Richard Clayderman Biography

Richard Clayderman (born Philippe Pagès on December 28, 1953, Paris, France) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums, including his own controversial renditions and arrangements of popular Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin and Mozart classics. Most of his recordings focus on popular music in general and orchestral arrangements of well-known romantic songs in particular, such as Yesterday, The Sound of Silence and Memory, rather than on Jazz or Classical Music.

Biography

Born to a piano teacher, Clayderman started studying to play piano at age six, and he was accepted at an undisclosed Conservatory of Music in Paris at age 12. After finishing Conservatory he worked as an accompanist and session musician. His life changed dramatically in 1976, when he recorded a single "Ballade pour Adeline". The single became an instant success, selling 22 million copies in 38 countries. Since then, he has recorded over 1000 songs and has become one of the most successful instrumental recording artists in the world, with reported record sales in excess of 70 million units worldwide. In the peak of his career he performed 200 concerts in 250 days. He is often credited with pioneering the piano recordings of famous Hollywood soundtracks and pop music artists, such as ABBA.

Criticism and success

Although a popular and bestselling artist, Clayderman is often criticised— especially by piano lovers (either classical or popular, such as Jazz), critics, connoisseurs and artists for his limited technique and watered-down performances (for both technical and commercial reasons) of acclaimed classical pieces (including reduction of pieces). Some see him as a symbol of Kitsch.
Clayderman has a curious market niche on third world countries, a fact mainly attributed by critics to his commercially-oriented performance of local and very popular music (especially love songs), and cheap, well-distributed records.
Some Chinese music teachers attribute the popularity of his music in Mainland China to the increase in the number of piano students since the 1980s. According to the book Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams, published 1990, Clayderman was the most-played artist in China then.

Discography

Numbers
25 Years of Golden Hits (2xCD)
50 Exitos Romanticos (3xCD)
101 Solistes Tziganes (CD)

A
A comme Amour(CD)
A Little Night Music (CD)
A little Romance (CD)
All by myself (2 CD SET)
Always (CD)
América Latina...mon amour (CD)
Amour (CD)
Amour Pour Amour(CD)
Anemos (CD
Anniversary Collection (5 CD SET)
Antique Pianos (CD)
A Touch of Latino (CD)

B
Ballade pour Adeline (LP / 33T) (WW Sales: 20 million)
Ballade pour Adeline (1985-CD)
Ballade pour Adeline and other Love Stories (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 SET)
Chinese Evergreen (CD)
Chinese Garden (CD)
Chinese Garden/Cherished Moments (CD + VCD)
Christmas (LP / 33T)
Christmas Album (CD)
Classic Touch (CD)
Classics (CD)
Clayderman 2000 (CD)
Coeur Fragile (CD)
Collection, The (CD)
Confluence, The (CD)

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)
France, mon Amour (CD)
Friends France - Original (CD + VCD)
Friends France (CD + VCD)
From the Heart (LP / 33T)

G
Golden Hearts (CD)
Golden Moments (CD)
H
Hollywood and Broadway (LP / 33T)
I
Il y a toujours de Soleil au dessus des Nuages (CD)
In amore (CD)
In Harmony (CD)
In the key of love (2 CD SET)
Introducing Richard Clayderman (CD)
J
Japon mon Amour (CD)
Joue-moi tes rêves (CD)
L
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)
M
Magic of Brazilian Music (CD)
Magic of Richard Clayderman (2 x LP)
Masters of Melody (3 CD SET)
Medley Concerto (LP / 33T)
Meisterstücke (CD)
Memories (DVD / VHS)
Millennium Gold (CD)
Mexico con amor (CD)
null Musical Collection (Double CD)
Music of Love (LP / 33T)
Music of Richard Clayderman (LP / 33T)
My Australian Collection (CD)
My Bossa Nova Favourites (CD)
My Classic Collection (CD)
null My favourite Oldies (2 CD SET)
Mysterious Eternity (CD)
N
New era (CD + VCD)
Number 1 Hits (Double CD)
O
On TV (CD)
Omaggio (CD)
P
Piano et orchestre (CD)
CD Version of the Debut Album
null Piano moods (Double CD)
Plays Abba (CD)
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 10xCD compilation set from St Clair.
Rondo pour un tout petit enfant (CD)
S
Scandinavian Collection (CD)
Serenade de l'etoile (Coup de Coeur) (CD)
Smiling Joey (CD Single)
Songs of Love (CD)
Souvenirs (CD)
Stage and Screen (CD)
Sweet Memories (Cassette)
Sweet Memories (LP / 33T)
T
Tango (CD)
Thailand mon Amour (CD)
Together (CD)
Together at Last (CD)
Träumereien 3 (CD)
Träummelodien (CD)
Treasury of love (CD) One of a 10xCD compilation set from St Clair.
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)
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