Florent Schmitt ‒ Ombres, Op 64

[@gerardbegni2806]

IN a book impossible to find nowadays, the pianist Alfred Cortot described the Franch piano music of the first half of the XXth Century and ranked Ombres very high.

[@Medtnaculuss]

Interesting! I'd love to hear about some of the other works he mentions in the book.

[@roberthayes7737]

I think I have a copy of that book lying around somewhere. EDIT: I checked, and it's the English translation of the first volume. From what I could find, there are three volumes and Schmitt is discussed in the second one. EDIT #2: I have a copy of the second volume (in French). Could send scanned pages if you like. Also, aside from the book being very old (published 1932), this particular copy was signed by Cortot himself.

[@mkeating52]

@@roberthayes7737 What's the book called?

[@roberthayes7737]

@@mkeating52 It's called 'French Piano Music.' As far as I know, only the first volume has been translated into English, but (as I think I mentioned above), Cortot's comments on Schmitt are in Volume 2.

[@gerardbegni2806]

@@mkeating52 The modern music of piano. Since I wo rote the comment 4 years ago, a second edition was issued.. Cortot was indeed a very great pianist and musiciOccupation

[@gerardbegni2806]

A masterpiece of the Franch piano music. The writing for the piano is generally very thick. This explains why the composer most often choses three staves

[@dspannplayspiano]

A flamboyant piece of intense, rushing colors. That sweet resolution at 5:43...

[@cedricrlongreen]

This piece is like a beautiful splash of color

[@SCRIABINIST]

Scriabinesque-Szymanowskiesque-Ravelian-Debussyesque-Schimittesque I guess its the best way I can describe this set of work

[@ICanPickLocks]

Funny... to... see.. you... here... This is sort of getting not funny to me anymore. WHY DO I SEE YOU EVERYWHERE NOW

[@stacia6678]

A motif in the 2nd movement also evokes HR2... Safe to say this is an all-encompassing piece of music.

[@dzordzszs]

The Szymanowski is really prevalent

[@ethanmitchell9642]

What an interesting set of pieces!! Interested in learning these myself. A couple of moments in the first piece really got my attention for being somewhat different or unusual (or just darn spectacularly beautiful): 4:23 - This texture is rather interesting, I don't believe I've seen it before, not this specifically anyway. Something Debussy never would have done, but I imagine Ravel would have. There's a lot of Ravel harmonies in this movement actually. 8:55 - Just love the way the doublings in 6ths of this triplet figure seem to sink down... Ahh, it's beautiful... 11:32 - A wonderful combination of notes - the simplicity of having only the 1st, 5th, 6th and 7th degrees of the scale makes it so 'elevated' somehow.

[@toothlesstoe]

The modulation to E major drove me to tears when I practiced the first movement. Unfortunately, I've played it way too much for it to have the same effect on me as it did when I first learned it. Hopefully it doesn't come off as dull when I perform it tomorrow.

[@steveegallo3384]

@@toothlesstoe -- Outstanding! Tomorrow? Where? Good Luck from Acapulco!

[@toothlesstoe]

@@steveegallo3384 Five years ago

[@yagiz885]

I honestly dont think his harmonies belong to anyone else. He is one of the french six. He has his own unique language and has his place next to Ravel and Debussy. If you disagree with me please check his Op. 23, there are sections which Ravel was highly influenced by while writing his Jeux D’eau.

[@virtuousvibes2852]

@@yagiz885 Given that they lived and worked around the same time, it's likely that they influenced each other. The aforementioned section at 4:23 does remind me of Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand. At other times, I hear traces of Debussy sprinkled around, like the section at 5:41 - 6:03.

[@MegaCirse]

Une splendide découverte ! Cela démontre tant que quand le monde fléchit autour de soi, quand les structures d’une civilisation vacillent, il est bon de revenir à ce qui, dans l’histoire, ne fléchit pas, mais au contraire redresse le courage, rassemble les séparés, pacifie sans meurtrir. Il est bon de rappeler que le génie de la création est lui aussi, à l’œuvre dans une histoire vouée à la destruction. Merci :-)

[@edwilliams9914]

Since I love early 20th Century French music, I'm surprised and ashamed that I hadn't heard of Schmitt. Thanks for correcting that. Wonderful piece and performance and your "liner notes" are great. Much appreciated.

[@PieInTheSky9]

It's like Gaspard de la nuit if it were written by Scriabin

[@gabykappscomposermariagabr749]

toothless toe Here he goes again.

