Get out of Jail Card
Donald Macleod continues his 'Tour de France' in a week exploring revolutionary French composer H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult. Today, how Helene鈥檚 keyboard skills saved her life.
Donald Macleod continues the second leg of his 鈥淭our de France"; three weeks focused on French composers from different eras, running alongside the famous French cycle race. This week, Donald introduces us to the remarkable life story and unsung musical innovations of H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult.
There aren鈥檛 many composers who can claim that music saved their life 鈥� at least, in the literal sense. But for H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult, it was her astounding powers of improvisation that got her out of the stickiest situation imaginable, hauled in front of the guillotine during the French Revolution. This week, we鈥檒l follow her rollercoaster tale and hear how she had her own revolutionary impact on the piano literature. Described as a precursor of Romanticism, anticipating the language of Schubert and Mendelssohn, audiences said her playing 鈥渕ade the keys speak鈥�. She broke ground as the first female professor at the Paris Conservatoire and left behind 600 pages of music, including a complete course for piano which elevated the technical study into a miniature lyrical art form. As Donald pieces together her tantalising story, he鈥檚 joined by pianist Clare Hammond, who has spent recent years getting to know Montgeroult and recording an album of her 茅tudes.
Today, H茅l猫ne is back home in Paris 鈥� but widowed, and locked up in a jail cell. Facing the guillotine, we hear how she used her musical talents to save her own life, and how she was set free with a new vocation. Donald and Clare discuss the impact of this extraordinary episode, as well as her pioneering approach as a piano teacher.
Etude No 114 in F minor
Bruno Robilliard, piano
Sonata in G minor, Op 2 No 1
Nicolas Horvath, piano
Th猫me vari茅 dans le genre moderne
Edna Stern, fortepiano
Sonata in D major, Op 5 No 1 (2nd-4th mvts)
Hiroaki Takenouchi, piano
Etudes Nos 82 in C minor, 104 in G sharp minor, and 74 in C minor
Clare Hammond, piano
Produced by Amelia Parker for 大象传媒 Audio Cardiff
Last on
Music Played
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H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult
Etude No 114 in F minor
Performer: Bruno Robilliard.- HORTUS : HOR048.
- HORTUS.
- 9.
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H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult
Sonata in G minor, Op 2 No 1
Performer: Nicolas Horvath.- GRAND PIANO : GP885-86.
- GRAND PIANO.
- 7.
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H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult
Theme varie dans le genre moderne
Performer: Edna Stern.- Orchid Classics : ORC 100063.
- Orchid Classics.
- 17.
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H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult
Sonata in D major, Op 5 No 1
Performer: Hiroaki Takenouchi. -
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H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult
Etude No 82
Performer: Clare Hammond.- BIS : 2603.
- BIS.
- 19.
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H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult
Etude No 104
Performer: Clare Hammond.- BIS : 2603.
- BIS.
- 26.
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H茅l猫ne de Montgeroult
Etude No 74
Performer: Clare Hammond.- BIS : 2603.
- BIS.
- 17.
Broadcast
- Wed 13 Jul 2022 12:00大象传媒 Radio 3
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