Richard Clayderman is by any measure a phenomenally popular pianist.

The 68-year-old French pianist is said to have recorded more than 1,400 songs and 200 albums in a solo career that reaches back to the mid-’70s. Pre-pandemic, he typically played a few hundred concerts a year.

Clayderman’s most recent album, “Forever Love,” arrived last month, and when the opportunity to talk with home arose we took it.

“Forever Love” includes Clayderman’s versions of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect Symphony” and Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida,” as well as other pop covers, classical compositions, and original tunes arranged in Clayderman’s romantic instrumental style.

A second album included in “Forever Love” features new recordings of some of Clayderman’s biggest hits, including “Ballade pour Adeline,” or “Ballad for Adeline,” the 1977 hit that launched his career.

Q: You have a new record. Is this how you spent the pandemic?

A: Exactly, exactly. During the two years, all my concerts were postponed or canceled. We said, Maybe it’s better to go to the studio and have a new album. It was a good time, I think.

Q: This time you did Coldplay and Ed Sheeran songs. How do you pick the songs you play on an album?

A: “Viva la Vida” and “Perfect Symphony,” I used to play these titles during my concert. I used to play it in my repertoire. I said, ‘Maybe it’s a good idea for the new record to play these titles.’

Also, for my original titles, I was working with Paul de Senneville, the composer of “Ballade pour Adeline,” and he gave me four original melodies, and I was very happy with his work.

I also decided to play two or three classical pieces, like “The Waltz of the Flowers” (from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker”) and the “Radetzky March” (by Strauss). I think it was a good mix.

Q: How do you view the importance of melody in the songs you play?

A: The most important for me is a melody. When I am working on a new song, I like to have a very strong melody. It is a bit easier for my way of playing the piano with my emotion.

It’s a good combination if I have a good melody and if I feel lots of emotion.

Q: How did you find your style of music?

A: Before my career, I was a piano player for different French singers. But I wanted to do something different with the music. Even when I played classical pieces, always I try to bring my arrangements, to bring my emotion for the titles.

I think I grew up with this kind of thing, from the beginning of my career. It was perfect. And I was very happy to play all my titles with an acoustic piano, because before, you know, when I was an accompanist, I used lots of synthesizers, lots of keyboards.

Q: What was it like to experience the sudden success of ‘Ballade pour Adeline’?

A: It was funny because when I recorded “Ballade pour Adeline,” I thought that it was maybe a small success, maybe if at all. And after a few months, it was a big success in Spain, in Germany, and England. Then in Japan, in Asia, and South America.

It’s difficult to explain success. I think this melody, it was a very simple melody, but it was perfect for me when I play, and it was perfect for my audience. It was something special.

Q: You have concerts this spring in South America and Mexico, and did I see you’re also playing in Egypt at a pyramid?

A: Yes, I have this concert in front of the big pyramid of Giza. It is a concert outside and I think it was great to play in front of this very well-known pyramid.

Q: How does it feel to look back at the 45 years since the start of your career?

A: I was very lucky to meet my producers. To meet Paul for the composition of ‘Ballade pour Adeline.’ I must say I am lucky with my career and to have this audience all around the world.

It’s nice for me and I hope to do concerts for 10 more years.

Q: Will you be playing shows in the United States anytime soon?

A: We will have two or three shows in the United States and also two or three shows in Canada in September and October. So we will see if it is OK, but it is on my schedule.

Q: Have you met any of the artists you’ve covered like Ed Sheeran and Coldplay, or Lionel Richie and the Bee Gees?

A: No, never, never. Maybe it would be nice for me to do a duet with Ed Sheeran. I met Paul McCartney a few years ago when we did a TV show in England.

Q: I think I’ve asked you everything I wanted today. Thank you so much for your time.

A: Thank you. I’m so sorry for my bad English, but it’s OK for an interview sometimes.

Q: Your English was fine. Much better than my French.

A: Thank you very much. I hope to see you soon.

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