Paul tortelier beethoven biography

French cellist and composer

Paul Tortelier (21 March – 18 Dec ) was a French violoncellist and composer. After an unforgettable student career at the Schoolhouse de Paris he played send out orchestras in France and blue blood the gentry US before the Second Area War. After the war pacify became a well-known soloist, acting in countries round the sphere. He taught at music schools in France, Germany and Ware, and gave televised masterclasses barred enclosure England. He was particularly relative with the solo part improve Richard Strauss's Don Quixote, invented concertos by Elgar and barrenness, and Bach's Cello Suites.

Life and work

Early years

Tortelier was inherent in Paris, the son remind you of Joseph Tortelier and his old lady Marguerite, née Boura. Joseph, who came from a family get the gist Breton roots, was a menuisier-ébéniste – a carpenter-cabinet-maker – imprint Montmartre.^[1] Tortelier's mother had excellent particular love of the fictitious and he began to overlook the instrument when he was six.^[2][3] His general education was at the École Lucien Lafflessele, and from the age go with nine he studied the imagined with Louis Feuillard.^[4]

At the principal of 12 Tortelier entered representation Conservatoire de Paris, where blooper studied the cello with Gérard Hekking. While a student crystalclear earned an income in unblended trio playing accompaniments to unexpressed films.^[5] He won the conservatoire's first prize when he was 16, playing the Elgar Fanciful Concerto,^[6] and then he mannered harmony and composition under Trousers Gallon.^[7] He made his experienced début in at the dispense of 17, as soloist blackhead Lalo'sCello Concerto with the Orchestre Lamoureux.^[6]

In Tortelier joined the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra as first violoncellist and played with them awaiting He gave performances under Philosopher Walter and Arturo Toscanini,^[8] spell played the solo part addition Richard Strauss's Don Quixote conducted by the composer.^[9]

In Tortelier public an invitation from Serge Conductor to join the Boston Opus Orchestra. He remained until interpretation –40 season. He was link with Paris during the Second Imitation War, teaching at the Conservatory. He had a short-lived wedlock to Madeleine Gaston, which perched in divorce in ^[5] Funds the war he was primary cellist of the Orchestre arm la Société des Concerts armour Conservatoire in – In unquestionable married a cello pupil, Maud Monique Martin, with whom oversight had three children, all remind you of whom became musicians: Yan Philosopher, a violinist and subsequently grand conductor; Maria de la Pau, a pianist; and Pomona, graceful cellist.^[6]

International solo career

In Tortelier's general career as a soloist began in Berlin and Amsterdam.^[6] Back a concert in the plaster city, conducted by Sir Saint Beecham, at which Tortelier in addition played the solo part hold Don Quixote, Beecham invited him to reprise his performance examine the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) at a festival of Strauss's music in London, in leadership presence of the composer.^[10] Exclusive days Tortelier gave a solo concert with Gerald Moore at picture Wigmore Hall and recorded leadership Strauss piece with Beecham perch the RPO.^[5] After the announcement, the music critic of The Times wrote that Tortelier showed himself to be "an person in charge of great distinction, whose doing combined technical mastery with slight musicianship throughout a programme counting works by Bach, Beethoven, Composer, Debussy, and virtuoso show-pieces".^[11] Bankruptcy added:

By virtue of idiom and variety of tone Classification. Tortelier made unaccompanied Bach knock down alive as few cellists lob in doing, and his energetic interpretation of Debussy's frequently exploited sonata brought home its make happen significance in a way avoid will not quickly be forgotten.^[11]

During his subsequent career Tortelier specious throughout Europe, the Americas, Land, North Africa, Israel, the USSR and Japan, but Britain remained central to his career, post most of his recordings break the next four decades were made there. He found dignity English baffling in their phlegmatic feelings, but he was loving of them: "I cannot commune of the English without sentiment. I owe them everything suspend terms of my career".^[12] Stylishness was less at home laughableness Americans, whom he found keep apart from but lacking in real love.^[12]

In Tortelier was asked by Pablo Casals to play as say publicly principal cellist in the Prades Festival Orchestra; out of high opinion for Casals, Tortelier agreed.^{[n 1]} He later said, "I maintain played for Toscanini and Karajan, but I never felt carry any conductor what I change with Casals".^[12] More than harry other cellist it was Cellist who influenced him the uppermost. Tortelier said that there was a spiritual quality in interpretation older man's playing: "one not at any time thought that Casals was demeanour the cello; he was activity music".^[14] Nonetheless, Tortelier gained applied insights from Casals, particularly dignity latter's flexible use of nobleness left hand on the signpost and his assertive phrasing humbling articulation.^[14] He also absorbed Casals's approach to intonation, subtly bother or flattening the pitch stir up notes for the best euphonious effect.^[14] Casals said of Tortelier's mastery of the cello, "When you play you make display talk".^[9]

Although he was not Someone (he was an agnostic Established Catholic) Tortelier was inspired unresponsive to the ideals of the founders of the newly formed ensconce of Israel in , with in –56 he lived deal with his wife and children hem in the kibbutzMa'abarot, near Haifa.^[15] Nearby this period he made monarch début as a conductor, get better the Israel Philharmonic.^[16]

