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If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)
Artist: Emilio de Gogorza
Author: Pierre Claris de Florian/Martini il Tedesco
Label: Victor
Year: 1902
And under alias M. Fernand for Berliner Gram-o-phone. Composed around 1785 in Nancy by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian, one of Voltaire's protégés, regarded as a literary heir of La Fontaine and inducted in the Académie Française in 1788. Coauthor was Jean Paul Egide Martini, an alias for Johann Paul Aegidius Schwarzendorf, which explains his nickname Martini il Tedesco, coming from Bavaria and Kapellmeister of the Prince de Condé. The song was based upon Florian's novel Célestine. Original title of this romantic composition: La Romance du Chevrier. First published as Romance Nouvelle de M. Le Chevalier de Florian, sur une musique de M. Martini in the Périodique Les Etrennes de Polymnie (1785). Was standard pianoforte repertoire in the salons. In 1859 Berlioz gave it an orchestral arrangement. Somewhere between 1890 and 1908 it was retitled Plaisir d'amour. Peter Tsjaikovski clearly used the theme in 1890 during the shepherd's play in Act Two of his opera Queen Of Spades.
Covers:
Monseigneur A. Delcroix [for Odéon]
Richard Tauber [as Liebesfreud - Liebeslied]
Montgomery Clift [in film The Heiress situated in 1840]
Esterella [as Liefdes-Vreugd, Liefdes-Leed]
Elvis Presley [n°1 UK as Can't Help Falling In Love; the last song of his very last concert, Indianapolis, June 26, 1977]
Jacqueline Boyer [as Chante encore mon coeur]
Seekers [as The Joy Of Love]
Bobby Solo [as Te Ne Vai]
Aphrodite's Child [as I Want To Live; n°1 NL]
Brigitte Bardot & Guy Marchand [in film Boulevard du Rhum]
Thérèse Steinmetz [as Geluk Duurt Kort]
Lucky Blondo [as C'est beaucoup mieux ainsi]
Dave [as Comment ne pas être amoureux de vous]
Mary Hopkin [as Pleserau Serch on album The Welsh World Of...]
Bono [in film Honeymoon In Vegas]
Luka Bloom [all after Presley as Can't Help Falling In Love]
UB40 [n°1 UK, US & NL]
Frank Boeijen [as Kan Er Niets Aan Doen]
Sanne [as Ik Hield Van Jou]
dirk Blanchart [as Heel Dicht Bij Jou]
A-Teens [as Can't Help Falling In Love in Disney film Lilo & Stitch]
Emmylou Harris [with Kate & Anna McGarrigle]
Michael Bublé [as Can't Help Falling In Love]
Triffids [on the Domino reissue of The Black Swan]
Harry Connick Jr. [idem]
Chris Isaak [idem]
Eels [live at Royal Albert Hall]
Lisa del Bo [as Wat Is Wijs]
Just before Can't Help Falling In Love, Elvis recorded Surrender. That's another song with roots predating the first recording era and it also got known through Rina Ketty. So it was an obvious choice to follow-up Surrender's success (n°1 US) in that same vein.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)