Paul Tortelier

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Drawing by Reginald Gray

Paul Tortelier (born March 21, 1914 in Paris , † December 18, 1990 in Chaussy ) was a French cellist who achieved world fame both as an interpreter and as a teacher.

Tortelier's recordings have been published by EMI and Erato, including Bach's cello suites . In the first complete recording of Richard Strauss' orchestral works by the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden under Rudolf Kempe , he was the soloist in the tone poem Don Quixote .

One of Tortelier's students was Jacqueline du Pré , whose best man was Tortelier when she married Daniel Barenboim .

Tortelier's son and student Yan Pascal Tortelier is an internationally recognized conductor.

biography

Tortelier was encouraged by his parents to practice the cello from an early age. His Breton father, a carpenter by trade, played the violin and mandolin himself. His mother loved the cello and was eager to raise her talented son to be a cellist. At the age of twelve he came to the Paris Conservatory in the class of Louis Feuillard, and later in that of Gérard Hekking , who became his most influential teacher. He received his first award at the age of 16 and then studied harmony with Jean Gallon for three years , an apprenticeship that was crowned by the first prize for music harmony teaching in 1935.

In the following years he joined the Orchester Lamoureux, with whom he appeared for the first time as a soloist with the Concerto for Violoncello by Édouard Lalo . From 1935 to 1937 he was a member of the Orchester Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, which was directed by Arturo Toscanini and Bruno Walter during this time . During this time Richard Strauss conducted his symphonic poem Don Quixote in Monte-Carlo , in which Tortelier took over the solo cello part. Since then his name has been closely linked to this piece, which he played and recorded again on many other occasions in the course of his life.

In 1939 he was invited by Serge Koussevitzky to join the Boston Symphony Orchestra as 3rd principal cellist . After the Second World War he returned to France, where he was first soloist of the Société des concerts du Conservatoire for two years (1945–1946) .

Tortelier became a friend, admirer and student of Pablo Casals , by whom he was invited in 1950 as chief cellist to the first Festival de Prades , a commemorative event for the 200th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach's death . This made a major contribution to making him known and solidifying his cellist career. Tortelier has now been invited by numerous orchestras around the world; he formed an enduringly famous trio with Arthur Rubinstein and Isaac Stern .

Tortelier was enthusiastic about the ideals of the State of Israel founded in 1948 . 1955-56 he spent a year with his family in the kibbutz Maʿabbarōt and wrote his Symphonie d'Israël here .

Instrument making

Paul Tortelier is also the inventor of a special cello position, whereby the cellist holds it almost horizontally when playing. This position is made possible by a kinked spike (footrest) called the "Pique Tortelier".

Professorships

Paul Tortelier was a gifted teacher. In 1956 he became professor at the Paris Conservatory, which he left in 1969 to change to the Folkwang University in Essen. He stayed here until 1975. He taught at the Nice Conservatory from 1978 to 1980. In the 1970s he gave a series of masterclasses for the BBC, which were very successful. In 1980 he was the first European to be appointed honorary professor at the Beijing Conservatory.

Tortelier finally died at the age of 76 on December 18, 1990 of a heart attack in Villarceaux Castle , where he was teaching a course for young musicians.

His students were in particular Philippe Muller , Anne Gastinel , Georg Pedersen , Hege Waldeland , Johann-Sebastian Sommer , Stefan Metz , Arto Noras , Frieder Lenz , Melissa Phelps , Michel Strauss , Jean Decroos , Jacqueline du Pré , Aisling Drury-Byrne , Aleth Lamasse , Gerhard Mantel , Solen Dikener , Raphaël Sommer .

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A Century of Wisdom

Web links


personal data
SURNAME Tortelier, Paul
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French cellist
DATE OF BIRTH March 21, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris
DATE OF DEATH 18th December 1990
Place of death Chaussy (Val-d'Oise)