Richard Clayderman

Richard Clayderman (French pronunciation: ​[ʁiʃaʁ klɛidɛʁman]; born Philippe Pagès French pronunciation: ​[filip paʒɛs], 28 December 1953 in Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of popular works of classical music.

Richard Clayderman
Clayderman in 2006
Background information
Birth namePhilippe Pagès
Born (1953-12-28) 28 December 1953
OriginParis, France
GenresNew age music
Easy listening
Occupation(s)Pianist
InstrumentsPiano
Years active1976–present
LabelsDelphine Records
Websiteclayderman.co.uk

Early life

Clayderman learned piano from his father, an accordion teacher.

At the age of twelve, he was accepted into the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won great acclaim in his later adolescent years. Financial difficulties, precipitated by his father's illness, forestalled a promising career as a classical pianist. So in order to earn a living, he found work as a bank clerk and as an accompanist to contemporary bands. He accompanied French singers such as Johnny Hallyday, Thierry Le Luron, and Michel Sardou.

Ballade pour Adeline

In 1976, he was invited by Olivier Toussaint, a French record producer, and his partner Paul de Senneville, to record a gentle piano ballad. De Senneville had composed this ballad as a tribute to his baby daughter, Adeline. The 23-year-old Pagès was auditioned along with 20 other pianists and got the job. "He was an interesting musician with a soft touch and good technique", said Toussaint. "And he looked good, too".[1]

Pagès' name was changed to Richard Clayderman (he adopted his great-grandmother's last name to avoid mispronunciation of his real name outside France), and the single took off, selling 22 million copies in 38 countries.[2] It was called Ballade pour Adeline.

Success

Clayderman has recorded over 1,300 melodies and has created a new romantic style through a repertoire which combines his trademark originals with classics and pop standards. As of 2006, his record sales number at approximately 150 million, and has 267 gold and 70 platinum albums to his credit. He is popular in Asia and is noted by the Guinness Book of World Records as being "the most successful pianist in the world".[3]

Discography

Studio albums, 1977–90
  • Richard Clayderman (aka Ballade pour Adeline, 1977)
  • A Comme Amour/Les Fleurs Sauvages (1978)
  • Rêveries (1979)
  • Lettre à Ma Mère (1979)
  • Medley Concerto (1979)
  • Les Musiques de l’Amour (1980)
  • Rondo Pour un Tout Petit Enfant (1981)
  • Christmas (1982)
  • Rêveries No. 2 (1982)
  • Couleur Tendresse (1982)
  • Les Rêves d'Amour (aka A Dream of Love, 1983)
  • Le Premier Chagrin d’Elsa (1983)
  • Italie Mon Amour (1984)
  • The Music of Love (1984)
  • Cœur fragile (1984)
  • Concerto (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 1985)
  • Divorce à Hollywood/Irreconcilable Differences (soundtrack, 1985)
  • From Paris with Love (1985)
  • Les Sonates (with Nicolas de Angelis, 1985)
  • Hollywood and Broadway (1986)
  • Romantic (1986)
  • Eléana (1987)
  • Songs of Love (1987)
  • A Little Night Music (1988)
  • Deutsche Volkslieder (with Schöneberger Sängerknaben, 1988)
  • Quel Gran Genio Del Mio Amico – Richard Clayderman Interpreta Lucio Battisti (1988)
  • Romantic America (1988)
  • Zodiacal Symphony (1988)
  • The Love Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber (1989)
  • Amour Pour Amour (with Berdien Stenberg, 1989)
  • Il Y A Toujours du Soleil Au-Dessus des Nuages (with James Last, 1990)
  • My Classic Collection (1990)
  • The Fantastic Movie Story of Ennio Morricone (1990)
  • Anemos (1990)

Live albums
  • En Concert (1981)
  • A Pleyel (with Nicolas de Angelis, 1983)
  • Brasil Tour ’86 (Brazil, 1986)

