Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris
Orchestra
Frédéric Chopin
Maurice Ravel
Claude Debussy
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Performer Biography
Marguerite Long became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire in 1920, the year after Gabriel Fauré, a composer she was closely associated with, left his post as director.
Compositional Technique
The French piano style emphasized fast, clean, and brilliant finger work, known as 'le jeu perlé,' and a transparent sound produced by fingers and wrists rather than arms or shoulders.
Performer Biography
Marguerite Long's husband, Joseph de Marliave, was killed in World War I on August 24, 1914, shortly after Germany declared war.
Cultural Impact
Marguerite Long's enthusiasm for music led her to found the École Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud in 1941 and the Concours (competition) similarly named in 1943.
Performer Biography
Marguerite Long, the pianist on this album, was born in Nîmes in 1874 and received her first piano lessons from her elder sister Claire, who was a piano professor at the Nîmes Conservatoire.
Critical Reception
Marguerite Long's playing received mixed critical reception; while some praised her respect for the score and perfectionism, others found her tone 'thin and uninteresting' or lacking grandeur.
Historical Context
For about 150 years, a distinctive French piano style was cultivated at the Paris Conservatoire, which was initially very insular and did not allow foreign students.
