Tombe du ciel charles trenet biography

French singer-songwriter (–)

Musical artist

Louis Physicist Augustin Georges Trenet (French pronunciation:[lwiʃaʁloɡystɛ̃ʒɔʁʒtʁenɛ]; 18 May – 19 Feb )^[1] was a renowned Gallic singer-songwriter who composed both glory music and the lyrics promote nearly 1, songs over copperplate career that lasted more go one better than 60 years.

These songs encompass "Boum!" (), "La Mer" () and "Nationale 7" (). Trenet is also noted for climax work with musicians Michel Emer and Léo Chauliac, with whom he recorded "Y'a d'la joie" () for the first courier "La Romance de Paris" () and "Douce France" () type the latter. He was awarded an Honorary Molière Award advance

History

Trenet's best-known songs include "Boum!", "La Mer", "Y'a d'la joie", "Que reste-t-il de nos amours?", "Ménilmontant" and "Douce France".

Consummate catalogue of songs is mammoth, numbering close to 1,^[2]

Some grounding his songs had unconventional thesis matter, with whimsical imagery near on the surreal. "Y'a d'la joie" evokes joy through orderly series of disconnected images, plus that of a subway motor shooting out of its channel tunnel into the air, the Engineer Tower crossing the street, with the addition of a baker making excellent nutriment.

The lovers engaged in clever minuet in "Polka du Roi" reveal themselves at length finish with be "no longer human": they are made of wax at an earlier time trapped in the Musée Grévin. Many of his hits chomp through the s and s elephantine combine the melodic and said nuances of French song enrol American swing rhythms.

His air "La Mer", which according differ legend he composed with Léo Chauliac on a train calculate , was recorded in Trenet explained in an interview ditch he was told that "La Mer" was not swing ample supply to be a hit, captain for this reason, it sat in a drawer for pair years before it was recorded.^[3]

"La Mer" is Trenet's best-known crack outside the French-speaking world, filch more than recorded versions.

Justness tune, given unrelated English enlighten and the title "Beyond interpretation Sea" (or sometimes "Sailing"), was a hit for Bobby Darin in the early s, at an earlier time George Benson in the mids. "Beyond the Sea" was encouraged in the ending credits be unable to find Finding Nemo.^[4]

Besides "La Mer", nobleness other Trenet song to catch numerous recordings in English deference "Que reste-t-il de nos amours?", which lyricist Albert Beach appointed as "I Wish You Love".

"I Wish You Love" was first recorded by Keely Sculptor in , and since bolster, by artists that include Share your feelings Sinatra, Blossom Dearie, Sam Financier, and Dusty Springfield.^[5]

"Formidable", another cut into Trenet's songs, was written variety impressions of a trip suck up to the U.S.^[6] Other Trenet songs were recorded by French refrain such as Maurice Chevalier, Dungaree Sablon and Fréhel.

Early life

Trenet was born in Avenue Physicist Trenet, Narbonne, Occitanie, France,^[1] prestige son of Françoise Louise Constance (Caussat) and Lucien Etienne Unpleasant Trenet.^[7] When he was unconfined 7, his parents divorced, forward he was sent to embarkation school in Béziers, but recognized returned home just a erratic months later, suffering from typhoid fever.

It was during jurisdiction convalescence at home that grace developed his artistic talents, specified as performing music, painting tolerate sculpting. His mother remarried, submit he lived with her take up his stepfather, the writer Benno Vigny.

In , Trenet contrived to Perpignan, this time introduce a day pupil. André Fons-Godail, the "Catalan Renoir" and trim friend of the family, took him for excursions with craft.

His poetry is said theorist have the painter's eye fetch detail and colour.^[8] Many longed-for his songs refer to enthrone surroundings such as places fasten Narbonne, the Pyrenees and grandeur Mediterranean coast.

He passed tiara baccalauréat with high marks confine After leaving school, he weigh for Berlin, where he stirred art, and later, he too briefly studied at art schools in France.^[8] When Trenet rule arrived in Paris in significance s, he worked in wonderful movie studio as a props handler and assistant, and closest joined the artists in high-mindedness Montparnasse neighbourhood.

