Pierre Sancan: Pianist, composer and pedagogue

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Leung, Halina
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2019
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Pierre Sancan: Pianist, Composer and Pedagogue

Halina Hoi Laam Leung

A portfolio of Creative Work and a Dissertation

submitted in fulfilment of the requirement of the degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Creative Practice (Music Performance)

School of the Arts and Media

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
University of New South Wales

May 2019
 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Thesis/Dissertation Sheet

Surname/Family Name : Leung

Given Name/s : Halina Hoi Laam
Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar : PhD
Faculty : Arts and Social Sciences
School : School of the Arts and Media
Thesis Title : Pierre Sancan: Pianist, Composer and Pedagogue

Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASE TYPE)

Pierre Sancan (1916-2008) was a notably successful, award-winning French composer, pedagogue and pianist whose
life and career in music was diverse. A prominent figure in the Francophone world during the twentieth century,
Sancan was labelled by Emile Vuillermoz in 1955 as “one of the biggest names in French music today”. Despite
holding the post of Professor of Piano at the Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique de Paris from 1956 to 1985
and being associated with “La Nouvelle Ecole Française”, his fame has not endured outside of France and he is
more widely known to flautists than pianists due to his popular composition, Sonatine for flute and piano. In spite
of the grand descriptions of Sancan by music critics, knowledge of the life and career of Sancan is limited, with few
sources found in literature.

The aim of this study was to explore Sancan’s professional identity and his influence on generations of French
musicians. This was addressed by taking a multiple-method approach: documentary investigative research of
historical and personal documents; interview- and survey-based fieldwork with Sancan’s students; the refinement
of a catalogue of Sancan’s compositions; engagement with the works themselves through lessons with Sancan’s
student, Jean-Philippe Collard; and the performance and recording of works written and performed by Sancan.
Through these methods, Sancan’s life and career were explored with reference to traditions of music pedagogy,
portfolio careers and national piano schools.

This thesis argues for an appreciation of an under-recognised figure who was influential in changing the perceptions
of piano technique in France. Sancan has left a legacy that has influenced generations of pianists, seen not only as a
teacher but as a master musician. This study contextualises Sancan’s career in terms of national piano schools and
master-apprenticeship contexts. More importantly, this work also encourages musicians to take a step towards
expanding their musical horizons and repertoire of twentieth century pianist-composers.

Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation

I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the
University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as
patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation.

I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses
only).

…………………………………………………………… ……………………………………..……………… ……….……………………...…….…

Signature Witness Signature Date
The University recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances requiring restrictions on copying or conditions on use. Requests for restriction for a
period of up to 2 years must be made in writing. Requests for a longer period of restriction may be considered in exceptional circumstances and require the
approval of the Dean of Graduate Research.

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award:

INCLUSION OF PUBLICATIONS STATEMENT

UNSW is supportive of candidates publishing their research results during their candidature as
detailed in the UNSW Thesis Examination Procedure.

Publications can be used in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter if:

• The student contributed greater than 50% of the content in the publication and is the
“primary author”, ie. the student was responsible primarily for the planning, execution and
preparation of the work for publication
• The student has approval to include the publication in their thesis in lieu of a Chapter from
their supervisor and Postgraduate Coordinator.
• The publication is not subject to any obligations or contractual agreements with a third party
that would constrain its inclusion in the thesis

Please indicate whether this thesis contains published material or not.

☒ This thesis contains no publications, either published or submitted for publication

☐ Some of the work described in this thesis has been published and it has been documented
in the relevant Chapters with acknowledgement

☐ This thesis has publications (either published or submitted for publication) incorporated
into it in lieu of a chapter and the details are presented below

CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION
I declare that:
• I have complied with the Thesis Examination Procedure
• where I have used a publication in lieu of a Chapter, the listed publication(s) below
meet(s) the requirements to be included in the thesis.
Name Signature Date (dd/mm/yy)
Halina Leung 28/05/19

Postgraduate Coordinator’s Declaration (to be filled in where publications are used in

lieu of Chapters)
I declare that:
• the information below is accurate
• where listed publication(s) have been used in lieu of Chapter(s), their use complies
with the Thesis Examination Procedure
• the minimum requirements for the format of the thesis have been met.
PGC’s Name PGC’s Signature Date (dd/mm/yy)

i
ORIGINALITY STATEMENT

‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge
it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial
proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or
diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due
acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others,
with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the
thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own
work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and
conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’

Signed ……………………………………

Date ……28/05/2019..……………………

ii
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and
to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in
all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright
Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use
in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation.

I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in
Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only).

I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have

obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I
have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or
dissertation.’

Signed ……………………………………
Date ………28/05/2019…………………

iii
AUTHENTICITY STATEMENT

‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially
approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are
any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’

Signed ……………………………………
Date ………28/05/2019..…………………

iv
 ABSTRACT

Pierre Sancan (1916-2008) was a notably successful, award-winning French composer,

pedagogue and pianist whose life and career in music was diverse. A prominent figure in
the Francophone world during the twentieth century, Sancan was labelled by Emile
Vuillermoz in 1955 as “one of the biggest names in French music today”. Despite holding
the post of Professor of Piano at the Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique de Paris
from 1956 to 1985 and being associated with “La Nouvelle Ecole Française”, his fame
has not endured outside of France and he is more widely known to flautists than pianists
due to his popular composition, Sonatine for flute and piano. In spite of the grand
descriptions of Sancan by music critics, knowledge of the life and career of Sancan is
limited, with few sources found in literature.

The aim of this study was to explore Sancan’s professional identity and his influence on
generations of French musicians. This was addressed by taking a multiple-method
approach: documentary investigative research of historical and personal documents;
interview- and survey-based fieldwork with Sancan’s students; the refinement of a
catalogue of Sancan’s compositions; engagement with the works themselves through
lessons with Sancan’s student, Jean-Philippe Collard; and the performance and recording
of works written and performed by Sancan. Through these methods, Sancan’s life and
career were explored with reference to traditions of music pedagogy, portfolio careers
and national piano schools.

This thesis argues for an appreciation of an under-recognised figure who was influential
in changing the perceptions of piano technique in France. Sancan has left a legacy that
has influenced generations of pianists, seen not only as a teacher but as a master musician.
This study contextualises Sancan’s career in terms of national piano schools and master-
apprenticeship contexts. More importantly, this work also encourages musicians to take
a step towards expanding their musical horizons and repertoire of twentieth century
pianist-composers.

v
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the following people for their support throughout my degree.

To my supervisor, Dr Kim Burwell: Thank you for your expert guidance, encouragement
and assistance during my degree. I am grateful for your input and informative proof
reading. Your constructive feedback has helped me grow as a researcher and I am
sincerely thankful to you for coming along this journey with me.

To my co-supervisors: Professor Dorottya Fabian, thank you for your suggestions and
support during the final stages of my degree, and Dr Christine Logan for your input
towards my creative work and research project.

To Su Goldfish and Creative Practice Lab team: Many thanks for helping me organise
and record my piano recital for my creative work portfolio.

To Sophie Lévy, Bérengère Farras and Ambre Long Diên: Thank you for your time
searching the Paris Conservatoire archives for documents on Sancan, assistance with
translating documents and audio interviews, and interpreting interviews, respectively.

To the musicians who participated in this study, Jean-Philippe Collard, Jean-Efflam

Bavouzet, Klaus Hellwig, Claude Cymerman, Christian Jacob, Jean- François Antonioli,
Yves Henry, Thierry Huillet, Emile Naoumoff, Joël Capbert, Carl Blake, Olivier Gardon,
Olivier Cazal, Michel Gal, Dominque Cornil, Marcela Fiorillo, Mark Carver, Marc Lys,
Pascal Amoyel, Michel Prezman and Irène Mathis: I would like to express my deepest
gratitude for your time and for sharing your invaluable experiences and memories,
without whom, this research would not have been possible.

To my family, Tina Leung, Helen Leung and Vivian Tse: Thank you for supporting my
musical endeavours and listening to the countless hours of practice at all hours of the day.

Finally, thanks to all the piano teachers that have helped me get to this stage of my music
career. Special thanks to James Powell OAM, Grant Foster and Dr Marilyn Meier for
supporting and encouraging me throughout the various stages of my career. I am
honoured to have been a student of such great artists; your words continue to inspire me.

vi
 PERFORMANCES AND AWARDS

Performances:

December 2015 Piano recitals, Puglia, Italyab

December 2015 Piano recitals, Sussex, Englandbc

May-June 2016 Piano recitals, Île-de-France, Franceac

July 2016 Piano recital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australiaabc

September 2016 Piano recital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australiaabc

November 2016 90-minute piano recital, Nowra, New South Wales, Australiaabc

December 2016 Piano recital, Corato, Italyb

May 2017 Piano recitals and piano concerto performance, Murcia, Spainac

July 2017 Piano recital, Geilenkirchen, Germanyade

November 2017 Piano recital, Carnegie Hall, New York, U.S.A.d

September 2018 Piano recital, Paris, Francef

April 2019 Piano recital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australiag

Awards and Scholarships:

2015 First Prize, Kawai Piano Award, Sydney, Australia

2015 First Prize, Piano, Virtuoso International Music Competition, Paris

France

a
Programme included Toccata by Sancan
b
Programme included Firebird by Stravinsky
c
Programme included Piano Sonata by Dutilleux
d
Programme included Mouvement by Sancan
e
Programme included Caprice by Sancan
f
Programme included Piano Concerto by Sancan
g
Programme described in Chapter 6.4.
vii
2015 Absolute First Prize, Open Piano, Don Vincenzo Vitti International
Music Competition, Italy

2016 First Prize, Piano Recital Award, Hobart, Australia

2016 First Prize, Piano Recital Award, Canberra, Australia

2016-2019 Research Training Programme Scholarship, Australian

Commonwealth Government, Australia

2017 UNSW Postgraduate Research Support Scheme Travel Scholarship,

Australia

2017 Clamo International Piano Competition Scholarship, Spain

2017 First Prize, Piano, Golden Classical Music Awards International

Competition, U.S.A.

