Chanson

This article is about the musical term. For the song genre, seeNouvelle Chanson.For other uses, seeChanson (disambiguation).

This article is about the English-language use of the term Chanson. For the French-language use of the term, seeSong.

Achanson(UK:/ˈʃɒ̃sɒ̃/,US:/ʃɑːnˈsɔːn/;French:chanson française[ʃɑ̃sɔ̃fʁɑ̃sɛːz]^ⓘ,lit. 'Frenchsong') is generally anylyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secularpolyphonicFrench songs of latemedievalandRenaissance musicor to a specific style ofFrench pop musicwhich emerged in the 1950s and 1960s.Thegenrehad origins in themonophonicsongs oftroubadoursandtrouvères,though the only polyphonic precedents were 16 works byAdam de la Halleand one byJehan de Lescurel.Not until thears novacomposerGuillaume de Machautdid any composer write a significant number of polyphonic chansons.

Chanson
Stylistic origins	Poetry
Cultural origins	Latemedievalera,France
Derivative forms	Chanson courtoise Chanson de geste Motet-chanson

A broad term, the wordchansonliterally means "song"in French and can thus less commonly refer to a variety of (usuallysecular) French genres throughout history. This includes the songs ofchansonnier,chanson de gesteandGrand chant;court songs of the late Renaissance and earlyBaroque musicperiods,air de cour;popular songs from the 17th to 19th century,bergerette,brunette,chanson pour boire,pastourelle,andvaudeville;art songof theromanticera,mélodie;and folk music,chanson populaire.Since the 1990s, the term may be used forNouvelle Chanson,a French song that often contains poetic or political content.

High medieval precedents

Chanson de geste

Main article:Chanson de geste

The earliestchansonswere theepic poemsperformed to simplemonophonicmelodies by a professional class ofjongleursorménestrels.These usually recounted the famous deeds (geste) of past heroes, legendary and semi-historical. TheSong of Rolandis the most famous of these, but in general thechansons de gesteare studied as literature since very little of their music survives.

Chanson courtoise

Main article:Grand chant

Thechanson courtoiseorgrand chantwas an early form of monophonicchanson,the chief lyric poetic genre of thetrouvères.It was an adaptation toOld Frenchof theOccitancanso.It was practised in the 12th and 13th centuries. Thematically, as its name implies, it was a song ofcourtly love,written usually by a man to his noble lover. Some laterchansonswere polyphonic and some hadrefrainsand were calledchansons avec des refrains.

Late medieval and early Renaissance

Formes fixes

See also:Motet-chanson

In its typical specialized usage, the wordchansonrefers to a polyphonic French song of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance.Earlychansonstended to be in one of theformes fixes—ballade,rondeauorvirelai(formerly thechanson baladée)—though some composers later set popular poetry in a variety of forms. The earliest chansons were for two, three or four voices, with first three becoming the norm, expanding to four voices by the 16th century. Sometimes, the singers were accompanied byinstruments.

The first important composer ofchansonswasGuillaume de Machaut,who composed three-voice works in theformes fixesduring the 14th century.

Burgundianchanson

Two composers fromBurgundy,Guillaume Du FayandGilles Binchois,who wrote so-called Burgundianchansons,dominated the subsequent generation of chanson composers (c. 1420–1470).Their chansons, while somewhat simple in style, are also generally in three voices with a structural tenor. These works are typically still 3 voices, with an active upper voice (discantus) pitched above two lower voices (tenor and altus) usually sharing the same range.MusicologistDavid Fallowsincludes the Burgundian repertoire inA Catalogue of Polyphonic Songs 1415–1480.

Mid-late Renaissancechanson

Later 15th- and early 16th-century figures in the genre includedJohannes OckeghemandJosquin des Prez,whose works cease to be constrained byformes fixesand begin to feature a pervading imitation (all voices sharing material and moving at similar speeds), similar to that found in contemporarymotetsand liturgical music. The first book of music printed from movable type wasHarmonice Musices Odhecaton,a collection of ninety-six chansons by many composers, published in Venice in 1501 byOttaviano Petrucci.

