This site is mainly focused on songs with lyrics, and I know that a lot of people find classical music boring, but French music is not only French songs, and there is a lot of French classical composers that were very talented and had a lot of influence in the history of music. So here are a few pieces of French classical music, to listen to with eyes closed, laying on your bed :
Jean-Baptiste Lully :
One of the most important composers of the Baroque era. He was born in Florence (Italy) in 1632 and died in 1687 in Paris. His career took place during the reign of king Louis the XIVth, who gave him the rank of “master of music”. He had a very official career in the court, like most composers at the time, at the service of the great men of power. He is also famous for having composed music to accompany the plays of Molière, the most famous French playwright. He is therefore famous for having composed many different types of music, from the military marches to the ballets to sacred music. He also inspired himself of traditionnal dances such as gavottes.
Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs (March for the turkish ceremony) that was composed as a part of Molière’s comedy “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” :
Les Folies d’Espagne (Spanish Folia) which is named after a popular Portuguese dance that inspired many other composers :
Marc Antoine Charpentier :
Another famous composer from the Baroque era (1643 – 1704). His Te Deum had an unexpected posterity as it was adopted as the official anthem of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Jean Philippe Rameau :
Emblematic composer and music theorist of the classical era (1683-1764). He’s famous for his pieces for harpsichord as well as for his opera-ballet Les Indes Galantes. This is the most famous passage of this work. I will translate the sung part if I remember to do it 🙂
Hector Berlioz :
Famous French composer (1803 – 1869), after whom a character of the Aristocats has been named 😉 He composed mainly symphonies and dramatic pieces.
La Symphonie fantastique (Fantastic Symhony) :
La Damnation de Faust (Faust’s Damnation). [This part of the opera has been used in a very famous French comedy, La Grande Vadrouille, in the 1980’s, where the famous comic actor Louis de Funès played the part of a conductor].
Camille Saint-Saëns :
Pianist, organist and compositor (1835-1921). He’s mostly famous for his Carnaval des Animaux (The Carnival of Animals) but also for his Danse Macabre. He’s also the first famous composer to compose a music specially for a movie, in 1908. Here are three of his most famous works (the two last belonging to the Carnaval des Animaux).
Georges Bizet :
One of the most famous composers of the Romantic period (1838-1875). He is still recognized to this day because of his opera Carmen, undoubtedly one of the most famous and widely played operas ever. This opera tells the tragic story of Carmen, a young gipsy (in Spain), who seduces Dom Jose, a soldier, who abandons his childhood lover and escapes his military duties because of her. But he loses her for Escamillo, and in an access of rage, he kills Carmen. As a matter of fact, it turned out to be a real disaster at the time of its representation in 1875, especially because it was very controversial (it broke the conventions of the genre, for example when Carmen is killed on stage in front of the public). George Bizet, desperate of this lack of success, got sick and died prematurately at 36. At least posterity proved him right…
Carmen (Prelude) :
Habanera, “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Love is a rebellious bird), with subtitles in English :
Carmen by Stromae, inspired from this music, and adaptated to our modern digital world (there’s a translation too, but it’s really shitty 😉 that’s life) :
Gabriel Fauré :
Pianist, organist and composer (1845-1924). Here are a few of his most famous works.
Pavane :
Sicilienne (Sicilian) for piano and violin :
Requiem, “In Paradiso” (In Paradise) at the very end of the piece :
Claude Debussy :
Undoubtedly one of the most famous French composers (1862-1918). He’s one of the composers who highlighted the most the beauty of the piano. His music speaks for itself.
Clair de lune (Moonlight) :
Rêverie (Dreaming) :
Erik Satie :
Also a very well-known and innovative pianist and composer, from the same era as Debussy (1866-1925). Both of them had a huge impact on modern music, especially on piano compositions. It’s the kind of music that you could find in a movie.
Gymnopédies :
Gnossiennes :
Maurice Ravel :
Another composer who was pivotal in the evolution of classical music (1875-1937). His most famous work is the Bolero, with a repetitive theme that gains power minute by minute.
Bolero :
Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a defunct princess) :
Francis Poulenc :
Famous and modern pianist and composer (1899-1963).
Sonate pour flûte et piano (Sonata for flute and piano) :
Olivier Messaien :
Compositor, organist and pianist (1908-1992). He is very influenced by his catholic faith, and his music is sort of trying to go back to the roots of music, while still being very exprimental, as you can see in these few examples.
Le merle noir (The blackbird) :
Quattuor pour la fin des temps (Quartet for the end of times), and sorry this piece is quite long, but it has several different steps :
Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry :
Pierre Schaeffer is a very impactful composer and music theorist (1910-1995). He is considered the father of “concrete music” along with Pierre Henry (1927-2017). Their work was very futuristic and influential.
Symphonie pour un homme seul (Symphony for a lonely man) by Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry (here staged by the famous dancer and cheoregrapher Maurice Béjart) :
Messe pour le temps présent (Mass for present times) by Pierre Henri and Michel Colombier, the most famous piece of “music concrète” :
French Music into English 