An Eminent Pianist

As has already been mentioned, Bizet was an eminent pianist. Edmond Galabert in his introduction to Bizet's Lettres a un ami, relates that Bizet advised him to seriously devote himself to the piano, to watch, to criticise himself, to repeat difficult passages until the touch attained the desired quality, to use the pedal with the greatest discretion and exactness. He obtained marvelous effects through the simultaneous use of both pedals and even in the fortissimo his tone never lost the mellowness of velvety quality. Accompanying himself at the piano he succeeded with his tenor voice in singing all the woman, tenor and bass parts. Among his favorite numbers were some beautiful pages from the Conquest of Troy, by Berlioz; the Etude, La Chasse, by Heller; the Nuits Blanches, of the same composer, and Bach's preludes and fugues. His technic was faultless and his musicanship of the highest order.

He thought that the pianist, in order to reach true artistic emotion, ought to hum and sing the different passages and melodies, as he did always, coloring, animating, emphasizing, especially in the orchestral compositions, when he imitated the different instruments. He possessed such a great variety of touches that he was able to suggest the different timbres without the aid of the voice.

The readers of the Etude remember my often mentioning the unlimited possibilities of the piano in reproducing the instrumental colors and I am glad to find myself in complete agreement with the illustrious French master.

The Etude Magazine July 1921