chanson

song : song. specifically : a music-hall or cabaret song.

Chanson is the French word for "song". The word is often used in music to mean any song with French words, but it is more often used when talking about songs in which lyrics have been set to music by French classical composers.

Chanson: A French song; in the late Middle Ages they were usually based on one of the three poetic "fixed forms" (ballade, virelai, rondeau--see "Formes fixes", in "Medieval Terms", above).

song noun. song [noun] something (to be) sung.

Chanson music refers to various eras of French song, from the monophonic chant of the Middle Ages to the polyphonic singing of the Renaissance. Modern chanson music connects nineteenth-century cabaret music in Paris to contemporary pop music. Each iteration of chanson offers distinctive characteristics.

Three of the most common song structures are 1) Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus, 2) Verse – Chorus – Verse – Chorus – Bridge – Chorus, and 3) Verse – Verse – Bridge – Verse. But there are so many ways to structure a song once you learn all the parts of a song.

However, many secular songs were sung in the vernacular language, unlike the sacred songs that followed the Latin language of the Church. These earliest types were known as the chanson de geste (song of deeds) and were popular amongst the traveling jongleurs and minstrels of the time.

It features very emotional tones, deep lyrics, and usually an orchestra that provides the musical background. It remains popular in modern France. Édith Piaf is among the most important French chanson singers of the 20th century.

Chanson music refers to various eras of French song, from the monophonic chant of the Middle Ages to the polyphonic singing of the Renaissance. Modern chanson music connects nineteenth-century cabaret music in Paris to contemporary pop music. Each iteration of chanson offers distinctive characteristics.

In its typical specialized usage, the word chanson refers to a polyphonic French song of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Early chansons tended to be in one of the formes fixes - ballade, rondeau or virelai (formerly the chanson baladée) - though some composers later set popular poetry in a variety of forms.

Almost all accompanied chansons adhere to one of the three formes fixes: ballade, rondeau, or virelai (qq. v.). The style is sophisticated, and the songs are evidently written for a court audience with high artistic aspirations and a cultivated taste. The general subject matter was courtly love.

The romance The standard metre of verse romance is octosyllabic rhyming couplets. It differs from the chanson de geste in concentrating on individual rather than communal exploits and presenting them in a more detached fashion. It offers fuller descriptions, freer dialogue, and more authorial intervention.