Alfred Cortot

Born in Nyon in Switzerland, Cortot studied at the Paris Conservatoire, winning the piano prize there in 1896. Between 1898 and 1901 he was an assistant conductor at Bayreuth from 1898 to 1901, and in 1902 he conducted the Paris premiere of Götterdämmerung. He later taught the piano at the Paris Conservatoire before founding the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris in 1919. His courses in musical interpretation there became almost legendary. He toured as a pianist all over the world, also appearing as guest conductor of many orchestras. He died in Lausanne.

As a pianist, Cortot was particularly noted for his interpretations of Frederic Chopin and Robert Schumann, and he made editions of both those composers' music. He also played chamber music, most notably in a piano trio with Jacques Thibaud and Pablo Casals.

Recordings

Cortot represents the end of an era. He was the last exponent of a personal, subjective style that deprecated precise technique in favor of intuition and interpretation. This approach was replaced by the modern objective and scientific way of playing, which places logic and precision at the forefront.

Cortot was an artist and a law unto himself. To enjoy his playing one must first come to terms with his idiosyncrasies. Modern ears may find his playing cavalier, willful, approximate, and even sloppy. Under that surface, however, lie great depth and insight.

Cortot's recordings are highly variable. Spirited and passionate, they are also technically imperfect. Some dating from his late career simply show a decline in his technique. The EMI Chopin set (67359) is a good survey but a mixed bag. It is probably the best general introduction, as it concentrates on a composer with whom Cortot had a strong identification, but it does not always show him at his best. For example, an earlier set of Etudes, from 1934, is superior in many ways, especially in note accuracy. These can be found on Dante and other labels.