Martini Sheet Music

Martini Sheet Music and Biography

Black and White image of Jean Paul Egide Martini — Jean-Paul-Égide Martini

Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (born 31 August 1741) was a composer of classical music. Although, known as a French composer he was actually born in Bavaria, Germany.

Sometimes he was known as Martini Il Tedesco or Giovanni Martini. This is not to be confused with Giovanni Battista Martini (especially when referring to Plaisir d’Armour).

We have a small selection of Martini sheet music

Life and Music

Martini’s father was a school teacher and he went to a Jesuit school. When the family moved to France, Jean-Paul become a court musician.

He directed concerts for Marie Antoinette then throughout the French Resolution and later composed for Napoleon’s wedding.

In 1771 he wrote the opera L’amoureux de quinze ans which enjoyed much success.

Martini wrote the classical French love song Plaisir d’Amour in 1784. The text from a poem by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1755–1794), appearing in his novel Célestine. Elvis based his 1961 song ‘I Can’t Help Falling in Love’ on Martini’s version of the song making it the most popular version. We have various instrumental arrangements of this on our site.

In 1788 Martini paid 1600 livres (old French currency) to become surintendant de la musique du roi (The King’s superintendant of music). Yes, that is correct, he actually paid to take a position! To make matters worse due to the French Revoloution he never actually got to take the position until twenty five years later in 1814.

Inbetween times in 1800 he took a position teaching composition at the Paris Conservatoire.

He died in Paris in 1816 at the age of seventy-five.