几乎没有任何音乐学科能像法国香颂那样，与一个国家的文化和精髓紧密相连。它起源于中世纪和文艺复兴时期，这种世俗的、以抒情为主的歌曲形式在法国历史上得到了重生，并继续影响着今天的流行艺术家。这部引人入胜的香颂史以罗伯特·杜瓦诺（Robert Doisneau）等知名摄影师的作品为特色，介绍了一些备受喜爱的艺术家、他们的音乐以及他们所代表的文化时刻。读者将了解阿里斯蒂德·布鲁特（Aristide Bruant）——罗特列克（Lautrec）当时画了一幅他戴着红围巾的主题海报。

本书讲述了约瑟芬·贝克（Josephine Baker）、莫里斯·谢瓦利埃（Maurice Chevalier）以及他们同时代人的生活，同时窥探了Folies Bergère和红磨坊歌舞厅的内部，向读者介绍了“皮雅芙一代”，这一代产生了伊夫·蒙丹（Yves Montand）和乔治·穆斯塔基（Georges Moustaki）等人。它还探索了战后法国的波希米亚飞地，当时革命艺术家以他们自己的忧郁形象重塑了香颂。此外，还展示了全美歌曲集的经典歌曲，如《我的路》、《九月的早晨》是如何在香颂传统中扎根的。无论你是1920年代的火炬歌迷，还是喜欢ZAZ的电子乐，你都会了解到香颂对几乎所有法国音乐传统的重要性，以及香颂为什么是法国历史和文化的完美表达。

Virtually no other musical discipline is as closely linked with the culture and essence of a country as the chanson with France. With roots in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, this secular, lyric-driven form of song has been reborn throughout French history--and continues to influence today's pop artists. Featuring the work of such celebrated photographers as Robert Doisneau, this fascinating history of the chanson profiles some of its most beloved artists, their music, and the cultural moments they represent. Readers will learn about Aristide Bruant--the red scarf-wearing subject of one of Lautrec's most recognizable posters.

It recounts the lives of Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier, and their contemporaries as it peeks inside the Folies Bergère and the Moulin Rouge. It introduces readers to the "Piaf Generation," which produced the likes of Yves Montand and Georges Moustaki. And it explores the bohemian enclaves of postwar France, when revolutionary artists remade the chanson in their own melancholy image. In addition, this volume shows how classic songs of the all American song book, such as "My Way," or "September Morning" have their roots in the chanson tradition. Whether you're a fan of 1920s torch songs or prefer the electronica of ZAZ, you'll learn how the chanson is important to just about every French musical tradition--and why this genre is the perfect expression of the country's history and culture.