A Parisian Tribute to Serge Koussevitsky

March 18, 2024 · by Phillip Nones | in Classical Music, Composers, French Composers | tagged Albert Roussel, Alexandre Tansman, Alfred Cortot, Andre Messager, Arthur Honegger, Carlos Salzedo, Charles Hubbard, Florent Schmitt, Germaine Taillerferre, Henri Casadesus, Henrietta Malkiel, Inghelbrecht, Jacques Ibert, Jacques Rouche, Jacques Thibaud, Lazare Saminsky, Manuel Cornejo, Maurice Ravel, Nadia Boulanger, Paul Dukas, Paul Le Flem, Serge Koussevitzky | 1 Comment

Tout Paris came together 100 years ago to fete the Russian-born conductor upon his election as a Chevalier of the Legion d’honneur. The Russian-born conductor Serge Koussevitzky arrived in Paris in 1920, leaving behind Soviet Russia where he had led the Philharmonic Orchestra of Petrograd since 1917. Maestro Koussevitzky was already a household name in […]

From clamorous outsider to consummate insider: Florent Schmitt’s consequential involvement with Parisian artistic organizations (Société des Apaches, Société musicale indépendante, Société nationale de musique, Association de musique contemporaine), 1902-1941.

September 18, 2022 · by Phillip Nones | in Chamber Music, Classical Music, Instrumental Music | tagged Alexis de Castillon, AMC, Anton Webern, Arnold Shoenberg, Association de musique contemporaine, Danieli Longo Benedetti, Eugeniusz Morawski, Florent Schmitt, Gabriel Faure, Henri Martelli, Jean Roger-Ducasse, Jules Ecorcheville, Lazare Saminsky, Les Apaches, Louis Aubert, Nadia Boulanger, Paul Dukas, Pelleas et Melisande, Romain Bussine, Romain Rolland, Saint-Saens, Schmitt, SMI, Societe des Apaches, Societie Musicale Independante, Society nationale de musique, Stravinsky, Vincent d'Indy | 4 Comments

The music world owes a debt of gratitude to two rival organizations that were at the center of the Parisian arts scene during France’s “Golden Age” of music. Well into the latter part of the nineteenth century, the symphonic tradition continued to be regarded as the near-exclusive domain of the Austro-German school of music. There […]

“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 Reis, Countess Mercati, Florent Schmitt, Garcia School, Glimmerglass Festival, Gunnar Johansen, Jascha Veissl, JoAnn Falletta, John Erskine, Kerob-Shal, Lazare Saminsky, 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 […]