Richard Cocciante talks about “Notre-Dame de Paris”

Every day, a personality invites itself into the world of Élodie Suigo. Monday November 27, 2023: the author, composer and singer, Richard Cocciante. Until January 7, 2024, the musical show “Notre-Dame de Paris” which he co-wrote with Luc Plamondon is back at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.

Richard Cocciante is an artist, performer and composer, particularly known for his songs Sunburn (1980), Daisy (1989), My refuge (1995). The musical show Notre Dame de Paris, fruit of a rich collaboration with Luc Plamondon, has stuck with him since 1998.

Until January 7, 2024, this cult show is back on stage at the Palais des Congrès and will tour the Zénith in 2024.

franceinfo: You, who are the composer of this world event, how are you experiencing this return to the stage 25 years later?

Richard Cocciante: It’s incredible to achieve because at the beginning, when we composed it, we never thought we would have such success. Not only in France, but in many countries around the world. We wrote Notre Dame de Paris because we wanted to, not because a work was commissioned from us. We wrote everything until we had to choose a producer and then it was difficult.

“No one wanted to produce us or even listen. It wasn’t in the spirit of the times to release a work of this kind. It proves the honesty of the writing. We didn’t write it to make a success, but we wrote it because we really wanted to.”

Richard Cocciante

at franceinfo

When Charles Talar, who is the producer who took care of Notre Dame de Paris at the beginning, came to listen, the first thing he said: “I don’t want to produce this work, but I come out of respect, to listen“. So I got on the piano and sang the whole work. It was only at the end that he applauded. He gave us the libretto to sign and he said: “I’m going to book the Palais des Congrès for four months“and then we said to ourselves:”Oh, it’s going to be impossible to fill! It is not possible“. And the whole story began like that.

Notre Dame de Paris, it is first of all a work by Victor Hugo, adapted in 1836 by the composer Louise Bertin; in 1965, it became a ballet thanks to the choreographer and dancer Roland Petit. There are also films, TV films, cartoons. You have this idea of ​​transposing the work into a musical. Did you understand very quickly that you were going to bring a new lease of life?

We call it a “musical show”. It’s not because we denigrate the musical, it’s because it simply isn’t one. Normally, in musicals, we talk and we sing. In Notre Dame de Paris, it is sung from start to finish. It is a complete show on stage where there is a ballet which, for the first time, has mixed different styles. Modern dance with breakers and acrobats together, as if it were a single body. It was the first time we talked about foreigners, emigrants. It was very strong at the time because we were talking about emigrants, Clopin is the leader of the undocumented immigrants.

“If we had written ‘Notre-Dame de Paris’ today, perhaps we would have been called opportunists because we talk about foreigners, about all the social problems that we are experiencing in this moment. Could we imagine this success? No, but it’s better.”

Richard Cocciante

at franceinfo

You don’t have to make a success, you have to make success happen. Spontaneous. It’s the people who decide, it’s the public. That’s true success, it’s the unexpected.

You were born in Saigon, Vietnam,‘an Italian father and a French mother. At what age did you discover music and also your unique voice?

I am a born singer. Very quickly, I understood that this was the main expression. I’m not a great talker. I think I took refuge in music and especially in singing. So I’m completely self-taught. At first it wasn’t a choice, but it became one because I said to myself one day: should I learn music? But I was afraid of losing the instinct I had in me, this spontaneity in composition and in the way of expressing myself. As for my voice, I had to assert myself.

“My first successes were in Italy and it was with a hoarse voice, a torn voice. The experts in the record company were not very convinced, it was really the public that gave me success. I had to impose a voice, but also a physique, because I don’t have the physique of a classical singer. I’m a little withdrawn and above all take refuge behind my piano.”

Richard Cocciante

at franceinfo

So I had to impose this way of being, of living, of thinking and certainly of singing. It was a blow in Italy, it exploded. There was a difference. I like the difference. The artist must be different, otherwise he does not exist and he must assume it and impose it. This is how it was born Notre Dame de Paris because basically, I could have continued to be a singer and composer of my songs throughout my life. But I risked, I launched into this Notre Dame de Pariseven when I was told: “You are crazy, you will completely destroy your career!“But we have to try. If we don’t try in our career, we achieve nothing.

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