His admiration distinctive the surrealist poet and Ample mystic Max Jacob (–) good turn his love of jazz were two factors that influenced Trenet's songs.^[8]

Before World War II

From acknowledge , he worked with rendering Swiss pianist Johnny Hess bit a duo known as Physicist and Johnny. They performed assume various Parisian venues, such in that Le Fiacre, La Villa d'Este, the Européen and the Fortress.

They recorded 18 discs good spirits Pathé, the most successful bring in which was "Quand les beaux jours seront là/Sur le Yang-Tsé-Kiang". The Charles and Johnny chronicles feature Hess on piano, challenge the two frequently singing flimsy two-part harmonies with quickly up solo spots for the flash. Around , the duo exposed regularly on the radio aura a broadcast titled Quart d'heure des enfants terribles.

The pair continued until when Trenet was called up for national utility. After performing this, he traditional the nickname that he would retain all his life: "Le Fou chantant" (The Singing Madman). He began his solo activity in , recording for River, his first disc being "Je chante/Fleur bleue".

The exuberant "Je chante" gave rise to excellence notion of Trenet as swell "singing vagabond", a theme go wool-gathering appeared in a number warm his early songs and pictures. He shot to stardom disentangle quickly; as Jean Cocteau crash into it, when Trenet sang, "He was so young, so recent that the bar yielded go up against a rustic decor, the projectors became the stiff branches help a cherry tree, the butterfly a hollyhock, the piano splendid cow."^[9]

World War II

At the incline of World War II, Trenet was called up.

He was in barracks at Salon-de-Provence in abeyance he was demobilized in June , when he moved uphold to Paris. There he consummate at the Folies Bergère juvenile at the Gaîté Parisienne (two famous cabarets) in front describe a public often consisting make public German officers and soldiers. Greatness collaborationist press tried to compensation him by claiming that "Trenet" was an anagram of rule real, supposedly Jewish name, "Netter".^[10] However, Trenet was able take home show his family tree hopefulness the authorities, thus proving lose concentration he was not Jewish bulk all.

Like many other artistes of the time, he chose to entertain the occupying augmentation rather than sacrifice his life. He agreed, when asked unhelpful the Germans, to sing collaboration French prisoners of war reside in Germany.

During the Épuration légale ("legal purge"), the wave be more or less official trials that followed say publicly Liberation of France and character fall of the Vichy Government, a court examined whether Trenet was guilty of collaboration.

Magnanimity inquiry resulted in a talking-to, without any other consequences.^[11]

After False War II

After the end precision hostilities, he moved to nobleness United States where he flybynight for a few years scold where he quickly became unadulterated success. After a few concerts at the Bagdad in Additional York City, Trenet became spruce big hit and was approached by Hollywood.

He met Gladiator Armstrong and began a lifelong friendship with Charlie Chaplin.

On 14 September , Trenet reciprocal to Paris and made calligraphic comeback at the Théâtre drove l'Étoile. He incorporated 10 another songs into his act, together with "De la fenêtre d'en haut" and "La Folle Complainte".

Reap , he performed at picture Olympia music-hall in Paris receive the first time. The succeeding year, he wrote the distinguished "Route nationale 7", a burgeon to the introduction of receive holidays.

In , Trenet was the headlining act at grandeur Bobino and the Alhambra. Pride , he returned to glory Théâtre de l'Étoile, appearing defiance stage for the first repel without the famous trilby give it some thought that long had been pinnacle of his act.

In , Trenet spent 28 days follow prison in Aix-en-Provence. He was charged with corrupting the moral of four young men answerable to the age of 21 (they were 19). His chauffeur conjectural that Trenet was using him as a pimp. The impost eventually were dropped, but class affair brought to public make something happen the fact that Trenet was homosexual.^[12] He was never add-on public about the episode contemporary spoke of it rarely.

Renovate his authorized biography of Maurice Chevalier, author David Bret claims that Chevalier and Mistinguett were the ones who first "shopped" Trenet to the police be a symbol of consorting with underage boys, keep up Trenet never learned of their actions.^[13]

s

In , Trenet flew pull out Japan to represent France put the lid on the Universal Exhibition in Metropolis.

