Rameau’s music is characterised by the exceptional technical knowledge of a composer who wanted above all to be renowned as a theorist of the art. Nevertheless it is not solely addressed to the intelligence and Rameau himself claimed “I try to conceal art with art”. The paradox of this music was that it was new, using techniques never known before, but it took place within the framework of old-fashioned forms; Rameau appeared revolutionary to the Lullystes, disturbed by the complex harmony of his music, and reactionary to the “philosophes” who only paid attention to its content and who either would not or could not listen to the sound it made. The incomprehension he received from his contemporaries stopped Rameau repeating such daring experiments as the second Trio des Parques in Hippolyte et Aricie, which he was forced to remove after a handful of performances because the singers were unable to interpret it correctly. So the greatest harmonist of his era went unrecognised at the very time that harmony - the “vertical” aspect of music - was taking precedence over counterpoint, which represented its “horizontal” aspect.
L'Entretien des Muses
Jean-Philippe Rameau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Enfant, ce jour-là, j’ai bien cru partir,
Emportée par les courants du plaisir :
Elle était là, tombée des cieux
Et je n’en croyais pas mes yeux
Ni mes oreilles
Et désormais
Ma vie n’a plus été pareille
La muse des fous,
La muse la muse la musique avant tout !
Elle,
Elle n’a pas eu un seul mot à me dire,
Et j’ai sauté dans son feu sans réfléchir.
Un accord, une mélodie,
Un soupir : elle m’a cueillie,
Une note à mon intention
Qui disait : « Faites attention,
Restez concentré sur la partition ! »
La muse des fous,
La muse la muse la musique avant tout !
Belle,
La belle collectionne les amants
Et chacun d’entre eux lui offre un diamant ;
Elle exige une pierre fine
De chaque adepte féminine.
Elle est ainsi,
Elle séduit
Les coeurs se brisent et ça la grise !
Et tous suivent sa voie (x) éperdument.
Et tous la couvrent de bijoux
La muse, la muse la muse des fous.
Pour
Lui, un violoncelle, pour elle, un violon,
Un cor, un luth , un bandonéon…
Son souffle les prolonge
Et ils ne respirent et ne songent
Que croches et double-croches,
Anacrouse, répet., partoches,
Coda, allegro, rubato, niente di piu !
La muse des fous,
La muse la muse la musique avant tout !
In Jean-Philippe Rameau's song "L'Entretien des Muses," the lyrics speak about the muse of fools and the power of music. The singer recalls a moment when they felt transported by the currents of pleasure, believing they were carried away by this muse. The muse, fallen from the heavens, was a sight that the singer could hardly believe. From that moment on, their life was forever changed. The muse had taken them away, and now nothing was the same.
The lyrics emphasize the importance of music above all else. The muse of fools is characterized as someone who does not speak but rather communicates through the language of music. With a single chord, a melody, a sigh, she captivates the singer. A single note dedicated to the singer warns them to stay focused on the sheet music, to pay attention to the composition.
The song also mentions that the muse collects lovers, and each one offers her a diamond. She requires a precious stone from each of her female followers, and the description implies that she has a magnetic effect on people's hearts. Everyone follows her fervently and lavishes her with jewels. For her, there is a cello, a violin, a horn, a lute, and a bandoneon. Their breath gives life to these instruments, and all they think about is music, the intricate rhythms and melodies.
Overall, the song celebrates the fascinating and captivating power of music, highlighting the influence of the muse of fools and her ability to transport and enchant those who encounter her.
Line by Line Meaning
La muse des fous
The muse of the mad
Enfant, ce jour-là, j’ai bien cru partir,
As a child, on that day, I truly believed I was leaving,
Emportée par les courants du plaisir :
Carried away by the currents of pleasure:
Elle était là, tombée des cieux
She was there, fallen from the heavens
Et je n’en croyais pas mes yeux
And I couldn't believe my eyes
Ni mes oreilles
Nor my ears
Et désormais Ma vie n’a plus été pareille
And from then on, my life was never the same
Elle, elle , elle m’avait emportée.
