For years, the pianist and composer Guillaume de Chassy, a native of Paris, has pursued a career interweaving various aesthetics: jazz, classical, French song. One of his last albums was a tribute to Barbara. For ten years, he has hosted a trio with clarinetist Thomas Savy and double bassist Arnault Cuisinier, a “democratic utopia” in his own words, where everyone plays in “total confidence”, by favoring the purity. With this trio, he played with the singers Laurent Naouri, Natalie Dessay, David Linx … And now, Élise Caron, unclassifiable and irresistible storyteller who also plays labels.
On his new album The Soul of the Poets, released on Friday November 26 (at NoMadMusic / Pias), Guillaume Chassy celebrates great melodies composed over the ages and styles. Melodies signed, among others, by Charles Trenet (including a dazzling rereading of Verlaine, the music he composed on the poem Autumn song) and Paul Misraki on the song side, Bill Frisell and Bill Evans on the jazz side, Schubert and Prokofiev on the classical side. Alternating with instrumental pieces, certain songs, once performed by Danielle Darrieux, Lucienne Delyle and Suzy Delair, are associated with films from the 1940s. From this disc as beautiful as it is unexpected, of rare poetry and elegance, a luminous melancholy emerges. With enthusiasm, Guillaume de Chassy presents his project and his artistic meeting with Élise Caron.
News (music by Stéphane Golmann, words by Albert Vidalie), sung by Yves Montand in 1951.
Franceinfo Culture: The composers gathered in this disc belong to very different eras and styles. How did you put together your repertoire?
Guillaume de Chassy : The starting point is my unconditional love, my quest for melody, where and whatever era it comes from: classical repertoire, song, jazz, world music. In the melody, there is a kind of grace, something magical. In music, this is perhaps what touches me the most, inspires me and makes me move forward: the art of melody. It is very deep since it crosses the ages, the styles. A melody by Monteverdi, dating back to the 17th century, will touch me as much as a melody by Paul McCartney, or Adèle for example.
So that’s what brought Charles Trenet, Bill Frisell, Franz Schubert together …
Yes. It is this ability that some great musicians, great composers or great improvisers have to invent beautiful melodies, often with three pieces of string. If we take the example of Schubert, or of Trenet – whom I quote without establishing a hierarchy at the risk of shocking some – with three notes, they produce something which is pure, universal and which stands the test of time. It has always moved me, amazed me.
Charles Trenet is particularly present in the disc, with two pieces, one of which gives its title to the album …
Before, I didn’t like Trenet because of his hopping, “entertainer” side. I still don’t like his way of singing. But about fifteen years ago, I went to the other side of the mirror, and when I started looking at his lyrics and really listening to the melody, I saw the height, the altitude at which he places himself. This is exceptional. There is a richness in his work which is totally unique. It goes a long way, a lot further than most people imagine.
You cover “The Soul of the Poets” alone on the piano. Years ago, you had already recorded it as an instrumental version. Why not have invited Élise Caron to sing it?
It’s a piece that I play as an encore on the piano solo in an almost systematic way. It’s a kind of obsession! It contains all the ingredients that make Trenet’s work so rich: darkness, a kind of candor, lucidity … I decided to document my solo piano and not to add vocals. But it will probably happen one day.
For a long time, you wanted to work with Élise Caron. Did she immediately join this musical project?
It’s been a very long time that we know each other, that we appreciate, that we turn around, I would say! We have in common the love of theater, acting and poetry. At the beginning, I was thinking of an instrumental project for my trio with Thomas Savy and Arnault Cuisinier. Little by little, by dint of manipulating the beautiful melodies, I said to myself: “It has to be embodied at some point in a voice!” I called Élise and told her that I was thinking of little-known love songs from the French repertoire of the 1940s and 1950s, often linked to film scores; I was thinking of Danielle Darrieux, Suzy Delair, Lucienne Delyle … It happened that I was on a quest that she was leading at the same time. I will always remember that first call because she started singing these songs to me on the phone! I went to the piano to accompany him! We started to rehearse on the phone. She also made me discover songs that I did not know, in particular News, which Yves Montand sings. The phone call lasted two hours, we were already working! It was easy, obvious.
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In the album’s presentation text, you explain that you “rehearsed little or not” before recording it …
The main rehearsal we did was that first phone call. Then there was a very quick rehearsal where we didn’t talk much about music. We rather spoke of state of mind, of mood: what does the song say, where should it take us, what is its atmosphere … It was more a cinematographic, theatrical, pictorial vision . Then I had to translate it musically in order to build my decor around Élise’s approach, which is so special. I made the arrangements on a corner of the table and took them to the studio where it worked right away, we were on the same page. It is the first time that I have worked in such a spontaneous way, by manipulating concepts which are not musical, but rather poetic, which I have translated into music. With Élise, we speak the same language. It’s pretty miraculous to work like this.
How did the recording go?
He was done with a throw. To rehearse with Élise, it is to begin to fix a decoration and a lighting. But in fact, probably at the time of recording, she will offer something quite different, so everything will have to be changed … And that’s great. She is such a great artist, she is so eloquent and convincing in the universe she offers … She carries around a kind of world in which she invites you with great gentleness, but also a certain firmness. And here we go! Suddenly, for a musician and director – because that’s kind of how I see myself in this project – it’s very inspiring. you just have to let go and follow it. We offer such and such a color … You see, I’m not even talking about music. With her, it’s good directing, and I think that’s why it worked so quickly. She moved us to tears during the session, it was almost difficult for me to keep enough distance. That’s wonderful.
To hear you, we imagine you thinking of a sequel for The Soul of the Poets…
Sure. I described to you a process in which I added Elise’s participation after having embarked on the project. We saw her immense contribution, all the inspiration she brought us. I really want to develop a project, either as a quartet with her, or perhaps as a duo because something special is also happening between her and me.
There are also three piano-voice pieces in the album.
The first song, News, was recorded in May 2020, after the first confinement. We didn’t rehearse at all with Élise, we met at the studio, we recorded it all at once. Right after, we listen, we say to ourselves that it’s great. Élise asks me to modify various things in the recording for the voice. I look at her because I am starting to know her, and I say to her: “Of course, Élise, you can go home, I’ll take care of it with the sound engineer.” She left and obviously we didn’t touch anything! I sent her the recording, she appreciated it and validated it. She is an artist apart, she lives on another planet and she has this ability to inspire those around her. It enriches us, it improves us, it makes us better. While our time favors the hype, the spectacular and the glitter, it is the exact opposite. It is in the unspoken, the mystery, the modesty, the fragility.
It is a beautiful tribute!
A week ago, I was introduced to a magnificent quote from René Char: “The poet does not retain what he discovers; having transcribed it, soon loses it. In this lies his novelty, his infinity and his peril.” For me, Élise Caron, that’s it.
Guillaume de Chassy, The Soul of the Poets, in concert
Tuesday January 26, 2022 in Paris, at Bal Blomet, 8 p.m. (pending other dates)
Guillaume de Chassy: piano, arrangements
Élise Caron: voice
Thomas Savy: clarinets
Arnault Cuisinier: double bass