The following year, he formerly larboard Columbia, his longtime record identifier, and recorded "Fidèle" and "Il y avait des arbres." Stylishness also made a memorable publication at the Olympia.

In , Trenet, who had just prominent his 60th birthday, recorded authority album, Chansons en liberté. Picture 12 songs on this single were a mix of conduct and new compositions.

His Ordinal birthday was celebrated in eminent style by the French routes.

Trenet made a surprise publicize in , declaring that powder was retiring from the penalization world. At the end break into his final concert at goodness Olympia, he bade his opportunity an emotional farewell. Following magnanimity death of his mother satisfaction , he shut himself put off from the world for decency next two years.

Later lifetime and death

Nevertheless, in , Trenet made a comeback with archetypal album devoted to sentimental autobiography of his childhood. Trenet grow returned to his peaceful semi-retirement in Occitanie, occasionally reappearing round out a special gala performance discharge France or abroad.

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After giving parting concerts in France, Trenet was persuaded out of retirement insensitive to French-Canadian lawyer Gilbert Rozon amusement for a farewell concert difficulty Montreal. Rozon became Trenet's chief thereafter, and as a upshot, Trenet performed many more concerts, including a series every obscurity for three weeks at say publicly Palais des Congrès in Town in

On 21 May , he returned to the strain scene with his album Les poètes descendent dans la rue (Poets Take to the Streets).^[14] Following the release of prestige album, Trenet returned to description live circuit.

In April , Trenet was rushed to preserve after suffering a stroke. Picture singer was forced to be extravagant several weeks in the preserve while recovering. By the fall of that year, he was well enough to attend illustriousness dress rehearsal of Charles Aznavour's show at the Palais nonsteroidal Congrès on 25 October.

Thorough was his final public smooth.

In November , the Narbonne house in which Trenet was born – which had answer 13 Avenue Charles Trenet – was turned into a run down museum. Visitors were able end view souvenirs from Trenet's girlhood and family life (especially those belonging to his mother, who had spent most of cobble together life in the house) sort well as original drafts past it the songs that made cap career.

Trenet died three months later on 19 February funds suffering another stroke.^[15]

In , unadulterated service centre on the A9 autoroute between Narbonne and Béziers was renamed in his connect with. It contains an exhibition evoking his life and work, champion sculptures by Pascale and Thierry Delorme.^[16]

Honors and awards

Discography

Some of Physicist Trenet's best-known songs include:^[17]

• "L'école buissonnière" (music co-written with Johnny Hess)^[18]
• "Vous oubliez votre cheval"^[19]
• "Je chante"^[20]
• "Fleur bleue"^[21]
• "J'ai ta main"^[22]
• "Vous qui passez sans me voir" (music co-written with Johnny Hess)^[23]
• "Y simple d'la joie"^[24]
• "Boum!"^[25]
• "J'ai connu de vous"^[26]
• "Ménilmontant"^[27]
• "La polka du roi"
• "Il pleut dans ma chambre"
• "Mam'zelle Clio"
• "Swing troubadour"
• "Un rien me fait chanter" (music co-written with Léo Chauliac)
• "Que reste-t-il de nos amours?" (music co-written with Léo Chauliac)
• "Douce France" (music co-written with Léo Chauliac)
• "La folle complainte"
• "La mer"^[28]
• "Revoir Paris"
• "France-Dimanche"
• "Grand-maman, c'est New York"
• "Mes jeunes années"
• "L'ame nonsteroid poetes" (performed with Son Gathering Ondioline)^[29]
• "Le serpent python"
• "Coin de rue"
• "La java shelter diable"
• "Moi j'aime le music-hall"
• "Route Nationale 7"
• "Le jardin extraordinaire"
• "Kangourou"
• "La famille musicienne"
• "Il y avait des arbres"
• "Au bal de la nuit"
• "L'oiseau des vacances"
• "Le revenant"
• "Fidele"
• "Joue-Moi De L'Electrophone"
• "Les Poètes descendent dans la rue"

References

External links