In a casino, you gamble… but not just for money. From their development (at the end of the first half of the 19th century) to the present day, French gambling establishments have always focused on music. But why exactly do they give it such an important place? In which venues is it played? What repertoires are presented to customers? And who are the musicians who perform there? By bringing together for the first time a series of printed, audio, and audiovisual documents from all French casinos, “Faites vos jeux!” (Play Your Games! Musical Life in French Casinos, 19th-20th Century), answers these questions recently addressed in a book of the same name coordinated by Martin Guerpin and Etienne Jardin (Faites vos jeux! La vie musicale dans les casinos français, XIXe-XXe siècle, Actes Sud/Palazetto Bru Zane, 2024).
This exhibition addresses a triple challenge: to compare the musical programming offered by casinos; highlight the impressive diversity of music played there (from classical music to electro music and jazz); and explain the evolution of the casino “soundtrack” from 1850 to the present day.
So many sometimes forgotten realities that this exhibition reminds us of in images… and in music!
