29 tháng 5, 2026

A bâtons rompus (Casual Conversation) - (1928)

Nous avon eu pendant trois jours le régal musical le plus raffiné. Jacques Thibaud, le prestigieux violoniste était dans nos murs et tous les amateurs de musique se sont pressées en foule pour l'entendre; ils ne perdirent du reste ni leur temps ni leurs piastres. Et même pas mal de profanes qui éaient présents-parce qu'il faut bien profiter de toutes les distractions-en retiréerent une magniques impression de beauté, pendant que les connaisseurs savouraient le grand art du musicien.

Un de nos confrères a même noté que plusieurs Annamites étaient présents à ces soirées et y prenaient un plaisir manifeste et le bon journaliste de conclure un peu hâtivent que le musique était un des points d'entente des divers peuple et que l'on devait chercher à sa rapprocher par tous les moyens. La musique permettant de comprendre la civilisation d'un pays devait être utilisée dans ce but.

Parfait---je comprends fort bien que nous donnions des concert de notre musique aux Annamites, je comprends qu'ils y prennent plaisir et ce n'est que justice, puisque nous prenons bien plaisir à entendre le jazz nègre cu la guitare des Hawaiens qui ont à peu près pénétré le bon peuple francais, mais je ne vais pas pusqu'à penser que la musique, qui adoucit les moeurs ait permis aux bons Francais de comprendre la civilisation nègre ou les délicés de l'Archipel.

Au reste, je propose au rédacteur qui a émis cette affirmation d'aller entendre trois jours de suite pendant trois heures la musique chinoise, telle qu'elle est pratiquée à Shanghai ou même à Cholon et de nous dire si'l peut se faire entendre entre deux coups de cymbales, et si'l a comprise quelque chocse à la sentimentalité chinoise.

Je suis, du reste sur que mon mélomane de confrère, s'il a pris du plaisir à la musique exécutée par Jacques Thibaud, ne résisterait pas à semblable cacophonie.


For three days, we enjoyed the most refined musical experience. Jacques Thibaud, the prestigious violinist, was among us and music lovers flocked to hear him. They certainly didn't waste their time or their money. Even quite a few laypeople who were present—because one must take advantage of all available distractions—came away with a magnificent impression of beauty, while the connoisseurs savored the musician's great artistry.

One of our colleagues even noted that several Annamites were present at these evenings and clearly enjoyed themselves, leading the journalist to conclude, somewhat hastily, that music was one of the points of agreement between different peoples and that we should strive to connect with it by all means. Music allows us to understand a country's civilization and should be used for this purpose.

Perfect—I understand very well that we give concerts of our music for the Annamites; I understand that they enjoy it, and that's only fair, since we ourselves take great pleasure in hearing African jazz or the Hawaiian guitar, which has more or less penetrated the French people. But I don't go so far as to think that music, which soothes the soul, has allowed the good French to understand African civilization or the delights of the archipelago.

Furthermore, I suggest that the writer who made this assertion go and listen to Chinese music for three hours at a time, for three days in a row, as it is practiced in Shanghai or even in Chợ Lớn, and tell us if he can make himself heard between cymbal crashes, and if he has grasped any clash of Chinese sentimentality.

I am, moreover, sure that my music-loving colleague, if he enjoyed the music performed by Jacques Thibaud, would not be able to withstand such a cacophony.  

"A bâtons rompus," Saigon sportif 13 juillet 1928.


Jacques Thibaud was one of the great violin virtuosos of first half of the twentieth century. His Saigon performance would have been an example of Western classical music.

Annamite / Vietnamese people listened to this virtuoso and enjoy his playing. This puzzled the casual observer. They listening to Annamite / Vietnamese music with no comprehension. How could an Annamite  Vietnamese listener make anything of their music?

This experiment has been continued over nearly a century and we have results. Many more Vietnamese today enjoy and understand Western classical music than Westerners who enjoy and understand Vietnamese traditional music.

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