France’s ‘sad clown’ commissioned his own concerto

France’s ‘sad clown’ commissioned his own concerto

RIP

norman lebrecht

October 07, 2024

The death of the iconic French actor Michel Blanc, aged 72, is being mourned in the highest corridors of power. President Macron said: ‘He made us cry with laughter, and moved us to tears.’ Prime minister Barnier said Blanc’s death had made him ‘very emotional and very sad’.

Twenty years ago, Blanc asked his friend, composer Eric Tanguy, to write a work for him, as narrator, with orchestra.

Music, says Tanguy, was his ‘absolute passion… He played the piano well, especially Brahms and Chopin.’

Comments

  • Concertgebouw79 says:

    Great actor. A kind of French Jack Lemmon.

    • Don Ciccio says:

      Never thought of the analogy but , come to think, it’s not that far off.

      And just like Lemmon, he was equally effective in more dramatic parts when given the chance.

      RIP.

  • Julien says:

    Conductor François Xavier Roth on the vidéo.

  • Andrew Clarke says:

    I saw him in Grosse Fatigue, in which he played two roles, himself, and a miserable imposter from La France Profonde who was trying, without success, to pass himself off as Blanc in order to seduce famous actresses of the day. He also played himself applying in desperation for a job as an Adolf Hitler look-alike. He also directed the film and wrote the script with two collaborators. The very lovely Carole Bouquet was in it too.

  • MOST READ TODAY: