# Philippe Entremont



## flamencosketches

I don't see much talk about this once-famous, still living pianist/conductor. I have a couple recordings of his, the Liszt, Ravel, and Gershwin piano concerti with him as soloist and Eugene Ormandy at the helm of the orchestra, from the 1950s or early 1960s, and then I have a much later disc of him conducting Tchaikovsky string ensemble works for Naxos. Anyway, I really love the disc with him playing the Ravel and Gershwin concerti. (I'm less impressed with the Liszt, but his playing there is certainly capable too). 

Does Mr. Entremont have any fans here? It appears he was quite the star soloist back in the '60s, but I wasn't alive then, so I won't speak on that! Has he recorded any performances of works that you treasure as a discerning listener, in 2020? Or have his recordings been superseded by those of later soloists? I think there was good chemistry between he and Ormandy, another musician who I think has become less popular over time.


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## Mandryka

flamencosketches said:


> I don't see much talk about this once-famous, still living pianist/conductor. I have a couple recordings of his, the Liszt, Ravel, and Gershwin piano concerti with him as soloist and Eugene Ormandy at the helm of the orchestra, from the 1950s or early 1960s, and then I have a much later disc of him conducting Tchaikovsky string ensemble works for Naxos. Anyway, I really love the disc with him playing the Ravel and Gershwin concerti. (I'm less impressed with the Liszt, but his playing there is certainly capable too).
> 
> Does Mr. Entremont have any fans here? It appears he was quite the star soloist back in the '60s, but I wasn't alive then, so I won't speak on that! Has he recorded any performances of works that you treasure as a discerning listener, in 2020? Or have his recordings been superseded by those of later soloists? I think there was good chemistry between he and Ormandy, another musician who I think has become less popular over time.


Richter is very scathing about his recording of the Gershwin concerto in his notebooks, he even calls him entrecôte!



> Can one really play a concerto like this?
> fast, fast, confused, with no sense of rhythm
> I'm amazed and dismayed, not only by the pianist (Entrecôte [sic.]) but also by Ormandy.
> It put me in a bad mood,


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## starthrower

I have only one recording of Entremont performing Bernstein's Symphony No.2, The Age Of Anxiety. Bernstein recorded it three times. The first in 1949 with Lukas Foss, in 1965 with Entremont, and again with Foss on DG. I like the original 1949 recording. Bernstein revised the score for Entremont who wanted more to play that what was written in the original score. The first two versions are in the Bernstein Original Jacket Collection 10 CD set which I have. I'll have to revisit the two performances.


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## philoctetes

flamencosketches said:


> I don't see much talk about this once-famous, still living pianist/conductor. I have a couple recordings of his, the Liszt, Ravel, and Gershwin piano concerti with him as soloist and Eugene Ormandy at the helm of the orchestra, from the 1950s or early 1960s, and then I have a much later disc of him conducting Tchaikovsky string ensemble works for Naxos. Anyway, I really love the disc with him playing the Ravel and Gershwin concerti. (I'm less impressed with the Liszt, but his playing there is certainly capable too).
> 
> Does Mr. Entremont have any fans here? It appears he was quite the star soloist back in the '60s, but I wasn't alive then, so I won't speak on that! Has he recorded any performances of works that you treasure as a discerning listener, in 2020? Or have his recordings been superseded by those of later soloists? I think there was good chemistry between he and Ormandy, another musician who I think has become less popular over time.


I remember Entremont as a star on classical radio, he got played a lot on the San Diego station in the 70s. Julius Katchen too. Haven't heard either in decades.

Another forgotten pianist who recorded some pretty good Liszt is Andre Watts.


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## Josquin13

Yes, Richter didn't like Entremont's playing. It wasn't just the Gershwin concerto. In "The Enigma" film he makes another dismissive, derogatory remark.

I've heard Entremont live. He has a beautiful, elegant 'old school' French piano touch that is reminiscent of Cortot (without the botched notes). He doesn't pound the piano keys, which I appreciated, and as a result, produces a good variety of colors at the piano. I think of Entremont as being at his best in the music of Ravel, Satie, Faure, & Debussy, i.e., the French repertory. After all, he studied with the great Marguerite Long, who knew Faure, Ravel, and Debussy. His Ravel Miroirs, for example, is worth hearing: 



, as is the rest of his complete Ravel solo piano music. Although, I wouldn't prefer Entremont to Samson François in this repertory (though he may be more consistent). I've not heard his Liszt or Chopin, but would imagine he'd be very good in Chopin. Entremont also made a good recording of the two Brahms Cello Sonatas in 1959 with Maurice Gendron--a cellist that I like, and accompanied the mezzo-soprano Régine Crispin in recital--a singer that I like in the French repertory. In addition, there's a fine Teldec recording of Haydn Piano Concerti that was critically well received--although it might not be at the very top of my list of recommendations in this repertory, despite its obvious excellence.

Haydn:



Debussy: 



Satie: 




As for Ormandy, he can sometimes plod his way through music, especially late in his career. I've liked his conducting most in the music of Rachmaninov, R. Strauss, Barber, and maybe Debussy, Tchaikovsky, & Sibelius. His "Symphonic Dances" by Rachmaninov, for example, are among the best ever recorded, and the Philadelphia Orchestra plays great for him. No good Rachmaninov collection should be without that recording, and it shows Ormandy at his finest as a conductor: 



. I've also liked Ormandy's conducting of Vincent Persichetti's eerily brilliant Symphony no. 9 "Janiculum", which Ormandy championed & recorded in 1946 & again in 1969: 



.


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