic music fan a word “chanson” is for a long time a conception; however this musical genre is not always understood correctly. The present chanson has appeared not in Russia in “perestroika” times but thanks to legendary musicians from France. And speaking about the French or Parisian chanson, it is necessary to tell about such legendary person in the music world, as Charles Aznavour.

During the long career this performer of French chanson became the author and the singer of more than thousand of songs the considerable part of which is included into gold fund of the French and world stage. It is possible to consider as recognition of talent of Aznavour that his songs are part of repertoire of stars of world size, Liza Minnelli, Bing Crosby, Ray Charles, Fred Astaire, and Shirley Bassey – legendary performers singing songs of the Frenchman.

In general, Charles Aznavour’s career has begun after the Second World War; the first serious popularity has come after ten years in spite of the fact that in the beginning of the creative way the young actor had been supported by the well-known French performers Édith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier. But, nevertheless, this modest in appearance person with his raucous voice has succeeded to achieve his goal. Thanks to his talent this person has managed to charm the audience with his art despite that his music didn’t correspond the standard musical norms of France of the fiftieth years. However today songs of Charles Aznavour are known and popular far outside France, and for certain among domestic music fans there will be many admirers of his talent.

If to speak about all many-sided nature of the artist, it is necessary to notice that he has achieve recognition as the actor of cinema, having played many remembered roles. He was noted in the world of art being the director of musicals. Charles Aznavour was engaged in charitable projects, aspiring to introduce more good and love to the world.  

Certainly, last decades the creative work of Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand and Édith Piaf has lost the former popularity on the French earth, however true admirers of the Parisian chanson exist (and should be). And anyway, visiting magnificent Paris, every admirer of the French chanson aspires to spend time pleasantly in a cozy bar where his or her favorite musical genre songs are sung on stage. Believe, you can find many bars of that kind in Paris. For this purpose you should buy a guidebook to the city or ask your guide for recommendations. Or you might simply come across an announcement, saying that a Parisian chansonnier is ready to please you in this or that public house. Having visited a restaurant of that kind is important, you will plunge into atmosphere of the present France … the present Paris … and the real Parisian chanson will be performed for you

Undoubtedly, it is possible to listen to this music at home on the musical centre, but after all nobody will challenge that fact that this music will bring incomparably more  impressions in its native environment, in the best city of the world – Paris.

Therefore the admirer of the real Parisian chanson is simply obliged to visit the native land of this music and to take pleasure in it there!