The V Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition 1955

[@natatattful]

That's my grandmother, Monique, when she was 19 years old dancing at 00:56!

[@fslakoh]

Nice girl !

[@preludio423]

Amazing!

[@canman5060]

Harasiewicz won the first prize follow by Ashkenazy second and Fou Ts'ong Third. Three later became best of friends.

[@ondinehd6889]

Yes, that's right, that is my mother, and my daughter Natasha's grand-mother: French pianist Monique Duphil, dancing at 0:56! Monique studied with, among others, Marguerite Long, when she was only 10 years old, and then at the Paris Conservatory. Marguerite Long who was a star in Paris, and for whom Ravel, Faure, and Debussy, who admired her great artistry, wrote a lot of their music specifically for her, and who was already in the mid 70's, upon listening to my mother play at the age of 10 years old, told my grand-father: "I want this little one in my studio, starting right away!" My grand-father, who was not very wealthy, specially after WWII, thanked her, but replied that he needed some time to organize financially my mother's studies. Marguerite Long replied: "What? With a talent such as this one, there is no time to waste! You will not have to pay a penny! I am taking her under my wing, starting today!" So my mother left the family home in Bordeaux, and was taken in by a family in Paris who took care of her. My mother was Marguerite Long's youngest pupil at the time. It is surreal to see her here, as a young woman, when I was not even born yet! (My mother married my father, London based French violinist, Maurice Hasson.) Monique won a special prize at this session of the Chopin Competition.

[@paulmccarthy8345]

What a wonderful story.....I wonder what it was that inspired Marguerite Long to take such notice of your mother at that age(10)? Perhaps her musicality, technique, etc?

[@ondinehd6889]

@@paulmccarthy8345 I asked my mother, and she doesn't remember what Long said to my mother's father about why she wanted to teach my mother. I suppose it's because she liked her playing, and my mother said that Ms. Long was always very kind, and generous towards her, as this was not long after after WWII, and people were struggling. Ms. Long was actually feared by her students, because she was very strict, and often mean! My mother told me that on one occasion, when Ms. Long was giving a master-class, there was a student whose turn it was to play. She started playing the Tchaikovsky piano concerto, and as soon as she started, Long stopped her, saying "no, no, no! You are doing [this], when you should be doing [that]. Start again." So the student started again, and same story. After a couple of times, Long asked the student to get up, and sat at the piano herself to demonstrate. The girl gave it then another try, and Long, exasperated, stopped her again, for the fourth or fifth time. The girl finally stood up, feeling humiliated, and said to Long, in front of the whole class: "Madame, vous êtes une vieille vache" ("Madame, you are an old cow"), and left. Long feigned fainting, sat down, saying "My God, I think I am going to faint," and she couldn't breathe, and it was a big drama! Students came to her rescue, giving her water to drink, fanning her with a score, and pretending to be shocked by what had just happen, but in fact they were doing their best not to laugh, because they thought the comment was well deserved! Funny story!

[@canman5060]

Harasiewicz and Fou Ts'ong studied with the same teacher in Warsaw.

[@meredith218461]

A fascinating historical document. Interesting to observe a schoolboyish looking Ashkenazy.

[@canman5060]

R.I.P Maestro Fou.

[@bourbakis]

Saw a clip of this documentary before. Thanks for uploading the HD version of the whole thing. Great stuff.

[@ropertstillme]

EN ESE CONCURSO MI PADRE OBTUVO UN PREMIO ESPECIAL POR SU INTERPRETACION DEL MEJOR NOCTURNO EN RE BEMOL MAYOR. AUN CONSERVAMOS LA MASCARILLA DE CHOPIN.

[@BlanciNegre]

Supongo que tu padre fue Oscar Gacitúa. Un gran pianista! Saludos

[@elsubmarinistaaleman]

Óscar, le hizo clases a mi padre, conocí en sus actuaciones, que actualmente son tributarias en mi corto tiempo al piano

[@vivvpprof]

"w Ludowej Polsce, ojczyźnie Fryderyka Chopina" - eee... jakbym słuchał TVP Info.

[@kisonoabaraya]

0:41～　kiyoko tanaka!

[@rakpongchaisuparakul6273]

Only Chopin competition that maestro ABM did the jury task and no more

[@thisisjnv]

This is the time where smartphones aren’t invented yet, and people know how to socialise.

[@NewNub]

oddly enough, people use smartphones to socialize. in a different way, anyway.

[@pvonberg]

By all accounts the fix was in. Ashkenazy should have won.

[@canman5060]

They don't mind who won.All of them are very humble musicians.

[@WayneYLeigh]

Regardless if they were friends for life, it was clear that Ashkenazy was the true winner, and Michelangeli's resignation in protest against the scandalous choice of the Polish judges is a clear indication. It led to the system being thoroughly reformed by the next competition in 1960.

[@canman5060]

@@WayneYLeigh Always a first time !

[@MrYoumitube]

So the competition is held in Poland and the competition is in the name of one the greatest Piano composer, a pianist who was also Polish. It makes more sense to have the judges Polish. Would you rather have them from Africa,Australia,China,Peru? The fact the winner was Polish makes absolutely nothing. How many winners have been Polish? I bet you little if rare compared to other nationalities. Use common sense people.