Vlado Perlemuter facts for kids

Vladislas "Vlado" Perlemuter (born May 26, 1904 – died September 4, 2002) was a famous Lithuanian-born French pianist and teacher. He was known for his incredible piano skills and for helping many young musicians learn.

A Young Talent

Vladislas Perlemuter, also known as Vlado, was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. His family was Jewish. When he was just three years old, he had an accident and lost the use of his left eye.

In 1907, his family moved to France. Vlado showed great musical talent early on. When he was only 10, he was accepted into the famous Paris Conservatoire. He first studied with Moritz Moszkowski. Later, he learned from the well-known pianist Alfred Cortot.

At 15, Vlado graduated from the Conservatoire. He won the top prize for playing a piece by Gabriel Fauré. Even though Fauré was already deaf at the time, he was impressed. Vlado became good friends with Fauré. They lived close to each other and often played chess.

Learning from Ravel

In 1925, Vlado heard a piece called Jeux d'eau by Maurice Ravel. He loved it so much that he decided to learn all of Ravel's music.

Two years later, in 1927, Vlado got a chance to study with Ravel himself! For six months, he worked with Ravel on all of his solo piano pieces. Ravel was very strict, but Vlado learned a lot. He became one of the best players of Ravel's music.

In 1929, Vlado played all of Ravel's piano works in two public concerts. Ravel himself came to watch. This was a huge achievement! Vlado repeated this amazing feat in 1987 in London to celebrate 50 years since Ravel's death. Ravel must have really liked Vlado's playing because he even asked him to play a duet together.

Life and Teaching

Vlado loved the works of famous English writers and artists like Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and William Turner. This love brought him to England in the early 1930s, and he often returned for concerts. He played his first concert at London's Wigmore Hall in 1938.

During World War II, Vlado faced danger because he was Jewish. He had to escape from Nazi-occupied France to Switzerland. He lived there until 1949.

In 1951, Vlado joined the teaching staff at the Paris Conservatoire. He taught there until 1977. Many students from all over the world came to learn from him. He was known as a fantastic teacher.

Vlado also taught at the Dartington Summer School of Music and the Yehudi Menuhin School. He had special advice for his students. For example, he said pianists should "pedal not with the foot but with the ear." He also taught them to make music louder without speeding up, and softer without slowing down.

His Music and Legacy

Vlado Perlemuter's career as a pianist lasted for over 70 years! He made many recordings, including all of Ravel's piano works. He also recorded music by other famous composers like Chopin, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Fauré, and Mozart.

People who heard him play live said his music had a special, subtle sound that recordings couldn't fully capture. He would often practice new pieces slowly, focusing on each hand separately.

In 1987, at the age of 83, he played all of Ravel's piano works again at the Wigmore Hall. He did it one more time at 89 in Geneva.

In his final years, Vlado suffered from memory loss and failing eyesight. He passed away in Paris in 2002 at the age of 98.

Students

Many talented pianists studied with Vlado Perlemuter, including:

• Michel Dalberto
• Claudio Herrera
• Jacques Rouvier
• Konstanze Eickhorst
• Jean-François Heisser
• Carter Larsen
• Avi Schönfeld
• Joaquín Soriano
• Kathryn Stott
• Melvyn Tan
• Christian Zacharias
• Roy Howat

See also

In Spanish: Vlado Perlemuter para niños