Description

MARIE PANTHÈS (ODESSA, NOVEMBER 3, 1871 – NEW YORK, MARCH 11, 1955)

Marie Panthès was the daughter of French-Polish and French-Russian parents. She came to Paris at the age of 14 and studied at the Conservatoire National de musique et de déclamation, among others in the classes of Louise-Aglaé Massart-Masson and Henry Fissot (1843-1896). Over the years she has received various prizes and awards at the annual Conservatoire competitions: in 1884 she received the first medal in the solfège category. In 1885 and 1886 she won the third or first medal in the Piano, Classes préparatoires (preparatory classes) competition, and in 1887 and 1888 she was one of the laureates in the piano competition, where she was first honored with an award and one year later with the awarded first prize. Marie Panthès quickly made a name for herself as a pianist and undertook numerous tours through Europe (Odessa 1888; Germany 1896–1899, 1910, 1912, 1913; Prague 1898; Warsaw 1899; London 1899, 1904, 1914; Austria 1905, 1910, 1911, 1913; Netherlands 1908, 1912 and France). In Paris she performed almost every year between 1886 and 1936, in Geneva and other Swiss cities for the first time in 1892 and then regularly from 1902 to 1954. The Russian pianist of the French school has been a soloist in the Geneva Concerts Colonne et Lamoureux several times. Among the many concerts and musical events, the thematic performances are particularly worth mentioning, for example on the history of piano music with works from the 17th to 19th centuries (“Concerts historiques” in Paris and Lausanne 1909) or the contributions in the context of lectures on Chopin (Paris and Geneva 1925), as well as a series of lecture concerts (e.g. 1938 at the Geneva Conservatory and 1940 at the Geneva Lycéum). In 1928, Marie Panthès played works by Chopin and Mozart for the film “La Valse de l’Adieu” (an episode in the life of Chopin) in Geneva and Lausanne cinemas. In 1904 Marie Panthès was appointed piano professor at the Geneva Conservatory. However, she resigned from this position in 1917 because of disagreements with the Conservatoire Committee. In the following years she lived in Lausanne with her husband Maurice Darier, violin professor at the Académie de musique in Geneva. The two also performed together. It was not until 1931 that Marie Panthès returned to Geneva. She resumed her work at the Conservatoire and taught there for the next 20 years. Her students include Julien-François Zbinden, Suzanne Laversay (pseudonym: Laure Varel), Johnny Aubert, Isabelle Nef, Marguerite Roesgen and Annie Pautex. In 1951 Marie Panthès had to stop this work for health reasons. A malignant melanoma on her head caused her increasing pain. The pianist gave her last public concert at the end of 1953 at the Geneva Conservatoire. One since the spring of 1954 by the well-known cancer specialist Dr. Revici in New York could not be completed. Marie Panthès died of her illness on March 11, 1955 in New York. Marie Panthès was considered a specialist in romantic piano music. Her focus was on the works of Chopin, but French composers were also frequently found on her concert programmes. On November 2nd, 1916 in Geneva, together with the cellist Roger Steinmetz, she played the world premiere of Claude Debussy’s Six Epigraphes Antiques. From 1928 her recordings were regularly broadcast by various radio stations, with works by Chopin being particularly common. Her daughter Aline died in 1927. Her second husband was the violin teacher and conductor J. S. Maurice Darier (1879–1932).

TRACKLIST

1. Mazurka, Op. 17 No. 4 (Chopin) Columbia DF 1919 CL 5664
2. Nocturne No. 17 in B-flat Op. 62-1 (Chopin) Columbia DFX 216 CLX 1897
3. Nocturne Posthume en do dièse mineur (Chopin) Columbia DF 1919 CL 5663
4. Pastorale variée (Mozart) Columbia DFX 169 CLX 1757
5. Suite espagnole No. 1, Op. 47 I. Granada (Albeniz) Columbia DFX 169 CLX 1758
6. Suite No. 2 (Marescotti) Columbia DFX 209 CLX 1899, CLX1900
7. Interview de Marie Panthès