[@gabykappscomposermariagabr749]

toothless toe if you don't moderate your language 'butthurt turd' for example, I'm reporting you. I've already screenshooted so no probs if you delete.

[@gabykappscomposermariagabr749]

Troll. Troll. Troll. Troll. Troll in geometrical spaces. In fractals. But Always troll. Give psychotherapy a try. Wouldn't hurt. You seem to enjoy 'profanity'. What else do you enjoy, logorroic troll? From profanity to who knows what, wielding a flood of nasty rhetoric and justifications to legitimise your own misery. Troll. Troll. Troll. Enjoy your noise. With my blessings.

[@gabykappscomposermariagabr749]

toothless toe And you can consume your finger typing your 'points' about atonality. I hear UGLINESS. To the point of no return. It can be in tonal rows, in doubled tonal rows, it can have no epicenter and follow a spontaneous act of creativity, you can adduce whatever you want that your brain can adduce, I hear ugliness. Atonality can be used as a compositive technique for short amount if time in a composition to obtain tension...but I need release also. If, however, it is the means AND end...for me its ugly. You find a pattern in it? Congratulations. I also find some sort of geometry...which foes not CEASE TO BE UGLY in my ears. Thank you. With I finish. I have wasted too much of my time and life on a vocal-vomit like you. You cast a dark shadow on the world of atonality. Your peers should hunt you down and shut your mouth by force. You discredit them. Have a good one, troll.

[@gabykappscomposermariagabr749]

Troll. You are a PROFESSIONAL troll. Logos...do you know what it means? Roi'...do you know what it means?I have spelt it perfectly and you are faking your education.You are all arrogance. And nothing else.You can demolish whatever you please.Careful that you won't be demolished of your own accord.Bye Bye blackbird. Troll.

[@didierschein8515]

Des pièces magnifiques, sans doute un des grands monuments de la littérature française pour piano du XXème siècle. Une grande subtilité tout à fait impressioniste apparaît du début à la fin, aussi bien dans l'harmonie que dans le rythme. Un grand merci.Thank you very much.

[@olla-vogala4090]

Good job, thanks for sharing!

[@Medtnaculuss]

+olla-vogala Thanks!

[@PeterLunowPL]

the beginning reminds me a bit of Scarbo by Ravel ,but the music is completely original and stunningly beautiful !!

[@Kobzar3374]

Fabulous. So far I thought that Debussy was a singular composer, similar to nobody and to whom nobody was similar, but here we have somebody who followed his path in a fascinating way. Thank you for sharing this beauty.

[@firoza8994]

A masterpiece. Such a warm and glittering atmosphere that evokes colors swirling in darkness. I love this so much.

[@Whatismusic123]

You're delusional.

[@UYEcudeSobieski]

Très belle oeuvre! injustement peu connue. Ravel et Debussy devaient briller trop fort...

[@paulamrod537]

This wonderful composer should please be pushed forward!!

[@barthoproduction]

Unfortunetely for the Music , Schmitt considered anti-Semitic ( that was quite true...)and censored.....His Music is not!!!!....

[@paulamrod537]

@@barthoproduction Composers should not be prejudice. It simply does not fit into metaphysics and creativity.

[@paulamrod537]

@@barthoproduction Obviously as well involving racists we have Anton von Webern and I really do not enjoy this pretentious attitude.

[@barthoproduction]

@@paulamrod537 What do you mean?...

[@Danzig987]

@@barthoproduction "Schmitt considered anti-Semitic (that was quite true...)" This is a gross exaggeration. Schmitt's alleged anti-Semitism is based on a single incident of remarks he made at a Kurt Weill concert in Paris in 1933. www.resonusclassics.com/freedownload/RES10265_booklet.pdf

[@_rstcm]

26:26 Stravinsky/Agosti Firebird anyone???? Also 3 staves throughout the whole thing WTF!

[@stacia6678]

Same key too :O

[@α11ε]

2nd have a dance feel

[@yurimeyrowitz6788]

Are you sure that the Paul Loyonnet you mention isn't the pianist by that name? (1889-1988) I haven't come across the "lecturer/writer" in the description...

[@ivanbeshkov1718]

To write down all those notes! How is it done?! For some strange reason, Schmitt is never heard on radio, but Bizet's Arlesienne all the time.

