Florent Schmitt (1870-1958)
Listed below are links to articles on this website that pertain to the compositions of Florent Schmitt. The works are listed alphabetically, with the relevant articles listed under each composition in chronological order.
Andante et Scherzo, Op. 35
Shimmering brilliance: Florent Schmitt’s Andante et Scherzo for harp and string quartet (1903-6), June 30, 2014
Antoine et Cléopâtre — Suites #1 & 2, Op. 69
Antony & Cleopatra: Florent Schmitt takes palace intrigue, scandal and death to new heights (1920), September 18, 2012
Conductors JoAnn Falletta and Jorge Mester talk about the music of Florent Schmitt, January 3, 2013
Four important compositions of Florent Schmitt to be featured in concert in 2015 by orchestras in Berlin, Buffalo and Cleveland, September 18, 2014
Members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra talk about preparing Florent Schmitt’s music for performance and recording, March 15, 2015
Conductor JoAnn Falletta’s Podcast Interview for NAXOS on the Musical Legacy of French Composer Florent Schmitt, November 1, 2015
Is Florent Schmitt’s Antony & Cleopatra (1920) beginning the transition from “rarity” to “rep we know”?, April 16, 2016
Musicologist and Author Nicolas Southon talks about his new book profiling orchestral works by 16 Francophone composers including Florent Schmitt, September 22, 2016
Experiencing Florent Schmitt’s Antony & Cleopatra (1920) in a dramatic adaptation: An eyewitness report from London, October 10, 2016
Arnold Schoenberg (l.) and Florent Schmitt (r.) aboard ship together (North Sea, 1920).
Chansons à quatre voix, Op. 39
Musicians Edward Rushton, Guillaume Le Dréau and JoAnn Falletta talk about Florent Schmitt’s captivating Chansons à quatre voix (1903-05), February 16, 2017
Chant du soir, Op. 7
Musicians Beata Halska and Claudio Chaiquin talk about researching and recording French composer Florent Schmitt’s music for violin and piano, December 6, 2015
Chant élégiaque, Op. 24
American cellist Elisa Kohanski talks about Florent Schmitt’s Chant élégiaque (1899-1903) and its debt to Gabriel Fauré’s Élégie, August 1, 2018
Chants alizés, Op. 125
Cinq chœurs en vingt minutes, Op. 117
Choral chromaticism par excellence: Florent Schmitt’s Cinq chœurs en vingt minutes for mixed chorus and large orchestra (1951), June 13, 2015
Florent Schmitt, photographed in about 1910.
Crépuscules, Op. 56
Florent Schmitt’s Crépuscules (1898-1911): Richly evocative tone painting in the finest French pianistic tradition, October 27, 2013.
Florent Schmitt and Ralph Vaughan Williams: A friendship over five decades, December 4, 2015
Danse d’Abisag, Op. 75
Beyond Salomé: Florent Schmitt’s Other Biblical Ballet (Danse d’Abisag — 1925), July 4, 2015
Dionysiaques, Op. 62
Dionysiaques: Florent Schmitt’s incredible composition for concert band (1913-14), September 25, 2012
Dionysiaques around the world: Celebrating 100 years of Florent Schmitt’s masterpiece for concert band (1913-2013), July 6, 2013
French conductor and wind ensemble specialist Philippe Ferro talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and Hymne funèbre (1899/1933), September 10, 2016
Enfants, Op. 94
Enfants (1940): Florent Schmitt’s evocation of the world of childhood, January 13, 2018
L’Eventail de Jeanne (see Kermesse-Valse)
Biography of Florent Schmitt (Yves Hucher, 1953).
