FRANCIS PLANTÉ (ORTHEZ, FRANCE 2 MARCH
1839 – ST.-AVIT, FRANCE 19 DECEMBER 1934)
He was a
French pianist famed as one of the first ever recording artists. He was
France’s most important pianist in the nineteenth century, apart from Chopin.
He studied piano under Antoine Marmontel, his career beginning at the age of
seven in Paris. While there he met and befriended many like-minded musicians
who would have a long-lasting effect on his career. These included Franz Liszt,
with whom he played arrangements of two of Liszt’s symphonic poems (Les
Préludes, and Tasso, Lamento e Trionfo) for 2 pianos, Hector Berlioz, Gioachino
Rossini, Charles Gounod, Felix Mendelssohn, Sigismond Thalberg and
Charles-Marie Widor. It is also known that he himself heard Frédéric Chopin
play, and because of this, his recordings – and indeed the one film available
of him – are seen as a link to a ‘lost world’ of piano performance. He toured
the concert platforms of Europe after leaving Paris, expanding his reputation
for quality of tone and virtuosic, emotional interpretations. The death of his
wife in 1908 resulted in him retiring from the stage, except for charity
performances and concerts in aid of those wounded in the First World War. He
had many pupils, including Alexander Brailowsky. He died in Saint-Avit. Francis
Planté’s style is considered very different from modern-day recording artists.
The recordings available suggest a more paced performance with a more prominent
accent on each beat and with the notes more pronounced.
TRACKLIST
Concerto No.
1, Op. 11 – e-mi, Allegro maestoso (2nd Part) Triphonola 55759
Prelude &
Fugue No. 3 in C-Sharp Major, BWV 848 (Bach) Triphonola 50499
Valse-Caprice
(Rubinstein) Triphonola 57270
No comments:
Post a Comment