Album Review: Jean Claude Vannier – Et son orchestre de mandolines

A whimsical show of mastery.

Legendary composer, musician, and arranger Jean Claude Vannier returns with his new album Et son orchestre de mandolines (And his mandolin orchestra). 

As the title suggests, all of the record’s instrumentations comprise mandolins played by Vincent Beer-Demander and the accordion played by Grégory Daltin. The two are masters of their craft, skillfully executing Vannier’s complicated arrangements to deliver sparkling track after track.

Vannier said he envisioned this album as the soundtrack of a silent film, following the love story of a boy through time, and his vision was thoroughly felt on this record. 

With every track, listeners feel transported to a black-and-white film, participating in various hijinks, all in the name of “le grand amour.”

The theme of love is explored in the second track, “Comme les enfants savent aimer (How children know to love.” Vannier relates this song to a story of when he first fell in love with the mandolin as a child. Beer-Demander’s expert finger-picking and trills create a sense of curiosity and adoration, painting a picture of discovering something and falling in love with it. Vannier’s passion for the instrument and all it can do is evident within the album’s first few minutes. 

The fourth and fifth tracks, “Il y avait des éléphants (There were elephants)” and “Perdue dans la cité (Lost in the City),” were the most playful of the album. Daltin’s accordion playing adds a fun, steady bounce to underlay Beer-Demander’s more complicated phrases, allowing the two to work in harmony and create a pure, childlike atmosphere. 

Of course, like every film, the fun has to end and become somber to show emotional depth. Vannier demonstrates this depth on tracks like “Une séance photos sous les arcades (A photoshoot under the arcades)” and “A cause de mes problems (Because of my troubles).” The latter has Beer-Demander playing similarly complicated phrases. Still, instead of a playful tune, he is playing music full of dissonance and conflict (presumably with his mandolin acting as the duet partner). Fittingly, Daltin’s accordion is many octaves lower in the more melancholy songs, replacing a fun, steady bounce with a low, stretching wade through the emotion. 

The album’s goal of evoking the feel of a silent film does not mean it’s trapped in the vaudeville era, though. There are times when the tracks feel distinctly modern and almost in the rock and pop genres, namely in the eleventh track, “La 2CV rouillé (The rusty 2CV).” Even though the song is named after an old-timey car, phrases and licks reminiscent of modern rock music place it firmly in the 21st century. It’s a testament to Vannier’s ability to evolve and change with the times while still being able to execute his vision.

Et son orchestre de mandolines (And his mandolin orchestra) is a wondrous record that illustrates a tale of discovery, love, loss, and heartache. With all of this, it shows Vannier’s passion for an underused instrument in the modern age while still being able to utilize modern techniques. It’s truly a love letter for the past from today.