Cœur de pirate - la chanson française

Years before I came to Canada, I came across Cœur de Pirate (Beatrice Martin). Having been an aficionado of French music, both classical and contemporary, since young, I was impressed by the lyricism and simplicity of her music, reminding me somewhat of Raphaël Haroche, the continental French singer, who is best known for his poignant song, Caravane. My favourite Raphaël album is Haute Fidélité. I generally listen to non-English music, especially French and Mandarin, as my brain usually thinks in English, and listening to non-English music helps me enjoy the musical aspects better, and simultaneously focus on the task at hand. Not to mention that the fluidity of French and Mandarin languages enhances melodic contours. 

In classical music, continental French music is well known for its impressionistic style, epitomised by Debussy and Ravel, and later romantic style, exemplified by Gabriel Fauré and César Franck. I performed Fauré's Nocturne in E flat major in my younger days, and greatly admired his Nocturne in E-flat minor, a haunting work that has the tremendous spatial quality of a barren landscape. A memorable performance of his Nocturne in E flat major was at the summer school in Toulouse, France. That was my first performance in Europe, and not surprisingly, I initially missed the connecting flight from Frankfurt to Toulouse. César Franck is known for a lush organ-like sound in his piano works, exemplified in his majestic Prelude, Choral et Fugue (1884).

Franck's Choral section from Prelude, Choral et Fugue (1884). Note the density and range of sound, intended to fill the entire concert hall and beyond. Poco più lento indicates a broadening of tempo, a buildup from from the gathering storm of the Prelude section, to convey the sonic weight of the Choral, yet not so heavy as to occlude melodic movement. Score from www.imslp.org

Early French composers such as Couperin and Rameau are great fun to play - they combine French lyricism with a distinctive quirkiness. In Couperin's polyphony, single melody lines interweave like gossamer, in sharp contrast to the dense, geometric polyphony of JS Bach. Couperin's Les Lys Naissant (Lilies being born) is a particularly evocative piece, and exemplifies the highly personal character of his music. The first time I heard that piece, it reminded me of the time when my aunt grew tropical lilies at my grandma's old house, and how they bloomed overnight. Les Ombres Errantes has a similarly secretive atmosphere. If you have energy to burn, Le Tic-Toc-Choc is a crowd-pleaser. In any case, these character pieces translate well to freestyle interpretation on a modern piano, or other instruments. 

Couperin's works. Les Lys Naissant could be performed with a childlike sense of wonder, while Le Tic-Toc-Choc could convey a dynamic, pizzicato effect. Score from www.imslp.org

Back to Cœur de Pirate, the first thing I noted was her edgy, mezzo-soprano voice. When paired with acoustic piano, it gave her music an intensely personal quality. While she has explored electropop in Roses (2015), her recent album Cavale (2025) combines her lyricism with synthpop. I find that her songs translate well to piano covers. Perhaps a piano cover of Cœur de Pirate's song could be improvised upon and morphed into Couperin's music? Now that would be an interesting acoustic experiment.