The name Henry Mancini is synonymous with legendary film music: like hardly any other film composer before him, he changed the world of film music.His …
Yves Montand: Chanson, Charm, Chic (2.)
In 1966, Yves Montand starred in the Formula One film Grand Prix, which was originally planned to feature Steve McQueen. To this day, Grand Prix remains a unique film: the realistic footage of the racetrack, shot at enormous expense, still amazes.
Montand plays the fictional Ferrari driver Jean-Pierre Sarti in the film.
Although the sixties were an era of professional success for Yves Montand, two strokes of fate occurred in that decade…
Yves Montand: Chanson, Charm, Chic (1.)
His big idol was Fred Astaire: Yves Montand (civil name Ivo Livi) was born on October 13, 1921 in Tuscany and grew up in humble circumstances. In 1924 Yves Montand’s family fled to Marseille: the political situation in Italy destroyed the Livis’ existence…
Leonard Cohen: The poet
He was one of the most influential singer-songwriters of modern music history: Leonard Cohen. After Cohen studied in New York for one year from 1956 …
Luciano Pavarotti: Opera star & Pop star
He was one of the most famous tenors of all time: Luciano Pavarotti. One of his childhood friends was the soprano Mirella Freni, who later …
Louis Armstrong: King of Razzmatazz (2.)
Armstrong was not only a major influence on the invention of swing, he was also considered the King of Swing for a long time: During the heyday of swing in the thirties and forties, Louis Armstrong enjoyed great success…
Louis Armstrong: King of Razzmatazz (1.)
There is no jazz musician as closely intertwined with the history of jazz music as Louis Armstrong. Louis Daniel Armstrong grew up in poor conditions …
Fred Astaire: Master of the dance
It all started in Omaha, Nebraska: Fred Astaire, whose real name was Frederick Austerlitz, was born there in 1899. His mother was the daughter of …
The music of the James Bond movies
It was actually an accident: English composer Monty Norman was entrusted with composing the score for the first Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962. John …
Dalida: The exotic chanteuse (3.)
Iolanda wanted to present her new musical style at the Olympia: But the owner of the Olympia, Bruno Coquatrix, did not believe that she would attract the audience with her new style. Dalida herself was also doubtful: she was not sure if her audience, used to chansons like Bambino, would accept melancholic chansons.