French Music

Hello there everyone!

I am traveling to France in July. I am looking to get some music to set the mood. I was there a year ago and really enjoyed the accordian style music you hear everywhere there.

When we were there the last time all we had was a celine dion cd. It got rather boring after a while. I would really like to set the mood while im over there with a bunch of music that really screams FRANCE!

anyone know any titles or albums i should look into?

thanks a bunch

Mattyj

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I can help you with only two genres. Check them out from the library.

(1) Classical: Charpentier (baroque eg intro to the Te Deum--very popular wedding music), Widor (romantic eg Symphony 5%26#39;s toccatta--very French organ), Ravel (impressionist eg Bolero--ever heard of that?), Saint-Saens (classical eg Symphony 3 last movement--think Epcot center music, massive organ playing), Rameau (baroque eg it all sounds the same to me--kettle drums, Louis XIV running about, etc--typical Versailles fountain music), Boeildieu (baroque eg harp concerto--more Epcot music)

(2) Folk: Jacques Brel (is this music?)

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I recall a thread not too long ago about this very subject; many here have favorite French composers/performers. Here are a few I like (all available online somewhere I am sure):

Francis Cabrel

Alain Souchon

Patricia Kaas

Francois Feldman (is he still alive?)

Maxime le Forestier

Georges Brassens

Claude Francois

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Camille Bazbaz

Léo Parleur

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DA,

Did you inadvertently omit the following from category 1:

Francois Couperin

Hector Berlioz

Charles Gounod

Léo Delibes

Georges Bizet

Jules Massenet

Gabriel Fauré

Claude Debussy

Paul Dukas

Erik Satie

Jacques Offenbach

And of course from category 2

Edith Piaf

(Brel was Belgian)

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%26gt;Did you inadvertently omit the following from category 1:

nah. The list can get miles long.

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The Amelie soundtrack is nice, lots of accordian tunes following a common theme. Available from Amazon.com but not iTunes:

amazon.com/Amelie-Soundtrack-Recording-Yann-…

Amazon has a few French music collections on CD, but I can%26#39;t vouch for any of them except of course Edit Piaf.

Have fun,

Colin

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I like Carla Bruni, Autour De Lucie and Keren Ann. There are also collections you can buy at most music stores under the %26quot;world music%26#39; section. Belinda Carliel (sp?)-- the lead singer from the Go-Go%26#39;s- just released a French language album. I listened to the samples, but was not sold. If you have itunes you can search under french pop and listen to lots of samples, eventually you will find what you a looking for.

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Julie Delpy, who was Celine in Before Sunrise and in Before Sunset(the latter set in Paris) with Ethan Hawke is also a singer/songwriter - I have her album that includes the theme music from Before Sunset and it just says %26#39;Paris%26#39; to me.

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Louise Attaque. Check it out.

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We went to Paris in November and I put together a little collection focussing on Paris and environs, among those we enjoyed (and not listed above):

Pink Martini, Sympathique - Very 60%26#39;s martini loving...fabulous dark redition of Que Sera Sera

CD, Music for the Sun King: for Versaille wandering

Paris Combo, Attraction: French Pop/Jazz at it%26#39;s hottest

Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappeli, Verve Jazz Matsters 38: Gypsy Jazz to die for, the guitar and violin work can make you weep. You can find artists playing out at the Flea Market

Brel, Jazques; Infiniment: Classic

Khaled, Sahra: Aicha is the song everyone loves! The master of ALgerian Rai, a uniquely Parisian music that has inspired musicians for the last 30 years. A unique fusion of popular 80%26#39;s with traditional Agerian music.

Jarre, Jean-Michael, The Essential 1976-1986; ever wander where new age came from? Here it is, in all its glory.