Melodies: Gounod, Faure, Berlioz [CD de audio] Roger Houzmel (barótono), Maciej Pikulski(piano) and Gounod,Faure, Berlioz

The history of the French melody genre spans 130 years, from Hector Berlioz to Francis Poulenc. The term mélodie is used from the beginning to distinguish the genre from popular songs. The French melody can be considered a derivation of the 18th century romance genre, a song characterized by its simplicity. Varios factors contributed to the consolidation of the French melody genre in the mid-19th century: the progressive forgetting of the romance genre; the introduction in France of Schubert's lieder, which enjoyed notable popularity; the new romantic poetry, which inspired composers to conceive new compositional techniques and, above all, the social rise of the Parisian bourgeoisie. The mélodie française, a purely French genre, is the fruit of the collaboration between a poet and a composer of romantic music. Its origin dates back to the time of courtly love. The troubadours of the north and the minstrels and clowns of the south of France used to sing these love poems: the first in the Occitan language (langue d'oc) and the second in old French (langue d'oïl). They traveled throughout the country: they became an essential part of France. Perfection of vocal prowess was the main priority, rather than instrumental quality. The accompaniment was performed with a lute, a violin or was simply omitted. The monotonous singing defined the melody; The generous impulse of chivalry announced a beautiful allegory.