The movies

Traditional music from County of Nice and Provence has served as background music in some cinema or video or TV movies and documentaries. Here are some titles, with Louis Pastorelli’s complicity.

Les Âmes fortes (The Strong Souls), directed by Raoul Ruiz on 2001, according to the work of Jean Giono. With Lætitia Casta, Frédéric Diefenthal… Original soundtrack is signed by Jorge Arriagada, and uses following tunes stemmed from Nice and Piedmont folk heritage:
     •  Retorna-t’en, ma mia (Go back, my sweetheart), song to memorize;
     •  Zoli coeur (Sweet Heart), traditional song.

Avis de mistral (Mistral ⁽¹⁾ Warning), directed by Rose Bosch on 2014. With Laure Atika, Hugo Dessioux, Anna Galiena, Chloé Jouannet, Tom Leeb, Lukas Pélissier, Jean Reno… Before beginning of the abrivado in Noves streets, a peña performs the anthem of Provence:
     •  Coupo santo (Holy cup).
1. Mistral is a cold and dry wind that blows in the Rhône Valley and the South of France.

Le Boulanger de Valorgue (The Baker from Valorgue), directed by Henri Verneuil on 1952. With Pierrette Bruno, Fernandel, Francis Linel, Henri Vilbert… Sound track fleetingly proposes double arpeggio characteristic of the following tune :
     •  Farandoulo dei tarascaire (Farandole of the tarascaire, or “Farandole from Provence”).

Ces grappes de ma vigne (Those grapes from my vine), directed by Alain Quercy on 1975, according to the work of Gaston Baissette. Sound track:
     •  Masurca souto li pins (Mazurka under the pine trees), traditional song.

Dédé la Musique (Andrew the Music), directed by André Berthomieu on 1939-1942. With Raymond Aimos, Robert Le Vigan, Line Noro, Albert Préjean, Annie Vernay… The musical motif composed by Roger Dumas has come in the folk heritage of County of Nice with title:
     •  Dédé d’Montmartre (Andrew from Montmartre).

Les Fous du stade (Stadium Nuts), directed by Claude Zidi on 1972. With Les Charlots, Paul Préboist… When the Olympic flame runs across the village, a statue is unveiled, then a Provençal folk band dances a traditional farandole:
     •  Farandoulo dei tarascaire (Farandole of the tarascaire, or “Farandole from Provence”).

Le Fruit défendu (The Forbidden Fruit), directed by Henri Verneuil on 1952. With Françoise Arnoul, Jacques Castelot, Fernandel, René Genin, Claude Nollier, Raymond Pellegrin, Fernand Sardou, Sylvie… Among the Provence traditional tunes heard during the votive feast in Arles, the folk group plays the :
     •  Farandoulo dei tarascaire (Farandole of the tarascaire, or “Farandole from Provence”).

Le gendarme se marie (The Policeman Gets Married), directed by Jean Girault on 1968. With Louis de Funès, Michel Galabru… Near end of the movie, a folk band comes before the bridal procession, playing a traditional farandole:
     •  Farandoulo dei tarascaire (Farandole of the tarascaire, or “Farandole from Provence”).

Going back... to Nissa la Bèla (Going back... to Nice the Fair), directed by Christian Passuello and Jànluc Sauvaigo on 1996. Sound track proposes following tunes:
     • Carnaval de Saint-Roch (St. Roch Carnival), traditional song, by Louis Pastorelli;
     • Catarina (Katherine), traditional song (Nux vomica);
     • En Barbarìa mai (In Barbary again), traditional song, by Jànluc Sauvaigo and David Certano;
     • La Familha (The Family), traditional song, by Zéphirin Castellon;
     • Li Julis (The Julis), traditional song, by Zéphirin Castellon;
     •  Nissa la bella (Nice the Fair), traditional song, by François-Dominique Rondelly, known as Menica Rondelly;
     • Sirventès de Pepin de Nissa (Sirventès of Joseph « Pépin » from Nice), excerpt from the project Anita, Anita.

