Category: Music

Chanson Du Jour: l’Ouverture du Barbier de Séville

Chanson Du Jour 12/16/2016: es Quatre Barbus chantent l’Ouverture du Barbier de Séville 1954 

Les Quatre Barbus, founded in 1938 recorded thirty albums including sea chanties, children’s songs, popular songs, bawdy songs and even an album of anarchist songs in 1969.

Among the members was the photographer Pierre Jamet, who sang tenor. Jamet was the son of a butcher, born on rue Mouffetard in Paris in 1910. Jamet’s daughter has written that her father had two passions: singing and photography.

Jamet’s brilliant photographs are featured at the top of the pages of my blog.

Rossini’s Barber of Seville has proven to be one of the greatest masterpieces of comedy within music. Below is a cartoon treatment by Woody Woodpecker.

The Gabriel Yared story from humble beginnings to a Hollywood ending

The celebrated French-Lebanese film composer was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th Dubai International Film Festival on December 7.

Gabriel Yared begins every day the same way. He gets up, and reaches for a Bach score, burying his head in the baroque master’s music.

“Why do I do this? I put a ceiling of perfection and beauty over my day, and every day is the same to me – trying to reach beauty,” says the celebrated French-Lebanese film composer, who was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 13th Dubai International Film Festival on December 7.

“But I still have a lot to learn. I’m very happy with an award, but it won’t change my doubts. I’m always doubting myself.”

The idea that Yared – a 67-year-old Academy Award-winner with more than 100 movie credits, who has scored films for directors as diverse as Jean-Luc Godard and Continue reading “The Gabriel Yared story from humble beginnings to a Hollywood ending” →