Coulais began his musical education on the violin and piano, aiming to become a composer of contemporary classical music. However, a series of acquaintances gradually re-oriented him towards film music. Coulais was particularly influenced by director François Reichenbach, who asked him in 1977 to write the soundtrack to his new documentary Mexico Magico. The first full-length production he composed the score for was the 1986 film La femme secrète by Sébastien Grall. Until the end of the 1990s, he remained low-profile, composing mainly for television. His name can often be found from TV films by Gérard Marx and Laurent Heynemann. He also composed the soundtracks for Christine Pascal's 1992 film Le petit prince a dit, and Agnès Merlet's Le fils du requin in 1993.
In 1994, he met the television producer Josée Dayan, who let him write a theme for the TV series La rivière Esperance, aired on the France 2 network in autumn 1995. He worked with Dayan again with other major productions such as Le comte de Monte-Cristo, Balzac, and Les nuiteux.
The largest turning point of his career came in 1996, when he worked with directors Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou of the documentary Microcosmos. This single film, which gave a great significance to the music in it, was a great success and made Coulais one of the most wanted composers of French film music. In 1997, he won the César award for the best musical score in a film, as well as a Victoire de la Musique. His reputation was confirmed by the soundtracks to Himalaya (1999) and Les rivières pourpres (2000), and after that Bruno Coulais's name was to be found on most new French blockbusters, such as Belphégor and Vidocq.
After producing the soundtrack to Winged Migration in 2001, Coulais announced that he wanted to significantly reduce his contributions to film music, and instead concentrate on other projects, such as the creation of an opera for children, and collaborations with Akhenaton, Akhenaton's group IAM and the Corsican group A Filetta, with whom he had worked since he had made the soundtrack for Jacques Weber's film Don Juan in 1998.
In 2002, his name was found on the ending credits of the animation L'enfant qui voulait être un ours, and in 2004, on Frédéric Schoendoerffer's Agents secrets. The same year, he wrote the soundtrack to the film Les choristes by Christophe Baratier, which subsequently became an international hit. The music for this film received as great praise as the film itself, and it won Coulais his third César award. Since then, Coulais's collaborations in cinema seem to be limited to works by directors with whom he already shares some history, in particular Jacques Perrin, Frédéric Schoendoerffer, and James Huth.
Bruno Coulais's musical style may vary significantly between different projects, but there are some constant factors visible: his taste for opera and for human voice (in particular that of children), for a search for original sonority, for world music and mixing different musical cultures, and finally, a certain tendency to give preference to the ambience created by lighting rather than the film's narration.
In Memoriam
Bruno Coulais Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kyrie Christe eleison (Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine)
Christe ele-ele-ison elei (Eis Domine, Et lux perpetua)
Kyrie (luceat e is)
Kyrie eleison (Te decet ymnus)
(Kyrie) Kyrie (Deus in sion)
Christe eleison(et tibi redeturvotum)(Christe)
Christe(in Jerusalem)(eleison)
Eleison, eleison (Jerusason)(eleison)
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison (Kyrie)
Christe eleison (eleison)
Kyrie eleison (Christe)
Christe eleison (elei, eleison)
Kyrie (Requiem aeternam)
Eleison (dona eis, Domine)
Kyrie (eis Domine)
Christe eleison (Requiem aeternam)
Christe eleison eleison (dona eis, Domine, Requiem aeternam)
Kyrie (eleison)
Eleison
Eleison
(Kyrie)
(Kyrie)
Kyrie (eleison) eleison
Christe eleison (Christe)
Christe
Christe (eleison) eleison
Elei, eleison (eleison)
Eleison
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison (Kyrie)
Christe eleison (eleison)
Kyrie eleison (Christe)
Christe eleison (elei, eleison)
Kyrie
The lyrics to Bruno Coulais's song In Memoriam are a solemn invocation, asking for mercy and eternal rest for the departed souls. The Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, and Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine phrases translated respectively mean "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; grant them eternal rest, O Lord." The repetition of these phrases emphasizes the plea for compassion and forgiveness for the deceased.
The song's somber tone is reflected in the repetition of words and phrases, creating a feeling of mourning and solemnity. The addition of Latin phrases and words also adds to the song's serious and meditative nature. In contrast, the phrase "et lux perpetua" means "and let there be perpetual light," suggesting hope and light in the darkness of grief.
Overall, the song is a poignant and spiritual piece that expresses sorrow and hope for the departed souls.
Line by Line Meaning
Kyrie eleison (Christe eleison)
Lord have mercy (Christ have mercy)
Kyrie Christe eleison (Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine)
Lord Christ have mercy (Grant them eternal rest, O Lord)
Christe ele-ele-ison elei (Eis Domine, Et lux perpetua)
Christ have mercy (Behold, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them)
(Kyrie) Kyrie (Deus in sion)
Lord, Lord (God in Zion)
Eleison
Have mercy
Christe eleison(et tibi redeturvotum)(Christe)
Christ have mercy (and to you may a vow be made) (Christ)
Christe(in Jerusalem)(eleison)
Christ (in Jerusalem) have mercy
Eleison, eleison (Jerusason)(eleison)
Have mercy, have mercy (on Jerusalem) have mercy
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Kyrie (luceat e is)
Lord (let it shine)
Kyrie (eis Domine)
Lord (behold, O Lord)
Kyrie (Requiem aeternam)
Lord (eternal rest)
Kyrie (eleison)
Lord (have mercy)
Kyrie (eleison) eleison
Lord (have mercy) have mercy
(Kyrie)
Lord
Christe eleison (et tibi redeturvotum)
Christ have mercy (and to you may a vow be made)
Christe eleison eleison (dona eis, Domine, Requiem aeternam)
Christ have mercy, have mercy (grant them, O Lord, eternal rest)
Christe (eleison) eleison
Christ (have mercy) have mercy
Elei, eleison (eleison)
Have mercy, have mercy (have mercy)
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison
Christe eleison
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Christe eleison(et tibi redeturvotum)(Christe)
Christ have mercy (and to you may a vow be made) (Christ)
Kyrie eleison (Kyrie)
Christe eleison (eleison)
Kyrie eleison (Christe)
Christe eleison (elei, eleison)
Lord have mercy (Lord)
Christ have mercy (have mercy)
Lord have mercy (Christ)
Christ have mercy (have mercy, have mercy)
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BRUNO COULAIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leonlinton634
Bruno Coulais is sadly so underrated outside of France; his scores for Coraline, Océans, Himalaya and Les Choristes - among others - cement his work as consistently above average and never lacking in uniqueness.
@EleyTriste
Oh, he's a great movie music composer, but his "Stabat Mater" was way below expectations. Unfortunately.
@Fibromatose
Magnifique, merci pour le partage
@TheDuffLP
sehr schön komponierte Musik
@KriF943
Grande!!!!!
@cheddarurchin3844
That was brilliant. Thank you :)
@lauren9004
Love it!
@wanttobeinnorway
Big Thanks for lyrics. I m so enjoy singing.
@waindayoungthain2147
I tried to keep my tears to see your smile , my tears were not enough for useless things for theses Meaning humans of two 😢.
@CyberCenturion
First like