A revealing Denise Margoni portrait sketch of Florent Schmitt sees the light of day, 65 years after its creation.

The artist’s daughter, stage, screen and TV actress Élisabeth Margoni-Beneyton, rediscovered the portrait and presented it to pianist Claudio Chaiquin in recognition of his commitment to recording the music of Florent Schmitt. One of the most fulfilling aspects of creating content for the Florent Schmitt Website + Blog is coming across historical artifacts that add […]

Albert Gleizes, Florent Schmitt, and the Chant de guerre (1914-15).

April 9, 2021 · by Phillip Nones | in Classical Music, Composers, French Composers | tagged Abbaye de Creteil, Alain Margoni, Albert Gleizes, Amedeo Modigliani, Anne Dangar, Beter Brooke, Chant de guerre, Charles Dalmores, Christopher Green, Cubism, Daniel Robbins, Ernest Renan, Fetes de la lumiere, Florent Schmitt, Ida Rubinstein, Jean Cocteau, Jean Metzinger, Jules Roche, Juliette Roche, Leon Tonnelier, Lucie Deveyle, Michel Hachet, Moly-Sabata, Paris Expo, Schmitt | Leave a comment

The pioneering Cubist artist and the forward-looking composer — kindred spirits in their disdain for the “conventional” in the arts — are forever linked by an iconic painting. In 2012, the French postal service issued a stamp portraying a 1915 painting by the French Cubist artist, theoretician and philosopher Albert Gleizes titled Le Chant de […]

French conductor Fabien Gabel talks about Florent Schmitt’s Ronde burlesque (1927) … and why he champions the music of this composer around the world.

June 1, 2017 · by Phillip Nones | in Ballet, Classical Music, Composers, French Composers | tagged Alain Margoni, Albert Roussel, Antoine et Cleopatre, Cleveland Orchestra, Debussy, Fabien Gabel, Jacques Ibert, Jolivet, La Tragedie de Salome, Le Palais Hante, Mahler, Milwaukee Symphony, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Francais des Jeunes, Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec, OSQ, Paul Paray, Psaume XLVII, Ravel, Reinhold Friedrich, Reves, Ronde burlesque, Shostakovich, Tomasi, Vincent d'Indy | 1 Comment

Fabien Gabel is one of France’s leading conductors of the younger generation, with an international career. He has been music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec since 2012, and this year was also named music director of the Orchestre Français des Jeunes, succeeding David Zinman. In addition, he guest-conducts regularly in the United States and major […]

A link with history: French composer, teacher and writer Alain Margoni, 81, talks about working with Florent Schmitt in Paris during the 1950s.

June 20, 2016 · by Phillip Nones | in Classical Music, Composers, French Composers | tagged Alain Margoni, Composers, Elisabeth Margoni, Fabien Gabel, Florent Schmitt, French Composers, Jerry Rife, Le Temps, Olivier Messiaen, Paris Conservatoire, Prix de Rome, Schmitt, Tony Aubin | 2 Comments

Here in the year 2016, it is well over a half-century since French composer Florent Schmitt passed away at the age of nearly 90 years. Consequently, the number of musicians who have first-hand memories of interacting with the master has dwindled to a precious few. But we are fortunate to have French composer and teacher […]