Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music, 1874-1966 by Cecilia DunoyerReview by: James William SobaskieNotes, Second Series, Vol. 51, No. 3 (Mar., 1995), pp. 947-948Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/899315 .

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Book Reviews Book Reviews

dent Erich Wolfgang Korngold in order to amplify the more specifically Viennese context of Zemlinsky's work. It is certainly possible to imagine supplementing Loll's traditional motivic and harmonic analyses with Schenkerian and set-theoretical ap- proaches.

This study, which is well illustrated with music examples (though there is no index), goes a long way toward developing an ap- preciation of Zemlinsky on his own terms. Moreover, according these works their due makes a significant contribution toward creating a new narrative of twentieth- century music more responsive to current tastes and valuations.

CHRISTOPHER HAILEY

Los Angeles

Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music, 1874-1966. By Cecilia Duno- yer. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993. [xvi, 240 p. ISBN 0-253- 31839-4. $27.95.]

New music has always needed its cham- pions, and never was there a more enthu- siastic or tireless supporter of twentieth- century French piano literature than Marguerite Long. Uniquely qualified by private study with the greatest composers of her day, notably Gabriel Faure, Claude Debussy, and Maurice Ravel, she became a persuasive advocate of their music at a time when it was still considered quite advanced and not well known. Cecilia Dunoyer's new book presents an engaging portrait of the woman once esteemed as the grande dame of French music. It also provides a valuable perspective on the dynamic Parisian mu- sical scene, from the fin de siecle and belle epoque through two wars and on into the 1960s.

By all accounts, Long was an extraordi- nary pianist. Admired for the brilliance, clarity, and suppleness of her playing, a style aptly rendered as jeu perle, she cap- tivated audiences and inspired composers for decades. Yet what dominates Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music is not so much the image of a legendary virtuoso, but that of an artist possessed by a profound sense of responsibility. In an age when sentiment still held sway and audiences came expect- ing to be thrilled, Long determinedly pur-

dent Erich Wolfgang Korngold in order to amplify the more specifically Viennese context of Zemlinsky's work. It is certainly possible to imagine supplementing Loll's traditional motivic and harmonic analyses with Schenkerian and set-theoretical ap- proaches.

This study, which is well illustrated with music examples (though there is no index), goes a long way toward developing an ap- preciation of Zemlinsky on his own terms. Moreover, according these works their due makes a significant contribution toward creating a new narrative of twentieth- century music more responsive to current tastes and valuations.

CHRISTOPHER HAILEY

Los Angeles

Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music, 1874-1966. By Cecilia Duno- yer. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1993. [xvi, 240 p. ISBN 0-253- 31839-4. $27.95.]

New music has always needed its cham- pions, and never was there a more enthu- siastic or tireless supporter of twentieth- century French piano literature than Marguerite Long. Uniquely qualified by private study with the greatest composers of her day, notably Gabriel Faure, Claude Debussy, and Maurice Ravel, she became a persuasive advocate of their music at a time when it was still considered quite advanced and not well known. Cecilia Dunoyer's new book presents an engaging portrait of the woman once esteemed as the grande dame of French music. It also provides a valuable perspective on the dynamic Parisian mu- sical scene, from the fin de siecle and belle epoque through two wars and on into the 1960s.

By all accounts, Long was an extraordi- nary pianist. Admired for the brilliance, clarity, and suppleness of her playing, a style aptly rendered as jeu perle, she cap- tivated audiences and inspired composers for decades. Yet what dominates Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music is not so much the image of a legendary virtuoso, but that of an artist possessed by a profound sense of responsibility. In an age when sentiment still held sway and audiences came expect- ing to be thrilled, Long determinedly pur-

sued authenticity in performance, con- cerned more with a composer's aesthetics and intentions than the cultivation of a charismatic stage persona. Above all, she was intent on honoring the French key- board tradition and the interpretative in- sights she believed were specially entrusted to her. Dunoyer convincingly demon- strates how Long's dedication to historical accuracy, respect for the musical text, and artistic conscience were shaped and strengthened through her encounters with composers.

But Long also had an uncommon com- mitment to teaching, a sincere desire to pass on her experiences and discoveries in- stead of merely profiting from them. For her, performing and teaching were com- plementary functions of the same impulse -an obligation to the legacy she embodied. This duality is borne out by the structure and the substance of Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music, the twelve chapters of which are divided into two parts. Part 1 covers Long's concert career and collabo- rations with composers up to the start of World War II. Part 2 portrays Long as a pedagogue and promoter of French music, roles that increasingly occupied her atten- tion after 1940.

The first chapter traces Long's youth, early years in Paris, and marriage to mu- sicologist Joseph de Marliave. Chapters 2, 4, and 6 examine her successive associa- tions with Faure, Debussy, and Ravel. In- terspersed are a chapter of vignettes of other composers Long knew as friends, such as Isaac Albeniz, Deodat de Severac, and Camille Saint-Saens, plus a chapter on the decisive events of the 1920s, including her premiere of Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, her long-awaited promotion at the Paris Conservatoire, and her first re- cordings.

