“This musician of immensity and altitudes”: French music journalist and writer Paul Locard takes the measure of Florent Schmitt at eighty years of age (1950).

Several months ago, I published an article about an 80th birthday tribute event honoring Florent Schmitt that was organized in 1950 by the town of St-Cloud, where the composer had lived for 40+ years. The festivities included a gala reception and concert featuring recent compositions created by Schmitt, presented by leading French classical musicians. Not […]

“The true face of Florent Schmitt”: Music scholar and author Émile Vuillermoz describes the composer he knew for more than 60 years.

May 8, 2023 · by Phillip Nones | in Classical Music, Composers, French Composers | tagged Academie Charles Cros, Antoine Taudou, Bernard Gavoty, Besancon International Conducting Competition, Cannes Film Festival, Carina Ari, Chevarliers du Tastevin, Cinephonies, Colette, Emile Vuillermoz, Florent Schmitt, Gabriel Faure, Georges d'Espagnat, Grand Prix du Disque, Henry Gauthier-Villars, Jeunesses Musicales de France, JoAnn Falletta, Les Apaches, Madeleine Marceron, Ravel, Rene Jeanne, Schmitt, Serge Baudo, Societe musicale independante, Szymanowski, Venice International Film Festival, Yves Hucher | 1 Comment

When Florent Schmitt died in August 1958 at the age of nearly 88 years, his fellow composer Henri Dutilleux penned this memorable epitaph: “Florent Schmitt was the last of that great family to which Ravel, Dukas, and Roussel belonged. He remains one of them who, by a happy assimilation of German and Central European influences, […]

Investigating the mystery – and promise – of Florent Schmitt’s “Poèmes des lacs” (Les Barques, Demande, Musique sur l’eau, Soir sur le lac, Tristesse au jardin — 1897-1901)

December 17, 2020 · by Phillip Nones | in French Composers, Vocal Music | tagged Albert Samain, Amis de Maurice Ravel, Aurora Argenti, Charles Koechlin, Cipa Godebski, Colette, Demande, Fabien Gabel, Florent Schmitt, Gauthier-Villars, Helene Luquiens, Jean Forestier, JoAnn Falletta, Laurent Tailhade, Le Chat noir, Les Barques, Louis Laloy, Manuel Cornejo, Marcel Proust, Maurice Ravel, Musique sur l'eau, Poemes de lacs, Robert d'Humieres, Robert de Montesquiou, Robert Ganzo, Rose Feart, Sarah Bernhardt, Soir sur le lac, Sur le lac du Bourget, Tristesse au jardin, Yves Hucher | Leave a comment

Recently, two documents have emerged that point to the existence of a long-forgotten grouping of Florent Schmitt’s mélodies that can stand alongside the song cycles of fellow-French composers Henri Duparc, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Maurice Delage and Louis Aubert. The grouping of Florent Schmitt mélodies carries the umbrella title “Poèmes des lacs,” and some details […]