The French Difference

What makes French music French? It's not just language, though the particular rhythms and sounds of French create unique musical possibilities. It's not just geography, though France's position at European crossroads shapes its cultural exchanges. Rather, it's an approach—a certain je ne sais quoi that values:

- Intellectual engagement: French audiences expect music to mean something - Aesthetic sophistication: Beauty matters, but it's beauty with brains - Cultural synthesis: Taking the best from everywhere and making it French - Individual expression: The artist's personal voice over market demands - Institutional support: Society's commitment to nurturing musical life

This approach creates music that can be challenging, pretentious, glorious, maddening, and transcendent—often simultaneously.