Part 2 begins with a chapter on the teach- ing methods and style of Long's private lessons and public masterclasses. Chapters 8 and 9 then survey Long's activities during World War II, a period in which she con- centrated on her own piano school and es- tablished the music competition that still bears her name. The tenth chapter cap- tures Long as a mentor to rising young artists like Aldo Ciccolini and Phillipe En- tremont, while the eleventh chronicles her travels through Europe, Brazil, and the

sued authenticity in performance, con- cerned more with a composer's aesthetics and intentions than the cultivation of a charismatic stage persona. Above all, she was intent on honoring the French key- board tradition and the interpretative in- sights she believed were specially entrusted to her. Dunoyer convincingly demon- strates how Long's dedication to historical accuracy, respect for the musical text, and artistic conscience were shaped and strengthened through her encounters with composers.

But Long also had an uncommon com- mitment to teaching, a sincere desire to pass on her experiences and discoveries in- stead of merely profiting from them. For her, performing and teaching were com- plementary functions of the same impulse -an obligation to the legacy she embodied. This duality is borne out by the structure and the substance of Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music, the twelve chapters of which are divided into two parts. Part 1 covers Long's concert career and collabo- rations with composers up to the start of World War II. Part 2 portrays Long as a pedagogue and promoter of French music, roles that increasingly occupied her atten- tion after 1940.

The first chapter traces Long's youth, early years in Paris, and marriage to mu- sicologist Joseph de Marliave. Chapters 2, 4, and 6 examine her successive associa- tions with Faure, Debussy, and Ravel. In- terspersed are a chapter of vignettes of other composers Long knew as friends, such as Isaac Albeniz, Deodat de Severac, and Camille Saint-Saens, plus a chapter on the decisive events of the 1920s, including her premiere of Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin, her long-awaited promotion at the Paris Conservatoire, and her first re- cordings.

Part 2 begins with a chapter on the teach- ing methods and style of Long's private lessons and public masterclasses. Chapters 8 and 9 then survey Long's activities during World War II, a period in which she con- centrated on her own piano school and es- tablished the music competition that still bears her name. The tenth chapter cap- tures Long as a mentor to rising young artists like Aldo Ciccolini and Phillipe En- tremont, while the eleventh chronicles her travels through Europe, Brazil, and the

947 947

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NOTES, March 1995 NOTES, March 1995

Soviet Union as an "ambassador of French music." Finally, chapter 12 focuses on the last ten years of Long's life, when she sought to preserve her insights by writing three books of recollections (Au piano avec Debussy [Paris: Julliard, 1960], Au piano avec Faure [Paris: Julliard, 1963], and Au piano avec Ravel [Paris: Julliard, 1971]) and two technical manuals (Le Piano [Paris: Sala- bert, 1959] and La Petite Methode de Piano [Paris: Salabert, 1963]).

Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music offers a vital and comprehensive introduc- tion to its subject, and one certainly most welcome, for until now Long has only been represented in English by the translations of her three reminiscences (At the Piano with Debussy, trans. Olive Senior-Ellis [London: Dent, 1972], At the Piano with Ravel, trans. Olive Senior-Ellis [London: Dent, 1973], and At the Piano with Faure, trans. Olive Senior-Ellis [London: Kahn & Averill, 1980]). While each of these contains valu- able evidence and insight, all are compro- mised by some exaggeration and error, and as Dunoyer notes, they present a distorted view of the pianist (p. 203). Among the more revealing portions of Dunoyer's book are the accounts of Long's six-decade cru- sade on behalf of Faure (pp. 188-91) and what the author describes as Long's per- sonal form of resistance during World War II (pp. 126-30).

Richness and depth also characterize this biography, thanks to some special re- sources. In the course of her research, Dunoyer uncovered a large collection of Long's own annotated scores, lecture notes, autograph letters, concert programs, re- views, and other personal papers which have supplied both critical and corroborat- ing detail. The author also has drawn upon the tapes made from a series of twenty ra- dio talks Long gave in the mid-1950s called "Mes maitres, mes amis, mes eleves" and a set of six television interviews dating from 1965 for added dimension and presence. Personal interviews conducted with some of Long's friends, students, and colleagues have helped to assure the book's objectivity. Curiously, an important profile by Long's student and assistant Janine Weill (Mar- guerite Long: une vie fascinante [Paris: Julliard, 1969]) appears to have been un- derused. Even so, Dunoyer's efforts have produced an excellent study.

Soviet Union as an "ambassador of French music." Finally, chapter 12 focuses on the last ten years of Long's life, when she sought to preserve her insights by writing three books of recollections (Au piano avec Debussy [Paris: Julliard, 1960], Au piano avec Faure [Paris: Julliard, 1963], and Au piano avec Ravel [Paris: Julliard, 1971]) and two technical manuals (Le Piano [Paris: Sala- bert, 1959] and La Petite Methode de Piano [Paris: Salabert, 1963]).

Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music offers a vital and comprehensive introduc- tion to its subject, and one certainly most welcome, for until now Long has only been represented in English by the translations of her three reminiscences (At the Piano with Debussy, trans. Olive Senior-Ellis [London: Dent, 1972], At the Piano with Ravel, trans. Olive Senior-Ellis [London: Dent, 1973], and At the Piano with Faure, trans. Olive Senior-Ellis [London: Kahn & Averill, 1980]). While each of these contains valu- able evidence and insight, all are compro- mised by some exaggeration and error, and as Dunoyer notes, they present a distorted view of the pianist (p. 203). Among the more revealing portions of Dunoyer's book are the accounts of Long's six-decade cru- sade on behalf of Faure (pp. 188-91) and what the author describes as Long's per- sonal form of resistance during World War II (pp. 126-30).

Richness and depth also characterize this biography, thanks to some special re- sources. In the course of her research, Dunoyer uncovered a large collection of Long's own annotated scores, lecture notes, autograph letters, concert programs, re- views, and other personal papers which have supplied both critical and corroborat- ing detail. The author also has drawn upon the tapes made from a series of twenty ra- dio talks Long gave in the mid-1950s called "Mes maitres, mes amis, mes eleves" and a set of six television interviews dating from 1965 for added dimension and presence. Personal interviews conducted with some of Long's friends, students, and colleagues have helped to assure the book's objectivity. Curiously, an important profile by Long's student and assistant Janine Weill (Mar- guerite Long: une vie fascinante [Paris: Julliard, 1969]) appears to have been un- derused. Even so, Dunoyer's efforts have produced an excellent study.

Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music is illustrated with twenty-five photographs and augmented by endnotes, a glossary of names, a discography, a bibliography, and an index. It should appeal to anyone in- terested in French music, piano perfor- mance and pedagogy, or this exceptional ally of twentieth-century composers.

JAMES WILLIAM SOBASKIE Wausau Conservatory of Music

W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman: Libretti and Other Dramatic Writings by W.H. Auden, 1939-1973. Edited by Edward Mendelson. (The Com- plete Works of W. H. Auden.) Prince- ton: Princeton University Press, 1993. [xxxvi, 758 p. ISBN 0-691-03301-3. $49.50.]

If W. H. Auden had not cowritten the libretto for Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, his reputation as a librettist may well have been similar to that of Emile Zola, who collaborated with Alfred Bruneau: that of a great writer who also happened to write librettos for interesting but seldom performed works.

Beginning with The Rake's Progress Au- den wrote his librettos with Chester Kall- man, whose chief profession was being Auden's companion, but who also pub- lished some poetry of his own. While Au- den was the greater poet of the two, Kall- man brought to the collaboration a greater knowledge of opera and perhaps of theater in general.

Auden wrote an odd assortment of li- brettos: the American operetta Paul Bunyan (with music by another Englishman in ex- ile, Benjamin Britten); the pastiche The Rake's Progress, based on Hogarth draw- ings; an homage to opera, Elegy for Young Lovers, and The Bassarids, after Euripides, for Hans Werner Henze; and an adapta- tion of Love's Labour's Lost for Nicolas Nabokov.

The success of Paul Bunyan has been slowed somewhat by the big blue ox of Au- den's libretto, which is sprawling and has an air of boys' school or collegiate enter- tainments about it. But it is a fascinating work, well worth performances by college opera theaters and small opera companies.

Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music is illustrated with twenty-five photographs and augmented by endnotes, a glossary of names, a discography, a bibliography, and an index. It should appeal to anyone in- terested in French music, piano perfor- mance and pedagogy, or this exceptional ally of twentieth-century composers.

JAMES WILLIAM SOBASKIE Wausau Conservatory of Music

W.H. Auden and Chester Kallman: Libretti and Other Dramatic Writings by W.H. Auden, 1939-1973. Edited by Edward Mendelson. (The Com- plete Works of W. H. Auden.) Prince- ton: Princeton University Press, 1993. [xxxvi, 758 p. ISBN 0-691-03301-3. $49.50.]

If W. H. Auden had not cowritten the libretto for Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, his reputation as a librettist may well have been similar to that of Emile Zola, who collaborated with Alfred Bruneau: that of a great writer who also happened to write librettos for interesting but seldom performed works.

Beginning with The Rake's Progress Au- den wrote his librettos with Chester Kall- man, whose chief profession was being Auden's companion, but who also pub- lished some poetry of his own. While Au- den was the greater poet of the two, Kall- man brought to the collaboration a greater knowledge of opera and perhaps of theater in general.

Auden wrote an odd assortment of li- brettos: the American operetta Paul Bunyan (with music by another Englishman in ex- ile, Benjamin Britten); the pastiche The Rake's Progress, based on Hogarth draw- ings; an homage to opera, Elegy for Young Lovers, and The Bassarids, after Euripides, for Hans Werner Henze; and an adapta- tion of Love's Labour's Lost for Nicolas Nabokov.

The success of Paul Bunyan has been slowed somewhat by the big blue ox of Au- den's libretto, which is sprawling and has an air of boys' school or collegiate enter- tainments about it. But it is a fascinating work, well worth performances by college opera theaters and small opera companies.

948 948

This content downloaded from 62.122.79.56 on Sat, 14 Jun 2014 08:53:12 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions