Quand on n'a que l'amour
Jul. 18th, 2005 03:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jawnbcFriday night we got us some culture. We saw Michéline Van Hautem (accompanied by Frederik Caelen) and their incredible--are you listening, I said INCREDIBLEM--Songs of Jacques Brel cabaret show.
For those unaware, Brel was one of the major chansonniers of the 20th century. He wrote about love, sex, obsession, self-doubt, depression...the colourful stuff. That he died in his early 50s makes the substance of his contribution to popular music all the more impressive His most famous song is perhaps «Ne me quitte pas»/Don't Go Away, which has been sung pretty much by every important singer in the world (my favourite is Frida Boccara's version). It remains one of the most complex and nuanced ballads ever. And you monolingual anglophone types haven't avoided being Brelled: ever hear of a song called "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks? It's a Brel work, titled en français «Le moribond». For many, Brel...along with Piaf...are the shit of 20th century French music. Eddy Marnay soit maudire!
Cabaret can get pretty tedious pretty quickly. This didn't. Michéline (I feel like she's my friend now) knows how to communicate and pace. And she is a compelling performer. By the end of the evening everyone was a-hootin' and a-hollerin'. Whether they knew Brel's catalogue, whether they understood French (she sang about 60% in English). We were thoroughly entertained. Fun! Fun! Fun!
Today I have conjunctivitis, pink eye as we called it during my childhood. I pus therefore I squint. Unfun.
Today I am also constructing a rather elaborate WebCT site as a going away present for my colleagues (OK I hafta do it). Also unfun.
For those unaware, Brel was one of the major chansonniers of the 20th century. He wrote about love, sex, obsession, self-doubt, depression...the colourful stuff. That he died in his early 50s makes the substance of his contribution to popular music all the more impressive His most famous song is perhaps «Ne me quitte pas»/Don't Go Away, which has been sung pretty much by every important singer in the world (my favourite is Frida Boccara's version). It remains one of the most complex and nuanced ballads ever. And you monolingual anglophone types haven't avoided being Brelled: ever hear of a song called "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks? It's a Brel work, titled en français «Le moribond». For many, Brel...along with Piaf...are the shit of 20th century French music. Eddy Marnay soit maudire!
Cabaret can get pretty tedious pretty quickly. This didn't. Michéline (I feel like she's my friend now) knows how to communicate and pace. And she is a compelling performer. By the end of the evening everyone was a-hootin' and a-hollerin'. Whether they knew Brel's catalogue, whether they understood French (she sang about 60% in English). We were thoroughly entertained. Fun! Fun! Fun!
Today I have conjunctivitis, pink eye as we called it during my childhood. I pus therefore I squint. Unfun.
Today I am also constructing a rather elaborate WebCT site as a going away present for my colleagues (OK I hafta do it). Also unfun.
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T'as oublié quelq'un
Date: 2005-07-18 10:13 am (UTC)T'as oublié l'autre grand maître de la chanson française... Serge Gainsbourg. Les scandals, les filles, les chansons superbes, les métaphores, la musique...
Formidable. Si tu n'as jamais écouté, il faut absolutement que tu commences!
Re: T'as oublié quelq'un
Date: 2005-07-18 11:24 pm (UTC)Je n'oublie personne. Gainsbourg, je n'ai pas envie...sauf (biensûr) «Poupée de cire, poupée de son» par France Gall (gagnante 1965, Concours Eurovision de la chanson) ;)
no subject
Date: 2005-07-18 11:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-18 06:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-18 11:24 pm (UTC)*ducks*
no subject
Date: 2005-07-18 04:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-07-18 11:26 pm (UTC)Re: T'as oubli頱uelq'un
Date: 2005-07-19 08:08 am (UTC)Have you heard "La ballade de Melody Nelson"... C'est superbe...
no subject
Date: 2005-07-20 01:34 am (UTC)sorry about your little peepers...may they become uncrusted soon!