Milko Foucault-Larche is organising a French Music Festival, a concert tour of French music in New South Wales and Victoria. In this festival there are three shows, Paris After Dark, Pardon My French and Aznavour & Friends. We chatted to Milko about these concerts and the French Music Festival.
Milko, you’re touring New South Wales and Victoria with a series of concert this may. Tell us a little about the French Music Festival.
The French Music Festival is a travelling festival with French performances that we take to various parts of New South Wales and Victoria. In some cases we work with the Alliances Françaises.
You have three distinct shows within the French Music Festival: Paris After Dark, Pardon My French, Aznavour & Friends. Tell us about these shows.
Paris After Dark and Pardon My French are are variety shows. We present the great classics of French Song and we include a touch of operetta, musicals and opera.
Aznavour & Friends, is of course Charles Aznavour’s songs in the foreground but also songs that we borrow from Mr Aznavour’s friends.
Which singers and from which era are the songs in Paris After Dark?
Paris After Dark presents songs by Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, Joséphine Baker, Dalida, Gilbert Becaud, Claude François, Michel Legrand.
Who is singing in the show Paris After Dark?
Milko Foucault – Larche and Corinne Andrew are the protagonists of Paris After Dark.
Which singers and from which period are the songs from the show Pardon My French?
Pardon My French presents songs quite similar to “Paris After Dark”. In this tour, there are also songs of Yves Montand, Enrico Macias, Luis Mariano but also international songs that are part of the French repertoire.
Who performs in the show Pardon My French?
Pardon My French is a one-man show with me, Milko Foucault–Larche.
You are a big fan of Aznavour – you have even released an album of his songs. What do you like about his music?
With Monsieur Aznavour, it’s first of all the absolutely remarkable lyrics. It’s a theatrical play in three minutes. And the most interesting thing is the fact that Charles Aznavour’s songs have extraordinary English translations or adaptations, because Monsieur Aznavour personally supervised these adaptations with very talented English-speaking lyricists.
What can people who attend the French Music Festival expect?
Most of the festival events are dinner and show events. So, evenings in a pleasant atmosphere and discovering for some, or re-discovering for others, songs that have made French music great.
How did you choose the artists and songs that are included in the festival shows?
Between Corinne Andrew and I, we have a pretty large French repertoire, and we do a lot of duet songs. And these are songs that we like and are very comfortable with.
And this festival will continue into June?
Yes, we have a few other shows in June and of course, we will continue in July, which I’ll call “The French month”, with shows around Bastille Day.
Anything else to share with us?
During the Festival in June, I am also organising a French Music Concert – Classical & Jazz with Ukrainian pianist Alex Parkmen. And I will be there as a guest.
The concert is called A PIANO THAT SINGS. Alex presents compositions by Debussy, Ravel, Chopin, Saint – Saëns and will accompany me in my programme of Charles Aznavour, Yves Montand, Edith Piaf, and Charles Trenet with a classical touch. A bit different from the usual!
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We thank Milko Foucault-Larche for this interview.
KEY INFO FOR THE FRENCH MUSIC FESTIVAL
QUOI: French Music Festival, a travelling festival of concerts of French music
WHERE AND WHEN: In the places and on the dates stated below
HOW: Buy your ticket via the links provided below.
6 May – Paris After Dark, Bay View Golf Club – Mona vale [NSW]- By French a la carte
14 May – Pardon My French, Palais Hepburn – Daylesford [Victoria]
19 May– Pardon My French, Piano Bar Bendigo [Victoria]
20 May – Pardon My French, German Club Tivoli – Prahran [Victoria]
21 May – Aznavour & Friends, AGBU Centre – Scoresby [Victoria]
27 May – Paris After Dark, Avalon Restaurant – Katoomba [NSW]
28 May – Paris After Dark, Keystone 1889 – Bathurst [NSW]
29 May – Paris After Dark, Prince of Wales Opera House – Gulgong [NSW]
Who is your favourite francophone artist?