2017-2018 UNSW HDR Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences Funding, Australia

viii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Inclusion of Publications Statement .............................................................................. i

Originality Statement .................................................................................................... ii
Copyright Statement .................................................................................................... iii
Authenticity Statement ................................................................................................ iv
Abstract ........................................................................................................................... v
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... vi
Performances and Awards ......................................................................................... vii
Table of Contents ......................................................................................................... ix
List of Figures ............................................................................................................... xi
List of Tables .............................................................................................................. xiii

Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................ 1

Research Questions and Objectives ...................................................................... 2

Chapter 2: Context ......................................................................................................... 6

2.1 Music Careers ................................................................................................. 6
2.2 Music Pedagogy ............................................................................................. 8
2.3 National Piano Schools ................................................................................... 9
2.3.1 Representative Figures and Features of the French Piano School ...... 10
2.3.2 Representative Figures and Features of the Russian Piano School..... 17
2.4 Apprenticeships in Music ............................................................................. 21
2.5 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 24

Chapter 3: Method ....................................................................................................... 25

3.1 Research Approach ...................................................................................... 25
3.2 Study Design and Data Collection ............................................................... 26
3.3 Sampling ...................................................................................................... 28
3.4 Ethical Considerations ................................................................................. 29
3.5 Data Analysis ............................................................................................... 29
3.6 Data Management ........................................................................................ 30
3.7 Creative Practice .......................................................................................... 30
3.8 Limitations and Delimitations ...................................................................... 32
ix
Chapter 4: Biographical Study ................................................................................... 35
4.1 Family............................................................................................................ 35
4.2 Musical Education ........................................................................................ 38
4.3 Composer ..................................................................................................... 43
4.4 Performer ...................................................................................................... 59
4.5 Teacher ......................................................................................................... 67
4.6 Tributes ........................................................................................................ 82

Chapter 5: Interview and Survey Study .................................................................... 86

5.1 Participant Information ................................................................................ 86
5.2 Reputation of Sancan and his Compositions ................................................ 90
5.3 Sancan’s Multi-Faceted Music Career ....................................................... 100
5.4 Relationship between Sancan and his Students ......................................... 111
5.5 Personal Insights about Sancan from Interview with Irène Mathis ........... 117
5.6 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 118

Chapter 6: Discussion, Reflections and Conclusions .............................................. 120

6.1 Discussion .................................................................................................. 121
6.2 Relationship between Creative Work Portfolio and Dissertation .............. 131
6.3 Reflecting on Lessons with Collard ........................................................... 135
6.4 Recital Programme ..................................................................................... 137
6.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 139

Supplementary Information ...................................................................................... 141

Appendices .................................................................................................................. 165

Appendix A: Questionnaire (English) ......................................................................... 165
Appendix B: Questionnaire (French) .......................................................................... 177
Appendix C: Printed Programme Notes ..................................................................... 189

References ................................................................................................................... 195

Creative Work: DVD of Piano Recital .......................................... see inside back cover

x
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2.1 French piano school genealogical tree .......................................................... 11

Figure 2.2 Russian piano school genealogical tree ......................................................... 18
Figure 4.1 Family tree of Pierre Sancan ........................................................................ 36
Figure 4.2 Family photo of Sancan taken in 1928 .......................................................... 37
Figure 4.3 Childhood photos of Sancan .......................................................................... 38
Figure 4.4 École Municipale de Musique de Meknès programme and photo of Pierre
Sancan in 1930 ............................................................................................................... 39
Figure 4.5 Photos of Sancan in 1934 and 1935 .............................................................. 40
Figure 4.6 Male piano contestants of the Concours du Conservatoire in 1936 and 1937
......................................................................................................................................... 42
Figure 4.7 Premier Prix winners of piano in 1937 ........................................................ 42
Figure 4.8 Prix de Rome in 1939 .................................................................................... 45
Figure 4.9 Prix de Rome success in 1943 ....................................................................... 46
Figure 4.10 Autograph manuscript of Soir de Bataille by Sancan ................................ 48
Figure 4.11 Postcard from Sancan to Poulenc dated Monday July 1, 1946/1957 .......... 52
Figure 4.12 Sancan at the piano ...................................................................................... 53
Figure 4.13 Photograph of Bernard Gavoty (left) and Pierre Sancan (right) from Les
grandes interprètes .............................................................................................................
Figure 4.14 Timeline of piano professors at the Paris Conservatoire from 1900-2018 .. 68
Figure 4.15 Male Premier Prix winners from supérieure classe at the Paris Conservatoire
during 1956 to 1985 ....................................................................................................... 71
Figure 4.16 Female Premier Prix winners from supérieure classe at the Paris
Conservatoire during 1956 to 1985 ................................................................................. 72
Figure 4.17 Pierre Sancan’s Premier Prix winners from supérieure classe at the Paris
Conservatoire during 1956 to 1985 ................................................................................ 73
Figure 4.18 Laureate winners from the supérieure classe at the Paris Conservatoire during
1956 to 1985 ................................................................................................................... 74
Figure 4.19 Piano class of Pierre Sancan in 1967 .......................................................... 76
Figure 4.20 Piano class of Pierre Sancan in 1971 .......................................................... 76
Figure 4.21 Photo of Sancan and his students at La Roque-d'Anthéron in 1983 ............ 77
Figure 5.1 Years each participant studied with Sancan ................................................. 87
xi
Figure 5.2 Participants’ country of origin ...................................................................... 88
Figure 5.3 Participants’ country of residence in 2017/2018 ........................................... 88
Figure 5.4 Were Sancan’s students themselves aware of his reputation? ...................... 91
Figure 5.5 Sancan as a composer, performer and teacher, as viewed by his pupils ...... 93
Figure 5.6 Compositions of Sancan that were studied, performed or recorded, and taught
by his students ................................................................................................................ 95
Figure 5.7 Apart from Sonatine for flute and piano, which pianoforte works of Sancan
should be performed more often? .................................................................................. 97
Figure 5.8 What/who are the major influences in Sancan's composing style? .............. 98
Figure 5.9 Which teachers/pianists/national tradition was Sancan influenced by? ..... 102
Figure 5.10: Message from Sancan to his student......................................................... 117
Figure S1: Letter from Arthur Honegger dated 5 May 1944 ....................................... 141
Figure S2: Timeline of Sancan’s musical career highlights.......................................... 142

xii
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 4.1 Recordings of Sancan’s piano works ............................................................... 57

Table 5.1 List of positions and institutions of participants are associated with in 2017/2018
......................................................................................................................................... 89
Table S1: List of Sancan’s compositions ........................................................................ 143
Table S2: List of Sancan’s concert performances ........................................................... 151
Table S3: List of Sancan’s recordings ............................................................................ 160
Table S4: List of participants ......................................................................................... 164

xiii
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Pierre Sancan (1916-2008) was a prominent figure as a composer, performer and

pedagogue in the Francophone world during the twentieth century. He was awarded the
Prix de Rome in composition in 1943 and composed masterpieces such as Sonatine for
flute and piano (1946) that are frequently performed today. He also sustained a successful
performing career, having toured around Europe, North America, South America, North
Africa and Asia as a piano soloist as well as a duo partner with violinist Raymond Gallois
Montbrun (1918-1994) and cellist André Navarra (1911-1988). Sancan also held the post
of Professor of Piano at the Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique de Paris from
1956 to 1985 and produced a string of notable performers, composers and pedagogues,
many of whom are still active today.

In spite of Sancan’s elite position at the Paris Conservatoire and accolades awarded during
his own lifetime as an all-round musician, his fame has not endured outside of France
among pianists of the twenty-first century. Furthermore, the compositions, teachings and
overall legacy of Sancan have not previously received scholarly attention. Indeed, when
he is mentioned in literature, the references are often limited to his competition pieces for
woodwind e.g. Concours de Conservatoire compositions such as Sonatine for flute and
piano, or his association with the French piano school (Timbrell, 1999).

Why is it that Sancan’s name has not remained as well-known as it deserves to be, despite
his success? One reason may be that Sancan invested the later years of his career in
teaching. Unlike a composer, who is remembered through his published compositions, or
a performer remembered through recordings and reviews, teachers tend to be remembered
through their students alone. Without having their career recorded or published in order
for it to be remembered formally, only a vestige of the musician remains.

My own interest in Sancan stems from my personal experiences as a student and

performer of classical music and an increasing preference for distinctive and nonstandard
repertoire through my musical career. During my formative years of music study, I was
fortunate to have had talented woodwind and piano teachers who, like Sancan, not only
taught their instruments in music conservatoires but were passionate composers as well.
This provided me with the opportunity to showcase their works and include them in my

1
own repertoire. The desire to discover neglected or lesser known composers and their
compositions developed. My first direct acquaintance with Sancan came when I heard a
fellow pianist perform Toccata (1943) by Sancan in a piano competition. My curiosity
was further piqued when it emerged that the adjudicator, competitors (myself included)
and audience members were all unfamiliar with the name of Sancan and his composition.
The unfamiliarity recurred later when I performed Sancan’s Toccata, Mouvement and
Caprice romantique at international music competitions in Europe and America, where
competitors and audiences expressed their surprise at Sancan’s music, though it was
positively received. Aligning with my own objectives and endeavours to highlight lesser
known works and composers, I became determined to explore the life, career and works
of Sancan.

Aside from the flautists who continue to perform Sonatine, Sancan is remembered today
most fondly by his own piano students. That he is not more widely known must be due,
in part, to the private nature of teacher-student relationships and the isolation of studio
lessons, compounded in the case of Sancan, by the exclusivity of the Conservatoire
system. Musicians in the studio tradition have few opportunities to share their thoughts
on the experience itself or their reflections on their teacher-student relationship. Hence,
the personal and individual insights of teachers and students within the studio system are
generally inaccessible to those outside.

Another topic that may be difficult for participants to describe and share is performance
style and technique. Aside from the inherent difficulty of articulating artistry that is non-
verbal in nature, comparisons among artists can be limited to making broad
generalisations. The notion of national piano schools, for example, can help to draw
attention to shared features, but it can be difficult to identify the ways in which individual
figures like Sancan were distinct or atypical. Even his students, however willing and
enthusiastic about discussing their teacher, might find it difficult to do so in a meaningful
way.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate Sancan as a performer, composer and teacher. More
specifically, it explores the following questions:
1. How was Sancan’s professional identity developed?
2. How did Sancan influence and inform the musical lives of his students?

2
 3. How can the relationship between Sancan and his students be associated with the
traditions of music pedagogy?
4. How can Sancan’s pianistic ideas be related to the notion of national piano
schools?

This research considers Sancan’s career in its historical and cultural contexts, examines
how his career and compositions were perceived by his students, music critics and the
public, and determines what impact Sancan had on the following generations of
musicians. Sancan’s own musical identity was not limited to being a teacher, and the first
research question documents the diverse nature of his work, with reference to information
drawn from the archives of the Paris Conservatoire, Bibliothèque Nationale de France,
and New York Public Library, along with personal possessions from Sancan’s family and
students, such as newspaper clippings, official documents, recordings of interviews,
correspondence and personal memorabilia.

Research questions two and three focus on the impact and influence Sancan had on his
students. The often private relationship between teachers and students will be examined
largely through a survey of twenty pianists who studied with Sancan over three decades
from the 1960s to the 1980s. In addition to the surveys, several of Sancan’s students
participated in interviews, and provided piano lessons. The contributions from Sancan’s
students help to characterise Sancan’s style of teaching – its specific points of focus,
effectiveness, and personalised approach to student teaching. This will be contextualised
in terms of the traditional, apprenticeship model of studio teaching, in which issues of
authority, expertise and interpersonal relationships are implicated.

Although Sancan was trained in the traditional French tradition and is clearly an heir and
proponent of the French piano school, it does not necessarily dictate his technical or
stylistic approach. Media interviews with Sancan’s students suggest that Sancan may
have been influenced by Russian pianists; hence, Sancan’s pianistic ideas and shared
features with national piano schools will be explored through research question four.

