chanson

Chanson is a French term that simply means “song,” but in musicology it refers to a tradition of lyric‑driven French songs in which the text and its expression are central. The scope of the term ranges from medieval secular polyphony to contemporary French popular and art songs, and it is often used to categorize works by emphasis on poetry, melody, and vocal delivery.

In the medieval period, the chanson described secular songs composed in fixed poetic forms such as the ballade, virelai, and rondeau. These works were typically polyphonic and written for one or more voices with instrumental accompaniment. Guillaume de Machaut is among the best‑known chansonniers of the Ars Nova, and his chansons helped establish the integration of sophisticated poetic structure with musical setting.

During the Renaissance, the French chanson continued to flourish in courts and salons. Composers such as Clément Janequin and his contemporaries created lively, text‑driven pieces often with programmatic or descriptive elements. The music frequently moved toward more transparent textures, though text painting remained important. The chanson remained popular alongside other vocal genres and contributed to the broader tradition of the French chansonniers who set contemporary poetry to music.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the term also denotes the French art song and, more broadly, the modern French popular song known as chanson française. Singers such as Edith Piaf, Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel, and Barbara carried the tradition into modern cabaret and recording, emphasizing storytelling, social or personal themes, and direct vocal delivery, often with restrained accompaniment.

Today, chanson encompasses historical forms as well as contemporary singer‑songwriter repertoire, reflecting a continuity of the French song tradition focused on text, voice, and expressive clarity.