Experiencing Florent Schmitt’s sonic spectacular Symphonie concertante (1932) in performance: An eyewitness report from Tokyo.

February 15, 2023 · by Phillip Nones | in Classical Music, Composers, French Composers | tagged Andre Jolivet, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chausson, Florent Schmitt, Mario Ishiguro, Schmitt, Shin-ichi Numabe, Symphonie Concertante, The Rite of Spring, TMSO, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Tomoki Sakata, Yan-Pascal Tortelier | 4 Comments

On Valentine’s Day 2023, Japanese pianist Tomoki Sakata presented Florent Schmitt’s stunning Symphonie concertante, Op. 82 in concert with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Yan-Pascal Tortelier. The Symphonie concertante was the centerpiece of an all-French program presented at Tokyo’s Suntory Hall that also included music by Gabriel Fauré (the Prélude from […]

“Courtly and polite, mixed with humor and sarcasm”: Florent Schmitt sits for an interview with Le Guide du concert magazine (1929).

February 14, 2023 · by Phillip Nones | in Composers, French Composers | tagged André Caplet, Andre Perchicot, Cesar Franck, Chabrier, Cyril Plante, Dukas, Faure, Florent Schmitt, Gedalge, Honegger, Lavignac, Le Guide du Concert, Madame de Saint-Marceaux, Nicolas Horvath, Paul Bigot, Pierre-Octave Ferroud, Prix de Rome, Schmitt, Schoenberg, Sebastien Damarey, Steven Kruger, Stravinsky, Triton Chamber Music Society | 2 Comments

Several months ago Sébastien Damarey, a faithful reader of the Florent Schmitt Website + Blog, sent me a very interesting historical artifact — an interview with Florent Schmitt that was published in the January 25, 1929 issue of the French arts magazine Le Guide du concert et des théâtres lyriques. What makes this article particularly […]

“Fresh daydreams, where worries are absent”: Florent Schmitt’s early-career Cinq pièces (1899-1909).

February 1, 2023 · by Phillip Nones | in Classical Music, Instrumental Music | tagged Albert Gleizes, Andre Tourret, Bacewicz, Berceuse pour la chatte, Boris Roubakine, Camille Chevillard, Capet Quartet, Chanson a bercer, Charles Vildrac, Cinq pieces, Cyril Scott, Fabien Gabel, Fleisher Collection, Florent Schmitt, Genevieve Ibanez, Henri Le Fauconnier, Jean Barthe, JoAnn Falletta, Jouro Tkaltchitch, Julian Schwarz, Juro Tkalcic, Maud Powell, Natalia Goncharova, Nicolas Altstaedt, Paul Castiaux, Pierre Wissmer, Pierre-Octave Ferroud, Reve au bord de l'eau, Schmitt, Thomas de Hartmann, Yvonne Curti | 4 Comments

These charmers, written for violin or cello soloist, make for perfect recital pieces. Music-lovers who are familiar with Florent Schmitt’s catalogue know that he composed a number of works featuring the violin and cello as solo instruments. Most of the composer’s violin pieces have been gathered together in a fine collection of works including the […]