The dissertation is divided into six chapters including the Introduction. In Chapter 2, a
contextual background focusing on the traditions of music pedagogy with specific
references to traditions and national piano schools is provided.

3
Chapter 3 discusses the methods used in conducting surveys and interviews, as well as
the practical work required for historical documentation in case study research. It also
explains the study design and data analysis adopted for this study and describes the links
between data and the practice-led research element of this thesis.

Chapter 4 is fundamentally a biographical chapter that examines relevant historical details

and documents based on and around the life of Sancan and depicts the different stages of
his career, discography and catalogue of works. This is complementary to the meagre
literature on Sancan’s biography.

Collated data gathered from surveying and interviewing Sancan’s students are presented
and analysed in Chapter 5. The fieldwork conducted offered Sancan’s students the
opportunity to voice their opinions on their teacher, with many labelling Sancan as a
notable pedagogue and musician, detailing his approach to teaching, technique and
interpretation while commenting on the reputation of his piano compositions. This in turn
revealed insights into the impact of the relationship between Sancan and his students and
its effect on the students’ outlook and career.
Chapter 6 draws common themes from Chapters 4 and 5 to discuss the research questions
posed above in the context of the literature discussed in Chapter 2.

The practical performance element of this PhD consists of a recital. A personal reflection
on the practice-based element of this research, namely becoming immersed with the piano
compositions of Sancan, is also discussed in the second part of Chapter 6, drawing both
implicitly and explicitly on what was learnt, with particular inspiration from Jean-
Philippe Collard, a student of Sancan. Becoming well-acquainted with the context of
Sancan’s compositions and the technical knowledge required to perform the piano works
informed the recital. The recital itself also supports this investigation in its aim to
recognise Sancan’s work, particularly his piano compositions, and introduce these works
to a wider audience.

Chapter 6 also offers some concluding remarks and suggestions for future research to
bring to the fore other figures with Sancan’s standard and significance who deserve to be
recognised.

4
The investigative research, fieldwork and performance preparation in this study has
gradually uncovered a musical figure who did not seek a high profile for himself yet left
a legacy that has affected many who knew him. Sancan was in many ways modern in his
openness and willingness to build upon the preserved traditions of the French piano
culture represented by the Paris Conservatoire. He possessed the capacity to develop his
own personalised approach to playing and teaching, and adapted techniques employed by
pianists outside the French tradition.

From the data presented in this study and the issues raised, the reader can appreciate the
significance of Sancan and the recognition he deserves for his work and contributions.
While this study is unique to Sancan, there are likely other great unacknowledged masters
that musicians can learn from decades later.

Indirectly, this study enhances the understanding of the importance of reflection and
experimentation for musicians in all stages of their career, and cast light on the potential
power and influence of “masters” in apprenticeship contexts and the impact “masters”
such as Sancan have on the subsequent generations of musicians.

5
 CHAPTER 2: CONTEXT

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the reference points used to position Sancan and
understand his career in French music. It discusses literature related to portfolio musical
careers; the traditions of music pedagogy; the establishment and culture of European
conservatoires; and characteristics of the teacher-student relationship. It also examines
the use of terms such as national piano school and apprenticeships in literature.

2.1 Music Careers

Sancan was a highly distinguished and wide-ranging musician, achieving international

recognition as a performer, composer and teacher during his lifetime. Multi-skilled
musicians have ample precedent in music history, though it became less common during
the twentieth century for elite musicians to maintain such a range of accomplishments.

The trajectory of any musical career is guided by the musician’s personal and professional
aspirations, which culminate in the formation of a distinctive career pattern, known as a
‘portfolio career’ in general fields (Cawsey, 1995) and applied more recently in music
(Bennett & Bridgstock, 2015). Navigating and balancing time, financial and creative
needs can be challenging for elite musicians. For example, teaching can provide a stable
income that gives indirect support to composing or performing activities, but diverts
energy and time away from their composing or performing career.

Historically, of course, a number of well-known musicians had elite multi-faceted careers,

in that engaged at a high level in performing, composing, conducting and teaching, but –
parallel to the case of Sancan – the range of their accomplishments has not always endured
in their posthumous reputations. An outstanding example is Franz Liszt (1811-1886),
described as “the ultimate classical superstar” (Burton-Hill, 2016). Liszt was a great
showman on stage, performing fiendishly difficult works that would delight audiences.
Through this fame, Liszt attracted many students internationally, but had “little interest
in technical details” in his teaching methods (Gervers, 1970, p. 385). Liszt also enjoyed
great success as a composer and conductor. However, it is as a pianist that he is chiefly
remembered today. Similarly, the fame of Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) as a performer
6
eventually outshone his composing and teaching activities, with Zweig characterising him
chiefly “as a pianist as most people take him to be” (cited in Knyt, 2010, p. 471)8. In
contrast, Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) preferred to steer away from the concert stage and
dedicated himself to composing and teaching, but his fame as a teacher remains far less
prominent than his work as a composer (Rink, 2002). Arguably, in each of these cases,
the salience of one aspect of a wide-ranging career eventually outshone the rest, so far as
the public was concerned.

Today, elite musicians seem more likely to excel in more specialist fields, though these
might shift with time. A landmark study documenting the stages of elite musical careers
suggests, for example, that eminent performers often reach a stage in their career in which
they withdraw from performing and turn their attention to teaching (Manturzewska,
1990). For the musicians in this study, the shift of emphasis towards engaging in teaching
provided a platform for passing on their knowledge and technique to the next generation
of musicians.

The greatest achievement in teaching takes place usually after the period of
optimal artistic activity. Musicians begin to be interested more seriously in
teaching or coaching young musicians when they start to feel tired of their own
concert activity. Only when they consciously finish the concert career are they
able to concentrate entirely on the careers and achievement of their students.
(Manturzewska, 1990, pp. 128-129)

From the early nineteenth century, many well-known performers in Europe were drawn
into teaching at the newly established music institutions such as conservatoires and
academies (Golding, 2018), which had major influences on the music culture of those
nations. Professorial positions at these establishments could also bring a further element
of prestige to a musician’s career. In France, Sancan is well remembered as a celebrated
pedagogue who – after establishing himself as a composer and performer – took up the
esteemed post of Professor of Piano following Yves Nat’s retirement from the Paris
Conservatoire. Like the musicians described by Manturzewska, Sancan’s performing
career ceased as he concentrated on the careers and achievements of his students.

8
Stefan Zweig, Neue Freie Presse, April 18, 1918
7
2.2 Music Pedagogy

Much of Sancan’s long career was dedicated to teaching at the Paris Conservatoire,
established in 1795 and generally considered the first modern conservatoire (Rink, 2002).
The Paris Conservatoire introduced a systematic approach to music education, that
allowed for the preservation of style and dominated the musical culture of the nation
(Stock, 2004).

The Paris Conservatoire was founded initially as the École de Musique de la Garde
Nationale by Bernard Sarrette (1765-1858) in the wake of the French Revolution, with a
staff of distinguished musicians including François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829), Étienne
Nicolas Méhul (1763-1817), François-Adrien Boieldieu (1775-1834), Luigi Cherubini
(1760-1842), Jean-François Le Sueur (1760-1837), Pierre Marie François de Sales Baillot
(1771-1842) and Jean-Baptiste Duvernoy (1802-1880). The institution introduced
examinations and competitions in order to achieve and maintain high standards, and this
resulted in the conservatoire graduates emerging as a musical elite. Music education was
intensive and broad, and students were trained across a range of subject areas such as
vocal or instrumental studies, harmony, counterpoint, orchestration and solfège. The
comprehensive education provided by the Paris Conservatoire thus supported the varied
careers of generations of French composer-performer-teachers. The Conservatoire was
hugely influential in shaping music education in France and was considered a “rite of
passage”, to the extent that “few [French] musicians would look to alternative institutions
for their tuition” (Trezise, 2015, p. 134).

Following the successful establishment of the Paris Conservatoire, other conservatoires

emerged across Europe: Prague (1811), Vienna (1817), London (1823), Milan (1824),
Brussels (1832), Leipzig (1843) and Munich (1846). The St Petersburg Conservatory
(1862) and Moscow Conservatory (1866) were also established as the central musical
institutions in Russia (Barnes, 2007, p. ix). Many of these conservatoires became
associated with the development of national piano schools.

8
2.3 National Piano Schools

Given Sancan’s French nationality and conservatoire education, it may seem obvious that
Sancan should be an exemplar of the French piano school. However, evidence arising in
the current study (to be discussed in Chapters 4 and 5) suggests that such an assumption
might be limiting and even misleading.

The term ‘national piano school’ has been frequently used in academic literature and
among practising musicians, but it can be difficult to characterise national piano schools
in a meaningful way. Practices must be inconsistent within countries, or overlap among
different countries, and many musicians cannot be said to belong to one nation or another.
A definition of the term is provided by Woodford & Jackson (2003), who generalise that
a national piano school is a performance or pedagogy that is “relating to, or typical of a
whole country and its people, rather than to part of that country or to other countries” (p.
825; emphasis added).

A more circumspect use of the term refers to particular traits or styles of playing that
emerged from the main conservatoires of Europe, such as the Paris Conservatoire for the
French piano school, Moscow and St. Petersburg Conservatories for the Russian piano
school. The traits of these leading piano schools have been discussed in detail (Barnes,
2007; Gerig, 2007; Lourenco, 2007; Malik & Distler, 1999; Schonberg, 1987; Timbrell,
1999; Uszler, 1998), and while they may be the most distinctive, other schools have been
identified in England (Schonberg, 1987), Germany (Malik & Distler, 1999; Schonberg,
1987), Italy (Schonberg, 1987; Uszler, 1998), America (Schonberg, 1987; Timbrell &
Chappell, 1999), and Vienna and Stuttgart (Gerig, 2007).

A number of pianists who represent national piano schools have written treatises or
method books which are well known, such as The Art of Piano Playing (1958) by
Heinrich Neuhaus; Le Piano (1959) by Marguerite Long and Rational Principles of
Pianoforte Technique (1928) by Alfred Cortot. These books do not highlight national
piano schools. However, a study of their recommendations, along with other
documentation of piano performance and teaching practices, allows the identification of
some distinct aesthetic, technical and interpretative features that might be associated with
national trends (Lourenço, 2005, 2010). Sources rich in detail about the various national
piano schools include French Pianism (1999) by Timbrell, Russian Piano School (2007)
9
by Barnes, Famous pianists & their technique (2007) by Gerig and Defining National
Piano Schools: Perceptions and Challenges (2016) by Wisnewski. Although there
appears to be a consensus that national piano schools no longer exist (Wisniewski, 2015),
there is still academic interest in the traditional methods as exemplified by the research
lecture presented at the Paris Conservatoire (Aux origines du piano français : le jeu perlé)
(Campos, 2012).

