Edith Piaf

French chanson singer. Born in Paris. Her father was a circus acrobat and her mother was a traveling singer, and she sang on the streets from a young age. In 1933, she made her debut after being recognized by cabaret owner Louis Lepré, and was successful, but Lepré was murdered and she was suspected of murder. She overcame this disappointment with encouragement from poet Raymond Asso and others, and in 1940 she starred in a play written for her by Jean Cocteau, who considered himself the "discoverer of Piaf," and was recognized as an actress. She is said to be the last of the "chanteuse realists" who sang the everyday emotions of the common people in their own words, and although most of her songs were melodramatic, her excellent expressiveness elevated them to deeply moving songs. In addition to "La Vie en Rose" and "Hymne à l'amour," for which she wrote her own lyrics, she also sang other masterpieces such as "Padam Padam," "A Thing I've Got Head Over Heels For You," "Milord," and "Let It Go." She was also responsible for recognizing the talents of Montand, Bécaud and Aznavour and helping them make their debuts, but in her private life she suffered failed relationships and marriages, and in her later years she became addicted to drugs and alcohol. In 1959 she was seriously injured in a car accident and near death, and was in and out of hospital repeatedly. However, she never gave up her passion for singing, and she died in Nice surrounded by her husband, who was 20 years younger than her and whom she had remarried the year before.

[Ryuichi Tai]

"Hymne amore - The life of Edith Piaf" by S. Bertaud, translated by Hidehiko Miwa (1971, Shinchosha) " "Edith Piaf" by J. Nori, translated by Koichi Taguchi (1975, Ongaku no Tomosha) "Piaf: The Flame of Love" by D. Grimaud and P. Maet, translated by Kazuko Murakami (1984, Hayakawa Publishing)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランスのシャンソン歌手。パリ生まれ。父はサーカスの曲芸師、母は流しの歌手で、少女時代から街頭で歌う。1933年、キャバレー経営者ルイ・ルプレに認められてデビューして成功を収めたが、ルプレが殺されて殺人容疑を受ける。その失意を詩人レイモン・アッソらの激励によって乗り越え、40年には「ピアフの発見者」を自認するジャン・コクトーが彼女のために書いた芝居に主演、女優としても認められた。彼女は庶民の生活感情を庶民のことばで歌う「シャントゥーズ・レアリスト」最後の歌手といわれ、その持ち歌の大半はメロドラマ的なものであったが、優れた表現力によって深い感銘を与えるものに高められた。自身の作詞による『バラ色の人生』『愛の賛歌』のほか、『パダン・パダン』『あなたに首ったけ』『ミロール』『水に流して』などの名唱がある。モンタン、ベコー、アズナブールらの才能を見抜いてデビューさせた功績も大きいが、私生活では恋と結婚に破れ、晩年は麻薬と酒に取りつかれ、59年には自動車事故で瀕死(ひんし)の重傷を負って入退院を繰り返したが、それでも歌への執念は捨てず、死の前年再婚した20歳年下の夫にみとられてニースで没した。

［田井竜一］

『S・ベルトー著、三輪秀彦訳『愛の讃歌――エディット・ピアフの生涯』（1971・新潮社）』▽『J・ノリ著、田口孝吉訳『エディット・ピアフ』（1975・音楽之友社）』▽『D・グリモー、P・マエ著、村上香住子訳『ピアフ　恋の炎』（1984・早川書房）』

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