Schumann's Etude Symphonique 11 (3 versions)

By: Bernard Chazelle

Samson Francois was an extraordinary pianist. His treatment of Debussy and Ravel was a marvel of intelligence and sensitivity. He was a "localist," insisting that every musical phrase had to be its own conclusion. He was the nearest thing to Thelonious Monk a classical pianist ever was. (I know many deride Monk's playing but then many praise Kenny G's. That's the world we live in.)

Not sure I've heard the Etude 11 sound so eerily magical before. Disclaimer: Francois was a good friend of my uncle's, so I may be biased. I never met him though but I heard many stories about what a colorful character he was. He went through a serious anti-Romantic phase to focus on the early-century French repertoire. He eventually returned to Chopin, his early love, and the German Romantics. Asked why, he replied that it took him many years to discover that Chopin was, like Mozart and Debussy, a great melodist. (This is an interesting comment because Debussy is thought of primarily as a harmonist).

The YouTube video has two more versions: one by Alexis Weissenberg, which might have been all right if only he hadn't been so anxious to make his dentist's appointment. While Francois makes you hear a composer, Weissenberg makes you hear a pianist. Francois would probably have advised him to play the piano, not with two hands, but with 10 fingers. Ivo Pogorelich signs off with a thoughtful, interesting interpretation. I report. You decide.

The Etudes Symphoniques are lab experiments. If the phrasing sounds, at times, quirky it's because it is. Schumann died insane and his music rarely reflects mental serenity (another Monk parallel). In the Etudes, it's the composer, not the performer, doing the studying, as he tries out new rhythms, new colors, new counterpoints. Samson Francois plays like a chef who adds more and more ingredients to the pot and then dips his finger into it and licks it. Yummy, yep, that stuff tastes pretty good. Now let's add the green onions and see what happens. His control of dynamics is remarkable. Really helps you appreciate what a dazzling variety of veggies Schumann liked to put in his soup.

— Bernard Chazelle