Fête de la lumière, Op. 88
Fête de la lumière: Florent Schmitt’s extravagant showpiece at the Paris Exposition (1937), December 17, 2016
Feuillets de voyage — Books I & II, Op. 26
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Feuillets de voyage: French composer Florent Schmitt’s musical travel diary (1903-5), August 11, 2018
Fonctionnaire MCMXII, Op. 74
Fonctionnaire MCMXII: Florent Schmitt versus French civil servants (1923), March 4, 2013
Habeyssée, Op. 110
Musicians Beata Halska and Claudio Chaiquin talk about researching and recording French composer Florent Schmitt’s music for violin and piano, December 6, 2015
Habeyssée (1947): Florent Schmitt’s rich and colorful suite for violin, October 11, 2017
Florent Schmitt (seated) with members of the Brussels Quartet. (1930 photograph by Boris Lipnitzki / Roger-Viollet)
Hasards, Op. 96
Hasards: A quartet that illustrates Florent Schmitt’s highly interesting chamber music style (1943), March 10, 2013
Forgotten Records: Resurrecting noteworthy recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music from the LP era, May 1, 2014
Members of the Garth Newel Piano Quartet talk about preparing Florent Schmitt’s Hasards (1943) for performance, May 5, 2015
Huit courtes pièces, Op. 41
Duo-pianists Kasparov and Lutsyshyn talk about their new Florent Schmitt recording project, February 5, 2013
World premiere recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music for piano duet and duo, June 17, 2013
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Humoresques, Op. 43
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Hymne funèbre, Op. 48, No. 2
French conductor and wind ensemble specialist Philippe Ferro talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and Hymne funèbre (1899/1933), September 10, 2016
In Memoriam, Op. 72
In Memoriam: Florent Schmitt’s tribute to his teacher and mentor Gabriel Fauré (1922-35), March 6, 2016
Introït, récit et congé, Op. 113
Introït, récit et congé: Florent Schmitt’s tour de force for cello and orchestra (1948), February 23, 2014
French cellist Henri Demarquette talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and the Introït, récit et congé, April 7, 2014
Music critic Rob Barnett talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and its growing presence on recordings, December 1, 2017
Janiana Symphony for String Orchestra, Op. 101
Janiana: Florent Schmitt’s rich, robust symphony for string orchestra (1941), December 9, 2013
Kermesse-Valse, Op. 80
L’Eventail de Jeanne: When Florent Schmitt teamed up with his compatriots to create an “omnibus” ballet (1927), October 20, 2013
Légende, Op. 66
Florent Schmitt and the Saxophone, November 25, 2012
Saxophonist Christopher Bartz talks about Florent Schmitt’s Légende (1918) and its pride of place in the saxophone repertoire, September 1, 2013
Lied et Scherzo, Op. 54
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Lied et Scherzo (1910), Florent Schmitt’s incredible piece featuring the French horn, November 11, 2013
Horn soloist Corbin Wagner talks about performing Lied et scherzo (1910), Florent Schmitt’s extraordinary double wind quintet composition featuring the French horn, November 26, 2016
Florent Schmitt (l.) and Ralph Vaughan-Williams (r.), photographed in London in 1956.
Marche du CXLII R.I., Op. 48, No. 2
Beyond Dionysiaques: Florent Schmitt’s other works for concert band, May 4, 2013
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
French conductor and wind ensemble specialist Philippe Ferro talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and Hymne funèbre (1899/1933), September 10, 2016
Marche nuptiale, Op. 108
Florent Schmitt and the Organ, October 1, 2014
Mirages, Op. 70
Florent Schmitt’s Mirages: Poignant and potent musical pictures inspired by Paul Fort and Lord Byron (1920-23), January 14, 2013
French pianist Vincent Larderet talks about performing and recording the music of Florent Schmitt, December 10, 2014
Musique sur l’eau, Op. 33
Florent Schmitt’s early art songs: A trove of treasures awaits rediscovery, June 29, 2015
Musiques foraines, Op. 22
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Musiques de plein air, Op. 44
Florent Schmitt and the Prix de Rome: 1900-1904 (Musiques de plein air; Le Palais hanté; Psaume XLVII), July 19, 2015
Ombres, Op. 64
Beyond Debussy and Ravel: Florent Schmitt’s Ombres (1912-17), August 5, 2013
French pianist Vincent Larderet talks about performing and recording the music of Florent Schmitt, December 10, 2014
Florent Schmitt, photographed in 1937 in the gardens of his home in St-Cloud. (Photo: Boris Lipnitzki/Roger-Viollet)
Oriane et le Prince d’Amour, Op. 83
Oriane et le Prince d’Amour: Florent Schmitt’s final ‘Orientalist’ composition (1933), August 26, 2013
Forgotten Records: Resurrecting noteworthy recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music from the LP era, May 1, 2014
Made for the stage: The incredible life and career of dancer and dramatic actress Ida Rubinstein … and her 20-year collaboration with French composer Florent Schmitt, September 8, 2015
Florent Schmitt, seated at right, at a press event honoring the late Arthur Honegger shortly after the death of the Swiss-French composer (1955).
