Alfred Cortot rare videos

[isocrate27]

Quel pédagogue! C'est la première fois que je vois ces images. Je connaissais sa musique, sa réputation de pédagogue qu'on voit souvent dans les dictionnaires de la musique, mais de le voir en personne interpréter en des mots ce qu'il joue avec ses mains, c'est magnifique.

[kornfeldify]

a genious! he feels the music..

[CindaDelenaxv775]

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[TJFNYC212]

c'est tout a fait genial ............. ce qu'il dit est presque aussi beau que la musique sur "cettle page immortelle." Je vous remerice de l'avoir telecharge.

[etiam161036]

MERCI !!!!!!!

[kikibrodi]

my favorite videos are the ones where there is the famous pianist and it is either an interview, a documentary, or him teaching a lesson. You learn more about music and they play so beautifully.

[Ellinidara]

uauuu precious document..

[cynic150]

Thanks for this. I must get a translation. Perhaps if I listen to it over and over again I can understan more. I can play and I can talk, but I cannot play and talk well at the same time like this!! Pity Barenboim could not finish his sentence...

[veo1ixoa]

@cynic150 Subtitles available here: v=8dhmU7GMu7U

[shilloshillos]

its amazing how a person so old, Cortot here, Horowitz, Horszowsky, Rubinstein and others at that age were so pianistically, agile, lucid and articulate. Other people at that age are usually dead or vegetables. Music seems to do wonders for the brain, and possibly overall wellbeing.

[yosuezp]

Just Incredible ¡¡¡¡¡

[figensco]

"He is looking for the musical opium"

[figensco]

Cortot is a sacred name in the piano world.

[figensco]

the best ever Der Dichter sprich .... of all times.

[figensco]

Cortot is so emotional that make me cry.......this man is an angel...see his transfigured face......

[Wien1938]

I'd love to get the DVD for this: what's the title?

[veo1ixoa]

@Wien1938 The art of piano

[tarquin161234]

I think this man demonstrates how talent and profundity in interpretation can be equal to that in composing.

[Jtking3000]

what video/documentary is this taken from?

[dahood22]

@Jtking3000 from this one /watch?v=vpiMAaPTze8

[LFZ15]

the talking ruins it...

[xujia1001]

You would probably change your mind if you could understand what he is saying.

[LFZ15]

@xujia1001 But... I can't understand it...

[sibilsaine]

@xujia1001

my dear Xujila,

you are right, if this is the only version of "Der Dichter spricht" that you have listened and will ever listen to. But after hearing Cortot (of course understanding French helps, long live languages!!!), you will have a better understanding of any other version of this piece that is without comment. Happy listening! Bonne ecoute!

[joernbroeker]

@xujia1001 maybe he means the statement of barenboim who actually ruins this treasure! Cortot is so captured by the music and talks like a poet while barenboim talks like a retard in comparison to what cortot said before. dont misunderstand me, I like barenboim, but here, the spirit of the video is simply destroyed.

[Fremglerk]

@xujia1001

Anyone who posts in English but doesn't understand French can get an inkling of what Cortot's saying here by searching YouTube for the phrase "Alfred Cortot w/subs."

[tarquin161234]

@LFZ15 I like the way he talks

[allegromarcato]

@LFZ15 Donc ne le regarde pas

[dgaranin]

@LFZ15 No, it is not a performance, it is a master class. Very interesting!

[PincezMoiJeReve]

Génial de voir et d'entendre cela. Témoignage précieux. Merci.

[semicroma]

A technically easy piece but musically not that easy.

[ChopRachma]

Très intéressant document ; les premières secondes me font penser à un documentaire où André Gide donne un cours à une jeune pianiste sur le 1er scherzo de Chopin ;très drôle d'ailleurs car autant les propos du maître sont pertinents autant est risible son jeu au piano, Dédé avait de la bouillie dans les doigts mais aucun complexe pour se mettre au piano ,ah que non ! lol , document introuvable sur youtube, si une bonne âme le possède , qu'elle se manifeste.

[marcussalieri]

il a la tete de cherubini cest ahurissant

[ChopRachma]

Je confirme, j'ai très bien connu Cherubini, je me faisais la même réflexion, on dirait Luigi !

[petrof4056]

0:41

from the left to the right:

Pierre Froment (my brother's godfather), Thierry de Brunhoff and Eric Eyssric.

Cortot was 84 ~ here

[xujia1001]

Thanks for sharing this unique info! If you agree, I will copy your info to the clip explanation.

[petrof4056]

yes, no problem :-)

It is Pierre Froment himself who said me that yesterday, unfortunately he did'nt remember of who's the lady at the beginning...

