E. Robert Schmitz

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Elie Robert Schmitz (born February 8, 1889 in Paris , † September 5, 1949 in San Francisco ) was a French pianist and music teacher .

Schmitz sang in the church choir as a child and had violin and piano lessons. From 1906 to 1910 he studied both instruments at the Conservatoire de Paris , where Camille Chevillard and Louis Diemer were among his teachers. In 1909 he interrupted his studies for an American tour to accompany the singers Emma Eames , Maggie Teyte and Leo Slezak . From 1911 he headed the Association Musicale Moderne et Artistique (from 1914 Association de Concerts Schmitz ). The society, which in addition to an orchestra and a choir comprised several chamber music ensembles, gave world premieres of many works by contemporary French composers, including Claude Debussy's Première rhapsodie for clarinet and orchestra, Albert Roussel's Evocations , Paul Le Flems Crépuscules d'amour and Darius Milhaud's Suite Symphonique .

Before the First World War Schmitz also toured as a piano soloist through Holland and Belgium and performed in particular with piano works by Claude Debussy , he also worked as a companion with the leading actors of Pelléas et Mélisande , David Devries and Maggie Teyte . During the First World War Schmitz was at the front for three years. a. as a participant in the Battle of Verdun , and suffered an injury to his left hand.

In 1918 he resumed his career as a pianist in New York. He played compositions by John Alden Carpenter , Arnold Schönberg , Maurice Ravel , Sergei Prokofjew , Darius Milhaud , Arthur Honegger and Manuel de Falla . He made recordings in Thomas Alva Edison's laboratories in New Jersey. In 1920 he founded the Franco-American Society (from 1924 Pro-Musica Inc. ) to promote contemporary musicians and music. The society sponsored performances of European music such as that of Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartók , Ottorino Respighi , Paul Hindemith , Arnold Schönberg, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Albert Roussel , Alexandre Tansman , Sergei Prokofiew , Alfredo Casella , Arthur Bliss , Germaine Tailleferre , Florent Schmitt , Zoltán Kodály , Igor Stravinsky , Anton Webern , Alexander Tscherepnin , Ernst Toch , Nadia Boulanger , Carlos Salzedo and Georges Barrère and sent American artists such as Marion Bauer , Charles Tomlinson Griffes and Louis Gruenberg to France and Russia ( Roland Hayes ).

In addition, Schmitz toured the USA and Europe as a pianist and teacher. Even after Pro Musica Inc. was dissolved , he was committed to promoting contemporary music. In 1945 he founded the E. Robert Schmitz School in San Francisco and donated a Claude Debussy Prize for pianists. Among other things, he wrote a textbook on piano technique ( The Capture of Inspiration , 1935) and a book on Debussy ( The Piano Works of Claude Debussy , 1950).

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personal data
SURNAME Schmitz, E. Robert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schmitz, Elie Robert (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French pianist and music teacher
DATE OF BIRTH February 8, 1889
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris
DATE OF DEATH September 5, 1949
Place of death San Francisco