Twenty-four years ago, the film “Amélie” was released and became one of the highest-grossing French films of all time. It follows the life of the title character, a quirky waitress who sets out to help those around her as she deals with her own loneliness. The movie becomes a whimsical depiction of Parisian life as she goes through her trials and tribulations.
Lead actress Audrey Tautou’s incredible portrayal of Amélie led to worldwide accolades, but it can’t be denied that Yann Tiersen‘s soundtrack was like a character in itself.
The composer used a unique instrumentation to create a vibrant world unto itself. Tiersen performed most of the score by himself, utilizing the piano, toy piano, carillon, banjo, mandolin, guitar, harpsichord, vibraphone, accordion, bass, and melodica. The accordion especially brings a whimsy to the film’s backdrop of Paris’ Montmartre neighborhood. Strangely, what drew so many fans to the music’s role in the film is what Tiersen ended up resenting.
“The Parisian folklore and the ‘Frenchness’ of the movie was really far from my music,” he told The Independent. “There has always been a context where it’s naïve, but also dark and linked to death. Even something like the accordion for me felt more Celtic, and nothing to do with that film. For a while after I didn’t play the accordion at all, because I thought it was disgusting.”
Nevertheless, the soundtrack remains a masterpiece of film music. The film’s central theme is a piece called “La Valse d’Amélie,” which appears several times throughout the story and in several instrumentations. In most of the versions, it’s led by the accordion, which plays the melody and accompaniment at once. However, the piano version has found a special place in most people’s hearts. That includes the virtuoso Lang Lang.
“I really enjoy playing Tiersen’s ‘La Valse d’Amélie’ from the film ‘Amélie,'” he shared in a Facebook post. “The film is very tasteful and artistic, and the music makes me feel as if in a way, you are searching for life. It is filled with passages that feel like a fairytale.”
It’s clear that Lang Lang connects with the piece in this stunning performance video.
Even though the song’s title says it is a waltz, the piano version opens up in 2/4 time, which seems to make the first phrase even more melancholic. The song has a four-chord harmonic sequence, beginning with four bars that alternate between D minor and A minor. The next phrase alternates between F major and C major. This juxtaposition of minor versus major reflects the ups and downs of Amélie’s adventures and emotions.
The melody also tugs at the heartstrings by using chord extensions, evoking a feeling of longing. One example is in bar three as the melody hangs onto a B while the chord changes to A minor. B is the ninth of A minor, which sounds good but doesn’t sound fully resolved.
Follow along with the sheet music as Lang Lang performs “La Valse d’Amélie” in the video above.
