Arnaud Marzorati and his Lunaisiens are indefatigable explorers of the French chanson in all its guises, all its periods, and in all its very different styles. With Sainte-Hélène, Les Lunaisiens turn a new page of history in chansons. On 5 May 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte passed away. It was the end of the extraordinary epic of a little corporal who became emperor of the French. Idolised, detested, no matter: he was omnipresent, and particularly in the world of the chanson; several thousand lines would be written during his lifetime, then still more until the early 20th century. People sang of his grey frock coat and his little hat, his victories were lauded and his defeats were decried.

It is his history that Arnaud Marzorati is singing in this album. Backed by a trio of leading singers, Les Lunaisiens are accompanied this time by historic instruments played by Les Cuivres Romantiques; these latter have blown their way into trumpets, horns and buccins of the time and thus enable us to listen to the original pieces as played by the wind band of the Garde Consulaire, later Impériale. The world of Napoleonic music, however, is not just illustrated on the battle front. This album casts light onto other sectors of the music in the time of the Emperor. First of all, the street, where the popular singer – accompanied by the serpent or the barrel organ – would assail the crowds, be they veterans or conspirators. Secondly, there is the salon with the romance as performed here by Sabine Devieilhe and which is not without conjuring up some stereotypical images; it is a witness to an art of elegance and refinement ‘à la française’ that played a leading role in the sacralisation of the figure of the Emperor.

With this vivid, varied disc, with a surprising range of sounds, Arnaud Marzorati and Les Lunaisiens offer us a masterful soundtrack of the life of Napoleon.

Tracklisting:
1. Fanfare “à l’étendard”
2. Te Souviens-tu
3. Sonnerie “pour éteindre les feux”
4. Adieux d’une Mère à son fils
5. Les Pommes de Terre
6. Les Français au Général Bonaparte
7. Les Mérites de Bonaparte
8. Complainte de la Machine Infernale
9. Marche du Premier Consul
10. Le Sacre de Napoléon
11. Adagio & Polonaise
12. Les Pupilles de la Garde
13. La Victoire est à nous
14. Chanson de l’Oignon
15. Le Conscrit
16. Le Roi d’Yvetot
17. La Campagne de Russie
18. Pas redoublé no.4
19. Le Tombeau de Joséphine
20. La Bataille de Waterloo
21. Marche no.2
22. Les Souvenirs du Peuple
23. Sainte-Hélène