Jean Micault (born 28 December 1924 in Bois-Colombes; died 16 November 2021)''Décès de Jean Micault illustre pianiste Cominois''
Obituary on cominesculturel.wordpress.com, 16. November 2021. Retrieved 07 May 2022 (French). was a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and

music educator Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do original ...

. He was a direct descendant of

Philippe-Alexandre Le Brun de Charmettes Philippe-Alexandre Le Brun de Charmettes (1785–1880) was a French historian, poet, translator and official. De Charmettes was born in Bordeaux (France). He was appointed to the ''Council of State (France), French ''Conseil d'État' in 1810 ...

, a well-known French

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

, writer and administrative expert of the 18th and 19th century.

Life

Micault was interested in music from a young age. He studied harmonic theory and earned a diploma as a music educator. His teacher was, among others, the French pianist and music teacher

Alfred Cortot Alfred Denis Cortot (; 26 September 187715 June 1962) was a French pianist, conductor, and teacher who was one of the most renowned classical musicians of the 20th century. A pianist of massive repertory, he was especially valued for his poeti ...

. He first studied with him and then worked for a long time as his assistant at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...

(Italy). Subsequently, he was a pupil of the internationally renowned Beethoven specialist

Wilhelm Backhaus Wilhelm Backhaus ('Bachaus' on some record labels) (26 March 1884 – 5 July 1969) was a German pianist and pedagogue. He was particularly well known for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin and Brahms. He was also much ...

. Micault then was appointed professor at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, where he taught continuously until 2006. At the same time, Micault succeeded Walter Gieseking and Andor Foldes as professor of piano at the Hochschule für Musik Saar in

Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is S ...

in 1979. From 1996 to 2005, he was also in charge of the "Masterclasses" in piano and voice at the Conservatory Thionville, Lorraine. In addition to his pedagogical work, Micault performed as a concert pianist of international standing in numerous countries around the world. He was considered one of the main interpreters of the Romantic repertoire (Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt), but he also addressed other styles. Among other things, he included the works of the hitherto lesser-known French composer

Maurice Journeau Maurice Journeau (17 November 1898 – 9 June 1999) was a French composer born in Biarritz. He composed from 1921 to 1984. He died in Versailles. Works *Works for piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings a ...

in his repertoire, thus helping this composer to become better known. Furthermore, Micault accompanied vocal interpreters from the field of lyric singing. In addition to his full-time activities, Micault has been involved in numerous advanced training events in Europe and overseas, as well as being a jury member at well over 100 renowned music competitions. For several years he has been president of the internationally renowned piano competition "Citta di Sulmona" in central Italy. Jean Micault taught and wrote in four languages: French, English, German and Italian. He was married to the soprano Claudie Verhaeghe. For many years, the couple's life centred on Saarbrücken, the capital of the

Saarland The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a state of Germany in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and ...

Awards and prizes

Already at a young age, Micault received awards in the fields of "Musique esthétique" and chamber music. Furthermore, he received the following prizes in his subject "piano": *First prize for pianists from the National Conservatory of Music in Paris *First prize "Grand Prix Louis Diémer" *First prize "Grand Prix International Pianist Competition Vercelli".

Discography (selection)

* 19 Polish songs op. 74 CHOPIN , 6 Polish Songs LISZT; Claudie Verhaeghe soprano; Jean Micault piano; Discover International, 1995. (OCLC 40278983) * The Women Composers (Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara SCHUMANN, Alma MAHLER); Claudie Verhaeghe soprano; Jean Micault piano; Arcobaleno, 1994, AAOC-93292 Sonata n°2 and 3, CHOPIN, Discover International, Live Recording 1982, DICD 920286 CHOPIN, Waltzes, Arcobaleno, 2003, AAOC - 94432 JOURNEAU, Prélude, Nocturnes, Nouvelles Impressions Fugitives, (Jean MICAULT, Thomas BETZ, pianistes) 2001, SKARBO DSK 1011 * Symphonie en ré mineur Variations symphoniques pour piano et orchestre ; César Franck; Jean Micault; Louis Fourestier; Orchestre des cento soli. Paris : Le club français du disque. (OCLC 54019039)

Literature

* Effertz, Lilo: Applaus und Blumen für Jean Micault. In: Saarbrücker Zeitung v. 11. Juni 1999 * Schwambach, Oliver: Das Herantasten des Pianisten. In:Saarbrücker Zeitung (Kultur) v. 28. Dezember 2009

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Micault, Jean 1924 births 2021 deaths 20th-century French pianists École Normale de Musique de Paris Academic staff of the Hochschule für Musik Saar People from Bois-Colombes