Infectious elegance and so much more: Florent Schmitt’s Trois valses nocturnes (1901).

French composer Florent Schmitt’s abilities as a pianist were considerable. Even so, he characterized the piano as “a convenient but disappointing substitute for the orchestra.” Taking a look at Schmitt’s piano scores, what’s immediately apparent are the technical demands that are required to do the music justice. It’s akin to what the French pianist Alfred Cortot famously […]

French Pianist Vincent Larderet Talks about Performing and Recording the Music of Florent Schmitt

December 10, 2014 · by Phillip Nones | in Classical Music, Composers, French Composers, Piano Music | tagged Alfred Cortot, Classical Music, Classical Piano, Claude Debussy, Daniel Kawka, Florent Schmitt, French Composers, Igor Stravinsky, La Tragedie de Salome, Les Apaches, Maurice Ravel, Michel Dalberto, Mirages, Ombres, Piano Music, Salome, Schmitt, Societe musicale independante, Steinway Artists, Vincent Larderet | Leave a comment

To say that Vincent Larderet is one of the most accomplished of the younger generation of classical pianists would be an understatement. As a Steinway Artist, Mr. Larderet has attracted international recognition by virtue of the exceptional intensity of his performances and commercial recordings, praised by critics not only in his native France but also in Continental […]

Florent Schmitt’s Mirages: Poignant and Potent Musical Pictures Inspired by Paul Fort and Lord Byron (1920-23)

January 14, 2013 · by Phillip Nones | in Classical Music, Composers, French Composers, Piano Music | tagged Alfred Cortot, Alfred Hertz, Andrey Kasparov, Annie d'Arco, Bennett Lerner, Classical Music, Claude Debussy, Defauw, Ferroud, Florent Schmitt, Francois-Julien Brun, French Composers, French Impressionism, Impressionism in Music, Jacques Mercier, John Ogdon, Jorge Mester, Koussevitzky, Laurent Wagschal, Lord Byron, Marie-Catherine Girod, Michel Plasson, Mirages, Nones, Pascal le Corre, Paul Fort, Pauline Gordon, Pierre Dervaux, Tomer Lev, Vincent Larderet, Winston Choi | 5 Comments

One of the highly interesting compositions by Florent Schmitt is Mirages, Op. 70. This work exists in two versions: its original piano form composed in 1920/21, and a later orchestration prepared by the composer in 1923 and premiered in 1924 by Schmitt’s friend, the conductor Serge Koussevitzky. I find Mirages to be one of Schmitt’s most compelling […]