Les Écrivains hommes de radio (1940–1970) ed. by Pierre-Marie Héron (review)

Abstract

504 Reviews his place in chanson history. She devotes two chapters to major themes in Brassens's ceuvre and uses both close textual analysis and reference to wider critical sources, including articles and interviews, to explore critically the major themes. One impor? tant element to come out of her discussion is the distinction she makes between the attitude of Brassens's narrator towards certain subjects (death, the clergy, women) and the attitude of Brassens himself, which is not always apparent from his songs, though often read into them by critics. In the chapter 'Chanson et langue', Poole situates Brassens within the French chan? son tradition and succinctly explores definitions of chanson and the value placed on it as an art form by the French intelligentsia. She also gives a brief history of French versification, making the important point, demonstrated through close analysis of a selection of his songs, that Brassens had an excellent knowledge of French verse across the centuries and also an interest in French folklore. The chapter ends with a discus? sion of his public appeal as a singer-songwriter and of the controversy surrounding the award of the Grand Prix de la Poesie and the debate that inevitably ensued as to whether or not Brassens should be considered a poet. The author herself contends in her introduction that Brassens's songs are not poems but 'song', complete with 'melody and accompaniment'. Given this contention, one would perhaps have liked to see more analysis of the music and performance. Poole does, however, examine the difficultyof defining chanson and its relationship to poetry. Her account is necessarily brief but this is undoubtedly an area that needs further investigation. In her final chapter Poole explores the east of characters in Brassens's work and argues that they are not stereotypes or archetypes but individuals who transcend such categorizations. She also examines Brassens himself as the central character of his songs and the use of the firstperson 'je'. The study concludes with a brief discussion of his enduring popularity and the importance of his work. There is also a useful bibliography and a 'brief biographical table'. This guide is an invaluable addition to the small but grow? ing body of work on French singer-songwriters and will be appreciated by all those who study and are interested in Brassens and chanson. University of Leeds Kim Harrison Les Ecrivainshommes de radio (iQ4o-igjo). Ed. by Pierre-Marie Heron. Montpellier : Centre d'Etudeduxxe siecle, UniversitePaul Valery. 2001. 259 pp. ?35.05. ISBN 2-84269-486-4. Since the 1970s many critics have watched with dismay the increasing decline on French radio of structured sophisticated programmes. In 1975, forinstance, the radio producers' union launcheda collective protest, maintaining that even France-Culture was fastbecoming merely a means of advertising forthe record industry and the book trade, an endless magazine commenting on the surface of culture rather than contributingto it or revealing it in its depth (quoted by Yves Froment-Coste, Telerama, 9 April 1975, p. 80). So it is that the present collection of papers is marked by nostalgia forwhat many now see as French radio's post-war 'golden age', especially under the leadership of Paul Gilson as programme director from 1946 to 1963, a period during which?as in Britain?the medium was a haven for many poets and writers, such as Georges-Emmanuel Clancier, Emile Noel, Georges Peyrou, and Frederic-Jacques Temple, who thus became experienced broadcasters as well. Their contributions here, as well as those by radio administrators such as Pierre Dellard and Robert Prot?cofounder of the Comite d'Histoire de la Radiodiffusion and author of the invaluable Dictionnaire de la Radio (Grenoble: Presses Universitaires de Grenoble, 1997)?on Paul Gilson and Jean Tardieu respectively, are full of personal anecdotes and rich MLRy 99.2, 2004 505 reminiscences and show the cultural importance of radio at the time, not just in Paris, but in the provinces as well. They and the university academies here?Pierre-Marie Heron on Paul Gilson, Lai'la Ben Ezedine on Francois Billetdoux, and Hatem El Hicheri on Jean Amrouche?also explore differences between writing forthe printed page and for the microphone. As well as containing...