2.3.1 Representative Figures and Features of the French Piano School

Sancan himself is of a distinguished lineage within the French piano school, as shown in
the genealogical tree (Figure 2.1). The school is considered to be one of the longest lasting
(Timbrell, 1999), even if the “French piano tradition has become diverse over the years”
(Howat, 1994, p. 189). The genealogical tree identifies key figures, with Friedrich
Kalkbrenner (1785-1849) and Pierre-Joseph-Guillaume Zimmerman (1785-1853), both
Paris Conservatoire alumni, considered the grandfathers of the French piano school
(Dunoyer, 1993; Timbrell, 1999).

According to Timbrell (1999), the French tradition derived directly from the seventeenth
century clavecinistes, personified by composers such as François Couperin (1668-1733),
and reflecting the ideals of “clarity, elegance, and sobriety of expression” (p. 47). As the
emphasis was shifted to the piano, the French retained a strong emphasis on the
independence of the fingers, and the terms detaché (detached), jeu perlé (pearl style) and
souplesse (suppleness) were frequently used to describe the French style of playing.

10
Figure 2.1: French piano school genealogical tree.
Musicians have been colour coded according to years and key figures have been highlighted. Sancan’s position within this genealogical tree is highlighted in
black. Adapted from (Wisniewski, 2015).
11
Jeu perlé has been defined as “rapid, clean, even passage work in which each note is
bright and perfectly formed. This style required the utmost equality of touch and an
unforced tone that is controlled entirely by the fingers” (Timbrell, 1999, p. 38). It was
accompanied by clear articulation to achieve phrasing, and pedalling that was used
sparingly (Campos, 2012). This approach was thought to have descended from the
classical refinement of the Couperin-Rameau harpsichord touch: “The touch was
sensitive, it stayed close to the keys and it did not press deeply” (Gerig, 2007, p. 315).
Thus Chopin remarked on Kalkbrenner’s “enchanting touch, his incomparable evenness,
and the mastery that is displayed in every note; he is a giant” (cited in Schonberg, 1987,
p. 120)9.

Though Chopin was an important innovator in piano technique, he shared some ideals
and characteristics with the French piano school and has been incorporated as a member
of the genealogical tree (Figure 2.1). According to Alfred Hipkins (1826-1903), “Chopin
kept his elbows close to his sides and played only with finger touch, no weight from the
arms” (cited in Eigeldinger, 2005, p. 30). Chopin also commented on the idea of
‘suppleness’ within his method book, Projet de méthode which he began in 1847 but
never completed. Chopin’s approach to technique can be gauged from the following
quotes from Chopin’s students and transcripts from his book (Eigeldinger, 2005):

A supple hand; the wrist, the forearm, the arm, everything will follow the hand in
the right order. (Projet de méthode, p. 194; emphasis original)

Suppleness was his great object. He repeated, without ceasing, during the lessons:
‘easily, easily’ [facilement, facilement]. (Dubois/Niecks, p. 29)

On beginning a lesson, Chopin’s main concern was to do away with every

stiffness and convulsive or cramped movement of the hand, in order to obtain the
primary requisite of good playing: souplesse [suppleness] and with it
independence of the fingers. (Mikuli, p. 29)

Chopin’s approach might be related to the jeu perlé style which was championed later by
Marguerite Long (1874-1966), a descendent of one of the grandfathers of the French piano
school, Pierre Zimmerman (Figure 2.1), who taught at the Paris Conservatoire from 1906

9
A letter from Frédéric Chopin to Tytus Wojciechowsky dated December 12, 1831
12
to 1940 and was a Professor of Piano from 1920. Long’s student Gabriel Tacchino (b.
1934) referred to Long’s technique as “the opposite of the Russian school – not much
weight, not much sound” (Timbrell, 1999, p. 97) but “what Long managed to do with her
fingers was rather extraordinary. She had an extremely wide sound pallet, and each note
was a pearl” (Dunoyer, 1993, p. 160). At the same time, an in apparent contrast to
Chopin’s flexibility, Long’s technique was “an extremely digital way of playing, in which
the fingers did all the work with very little involvement of the arm and upper body”
(Dunoyer, 1993, p. 160).

The foreword to Long’s method book, Le piano (1959), stressed the importance of
acquiring good, clear finger articulation by lifting and releasing the fingers vigorously.
Long also condemned the use of the terms ‘relax’ and ‘let go’ because “they are contrary
to the action of playing the piano... if one has fingers, one doesn’t need ‘to let go’. To be
supple is sufficient” (Long, 1963, p. 103).

Timbrell suggested that the existence and persistence of national piano schools in Europe
was due to institutions resisting “outside influences” (Timbrell & Chappell, 1999). Long
persisted in teaching the traditional French technical approach in which “clarity, grace,
moderation, and elegance” (Timbrell, 1999, p. 66) were of central importance. Despite
Long’s exposure to international pianists touring Europe and participating in international
piano competitions – including Russian pianists Emil Gilels (1916-1985) and Sviatoslav
Richter (1915-1997) – she proudly viewed French pianists as “sophisticated, rhythmically
alert, intelligent, technically flexible and musically charming” (Schonberg, 1987, p. 455).

These ideals reflect the traits attributed to the French piano school by Timbrell and
Schonberg:

… lucid, precise and slender. If it concentrates above all on grace rather than force,
guarding primarily its equilibrium and sense of proportion, it nevertheless does
not bow to any other in its power and the profundity of its inner emotions.
(Timbrell, 1999, p.251)

… to this day [1987] the French style has remained one of suppleness, of elegance
and logic, of finger technique in the classic style (from hand and wrist rather than
from arm and shoulder), resulting in the clear but percussive tone in fortissimo
passages that so many French pianists display. (Schonberg, 1987, p. 285)

13
Another factor in the longevity of the French tradition of piano playing was the
manufacture of pianos in France such as Pleyel and Erard. Known to have been favoured
by pianists like Chopin, Pleyel pianos had a light action akin to that of the harpsichords.
To some extent, this allowed pianists to preserve the style and ideals of the clavecinistes.
References to this technique is discussed by Schonberg, who claims that most French
pianists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries favoured the ‘top-of-the-keys’ approach
and fast tempi which stemmed from Herz, Zimmerman, Camille Saint-Saëns and Isidor
Philipp (Schonberg, 1987, p. 445).

Although Long was perhaps the major figure in French piano pedagogy between 1910
and 1950, the Franco-Swiss pianist Alfred Cortot (1877-1962) was considered a “grander
pianist with broad cultural interests” (Timbrell, 1999, p. 66). Although he was a student
of Émile Decombes (1829-1912) and Louis Diémer (1843-1919) at the Paris
Conservatoire, Cortot’s playing incorporated the use of the arms and shoulders; he often
played with flat-fingers and used both pedals in a colouristic manner, which was
uncommon in the playing and teaching of his French contemporaries. Dunoyer (1993)
noted that Cortot’s internationally successful performing career exposed him to different
pianists and pianos abroad and suggested that he consequently adapted his technique to
heavier pianos such as the Steinway.

Both Long and Cortot wrote books about the piano, though the difficulty involved in
explaining technique in print may limit our ability to detect clear “national’ features
within them. Long’s Le piano (1959) consists of an array of exercises for developing
finger technique (sustained notes, repeated notes, trills and mordents, double notes, scales
and quality of sound). Although Long is generally regarded as a strong representative of
French piano school, these exercises have much in common with the approach taken by
German pianists, Carl Czerny (1791-1857) and Theodor Kullak (1818-1882).

Cortot’s Rational Principles of Pianoforte Technique (1928) also provides students with
a book full of exercises (for evenness, scales, double notes, polyphonic playing, and
technique of the wrist) with the aim of developing various aspects of piano playing
technique. The exercises place considerable emphasis on the independence of fingers but
have little emphasis on the use of the whole body, which was often linked to Cortot’s
playing.

14
Another French writer on piano technique was Marie Jaëll (1846-1925), a pianist and
composer who had studied piano with Henri Herz at the Paris Conservatoire, before
furthering her studies with Liszt in Weimar. Liszt praised Jaëll for having “the brains of
a philosopher and the fingers of an artist” (Chantavoine, 1952, p. 31)10. Interested in
musical aesthetics, Jaëll turned her attention to research physiology, studying the
relationship between the body, mind and the production of tone and sound. Her extensive
research was published in her book L'intelligence et le rythme dans les mouvements
artistiques (1904)11. Other published works on her piano method include Le Toucher,
enseignement du piano basé sur la physiologie (1895)12 and Le mécanisme du toucher :
l'étude du piano par l'analyse expérimentale de la sensibilité tactile (1897)13. Jaëll’s
method departed from the French piano school approach in that it placed emphasis on the
thought processes involved in creating sound:

The body and the mind, the movement and the thought are the same force. The
energy of movement is related to the intensity of the mental representation of
the same movement. (Déchin, 2011, p. 21)

She was the first teacher to turn away from the automated methods of the time
and towards a conscious study of the movement and the development of touch.
Her teaching was imbued with psychological analysis of the mechanism of touch
and the importance of the body to tone and sound. She laid the foundations for
the development of piano technique. (Bessieres & Niedzwiecki, 1985, p. 46)

With regards to Sancan’s direct lineage within the French piano school, Diémer, Sancan’s
“grandfather”, was one of the most influential teachers in Paris during the late nineteenth
to early twentieth century (Timbrell, 1999, p. 50). His playing has been described by
Timbrell as sharing Saint-Saëns’ “very precise, fast, clear finger technique” (Timbrell,
1999, p. 52), characteristics common to the jeu perlé style. Recordings of Diémer’s
performances of his own compositions such as the Grande Valse de Concert Op. 37 made
in 1906 clearly demonstrate Diémer’s use of light finger work and dry tone due to the
sparing use of the pedal. This results in sound with little depth. Diémer’s approach of a

10
A detailed study of the work of Marie Jaëll can be found in Laure Struber’s thesis, The
Education of Musical Thinking through the Hand according to Marie Jaëll (1846-1925), D.M.A.
2017, University of Washington
11
The thought and rhythm in the artistic movement
12
Touch, teaching piano based on physiology (3 volumes)
13
The mechanism of touch: studying piano by experimental tactile sensitivity analysis
15
generally dry tone with little use of pedal and an emphasis on clear finger work can also
be heard in his performance of Chant du Nautonier Op. 12, which features fast, scale-like
passages throughout the composition. This may have contributed to Diémer being
labelled “the king of the scale and the trill” (Schonberg, 1987, p. 287).

