Pierre Dupont, a popular poet-songster, was praised by Théophile Gautier and Charles Baudelaire, with Baudelaire stating Dupont was the first to "break down the door" for popular poetry.
Historical Context
All songs on this album are contemporary with Balzac's work, created between the end of the Napoleonic Empire and the proclamation of the Second Republic.
Cultural Impact
Marc-Antoine Madeleine Désaugiers, a popular songwriter of the time, was so well-known that in Balzac's novel "La Fille aux yeux d'or," his name meant 'song'.
Historical Context
The "goguettes" were singing fraternities that met in Parisian cabarets, flourishing between the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1815 and the Second Empire.
Album & Artwork
The album title, "Chansons Balzaciennes," refers to songs that reflect the "human comedy" of Honoré de Balzac's era, rather than songs directly mentioned in his novels.
Album & Artwork
The album opens and closes with songs by Marc-Antoine Madeleine Désaugiers, and his "Cadet Buteux au Boulevard du Temple" forms its geometric heart.
Composer Biography
Émile Debraux, author of "Les Relieurs," was so famous among singing fraternities and the police that Béranger crowned him "king of the goguette."
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