French is known as the language of love, but the country’s cultural emphasis on intimacy reaches beyond words. Case in point: Paul de Senneville‘s achingly beautiful piece “Mariage d’Amour.”
Written in 1978, the song was composed for solo piano and first appeared on Richard Clayderman‘s 1979 album “Lettre À Ma Mère.” Today, we’re highlighting a modern take by pianist Lola Astanova, who also arranged the piece to include an orchestra.
The breathtaking melody is written in G minor and seamlessly slips between multiple time signatures. It begins in 4/4 and moves around to 5/4 and 3/4, though the expressive nature of the melody belies the feeling of added or dropped beats. Lola leans into the emotion of the song with her phrasing, bringing each line to life.
Watch the video and follow along with the sheet music below:
