Bérard, singing "J'ai tant pleuré" on Edison #17951
(MP3 format, approx. 1Mb)

Description:

Bérard (1870-1946) recorded many popular songs for Edison between 1902 and 1910. J'ai tant pleuré (originally composed by Henri Dickson) was very popular at that time, and it was not rare to hear "Limonaire" and "tibouville" organs playing this song, which is often called Chanson de la Belle Epoque. Several other artists recorded this song for Pathé on cylinder and disc. Other manufactuers must have released this title as well.

Bérard started to sing at the Eldorado café-concert in 1899, a very popular place where other singers like Bach, Dranem and Mistinguett became famous in the early 1900s. Bérard's voice was loud enough to cover the entire room. Among Bérard's performances, were sentimental songs ("Lison, Lisette", "Trésor caché", "J'ai tant pleuré"), melodrama intended to move the audience ("Le train fatal", "J'ai vendu mon âme au Diable", "La fille du chiffonnier"), and patriotic songs ("Les cuirassés de Reichshoffen", "Le rêve passe", "Chargez !"). World War I gave him opportunities to compose more patriotic songs, which made him even more famous ("Verdun, on ne passe pas !", "Le Père la Victoire" ou "Qui a gagné la guerre ?"). Sadly, Bérard's life ended in loneliness after quitting the scenes around 1928 at the age of 58.

As can be heard, this cylinder has been played enough times to have distortions at several places. French Edison cylinders are obviously rarer than Pathé cylinders, and therefore, more difficult to find. Such popular titles are especially hard to find in excellent condition as most of the surviving examples are more or less worn from playing.