{"id":111374,"date":"2025-01-30T15:03:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T20:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=111374"},"modified":"2025-01-31T07:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T12:00:02","slug":"preview-french-music-amici-chamber-ensemble-explore-piaf-poulenc-february-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/01\/30\/preview-french-music-amici-chamber-ensemble-explore-piaf-poulenc-february-9\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | French Music: Amici Chamber Ensemble Explore Piaf & Poulenc February 9"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Members
Members of Amici Chamber Ensemble and guest artists; vocalist Pandora Topp (Photos courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The evocative nature of French music is explored through the work of two unique artists in the next concert by the Amici Chamber Ensemble. Piaf & Poulenc pairs the distinctive and emotional vocal style of the quintessential chanteuse with the composer\u2019s rich harmonies.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Piaf and Poulenc\u2019s music] represents Paris in the late afternoon or early evening\u2026 when people go to the cafes or the bars after a hard day\u2019s work, and they\u2019re enjoying themselves\u2026 that\u2019s how I imagine their music,\u201d says Amici co-artistic director Serouj Kradjian in a statement.<\/p>\n

The concert takes place February 9.<\/p>\n

The Music of Paris in the 1930s<\/h2>\n

Piaf<\/h3>\n

Born \u00c9dith Giovanna Gassion in 1915, the iconic entertainer the world knew as \u00c9dith Piaf is one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century. Her vocals are instantly recognizable, and she came to epitomize the chanson r\u00e9aliste, a term typically referring to songs of love and loss.<\/p>\n

She began her performing career at the age of 14, joining her father, a street acrobat, with her songs. Her life was often tumultuous, and included marriage and pregnancy at the age of 17. The child would die of meningitis at the age of two, the marriage between her parents already over.<\/p>\n

\u00c9dith was discovered n 1935 by nightclub owner Louis Lepl\u00e9e, who would help her craft her signature look. Legendary guitarist Django Reinhardt was in attendance at her debut, which had been hyped by Lepl\u00e9e. Her career as a nightclub singer began to off, only to be blighted by suspicions following Lepl\u00e9e\u2019s murder the following year.<\/p>\n

Her career and fame would truly grow, however, during the German occupation of France during the Second World War. She sang for audiences in nightclubs and brothels, and went on a concert tour sponsored by German government officials. After the war, personal testimony by a member of the Resistance helped her avoid a nation-wide radio ban because of alleged collaboration with the occupying army.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d regain her enormous popularity in France, while earning an international reputation over the decades. Her signature songs like La vie en rose and Non, je ne regret rien have risen to iconic status.<\/p>\n

As a singer, her style blended elements of cabaret and classic French chanson. Her delivery was nuanced and emotional, and characterized by a kind of percussive use of vibrato \u2014 a distinctive sound she essentially invented.<\/p>\n