Global InformationChanson information
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| Chanson | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Poetry |
| Cultural origins | Late medieval era, France |
| Derivative forms |
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A chanson (UK: /ˈʃɒ̃sɒ̃/,[1] US: /ʃɑːnˈsɔːn/;[2] French: chanson française [ʃɑ̃sɔ̃ fʁɑ̃sɛːz] , lit. 'French song') is generally any lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of French pop music which emerged in the 1950s and 1960s.[3][4][5] The genre had origins in the monophonic songs of troubadours and trouvères, though the only polyphonic precedents were 16 works by Adam de la Halle and one by Jehan de Lescurel.[6] Not until the ars nova composer Guillaume de Machaut did any composer write a significant number of polyphonic chansons.[6]
A broad term, the word chanson literally means "song" in French and can thus less commonly refer to a variety of (usually secular) French genres throughout history. This includes the songs of chansonnier, chanson de geste and Grand chant; court songs of the late Renaissance and early Baroque music periods, air de cour; popular songs from the 17th to 19th century, bergerette, brunette, chanson pour boire, pastourelle, and vaudeville; art song of the romantic era, mélodie; and folk music, chanson populaire.[4] Since the 1990s, the term may be used for Nouvelle Chanson, a French song that often contains poetic or political content.[3]
- ^ "chanson". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021.
- ^ "chanson". Lexico UK English Dictionary US English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021.
- ^ a b "chanson, n.". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 20 June 2021. (subscription required)
- ^ a b Wilkins 2001, Introduction.
- ^ "Chanson | Biography, Paper & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopædia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 18 December 2017. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.(subscription required)
- ^ a b Wilkins 2001, 1. Origins to about 1430.