French-American Piano Society
in partnership with
THE CONSULATE OF FRANCE IN NEW YORK
and
CREDIT AGRICOLE CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK
present
Yves Henry, Piano
Performing on the James J. Sheeran Piano
"Chopin and Schumann
Champions of Romanticism"
TUESDAY MAY 14, 2024 AT 7:30 PM
CONSULATE OF FRANCE IN NEW YORK
PROGRAM
Introduction
In many respects, Chopin and Schumann bear resemblance to each other. They are masters of short pieces: Chopin with his Preludes, Mazurkas, Waltzes, Nocturnes; Schumann with his Davidsbündler, Carnaval op. 9, Symphonic Etudes, Scenes from Childhood, Kreisleriana, and many others. Both entrusted the piano with the most intimate expression of their sentiments, dedicating either their entire oeuvre (as Chopin composed very few chamber music works and songs) or a substantial portion of it (Schumann's first 24 works are exclusively for piano). They explored, each in their own way, all that the pianos of their time could offer in terms of expressive possibilities.
They also shared a poetic sensibility, a unique ability to create an intimate connection between their music and the listener. Their compositions convey a multitude of emotions, requiring a great deal of sensitivity from the performer, as well as a mastery of the keyboard to bring out all the subtleties.
Their fundamental pursuit did not lie in the mere development of virtuosity, but rather in a virtuosity exclusively in service of emotional expression. In this regard, they stood in contrast to many virtuoso pianists of the Romantic era who sometimes prioritized virtuosity over emotional expression as a means of capturing audience attention. For both Chopin and Schumann, virtuosity was never gratuitous, but always served the musical discourse.
The program of this concert brings together works by both composers, illustrating differently their shared priority of expressing their deepest sentiments. In the section dedicated to Chopin, you will hear the op. 9 Nocturnes, where the piano "sings," followed by the 1st Ballade, a grand musical poem. In the Schumann section, you will experience the Concerto Without Orchestra op. 14 in its 1836 version, inspired by Clara Wieck, whom Robert Schumann was ardently in love with at the time. This passion permeates the entire work and is particularly evident in the finale, with its wild romanticism.
Yves Henry
FREDERIC CHOPIN
Nocturnes op. 9 (1830-1832)
No. 1 in B-flat minor
No. 2 in E-flat major
No. 3 in B major
Ballade No. 1 op. 23 (1835)
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Concerto Without Orchestra op. 14 (1836)
Allegro brillante
Quasi variazioni (Andantino da Clara Wieck)
Prestissimo possibile
The French-American Piano Society is a non-profit organization designed to promote cultural exchange, education, and networking between France and the United States through French pianists and music. Founded in 2014 by Dr. Mathieu Petitjean, the French-American Piano Society provides scholarships for aspiring young French pianists to attend competitions and festivals in the United States, presents world-renowned artists in recitals, and endeavors to promote the activities of French pianists in America and American pianists dedicated to French piano music.
Both pianist and composer, Yves Henry was trained at the Paris Conservatoire in the 1970s-80s, where he studied with Pierre Sancan and took courses in chamber music, accompaniment and choral direction as well as classes in writing, obtaining a total of seven premiers prix by the age of 22.
The same year, after having worked with Aldo Ciccolini for three years, he won First Grand Prize at the Robert Schumann International Competition in Zwickau. He is now recognized as one of the specialists in the interpretation of Chopin and Liszt, in particular owing to his experience with instruments from the Romantic era. [1]
Professor at the Paris Conservatory and the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Paris, member of the programme committee of the Chopin Institute in Warsaw on the occasion of the Chopin bicentennial in 2010, and honorary member of the Japanese Piano Teachers Association, Yves Henry gives numerous recitals the world over, primarily devoted to composers of the Romantic era. Regularly invited for master classes at universities in the USA, Japan and China, he sits on juries of important international competitions (Monte-Carlo Piano Masters, Dvořák Piano Competition in Nelahozeves, Robert Schumann International Piano Competition in Zwickau, International Frédéric Chopin Competition in Warsaw). He also devotes himself felicitously to chamber music alongside his violinist brother and various partners (Michel Portal, Karl Leister, Ivry Gitlis, Brigitte Engerer, Augustin Dumay, Gary Hoffman, soloists of the Orchestre de Paris, Michel Lethiec, the Elysées and Modigliani quartets…) and is at the origin of several productions combining literature and music with actresses Marie-Christine Barrault and Brigitte Fossey.
[1] 2. Yves Henry was the first to record, on CD and DVD, Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op.28 in two versions: one on an 1837 Pleyel, the other on a modern concert piano (Editions Lancosme Multimedia. Concert recorded at Salle Pleyel in Paris).
In addition to his activities as a performer and teacher, he has composed several works inspired by texts of the Corsican poet André Giovanni (Les Chants Tyrrhéniens, Les Sentiers dérobés) along with chamber music pieces (Kaga Yusen for violin and piano, Suite Vénitienne for flute, cello and piano, Il soplo ligero for clarinet and piano). He recently composed a Nocturne for orchestra that was first performed in Paris and Germany in 2014. He has also made transcriptions for concert performance of works including Paul Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice, Maurice Ravel's La Valse, and Borodin's Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor, which will be the object of a CD release in 2015.