[@EggMCMUFFIN-e4l]

Improvise, write down snippets, arrange sketches properly, revise, publish

[@calebhu6383]

3:09

[@stacia6678]

pentatonic melody :O

[@hervegilles7941]

Une musique qui mérite de n’être pas être oubliée et négligée comme c'est le cas. Cela dit ce serait excessif de comparer avec Ravel ou même Poulenc. Personnellement, je n’y ressens pas vraiment d’étincelles ou de fulgurance, au-delà de la grande maîtrise (cela dit je me réfère juste à ce que j'ai écouté pour piano. Le psaume me semble plus inspiré).

[@Examantel]

Brilliant work, but not as accessible as the more famous Gaspard de la nuit. Very difficult to bring out the independence of the voices and the proper phrasing.

[@stacia6678]

Scarbo is still more difficult than this.

[@kuang-licheng402]

nice

[@lewisbae]

I'm just curious, should there be a sharp on e at 0:18?

[@ReynardVoss]

It just neatens up the staves and makes the chords and contours easier to follow. As F is a major third from C#, it looks neater to have it appear on the stave as such but spelled as an E#, instead of looking like a 4th when spelled as a standard F.

[@lewisbae]

Well thanks, but I said that because in the second measure of the page the sharps on E seemed missing(which I think there should be..)

[@lewisbae]

***** Thanks!! I have been wondering about this for months, although I gave up playing this piece now..

[@lewisbae]

***** My technic is not good.. I cannot even play Chopin etudes properly

[@lewisbae]

***** lol I know I just thought that this was too hard for me

[@leolopezpianoarte]

7:20. 15:35

[@remixuereb]

Florent Schmitt , c'est un Ravel inconnu , et c'est profondément injuste , cela n'enlève en rien le génie de Ravel , mais agrandi la maison "musique française" d'une autre pièce très intéressante , lumineuse et bien exposée .....

[@gerardbegni2806]

Son écriture n'est pas celle de Ravel. Elle est beaucoup plus chargée et ne s'appuie pas sur les mêmes principes harmoniques. mais je suis d'accord sur le fond: l'oeuvre de Florent Schmitt mériterait une renommée égale à celle de Ravel.

[@CatkhosruShapurrjiFurabji]

Based

[@alexs1504]

I think this composer is the french Scriabin

[@jozhfitz]

9:29

[@stacia6678]

Hombres

[@cadenzalien4554]

hi

[@stacia6678]

@@cadenzalien4554 hi frend 🥰

[@cadenzalien4554]

@@stacia6678 🥰🥰🥰

[@44seann]

belle ecriture sur 3 portées ala debussy!!!!

[@gerardbegni2806]

Il est assz rare que Debussy écrive sur trois portées. Cela arrive dans le deuxième cahier d'iamges et dans certains préludes du deuxième livre, mais cel reste assez limité. Mais il est certain que la "gourmandise" de s"approprier tout l'espace du piano est la même.

[@andreassorg7294]

Influenced by Szymanowski. And like him Schmitt cannot control himself and sometimes overloads his work. But nod bad and well played. Unfortunately on a bad-tuned piano

[@pianopat]

Unfortunately as much as I would like to love this, I find I cannot. The writing is beautiful, but the melodic content is poor, the form is a mess and the harmonic language is incredibly repetitive. It is a false masterpiece, which cannot compare with the more justly famous triptychs of Debussy and Ravel.

[@pianopat]

@@toothlesstoe I would agree that everything I say is completely subjective, but I don't think that can really be avoided. So take what I say not as attempting an objective characterisation of the work, but my feelings when I listen to them. You are uncannily right, I have a complete blind spot as regard to Sorabji. I don't understand a note of his music, and to my ear he is indeed the epitome of trash, as you say. But I am always pleased to change my mind if I can, or at least to understand where my limitations are, so if you were to be able to say what it is you like with Ombres, or with Sorabji, I would be genuinely interested to hear it.

[@toothlesstoe]

