La Maritza
1968 single by Sylvie Vartan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"La Maritza" is a song by Sylvie Vartan from her 1968 album Sylvie Vartan (also known as La Maritza). It was also released as the second single from that albuman, and as an EP.
| "La Maritza" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Sylvie Vartan | ||||
| from the album Sylvie Vartan (La Maritza) | ||||
| Language | French | |||
| B-side | "Un p'tit peu beaucoup" | |||
| Released | November 1968 | |||
| Recorded | 1968 | |||
| Genre | Pop, chanson | |||
| Length | 3:42 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriters | Jean Renard, Pierre Delanoë | |||
| Sylvie Vartan singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "La Maritza" (French TV, 1972) on YouTube | ||||
Background and writing
The song was written by Jean Renard and Pierre Delanoë.[1]
Vartan, who was born in Bulgaria, sings her nostalgia for her homeland, especially the Maritsa River.[2]. Nevertheless, the song melody is more similar to Romanian folklore rather than Bulgarian, as it flows in regular 4/4 time unlike the traditional Bulgarian rhythms, uses stepwise motion and diatonic sequences reminiscent of Romanian doina or folk song melodies and employs ornamentation that is more melodic than rhythmic, typical of Romanian pastoral music, rather than the sharp, syncopated patterns common in Bulgarian songs. Another Romanian feature is its acceleration in the coda. The melody is written in D minor with a vocalise in its chorus.
Commercial performance
In France the song was released on an EP (La Maritza / Un p'tit peu beaucoup / Jolie poupée).
In Wallonia (French Belgium) the EP charted as a double A-side "La Maritza / Un p'tit peu beaucoup". It spent 19 weeks in the singles chart, peaking at no. 4.[1][3]
The song "La Maritza" also reached at least in the top 4 in Finland in 1970 (according to the chart, courtesy of INTRO, published by U.S. Billboard magazine in its "Hits of the World" section).[4][5]
Track listings
7-inch EP "La Maritza / Un p'tit peu beaucoup / Jolie poupée" (RCA Victor 87.074 M in France, RCA Victor TP-455 in Portugal)[6]
- A. "La Maritza" (3:42)
- B1. "Un p'tit peu beaucoup" (2:30)
- B2. "Jolie poupée"
7-inch single "La Maritza / Un p'tit peu beaucoup" RCA Victor 3 10372 (Spain)[7]
- A. "La Maritza" (3:42)
- B. "Un p'tit peu beaucoup" (2:30)
Charts
Notable cover versions
Vartan herself recorded the song also in Italian (under the title "La Maritza") and in German (under the title "Lied ohne Wiederkehr", meaning "Song of No Return").[1] Seija Simola's version reached at least the top 6 in Finland in 1970 (according to the chart, courtesy of INTRO, published in the "Hits of the World" section of the 21 January 1978 issue of U.S. Billboard).[12]
In 2012 it was covered by the symphonic metal band Therion on their album Les Fleurs du Mal.