Emile-Robert Blanchet

[delius1995]

Recently I came across a work by this composer, in a Hyperion disc with the outstandable M.A. Hamelin (Kaleidoscope). It was the 3rd part of a suite called Turquie. (You can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33jdZiKnutw ) I was immediately captivated by the lush sound world of Blanchet, which it is a synthesis of lush Orientalism, colourful Impressionism, chromatic fin de siecle Romanticism and astounding individuality of a compositional genius!The unique sense of harmonies, rhythm & color create a musical canvas, who can be compared only with best composers of his time. Apart from some chunks of infos, & some sheet music on IMSLP (more than half of that is acually blocked), there seems to be nothing about this amazing composers. Also, I observed he was the dedicatee of many works by known then composers-pianists, like Busoni and Godowsky. Any other info or/& sheet music would be appreciated.It's time to re-estimate this worthy composer and his wonderful music!

[rob]

We have too few single composer threads like this, so I won't merge this into the French Piano Music thread unless it doesn't take off.

We went through quite a bit of Blanchet's output several years ago, so a large majority of it has already been scanned.

Does anyone have a worklist to help kick this thread off?

[WCosand]

Some works that are not under copyright in the USA can be found at my website.

http://waltercosand.com/CosandScores/Co ... le-Robert/

[fleubis]

Some works that are not under copyright in the USA can be found at my website.

http://waltercosand.com/CosandScores/Co ... le-Robert/

Walter, thanks for making these Blanchet scores available. This bloke is quite original and well worth exploring.

[delius1995]

A million thanks, dear Walker! This copyright protection has really taken part in the present obscurity of a bunch of composers similar to Blanchet. I hope some day his whole compositional output will be accesible to everyone. Why not be in the same position with Ireland, Delius & Holbrooke? He deserves the same recognition & appreciation.

[fredbucket]

We have too few single composer threads like this, so I won't merge this into the French Piano Music thread unless it doesn't take off.

Not a good idea, Rob. Blanchet was Swiss

We went through quite a bit of Blanchet's output several years ago, so a large majority of it has already been scanned. Does anyone have a worklist to help kick this thread off?

Grove is not forthcoming on this, but:

Blanchet, Emile-Robert

(b Lausanne, 17 July 1877; d Pully, nr Lausanne, 27 March 1943). Swiss pianist and composer. After early studies with his father, the organist Charles Blanchet (1833–1900), and then with his mother, Marie Schnyder, an excellent pianist, Blanchet attended the Cologne Conservatory from the age of 18, where his teachers included Gustave Jensen for harmony and counterpoint, Friedrich Wilhelm Frankel and Seiss. In 1898 he left Cologne for Berlin, and subsequently Weimar, to study with Busoni, whose influence was to prove pivotal to Blanchet's future development. At 25 he made his début with the Berlin PO, after which he appeared throughout Germany and elsewhere, including a tour of Switzerland as accompanist to the violinist Henri Gerber. In 1905 he became director of the Lausanne Conservatoire, a position he relinquished in 1908 in order to concentrate more on teaching and composition. In 1909 he was awarded first prize for his Tema con variazioni for piano op.13 in a competition in Berlin. As a pianist, Blanchet's virtuoso technique was well suited to his chosen repertory, which was based primarily on the works of Beethoven, Liszt, Brahms and especially Chopin, in addition to those of Debussy, Ravel and Louis Vierne. His playing was particularly admired for its power and control and for the variety of colour and nuance he was able to achieve through a subtle pedal technique.

In 1929 Blanchet's Concertstück no.1, op.14, for piano and orchestra was chosen as a compulsory piece for the virtuoso class at the Chicago Musical College. The Concertstück and the Ballade op.57, originally written for two pianos but later arranged for piano and orchestra by Ansermet, are the only two of Blanchet’s published works to involve the orchestra; and, with the exception of some works for voice and piano, violin and piano, and a single composition for organ, Blanchet's output was exclusively for the piano. In addition to the Tema con variazioni op.13, of which he later made a revised version, his most characteristic compositions include the Suite Turquie, comprising opp.18, 50 and 51, which adumbrates his interest in orientalism; the ten-movement Suite Romantique op.54b; the Suite in A minor op.87; and, especially, the Sonata op.108, a highly concentrated work, dedicated to his colleague, Josef Turczynski. Blanchet also devoted a considerable portion of his output to études, in which the poetic and expressive content evolves directly from the featured technical elements. Like Godowsky, he also used figurations from other composers' works, for example Liszt, Schumann and particularly Chopin, as the starting point for original études of his own. Blanchet's students included Germaine Schmidt, Francis Lombriser, François Olivier and Irène Bächtold-Hertig.

A start for the worklist (not complete obviously)

Au Jardin du vieux Serail
Op. 7 Five Etudes
Op. 13 Theme and Variations
Op. 15 No. 1 Etude de Concert
Op. 15 No. 3 Polonaise
Op. 15 No. 4 Scherzo
Op. 18 Turquie
Op. 19 Neuf Etudes de Concert
Op. 22 Variations on a theme by Mendelssohn
Op. 27 No3 Impromptu
Op. 28 Tocsin, Passacaglia
Op. 29 Ballade No. 1
Op. 30 Ballade No. 2
Op. 32 Ballade No. 3
Op. 35 Three Ecossaises
Op. 41 Sixty-Four Preludes
Op. 41b Exercises for the left hand
Op. 44 Two Pieces
Op. 45 Rhapsodie turque
Op. 47 Divertimento
Op. 50 Le Pont des Caravanes (Smyrne)
Op. 53 Etudes for the left hand alone
Op. 55 Huit Etudes de concert
Op.108 Sonata
Saltarello

Regards
Fred

[delius1995]

Really useful info, dear fredbucket! And I was waiting someone to observe Blanchet was Swiss... Groves may have a wrong info : "Le jardin duvieul serail" is the 3rd part of Turquie, Op. 18 ( you can listen to it by clicking the youtube link I posted earlier in this thread). Many thanks for the biographical notes too! Every other info/review/analysis would be much appreciated!

[rob]

Fred:

"Emile-Robert Blanchet (1877–1943), Swiss-born, French-settled pianist and composer." So I guess it's up to the Swiss and French members on here to squabble over whether he is Swiss or French. Can't say I want a repeat of the squabbles over Cesar Franck, who was Dutch (!) by birth, Belgian by upbringing and French by 'settlement'!

[Caprotti]

Au Jardin du vieux Serail
Op. 7 Five Etudes
Op. 13 Theme and Variations
Op. 15 No. 1 Etude de Concert
Op. 15 No. 3 Polonaise
Op. 15 No. 4 Scherzo
Op. 18 Turquie
Op. 19 Neuf Etudes de Concert
Op. 22 Variations on a theme by Mendelssohn
Op. 27 No3 Impromptu
Op. 28 Tocsin, Passacaglia
Op. 29 Ballade No. 1
Op. 30 Ballade No. 2
Op. 32 Ballade No. 3
Op. 35 Three Ecossaises
Op. 41 Sixty-Four Preludes
Op. 41b Exercises for the left hand
Op. 44 Two Pieces
Op. 45 Rhapsodie turque
Op. 47 Divertimento
Op. 50 Le Pont des Caravanes (Smyrne)
Op. 53 Etudes for the left hand alone
Op. 55 Huit Etudes de concert
Op.108 Sonata
Saltarello

Regards
Fred

I can add :
op.09 Polonaise
op.11 Polonaise
op.14 Concertstuck
op.42 Deux Etudes
op.52 Six Etudes polyrythmiques
op.54 Exercices en forme musicale
op.70 Poème
op.76 n.4 Fileuse
op.78 n.1 Allegro
op.78 n.2 Agitato
op.82 n.1 Lento sostenuto
op.93 2 Toccatine
op.106 Etudes
op.107 n.1 Pastorale
op.107 n.2 Toccata

[Dani_area_51]

At imslp there are some pieces by Blanchet although some of them are temporarily blocked.....