I have a great recording by mezzo soprano Frederica von Stade. This song is SHORT. It opens with a very fortissimo, romping melody in the piano - it reminds me of a circus or cabaret. Somehow it's very Paris-esque. The mood of the song is sophisticated and fast-paced. I feel like the singer is at a chic party drinking champagne and dancing.
The text is about a woman who is grateful to leave "a morose place" for the gaiety and beauty of Paris. She calls it "a delightful affair." That's basically it. Short and sweet.
There is actually quite a lot of dissonance in the song - it could suggest the bustling metropolis that Paris represents in relation to the rest of the country. When I hear the dissonances I also think of the woman being whirled around in a waltz - it's kind of chaotic, although exciting.
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