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| Clift playing Plaisir d'Amour: Paramount Pictures |
The pain of love lasts all your life.
With a libretto based on a poem from Jean de Floran’s romance, Celestine, Plaisir d’Amour (The Joys of Love) has been a sentimental favorite since 1780. In 1859, Hector Berlioz arranged this traditional French song for an orchestra—returning it to popularity and heightening its acclaim throughout the world.
The song describes a ruined love affair, reinforcing the idea that the ecstasy of initial love is quickly withered by the pain that soon follows. In the last 230 years, Plaisir d’Amour has found its way into the hearts of many. Featured in many films and plays, the song has also been recorded numerous times. One of its most famous appearances in American film is in 1949’s The Heiress wherein Montgomery Clift as the mercenary “Morris Townsend” sings the song to Olivia de Havilland’s awkward “Catherine Sloper.”
A beautiful, haunting melody with poignant lyrics, Plaisir d’Amour, will continue to console the broken-hearted and warn the hopeful for many years to come.
I hope you enjoy this rendition of the song by Greek singer, Nana Mouskouri.
1 comment:
I like it.
The filmmakers are certainly giving the audience some foreshadowing in The Heiress, aren't they?
You can also watch a lounge singer belt it out in BATMAN(1966), signaling the futility of the relationship when Batman (Adam West) and Catwoman (Lee Meriweather) go out on a date.
And of course "Plaisir d'Amour" became even more popular in the mid-20th century when George Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore slapped new lyrics over it and gave it to Elvis to sing as "Can't Help Falling In Love."
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