Diémer succeeded Marmontel (student of Zimmerman, “grandfather” of the French

School) as Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire in 1887 and attracted many well-
known students including Jean Batalla, Joseph Benvenuti, Robert and Gaby Casedesus,
Marcel Ciampi, Alfred Cortot, Marcel Dupre, Lazare Levy, Edouard Risler and Yves Nat.
(Timbrell, 1999, p. 51-2) Despite the great reputation of his students, Diémer’s teaching
has not received much praise. Such an example can be found by Alfred Casella (1883-
1947):

When a piece did not go well, he never knew how to explain the cause, but told
the student only to study it again and to practice many exercises, especially scales.
… I do not remember ever having heard from him one of those observations
which solve a problem for the pupil and disclose a new horizon to him. (Casella,
1955, p. 39-40)

Nevertheless, a number of Diémer’s students were later appointed as piano professors at

the Paris Conservatoire, including Yves Nat. Nat’s style was drastically different to his
master, as evidenced in his recordings of Schumann’s piano works (Ses Enregistrements,
1930-1956, EMI Classics, released in 2006). Nat also recorded all of Beethoven’s sonatas
and was the first French pianist to do so (Timbrell, 1999, p. 126). The fuller sound and
liberal use of the pedal and rubato allowed for greater textures and colours to be created
on the piano. Like Diémer, Nat was also a composer which is likely to have contributed
to his “very orchestral approach” where he spoke of “layers of sound, different colours,
different instruments” and used “a lot of half-pedal with vibrations” (Timbrell, 1999, p.
129).

In contrast to the light “top-of-the-key’ approach of Diémer, Nat’s student Genevieve Joy
described Nat’s playing as “deep into the keys” which produced a “wonderful parlando
sound” (Timbrell, 1999, p. 129). This is elaborated further by Jean-Bernard Pommier,
who studied with Nat prior to becoming a student of Sancan:

16
 [Nat’s] physical approach was one of weight, with articulation on the key always
– not like Long’s, where the finger was like a little hammer that came down from
above the key. Nat’s approach was similar to that of the Russian school. It makes
a big difference where you start to articulate from – it can be from above the key,
with very curved fingers; or form close to the key, with only slightly curved
fingers and small movements … Sancan’s teaching turned out to be very
complementary to Nat’s. It was influenced by the writings of Marie Jaëll, with a
real emphasis on the role of the whole body in playing, and on a complete
physical analysis of how one plays. (Timbrell, 1999, p. 131)

Although the French piano school remained strong, then, during the years of Sancan’s
training, and particularly perhaps in the conservatoire itself, there is precedent for leading
figures to turn away from the tradition. In the case of Sancan, such a move seems to have
been inspired by an interest in the Russian school.

2.3.2 Representative Figures and Features of the Russian Piano School

The Russian piano school is thought to have begun in the late 1860s during which the St.
Petersburg and Moscow Conservatories were established. Known for its full orchestral
and powerful sound, intense emotional expressiveness and physicality in playing, the
Russian piano school was represented by influential pianists such as Anton Rubinstein
(1829-1894), Theodor Leschetizky (1830-1915), Vasily Ilyich Safanov (1852-1918) and
Heinrich Neuhaus (1888-1964). The Russian school had extraordinary longevity,
producing remarkable pianists such as Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), Sergei
Prokofiev (1891-1953), Richter, Gilels, Vladimir Ashkenazy (b. 1937), Elisabeth
Leonskaja (b. 1960), Mikhail Pletnev (b. 1957) and Evgeny Kissin (b. 1971) (see Figure
2.2).

Anton Rubinstein exerted immense influence in Russia having been appointed the first
director of the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1867. Significantly, his technique “relied
not just on the digital strength and dexterity practised by earlier generation, but was
supported by the full weight of arm, shoulder and torso” (Barnes, 2007, p. xv).

17
Figure 2.2: Russian piano school genealogical tree.
Musicians have been colour coded according to years and key figures are highlighted. Adapted from (Wisniewski, 2015).
18
In its early stages the Russian school drew on a range of international influences,
including Liszt, who visited there, and Leschetizky, a student of Czerny in Vienna before
he moved to Russia in 1852. A genealogical tree of the Russian piano school is shown in
Figure 2.2. According to his students, Ignace Paderewski (1860-1941) and Artur Schnabel
(1882-1951), Leschetizky’s teachings focused on musicianship and interpretation more
than technique, encouraging them to “make music and not noise” (Paderewski, in Gerig,
2007, p. 274).

Like Long, Leschetizky encouraged the study of Czerny’s five finger exercises, scales,
arpeggios, chords and octave work. However, a clear distinction between Long and
Leschetizky was that the latter discouraged the use of “finger playing”:

I don’t believe in finger playing. The fingers are like the legs of a horse – if its
body won’t move, there wouldn’t be any progress, it would always remain on
the same spot. (Gerig, 2007, p. 279)

A number of Leschetizky’s students wrote about their master’s method.14 Leschetizky’s

views on the various national schools are clearly outlined in Annette Hullah’s book. The
descriptions of the Russian and French schools in the excerpt below share many
similarities to the attitudes of pianists in the twenty-first century (Wisniewski, 2015):

The Russians stand first in Leschetizky’s opinion. United to a prodigious

technique, they have passion, dramatic power, elemental force and extraordinary
vitality. Turbulent natures, difficult to keep within bounds, but making
wonderful players when they have the patience to endure to the end.

The French he compares to birds of passage, flying lightly up in the clouds,

unconscious of what lies below. They are dainty, crisp, clear-cut in their playing,
and they phrase well. (Hullah, 1906, pp. 72-73)

14
Marie Prentner, The Modern Pianist, Being my Experiences in the Technic and Execution of
Pianoforte Playing according to the Principles of Prof. Theo. Leschetizky, 1903, T. Pesser,
Philadelphia; Malwine Bree, The Groundwork of the Leschetizky Method, issued with his
approval by his assistant Malwine Bree, 1902, G. Chirmer, New York; Annette Hullah, Theodor
Leschetizky, 1906, J. Lane, London
19
In keeping with Schnabel’s remarks about Leschetitzky, the Russian school tended to
emphasise the ‘artistic image’, defined as the spirit and style of the musical work, as
described below:

The performer can derive most information from the text of a work itself, and
musical notation provides useful clues to the style of interpretation. But this
alone is not sufficient. It is also essential to understand the circumstances in
which a particular work was created. One needs to know something of the
character of that epoch and complete range of the composer’s other works.
Everything in the composer’s oeuvre is interrelated, and one area of his work is
affected by another. (Barnes, 2007, p. 40)

This idea of ‘artistic image’ was also discussed by Neuhaus in his method book, The Art
of Piano Playing (1958), cited by Sancan in an interview with Timbrell as a book of
interest (Timbrell, 1999, p. 197).15 Neuhaus studied under Leopold Godowsky (1870-
1938); Godowsky was not Russian, but Neuhaus described him as “not a teacher of piano
but first and foremost a teacher of music” (Neuhaus, 1973, p. 14). Neuhaus secured a post
at the Moscow Conservatory from 1922 before becoming the director (1934-1937), and
produced numerous notable students such as Yakov Zak (1913-1976), Sviatoslav Richter,
(1915-1997), Emil Gilels (1916-1985), Lev Naoumov (1925-2005) and Radu Lupu (b.
1945). Neuhaus’s artistic approach can be appreciated from the quote below:

Ensure that the player grasps the “artistic image”, that is: the content, meaning,
the poetic substance, the essence of the music and be able to understand
thoroughly… A clear understanding of this goal enables the player to strive for
it, to attain it and embody it in his performance. (Neuhaus, 1973, p. 2)

Neuhaus also raised the importance of macromuscular control and fingering as a

means to achieve the desired sound. In contrast to the French school, Neuhaus
describes how the fingers are only one component involved in playing and how
it must coordinate with the rest of the body:

It is essential to use all the anatomical possibilities of movement …

beginning with the hardly perceptible movement of the last joint of a finger,
the whole finger, the hand, the forearm, arm and shoulder and even the back,

15
Interview was conducted between 1985 and 1991.
20
 in fact the whole of the upper part of the body, i.e. beginning with one point
of support – the fingertips on the keyboard, and ending with another point of
support on the chair. (p. 83)

Artistically correct fingering: Fingering is best which allows the most

accurate rendering of the music in question and which corresponds most
closely to its meaning. Principle of physical comfort, of the convenience of
a particular hand is secondary and subordinate to the first. (p. 141)

With regards to the Russian aesthetic, some distinctions have been made between
performers produced by the Moscow and St Petersburg Conservatories, suggesting that
the Moscow style was more “virtuosic” while the St Petersburg style was more
“contemplative and intimate” (Hamilton, 2008, p. 12). Nevertheless, the history of the
Russian piano school appears to be largely consistent in its technical approach, and in
that respect there appear to be no major figures who diverged significantly from their
training. This contrasts with the French piano school in which alternative aesthetics or
methods were developed during the twentieth century, as discussed above, and according
to Reitz (1994), eventually gave way to “La Nouvelle Ecole Française.”

Presumably, many of the traditions, techniques and aesthetics favoured by each individual
national piano school were passed from teacher to students, with the students themselves
becoming teachers over successive generations, as illustrated in the genealogical trees of
the French and Russian piano schools (Figures 2.1 and 2.2). It seems that this “vertical”
relationship structure, often resisting outside “horizontal” influences, provided the ideal
circumstances for maintaining a distinctive aesthetic and technical approaches to the
piano, and extending the longevity of the European national piano schools through much
of the twentieth century. Like several other figures in the French school, Sancan took an
interest in other influences; how he did that, and to what extent, remain to be explored.

2.4 Apprenticeships in Music

Within the conservatory system, Sancan – like all Conservatory students – had a main
teacher to whom he was effectively an apprentice; later he became a master himself in
the same tradition. Apprenticeships have long been associated with learning an art or trade

21
that allows the apprentice – from the Latin, apprendere, “to lay hold of, grasp” – to
acquire and cultivate their artistic and technical skills from a ‘master’.

The apprenticeship model has been identified as a powerful, motivating force in music
teaching in conservatories as well as in private studio-based learning (Burwell, 2013;
Haddon, 2009; Jørgensen, 2001; Mills & Smith, 2003). The master-apprentice
relationship is held in high regard, and often proves profoundly significant for the entire
career of the aspiring musician. The role of masters has been explored by Manturzewska
(1990) in her study of 165 professional Polish musicians aged 21 to 89. It claimed that a
master did not only focus on technique but influenced the student’s “personality, aesthetic
attitudes, life philosophy, professional standards and attitudes” (p. 135). According to
Manturzewska (1990), this apprenticeship stage entails the artist developing and
formulating his or her “own interpretative conceptions and … individual know-how” (p.
134) under the guidance of the master.

The master can be a powerful figure to the apprentice. A study of 24 accomplished

American concert pianists reported that they could feel “overwhelmed” that the master
accepted them as students, and receiving lessons with their master was the “highest
honour” (Sosniak, 1985, p. 59). The master’s commitment to teaching the apprentice,
often in spite of a busy performance schedule, was noted by the pianists. These sentiments
motivated and inspired them as they strove for praise and recognition from their master.
Although the studies by Manturzewska and Sosniak are helpful in characterising the life
stages of musical apprentices, few sources have focussed on the emotional commitment
and affective aspects of learning for the apprentice (Burwell, 2013), or investigated the
role of a master in preparing the apprentice to join the musical community. The nature of
apprenticeships in music, typically involving one-to-one interactions that occur regularly
over many years, suggest that the relationship between the master and apprentice is likely
to extend beyond a formal association, with the master becoming more involved and
invested in the development and success of the apprentice.

