Aznavour Charles: biography, creativity and the best songs of the French chansonnier

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Charles Aznavour has long been recognized worldwide as the best pop singer of the past century. Chansonnier performs his own works and also composes songs for other singers. In total, about a thousand song compositions created by Aznavour are known. Disks with his recordings are released all over the world in millions of copies. Charles Aznavour, whose songs are heard in many languages, continues to attract the attention of a large number of fans.

Sad Pierrot

All the song work of the artist is permeated with an aura of light sadness. Almost all Aznavour's works are devoted to the theme of love and emotional experiences. Even at the beginning of his creative life, he noticed that people are always interested in lyrical works based on sadness and melancholy, touching the soul and making the heart tremble. Thanks to his musical tastes, which Aznavour has remained faithful to for more than sixty years, the image of a romantic and sad Pierrot has firmly entrenched in him.

This year, on May 22, the famous chansonnier turned 90 years old. Charles Aznavour, whose biography began so long ago, celebrated his anniversary at the Berlinstage with a special program "The Legend Returns". A week before his birthday, Aznavour sang in Yerevan on the square bearing his name.

The most famous French Armenian

Shakhnur Azavuryan (real name chansonnier) is the son of Armenian emigrants who were forced to leave their homeland in 1915, fleeing the Armenian genocide. In the French manner, the boy was soon called Charles.

Aznavour's parents were artists, creative people, so it was not easy for the family to emigrate. My father opened a small restaurant "Kavkaz" and for several years tried to hold on as an entrepreneur, although he did not succeed very well. Aznavour's mother, a theater actress, was forced to become a seamstress.

The Aznavourian family lived a hard life, but in the house where peace and harmony always reigned, the atmosphere was filled with music, poetry, theater. It is not surprising that little Charles, already at the age of five, performed in front of the audience, playing the violin. A little older, he danced Russian folk dances on stage and sang in the church choir.

Not easy acting bread

The acting debut took place when Aznavour was only thirteen years old - he had the responsible role of King Henry IV as a child. For many years, the artist vegetated on the sidelines in small tabloid theaters, sang in provincial cinema halls in between films.

And only at the age of 19, Aznavour Charles dared to perform on the big stage. Unfortunately, it was a complete failure. The audience did not accept a small, frail man, not distinguished by specialvocal data. He was booed by a ruthless audience, and critics advised him to choose another occupation. But Charles could no longer imagine his life without music, so he continued to do it anyway.

Meeting the Muse

Charles Aznavour and Edith Piaf met in 1946. Their meeting determined the further creative fate of the artist. The singer was very affectionate towards the young man, helping and supporting him in every possible way. Aznavour became an indispensable assistant for her, acting as an entertainer, secretary, personal driver and good friend. Piaf's repertoire included the song "Jezebel" (Isabelle) by Charles, which enjoyed constant success with the public.

Great Edith managed to discern behind the modest appearance of the artist his rich inner world, great talent and creative charisma. She inspired Aznavour and became for him a real teacher, a master, being able to convey to him her vision of the song and a special creative perception.

The chansonnier himself called their relationship "sweet slavery", which lasted about eight years. Thanks to this, Aznavour has formed as an independent and strong personality, becoming a full-fledged creator and performer of songs about loneliness and unrequited love.

Success finally came

Very soon, great fame came to the artist. In 1954, Aznavour won the hearts of American listeners with the song "My Life" (Sur ma vie). Subsequently, the famous French singer Jo Dassin performed it for many years, making it his hallmark. During this period, the Aznavourian surname lost a smallparticle, and henceforth and forever the artist began to call himself Aznavour Charles. The number of self-written songs reached three dozen, and he did not stop there.

Charles Aznavour, singer and composer, also successfully mastered the profession of a film actor, playing for the first time in 1955. Fame and recognition brought him the role of a cabaret pianist in the film by French director Francois Truffaut "Shoot the pianist." In the future, Aznavour repeatedly starred in leading directors Jean Cocteau, Claude Chabrol, Volker Schlöndorff.

In 1983, Charles Aznavour, whose film biography was already quite rich, brilliantly played in Claude Lelouch's film "Edith and Marcel". The role became special for the artist because it was a love story between Edith Piaf and Marcel Sedan.

In the early 60s, the artist had great success in New York, performing songs at the famous Carnegie Hall. The audience listened, forgetting about everything, his quiet and penetrating voice, singing about the passion and beauty of love. Now Charles Aznavour, whose photo appeared on the covers of numerous magazines and envelopes with records, began to be called the French blues singer. His work was compared with the famous American performer, romantic Frank Sinatra.

Aznavour Charles continued to create songs, many of which became hits: "Sa jeunesse" ("This youth"), "Apres l'amour" ("After love"), "Parce que" ("Because"), "Mourir d'aimer" ("To die of love").

Sweet burden of glory

1965 in Paris was marked by the successful premiere of the operetta Monsieur Carnaval ("Monsieur Carnaval"), written by Charles Aznavour. In the same year, the singer gave solo concerts for two consecutive months, performing together with the orchestra conducted by Paul Maria. And again, continued success. Fame and popularity have always been where Aznavour appeared. Charles was grateful to his fate, always remaining a gentle, modest and reserved person.

The popularity of the artist was constantly growing. This was facilitated by regular performances, tours, recording new albums. In 1973 in London, Charles Aznavour's song "She" ("She") received gold and platinum discs. The event was unheard of at that time, because never before had such high awards been given to the French.

In 1981, the new album "Charles Aznavour chante Dimey" became a kind of result of forty years of creative activity of the famous singer and composer. The next album named after the author "Aznavour" saw the world in 1986.

In Russia, one of the most famous songs of the composer was "Une Vie D'Amour" ("Eternal Love"), written by the author for the cult film "Tehran 43" (directed by Alov and Naumov). At concerts, Charles Aznavour and Mireille Mathieu performed this song many times as a duet, and the audience always asked to repeat it for an encore.

Armenia is my love

The artist always remembers his Armenian roots and constantly keeps in touch with his historicalhome.

In 1988, after the Armenian earthquake, Charles Aznavour was one of the first to come to the aid of his countrymen. He became the organizer of the disaster relief fund, which later grew into the Aznavour and Armenia Association. Constantly takes part in the construction of schools for Armenian children. Now the chansonnier is the Ambassador of Armenia to Switzerland and represents his homeland at the UN Headquarters.

Under the roof of the house

Aznavour has never been famous for scandals, his life is always hidden from prying eyes. The artist was married three times, although he never had the fame of a ladies' man. From his first marriage, Aznavour has an adult daughter, who is already 67 years old. With his current wife, Swedish Ulla Türsel, the singer will soon celebrate a golden wedding.

By his own admission, it was love for a woman that allowed Aznavour to know the happiest and most dramatic moments. Marriage with Ulla completely changed his life. They had and raised three children - daughter Katya and two sons: Misha and Nicolas. Since 1977, Aznavour and his family have settled in Switzerland.

90 years of creative life

To mark the present anniversary of the great chansonnier, a complete collection of his albums, recorded on 32 discs, was released in France. It contains all the author's notes since 1948. Charles Aznavour is still full of strength and energy. He is writing a new album, which will be called "Nostalgia".

To many of his brilliant abilities, Charles Aznavour added the talent of a writer. He writes novels, continues to work on hisbiography, creates notes from his own thoughts, aphorisms and past stories.

According to the great chansonnier, the capricious muse has never left him alone. He is constantly creating, being in an eternal search. He draws strength for life in creativity, which has its roots in the Armenian land. It is from there that his language, songs, musicality. The singer, born in France, living in Switzerland, always remains a true patriot of Armenia.