Various releases, alphabetically

A

  • A Comme Amour (CD)
  • A Dream of Love (CD)
  • A Little Night Music (CD)
  • A little Romance (CD)
  • A Musical Journey (2-CD set)[4]
  • All by Myself (2-CD set)
  • Always (CD)
  • America Latina...mon amour (CD)
  • Amour (CD)
  • Amour pour amour (CD)
  • Anemos (CD
  • Anniversary Collection (5-CD set)
  • Antique Pianos (CD)
  • Arabesque (CD)
  • A Touch of Latino (CD)

B

  • Ballade pour Adeline (LP/33T) (Worldwide sales: 30 million)
  • Ballade pour Adeline (1985-CD)
  • Ballade pour Adeline and Other Love Stories (CD)
  • Best 100 (Italy version) (2 CD)
  • Best 100 (Japan version) (2 CD)
  • Best Friend (CD)
  • Best of Classics (2-CD set)
  • Best of Richard Clayderman (CD)
  • Brazilian Passion (CD)

C

  • Carpenters Collection (CD)
  • Chansons d'Amour (2 LP ser)
  • Chinese Evergreen (CD)
  • Chinese Garden (CD)
  • Chinese Garden/Cherished Moments (CD + VCD)
  • Christmas (LP / 33T)
  • Christmas Album (CD)
  • Clair de Lune (3-CD set)
  • Classic Touch (CD)
  • Classical Passion (CD)
  • Classics (CD)
  • Clayderman 2000 (CD)
  • Coeur Fragile (CD)
  • Collection, The (CD)
  • Confluence, The (CD)
  • Couleur Tendresse (1982, LP/33T)

D

  • Deluxe (2-CD set)
  • Desperado (CD)
  • Deutsche Volkslieder (CD)
  • Digital Concerto (CD)
  • Dimanche et fêtes (CD single)

E

  • Ecos de sudamérica (CD)
  • Ein Träum von Liebe (LP/33T)
  • Eléana (LP/33T)
  • Eléana (CD)
  • Encore (CD)
  • En Venezuela (CD)
  • Essential (3-CD set)
  • Essential Classics (CD)
  • Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime (CD)

F

  • Fantastic Movie story of Ennio Morricone (CD)
  • Forever My Way (CD, 2006)
  • France, mon Amour (CD)
  • Friends France - Original (CD + VCD)
  • Friends France (CD + VCD)
  • From the Heart (LP/33T)
  • From this Moment On (2006/CD)
  • Für Elise

G

  • Golden Hearts (CD)
  • Golden Moments (CD)
  • Grandes êxitos'' (2 CD), released by Warner Music Spain for Portugal in 2008.

H

I

  • Il y a toujours du Soleil au dessus des Nuages (CD)
  • In amore (CD) (Originally produced (1999) (Polydor Records: 1995-1996)
  • In Harmony (CD) - with James Last
  • In the Key of Love (2-CD set)
  • Introducing Richard Clayderman (CD)

J

  • Japon mon Amour (CD)
  • Joue-moi tes rêves (CD)

L

  • La Tendresse (CD)
  • Les Musiques de l'amour (LP/33T)
  • Les Musiques de l'amour (CD version)
  • Les Nouvelles Ballades Romantiques (CD)
  • Les Rendez-vous de Hasard (CD)
  • Les Sonates (CD)
  • Lettre à ma Mère (CD)
  • Lettre à ma Mère (LP / 33T)
  • Love, American Style (CD)
  • Love Collection (CD)
  • Love Follow Us (CD)
  • Love Follow Us 2 (CD)
  • Love, French Style (CD)
  • Love, Italian Style (CD)
  • Love Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber (CD)
  • Love the Aboriginal's
  • Love the Phan-huy's (the Chinese classic collection)
  • Lyphard Melodie (CD)

