“I want to make people cry even when they don’t understand my words.” Edith Piaf (1915-1963)
From jazz to rock, from pop to rap, the hugely varied and diverse genre, French Chansons started to take shape at the end of the 19th century, and was immediately a huge hit amongst young and old alike. Browse our sheet music and scores, and discover all the greatest French Chanson hits with Stretta today!
At the end of the 19th century, the first French Chansons, cabaret songs emerged, which were already very different from the popular classical French Song and French Opera. Cafes, variety shows became venues to showcase French Chanson, and some of the most famous venues are still known today, Moulin Rouge, Les Folies Bergères, Le Chat Noir and L’Olympia.
In the 1930s, one of the greatest idols of French Chanson came to the fore, Édith Piaf, whose name was soon on everyone’s lips in France and abroad. She was followed by other popular artists such as Yves Montand, Henri Salvador, Annie Cordy and many others.
At the same time, singers like Jacques Brel and Georges Brassens were more inspired by literary, emotionally committed texts.
The 1960s saw the birth of rock music, which came mainly from the United States, and with it came the age of fans, who followed their idols such as Johnny Hallyday, Claude François, Sylvie Vartan, Françoise Hardy and many others. They were nicknamed “yéyés”, which came from the English“ yeah”, from the Beatles “She Loves You”. Thanks to these stars, the record market experienced a legendary boom.
At the end of 1970, it was the ’rock opera’ by Michel Berger and Luc Plamondon Starmania which paved the way for the genre of French musical comedy. It was followed by ’Notre Dame de Paris’, ’The Ten Commandments’, ’Romeo and Juliet’ and many others.
At the end of the century, Jean-Jacques Goldman and Mylène Farmer revolutionized the French music video, while the Canadian Céline Dion achieved international success with the release of the world’s best-selling French-language album “D’eux”, written and produced by JJ Goldman.
In the early 2000s, singers emerged, mostly from musicals, such as Garou and Lara Fabian, but the focus soon shifted back to singers with literary texts like Raphaël, Carla Bruni and Bénabar, who were hugely successful.
The Belgian singer Stromae made a name for himself on the French music scene in 2013 with his album “Racine Carré”, the best-selling album of the decade. His unique style highlights the elaborate texts that are reminiscent of those of his compatriot Jacques Brel.
Today, urban music that emerged in the 90s is the mainstay of French Chanson, with Maître Gims, Soprano and Sexion d’Assaut, among others.
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1105184
Single edition
Item no.: 212361
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1354314
for: gemischter Chor (SATB), Männerchor (TTBB) und Tenor solo
Chorpartitur
Item no.: 204006
for: Voice, piano
Item no.: 108004
for: Fanfare
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1000316
Die Elektronische Orgel 41
for: Electric organ
Item no.: 553707
Sing
for: Male choir
Choir score
Item no.: 179972
for: Voice and Ensemble
Score
Item no.: 267143
for: 4-Part Choir
Book
Item no.: 992779
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Book
Item no.: 992755
for: Mixed choir (SAB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 992438
for: Diatonic accordion
Item no.: 125822
Pop und Rock
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 608204
for: Choir (3 voices), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 992537
for: Voice (medium), piano
Score
Item no.: 268076
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1354439
for: Voice, piano
Score
Item no.: 851578
Applause
for: Concert band [brass band]
Conductors part (C)
Item no.: 887920
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 239170
for: Voice, piano
Score
Item no.: 852605
for: Sopran, Bariton und Kammerensemble
Piano reduction
Item no.: 353365
for: Sopran, Bariton und Kammerensemble
Study score
Item no.: 353327
aus dem Film "Findet Nemo" (2003)
Sound Classics
for: Concert band
Score, conductor's part, orchestral parts
Item no.: 213284
for: Voice, piano [guitar/keyboard]
Single edition
Item no.: 658310
Le jour où la pluie viendra
Power Of Voice
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 554916
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1129502
for: Voice (medium), piano
Music score
Item no.: 369257
for: Voice, piano [guitar/keyboard]
Single edition
Item no.: 658312
for: Clarinet, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 615055
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1130502
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1354351
for: Accordion
Music score
Item no.: 125821
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 616325
for: Mezzo-Soprano or Baritone and Piano
Book
Item no.: 101184
Parodie auf das französische Volkslied
for: gemischter Chor (SATB), Männerchor (TTBB) und Tenor solo
Choir score (men voices)
Item no.: 742524
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1354455
for: Voice
Book
Item no.: 1102931
for: Voice, piano
Item no.: 166876
Single edition
Item no.: 404818
for: Voice, piano
Score
Item no.: 852874
for: 4-Part Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 992522
for: Voice, piano
Piano score
Item no.: 643418
for: Voice, piano
Score
Item no.: 853484