Francis Planté (1839-1934): Chopin - Etude op.25 no.1 in Ab

Francis Planté was France's most important pianist in the nineteenth century, after Chopin. He started his concert life at age seven in Paris, where Chopin was also performing, and so heard him play. By 1850 he had won a First Prize from the Paris Conservatoire. He went on to befriend Rossini, through whom he was introduced to most of the important musical figures of the day, many of whom he got to know and with whom he formed lasting friendships. During the 1860s he duetted with both Saint-Saëns and Liszt, and established himself as the leading French pianist of the day. He was recorded at age 89, rather past his best no doubt, in a single set of specially arranged recording sessions in his own retirement villa over a few days in 1928.

His musical style has its roots in the French tradition of crisp and accurate finesse, a sort of pearly-clean touch and not vast amounts of indulgence in romantic tugging at the rhythms. He was best known for the shorter romantic works in the piano repertoire, but it is a moot point as to how much his own playing resembles that of pianists such as Chopin (when we compare him to performers such as Koczalski, Rosenthal and Pachmann for example, all of whom had attachments to the "authentic" Chopin tradition).

Here Planté plays Chopin's Etude in A flat, op.25 no.1.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Francis
• Planté
• piano
• recording
• classical
• chopin
• etude
• Ab
• flat
• op.25
• no.1

[smithsherman]

This is much more like THE "natural" water effect that the metronomic objectivists always claim for themselves,equating their non-fluctuative playing to nature.BUT IT'S PRECISELY THROUGH A MILLION ONGOING MICRO-FLUCTUATIONS THAT THIS SOUNDS,,,so natural,AND EFFECTIVE.

[ebnykhda]

Having now the knowledge of this pianist born in the time of Chopin! One get a taste of the musical flavor of the time! It is a joy and wonder to have heard such a recording of such a great artist of the real Romantic Period. Thank you "d60944"

[bummy33]

I wish he recorded the op 48 no 1 nocturne :( I would love to hear his interpretation on it.....

[gmoitsracheyy]

@smithsherman it's more like a harp. rather than referring it to a "waterfall".

[antoinezygfryd]

It was a joke!!!! ho,my God! give me a break! cool!!!

[Troybeallad]

A true voice from the past. Thank you for letting us hear this.

[marcussalieri]

un peu bouillie mais jadore ce pudding.plante est formidable original revenez mr plante ils sont tous tristes et orgueilleux

[oas1s2004]

ridiculous recording, probably my favorite so far!

[antoinezygfryd]

The movement of the water,yes,on Decenber 19th at 5 pm.....yes,yes....

[stlivermore]

This is a very nice performance no matter how you look at it, as an etude or as a lyric piece. I like it very much. Thank you for the upload.

[chopinandliszt]

SANTA CLAUS PLAYS CHOPIN