Plaisir d'amour
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
"Plaisir d'amour" (literally "The joys of love") is a classical French love song written in 1780 by Jean Paul Égide Martini (1741-1816). It was arranged for orchestra by Hector Berlioz. Although it has been adapted as a piece of pop music, it was written in a classical style during the classical period.
Contents |
About the song
The song, originally composed in 1780, took its libretto from a poem by Jean de Florian (1755–1794), which is in his romance, Célestine. The classical French composer Hector Berlioz (1803–1869) in 1859 arranged the piece for orchestra (H134).
Notable interpretations of the song include those of Joan Baez, Brigitte Bardot, Karen Allyson, Nana Mouskouri and Charlotte Church. One of the more unusual recordings is by Paul Robeson. It was performed by Irene Dunne in Love Affair; Maria Ouspenskaya accompanies on the piano. Montgomery Clift played the music on the piano and sang the song as well in The Heiress. "Plaisir d'amour" is also sung by a children's choir in "The Breaking Point", an episode of HBO's 2001 World War II television miniseries Band of Brothers.
The melody was reused for both the song "My Love Loves Me", performed by Anita Carter, and the popular song "Can't Help Falling in Love", performed by Elvis Presley, although neither uses its lyrics or a translation thereof.
Lyrics
In the original French
Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment.
chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie.
J'ai tout quitté pour l'ingrate Sylvie.
Elle me quitte et prend un autre amant.
Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment.
chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie.
Tant que cette eau coulera doucement
vers ce ruisseau qui borde la prairie,
Je t'aimerai me répétait Sylvie.
L'eau coule encore. Elle a changé pourtant.
Plaisir d'amour ne dure qu'un moment.
chagrin d'amour dure toute la vie.
English translation
The pleasure of love lasts only a moment
The pain of love lasts a lifetime.
I gave up everything for ungrateful Sylvia,
She is leaving me for another lover.
The pleasure of love lasts only a moment,
The pain of love lasts a lifetime.
"As long as this water will run gently
Towards this brook which borders the meadow,
I will love you", Sylvia told me repeatedly.
The water still runs, but she has changed.
The pleasure of love lasts only a moment,
The pain of love lasts a lifetime.
Cover versions
- Yvonne Printemps in 1931
- Lorri Lail with Curt Akerlinds's ensemble. Recorded in Stockholm about January 30, 1946. It was released on the 78 rpm record HMV X 7173
- Tino Rossi in 1955
- Joan Baez in 1961
- Marianne Faithfull in 1965
- Pierrot Lunaire (band) in 1976
- Nana Mouskouri in 1997
- Karrin Allyson in 1999
- Marie Denise Pelletier in 2000
- Emmylou Harris in 2003 on Stumble into Grace (Nonesuch Records)
- Brigitte Bardot
- Helmut Lotti
- Mireille Mathieu
- Ivan Rebroff
- Eddy Mitchell
- Janet Baker
- Nick Drake played it for 46 seconds after finishing his album Pink Moon, not released until October 26, 2004 on A Treasury
- Franco Battiato in 1991 on Come un cammello in una grondaia (EMI Records)
- Judith Durham
