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'''''Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman''''' is a popular children's song in France, which has had numerous lyrics on different themes since its composition in the 18th century.
#REDIRECT ] {{This is a redirect|from alternative name}} {{R from alternative language|fr}}

This song was popularized in ] by ].

== History ==
The original French rhyme ''Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman'', was not a children's rhyme. Although there was no published version of the text before 1774, several slightly differing versions of what could have been the "original" version exist:
* Ah ! vous dirai-je maman, bergerie (1740).<ref>http://humeurs.calende.org/chansons/maman/poeme-harmonique_vous-dirai-je-maman</ref>
* Comparing two versions of "La Confidence" with the ''nursery rhyme'' version<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20070930081933/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Thierry_klein/ahvousdi.htm</ref>

In these versions a girl confides a secret to her mother: that she has been seduced by "Silvandre". Only in one version cited above did the girl apparently make a narrow escape ("Je m'échappai par bonheur"),<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20071106080719/http://thierry-klein.nerim.net/ahvousdi.htm</ref> in the other versions the girl appears to have been "beaten" by ''L'Amour'' ("Love").

As for the history of the ''melody'' and the non-nursery rhyme version(s) of the French ''text'':<ref>The chronology is based on an </ref><ref name="NMA1962">(in German:) ], </ref>{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

* 1761: first publication of the ''music'' (without lyrics) of ''Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman'' in "Les Amusements d'une Heure et Demy" by Mr. Bouin (Paris), p.&nbsp;1.
* Around 1765, the words and music appear in a ] entitled "Recueil de Chansons" under the title "Le Faux Pas", p.&nbsp;43.
* 1774: earliest known printed publication of the ''lyrics'' together with the ''music'' in volume two of "Recueil de Romances" by M.D.L. (]) published in Brussels, under the title "La confidence naïve" (p.&nbsp;75).
* Around 1780 (Paris): the words and music appear in sheet music under the title "Les amours de Silvandre"2."
* 1785: First ''publication'' of Mozart's ''Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman'' variations.
* 1792: First performance of Haydn's ] ("Surprise") in the Andante

As for the composition date of Mozart's ''Variations'', for a time the variations were thought to have been composed in 1778, while Mozart stayed in Paris from April to September in that year, the assumption being that the melody of a French song could only have been picked up by Mozart while residing in France. For this presumed composition date, in the ] the composition was renumbered from ] to ].<ref name="NMA1962" /> Later analysis of Mozart's manuscript of the composition by ] rather indicated 1781-1782 as the probable composition date.<ref>Based on booklet notes by Robin Golding, 1991, for ]s ''Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas and Variations'', ] 8 CD box No. 5 73915 2.</ref>

==Appearances of the melody==
{{listen|filename=Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.ogg|title=Tema|description=Tema of Variations on "Ah vous dirais-je, Maman", as interpreted by ]. ] solo}}

Many songs in various languages have been based on the "Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman" melody. In English, "]", the "]", and "]" are all based on this melody. The melody also inspired the song "]".<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatlife/8877033/Twinkle-twinkle-little-rip-off-the-dark-secrets-of-the-worlds-most-recognisable-tune.html</ref>

The German ] "Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann", with words by ], also uses the melody, as does the Hungarian ] "Hull a pelyhes fehér hó", the Dutch "Altijd is Kortjakje ziek", the Spanish "Campanita del Lugar," and the Turkish "Daha Dün Annemizin."

Several classical compositions have been inspired by this tune:

* ], Variations on "Ah vous dirais-je Maman" in G major (Wf XII: 2) (BR A 45) (1st publ. ca. 1880)
* ], ] (K. 265 / K. 300e) (1781 or 1782)
* ], Andante of the 94th symphony, first performed in 1792
* ], Bravura Variations from the opera ''Le toréador'' (1849)
* ], '']'' (1886), 12th movement (''Fossiles'') quotes the tune
* ], '']'' (1914)
* ], Ten Variations on "Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman" and Fugue
* ], The Mannheim Rocket
* ], Album Leaf: "Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman" (1833) (])
* ], 3rd movement (Allegretto con variazioni) of his ] in B flat major
* ], Variations and finale for organ on "Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman", op. 90 (pub. 1828)
* {{Ill|hu|Jean-Baptiste Cardon}} (1760–1803), Variations for harp on "Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman"

==Nursery rhyme lyrics==
French:
:Ah ! Vous dirais-je Maman
:Ce qui cause mon tourment?
:Papa veut que je raisonne
:Comme une grande personne
:Moi je dis que les bonbons
:Valent mieux que la raison.