M

  • Magic of Brazilian Music (CD)
  • Magic of Richard Clayderman (2 x LP)
  • Mariage d'amour
  • Matrimonio d'amour
  • Masters of Melody (3-CD set)
  • Medley Concerto (LP/33T)
  • Meisterstücke (CD)
  • Memories (DVD / VHS)
  • Millennium Gold (CD)
  • Mexico con amor (CD)
  • Mother of Mine (2 x CD)
  • Musical Collection (Double CD)
  • Music of Richard Clayderman (LP/33T)
  • My Australian Collection (CD)
  • My Bossa Nova Favourites (CD)
  • My Classic Collection (CD)
  • My favourite Oldies (2-CD set)
  • My favourite Melodies (2-CD set)
  • Mysterious Eternity (CD)

N

  • New (2005)
  • New Era (CD + VCD)
  • Number 1 Hits (Double CD)
  • Null Piano Moods (Double CD)

O

  • On TV (CD)
  • Omaggio (CD)

P

  • Para Reynosa tamaulipas
  • Piano et orchestre (CD version of the debut album)
  • Plays Abba (CD)
  • Premiers chagrins d'Elsa, Les (1983, LP/33T)

Q

  • Quel gran genio del mio amico... (CD)

R

  • Remembering the Movies (CD)
  • Rendez-vous (Produced by COBA)
  • Rêveries (LP / 33T)
  • Rêveries No.2 (CD)
  • Richard Clayderman (1977 debut album) (LP/33T)
  • Richard Clayderman (1982) (LP/33T)
  • Richard Clayderman in Concert - Japan (Video)
  • Richard Clayderman in Concert - England (Video)
  • Richard Clayderman Plays Abba, The Hits (CD)
  • Romance and the Piano of Richard Clayderman (CD)
  • Romantic (CD)
  • Romantic America (Canadian release) (CD)
  • Romantic Dreams (CD)
  • Romantic Nights (CD), one of a 10 x CD compilation set from St. Clair
  • Romantique (CD)
  • Rondo pour un tout petit enfant (CD)

S

  • Scandinavian Collection (CD)
  • Serenade de l'etoile (Coup de Coeur) (CD)
  • Serenaden (CD) - with James Last
  • Smiling Joey (CD single)
  • Songs of Love (CD)
  • Souvenirs (CD)
  • Souvenirs d'Enfance (CD)
  • Souvenir of Love (LP/33T)
  • Stage and Screen (CD)
  • Sweet Memories (Cassette)
  • Sweet Memories (LP/33T)
  • Souvenirs d'Enfance (CD)

T

  • Tango (CD)
  • Thailand mon Amour (CD)
  • The ABBA Collection (CD)
  • The Best 100 (CD 2006)
  • Together (CD)
  • Together at Last (CD) - with James Last
  • Träumereien 3 (CD)
  • Träummelodien (CD) - with James Last
  • Treasury of Love (CD), One of a 10 x CD compilation set from St. Clair
  • Triste Coeur (CD)
  • Turquie mon amour (CD)
  • Two Together (CD)

U

  • Ultimate Collection (4xCD)

V

  • Very Best of Richard Clayderman (CD)
  • Very Best of Richard Clayderman (DISKY) (3 x CD)
  • Vietnamese Long Song (CD)

W

  • What a Wonderful World (2-CD set)
  • When a Man Loves a Woman (CD)
  • When Love Songs Were Love Songs (CD)
  • With Love (1988) (LP/33T)
  • With Love (1997) (CD)
  • With Love (1999) (CD)
  • World Tour (CD)

Z

  • Zodiacal Symphony (CD)

Numbers

  • 25 Years of Golden Hits (2 x CD)
  • 30 Ans - The chemin de gloire (30 years - The Path of Glory) (2 x CD)
  • 50 Exitos Romanticos (3 x CD)
  • 101 Solistes Tziganes (CD)

See also
  • List of best-selling music artists

References
  1. Clayderman.co.uk Archived 2010-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Biography, Richard Clayderman" Archived 2010-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Taipeitimes.com
  4. "A Musical Journey". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
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