[nonogilb]

If you know Pierre Froment, you have already been to Rennes (He used to be teacher there and I knew him)

[petrof4056]

@nonogilb yes he was and I use to see him as soon as possible, i live in Brittany as well. If you know him, maybe you know my father...

[nonogilb]

@petrof4056 Peut-être. Qui est-ce, sans indiscrétion ?



[DERFNAM72]

Fantastico!

[rontomcol]

What a privilege to hear a great artist's thought processes while he's playing. Those students were lucky indeed.

And his hands...!!! So expressive even before they play a single note. One of the best videos of an artist on YouTube.

[felixdevilliers1]

Someone French above objects to the fact that Cortot uses images like dreaming. These serve as indications for interpretation and don't interfere with the particular structure of the piece, which Cortot renders very well, precisely because he 'drems' it. Schumann himself called one of his pieces 'Dreaming' and the title of this piece is 'The Poet Speaks' which has less literal relevance than Cortot's dreaming, but is nevertheless very relevant.

[chad410]

yes if he s teaching then one must be over the top. that s why it can be so tiring.

[callenishss]

ok this is not the intended rubato

perhaps

one can always conpare this negatively against rosenthal

[daleroti]

Thanks for posting this!! What a gift!!

[sqzd]

je ne suis pas d'accord, on ne peut pas resumer une oeuvre musicale à des evenements concrets comme ici le rêve. Qu'en dites vous?

[xujia1001]

Il n'a pas dit que cette oeuvre était un rêve, mais a suggérée de l'interpréter en la rêvant.

[agniky]

@sqzd oui, certainement vrai. Mais je pense que c'est comme une "masterclass" pour des pianistes qui cherchent differents interpretation, c'est pas que Monsieur Cortot ne tolerait pas des autres, au moins j'en pense.

[kempff95]

i see it again and just i cant stopp see this .

the music who make cortot is amazing .

GRAET MASTER!

[petrof4056]

"la vérité est qu'il faut rêver ce dernier morceau mais pas le jouer": "the truth in this piece: don't play it but dream it". Lyrics of a real artist!

0:42 it's my brother's godfather Pierre Froment, later he was his assistant. He told me, he was the only person to understand himself but we had to live with him to understand him; he lived in an other world, he lived in a world where there was only music and not humans because he really didn't a human.

[xujia1001]

Interesting. But there are 3 young men, which one is the godfather of your brother? He said he felt he lived in the 19th Century, with the great music giants in history.

[petrof4056]

it's the first who turn pages (at left)

[AntonyTH]

And, what did you see? ....

[kempff95]

i totally admirer cortot!

[petrof4056]

me too :)

[yilingseele]

He was a great teacher and poet , artist , pianist , what a wonderful , precious video . Thank you fro posting . I wish I understand what he said

[minastronasse]

1:58 Dans l'immortilité ???? Did he mean Immortalité ? Grandpa must be distracted by this young filly at his side, who sure deserves a good lesson if ya know what I'm sayin'.

[soami2u]

Spellbinding, and a treasurable glimpse into the genius of one of the greatest pianists of all time

[3cplantin]

Overlook his appearance. Modern attention to a narrow range of "acceptable" looks has caused more harm than good. Focus instead on the fact that Cortot has direct connections to some of the leading figures in music history and himself shaped a generation of prominent pianists. For instance, he studied with a pupil of Chopin. How many can claim that?

[Liszt1886]

quel visage malin, mais quelle interprétation!

[fdartmouth]

Totally rocking!

[Babejuda]

One of Humanity's treasures!

[LeYell0w]

énorme!

[lsbrother]

Anyone know when this masterclass was filmed and, if possible, who the girl pupil is at the beginning?

[Paulo78180]

L'immortidité ?? Qu'est-ce ??

[xujia1001]

l'immortalité, plutôt.

[Paulo78180]

cela paraît plus vraisemblable, en effet ! =) Alfred commençait déjà à perdre la tête !

quelqu'un sait en quelle année s'est déroulée ce cours ?

[xujia1001]

Je n'ai pas d'infos concernant l'année. Mais ce cours devrait être donné vers le début des années 50.

[emilyluvsyou6292]

so lovely

[petrof4056]

it was an artist who didn't live in the present but only in the past and the future. Nobody had his instinct for the music and his inspirations.

[georgiannanyman]

@petrof4056 ! am so grateful to see this comment -so few perceive this insight into the elevated perceptions of Cortot.This particularly applies to Barenboim and every limited concept he reveals in speaking about Cortot.But a person's enlightenment can't exceed his perspectives so it is regrettable that Barenboim was chosen to attempt a task far out of his reach . thank you-Avis rara.

[petrof4056]

he was not a man, he was an artist

[phalanster]

une grande leçon! du maitre

utilser le piano pour faire de la musique et non pas le contraire comme la plupart ..

[naloxi]

Ce fut un homme comme on n'en fait plus. Ainsi va le monde...

Rien que de le regarder, et l'écouter, nous rend meilleurs.

Merci !

[viewbody]

Daniel Barenboim needs to do himself a favor and stop commenting.

[querk123]

Cortot is the best. Listening through the occasional wrong notes in difficult pieces, and the iffy quality of the accoustic rendition of the piano in these recordings, we still glimpse wonderful things, the sublime, the divine.

[cortor3652]

Magic! Cosmic!

[shilloshillos]

came back again. Can't get enough of this: He is in a trance. Sublime!

[shilloshillos]

otherworldly!

[koncertpianist]

Fantastique! one of the deepest musical expressions I have ever heard. I love it...

There is noone like that today that I know of!

[dopeywonder]

The Man at the end is Maestro Daniel Barenboim

[llutty]

Who is this last man on this video?

[guarrho]

daniel barenboim

[munkybrain]

sorry to be the one to ask this but where is this footage from and can i get a hold of it?

[tocalatumba]

si dans le flamenco on aurait d maitre de cette classe , on sorait vraiment faire evolué notre music , dans tout les cas bravo pour la video,

juan vicente

[OrnishMathe]

Cortot was indisputably a genius, a "beautiful musician", as Horowitz had termed him. His Bach and Mozart are truly radiant and possessed of very great depth, as is his Beethoven. Doesn't he look like a character from a painting by Rembrandt? This is playing of luminous beauty, emotive power, and raw spiritual honesty. His verbal prowess is marvelous, too. His speaking is like an accompaniment to the notes; it enhances our appreciation of the music he is making. Hats off to his artistry.

[pjioayncoe]

Can someone translate?

[Amatuneur]

Translation : "It seems to me, that the last piece "The poet speaks" -the title that Schumann has himself added to this immortal page- should be transposed to a mind of more intim daydream, isn't it ? Not only the beautiful sonority, the expressive way of the musical sentence, but a more dreaming feeling. The truth is that we have to DREAM this last piece, not play it. Would you let me your sit, please ? " etc... xD

[pjioayncoe]

Thank You!

[Amatuneur]

Then he describes all the passages and how they should be played.

[giloubreizh]

voilà un Maître pour les jeunots ignares de la star-ac!

[egonsky]

et oui...ca change de Lang Lang..

[Rani9000]

la grande classe

[namarcil]

even so, we must remember: cortot, wagner are first and formost Musicians no? whether or not they supported the nazis is somthing entirely between them and God now. pointing out what patboy1947 said about teh book written about wagner concerningteh readjustment ofteh jews to germanic culture-is this not what australia and many countries around teh world call for when immigrants travel and move to foreign countries??

[patboy1974]

Anyway it's not the right place to discuss about very serious and sad subject like this one... we all agree about the fact that he was absolutely wrong to think this way... let's concentrate only on his music if we can go over it...

[xujia1001]

I refuse to believe that a man who can play with this sentiment is a bad guy.Some particular circonstances of France at that time must have misled people by propagande.

[patboy1974]

antisemism was part of the german way of thinking at this age, and wagner was part of it. But it doesn't mean that he was also an nazi. Of course, He wrote antisemism book (subjecting the jews to leave the country or being more adjusted to the german culture), but in the same time has a couple of friends jews, the orchestral chief Hermann Levi for example.. It means that he wasn't clear at all with his bad thought, but should we considered him as a nazi with all the horror that this word means ?

[patboy1974]

Wagner is dead in 1883 and I don't think that a 50 years dead composer would help a lot in hitler apocalysm.

[xujia1001]

But Richard Wagner was a complete anti-semist. He didn't hide it.

[billyguns2]

Some of the worst musicians who ever lived were great advocates of liberty, while some of the greatest musicians held controversial views and were in favor of tyrannical regimes. I could care less.

[leomulder]

It's very charming.

[Margotbear]

cortot brings the opium from the music.

[muziqueonmymind]

art of piano huh? hehe

[75NIK93]

"interroger l'avenir..."

[georgecziffra]

I don't doubt Cortot's talent as a master musician, but he looks kinda scary in this vid

[PhillipLWilcher]

Ah Cortot!! What a wonderful musician. Transcendent. He was all passion and poetry. He had the most distinctive and beautiful tone.Penetrating - right to the soul. There was blood in his playing - the blood of a poet. I studied with a student of Cortot. One of my most cherished possessions is a 16 page essay written by Cortot in his own hand! Bless you for posting this film - how wonderful!

