The 2025 Thibaud-Long Competition: One French entrant, the rest Asian
NewsHere’s the list of selected candidates.
Marguerite Long was the dedicatee of the Ravel G major concerto. Jacques Thibaud formed a trio with Cortot as Casals. They were as French as French can be.
The last result of this sad show was also all-Asian. The event is sponsored by the city of Paris.
I see a lot of flags in that list from non-Asian countries…are you saying that they are not citizens of their countries?
I noticed the program book so familiar. But then noticed it is from 1989, the year I entered. Thirty five years ago from exactly around time. Hard to believe. It was a very diverse roster of entrants. All I remember is being very nervous, but enjoying cheese, chocolate and pastries in Paris. That certainly helped!! Good luck to all this go around.
Well done, your self-promotion knows no bounds. No mention of your prize though, oh wait – you didn’t get one, did you. We know what went through your bowels though, so that’s compensation of sorts. Plus sa change.
Since when were nations like USA and Canada considered Asian, Norman? Or is this just more of your slipshod rushed copymaking to reach your daily minimum click/comment levels to get the bonus in your contract…
Shame on you. You had standards once.
Premier Grand Prix, tie with Brian Ganz. No self promotion, just a genuine reflection of a time long gone. What’s to promote? It was a competition, and many have come and gone since. It was simply a special feeling to see the image from 35 years ago. If anything, just showing my age.
Jeffrey, you are someone whose comments I always enjoy reading for their insight, humility and magnanimity. Your most recent reply honours you. Thank you.
Jeffrey, after your first post i was ready to agree with Terry. With your subsequent post i eat (or at least, snack on), my words. But “cheese, chocolate and pastries….!” Bravo for the humor and personal touch. I hope some wine played a part …??
PS. I love Leroy Anderson but his concerto is really not his best! Well played anyway(s*).
*For the “Murricans!”
And for Terry, it’s “plus ça change!”
@Terry: Why did you feel the need to be so nasty?
I didn’t expect Mr Jeffrey Biegel to chime in here. I’ve listening to his Naxos Leroy Anderson’s piano concerto quite a bit this year. It’s a lovely performance and concerto. It’s a great American masterpiece that’s been criminally neglected.
Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tdrKh2RJu8
Superbly played by Biegel. Chapeau!
(I will, with great force, restrain myself from commenting on the music as such.)
That’s good to know!
Thank you for sharing your enjoyment of this very special concerto. Several years ago, former leader of the League of American Orchestras, Henry Fogel, shared similar sentiments. Hopefully, future generations of pianists will add the Leroy Anderson Concerto to their repertoire.
What is your obsession with race? Why is this “the sad show”? You do know that there are many French Asians too, right? Norman, if you’re not going to catch up with the times, just retire.
Mr. Lebrecht, the title of your article is misleading. Although there is a majority of competitors from Asian countries, it is certainly not ‘one French entrant and the rest is Asian’. I appreciate your work but facts should be presented as they are.
The headline generalises. There are, admittedly, two non-Asians who are not French.
‘Generalises’ is somewhat misleading, but then you specialise in that as well as muckraking.
I guess years and years of Americans talking about nothing but race does have it’s consequences.
What a generous interpretation – but I have learned to expect that from you…
Race, nationality, religion does not matter – music is universal. In this already divided world at least keep this classical music blog focused on music. Many headlines here routinely refer to musicians by their nationalities – I find that totally inappropriate.
It’s a fallacy to think music and classical arts are universal and make the world a better place. They don’t, and races and nationalities matter.
If there were no great artistic achievements of humanity, what would that say about the human species? Of course the world is a better place because of all these things being included in it.
Shame on people who want to appear as classical music lovers but in fact, denigrate it, trample it with their [redacted] feet.
I wanted to say something more, something even more important, but my PA is rolling with her eyes and she still needs to finish a letter.
Let me guess…you are over 70 years old. Good job using the internet though! For the record, it’s not a “fallacy” but rather an object fact that classical music is played in every corner of the world, enriching people’s lives.
Because the world obviously is full of racists – it’s a no brainer, no?!
I’m not in the least surprised that people find Asians as a racial reference unpalatable, as it’s a reminder that they’re blitzing just about everything and not just music. The fact is they have a cultural heritage; they come from Asian stock where hard work and sacrifice are valued and rewarded. Then when they want to get into Harvard they’re disadvantaged in favour of African Americans.
Long may the Asian peoples support classical music and its regime of hard work and delayed gratification!
What’s your point? Are you suggesting the selection should be tilted to favor ethnically French pianists?
It is striking, to say the least, that in a typical French competition there are hardly any French contestants. Or if there were any, they were eclipsed by Chinese.
The Asian absorption of Western classical music is a remarkable phenomenon, and all the more remarkable when compared with so much criticism in the West directed to the art form, as if it were elitist, oldfashioned, white suprematist, mysoginist, etc. etc.
So what? in this day and age people’s ethnic origin is of no interest whatever.
By ‘Asian’ I think most people mean ‘East Asian’ since I see almost zero Southeast Asians, Indians, blacks, Persians, Arabs, etc. in music competitions and symphony orchestras.
It’s just not their thing, much as the right-on left-liberals try to make us believe the contrary.
Tell me you’re a racist boomer without telling me you’re a racist boomer……
What’s the next step you are gonna take. Phrenology?