Histoire d’un temps passé (A Past Time Story), short-movie directed by Caroline Tracanelli on 2014. An experimental production between fiction and reality, without dialogues or actors, which present the Provençal culture.

J'accuse (I accuse), directed by Abel Gance on 1919. If this movie was not silent, which tune would Abel Gance have choosen to dub the farandole in the opening scene of this movie?

Jean de Florette (John [son] of Florette), saga “L’eau des collines” (Water of the hills), directed by Claude Berri on 1986. With Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Depardieu, Yves Montand… When Jean Cadoret and his family are arriving at the cave in which is living a Piedmontese couple, these are singing a traditional song:
     •  Quel mazzolin di fiori (This small bunch of flowers).

Lignes de partage (Lines of division). After the annexation on 1860, some districts from the North-West of the County were kept by the young Italy. This video historical documentary directed by Hervé Barelli on 1997 relates the difficulties encountered by their inhabitants to obtain the reintegration to the County, became French. The sound track holds the traditional song:
     •  Tenda, Briga à la Fransa (Tende, La Brigue back to France), by Jouan Nicola, music by F. Mattei.

La Machina (The Thing), directed by Thierry Paladino on 2011. With Serge Dotti, Adrien Woodall… Sound track proposes following tunes:
     • La Balada de Felís Galean e Noré Ciais (The Ballade of Félix Galéan and Honoré Ciais), excerpt from the project Anita, Anita, traditional song, by Jànluc Sauvaigo and Patrick Vaillant;
     • Carnaval de Saint-Roch (St. Roch Carnival), traditional song, by Louis Pastorelli;
     • La Ratapinhata (The Bat), traditional song, by Jànluc Sauvaigo.

La Main du diable (The Hand of the Devil), directed by Maurice Tourneur on 1942, according to the work of Gérard de Nerval La Main enchantée. With Pierre Fresnay, Josseline Gaël, Pierre Larquey, Pierre Palau, Noël Roquevert, Jacques Roussel… Sound track:
     • Es Carneval (It’s Carnival), official song of the carnival of Nice 1909.

Manon des sources (Manon from the springs, 1st part), directed by Marcel Pagnol on 1952. With Arius, André Bervil, Blavette, Marcelle Geniat, Jacqueline Pagnol, Raymond Pellegrin, Henri Poupon, Rellys, Fernand Sardou, Robert Vattier, Henri Vilbert…
     •  O Magali (Magali’s song)
     •  La Marcho di rèi (The Three Kings March), traditional christmas carol from Provence.

Manon des sources (Manon from the springs), saga “L’eau des collines” (Water of the hills), directed by Claude Berri on 1986. With Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Béart, Hippolyte Girardot, Yves Montand… During midnight mass preceding death of César Soubeyran, a choir sings a traditional Christmas carol:
     •  Lu Pastourèu (The Shepherd Boys).

Le Père Amable (Old Amiable) (series “Chez Maupassant”) directed by Olivier Schatzky on 2007, according to the work of Guy de Maupassant. With Hervé Laudière, Manuel Lelièvre, Céline Sallette, Fred Ulysse…. The bridal procession goes to wedding banquet while a fiddler plays Li Courdelli (The Laces).

Les Roseaux sauvages (The Wild Reeds), directed by André Téchiné on 1994. With Élodie Bouchez, Frédéric Gorny, Gaël Morel, Stéphane Rideau… Sound track:
     •  Se canto (If it sings), traditional song.

Le Secret des femmes (The Secret of Women). A video documentary directed by Jean-Pierre Hemeryck on 2010, concerning the provençal embroidery technic known as boutis, in which it can be heared a traditional round dance of May:
     •  Rounda souspelenca de mai (Round dance of May from Sospel).

