2: La Bohème (1965)

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The astonishing oeuvre and art of Charles Aznavour in five songs. 2: La Bohème (1965) by Lucy O'Meara. Written for a musical, La Bohème was one of the songs Charles Aznavour most loved to sing. He recorded versions of it in French, English and Italian, and he performed it right up to the end of his life. It’s a whole history of Paris in its title alone. When Aznavour performed the song in later life, he’d sing it while miming the gestures of a painter and a sculptor, using a handkerchief as a prop. It was a huge hit for Aznavour, its nostalgia for young love wrapped up in an entrancing tale about the artistic past of Paris proving an irresistible combination for generations of listeners. Producer: Mark Burman