English translation:
:Oh! Shall I tell you, Mommy
:What is tormenting me?
:Daddy wants me to reason
:Like a grown-up person,
:Me, I say that sweets
:Are worth more than reasoning

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* , A European Union, government-funded education project to collect lullabies (in their native language) from across Europe - includes samples in seven languages.

]
]
]

Revision as of 04:16, 20 February 2015

Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman is a popular children's song in France, which has had numerous lyrics on different themes since its composition in the 18th century.

This song was popularized in Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

History

The original French rhyme Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman, was not a children's rhyme. Although there was no published version of the text before 1774, several slightly differing versions of what could have been the "original" version exist:

  • Ah ! vous dirai-je maman, bergerie (1740).
  • Comparing two versions of "La Confidence" with the nursery rhyme version

In these versions a girl confides a secret to her mother: that she has been seduced by "Silvandre". Only in one version cited above did the girl apparently make a narrow escape ("Je m'échappai par bonheur"), in the other versions the girl appears to have been "beaten" by L'Amour ("Love").

As for the history of the melody and the non-nursery rhyme version(s) of the French text:

  • 1761: first publication of the music (without lyrics) of Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman in "Les Amusements d'une Heure et Demy" by Mr. Bouin (Paris), p. 1.
  • Around 1765, the words and music appear in a manuscript entitled "Recueil de Chansons" under the title "Le Faux Pas", p. 43.
  • 1774: earliest known printed publication of the lyrics together with the music in volume two of "Recueil de Romances" by M.D.L. (De Lusse) published in Brussels, under the title "La confidence naïve" (p. 75).
  • Around 1780 (Paris): the words and music appear in sheet music under the title "Les amours de Silvandre"2."
  • 1785: First publication of Mozart's Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman variations.
  • 1792: First performance of Haydn's Symphony No. 94 ("Surprise") in the Andante

As for the composition date of Mozart's Variations, for a time the variations were thought to have been composed in 1778, while Mozart stayed in Paris from April to September in that year, the assumption being that the melody of a French song could only have been picked up by Mozart while residing in France. For this presumed composition date, in the chronological catalogue of Mozart's compositions the composition was renumbered from K. 265 to K. 300e. Later analysis of Mozart's manuscript of the composition by Wolfgang Plath rather indicated 1781-1782 as the probable composition date.

Appearances of the melody

Tema Tema of Variations on "Ah vous dirais-je, Maman", as interpreted by Mozart. piano solo
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Many songs in various languages have been based on the "Ah! vous dirais-je, Maman" melody. In English, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", the "Alphabet Song", and "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" are all based on this melody. The melody also inspired the song "What a Wonderful World".

The German Christmas carol "Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann", with words by Hoffmann von Fallersleben, also uses the melody, as does the Hungarian Christmas carol "Hull a pelyhes fehér hó", the Dutch "Altijd is Kortjakje ziek", the Spanish "Campanita del Lugar," and the Turkish "Daha Dün Annemizin."

Several classical compositions have been inspired by this tune:

Nursery rhyme lyrics

French:

Ah ! Vous dirais-je Maman
Ce qui cause mon tourment?
Papa veut que je raisonne
Comme une grande personne
Moi je dis que les bonbons
Valent mieux que la raison.

English translation:

Oh! Shall I tell you, Mommy
What is tormenting me?
Daddy wants me to reason
Like a grown-up person,
Me, I say that sweets
Are worth more than reasoning

References

  1. http://humeurs.calende.org/chansons/maman/poeme-harmonique_vous-dirai-je-maman
  2. http://web.archive.org/web/20070930081933/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Thierry_klein/ahvousdi.htm
  3. http://web.archive.org/web/20071106080719/http://thierry-klein.nerim.net/ahvousdi.htm
  4. The chronology is based on an account by Bob Kosovsky, librarian at the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, 2001
  5. ^ (in German:) Neue Mozart-Ausgabe, IX/26: Variationen für Klavier, Kritischer Bericht (Fischer, 1962), p. 58-59
  6. Based on booklet notes by Robin Golding, 1991, for Daniel Barenboims Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas and Variations, EMI Classics 8 CD box No. 5 73915 2.
  7. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatlife/8877033/Twinkle-twinkle-little-rip-off-the-dark-secrets-of-the-worlds-most-recognisable-tune.html

External links

Categories: