Victor Staub Explained

Victor (Henri) Staub (16 October 1872 – 4 February 1953) was a French pianist and composer.

Life

Born in Lima, Peru, to Swiss-French parents, Staub exhibited an early aptitude for the piano. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Antoine Marmontel[1] and Louis Diémer, gaining a first prize in piano in 1888.

Staub competed in the Anton Rubinstein prize in Berlin in 1895. He and Josef Lhévinne both played Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata, Op. 106. In the first round of voting, Staub and Lhévinne obtained the same number of votes, but Lhévinne was ultimately awarded the 5,000 franc first prize after a second round of voting.[2]

Staub taught for five years at the Cologne conservatory.[3] He left Cologne in 1902 and returned to Paris.[4]

He became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire on 21 October 1909, in succession to Edouard Risler. Upon the death of Elie Delaborde in 1914,[5] Gabriel Fauré chose Staub over Marguerite Long to head the Classe Supérieure for women.[6] Staub's female pupils included Germaine Devèze, Madeleine Giraudeau, Jacqueline Pangnier (Robin), Hélène Pignari, and Rita Savard. He also taught José Iturbi, Ernest Hoffzimmer, and Raymond Trouard. Staub retired from the Conservatoire on 15 January 1941 and was succeeded by Armand Ferté.

Victor Staub recorded Chopin's Waltz in F, Op. 34, No. 3; Debussy's Ménéstrels; and Schumann's Des Abends.

He composed numerous piano pieces, including most notably "Sous bois" (1902) and "Boléro" (1924), as well as his piano arrangement of the Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas. He also authored pedagogical works.

Raymond Trouard recalled that:

Staub could play like no one else. One morning (I had come in a little early), I saw him arrive calmly, sit down at the keyboard and perform, for himself, without any warning, Liszt's "Feux-Follets" impeccably! Staub had memorized the Etudes Transcendantes, Chopin's op. 10 and 25 Etudes, as well as most of the difficult works of the repertoire. Only a handful of pianists could boast of being able to do the same."[7]

Personal life

The son of Henri Staub (Zurich 1845 - Paris 1906) and Isabelle Merey (1847–1907), Victor Staub had three sisters: Emma, Béatrice, and Mercedes. His marriage to Blanche Marie de Orelly (1882–1906) produced no children, but with his second wife Marie Marguerite Emilie Baneux (1882–1958) he had a daughter, Odette Blanche Staub (the pianist Diana Staub, 1908–2000). Odette was the mother of actor Jean Claudio.

Victor Staub lived at 27 rue Fourcroy, in Paris, where he also gave private lessons for "professionals, amateurs, and children".[8] He died in Paris.

Works

Solo piano

OpusTitleYear
6Sous bois1902
11Aubade - impromptu1907
13Gaiement1908
15Scintillements - arabesque1908
18En Valsant - Valse Mignonne
22Chanson gaie1909
27Pasquinade1912
28Sérénade Italienne1911
29La ronde des follets
38Sérénade espagnole
40Rêverie
44Sérénade française
46Humoresque1912
Les deux compères1905
Les matines1919
Boléro1924
Les chasseurs1930
Pantomime1930
Bab-el-oued
Chanson arabe
Conchita
Danse napolitaine
Le chant du muletier
Les jongleurs
Li-o-ting
Mazurka
Paysage ensoleillé
Pepita - pièce espagnole - boléro
Rêverie hindoue
Saboulah - pièce orientale
Sérénade valse
Simple conte
50[9] Tango191?[10]
Valse ballet
Valse lente

Piano 4-hands

Opérette

Chansons

External links

Notes and References

  1. Charles Timbrell, French Pianism: A Historical Perspective.
  2. Book: Le Ménestrel . 1895 . fr.
  3. Book: Le Guide musical: revue internationale de la musique et des théâtres . 1903 . Le Guide musical . fr.
  4. Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, vol. 98. p. 192.
  5. Web site: Journal officiel de la République française. Lois et décrets. 8 February 1914.
  6. Cecilia Dunoyer, Marguerite Long: A Life in French Music, 1874-1966, p. 40.
  7. Raymond Trouard, Entretien avec Frédéric Gaussin, p. 1 http://www.raymondtrouard.fr/?page=documents%2F%3Fgrou%3Dentretien%26PHPSESSID%3D5krffk82p5gfhghffu41jq5b74
  8. Le Figaro, 11 October 1919.
  9. published sheet music
  10. partially illegible copyright date on published sheet music