Le Palais hanté, Op. 49
Conductor Yan-Pascal Tortelier talks about his Chandos Florent Schmitt recording of Psaume XLVII, La Tragédie de Salomé and Le Palais hanté, September 11, 2012
Florent Schmitt and the French fascination with Edgar Allan Poe: Le Palais hanté (1904), December 10, 2012
Four important compositions of Florent Schmitt to be featured in concert in 2015 by orchestras in Berlin, Buffalo and Cleveland, September 18, 2014
American orchestra conductor JoAnn Falletta talks about performing and recording the music of Florent Schmitt (Antoine et Cléopâtre and Le Palais hanté), March 10, 2015
Members of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra talk about preparing Florent Schmitt’s music for performance and recording, March 15, 2015
Florent Schmitt and the Prix de Rome: 1900-1904 (Musiques de plein air; Le Palais hanté; Psaume XLVII), July 19, 2015
Conductor JoAnn Falletta’s Podcast Interview for NAXOS on the Musical Legacy of French Composer Florent Schmitt, November 1, 2015
Le Petit elfe Ferme-l’oeil, Op. 73
Le petit elfe Ferme-l’oeil: Florent Schmitt’s children’s ballet (1923), July 1, 2013
First-ever recording of Florent Schmitt’s ballet Le petit elfe Ferme-l’oeil (1923) to be released, September 27, 2013
Arts critic Steven Kruger talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and its place in France’s “Golden Age” of classical music, September 4, 2017
Florent Schmitt (r.) with fellow composer Arthur Honegger. (Photo: Boris Lipnitzki).
Pour presque tous les temps, Op. 134
Elegance and class: Florent Schmitt’s quartet Pour presque tous les temps (1956), November 16, 2013
Prière
Florent Schmitt and the Organ, October 1, 2014
Psaume XLVII, Op. 38
Conductor Yan-Pascal Tortelier talks about his Chandos Florent Schmitt recording of Psaume XLVII, La Tragédie de Salomé and Le Palais hanté, September 11, 2012
Psalm XLVII: Florent Schmitt’s astounding choral masterpiece (1904), November 12, 2012
Florent Schmitt’s Psalm 47: Now available in a 2012 live performance by Leon Botstein and the American Symphony Orchestra from the Bard Music Festival, November 30, 2012
The influence of Florent Schmitt’s Psaume XLVII (1904) on other French composers, February 12, 2013
Excitement on steroids: Five live concert recordings of Florent Schmitt’s blockbuster choral composition Psalm 47 (1904), January 19, 2014
Powerful sounds: The seven commercial recordings of Florent Schmitt’s Psaume 47 (1904), July 3, 2014
French soprano Denise Duval: Muse of Francis Poulenc … friend of Florent Schmitt, August 10, 2014
Four important compositions of Florent Schmitt to be featured in concert in 2015 by orchestras in Berlin, Buffalo and Cleveland, September 18, 2014
Florent Schmitt and the Organ, October 1, 2014
Experiencing Florent Schmitt’s Psaume XLVII in concert: An eyewitness report from Berlin, March 2, 2015
In the chamber of the Shulamite: The great sopranos who have performed and recorded Florent Schmitt’s Psalm 47 (1904), June 24, 2015
Florent Schmitt and the Prix de Rome: 1900-1904 (Musiques de plein air; Le Palais hanté; Psaume XLVII), July 19, 2015
Florent Schmitt Goes to Germany: Reflets d’Allemagne (1902-05), January 10, 2016
Conductor Jean-Luc Tingaud talks about Florent Schmitt’s choral masterpiece Psalm 47 (1904) and introducing the music to concert audiences in Poland, February 6, 2016
Reminiscing with American soprano Audrey Stottler about presenting Florent Schmitt’s Psalm 47 (1904) at the Washington National Cathedral, February 1, 2018
Musical colleagues: Heitor Villa-Lobos (l.) and Florent Schmitt.
Quartet for Flutes, Op. 106
Florent Schmitt and the flute, January 10, 2014
Quartet for Saxophones, Op. 102
Florent Schmitt and the saxophone, November 25, 2012
Quartet for Strings, Op. 112
Forgotten Records: Resurrecting noteworthy recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music from the LP era, May 1, 2014
Substance as well as style: The Quartet for Strings (1946) of Florent Schmitt, September 1, 2017
Quintet for Piano & Strings, Op. 51
Florent Schmitt’s intense, monumental piano quintet (1908), March 31, 2013
Quatre pièces, Op. 25
Musicians Beata Halska and Claudio Chaiquin talk about researching and recording French composer Florent Schmitt’s music for violin and piano, December 6, 2015
Reflets d’Allemagne, Op. 28
Duo-pianists Kasparov and Lutsyshyn talk about their new Florent Schmitt recording project, February 5, 2013
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Florent Schmitt goes to Germany: Reflets d’Allemagne (1902-05), January 10, 2016
French pianist Bruno Belthoise talks about keeping Florent Schmitt’s Une semaine du petit elfe Ferme-l’oeil (1912) part of his performing repertoire over the years, December 10, 2017
Florent Schmitt (l.)with fellow composer Louis Aubert (1877-1968), photographed at the ORTF studios in Paris in the early 1950s.
