French-American conductor David Grandis talks about discovering the music of French composer Max d’Ollone and championing his repertoire in the concert hall.

Regular readers of the Florent Schmitt Website + Blog know that occasionally we “relax the routine” a bit and delve into the artistry of other composers — particularly ones who lived and worked in the same time period as Schmitt. (See, for example, these articles about Stravinsky, Ravel and Zandonai.) Another such person is Max […]

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 […]

Antony & Cleopatra: Florent Schmitt Takes Palace Intrigue, Scandal and Death to New Heights (1920)

September 18, 2012 · by Phillip Nones | in Ballet, Classical Music, Composers, French Composers | tagged Andre Gide, Antoine et Cleopatre, Buffalo Philharmonic, Classical Music, Cleopatra, Cortot, Edouard de Max, Falletta, Florent Schmitt, Frederick Stock, Gide, Harry Pilcer, Ida Rubinstein, Jacques Mercier, Jacques Michon, Jean Giardino, Jean-Christian Bonnet, JoAnn Falletta, Lamoureux, Makart, Manuel Rosenthal, Marc Antony, Michel Fleury, Michel Plasson, Naotaka Tachibana, Nones, Remus Tzincoca, Reynald Giovaninetti, Robert Blot, Sakari Oramo, Schmitt, Segerstam, Shakespeare, Theodore Guschlbauer, Tony Aubin, Virginia Symphony, Willem van Hoogstraten | 11 Comments

“To appreciate this music fully, ready the hot tub, invite a few friends over, burn incense and uncork the wine you were saving for a special occasion.” — International Record Review One of the most intriguing pieces of music composed by Florent Schmitt during his “orientalist” period was the incidental music to André Gide’s new adaptation […]