She, she, she had taken me away
La muse des fous,
The muse of the mad,
La muse la muse la musique avant tout !
The muse, the muse, music above all else!
Elle, Elle n’a pas eu un seul mot à me dire,
She, she didn't say a single word to me
Et j’ai sauté dans son feu sans réfléchir.
And I jumped into her fire without thinking
Un accord, une mélodie,
One chord, one melody
Un soupir : elle m’a cueillie,
One sigh: she picked me
Une note à mon intention
One note for me
Qui disait : « Faites attention, Restez concentré sur la partition ! »
That said: 'Pay attention, stay focused on the score!'
La muse des fous,
The muse of the mad,
La muse la muse la musique avant tout !
The muse, the muse, music above all else!
Belle, La belle collectionne les amants
Beautiful, the beautiful one collects lovers
Et chacun d’entre eux lui offre un diamant ;
And each of them offers her a diamond
Elle exige une pierre fine
She demands a fine stone
De chaque adepte féminine.
From each female follower
Elle est ainsi, Elle séduit
She is like this, she seduces
Les coeurs se brisent et ça la grise !
Hearts break and it exhilarates her!
Et tous suivent sa voie (x) éperdument.
And everyone follows her path passionately
Et tous la couvrent de bijoux
And everyone covers her in jewels
La muse, la muse la muse des fous.
The muse, the muse, the muse of the mad.
Pour Lui, un violoncelle, pour elle, un violon,
For him, a cello, for her, a violin
Un cor, un luth , un bandonéon…
A horn, a lute, a bandoneon...
Son souffle les prolonge
Her breath extends them
Et ils ne respirent et ne songent
And they don't breathe and don't think
Que croches et double-croches,
Only eighth notes and sixteenth notes
Anacrouse, répet., partoches,
Anacrusis, repetition, sheet music
Coda, allegro, rubato, niente di piu !
Coda, allegro, rubato, nothing more!
La muse des fous,
The muse of the mad,
La muse la muse la musique avant tout !
The muse, the muse, music above all else!
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patriceclairet908
Une merveille que j’ai vécu aux larmes à Dijon quand vous avez joué en bis cet opus de Rameau…
J’ai aussi pleuré l’émotion que vous m’avez offerte.
Vos larmes étaient là ; je les ai vues…
Chère Vous,sachez combien j’aime vos mains musicales originées à votre esprit.
patrice clairet
@jan-pietervanwaasbergen9870
I love Rameau so much, it is old music but so new, it comforts the soul, here with this pianist, Rameau on his best, thank you
@joseluisgimenezperez909
Mais Rameau est pour le clavecin! Pa de piano!
@sergelachantee767
@josé luis Giménez Pérez QUELLES EST LA DIFFERENCE?🤔
@kullervoson2726
@josé luis Giménez Pérez Vous avez tellement raison ! Il ne doit être joué que par clavecin afin que 10 personnes puissent le jouer et que 15 personnes puissent l'entendre.
Avec une audience si restreinte, Rameau va mourir assez vite, vous savez.
@Chris-cb4ig
Totalement magique ce lien de N Kudrtskaya avec Rameau ... peut être la meilleure interprétation du moment de cette pièce AU MONDE
@Ajhd7333
These days I listen this song more than 30 times per a day.. what a poetic play it is.... so beautiful.
@davegallagher4498
Magnificent playing. I usually prefer the harpsichord on the 17th and 18th century stuff. But I found with Rameau it's different. His orchestral thinking works so well on the piano and she does a marvelous job. I'm learning this piece on the harpsichord and listening to her, gives great insight. Great job .
@arkrowitz
Imho she is truly amazing. She has a Youtube video of this piece - Rameau - Suite en la Gavotte et six Doubles - which I love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuJ-LKEH6W0
@rafaelpovedamonge4625
Un nouveau Rameau. Loin d' aucune ceremoine. Tout coeur et passion. Bravo. Quelquen, pourtant dira que ce n'est pas Rameau. Plasticité: un autre meravellós valor de la musica. Gracias Natacha....!!