Cortot, Alfred (Denis)
Cortot, Alfred (Denis) (b Nyon, Switz., 1877; d Lausanne, 1962). Swiss-born pianist and conductor, long resident in Fr. Début as pianist Paris 1896. Keen Wagnerian, went to Bayreuth and became ass. cond. to Richter and Mottl 1898–1901. Cond. first Paris perf. of Götterdämmerung 1902. Became cond. of orch. concerts of Société Nationale 1904. Cond. f.ps. in Fr. of Parsifal (concert perf.), Beethoven's Mass in D, and Brahms's Requiem. From 1905 played in celebrated pf. trio with Thibaud and Casals. Prof. of pf., Paris Cons. 1907–17, succeeding Pugno. In 1919 founded École Normale de Musique, where he gave interpretation courses. One of 3 conds. of Orchestre Symphonique de Paris, founded 1928. Ed. pf. works of Chopin, Schumann, and Liszt and wrote several books. Salzburg Fest. 1933 (Saint-Saëns conc. No.4 and Franck Sym.-Var., Vienna PO cond. Krauss). Arrested 1944 on charges of collab. with Nazi occupation forces but released.
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Cortot, Alfred (Denis)
