Christiane Legrand
Christiane Legrand was a French soprano singer.
Biography
Legrand was born in Paris. Her father Raymond Legrand was a conductor and composer renowned for hits such as Irma la douce, and her mother was Marcelle Ter-Mikaëlian, who married Legrand in 1929. Her maternal grandfather was of Armenian descent and considered a member of the bourgeoisie. Legrand studied piano and classical music from the time she was four. She was taught, amongst others, by the famous classical pianist, Genevieve Joy. Jazz critic and composer André Hodeir discovered her in 1957, and she became the lead singer in the most notable French jazz vocal groups of the 1960s, including Les Double Six.Legrand was the original lead soprano of The Swingle Singers and was the vocalist who dubbed the part of Madame Emery in Les parapluies de Cherbourg, the music for which was composed by her brother Michel Legrand. She also sang the part of Judith in his Les demoiselles de Rochefort. Her commercial recordings of music for the concert hall included a recording of Laborinthus II of Luciano Berio.
Legrand sang the lead role on the French Disney recording of the score to the film Mary Poppins and lent her talents to numerous other film projects. Legrand was the featured soprano on the track "Fires " on the 1973 Procol Harum album Grand Hotel.
Her niece Victoria Legrand is a member of the American indie pop group Beach House. Another niece, Eugénie Angot, is an equestrian.
Discography
Source:- Elle et ils de Christiane Legrand
- Jazz Sebastian Bach
- Communications '72
- Le Brésil de Christiane Legrand
- Of Smiles and Tears de Christiane Legrand
- Nul ne sait de Christiane Legrand
- Chansons d'Amour de Christiane Legrand