The History of Chanson
It sounds incredible, but chanson has its roots in the 12th century. At that time, trouverts or lyric poets began to appear in France. They composed poems in which they sang the most touching feeling – love. The work of the trouver described simple plots, which is characteristic of folk poetry. The poems were accompanied by music, to which the people sang and danced. The songs were multi-voiced. They were sung by several people at once, delighting those around them with their works.
In later centuries, the storyline was enriched with chivalrous and religious motifs, in general, life was changing – the songs were changing too. Initially, chanson was impersonal. It is impossible to find any records of the first chansonniers. Later, poems began to be recorded with the attribution of authorship. One of the earliest representatives of the genre is considered to be Guillaume de Machaut.
As a musical genre chanson emerged only by the end of the 19th century. Folk art led the performers to… cabaret. It was here that the French enjoyed the touching and exciting melodies, which were inextricably linked to the lyrical verses.
Speaking about the early development of chanson, it is impossible not to remember Aristide Bruant. He performed in the famous cabaret “Black Cat” and was known not only for his songs, but also for his memorable image: Aristide always performed in a black coat, over which a long red scarf was thrown. It is worth noting that he wrote in Parisian Argo, a specific language of a certain closed group, with its own vocabulary and phonetics.
The second iconic figure is Jeanne-Florentine Bourgeois. This romantic singer performed under the pseudonym Mistenguet. She had a chance to participate in the show of the famous cabaret “Moulin Rouge”, the artistic director of which she became in 1925. Bourgeois’ most famous song was written under the influence of feelings: the parting with Maurice Chevalier led to the creation of “Monhomme”, which is familiar to fans of French chanson.
The music is not static. It changes under the influence of new trends. At the beginning of the 20th century, jazz rhythms began to conquer the world. They didn’t just come from everywhere. They created a new culture, introduced something new to the already established musical trends. As a result – an updated chanson, which clearly had jazz motifs, and interesting duets. Thus, the famous French chansonnier Charles Trenet performed with jazz pianist Johnny Hess. The duet “Charles and Johnny” delighted the public for three years. The first concerts were given in 1933 and the last in 1936. Why did the musicians stop collaborating? It’s simple. In 1936, Charles Trenet was drafted into the army, where he wrote the most heartfelt and lyrical songs, not without the involvement of jazz rhythms.
Chanson is a national feature of French culture. The main principle of the genre is that the song is usually performed by the author himself. The music is inseparable from the lyrics, which represents a certain plot. Each song is a peculiar story with its own emotions and images.
Here are the characteristics of the French chanson in order to understand the genre better:
Realism – in other words, these are songs about life. If we look through the biographies of the famous chansonniers, it is easy to find a trend: the performers transpose their lives, their luck and misfortunes, successes and losses onto the notes. It turns out, the songs are “loaded” with real, sincere emotions, which attracts millions of fans;
poetry. For the classic chanson is characterized by the predominance of text over music. The latter acts as a frame. The musical accompaniment emphasizes the emotional component, creating a harmonious work;
The richness and depth of the text. Easy lyrics that do not carry deep feelings and thoughts usually strained to belong to the chanson, because this genre has a different orientation. The lightness is more typical of pop songs. The borders between these genres are rather conditional, but this does not prevent to call the modern French performers chansoniers, though with a stretch. By the way, abroad it is customary to call all French speaking singers chansonniers.
Realism, poetry and pithiness are the basis that has not changed since the days of the trouvères. Whatever happens with the musical accompaniment, it is the text that holds the palm. It is given special attention in the classic chanson.