Sous les jupes des filles (Under girls’ skirts), directed by Audrey Dana on 2014. With Isabelle Adjani, Alice Belaïdi, Lætitia Casta, Audrey Dana, Julie Ferrier, Audrey Fleurot, Marina Hands, Géraldine Nakache, Vanessa Paradis, Alice Taglioni, Sylvie Testud… Sound track:
     •  Se canto (If it sings), traditional song.

The Sun Also Rises, directed by Henry King on 1957, according to the work of Ernest Hemingway. With Errol Flynn, Ava Gardner, Tyrone Power… During the festival of San Fermín, in the city of Pamplona (Spain), the bands play the theme of the following traditional farandole, stemmed from Nice and Occitany folk heritage:
     •  Carnaval es arrivat (Carnival is arrived).

Les Trois Messes basses (The Three Low Masses), directed by Jacques Santamaria on 2009, according to the work of Alphonse Daudet. With Patrick Bosso, Christian Bujeau, Guillaume Carcaud, Marius Colucci, Pierre Maguelon… Sound track by Louis Dunoyer de Segonzac, according to Georges Bizet’s Arlesienne, whose “farandole” holds:
     •  La Marcho di rèi (The Three Kings March), traditional christmas carol from Provence;
     •  the tune of the chivau-frus (the “petticoats-horses” or “dashing-horses”), musical support for the Corpus Christi plays in Aix-en-Provence.

Ugolin (Manon des sources, Manon from the springs, 2nd part), directed by Marcel Pagnol on 1952. With Arius, André Bervil, Blavette, Marcelle Geniat, Jacqueline Pagnol, Raymond Pellegrin, Henri Poupon, Rellys, Fernand Sardou, Robert Vattier, Henri Vilbert…
     •  O Magali (Magali’s song)
     •  La Marcho di rèi (The Three Kings March), traditional christmas carol from Provence.

Un village presque parfait (A village almost perfect), directed by Stéphane Meunier on 2013. With Lionnel Astier, Didier Bourdon, Lorànt Deutsch, Annie Grégorio, Carmen Maura, Denis Podalydès, Élie Semoun… Sound track:
     •  Se canto (If it sings), traditional song.

Le Vagabond bien-aimé (The Beloved Wanderer), directed by Curtis “Kurt” Bernhardt on 1936, according to the work of William J. Locke. With Maurice Chevalier, Serge Grave, Fernand Ledoux, Hélène Robert, Betty Stockfeld… To illustrate roaming of the “Paragot orchestra” in South villages, Darius Milhaud has composed the sketch of a farandole, freely inspired by farandole from Nice.

La Vallée des mensonges (The Valley of Lies), directed by Stanislas Graziani on 2013, according to the eponymous novel by Catherine Velle. With Julie de Bona, Andréa Ferréol, Augustin Legrand, Xavier Lemaître, Stéphane Rideau… During burial of Augustine, a shepherds choir sings:
     •  Se canto (If it sings), traditional song.

Traditional music used in cinema is not, of course, native to the only County of Nice or the only neighbouring Provence. Here are some examples from other musical horizons.

Remorques (Tow), directed by Jean Grémillon on 1941, according to the work of Roger Vercel. With Jean Gabin, Madeleine Renaud, Michèle Morgan, Fernand Ledoux… While the tugboat Le Cyclone is under way to the Mirva XV, original soundtrack signed by Roland Manuel uses following tune stemmed from Brittany folk heritage:
     •  Kantik ar Baradoz (Hymn to Paradise).

Legend (click icons, on the left side of tunes title, to access to corresponding files):
		“fife & drums” MIDI file (a)(b).			“brass band” MIDI file (a)(b).			“other instruments” MIDI file (a)(b).
		score: PDF file (a)(b).			lyrics.
You may download MIDI and scores files as a whole from the Download page. (a)Without any further observation, arrangements and harmonizations by J.-G. Maurandi. (b) These files and their content are © 2001-2024 Jean-Gabriel Maurandi.

© 2001-2024 Jean-Gabriel Maurandi.