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The
Paris Cafe Society Review
Paris,
September, 1891
Music
Hall Show at the Moulin
Rouge
An
Evening at the Moulin Rouge
Véronique
Schlumberger from France
My
friend and I went to a music hall show at
the Moulin Rouge last night. We had a
really great evening.
We
went into a huge smoky place and sat down
at a table. We asked for two glasses of
red wine which is the traditional and
fashionable drink in this place.
The
people were so noisy that we couldn't hear
each other speaking. Everybody was
chattering and laughing. The atmosphere
was really cheerful!
When
the performance started, a loud and
exciting music stopped everybody from
speaking. Ten dancers jumped on the stage
shouting and laughing.
It
was great fun. A visit to this music hall
is a must!
Night
Life in Montmartre
Ana
López from Mexico
Tonight
I was walking up the hill of Montmartre.
Before the Revolution, this place was
famous for its dangerous taverns, but the
great cathedral of Notre-Dame is in this
neighborhood, too. Fortunately, it does
not affect the night life of Paris
today.
I
went there to experience the night life of
the cafés that everyone is talking
about. I especially wanted to see the
Moulin Rouge which opened up not long ago.
Many students like to to there.
As
went in I saw a big dance floor and walls
with mirrors. I enjoyed the show. The
music was loud, and the can-can dancers
were wonderful.
Conversing
with Toulouse-Lautrec
Véronique
Schlumberger from France
 I
met Toulouse-Lautrec in a café of
Montmartre where he spends most of his
evenings and nights. I heard about him
when I discovered his personal style on
posters he printed to advertise music hall
shows in the Moulin Rouge.
When
I arrived in the café for our
appointment, I asked for Toulouse Lautrec.
Somebody indicated me his table. He was
standing near the table. He was a funny
little man with short legs. He was wearing
a hat and small round glasses. Dancers
were performing and the café was
noisy. One dancer was shouting and there
was smoke everywhere.
To
start a conversation, I said hello to
him...
Véronique:
Hello!
Toulouse-Lautrec:
Hi!
Véronique:
I
would like to ask you a few questions
about your poster production. First, how
did you choose your subjects?
Toulouse-Lautrec:
When I studied painting, we found a new
way of expression. No more landscapes
which are only accessories. I wanted to
paint life, to paint people. Where is life
in Paris? Life is in cafés! At this
time, everyone in Paris goes out at night.
So I went out at night to find models.
Now, here is my life. Cafés are my
house.
Véronique:
What
kind of people do you meet
here?
Toulouse-Lautrec:
All
kinds of people..tired workers who want to
relax, bourgeois who evade their tight and
formal life, artists who can freely
express their thoughts, dancers who can
freely express themselves with their
bodies.
Véronique:
What
about your poster technique?
Toulouse-Lautrec:
I am using a Japanese woodblock technique
that I discovered when I learned painting.
This technique allows using bright
colors.
The
Dark Side of Paris Café
Life
Woradej
Rinsurongkawong from
Thailand
Last
night, I went to a café-concert to
see the performance of the dancer Jane
Avril and hear the songs of Bruant. When I
was in that place, I started wondering
about the people there. They loved to be
insulted and to see a maniac
dancer.
Whatever
inspired me to go to that place? The
answer is simple. I used to see pictures
of Bruant and Jane Avril drawn by Henri de
Toulouse-Lautrec. In the pictures, they
looked delighted, so I wanted to see that
kind of feeling.
However,
when I was in that café, I felt
like a stranger. I felt uncomfortable when
a lady came out and people started
shouting at her. Surprisingly, that lady
smiled and laughed instead of feeling
disappointed. At the same time, a dancer
danced and just shouted all the
time.
Incredibly,
the people in that place loved seeing that
kind of show. They laughed, danced, and
shouted all the time. It seemed like that
place was the happiest place in the world.
I felt that everyone there wanted to live
with his or her own dark side
forever. After
twenty minutes, I could not stand that
kind of atmosphere anymore. I went out and
said to myself, "I will never ever come
here again."
The
Café Society Review, Volume 1,
Published in Paris, France, September,
1891
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