Another feature of apprenticeships that is emphasized in literature is the idea of becoming

a well-rounded musician under the guidance of the master. Like Neuhaus’ claim that his
own teacher, Godowsky, was a teacher of music more than a teacher of the piano, a
participant in Sosniak’s (1985) study stated, “He didn’t want to teach me as a pianist so
much as to become a musician” (p. 62).
22
The role of the master also appears to be important in the development of the apprentice’s
independence. Sosniak (1985) claims that with greater independence, students identify
and develop their own musical style and solve their own musical problems. However,
some of the pianists she interviewed reported that their master had been domineering or
authoritative (Sosniak, 1985, p. 64). A similar finding was featured in Nielson’s (1999)
study of pianists studying at the Danish Conservatory of Music, in which “none of the
students complained about the exercise of authority – on the contrary. It seems more as if
the students themselves maintain the teacher’s authority, just as much as the teachers” (p.
124). This attitude might be linked to Rubinstein’s interactions with his students, in that
he was aware of his own bad temper but regarded it as powerful in motivating his students.
Rubinstein complained: “Why are my pupils afraid of me? All I do is stamp on their feet
and scream at them. They should not fear a little screaming” (Gerig, 2007, p. 294).
Nevertheless, this teacher-student interaction was “not only accepted, but also desired and
even sought after among the students” (Nerland & Hanken, 2002, p. 172), suggesting that
this authority reflects the position of the master in the professional discipline. The sense
of musical authority in masters is also described by Kingsbury (1988), in terms of the
“political” structure of teacher-student relationships, asserting that teachers rely on their
“pedagogical lineages” as indications of authority:

“Study with me,” the implicit message runs, “and I will introduce you to the
ways of music as transmitted to me by these masters”… Some of these
genealogies feature names that are at best known only to the most thoroughly
initiated. On the other hand, the very presentation of a pedagogical genealogy
entails the suggestion that anyone named is or was a distinguished musician, so
that to be unacquainted with those named may indicate that it is the reader who
is a neophyte rather than the genealogy which is insignificant. (Kingsbury, 1988,
p. 45)

In this way, the legacy of schools can provide the apprentice with a sense of identity with
cultural and musical importance. The transmission of identity, expertise and information
from one generation to another means that traditions are preserved, but issues can arise
when teachers promote the attitude that their approach is “the only valid one” (Gelber,
1988, p. 11) or if masters “legitimize” their approach merely on the grounds that they are
“teach[ing] in similar ways to their own teachers” (Haddon, 2009, p. 58). Due to a limited
and typically narrow range of reference points, many studio teachers rely on their own
23
“personal histories and accumulating experience” in developing their approaches to
teaching (Burwell, Carey, & Bennett, 2017, p. 2). We know that Sancan was positively
influenced by his own apprenticeship with Yves Nat. However, as previously mentioned,
Sancan, seems to have taken a purposeful interest in practices beyond the French piano
school. This individual endeavor to overcome the limitations of the traditional studio
system will be explored in greater depth in Chapters 4 and 5.

2.5 Conclusion

This chapter provides the framework in which further investigations can be undertaken
into the musical career of Pierre Sancan. In historical terms, Sancan entered into a
remarkable tradition of elite, wide-ranging musicians when he embarked on a career that
encompassed piano performance, conducting, and composing, before he shifted emphasis
to advanced studio teaching. By becoming a piano professor at Paris Conservatoire, too,
he entered in new ways into the tradition of the French piano school and of musical
apprenticeship. How he embodied, refreshed and even transformed aspects of those
traditions will be explored in detail in the following chapters.

24
 CHAPTER 3: METHOD

3.1 Research Approach

This dissertation uses a case study approach, which involves exploratory, descriptive and
explanatory research (Yin, 2009, p. 8). Merriam (1997) defined a case study as “an
intensive, holistic description and analysis of a bounded phenomenon such as a
programme, an institution, a person, a process, or a social unit” (p. xiii). The idea of a
“bounded system” is also adopted in Stake’s and Creswell’s definitions of case study
research. For Stake (1995, p. xi), the case study is the study of the particularity and
complexity of a single case, sensitive to the interaction and activity within a particular
context bounded by time and place. Similarly, Creswell (1994) states that a case study
explores a “single entity or phenomenon (“the case”) bounded by time and activity” (p.
12). The case in this dissertation is Pierre Sancan and the study explores in-depth his
musical career as a performer, composer and teacher, whilst examining the evolving
approach to piano pedagogy in France during the twentieth century.

This case study on Sancan is considered primarily as an intrinsic case study, depicted by
Stake (2005) as a study where “one wants better understanding of a particular case” and
“the case itself is of interest” (p. 445). This study is of particular importance as Sancan
was depicted in literature as an influential figure who held an elite position of Professor
of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire. Sancan’s career was, no doubt, of keen interest to
those who were close to him, professionally, having produced many successful musicians
who still teach, compose and perform today. The detailed accounts of his experimentation
and self-reflection on piano technique and performance can be taken as a representative
of a musician’s journey of self-discovery.

Arguably, this case study on Sancan is also a representative case study due to the strong
apprenticeship tradition present in the conservatoire system. It is therefore likely that
other cases like Sancan – and the influence he had on his apprentices – exist in history,
as Stake (1995) argued that “cases seldom exist alone. If there's one, there surely are more
somewhere” (p. 72). In this sense, this study represents an instrumental case, which
according to Stake (1995, p. 3) has a need for general understanding and offers insight
into an issue by studying a particular case.
25
Case studies use several different data sources to provide depth and strength to the case.
Categories of sources and mixture of methods to be used in case studies include
documentation, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participant observation
and physical artefacts (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1991; Merriam, 1997; Yin, 2009). This
study adopts a multiple-method approach where the study is divided into three sections:
biographical study, survey/interview, and reflection on creative practice.

3.2 Study Design and Data Collection

Biographical study

The biographical study in Chapter 4 seeks to narrate Sancan’s activities as found in

documents and archival materials. Materials include interviews with Sancan and his
students, archival documents, institutional records and alumni files, correspondence,
photographs and artefacts.

Documents were sourced from archives and databases held at the Paris Conservatoire,
Bibliothèque Nationale de France and New York Public Library. The conservatoire
archives provided documents detailing admission, course structure, teaching and
examination procedures. A list of the piano professors teaching at the Paris Conservatoire
and their tenure was provided, as well as photographs of Sancan’s piano class. The
Médiathèque Hector Berlioz was also searched for relevant information on Sancan. It
housed a series of books called the Palmarès which printed the results from the Concours
du Conservatoire for every year and course at the Paris Conservatoire. This information
was required to compile a list of Sancan’s students who received Premier Prix in piano
to be used for the initial stages of participant sampling, which is further detailed below in
Chapter 3.3. The Bibliothèque Nationale de France held unique artefacts of Sancan
including: hand-written letters and correspondence from Sancan to French orchestras and
composers; questionnaire completed by Sancan for a dictionary of French musicians;
books featuring Sancan such as homage to Jean Gallon’s harmony class and the hundred
and fiftieth anniversary of Chopin’s birth; audio recordings of Sancan performing; film
featuring Bernard Gavoty’s interview with Sancan; and press clipping reviewing
Sancan’s compositions and performances. The New York Public Library was integral in

26
obtaining press clippings not found in other online archives and databases. These sources
were used to reconstruct samples of Sancan’s concert activities and reviews of Sancan’s
compositions, and were valuable in determining the reception of Sancan’s performances
and compositions from outside of France. Personal collections in the possession of Jean-
Efflam Bavouzet (Album sur la carrière de Pierre Sancan) and Carl Blake (certificate
and letters) were also shared with the researcher for the inclusion of this study. Album sur
la carrière de Pierre Sancan was compiled by Sancan’s aunt, Jane, and features a
collection of photographs and press clippings spanning his childhood years to 1946. In
order to be concise, only English translations are included for extended quotes.

Survey and Interview Study

The findings in Chapter 5 represent a survey of Sancan’s former students. The most
commonly used data-gathering methods in the social sciences are questionnaires and
semi-structured interviews (Blaikie, 2009, p. 23). In the current study the same schedule
of content was used for both: an online questionnaire was used as convenient by
participants living around the world (n = 17), but where possible the questions were used
as the basis of personal interviews (n = 4). The questionnaire was focused on four
elements: the general musical background about each participant, and Sancan as a
performer, teacher and composer. The questions were qualitative in nature to elicit
descriptive accounts of the participants’ impressions of Sancan across the various
components of his career, to explore their own experiences with Sancan, and to provide
insight into Sancan’s personality, views and approach as a teacher. To enrich the data,
multiple perspectives were used for triangulation. For example, quotes from Sancan and
those who were close to him, were drawn together to reconstruct a more definitive view
of Sancan.

Qualtrics survey software (Provo, UT, USA) was used as the survey platform. The
questions were created online in Qualtrics with links to the survey generated by the
software. The links allowed participants to complete the survey online through an internet
browser or by using mobile devices including iOS, Android and Windows Phone systems.
Because of potential language barriers, the questionnaire was translated from English to
French by a professional National Accreditation Authority for Translators and

27
Interpreters (NAATI)-certified translator. This ensured that the questions in French were
conveyed with the same meaning and idea as in English. Participants were given the
option to access the English or French questionnaire. The full English and French versions
of the questionnaire are included in this thesis as Appendices A and B.

As noted above, semi-structured interviews were conducted where possible, using an

interview schedule based on the questionnaire but allowing for clarification and
elaboration on specific points. An advantage of the interview format was the opportunity
to ask follow-up questions, described by Kvale and Brinkmann (2009, pp. 138-140) as
essential to the art of interviewing. This had the advantage of eliciting more in-depth
explanation, anecdotal information, and – when respondents played or sang to illustrate
their points – experiential data. Such multi-modal data is typical of interview responses
that “are delivered at different descriptive levels”, in that “the informant does different
things with words and stories” (Maseide, 1990, p. 11).

3.3 Sampling

Purposive sampling was implemented in this study and occurred at multiple stages. The
criteria for selection required that participants had studied firsthand with Sancan, and that
they were actively involved in music whether as composers, performers, or teachers.

In the first stage of sampling, students of Sancan who studied at the Paris Conservatoire
and received Premier Prix in the supérieure classe were contacted to participate in either
a survey or an interview. A list of potential participants was identified using Palmarès
records held at Médiathèque Hector Berlioz, Paris Conservatoire. These documents
identified 56 first prize-winning piano students of Sancan. These individuals were sought
through online search engines for contact details or representative agents. The second
stage of sampling involved contacting pupils who studied with Sancan in other
institutions, privately or through masterclasses. These pianists were identified by
searching webpages and online profiles for biographies of musicians that referred to
Sancan as their teacher. Participants were invited to participate in this study via email
which included a link to the survey together with the Participant Information Statement
and Participant Consent Form. As stated by Patton, the sample size in qualitative study is

28
typically small – often between five to twenty with some data sources being ‘richer’ than
others (Patton, 1990). Twenty-six musicians initially responded to the invitation;
however, seventeen participants completed the survey and three agreed to be interviewed.
An additional interview was conducted over the phone with Sancan’s student and
companion, Irène Mathis, for the purpose of clarification and uncovering personal
insights. None of the data were excluded from the analysis.

3.4 Ethical Considerations

The study was approved by the University of New South Wales Human Research Ethics
Advisory Panel and participants were recruited under ethics number HC16872. All
participants were contacted via email with the Participant Information Statement and
Participant Consent Form attached. Participants were informed that the study was for
research purposes and were given the opportunity to provide their responses
anonymously. Although Pierre Sancan is deceased, some of his colleagues are alive and
it was imperative that the questions asked in the questionnaire and interview were neither
sensitive nor private in nature. The participants accounts were overwhelmingly positive,
though it was accepted by the researcher that the invited participants may have self-
selected not to participate if they possessed any negative attitudes towards Sancan.

3.5 Data Analysis

According to Yin (2009, p. 126), data analysis “consists of examining, categorizing,

tabulating, testing, or otherwise recombining both quantitative and qualitative evidence
to address the initial propositions of a study.” Data from the questionnaire and interview
responses were gathered, tabulated and categorized into three main headings: Pierre
Sancan as a performer, teacher and composer. Because each participant’s experience was
unique, accounts of their experiences with Sancan were often personal and distinct. As
recommended by Yin (2009, p. 156), each case was analysed individually and then
compared with other cases, and common motifs that appeared from the data were
identified for discussion (John Creswell & Poth, 2017, p. 199). This enabled the
researcher to discern similarities and differences among the cases to determine whether
29
Sancan’s approach was consistent among all his students or was tailored according to
each student’s needs. While common hallmarks allowed general conclusions to be drawn
about Sancan, specific uncommon but noteworthy events that arose from the data were
also noted, for their capacity to develop the character of the case (Stake, 1995, p. 29).

3.6 Data Management

Data generated was voluminous and rich in nature. Microsoft OneNote was used to
manage the large quantities of textual and visual data, collate notes, retrieve documents,
and conduct searches for key words or text. The survey data was downloaded from
Qualtrics server and tabulated in Microsoft Excel. Interviews were recorded, transcribed
in Microsoft Word and tabulated with the survey data. All survey and interview data were
stored in a password-protected folder in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences data
storage in the UNSW server to protect the data securely and remain confidential. Sound
recordings and letters, transcribed and translated by a NAATI-certified translator, as well
as photographs provided by Sancan’s students, Médiathèque Hector Berlioz and
Bibliothèque Nationale de France, were also securely stored on the UNSW server as these
documents are not publicly available and contained personal information.

3.7 Creative Practice

This study draws upon multiple methods that allow creative practice and documentary
and empirical research to influence and inform one another. Practice-led research and
research-led practice are becoming more prominent in the twenty-first century, and
describe interdisciplinary approaches through which knowledge can be advanced by
means of practice, and vice versa. The method is common in the fields of design, health,
creative arts and education (Candy, 2006) in which the theoretical and technical insights
from practice contribute and advance knowledge within practice (Smith & Dean, 2009).
In the creative arts, the creative process commonly takes the form of an exegesis and the
artefact or creative work generated – writing, composition, exhibition or performance –
makes a vital contribution to the understanding of practice through empirical, speculative
or exploratory studies.
30
According to Smith and Dean (2009), practice-led research implies that the creative work
is a form of research: “the training and specialised knowledge that creative practitioners
have and the process they engage when they are marking art – can lead to specialised
research insights” (p. 6), while “research-led practice suggests that scholarly research can
lead to creative work” (p. 7). In performance contexts, “aspects of research can be
enhanced by creative projects and vice versa” (Smith & Dean, 2009, p. 18). Thus,
practice-led research and research-led practice are considered to be “interwoven” and “bi-
directional” processes.

Researchers may employ a combination of artistic and academic methodologies including

contextual reviews, case studies, interviews, practical experiments, and scenario building
in order to incorporate contextual research regarding a particular place, subject matter or
art-historical context (Biggs, 2009, pp. 76-77). Insights, conceptualisations and
theorisation can also result from the artists “reflect[ing] on and document[ing] their own
creative practice” (Smith & Dean, 2009, p. 6). Exploration into these factors and its
connection to existing practice can contribute to the wider picture (Candy & Edmonds,
2018). The research presented in this thesis and accompanying recital performance have
significance in understanding and integrating the knowledge gained from engaging with
the subject matter through case study research and piano lessons and implementing it into
practice.

Defining the potential relationships between practice and research is difficult, and
Jorgensen (2001, p. 206) has noted that “given the ambiguity of artistic performance, the
practitioner is faced by questions of how she or he should be guided.” In the course of the
current project, I undertook lessons with Sancan’s best-known student, Jean-Philippe
Collard, in an effort to develop a deeper understanding, and offer greater insight in my
performances, into Sancan’s piano works. The contribution of Collard was, arguably,
complemented and enriched by the information gathered from the survey and interview
data. This form of participant observation, as described by DeWalt and Dewalt (2011),
improves “the degree to which the products of the research provide as valid a view of the
context and phenomena under investigation as possible” (p. 110).

A number of research papers have discussed the concept of ‘historically informed

performance’ (Brown, 2010; Butt, 2002; Kivy, 2002) which refers to written
documentation (especially performance treatises) from the past (Leech-Wilkinson, 2016).
31
Although there are no performance treatises written by Sancan, or based on his teaching,
discussions with Sancan’s students could prove valuable in acquiring a sense of his
approach to technique and interpretation, particularly with regard to his own music.
According to Jorgensen, attaining historical knowledge in this way can be useful in
developing a “disposition to generate, preserve and transmit it” (Jorgensen, 2001, p. 220).
Of course, in spite of the efforts made in portraying Sancan’s intentions and preferences,
the modern performer is limited by what ideas can be communicable among musicians,
and the ideas that can be conveyed “certainly cannot encompass all the possibilities
afforded by their scores” (Leech-Wilkinson, 2016, p. 331). Research can be enriching and
influential, but cannot transmit aspects of musical performance and instruction, simply:
thus an artist learns “by instruction, example, practice, and reflection” (Jorgensen, 2006,
p. 9). The multiple-method approach of the current study draws together a range of
available instruction, example, practice and reflection, to explore the potential of
Sancan’s piano works; and since the large majority of them have not previously been
recorded and are infrequently performed, the purpose of the creative element is to perform
Sancan’s piano works in order to promote a greater awareness of his compositions to the
public.

3.8 Limitations and Delimitations

Beyond Sancan’s lifetime, we have no personal, direct access to Sancan as a teacher and
even, arguably, as a performer. Artefacts remain in the form of his compositions and
recordings; however, no complete lists of have been compiled. Due to Sancan’s success
as a multi-talented musician during his lifetime, there is a good deal of documentary
evidence related to his career, even though it has not been the focus of any scholarly
studies to date.

Indirect access to Sancan is represented by his former pupils, who would be the most
informed about Sancan’s teaching and performing practices and are themselves strongly
represented in international musical circles; but relying on indirect access involves
limitations that should be acknowledged.

32
Due to constraints in time and resources, Silverman encouraged researchers conducting
qualitative research to use purposive sampling (2006, p. 225). Former students of Sancan
were therefore identified as described above in Chapter 3.3 and invitations were sent
electronically. The participants represent only a fraction of the students Sancan taught in
his 29 years at the conservatoire and to a lesser extent in private practice. Because of the
sampling procedure, the sample was skewed towards those who had maintained
successful careers as professional musicians.

Another potential limitation to this study is that contact was established electronically,
thus any potential participants who had discomfort with modern technology or lacked an
internet profile (either personal webpage, through management agencies or institutions),
could not be contacted and may therefore affect the population of respondents. This may
have explained the rate of non-participation, especially for pupils that studied with Sancan
during the 1950s; however, this limitation was not considered to have heavy bearing on
this study as the range of participants that responded were of varying ages and included
pupils who studied with Sancan from the 1960s early in his tenure at the Paris
Conservatoire up to his last student.

The potential for miscommunication or misunderstanding due to language barriers either

from survey responses or textual data was reduced as much as possible. The researcher
acknowledges that her intermediate proficiency in French and limited access to databases
in France may have restricted the number of possible sources available which could have
provided further insights into Sancan. The researcher dealt with much of the preliminary
translation herself, while selective, valuable data from survey responses or extracts of
data were translated professionally for the sake of utmost precision. A translator was also
used for interviews conducted in French. In addition, the questionnaire was also provided
in two languages as mentioned earlier, English and French, to allow the participants to
answer in the language that is most suitable for them.

The sample may also be further skewed by the fact that the participants were self-
selecting. Stake described that when people who had no previous bad experiences were
asked to participate in a study, “many respondents consider it a compliment to be asked,
and some will use the request to indicate that this verifies the high position their
organization has attained” (Stake, 1995, p. 43). Although the surveys and interviews were
conducted privately, the responses would be reported in this study. The respondents were
33
given the option to remain anonymous, but all participants chose to provide their details,
acknowledging that their responses would not remain private. Hence, the participants had
a shared objective in recognizing the musical achievements and talents of their teacher,
Sancan.

A further limitation in studies of this nature is that discussing aspects of an art – whether
performing, or performance teaching – can be ineffable. As discussed in Chapter 1, there
is an inherent difficulty in articulating technique and style. Information is limited by what
ideas can be communicable, as remarked on in Chapter 3.7. Without a visual or physical
demonstration, or aural reference, explaining technique or interpretation can be
problematic. It was therefore critical to engage first-hand with the subject matter. Having
had lessons with Sancan’s student, Jean-Philippe Collard, the researcher could have direct
experiences and observations, and learn through instruction, demonstration, practice and
reflection, as recommended by Jorgensen (2006).

Triangulation methods were used to minimize misperception and invalidity. The

responses of the participants who had more contact and a stronger acquaintance with
Sancan are likely to be more reliable and their responses were therefore given more value
and authority in the analysis process. DeWalt and DeWalt (2011, p. 128) recommended
that insights gained through participant observation studies be cross validated with data
acquired through different techniques. Since music is subjective and the approach to
music is likely to vary between musicians who have been taught by the same teacher, the
researcher searched for common themes and consistency in the documentary and
empirical data as a form of triangulation method, in spite of interest arising from
distinctive cases.

34
 CHAPTER 4: BIOGRAPHICAL STUDY

In this chapter, a biographical study of Sancan will explore documentary evidence of

Sancan’s life, musical education, and career. In the absence of any previous scholarly
work focused on his biography, the study draws on a wide range of sources. Databases
and archives held at libraries across France, Australia and America were searched for
catalogues of newspapers, journals, and magazines, along with audio recordings and
interviews conducted for radio, newspaper, magazine and television. These were
complemented by exclusive access to Sancan’s press book, compiled by Sancan’s aunt
and currently in the possession of Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.

