Plaisir d’Amour is frequently performed and recorded by artists as diverse as Charlotte Church, Paul Robeson and Joan Baez. Written in 6/8 time, the melody with ornamentations flows gently over the arpeggiated accompaniment.When Elvis Presley sang ‘I can’t help falling in love with you,’ he was probably unaware that the melody was based on a French love song written in 1784. J.P.E. Martini was a German composer who became a court musician forMarieAntoinette. Managing to adapt to conditions after the Revolution, Martini continued to compose, produce and teach music into the early 1800’s.