In January 2010, he was promoted to the rank of Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters by Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture, received the Gloria Artis award from the Polish government for his contribution to the Chopin Year in France, and was one of the personalities to be included in the 2010 Who’s Who in France. In January 2011, he succeeded Alain Duault as President of the Nohant Chopin Festival.
In the course of the 2015-16 season, he will give concerts in Germany, Japan, France, Poland, Romania, Hong-Kong and the United States and is invited to participate in the jury of the Schumann International Piano Competition in June 2016 in Zwickau.
Discography: from 2006 to 2009, Yves Henry has recorded, in 4 CDs, the complete works that Chopin composed or finished in Nohant (CD-book Les étés de Frédéeric Chopin à Nohant, Éditions du Patrimoine, 2010). In 2011, he released a Liszt recital. In May 2014, he released a 2-CD set devoted to the reconstitution of Chopin's last concert in Paris ('Choix France Musique’) recorded with an 1837 Pleyel piano at Chaumet jewellers, 12 Place Vendôme, the very site of Chopin's death in October 1849. In 2015, he released a double-CD set (Liszt/Schumann/Chopin). This recording is the fruit of a double confrontation: on the one hand, between Schumann, Chopin and Liszt, three giants of the Romantic generation who dedicated piano works to each other; and on the other, two piano builders, Pleyel and Erard who, at the same period, were exploring completely opposite aesthetic and technical paths. The relations between Schumann, Chopin and Liszt are discussed by Doctor Thomas Synofzik, Director of the Robert-Schumann-Haus in Zwickau.
We are grateful to our 2024 RECITAL partners:
THE JAMES J. SHEERAN STEINWAY PIANO
At its inaugural recital on January 16th 2018, S.E. Anne Claire Legendre, Consul General of France in New York, in the company of S.E. Bertrand Lortholary, Ambassador of France in Vietam, Former Consul General of France in New York, and S.E. Francois Delattre, Ambassador of France to the United Nation, former Ambassador of France to the USA, and former Consul General of France in New York, dedicated our Steinway concert piano to
JAMES J. SHEERAN
(1923 - 2007)
A GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOT, WWII VETERAN, SON OF FRANCE, AND CHEVALIER DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR (2006) OF THE REPUBLIC OF FRANCE
2023-2028 YOUNG PIANISTS SCHOLARSHIPS
A post-COVID expansion of our successful scholarship program to sponsor (2023 to 2028) 10 talented young French pianists to attend U.S. based piano festivals, competitions and present their Debut Recitals in New York City and Washington D.C.
We are deeply thankful to the generous patrons
who helped us fund our James J. Sheeran Steinway piano
CREDIT AGRICOLE CIB
NJ CURE
JCDECAUX
ALICE ROSNER FOUNDATION
COLAS, INC
COMMITTEE OF FRENCH SPEAKING SOCIETIES
CONNECTHINGS
CONSEILLERS DU COMMERCE EXTERIEUR DE LA FRANCE
MEDNEST
RATP DEV
VERONIQUE TRAVEL
and
The “88 Keys” Society Members and Patrons:
Helene Buchen (C1#, D1#, F1&#, G1#, A1&#, F2#, G2#, A2#)
Gilles Rousseau (G2,A2,B2,C3,D3,E3,F3,G3)
Veronique and Pascal Carpentier (C6#, D6#, F6#, G6#, A6#)
Ariane Daguin (B6, A6, G6, C7)
Anne-Julia Audray (D5, F5, A4)
Jean-Pierre Bizzari, MD (A5, B5)
Laurence Chertoff (D2#, D3#)
Thomas and Albane Duplan (C8, B1)
Valerie and Gerard Duval (G7#, F7#)
Lily Hsia (D5#, D7#)
Susan Mackenzie (E6, C7#)
Martha and Rick Olson (E4, G4)
Daniel and Teresa Petitjean (F7, G7)
Helene and Mathieu Petitjean (A0#,A4#)
Dr. Ellie Abdi (B0)
Catherine Munera and Alfredo Basurto (E5)
Carey and Brett August (C6)
Veronique et Serge Banzet (A5)
Arnaud Boyer (E7)
Nigel Brown (G1)
Florence and Eric Brun (G5)
Eric and Isabelle Chaboureau (F2)
Vésine de La Rue (D2)
Philippe Dreano (G3#)
Yoni Elmalem (A7#)
Sylvie Epelbaum,MD (D4#)
John F. Bennet, Paris-American Club (G4#)
Bernard Frelat (F6)
French-American Choir of New York (A4)
Simone Galton (B3)
Guy Geslin (D7)
Anthony Gilroy (A3)
Robert Gorman (D1)
Odile Gorse (C1)
Herve Houdre (C2)
Laurent Kleitman (C5#)
Remy Lumbroso (D6)
Pierre Martin (F3#)
Andrea Mayes (C5)
Hanyi Meng (A7)
Jean-Hugues Monier (E2)
Mark Morris (A3#)
Rick and Mary O'Connell (E1)
Elizabeth Olson (C4)
Claudine and Bernard Parisot (C4#)
Joseph Patrych (G5)
Michel and Judith Pautrat (F4)
Jean Perrette (B7)
Dmitry Rachmanov (F4#)
Jerome Rose (A0)
Sophie Schyler - Chateau Kirwan (F5#)
Guy Sorman (D4)
Annaliese Soros (C2#)
Marie-Monique Steckel (B4)
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