Jean-Claude Vannier's bohemian Paris apartment reflects his artistic personality, filled with collectibles like toy pianos that he uses in performances. Known for his disruptive and whimsical style, he has influenced French pop for six decades. Vannier's recent project, a song cycle alongside a mandolin orchestra, dives into dark themes such as romance and mortality. His work often contrasts stark realities with artful storytelling, revealing a belief that profound narratives arise from sadness rather than happiness, a sentiment he expresses in his unique and odd collaborative projects.
‘Disrupting an orchestral performance by playing a toy piano or kicking a guitar seems characteristic: Vannier, now in his early 80s, has been a disruptive presence in French pop for 60 years.’
‘All the great love stories are sad,’ he says, ‘because if people live happily ever after and have lots of children, there's not much to say.’
‘I have a house in the country that's full of [toy pianos] too. I take them to concerts and play a note or two. I find it adds something to a live performance that is filled with virtuosos.’
His latest project is pretty odd: a song cycle performed by a vast mandolin orchestra, accompanied by a story written by Vannier that involves a broken romance, alcoholism, homelessness and murder.
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