Alfred Cortot - Schubert Club

Artist note by Richard Evidon

This legendary French pianist was also a distinguished teacher and, with violinist Jacques Thibaud and cellist Pablo Casals, a member of the finest piano trio of the early 20th century. Here he is playing two Chopin waltzes, filmed in a Paris studio in 1943:

In this haunting film clip from a 1953 masterclass in Paris, Cortot interprets “The Poet Speaks”, the last piece from Schumann’s Kinderszenen (“Scenes from Childhood”):

An extensive, highly informative segment devoted to Cortot in the video documentary The Art of Piano begins at 0:56 of this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dhmU7GMu7U&ab_channel=TheHoursinBetween

From the Schubert Club Archive:

Promotional flyer for Cortot’s 1926 concert

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The guest artist lineup for the 1926-27 season, featured in the St. Paul Daily News on September 26, 1926

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Schubert Club event calendar for the 1922-23 season showing Cortot’s concert scheduled for January 30, 1923, at People’s Church in St. Paul

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Newspaper ad for Cortot’s 1926 concert

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Photo of Cortot in local newspaper prior to his 1926 concert

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Newspaper announcement of Cortot’s 1926 concert, featuring his program

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Schubert Club event calendar for the 1926-27 season showing Cortot’s concert scheduled for November 9, 1926, at People’s Church in St. Paul

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Review of Cortot’s 1926 performance

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A local in-depth profile of Cortot

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Lifespan

September 26, 1877 – June 15, 1962

Schubert Club Performances

JANUARY 30, 1923
PEOPLE’S CHURCH, ST. PAUL

Program
VIVALDI
Concerto da Camera

CHOPIN
Andante Spianato et Polonaise
Les 24 Preludes

SAINT-SAËNS
Études en forme de Valse
Bourrée pour la main gauche soule

DEBUSSY
La Cathédrale engloutie

ALBÉNIZ
Seguidillas

LISZT
Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

NOVEMBER 9, 1926
PEOPLE’S CHURCH, ST. PAUL

Program
BEETHOVEN
Sonata in C-sharp minor “Moonlight”, Op. 27, No. 2

CHOPIN
Étude in E major, Op. 10, No. 3
Étude in G-flat, Op. 10, No. 5
Étude in E-flat minor, Op. 10, No. 6
Étude in C major, Op. 10, No. 7
Étude in A-flat, Op. 10, No. 1
Étude in C minor, Op. 10, No. 12
Étude in A-flat, Op. 25, No. 1
Étude in F minor, Op. 25, No. 2
Étude in F major, Op. 25, No. 3
Étude in E minor, Op. 25, No. 5
Étude in G-flat, Op. 25, No. 9
Étude in A minor, Op. 25, No. 11

DEBUSSY
Children’s Corner