@@pianopat Well, with all styles of music, liking one over another is merely a matter of preference; and preferences always undergo constant change, which are shaped by milieu and the id-namely, nature versus nurture, as it were. I wasn't surprised to find out that Sorabji's music uncannily matched his character, which is quite a unique character indeed: He despised sentimentality, was extremely blunt, loquacious, and the way in which he worded plain ideas were oftentimes of a circumlocutious nature. He also talked so fast in conversation, as if possessed by ADHD, that one could barely make out what he was saying; it was as if his tongue could embrace several languages at once (well, he was multi-lingual, but that's more or less besides the point). Moreover, he more or less resented humanity in general and the hypocrisy and bigotry concomitant with it (apart from few close friends and confidants, of course. One of the probable reasons for his resentment was more than likely due to having been discriminated against for his homosexuality throughout a good chunk of his life); and would bar himself from the rest of society (he could get away with it, since he lived off his father's wealth for his entire life), fulfilling his insatiable lust to compose music of perplexing and utmost formidable difficulty; because that was just the way he naturally composed, and was a manner that came naturally to his ancestors as well, according to Sorabji himself. Here is the full quote from which I borrow reference: "I am not a ‘modern’ composer in the inverted commas sense. I utterly and indignantly repudiate that epithet as being in any way applicable to me. I write very long, very elaborate works that are entirely alien and antipathetic to the fashionable tendencies prompted, publicized and plugged by the various ‘establishments’ revolving around this or that modish composer. Why do I write as I do? Why did (and do) the artists-craftsmen of Iran, India, China, Byzantine-Arabic Sicily (in the first and last of which are my own ancestral roots) produce the sort of elaborate highly wrought work they did? That was their way. It is also mine. If you don’t like it, because it isn’t the present-day done thing, that is just too bad, but not for me, who couldn’t care less. In fact, to me your disapproval is an indirect compliment and much less of an insult than your applause, when I consider some of your idols." I love Sorabji's music, to say the least. His personality matches mine to an uncanny extent; and I can identify with his mindset the most, his mindset to which his music is inextricably tied, out of any of the composers of which I've heard. I love the jarring, savagely beautiful textures that arise from his rhythmic counterpoint and polyrhythms; and the symphonic harmonies that oftentimes take up the entire range of the keyboard. The chaotic and dissonant nature of his music, that transcends chromaticism or any other conceivable theory-formulated tonal labeling, is highly satisfying and nourishing to my soul. Most of my favorite Sorabji compositions hail from his nocturne style: The oftentimes dynamically monotone and textural quality can put a receptive mind in a trance-like state, that I believe listening to without being distracted would be a heightened meditating experience unlike any other. I've never heard of a more original composer than Sorabji, and I am being very sincere about that assertion. Perhaps that may go without saying, considering how descriptive and knowledgeable I've demonstrated to be of such an irrepressible soul. By the way, I have two videos of me playing some of Sorabji's music, in case you might be interested: One is of a full performance of the Sonata No. 1, and the other is a practice video of the cadenza from the Sonata No. 5: _Opus Archimagicum,_ which I must preface with the declamation that this piece is arguably one of the most difficult pieces for piano of all time, if not THE most difficult of all time. I can say with high confidence that it IS _THE_ most difficult piano sonata ever penned, considering both its unrelenting difficulty and length (being anywhere between 6-8 hours of performance time). However, the reason for why I practice this piece is not because of its seemingly impossible difficulty, but because his soundworld has enraptured me unlike the soundworld projected by any well-established composer in the history of classical music. I intend on giving the world-premiere performance of the work at one of the local universities in my area, and will dedicate my entire life to practicing the work if I must. If for some reason I happened to have piqued your interest, you can look into Paul Rapoport's book _Sorabji: A Critical Celebration._ It contains all the info on the composer that anyone could ever hope to unravel.

[@pianopat]

@@toothlesstoe Thank you very much for this. I do like to be challenged in my tastes, and am listening as I write to Sorabji's Rose Garden, played by himself. Although I am a long way from being able to say I like it, your message has at least enabled me to listen to his music with a different frame of mine, and although I don't relate to it as yet, I understand a little more than I used to what his music is setting out to do, and who knows, maybe that seed of understanding will one day bloom into unconditional love? It happened before...

[@MegaCirse]

You are still hard enough for this composer, and not very objective. Happy those who hear because the kingdom of bliss is theirs ....

[@kmrerk]

Oh for heavens sake ! Pseudo-intellectual nonsense. "False Masterpiece". Why not just listen and enjoy ?

[@toothlesstoe]

A lackluster performance harboring a myriad of mistakes that could have been fixed by actually studying the score.

[@Orpheuslament]

toothless toe - upload a recording then

[@RedZed1974]

You again. Is there any performance/pianist that you *DO* like? At all?

[@toothlesstoe]

Laurent Wagschal did a phenomenal job; makes this performance look mediocre.

[@toothlesstoe]

+Orpheus I'm performing it tomorrow, and it will be recorded. Can't promise studio-recording perfection though, but it should be better than this performance, so long as I don't have any major memory lapses.

[@toothlesstoe]

The recording is on my channel now. It's much better than this performance, except for the memory lapses, of course.

[@ciararespect4296]

I sight read this but its a bad composition