Description

LUCIEN SCHWARTZ (BORN ABRAHAM SCHWARTZ ON 26 MARCH 1899 IN PARIS; DIED 5 OCTOBER 1985 IN LA VERRIÈRE, FRANCE)

 

 

 

 

Lucien Schwartz was a French violinist best known for his work as a soloist and orchestral musician in the early 20th century.

Education & Early Life

Schwartz studied violin at the Conservatoire National de Paris, where he won the first prize in violin in 1918 — a notable achievement in one of France’s most prestigious musical institutions.

Musical Career

He became a member of the Orchestre des Concerts Pasdeloup, one of France’s oldest symphonic ensembles founded in the 19th century.

As a violinist with the Pasdeloup orchestra, Schwartz also performed in chamber groups, including the Trio Wurmser-Schwartz-Serres.

Notable Recording

Lucien Schwartz made one of the first commercial recordings of Maurice Ravel’s Tzigane, Rapsodie de concert (violin and piano version) in 1929 or published January 1930 on the Gramophone label. This recording was significant because it was made during Ravel’s lifetime and in front of the composer himself — giving us an early interpretation of this virtuosic work.

Repertoire and Performances

Apart from Tzigane, Schwartz also recorded other popular violin pieces of the time, such as Monti’s Czárdás and Toselli’s Sérénade for violin with the Concerts Pasdeloup, evidencing a varied performance repertoire in recordings on the Gramophone label.

He continued to perform Tzigane in concert as late as 1933, including versions with orchestral accompaniment.

Legacy

While not as widely remembered as major soloists of the era, Schwartz’s early recording of Ravel’s Tzigane remains historically important for violinists and music historians studying performance practice of French repertoire in the early recording era.

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Berceuse de Jocelyn (Godard) Lucien Petitjean (p) L-881 52-864 2G 131 HMV, 1931-01-29
2. Doubt (Be still, my fears) (Mikhail Glinka) with Feodor Chaliapin 32-1797 (CF 3358), HMV
3. Lullaby, Op. 16 (Fauré) Lucien Petitjean (p) L-881 2G 132 HMV 1931-01-29
4. Nocturne en Ré b‚ mol (Chopin arr Wilhelmj) L-630 0237917 HMV, 24- 3-27
5. Scènes humoristiques – n°1, Coq et poules (H. Leonard) K-6134 50-1159 HMV
6. Scènes humoristiques – n°3, Chatte et souris (H. Leonard) K-6134 50-1160 HMV
7. Sonata Notturna in E-flat major, Op. 4 No. 3 Sarabande/Gavotte/Andante/Largo with Henri Merkel (violin) and André Navarra (cello) (J.C. Bach) OL118, OL118, OL119, OL119, PART 1443- PART 1446 HMV 1939-06-01
8. 9. Tzigane M 76 version Pour Violon Et Piano (Ravel) Lucien Petitjean (p) 038043, CN406-1, W1033, 038044, CN407-2, W1033 HMV, 11-3-29
9. Zigeunerweisen (Sarasate) L-630 0237916 HMV, 24- 3-27