Jean Paul Égide Martini
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Jean Paul Egide Martini, (August 31, 1741 – February 10, 1816) was a composer of classical music. Sometimes known as Martini Il Tedesco, he is best known today for the vocal romance "Plaisir d'Amour," on which the 1961 Elvis Presley standard "Can't Help Falling in Love" is based. He is sometimes referred to as Giovanni Martini, which has resulted in a confusion with Giovanni Battista Martini, particularly with regard to the composition of Plaisir d'Amour.
Martini was born Johann Paul Aegidius Schwarzendorf in Freystadt, Bavaria. He adopted the family name Martini after moving to France as a young man. There, he established a successful career as a court musician. Having directed concerts for the Queen he adapted to the changing regimes throughout the French Revolution, and later wrote music for Napoleon's marriage as well as for the restored Royal Chapel. In 1764, he married Marguerite Camelot. His melodic opera L'amoureux de quinze ans written in 1771 enjoyed great success. In addition, his highly popular church music combined old forms with modern theatricality, and his chansons including "Plaisir D'Amour" were influential. In 1800 he became professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire. He died in Paris in February of 1816.
List of works
- Annette and Lubin (opera)
- L'amoureux de quinze ans, ou La double fête (1771)
- Le Droit du Seigneur (1783)
- "Prière pour le Roi", political song (1793)
- Scene héroïque pour Napoléon (1814)
Sources
- "Jean Paul Martini" in "Classical Music," ed. John Burrows. DK Publishing, Inc: New York, 2005.
