Le Temps Des Avants

by Charles Aznavour

Cette success story n'est pas une histoire comme les autres : si le monde entier connaît Charles Aznavour le chanteur, et parfois l'acteur, peu ont la chance de connaître l'homme. Un homme qui n'a jamais oublié ses racines. Qu'il évoque l'Arménie, la bohème, les voyages, l'amour, l'amitié ou Hollywood, c'est un homme vrai et toujours humble qui, après soixante-neuf ans de carrière, revient sur son passé. Des moments drôles ou dramatiques, inattendus et émouvants, qui nous permettent de comprendre un peu mieux ce personnage emblématique du paysage culturel français.

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 2, 2003

About the author

Beloved French chanson entertainer Charles Aznavour, who wrote more than 800 songs, recorded more than 1,000 of them in French, English, German and Spanish and sold over 100 million records in all, was born Chahnour Varinag Aznavourian on May 22, 1924, in Paris, the younger of two children born to Armenian immigrants who fled to France. His mother was a seamstress as well as an actress and his father was a baritone who sang in restaurants. Both Charles and his sister waited on tables where he performed. He delivered his first poetic recital while just a toddler. Within a few years later he had developed such a passion for singing/dancing, that he sold newspapers to earn money for lessons.

He took his first theatrical bow in the play "Emil and the Detectives" at age 9 and within a few years was working as a movie extra. He eventually quit school and toured France and Belgium as a boy singer/dancer with a traveling theatrical troupe while living the bohemian lifestyle. A popular performer at the Paris' Club de la Chanson, it was there that he was introduced in 1941 to the songwriter Pierre Roche. Together they developed names for themselves as a singing/writing cabaret and concert duo ("Roche and Aznamour"). A Parisian favorite, they became developed successful tours outside of France, including Canada. In the post WWII years Charles began appearing in films again, one of them as a singing croupier in Goodbye Darling (1946).

Eventually Aznavour earned a sturdy reputation composing street-styled songs for other established musicians and singers, notably Édith Piaf, for whom he wrote the French version of the American hit "Jezebel". Heavily encouraged by her, he toured with her as both an opening act and lighting man. He lived with Piaf out of need for a time not as one of her many paramours. His mentor eventually persuaded him to perform solo (sans Roche) and he made several successful tours while scoring breakaway hits with the somber chanson songs "Sur ma vie" and "Parce que" and the notable and controversial "Après l'amour." In 1950, he gave the bittersweet song "Je Hais Les Dimanches" ["I Hate Sundays"] to chanteuse Juliette Gréco, which became a huge hit for her.

In the late 50s, Aznavour began to infiltrate films with more relish. Short and stubby in stature and excessively brash and brooding in nature, he was hardly leading man material but embraced his shortcomings nevertheless. Unwilling to let these faults deter him, he made a strong impressions with the comedy Une gosse sensass' (1957) and with Paris Music Hall (1957). He was also deeply affecting as the benevolent but despondent and ill-fated mental patient Heurtevent in Head Against the Wall (1959). A year later, Aznavour starred as piano player Charlie Kohler/Edouard Saroyan in 'Francois Truffaut''s adaptation of the David Goodis' novel Shoot the Pianist (1960) [Shoot the Piano Player], which earned box-office kudos both in France and the United States. This sudden notoriety sparked an extensive tour abroad in the 1960s. Dubbed the "Frank Sinatra of France" and singing in many languages (French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Armenian, Portuguese), his touring would include sold-out performances at Carnegie Hall (1964) and London's Albert Hall (1967).

Aznavour served as actor and composer/music arranger for many films, including Gosse de Paris (1961), which he also co-wrote with director Marcel Martin, and the dramas Three Fables of Love (1962) [Three Fables of Love") and Dear Caroline (1968) [Dear Caroline]. The actor also embraced the title role in the TV series "Les Fables de la Fontaine" (1964), then starred in the popular musical "Monsieur Carnaval" (1965), in which he performed his hit song "La bohême."

His continental star continued to shine and Aznavour acted in films outside of France with more dubious results. While the sexy satire Candy (1968), with an international cast that included Marlon Brando, Richard Burton and Ringo Sta

Reviews

[Artak Aleksanyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Սա Ազնավուրի ամենամեծ ինքնակենսագրականն է։ Դրանից մի քանի տարի անց, նորից պետք է շարունակեր այս շարքը։

Հետաքրքրական է, որ սա այն եզակի գրքերից է, որ դեռ իր կենդանության օրոք թարգմանվել է հայերեն։ Ֆրանսերենից թարգմանել է Համլետ Գասպարյանը։

Վերահրատարակելիս, Համլետը բազմաթիվ փոփոխություններ կատարեց։ Երբ հարցրի, թե ինչու այսքան շատ, պատասխանեց, որ 2007-ին, երբ թարգմանում էր, շտապել է։

[Varduhi Hovhannisyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ազնավուր կարդալուց յուրահատուկ հանգստություն եմ զգում։

Էնքան սիրուն է նկարագրել իր ու կնոջ հարաբերությունները.
Արդեն կամ ընդամենը 39 տարի միասին ենք։ Ես նրան արթնացրել եմ մի քիչ, նա ինձ հանդարտեցրել է շատ։ Էլ ավելին ի՞նչ կուզեիր։

[Delia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like sitting on the porch with grandpa and letting him tell you about his life and all about the war, except grandpa is in this case Charles Aznavour. My favourite part of the book is what happened before he became famous, because somehow I'm more often drawn to learning about who the person was before they became someone everybody knows about. I loved learning about his family history and the Armenian genocide, how Paris was before and during World War II, how showbusiness worked at the time and all that stuff. It was a very adorable book and the section with photos at the end was like peeping into old family albums. Aznavour did a wonderful job telling his own story and shared interesting thoughts on life or time passing. The only thing I missed in this book is I wish he'd shared a bit more about the writing process of some of his most iconic songs such as La Bohème or Comme Ils Disent, which was the first pro-gay pop song and was inspired by Aznavour's homosexual chauffeur. However it was beautiful to learn a bit more about him in his own words.

[Pedro Pouchucq · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une émouvante histoire en première personne d'un grand musicien, compositeur, comédien et acteur, qui après ce bouquin se devient aussi écrivain, nous montrant en surprise son nouveau talent à la composition textuel. C'est possible de vivre ses mémoires et se sentir à son côté lorsque il nous raconte sa vie. On y sent, très vivement ses émotions, joies, tristesses et succès au long de sa belle carrière. Au même temps, Aznavour nous invite à connaitre sa timide vie privé dans tout ses détails qu'il a vu vu, pensé, soubit et senti. Il nous offre aussi le plaisir de lire ses expériences à côté d'Édith Piaf, Yves Montand, Pierre Roche, Charles Trenet, Fred Astaire, Gilbert Bécaud et plein d'autres stars de l'histoire de la chanson française et de renommée internationale.
Grave recommendation à ceux qui sont fan de son travail et de sa personalité.

[Vicken B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qu’écrire encore sur Aznavour?
Qu’écrire sans tomber dans le defaut ?
Qu’écrire sans se rappeler de ses mots ?
Qu’écrire si ce n’est dire chapeau ?
Chapeau l’artiste pour avoir vécu ce voyage avec tant d’intensité, tant de persévérance.. sans haine ni rancune sand vanités et sans fortune.
Tes mots comm le tes maux traverseront les temps car un poète ne meurt jamais.
Merci Monsieur Aznavour
Read this book, it is crafted with the blood of the lived experience.