French Musicals

[ElisaAnn0]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 11:43pm

Hi!
I'm participating in a French competition in February where I have to sing a song in French, written by a French composer. The only French musical I know is Romeo et Juliette, but there aren't any girl solos in that one that I know of. Does anyone know a French musical that I could search for songs from? Or maybe a French pop or classical song I could look into to sing?
Thanks a bunch!
-Elisa
Updated On: 1/4/09 at 11:43 PM

[skb2010]

Posted: 1/5/09 at 1:21am

I would say "Ces Soiree La" but since it's a guys song, and by the Four Seasons, it's not very helpful. Sorry.

Posted: 1/5/09 at 11:31am

I suggest you check out Michel Legrand's The umbrellas of Cherbourg or any of his other stuff.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 1/5/09 at 1:40pm

Forget French musicals. There aren't enough of them and they probably don't exist in French in a form that is easily available.

Irma La Douce is one.

Umbrellas of Cherbourg (LeGrand) is a French film that was all sung but the 'lyrics' are unusual. The dialogue is sung, but it is only dialogue not lyrics in any conventional sense of the term. English lyrics were fashioned for the two main themes, but they were written by the Bergmans I think. They are nowhere near literal translations. The songs are "I Will Wait For You" (which was a 1964 Oscar nominee) and "Watch What Happens" which I think is the better song of the two.

Listen to Edith Piaf recordings or Charles Aznavour and then find translations so you know what the songs are about.

[Manny2]

Posted: 1/5/09 at 7:57pm

I'm competing in a French competition as well, except I'm performing in a play...

I would be very careful when performing something like Edith, just because (in my experience) these judges are very old french people who hold the french culture on a pedastal, and don't really like seeing anyone perform it besides Edith herself (unless you're amazing, in which case, by all means!)

Try looking into the French libretto for Les Mis.
There's this cool group called, "Aaron", they're french pop, and they have songs which are pretty easy to sing (look for tunnel d'or).

Umm, there's Yelle (who is euro-pop) and there are many other contemporary French singers out there.
I would also suggest looking up the musical versions of anything done by Moliere, almost everything he's done is a musical or opera.

Bonne chance!