Marmontel, Antoine François 1816 - 1898
Author: Ueda, Yasushi
Last updated：January 1, 2010
Author: Ueda, Yasushi
Early Life and Education
Marmontel is remembered today as a professor of piano at the Conservatoire, where he taught Debussy and Bizet. He was born in 1816 in Clermont-Ferrand, a city located south of Paris and west of Lyon. In 1827, he entered the Paris Conservatoire, and the following year, he enrolled in the piano department, becoming a student of Zimmermann. He completed his studies in the piano department in 1837, earning a first prize. Zimmermann's class produced many of France's leading pianists and composers of that era, including Alkan, Franck, Ravina, and Prudent. In addition to piano, he studied score reading and rigorous composition (counterpoint and fugue), achieving good results.
Professorial Career
Soon after graduating from the piano department, he became a teacher in the solfège department. In 1846, he deputized for Professor H. Herz, who was absent on a trip to America. His contributions to the Conservatoire were recognized by the authorities, and in 1848, he succeeded Professor Zimmermann, securing the professorship over other candidates such as Prudent and Alkan. Thereafter, he was involved in the education of most French composers and pianists active from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, including Bizet, Guiraud, Dubois, Debussy, and Pugno, earning widespread respect.
Compositions
Marmontel's compositions are confirmed up to opus number 180s. These include educational works such as several collections of etudes, notably the outstanding 24 Grandes Études de Style et de Bravoure, Op. 85, which stands out in terms of scale and quality; works in a rigorous style, such as two sonatas (Op. 8 and 86) and Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 49; and numerous character pieces. The urban atmosphere found in his short pieces is also reflected in the piano works of Tchaikovsky, who visited Paris in 1886 and dedicated his Dumka to Marmontel.
Editorial and Literary Works
In areas other than composition, he undertook the editing of music scores from before the 19th century. From 1852 onwards, he published L'École classique du pianiste, a collection spanning five volumes, from Frescobaldi to Chopin. In particular, the Chopin selection included in the fourth volume played a decisive role in the establishment of Chopin's works in 19th-century France. In the latter half of the century, Marmontel also engaged in writing. Works such as Les Pianistes célèbres (Famous Pianists) and Les Virtuoses contemporains (Contemporary Virtuosos) (both untranslated) are biographical accounts of musicians who lived during his time and serve as important resources for the study of piano music of that era.
Author : Kanazawa, Osamu
Last Updated: January 1, 2010
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Author : Kanazawa, Osamu
Known as a leading French pianist and educator of the 19th century. As a composer, he produced over Op. 180 piano pieces, as well as numerous etude books, editions, and treatises. He studied piano with Zimmermann at the Paris Conservatoire, winning the Premier Prix in 1832. As his teacher's successor, he taught piano to students including Dubois, Bizet, d'Indy, and Albéniz. His son, Antonin (1850-1909), was also his pupil and was active as a pianist-composer, involved in teaching at the Paris Conservatoire. Today, few people are familiar with their works.
Works(151)
Piano Solo
scherzo (5)
pieces (9)
suite (1)
etude (24)
variation (4)
menuetto (3)
polonaise (4)
mazurka (7)
waltz (10)
other dances (5)
nocturne (7)
romance (6)
caprice (7)
barcarolle (4)
character pieces (17)
Various works (18)