Francis Planté (1839-1934): Chopin - Etude op.25 no.11 Amin

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 minor, op.25 no.11.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Francis
• Planté
• piano
• recording
• classical
• chopin
• etude
• minor
• op.25
• no.11

[blueMmb1]

My god, what a treasure is this!!!!! Thanks for posting

[lovesGenet]

yes ,my generation needs to hear all these authentic players closer in time to Chopin's gen than anyothers. Valuable traditions .thanks for posting this often cited master - who is rarely played n the classrooms however! at ninety and so well recorded . Everything he does here is interesting .Many saw film of him n #7 etude ,I must find his recordings as well as Koczalski.

[marcussalieri]

merveilleux.marvellous.wunderb­ach.great.perfect.parfait.exce­llentissime

[gerardbedecarter]

Thanks for uploading this!

[acortot]

@brassmonkeyjew Your assumption is not correct.. this was recorded at Plantè's house on his Erard.. there is film footage of the session.. the sound has been restored apparently

[karlakor]

The fact that Planté heard Chopin play does not mean that his playing is representative of Chopin's style or of the style prevalent in those days.

[periodpiano]

The Period Piano Company currently has an 1854 Bluthner grand piano played and signed by Frances Plante.  Worth checking out their website

[periodpiano]

The Period Piano Company currently has an 1854 Bluthner grand piano played and signed by Frances Plante.

[periodpiano]

The Period Piano Company currently has an 1854 Bluthner grand piano played and signed by Frances Plante.

[AulicExclusiva]

@espejosgigantes ¿Qué, la circuncisión ayuda a sentarse mejor en la banqueta?? ¿Con una nariz verdaderamente grande se pasan mejor las páginas sin interrumpir la música? ¿Cuál teoría racial es la tuya?

[pattyfoxy510510]

His style of playing would be closest thing to how Chopin might have played. This man heard the Maestro himself. What more can I say? BRAVO

[MaslAlek]

I wonder how Chopin played it himself...