“White-haired, bearded and thoroughly charming”: American contralto Rita Sebastian’s remembrances of performing with Florent Schmitt at Town Hall in New York City (1932).

March 1, 2022 · by Phillip Nones | in Chamber Music, Composers, Vocal Music | tagged Ada Soder-Hueck, Alfred Wallenstein, Alfred-Alphonse Bottiau, Arnold Schoenberg, Bernard Laberge, Claire Ries, Countess Mercati, Florent Schmitt, Garcia School, Glimmerglass Festival, Gunnar Johansen, Jascha Veissl, JoAnn Falletta, John Erskine, Kerob-Shal, League of Composers, Mabel Boll, Marie Manice Edgar, Olin Downes, Paul Claudel, Rita Sebastian Latham, Serge Koussevistzky, Temple Emmanu-El, Theodore Cella, Tristesse au jardin, Walter Damrosch | 1 Comment

One of the serendipitous aspects of music history is coming across rare and precious documents that have remained hidden for decades. Such an occurrence happened this past summer when JoAnn Falletta, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, received a package in the mail containing a collection of documents pertaining to a recital given by […]

Members of the Prisma String Trio talk about preparing, performing and recording Florent Schmitt’s endlessly fascinating Trio à cordes (1944).

April 16, 2021 · by Phillip Nones | in Chamber Music, Composers, French Composers, Instrumental Music | tagged Albert Roussel Trio, Arnold Schoenberg, Bob Gilmore, Cobra Records, Darius Milhaud, Elisabeth Smalt, Florent Schmitt, Huis Midwoud, Janneke van Prooijen, John McLaughlin Williams, La Muse Menagere, Les Apaches, Michiel Weidner, Pasquier Trio, PRISMA, Prisma String Trio, Schiedam, Schmitt, Splendor Amsterdam, String Trio, Tom Peeters, Trio a cordes, WestVest90 | 1 Comment

It was a dream come true for the three Prisma musicians, who prepared for nearly a decade before venturing into the recording hall to document their interpretation of Florent Schmitt’s stunning creation: “a string trio with sextet ambitions.” “It’s everything about human life: It’s about happiness, it’s about madness, it’s about freedom. All of it […]

Fascinating, complex sonorities: Florent Schmitt’s String Trio (1944).

January 16, 2018 · by Phillip Nones | in Chamber Music, Classical Music, Composers, French Composers, Instrumental Music | tagged Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Antoine Golea, Arnold Schoenberg, Atlantic Trio, Caerus Chamber Ensemble, Chamber Music, Clare Finnimore, Elisabeth Smalt, Eruditio Musica, Florent Schmitt, French Composers, Harry Partch, Janneke van Prooijen, Jean Cras, John McLaughlin Williams, Jonian Ilias Kadesh, Marijn Bisschops, Michiel Weidner, Music at Tresanton, Oxalys, Pasquier Trio, Prisma Strijktrio, Prisma String Trio, Rene Dumesnil, Riku Fukuda, Roland de Cande, Schmitt, Shellackophile, Splendor Amsterdam, String Trio, Vashti Mimosa Hunter | Leave a comment

“So dense, so many notes, so many double-stops. So hard to play in tune together, so tricky to balance and to make it sound natural. But what special notes they are!” — Michiel Weidner, Prisma String Trio In the latter part of his career, the French composer Florent Schmitt turned his attention to musical […]