Rêves, Op. 65
Hallucinatory atmospherics: Florent Schmitt’s Rêves (1915), August 3, 2014
Orchestra conductor Roberto Beltrán-Zavala talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and Rêves (1915), March 14, 2016
Rhapsodie parisienne
World premiere recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music for piano duet and duo, June 17, 2013
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Florent Schmitt, photographed in 1928 with Arthur Hoérée (1897-1986), the Brussels-born actor and film music composer.
Ronde burlesque, Op. 78
Dancing demons and underwater airplanes: Florent Schmitt’s phantasmagorical Ronde burlesque (1927), August 11, 2015
Salammbô — Suites #1, 2 & 3, Op. 76
One heck of a film score: Florent Schmitt’s Salammbô (1925), October 21, 2012
Film music specialist Doug Adams talks about Florent Schmitt’s Salammbô (1925) and other music scores from the silent film era, June 12, 2014
Scherzo-Pastorale, Op. 17
Florent Schmitt and the flute, January 10, 2014
Florent Schmitt, photographed in 1953 at the age of 83. (Photo: Boris Lipnitzki/Roger-Viollet)
Scherzo vif, Op. 59
Musicians Beata Halska and Claudio Chaiquin talk about researching and recording French composer Florent Schmitt’s music for violin and piano, December 6, 2015
Sélamlik, Op. 48, No. 1
Beyond Dionysiaques: Florent Schmitt’s other works for concert band, May 4, 2013
Soirs, Op. 5
Florent Schmitt’s Best-Known Early Composition: Soirs (1890-96), June 5, 2015
Une Semaine du petit elfe Ferme-l’oeil, Op. 58
French pianist Bruno Belthoise talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and Le petit elfe Ferme-l’oeil (1912), August 10, 2013
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Forgotten Records: Resurrecting noteworthy recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music from the LP era, May 1, 2014
French pianist Bruno Belthoise talks about keeping Florent Schmitt’s Une semaine du petit elfe Ferme-l’oeil (1912) part of his performing repertoire over the years, December 10, 2017
Sept pièces, Op. 15
World premiere recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music for piano duet and duo, June 17, 2013
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Sextet for Clarinets, Op. 128
Winsome winds: Florent Schmitt’s Clarinet Sextet (1953), October 17, 2014
Six Chœurs, Op. 81
Originality, eclecticism … and female voices: Florent Schmitt’s Six Chœurs (1931), January 17, 2014
Sonate libre en deux parties enchaînées, Op. 68
Pure music masterpiece: Florent Schmitt’s Sonate libre for violin and piano (1918-19), March 16, 2014
Forgotten Records: Resurrecting noteworthy recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music from the LP era, May 1, 2014
American violinist John McLaughlin Williams talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and the Sonate libre (1918/19), September 16, 2014
Musicians Beata Halska and Claudio Chaiquin talk about researching and recording French composer Florent Schmitt’s music for violin and piano, December 6, 2015
Florent Schmitt outside his home in St-Cloud, which he named Villa Oiseau de feu after Stravinsky’s ballet. (1937 photograph by Boris Lipnitzki/Roger-Viollet)
Sonatine en trio, Op. 85
The Intimate Florent Schmitt, October 28, 2012
Spanish flautist Roberto Casado talks about Florent Schmitt’s Sonatine en trio and Suite en rocaille – and their place in French Impressionistic music, January 20, 2014
Members of the Mélomanie chamber ensemble talk about the music of Florent Schmitt and preparing his Sonatine en trio (1935) for performance, April 15, 2017
Suite en rocaille, Op. 84
The intimate Florent Schmitt, October 28, 2012
Spanish flautist Roberto Casado talks about Florent Schmitt’s Sonatine en trio and Suite en rocaille – and their place in French Impressionistic music, January 20, 2014
Florent Schmitt (r.) with the Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist and conductor László Lajtha (1892-1963).
