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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.
