Role

:

Composer

Birth

:

1846

Death

:

1925

Period

:

Romantic

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

Marie Jaëll was a French composer, pianist, and pedagogue who lived from 1846 to 1925. She was born Marie Trautmann in Steinseltz, a small village in the Alsace region of France. Her father was a schoolteacher and her mother was a singer. Marie showed an early aptitude for music and began studying piano with her mother at the age of four. By the age of six, she was performing in public and had already composed her first piece. In 1857, when Marie was eleven years old, her family moved to Paris so that she could study with the renowned pianist and composer Antoine Marmontel at the Conservatoire de Paris. She was one of the youngest students ever admitted to the Conservatoire, and she quickly distinguished herself as a prodigious talent. She won numerous prizes and awards, including the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1861. After completing her studies at the Conservatoire, Marie embarked on a successful career as a concert pianist. She performed extensively throughout Europe, earning critical acclaim for her virtuosity and musicality. She also began composing her own music, which was influenced by the Romantic style of the time. In 1867, Marie married Alfred Jaëll, a fellow pianist and composer. The couple had two children, but Alfred died in 1882, leaving Marie a widow at the age of 36. She continued to perform and compose, but also began to focus more on teaching. She developed a unique approach to piano pedagogy that emphasized the use of the whole body in playing, rather than just the fingers and hands. She also advocated for the use of the metronome as a tool for developing rhythmic accuracy. Marie's compositions include piano music, chamber music, and songs. Her piano music is particularly notable for its technical demands and its use of innovative harmonic and rhythmic structures. Some of her most famous works include the Piano Sonata in B-flat minor, the Piano Concerto in D minor, and the song cycle Les Fleurs du Mal, based on the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. In addition to her musical accomplishments, Marie was also a pioneer in the field of music therapy. She believed that music could be used to heal physical and emotional ailments, and she developed a system of exercises and techniques that she called "The Gymnastics of the Fingers." These exercises were designed to help pianists overcome physical limitations and develop greater control and flexibility in their playing. Marie Jaëll's legacy as a composer, pianist, and pedagogue is significant. She was a trailblazer in many respects, breaking down barriers for women in the male-dominated world of classical music and developing new approaches to piano technique and pedagogy. Her music continues to be performed and studied today, and her influence can be seen in the work of many contemporary composers and pianists.

More....