Suite en trois parties for Trumpet, Op. 133
Voluptuous colors: Florent Schmitt’s Suite for Trumpet (1955), February 2, 2014
Suite for Flute, Op. 129
World premiere recording of Florent Schmitt’s Suite for Flute & Orchestra, dedicated to the great Jean-Pierre Rampal (1954), September 9, 2012
Florent Schmitt and the flute, January 10, 2014
Suite sans esprit de suite, Op. 89
Spirit of the dance: Florent Schmitt’s Suite sans esprit de suite (1937-38), January 15, 2015
Sur cinq notes, Op. 34
Duo-pianists Kasparov and Lutsyshyn talk about their new Florent Schmitt recording project, February 5, 2013
World premiere recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music for piano duet and duo, June 17, 2013
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Symphonie Concertante for Piano & Orchestra, Op. 82
Symphonie Concertante: When Florent Schmitt came to America (1932), October 18, 2012
Symphony No. 2, Op. 137
Florent Schmitt’s valedictory composition: Symphony No. 2 (1957), September 30, 2012
Forgotten Records: Resurrecting noteworthy recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music from the LP era, May 1, 2014
The composer and the impresario: Florent Schmitt and Felix Aprahamian, July 28, 2014
Musicologist and Author Nicolas Southon talks about his new book profiling orchestral works by 16 Francophone composers including Florent Schmitt, September 22, 2016
Arts critic Steven Kruger talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and its place in France’s “Golden Age” of classical music, September 4, 2017
Experiencing Florent Schmitt’s Symphony No. 2 (1957) in concert: An eyewitness report from London, November 1, 2017
A Tour d’anches, Op. 97
Delightful discourses: Florent Schmitt’s A tour d’anches for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano (1939-45), November 10, 2014
Florent Schmitt (age 87) (l.) with Igor Stravinsky (age 75), Henri Dutilleux (back to camera) and Vera de Bosset Sudeikin Stravinsky at a social gathering at the American Embassy in Paris (1957).
La Tragédie de Salomé, Op. 50
Conductor Yan-Pascal Tortelier talks about his Chandos Florent Schmitt recording of Psaume XLVII, La Tragédie de Salomé and Le Palais hanté, September 11, 2012
La Tragédie de Salomé: Florent Schmitt’s sinuous temptress, seducing audiences for 100 years, September 14, 2012
Conductors JoAnn Falletta and Jorge Mester talk about the music of Florent Schmitt, January 3, 2013
Available online: Florent Schmitt’s La Tragédie de Salomé, performed live by Alain Altinoglu and l’Orchestre de Paris (2012), March 14, 2013
The Mariinsky Ballet revives Florent Schmitt’s La Tragédie de Salomé, March 20, 2013
La Tragédie de Salomé: Florent Schmitt’s most famous composition … 15 commercial recordings and counting, September 7, 2013
Forgotten records: Resurrecting noteworthy recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music from the LP era, May 1, 2014
Four important compositions of Florent Schmitt to be featured in concert in 2015 by orchestras in Berlin, Buffalo and Cleveland, September 18, 2014
French pianist Vincent Larderet talks about performing and recording the music of Florent Schmitt, December 10, 2014
Florent Schmitt and Igor Stravinsky: A consequential musical relationship, February 8, 2015
Musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra talk about the music of Florent Schmitt and La Tragédie de Salomé, April 20, 2015
Passionate advocate: French conductor Lionel Bringuier talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and La Tragédie de Salomé, April 25, 2015
Made for the stage: The incredible life and career of dancer and dramatic actress Ida Rubinstein … and her 20-year collaboration with French composer Florent Schmitt, September 8, 2015
A Rare Live Interview with French Composer Florent Schmitt (1956), January 18, 2016
Musicologist Megan Varvir Coe talks about the Symbolist roots of Florent Schmitt’s ballet La Tragédie de Salomé (1907/10), July 5, 2017
Arts critic Steven Kruger talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and its place in France’s “Golden Age” of classical music, September 4, 2017
Music critics at France-Musique evaluate current recordings of Florent Schmitt’s ballet La Tragédie de Salomé (1907/10), November 15, 2017
Music critic Rob Barnett talks about the music of Florent Schmitt and its growing presence on recordings, December 1, 2017
Paul Paray: The conductor who popularized Florent Schmitt’s ballet La Tragédie de Salomé (1907/10) for half a century, May 18, 2018
Trio for Strings, Op. 105
Fascinating, complex sonorities: Florent Schmitt’s String Trio (1944), January 16, 2018
Florent Schmitt in later life (pictured in 1952 with fellow composer Jean Roger-Ducasse at right).
Trois danses, Op. 86
Forgotten Records: Resurrecting noteworthy recordings of Florent Schmitt’s music from the LP era, May 1, 2014
Exploring dance forms down through the ages: Florent Schmitt’s Trois danses (1935), March 18, 2018
Trois pièces récréatives, Op. 37
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Trois rapsodies, Op. 53
The Invencia Piano Duo completes its Florent Schmitt series on the NAXOS Grand Piano Label, October 13, 2013
Brilliance and sophistication: Florent Schmitt’s Trois rapsodies (1904), April 14, 2014
Trois trios, Op. 99
Playful liveliness and ironic verve: Florent Schmitt’s Trois trios for female voices (1940), September 1, 2018