Phillip Wilcher

[josepharimathea]

And I guess it doesn't really matter that he was a strong sympathizer of the Nazi party whose anti-semitic sentiments he very much shared...

[3cplantin]

I don't really know how firmly he held the ant-semitic sentiments you mention. I studied with one of his students, who was also an assistant for a while, and he was Jew. That doesn't sound very anti-semitic to me.

[josepharimathea]

Well I'd like to think he wised up about his views. Perhaps he did. It was actually a very great admirer and former student of Cortot's who first informed me, reluctantly, of Cortot's support of the German Nazi party. But I am partisan (as is obvious for my other postings) as I have never been an admirer of Cortot's playing, particularly his Chopin, in which he does everything that I'm sure would have annoyed Chopin intently (I'm sure you must have read the letters of Chopin and of his pupils).

[fatalfuz]

no, not really. Richard Wagner basically worked for Hitler. Borge played a variation on happy birthday supposedly written by Wagner for Bernstein's 80th birthday. I don't think they mind too much his ignorance from the 40s. Though I abhor ignorance and anti-semitics, as long as it's not reflected in their music, I don't care what a person is like, anyway. Id est Martha Argerich.

[joeyjojo4]

fatalfuz,

Whatever you're drinking, I want a case.

[gagga96]

Pour tout le monde qui pouvait oublier the genious Cortot!!

[XxDadaxXx]

Un pur genie de la musique

Et que de poesie dans ses commentaires...

[takezo1818]

ethereal...

[mozarrowitz]

does anyone understand what Cortot was saying?

[lhiram23]

yes, i know. it's so marvelous.. ask a french friend, the is so "subtile" that the correct words have to been said :-)

[kineze89]

on pourrait écrire un livre juste avec ses commentaires tant ils sont bien dits

[bastianinisfan]

Great, thanks for posting!

[chrissycream]

I love how Cortot was able to transform such a simple piece into something extraordinary. Thanks for posting.

[AlanDNZ]

Piano tone to die for? Is this a Playel he is using or what?

[oneginee]

No doubt. The piano is a PLEYEL.

[winrx]

Wunderbar!

[oneginee]

Alfred Cortot was swiss born in the french speaking part of switzerland. He studied piano and taught at the Paris conservatory of music.

[xujia1001]

Bravo pour votre traduction que j'apprécie énormément, et merci d'y avoir passé du temps!

[oneginee]

Merci, j'y ai pris plaisir. J'aime beaucoup Cortot surtout quand il joue Chopin.

[oneginee]

As accurately as I could translate. he said :

"I believe, the last piece "the poet's word" - a title Schubert himself chose for this timeless page - should be transposed to a level of dreaming that is more intimate. should it not ? Not only a beautiful sound, an expressive rubato of the musical phrase, but a more dreamy feeling. The truth is, one should dream this piece, rather than play it. Would you allow me to take you place ?...

[oneginee]

(continued) and here do not merge the two phrases, they are different elements of the same musical condition... and here, like a question mark... and another one interogating the future... and from here on that it simply finds its place not in music but by a strike of genius into immortability... and let the notes faint, disappear, die off and leave you simply enraptured in a dream that continues."

[jfhaight2]

Hi Oneginee. Your translation is good, but the piece is from the Kinderscenen by Schumann, who had many children, and it's called "The poet speaks" (Cortot says "Le poet parle") After several scenes from childhood, played from a childs point of view, in the second last piece, the child falls asleep. The last piece gives us a sense of the poet and loving father, Schumann, whose voice is heard for the first time, in the piece, looking on.

[oneginee]

Hi jfhaight. Thanks you are right "the poet speaks" is a more exact traduction of the piece title. Regarding the details you give on the supposed background for its composition I do not think this information is critical since this video is first and foremost about Cortot and out of deferrence to him I don't think there is a need to balance what he said. That said it is worth knowing.

[pianocesar]

I'd like to know what he speaks while he's playing it !could anyone tell me ?

[LVB1770]

pianocesar,

It is too complicated to translate measure per measure.

I think the most important statement he makes here is,

"The truth is, you need to dream this piece, rather than play it.

[pianocesar]

Thanks, LBV1770...I think he also says that 'the poet' transposes the idea of dreming(like you said) and personal peace, with a beutifull 'sound'(la belle sonorité lol)

[emtube]

Wow! Where did this come from! Were more of Cortot's famous masterclasses recorded? Thanks so much for posting this precious document!

[busoniliszt]

It's not rare at all, it's from the dvd (or video) "The art of the piano". The other clip of Cortot playing Debussy on this site is also fantastic.

[ricaard]

Yes, I remember this on public TV! Wonderful!

[xujia1001]

It's such a great musician!!