Tristana (song)

Single infobox |
Name = Tristana


Artist = Mylène Farmer
from Album = Cendres de Lune
Released = February 1987
Format = 7" single
7" maxi
Digital download (since 2005)
Recorded = 1987, France
Genre = Pop
Length = 4:30
Label = Polydor
Writer = Text : Mylène Farmer
Music : Laurent Boutonnat
Producer = Laurent Boutonnat
Certification = Silver France, 1987
Chronology = Mylène Farmer singles
Last single = "Libertine"
(1986)
This single = "Tristana"
(1987)
Next single = "Sans contrefaçon"
(1987)Extra album cover
Upper caption = Alternate covers
Background = khaki


Lower caption = 7" maxiExtra album cover
Background = khaki


Lower caption = Soundtrack of the music videoExtra tracklisting
Album = Cendres de Lune
Type = studio
prev_track = "Vieux Bouc"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Tristana"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Chloé"
next_no = 5Extra tracklisting
Album = Les Clips
Type = Video
prev_track = "Libertine"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Tristana"
track_no = 4
next_track =
next_no = Extra tracklisting
Album = En concert
Type = live
prev_track = "Jardin de Vienne"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Tristana"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Ainsi soit je..."
next_no = 5Extra tracklisting
Album = Dance Remixes
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Sans contrefaçon"
prev_no = 2
this_track = "Tristana"
track_no = 3
next_track = "Sans logique"
next_no = 4Extra tracklisting
Album = Music Videos I
Type = Video
prev_track = "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Tristana"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Sans contrefaçon"
next_no = 5Extra tracklisting
Album = Les Mots
Type = compilation
prev_track = "Libertine"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Tristana"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Sans contrefaçon"
next_no = 5

"Tristana" is a 1987 song recorded by the French artist Mylène Farmer. Fourth single from her first studio album "Cendres de Lune", the song was released in February 1987. As for the previous single "Libertine", the music video was produced as a film, with many extras and a huge budget. First song entirely written by the singer herself, it enjoyed an intense promotion on TV and met a great success in France, reaching the top ten.

Background and writing

After the success of "Libertine", the duo Farmer-Boutonnat sought to repeat their musical feat. In January 1987, Farmer performed "Au bout de la nuit" during a TV show dedicated to Guy Béart, given that the song was scheduled as her fifth single. However, Boutonnat had composed a new music and had asked Farmer to write text that could be sung with this music (in fact, from this title, Farmer wrote all the texts of her songs). She drew her inspiration from Luis Buñuel's film "Tristana", ["Intimité", July 23, 1987, "Mylène Farmer, révoltée et curieuse", Claudine Sandford, p. 17 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1987/intimite_230787.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 20, 2008)] with Catherine Deneuve, which tells the story of a mutilated woman. Finally, this song was released instead of "Au bout de la nuit"."Tristana" [http://www.sans-logique.com/mylene-farmer/discographie/singles/single.php?single=tristana Sans-logique.com] (Retrieved February 2, 2008)]

"Tristana" has been sung on stage only during the 1989 tour and is available on both compilations "Dance Remixes" and "Les Mots". Because of this hit, the album "Cendres de Lune" proved a great success and was more launched as a CD, adding "Tristana" in studio and remix version in the track listing.

Lyrics and music

According to "L'Est Républicain", "the fragility released by the texts can be found in the establishment of the instruments. For the occasion, flute, keyboards, percussion were treated in the manner of drum machines". ["L'Est Républicain", 1987 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1987/l'est_republicain_87.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 20, 2008)]

Music video

The video, directed by Laurent Boutonnat, was shot for five days in La Chapelle-en-Vercors, ."Le Dictionnaire des Chansons de Mylène Farmer", Benoît Cachin, 2006, Tournon Ed., p. 255-259]

The video, whose scene takes place in the snowy steppes, ["Cool", July 20, 1987 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1987/COOL_200787b.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 20, 2008)] was inspired by the story ")] "Mylène Farmer, la part d'ombre", Caroline Bee, Antoine Bioy and Benjamin Thiry, January 2006, Archipel Ed., p. 340-343]

It features Tristana (played by Farmer), Rasoukine (played by Vladimir Ivtchenko), a tsarina (played by Sophie Tellier, a Farmer's dancer, who had also featured in "Libertine"), a monk, seven dwarfs, several soldiers, horses, birds and wolves. This video was presented as an event in the media. ["Podium", 1987, "Mylène Farmer, encore un clip à vous couper le souffle", Robert De Laroche [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1987/podium_87.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 20, 2008)]

Critical reception

The song was generally very well-received by the media at the time. For example : this song "reveals the original universe of Farmer : mystery, hushed atmosphere, sweet voice" ("Cool"). ["Cool", March 1987 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1987/COOL_0387.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 20, 2008)] "The music superbly refined prevents despair to settle" ("Foto musique"). ["Foto musique", May 1987 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1987/foto_musique_0587.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 20, 2008)] This song has an "undeniable charm" ("Rock Musique"). ["Rock Musique", May 1987 [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1987/rock_musique_0587.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 20, 2008)] and "aestheticism" ("Télé Loisirs"). ["Télé Loisirs", May 18, 1987, "Mylène Farmer est Blanche-Neige" [http://www.devant-soi.com/Monde-de-Myl%E8ne/presse/articles-presse/1987/tele_loisirs_180587.jpgDevant-soi.com] (Retrieved March 20, 2008)]

TV performances

In 1987, Farmer appears on many French channels such as TF1, Antenne 2, FR3, Canal + and France 5 to promote the song. She then performed "Tirstana" in no fewer than 26 TV shows from February 19 to December 15 in which she was sometimes interviewed before or after her performance. On certain shows, she also sung "Au Bout de la nuit", "La Ronde triste" and "Sans contrefaçon". ["Tristana", TV performances [http://www.sans-logique.com/mylene-farmer/tv/index.php?chanson=tristana Sans-logique.com] (Retrieved February 8, 2008)]

At each performance, Farmer wore a special costume and, for the first time, she performed a choreography with dancers. She always sung "Tristana" in playback, except in the show "La Nouvelle Affiche", but there were a few problems with the sound during this performance. Because of this, Farmer has not sung in live until 2003."Tristana", L'histoire de la chanson : Désormais, Mylène écrit les paroles [http://www.mylenefarmeriscalled.net/tristanaglob.html Mylenefarmeriscalled.net] (Retrieved February 8, 2008)]

Chart performances

In France, the single debuted at number 33. It gained a few places every week until reaching #7, its highest position, on June 13. The song managed to stay for 12 weeks in the top 20 and 21 weeks on the chart (from April 25, to September 12, 1987)."Tristana", French Singles Chart [http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?key=62678&cat=s Lescharts.com] (Retrieved January 10, 2008)] Like the previous Farmer's single "Libertine", "Tristana" was certified Silver disc by SNEP, in 1987 for a minimum of 200,000 copies sold,Mylène Farmer's certifications [http://www.chartsinfrance.net/certifications/artiste-850.html Chartsinfrance.net] (Retrieved January 2, 2008)] thus becoming one of the ten biggest hits of the singer.

Formats and track listings

Charts

References