Martha Argerich plays for historic piano jury
UncategorizedWe haven’t managed to identify the contestant at this competition, but she looks an awful lot like Martha. Any thoughts?
The judges are all well known, and named.
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From a Guardian article, based on a BBC…
These boys died way before Martha was born! This woman has been previously identified, but I don’t recall her name.
M%
Maybe Hélène Léon or Andrée Vaurabourg in 1905 or 1906
Ha Ha! Well, you may be having a chuckle Norman – perhaps you are pulling our leg??!! It’s a wonderful thought though, and I agree it absolutely does look like Argerich when she was say 12? However, her being born in 1941 does not agree with the death dates of most of that historic jury: Albinez died in 1909, 32 years before Martha was born. Moszkowski called it quits in 1925, 16 years before Martha popped out and Faure said farewell in 1924, 17 years before that smack on the bottom to encourage breathing. Vines died in 1943, when Martha was aged 2. The only one credible is Alfred Cortot, who passed in 1962, when Argerich was 21. But the premise is deliciously wonderful. An amazing photo capturing five legends together on a jury. I wonder who that young pianist actually is? Hopefully other readers / contributors can shed some light. Best wishes, Tony Magee (Canberra, Australia).
I don’t know who the lady pianist is. I think she isn’t a great pianist. By no means is she Martha Argerich (b. 1941). She didn’t study at the Paris Conservatoire. On the other hand, Gabriel Faure’ (d. 1924). Moreover, she doesn’t resemble Martha Argerich at all. I think the photo was taken around 1920. So, the title of your article is either MARTHA ARGERICH DOESN’T PLAY FOR HISTORIC PIANO JURY or IT ISN’T MARTHA ARGERICH WHO PLAYS FOR HISTORIC PIANO JURY. Open your eyes and listen to classical music… And read on… You have just made a fool of yourself, John Doe…
Albeniz died in 1909.
My second comment: Three of the five members of the jury had died before Martha Argerich was born (Albeniz, Moszkowski and Faure’) and a fourth one (Vines) died when she was 2 years old. The photo was surely taken at the beginning of the 20th century (1901-1909). Before Albeniz’s death, of course (who died first)…
I believe this is likely to be Lili Boulanger (younger sister of Nadia). she lived from 1893-1918. She entered the Paris Conservertoire in 1909.
Photo was published in a French newspaper in August 1906 alongside an article for that year’s (female section) Paris Conservatory competition. A discussion I’ve seen elsewhere lists the competitors and postulates that’s it’s likely to be the winner (Helene Leon), but no confirmation.
I believe you’re correct, Andy. A YouTube channel that I subscribe to announced it’s Hélène Léon and she won the female competition. I trust his cred. Now, what about the bushy mustaches on the jury members. Was it a stipulated requirement to become judge in the piano competition to effect gravitas?
Here is a better picture, albeit without the captions:
http://www.bruzanemediabase.com/ita/Documents/Images/Une-epreuve-d-examen-aux-concours-publics-du-Conservatoire
I will take a guess that this is Emma Boynet who joined the class of Isidore Philipp at the age of 17 in 1908 — perhaps playing her entry exam for the jury?
More details about Emma Boynet from the CD booklet here:
https://booklets.idagio.com/5024709160334.pdf
She DOES look uncannily like Argerich.
Irony and whimsy not strong points on this thread.
Absolutely. And still they come — see below! Whatever happened to *!ironics!* ?
We’ll, for starters, Isaac Albeniz died in 1909. Martha was born in1941.
So true. I’m shaking my head.
This is a road that was also travelled six years ago, including a cut-and-pasted comment that appears on both webpages. A short list of potential candidates apparently pulled from the official records is also included: https://m.facebook.com/meloclassic/photos/legendary-jury-members-at-the-paris-conservatoire/1330609133676417/
Interesting to note that in this list:
https://www.facebook.com/meloclassic/photos/p.1331390900264907/1331390900264907/
the greatest name (awarded a 2nd Prize only) is Yvonne Gellibert, who had a huge international career and left significant recordings.
Guiomar Novaes?
Terrible jury. All white. All male. No ethnically diverse enough. Not enough trans representation either.
World is such a better place since… just a little more effort towards equality and these moustache guys will be able to carry a child….we can’t wait. Good find Norman, I wish I could hear her play…
Cannot tell if this comment is ironic or just ignorant.
Cherchez la femme!!!
The young woman in this photo (taken in August 1906 per Mr. Hairgrove’s online resource) may remain just an anonymous face, given the number of female students enrolled at the Conservatoire. This Oxford thesis (https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:7cf4de84-2518-464a-89f5-27a7e644884e/download_file?safe_filename=Rasmussen_2021_musicians_students_listeners.pdf&file_format=application%2Fpdf) reports that a large proportion of the students were women:
“At the Paris Conservatoire between 1906 and 1911, women represented on average slightly less than half of the graduating cohorts, with an average of 47 percent of the student body.(18) Of the 389 laureates in 1907, 180 were women (46 percent); in 1908, this figure was 188 of 388 (48 percent); in 1909 it was 175 of 396 (44 percent); and in 1911, 222 of 452 (49 percent). As such, women did not represent an outright majority, but the numbers of male and female students were never far off equal, almost achieving gender parity in the graduating classes of 1908 and 1911. On her first day of classes, a young woman would not find herself alone in a sea of male peers. Indeed, for many subjects – music theory, voice, and keyboard classes – the Paris Conservatoire separated its students by gender, meaning her class would be all women, with the possible exception of the instructor. Even in the violin class, she was almost certain to have several female classmates.“
thank you!
Easy: Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) – Marthe Argerich (1941-). Nuf said
Neither Khatia nor Yuja then!
I always thought there was something unearthly about Martha Argerich, and now we learn she is a time traveler. Those flat hands are the giveaway.
Roswell! Roswell!
How about Clara Haskil? Look at the German entry at Wikipedia – this should solve the riddle 🙂
Of course it’s Martha Argerich. Or her twin.
Based on the curls, the AI face recognition software declares that to be Mary Pickford.
Tongue firmly implanted in cheek. I enjoyed the trip into the past. Thank you, Mr Lebrecht!
If you look very closely in the back behind Fauré you will see a certain Mr. Zelig. THAT’s the real story!
The point of this photo from 1906 is the jury, not the girl at the piano (who by the way might be Hélène Léon)
There is a great Chinese proverb that says “When a man points at the skies, the imbecile looks at the finger”.
the pianist is the young Teresa Carreño!