Reviews
Reviews
User Review: 22Apr12: “Piaf”
performed by Christine Bovill
at the Lemon Tree Studio, Aberdeen – Saturday 21 April 2012
It was simply breathtaking how expressively and powerfully Christine Bovill captured the authentic sound of Edith Piaf in the tribute show “Piaf” at Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree Centre on Saturday. A student of both French and music, and an expert on Piaf, Bovill brought tremendous depth of understanding both of the music and of the life of Edith Piaf to the performance. The evening did not focus excessively on Piaf’s tragically short life but was a tour de force of Piaf songs.
In front of a blue and red illuminated curtain and with a microphone, Bovill sang (just like Piaf herself) in a black dress, superbly accompanied on the piano by Seh Ho. Piaf’s music was quintessentially Parisian, always having about it an air of the “Le Gerny” nightclub in the 1930’s where Piaf first enjoyed wide public success. Most of the songs in Bovill’s performance were in French, and I felt that this is where Bovill’s strength l User Reviews
Neil J Ross (22Apr12): “Piaf”
performed by Christine Bovill
at the Lemon Tree Studio, Aberdeen – Saturday 21 April 2012
It was simply breathtaking how expressively and powerfully Christine Bovill captured the authentic sound of Edith Piaf in the tribute show “Piaf” at Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree Centre on Saturday. A student of both French and music, and an expert on Piaf, Bovill brought tremendous depth of understanding both of the music and of the life of Edith Piaf to the performance. The evening did not focus excessively on Piaf’s tragically short life but was a tour de force of Piaf songs.
In front of a blue and red illuminated curtain and with a microphone, Bovill sang (just like Piaf herself) in a black dress, superbly accompanied on the piano by Seh Ho. Piaf’s music was quintessentially Parisian, always having about it an air of the “Le Gerny” nightclub in the 1930’s where Piaf first enjoyed wide public success. Most of the songs in Bovill’s performance were in French, and I felt that this is where Bovill’s strength l
Born in dire poverty under a Paris street lamp , Edith Piaf rose to become the best-known chanteuse throughout the world . who was the little sparrow , and why did she mean so much to so many ? a complex woman , Piaf spent her life in search of escape from a past that at times threatened to crucify her . The legacy left from recordings and films serves to remind us of a monumental talent , the loss of which is still mourned in France after 40 years . Piaf is a musical homage to the first lady of French song , depicting a short life of triumph and tragedy.
