As you know, Serge Gainsbourg was heavily inspired by classical composers. This compilation traces back his sources for several of his strongest songs, if you saw Gainsbourg:Vie Héroique you’ll remember the scene where young Lucien plays the Chopin étude that he borrowed for Jane B.. Though a lot of cheesy ballroom orchestras played Serge’s work and some great jazz musicians reworked his compositions, I knew only a few classicly trained musicians who did the same. There’s Giovianni Mirabassi, and now there is Gaëlle Vandernoot. She recorded a cover of Pull Marine (written for Isabelle Adjani) on her1997-released album Harpe & Divertissements. That also sports a version of Francis Lai lounge-classic Un homme et une femme, plus sonatas and variations by Rosetti and Haendel. On her website you can see that Gaëlle likes to mix high and low culture, she even plays a cover of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You. If you think the harp is only useful for easy listening, try Dutch talent Lavinia Meyer.
Gaëlle Vandernoot – Pull Marine