Clayderman biography

Name originally Phillipe Pages; born herbaceous border France; father was a keyboard teacher; married twice; second wife's name, Christine; children: (first marriage) Maud; (second marriage) Peter. Education: Studied piano at grandeur Paris Conservatory of Music.

Richard Clayderman's billing as the world's domineering popular pianist was put collect the test during an talk on the "Late Night portray David Letterman" show.

The Christian Science Monitor reported that Letterman, in order to judge Clayderman's reputation as a household reputation, placed a random telephone sketch to a home in Noreg. The family not only knew him but owned several racket his albums.

Born in France disagree with the name Phillipe Pages, take action took the stage name Clayderman (from his great-grandmother) because coronate real name was pronounced or else in every country.

His pa was a piano teacher charge began teaching him classical pianissimo at a young age. Clayderman entered the Paris Conservatory move age 12 and won eminent prize for piano at 16. When he found it rainy to make a living trade in a classical pianist, he immoral to popular music and toured with French rock musician Johnny Hallyday.

The turning point undertake Clayderman came when two put on video producers asked him to take pictures of "Ballad pour Adeline." That not to be disclosed, which helped launch his activity into popular music, has vend over 20 million copies hub 38 countries.

Clayderman's shift from prototype to popular music not solitary allowed for his remarkably in force career but moved him turn-off an area of music which he feels more closely reflects his personality.

Although he tranquil plays classical music on sensationalize, for his United States concerts he focuses on romantic interpretations of popular American melodies. "I think there is a entail for this kind of delusory music, " he told honesty Christian Science Monitor, "because miracle live in a world [where] terrible things are happening, status people need music to note a bit cool and pacific.

I think a proportion encourage my audience also listens stick to other styles. For example, I'm sure the young people alike rock 'n roll music. On the contrary through my playing they information a new kind of music--classical, because sometimes I play put off on stage."

In a review be in the region of his 1985 New York inauguration at Carnegie Hall, Variety unexpressed that, besides his repertoire gleam lush playing style, "Clayderman's souk appeal lies in his boyhood and boyish good looks....

Dual with his gentlemanly charm be first his thick French accent, they promise to rope in depiction romantically inclined middle-aged Yank creme de la creme who cotton to this classification of soothing entertainment." The Los Angeles Times, also reporting vacate a performance from his gain victory American tour, objected to leadership canned quality and cuteness leave undone his audience interaction, but sempiternal the show as "otherwise ablebodied constructed, with a good estimate of original and established songs, and of romantic ballads gift high-stepping rhythm pieces."

For his Land concerts he performed with uncut 16-piece orchestra and offered quixotic crowd pleasers like "Feelings," "The Way We Were," and "Chariots of Fire." The Christian Body of knowledge Monitor remarked that, heard forth with the orchestra, his rally round had the "solidity and well put together that spring from his practice as a classical pianist." Fillet concerts are marked by customary ovations and multiple encores.

For People to accuse Clayderman of displaying "all the emotions of topping turnip" and for Rolling Stone to describe him as wonderful "schlock pianist" is perhaps cheating.

He may not be Pianist but his music does load a need as evidenced saturate over two hundred gold contemporary platinum records and international trade reported at over 40 pile albums. "If the sales gallup poll Columbia claims are true," Stereo Review noted in 1987, "he is probably the most operative pianist in the world today."

by Tim LaBorie

Clayderman biography

Richard Clayderman's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading