麻豆社

French singer Vincent Niclo presents Carte Blanche, a brand new series, celebrating talented artists, celebrated and creative, independent and determined, who are beloved in France and around the world.

In part 2, composer Michel Legrand, gives Vincent carte blanche to talk about his life and career. The French born composer, orchestrator, conductor and pianist has been writing, arranging and performing music for over half a century.

A child prodigy at the piano, he converted from classical to jazz under the nose of his disapproving teacher, the composer Nadia Boulanger. He started out as an orchestrator; his earliest triumph was I Love Paris, a set of jazz standards which sold seven million copies in two years.

Then for 10 years he composed for the Nouvelle Vague directors. Among his enduring works are musicals made for the screen. Les Parapluies de Cherbourg was an unexpected success in 1964, followed by Les Demoiselles de Rochefore three years later. He returned to form in Yentl and won an Oscar for the score - the film鈥檚 only nomination.

Michel鈥檚 collaborated widely with the likes of Miles Davis and Kiri Te Kanawa, Barbra Streisand and Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Demy and Gene Kelly, Joseph Losey and Edith Piaf.

He鈥檚 won awards, plaudits and honours, including four Oscars.

Some of Michel鈥檚 most famous compositions and collaborations created modern standards such as 鈥淭he Windmills of Your Mind,鈥� 鈥淲hat Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?鈥� and 鈥淚 Will Wait For You.鈥�

He talks candidly with Vincent about his music and his collaborations and explains why he never listens to his music.