The Slipped Disc daily comfort zone (119): He earned the name Le grand
mainLes parapluies de Cherbourg – not even his greatest movie score.
Comments
MOST READ TODAY:
-
Orchestras
Berlin Phil oboe’s US class arouses disquiet
A social media activist has circulated a video…
-
Opera
Trouble in Venice as tenor spurns white-face Otello
Francesco Meli is due to sing Verdi’s Otello…
-
Opera
Biz news: Russian mezzo jumps
Maria Mot’s boutique London-based management has signed the…
-
Orchestras
NY Times chief joins the Mäkelä sceptics
Zachary Woolfe, chief music critic of the New…
Since Umbrellas of Cherbourg, is more of an original cinematic opera with Director Jacques Demy being the librettist/lyricist, I thought it might be fun to hear how Michel Le Grande explored an instrumental aspect of the film’s music with saxophonist Phil Woods.
I saw them do this live many years ago and I will never forget it.
https://youtu.be/E2T8fRxix2s
It’s “Les Parapluies de Cherbourg”, Norman.
French, you know.
To whoever downvoted my above comment: Zut!
“Parapluies,” surely.
The best is the Go-Between Palme d’Or at Cannes
The great thing is seeing his hands wander over the piano keys.
I remember being in London when I saw Parapluies the year it came out…
And remember (with great interest) the camera lingering on Deneuve.
Touchant. Incroyable.
Legrand with Dessay together… unforgettable
https://basiaconfuoco.com/2016/09/02/entre-elle-et-lui/
Wonderful film. The final scene – with that melody playing the background – not a dry eye in the house.
.
His greatest movie score to me = YENTL. Period.
I got to know Michel quite well during the recording of YENTL. I provided several solos on ethnic flutes and worked closely with Streisand. One day at OLYMPIC STUDIOS Barbra began to sing this heavily orchestrated song….with four grand pianos playing very difficult parts. After some words were exchanged, and Barbra was clearly being difficult, Michel calmly announced to the huge orchestra:” Eh bien messieurs….gentleman once more…down a semitone”. The look of horror remains with me to this day…but we all did it. To transpose DOWN a semitone is possibly the worst request. My admiration goes to Howard Shelley and Les Pearson and colleagues whose piano parts were so busy. Nat Peck, the fixer/contractor for the orchestra told me it was his proudest moment to have booked an orchestra that could do this.