The four lady pianists brought together on this disc represent a fascinating cross-section of the various groups and factions of the French musical scene in the first half of the past century. This had as much to do with the rivalries of the musical salons (such as Misia Sert’s or Winnaretta Singer’s) of the era as the academic establishment itself. Some, such as the Spanish — though French trained — pianist Ricardo Viñes, had feet firmly planted in most camps, Whereas others Were very much of a single group.
*
The oldest of the quartet, Blanche Selva, was born at Brive on 29 January 1884. Initially a student at the Conservatoire she then Went to the Schola Cantorum as a pupil of Vincent d’Indy, and was by 1901 teaching there. In due course she came under the influence of others who were associated with the Schola Cantorum including Déodat de Séverac and, most interestingly, Isaac Albéniz. This last contact came about as follows : Albéniz had already had a successful career as a pianist, teacher and salon composer, but in 1890 he had undertaken further composition lessons with Dukas and d’Indy — the latter of course (from 1897) of the Schola Cantorum. Having made her début in 1897, Blanche Selva gave a series of seventeen recitals in 1904 taking in the entire keyboard Works of J. S. Bach. In keeping with the serious “Franckist” aims of the Schola Cantorum (represented here by her dedicated playing of the Bach B flat Partita) she not only taught but researched, producing a book “La Sonate” in 1915, as Well as promoting the Works of contemporary French composers (including de Séverac), to say nothing of giving superb performances of Cesar Franck’s own works. Darius Milhaud in his book “Notes without Music” refers to hearings of new works of Bordes, de Severac and d’Indy at the Schola Cantorum “Usually interpreted by Blanche Selva”. By this time Selva seems to have become a well-established member of Winnaretta Singer’s salon; on 2 January 1908, she played the first nine of the twelve pieces of Albéniz’s Iberia to an eager audience. It appears this was the first time the seventh, eighth and ninth had been played ; Winnaretta considered herself honoured since Albéniz himself was present. The background to this event is of interest; when Blanche Selva first saw the manuscripts she pronounced them unplayable, but Albéniz reassured her. The rest is history. One imagines she played all the notes! We know from Rubinstein’s own admission that he was in the habit of symplifying these works ; as a result he was reluctant to play them to Madame Albeniz after her husband’s death, but relented on being told that Albéniz had done the same. Sadly Selva did not make any issued recordings of Albéniz, but she did make three of de Séverac the most popular of which, Baigneuses au Soleil, is included here...
Alan Vicat (from the booklet)
Four Great French Pianists
Valmalète, Selva
Meyer, Lefébure
Tracks
Maurice Ravel
(1875-1937)
Le Tombeau de Couperin
1 Prélude 2:38
2 Fugue 2:28
3 Forlane 4:49
4 Rigaudon 3:01
5 Menuet 3:28
6 Toccata 3:58
Claude Debussy
(1862-1918)
7 Feux d'artifice (from Préludes, book 2, n° 12) 3:39
Franz Liszt
(1811-1886)
8 Hungarian Rhapsody n° 11 in A minor, G. 244, n° 11 5:20
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750)
Partita n° 1 in B-Flat major
9 I. Prélude 1:47
10 II. Allemande 1:28
11 III. Courante 2:31
12 IV. Sarabande 3:06
13 V. Menuet 2:28
14 VI. Gigue 1:25
Déodat de Séverac
(1872-1921)
15 Baigneuses au soleil 6:37
Maurice Ravel
(1875-1937)
17 Alborada del graciozo (from Miroirs, n° 4) 5:15
Isaac Albéniz
(1860-1909)
17 Sous le palmier (from Chants d’Espagne, Op. 232, n° 3) 3:02
18 Navarra 4:55
Paul Dukas
(1865-1935)
19 Variations, Interlude and Finale on a theme by Rameau 16:20
*
Madeleine de Valmalète - p [# 1-8]
Recorded in 1928 & 1930
Blanche Selva - p [# 9-15]
Recorded in 1928 & 1929
Marcelle Meyer - p [# 16-18]
Recorded in 1926 & 1930
Yvonne Lefébure - p [# 19]
Recorded in 1935