Richard Clayderman – Romantique

Everybody loves Richard Clayderman, I mean who doesn’t? Nancy Regan calls him “the prince of romance”. The Guinness Book of World Records hails him as “the most successful pianist in the world,” having sold about 90 million records to date.

Most of us grew of up listening to his music. Some of us even played his music.

My earliest memory of him is that of a sweet and gentle French pianist whose music reflected those exact qualities

So when I first listened to this new album Romantique, I thought the opening track was a little out of character. Especially how the hauntingly beautiful adagio from Spartacus worked its way up to a very intense and foreboding climax before crashing and resolving back to its captivating theme.

That really got my attention for the rest of the album – a charming collection of beautiful opera classic pieces like Nessun Dorma from Turandot, familiar musicals like Les Miserables and West Side Story and movie themes and love songs

His partnership with the famed Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra whose unique expertise is that of original film music-score recording is another plus.

If you’re a classical purist, you probably won’t even consider this album

But if you’re not, this easy-listening album is actually quite entertaining and will bring back the fondest of memories

I give Richard Clayderman’s Romantique album a 4 outta 5.

Watch my review of Richard Clayderman’s Romantique on AM Live! Channel NewsAsia