Martini's Plaisir d'amour

By David Govertsen

The pleasure of love lasts but a moment; the sorrow of love lasts a lifetime.

Sappho and Phaon (1809), Jacques-Louis David

Over the years, musicians of all stripes have been attracted to Jean-Paul-Égide Martini’s beautiful song "Plaisir d’amour".  From classical singers like Paul Robeson, to folk singers like Joan Baez, Martini’s haunting melody has found a home in the repertoire of countless performers.  Perhaps most famously the tune provided inspiration for the Elvis Presley hit "Can’t help falling in love" in 1961.

With the limitations that the pandemic has put on collective music making, many musicians have turned to creating more independent, self-produced projects.  The rippling arpeggios in the accompaniment of "Plaisir d’amour" seem naturally suited to a guitar, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner I thought that an art song on the theme of "the pleasure of love" would be a fun quarantine project to put together.  The text is a bit more wistful than your average Valentine’s Day card; Martini captures that mood with a simple but effective melody in the opening refrain.  The first verse sets up the story of unrequited love, the second takes a melancholy turn into a minor key only to give way to the refrain once more.
 
"Plaisir d’amour" is the music for which Martini is best remembered today.  He was born and educated in Bavaria, and made his career as a court musician in Paris.  He composed music and led concerts for the royalty and politicians of France, including Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and Napoléon Bonaparte.  He fled Paris during the French Revolution but returned in later years to teach composition at the Paris Conservatory.  He died in 1816 on Valentine’s Day.

​Enjoy this musical valentine from Fourth Coast Ensemble, much "amour" to you all.

Author

Bass-baritone David Govertsen joined Fourth Coast Ensemble in 2017.  He has been active as a professional singer and educator for nearly twenty years, portraying a wide variety of opera’s low-voiced heroes, villains, and buffoons.  He discovered Schubert’s magical marriage of text and music as an undergraduate and has been hooked on art song ever since.