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.
La Nuit
Bruno Coulais Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Le calme enchantement de ton mystère
L'ombre qui t'escorte est si douce
Si doux est le concert de tes voix chantant l'espérance
Si grand est ton pouvoir transformant tout en rêve heureux
O nuit, ô laisse encore à la terre
Le calme enchantement de ton mystère
Est-il une beauté aussi belle que le rêve ?
Est-il de vérité plus douce que l'espérance ?
The lyrics to Bruno Coulais's song La Nuit capture the essence and power of the night. The singer asks for the night to bring peace and tranquility to the Earth. He refers to the night as an enchanting mystery that brings gentle shadows and sweet melodies that sing of hope. The night's power is grand, transforming reality into happy dreams. The singer then asks the night to allow the Earth to continue experiencing the calm enchantment that it provides, wondering if there is any beauty as beautiful as a dream or any truth as sweet as hope.
The lyrics of the song are reflective and contemplative, inviting listeners to reflect on the beauty and transformative power of the night. It celebrates the mystery and wonder of the night, suggesting that it has magical qualities that inspire people's dreams, hopes, and desires. The calm and tranquil nature of the night offer solace to the singer and provide a space for contemplation and reflection on the world.
Line by Line Meaning
O nuit, viens apporter à la terre
Oh night, come bring to the earth
Le calme enchantement de ton mystère
The calm enchantment of your mystery
L'ombre qui t'escorte est si douce
The shadow that accompanies you is so gentle
Si doux est le concert de tes voix chantant l'espérance
So sweet is the harmony of your voices singing hope
Si grand est ton pouvoir transformant tout en rêve heureux
So great is your power transforming everything into happy dreams
O nuit, ô laisse encore à la terre
Oh night, oh let the earth have again
Le calme enchantement de ton mystère
The calm enchantment of your mystery
L'ombre qui t'escorte est si douce
The shadow that accompanies you is so gentle
Est-il une beauté aussi belle que le rêve ?
Is there a beauty as beautiful as a dream?
Est-il de vérité plus douce que l'espérance ?
Is there a truth sweeter than hope?
Contributed by Noah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@deborahmauger8243
J'adore cette chanson vraiment génial ❤
@Leo-xl7ln
Certainement la plus belle du film
@lauren9004
Love it!
@dunhillan8360
Oh nuit viens apporter à la terre
Le calme enchantement de ton mystère
L'ombre qui t'escorte est si douce
Si doux est le concert de tes doigts
Chantant l'espérance
Si grand est ton pouvoir transformant tout en rêve heureux
Oh nuit, oh laisse encore à la terre
Le calme enchantement de ton mystère
L'ombre qui t'escorte est si douce
Est-il une beauté aussi belle que le rêve
Est-il de vérité plus douce que l'espérance
@user-mf3qw9ve9x
Es berührt mich sehr! Norbert Possmann