Chopin Valse No. 1 In E Flat Major Grande Valse Brillante Op. 18 - Music

Chopin Valse No. 1 In E Flat Major Grande Valse Brillante Op. 18 by Samson Francois

Samson Francois

Artist Biography For Samson Francois

Samson Pascal François May 18 1924 - October 22 1970 Was A French Pianist. François Was Born In Frankfurt Where His Father Worked At The French Consulate. His Mother Rose Named Him Samson For Strength And Pascal For Spirit. François Discovered The Piano Early – At The Age Of Two – And His First Studies Were In Italy With Mascagni Who Encouraged Him To Give His First Concert At The Age Of Six. Moving From Country To Country With His Itinerant Family He Studied In Belgrade With Cyril Licar Obtaining A First Prize In Performance. Licar Also Introduced Him To The Works Of Bartók. Having Studied In The Conservatoire In Nice From 1932 To 1935 Where He Again Won First Prize François Came To The Attention Of Alfred Cortot Who Encouraged Him To Move To Paris And Study With Yvonne Lefébure At The L'École Normale De Musique. He Also Studied Piano With Cortot Who Reportedly Found Him Almost Impossible To Teach And Harmony With Nadia Boulanger. In 1938 He Moved To The Paris Conservatoire To Study With Marguerite Long The Doyenne Of French Teachers Of The Age. He Was Particularly Admired For His Performances Of Chopin Schumann Debussy And Ravel. Many Of These Interpretations Are Now Available On Compact Disc. François Was A Keen Jazz Fan And Claimed That Jazz Influenced His Playing. He Composed Among Other Works A Concerto For Piano And Incidental Music For Film. He Married Josette Bahvsar And Their Son Maximilien Was Born In 1955. Maximilien Published A Biography Of His Father In 2002. Samson François' Extravagant Lifestyle Good Looks And Passionate But Highly Disciplined Playing Gave Him A Cult Status As A Pianist. Though His Passion For Night Life And His Reckless Behavior Characterized By Lavish Drinking And Drug Use Resulted In A Heart Attack On The Concert Platform In 1968. His Early Death Followed Only Two Years Later. Critic John Bell Young In The St Petersburg Times Of Florida Called François On May 5 2002 "a Charismatic Figure An Iconoclast And Musical Maverick" Who Along With Long And Cortot Was "the Most Important Pianist In Postwar France. There Was Something Of The Swashbuckler About Him His Playing Was As Daring As It Was Rhapsodic But Also Notable For Its Uncompromising Integrity And Extraordinary Intelligence." François Himself Said Never Play Simply To Play Well. And In A Remark That Was Clearly Inspired By His Jazz Influences It Must Be That There Is Never The Impression Of Being Obliged To Play The Next Note.