Parisianchanson

Beginning in the late 1520s through mid-century,Claudin de Sermisy,Pierre Certon,Clément Janequin,andPhilippe Verdelotwere composers of so-called Parisianchansons,which also abandoned theformes fixes,often featured four voices, and were in a simpler, morehomophonicstyle. This genre sometimes featured music that was meant to be evocative of certain imagery such as birds or the marketplace. Many of these Parisian works were published byPierre Attaingnant.Composers of their generation, as well as later composers, such asOrlando de Lassus,were influenced by the Italianmadrigal.

Modernchanson

French solo song developed in the late 16th century, probably from the aforementioned Parisian works. During the 17th century, theair de cour,chanson pour boireand other like genres, generally accompanied by lute or keyboard, flourished, with contributions by such composers asAntoine Boesset,Denis Gaultier,Michel LambertandMichel-Richard de Lalande.This still affects today's chanson as many French musicians still employ harp and keyboard.

During the 18th century, vocal music in France was dominated byopera,but solo song underwent a renaissance in the 19th century, first withsalonmelodiesand then by mid-century with highly sophisticated works influenced by the GermanLieder,which had been introduced into the country.Louis Niedermeyer,under the particular spell ofSchubert,was a pivotal figure in this movement, followed byÉdouard Lalo,Felicien Davidand many others.

Another offshoot ofchanson,calledchanson réaliste(realist song), was a popular musical genre in France, primarily from the 1880s until the end of World War II.Born of thecafés-concertsandcabaretsof theMontmartredistrict ofParisand influenced by literary realism and the naturalist movements in literature and theatre,chanson réalistewas a musical style which was mainly performed by women and dealt with the lives of Paris's poor and working class.Among the better-known performers of the genre areDamia,Fréhel,andÉdith Piaf.

Later 19th-century composers of Frenchart songs,known asmélodieand not chanson, includedErnest Chausson,Emmanuel Chabrier,Gabriel Fauré,andClaude Debussy,while many 20th-century and current French composers have continued this strong tradition.

Revival

In the 20th century, French composers revived the genre.Claude DebussycomposedTrois Chansonsfor choira capella,completed in 1908.Maurice RavelwroteTrois Chansonsfor choir a cappella after the outbreak ofWorld War Ias a return to French tradition, published in 1916.

Nouvelle chanson

Main article:Nouvelle Chanson

InFrancetodaychansonorchanson françaiseis distinguished from the rest of French "pop" music by following the rhythms of French language, rather than those of English, and a higher standard for lyrics.

Museum

InLa Planche,Loire-Atlantique,theMusée de la chanson françaisewas established in 1992. The museum has the goal to remember the artists that have established the heritage of thechanson.

See also

• Canzone– Italian or Provençal song or ballad
• Russian chanson– Variety of genres of Russian music

References

Sources

• Strohm, Reinhard(2005).The Rise of European Music, 1380-1500.Cambridge, England:Cambridge University Press.ISBN978-0-521-61934-9.
• Wilkins, Nigel (2001)."Chanson".Grove Music Online.Revised byDavid Fallows,Howard Mayer Brownand Richard Freedman. Oxford:Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.40032.ISBN978-1-56159-263-0.Retrieved20 June2021.(subscription,Wikilibraryaccess, orUK public library membershiprequired)

Further reading

• Dobbins, Frank."Chanson."InThe Oxford Companion to Music,edited by Alison Latham.Oxford Music Online.
• Michail Scherbakov. Russian Сhanson."Deja."
• Burkholder, J. Peter;Grout, Donald Jay;Palisca, Claude V.(2014).A History of Western Music(9th ed.). New York:W. W. Norton & Company.ISBN978-0-393-91829-8.

External links

• French historical chanson panorama (French education minister)