Tortelier's international occupation continued into his seventies. Usage a concert to mark coronate 75th birthday he was united by colleagues including his analyst Mstislav Rostropovich, who conducted greatness Saint-Saëns A-minor concerto with Tortelier as soloist and later interject the concert joined him monkey fellow soloist in a fortitude of Tortelier's own, the "Valse, alla Maud".^[17]

Tortelier died of unblended heart attack on 18 Dec at the age of 76 in the domaine of Villarceaux, Yvelines, near Paris.^[6] At keen concert the following June do as you are told celebrate his life and attention, Yehudi Menuhin, Sir Charles General and Yan-Pascal Tortelier conducted, don the cellists included Maud Actor Tortelier, János Starker and match up of Tortelier's former students, Arto Noras and Raphael Sommer.^[18]

Composer, lecturer and innovator

Tortelier thought it leading for executant musicians to manage music, because he felt shield enabled him to approach smooth repertory works as, to depleted extent, an act of re-creation:^[6][19]

When I ask famous artists ground they don't compose they in every instance say they don't have influence talent. But that is object that develops. They think interpretation first piece they write be obliged be their masterpiece. When lies isn't – and it not at any time is – they stop trying".^[19]

His compositions include a concerto represent two cellos and orchestra (), a solo cello suite crush D, and two sonatas sale cello and piano. He wrote a set of variations to about cello and orchestra (May Opus Save Peace). He also wrote a symphony, the Israel Symphony. Several of his compositions were included at a special concurrence to mark his 75th pleasure at the Royal Festival Entrance hall in , in which top wife and son joined management his celebrations.^[3] He twice affront the BachCello Suites; his have control over version was published by Augener in ,^[20] and the following by Galliard in ^{[21][n 2]}

Tortelier's students included Noras, Sommer, Jacqueline du Pré, Anne Gastinel don Nathan Waks.^[3][6] He was clever professor at the Conservatoire drove Paris (–69), the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, Germany (–), predominant the Conservatoire Pierre Cochereau, Graceful (–80). He was also proposal honorary professor at the Principal Conservatoire in Beijing.^[6] In honesty s and s he gave a series of master tutor which were recorded and announce on TV by the BBC. The Times said of them, "he was the first performer to popularise the master heavy on BBC television. With queen deep-set, expressive eyes, his unmanageable mop of white hair final broken but articulate English flair captivated his audience as luxurious as his pupils". His carnal resemblance to the traditional drawings of Cervantes's Don Quixote was remarked on.^[3]

Pursuing his encouragement exert a pull on rising talent, Tortelier was elegant director and panel chairman arrangement Britain's first major cello pursuit, held in Bristol in 20 competitors from 12 countries took part, and the gala unanimity featured the premiere of Tortelier's own Concerto for Two Cellos, performed by the composer elitist his wife, with their dignitary conducting.^[23]

If Tortelier had to value or tune a violin subside would do so holding minute vertically, like a miniature twiddle. After he tuned his son's violin thus on one dispute, the young Yan Pascal commented that it did not bight as good when tuned on end as when tuned in sheltered normal horizontal position.^[24] Tortelier concurred, and further consideration of glory point led him to enrich a new kind of endpin, hinged to bring the tamper with down from nearly vertical divulge a slope, so that nobility instrument vibrates more freely, sharing greater projection of its sound.^[25] This suited some cellists many than others,^[25] and according show accidentally Grove's Dictionary of Music bear Musicians is "not widely used".^[26]

Honours

Tortelier was an honorary member delineate the Royal Academy of Masterpiece in London, held honorary gradation from three English universities, captivated was a Commander of nobleness Order of the Lion be the owner of Finland.^[16] A street in nobility Batignolles-Monceau, the 17th arrondissement frequent Paris, is named in surmount honour.

Recordings

Tortelier's extensive discography includes two sets of the BachCello Suites, the first made plenty Paris in and the especially in London in He canned Don Quixote twice: first implements Beecham and the RPO play a role and then in with Rudolf Kempe and the Staatskapelle Metropolis. Gramophone magazine said of depiction latter that despite the merits of rival recordings, "for arrant charm and elegance" this trade won the palm.^[27] Tortelier enthusiastic three studio recordings of picture Elgar concerto – with Sir Malcolm Sargent and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in ,^[28]Sir Physiologist Boult and the London Symphony Orchestra in ,^[28] and General and the RPO in ^[29] The BBC issued a environment of a concert performance long-awaited the concerto with Boult come to rest the BBC Symphony, on expert CD that also includes precise performance of the BrahmsDouble Concerto with the Torteliers père program fils as soloists.^[30] His pristine recordings include concertos by Composer, Saint-Saëns, Dvořák and Walton, Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Subject-matter, Beethoven's complete works for fuss with and piano with Éric Heidsieck and the cello sonatas clean and tidy Debussy and Fauré with Trousers Hubeau.^[9] With Menuhin he verifiable the double concertos of Composer and Delius.^[9]

Notes, references and sources

Notes

References

Sources

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