The study will be prefaced by a contemporary description of Sancan, written by French

organists, musicologists and critics, Bernard Gavoty and Daniel Lesur, because – in its
enthusiasm as much as its content – it reflects the deep and positive impression that
Sancan made on others.

Blond hair, naturally wavy. Very blue eyes in a face always smiling. Nose a
little strong, as it should be when one has character; slightly hooked, as it is
necessary to give the profile a significant curve. Tall, robust, energetic
appearance… he combines his pianist and composer titles with first-rate sports
references: the Grand Prix de Rome and basketball champion, virtuoso and
tennis player, laureate of fugues and rugby player. (Gavoty & Lesur, 1957, p.
290)16

4.1 Family

Pierre Charles Sancan was born on 24 October 1916 in Mazamet, a city east of Toulouse
in southern France. He was the eldest child of Robert Sancan (b. 1884) and Alice Julia

16
Original quote: Cheveux blonds, naturellement ondulés. Yeux très bleus dans un visage toujours
souriant. Nez un peu fort, comme il se doit quand on a du caractère ; un peu busqué, comme il
faut pour donner au profil une courbe significative. Grand, robuste, d'aspect énergique...
Conjugue au contraire ses titres de pianiste et de compositeur avec des références sportives de
tout premier ordre : Grand Prix de Rome et champion de basket-ball, virtuose et tennisman,
lauréat de fugue et joueur de rugby.
35
(1894-1958) and had three younger siblings, Simone (1923-2012), Jacques (1925-2011)
and Suzanne (dates unknown) (Timkit, 2011). A family tree and photograph are shown
in Figures 4.1 and 4.2.

Figure 4.1: Family tree of Pierre Sancan.

Suzanne was a nurse in the French Army who served in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu
during the First Indochina War (1946-1954) (Bigeard, cited in Singer & Landon, 2004,
p. 421)17, and Jacques was a specialist in Russian literature who authored two books,
Dictionary of works and themes of Russian literature18 and From Avvakum to Zinoviev:
200 literary works, 100 Russian authors: analysis, themes, maps, paintings.19 No
information about Simone Sancan’s profession could be found. In Meknès, pictured in
Figure 4.3, Pierre Sancan enjoyed playing sports and became a basketball champion in
Morocco. He joined the French Army at age 19 as the French prepared to fight against
the Nazis. During the occupation of France, Sancan was based in Morocco as a member
of the Resistance movement. He received a military honour for his service ("Famed

17
An undated letter from Suzanne Sancan to her brother can be found at M. Bigeard, Lettres
d’Indochine, Vol. 2, Paris, 1998, p. 221.
18
J. Sancan, Dictionnaire des œuvres et des thèmes de la littérature russe, Paris, Classiques
Hachette, 1973.
19
J. Sancan and J. Michaut, De Avvakum �Zinoviev: 200 œuvres littéraires, 100 auteurs russes :
analyses, thèmes, cartes, tableaux, Paris, Librairie du Globe, 1996.

36
French pianist to play in Fairbanks," 1953; P. Sancan, 1950).20 In private life, however,
Sancan pursued a career as a pianist, eventually gaining an international reputation as a
performer, teacher and composer. Pierre Sancan married Line Madeleine Labarche on
April 1, 1946 but little is known about his wife though there are only references to her
profession as a medical doctor made by Pierre Sancan and his pupils, in interviews
(Timbrell, 1999).21

Figure 4.2: Family photo of Sancan taken in 1928.

Pierre Sancan, aged 12, sitting on the step in front of his paternal grandmother (sitting on the top
step).

20
Military service at a regiment in Morocco is mentioned in both the newspaper interview and
questionnaire, but the exact title is unclear due to difficulties reading Sancan’s handwriting in the
questionnaire.
21
Line and Pierre had a daughter, Dorothée. Sancan dedicated Le Cirque au Village from Pièces
enfantines 2e degré to Dorothée, however, interviews with Bavouzet on 19 January 2019 noted
that Sancan never spoke of any children. Furthermore, after Sancan’s death, Jacques Sancan
approached Bavouzet about buying Pierre’s house as none of his siblings had any (surviving)
offspring.
37
Figure 4.3: Childhood photos of Pierre Sancan (year not specified).

4.2 Musical Education

Pierre Sancan lived in French-occupied Morocco as a child where his father worked as a
photograph editor for postcards in Guéliz (Marrakesh) during 1918 and 1919 (Timkit,
2011). The family moved to Meknès in 1919, a city located in northern Morocco. While
his parents invested their time in restoring the Brasserie du Marché, a hotel and
restaurant, Sancan commenced his music studies at the École Municipale de Musique de
Meknès; photographs of a concert programme and of Sancan at the time are shown in
Figure 4.4. His piano studies began with Miss Lecler, a well-known piano teacher in the
city of Meknès.22 Sancan showed musical potential at an early age, being described as a
prodigy, though the same description was made of several of his classmates at the music
school. At age 13, according to a local press notice, Sancan “already has a man’s finger,
a secure technique and intelligence in his playing.”23 In 1931, Sancan was awarded first
prize in theory, solfège, accompaniment and improvisation ("Le Mouvement musical en
Province et au Maroc," 1931). He received a special mention at the École de Musique end
of year competition, with an article noting Sancan’s exceptional talent and adding “if he

22
Press clipping from Album sur la carrière de Pierre Sancan.
23
Original quote: possède déjà un doigte d'homme, une technique sure et l'intelligence de la page
qu'il jou, from « Meknès a remporté à rabat un très beau succès artistique », press clipping from
Album sur la carrière de Pierre Sancan.

38
wants to work to the fullest extent that his brilliant qualities promise, a bright future will
be assured him.”24

Figure 4.4: Ecole Municipale de Musique de Meknès programme and photo of Pierre Sancan in
1930. Sancan at age 13, awarded 1er accessit in Piano at the Ecole Municipale de Musique.

Sancan continued his music studies the following year at the Toulouse Conservatory25 a
branch of the Conservatoire de Paris or Paris Conservatoire, founded in 1820. During his
studies at the Toulouse Conservatory with Mrs. Blanc-Durat, Sancan was awarded second
prize for his performance of Appassionata Sonata by Beethoven ("Le Mouvement musical
en Province et au Maroc," 1933). Two years later, Sancan entered the Paris
Conservatoire26 where he studied piano with Yves Nat (1890-1956), harmony with Jean

24
Original quote: S'il veut par le travail donner toute la mesure que promettent ses brillantes
qualités, un bel avenir lui assurer, from Concours de fin d’année à l’école municipale de musique
de Meknès, press clipping from Album sur la carrière de Pierre Sancan.
25
Known today as the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Toulouse.
26
Known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP)
since 1946.

39
Gallon27 (1878-1959), fugue with Noël Gallon (1891-1966), composition with Henri
Büsser28 (1872-1973) and conducting with Charles Münch (1891-1968) and Roger
Désormière (1898-1963). Photographs of Sancan around this time are shown in Figure
4.5.

Figure 4.5: Photographs of Sancan in 1934 and 1935.

Left and middle: Photographs taken in 1934. Right: Photograph taken on 27 June 1935 at the
Concours du Conservatoire, Conservatoire National de Musique et d’Art Dramatique.

As part of their examination, students at the Paris Conservatoire participated in the end-
of-year competition, Concours du Conservatoire (Conservatoire competition), which
awards Premier Prix (First Prize), Deuxième Prix (Second Prize), Premier Accessit (First
Runner-up) and Deuxième Accessit (Second Runner-up); male and female students
competed separately.29 Sancan’s early entries in Concours du Conservatoire, represented

27
Jean Gallon joined the Paris Conservatoire faculty in 1919 and was an influential teacher of
harmony. He himself was a pupil of the Conservatoire having studied composition with Charles
Lenepveu (1840-1910), harmony with Albert Lavignac (1846-1916) and piano with Louis Diémer
(1843-1919). Gallon was noted for introducing the music of Debussy, Ravel and Fauré into the
harmony curriculum (Hill & Simeone, 2005), and wrote several treatises on harmony (Frazier,
2007).
28
A pupil of César Franck (1822-1890), Ernest Guiraud (1837-1892) and Charles Gounod (1818-
1893), Büsser’s style of composition adhered to the nineteenth century French tradition. Henri
Dutilleux commented that Büsser had “excellent advice about instrumentation” and that
composition “was mostly a question of proportions” (Nichols, 2016, p. 13).
29
Piano classes. Archives of CNSMDP.

40
in a caricature shown in Figure 4.6, were not received well by Denyse Bertrand, music
critic of the weekly influential French music journal Le Ménestrel. In 1935, Bertrand
described performances of Chopin’s fourth Ballade by Sancan and Spiers, a fellow
student, as “jouèrent sans nuances et avec sécheresse” (played without nuance and dry)
(D. Bertrand, 1935) and Sancan’s performance of Carnaval Op. 9 by Schumann in 1936
as “his blunt style, the pretentious exaggeration of his pianissimi, his need to constantly
press the movement sadly ruins the gifts of agility and finesse”30 (D. Bertrand, 1936). The
music critic for Le Temps was also unimpressed by the piano performances in 1936 where
numerous deuxieme accessits were awarded. The critic asked whether some of the
candidates might have been sight-reading, and whether Sancan was a victim of stage
fright ("Les spectacles : Les Concours du Conservatoire, le piano et la harpe," 1936). In
spite of these criticisms, however, Sancan was awarded first prize the following year for
his performance of the first and last movement of Piano Sonata in B flat minor Op. 35 by
Chopin by jury members, Henri Rabaùd (president), Gustave Doret, Noël Gallon, Gabriel
Grovlez, Ricardo Vifies, P. Bazelaire, Dorival, Maurice Amour, P. Silva-Hérard, Robert
Casadesus and Jean Chantavoine (secretary) ("Les spectacles : Concours du
Conservatoire," 1937).31 A photograph taken on the occasion appears in Figure 4.7.
Within six years of studying at the Paris Conservatoire, Sancan had shown his versatilities
in music, having received first prizes for piano (1937), harmony (1938), fugue (1938),
accompaniment (1939), composition (1939) and conducting (1939).

30
Original quote: Son style ampoulé, la prétentieuse exagération de ses pianissimi, son besoin de
presser sans cesse le mouvement gâtent fâcheusement des dons d'agilité et de finesse.
31
Also listed in Palmarès Prix de piano, Médiathèque Hector Berlioz, CNSMDP.
41
Figure 4.6: Male piano contestants of the Concours du Conservatoire in 1936 and 1937.

Figure 4.7: Premier Prix winners of Piano in 1937.

Pierre Sancan (class of Yves Nat) and Charles Lilamand (class of Marguerite Long).

42
4.3 Composer

Before the age of 14, Sancan had begun to compose miniatures for the piano and showed
considerable talent during his studies at the Paris Conservatoire with Henri Büsser (1872-
1973) ("Bloomsburg STC to hear Sancan," 1952). Büsser was a composer, organist and
conductor who had studied organ with César Franck and composition with Ernest Guiraud
at the Paris Conservatoire, and worked at one time as a secretary to Charles Gounod
(1818-1893). Büsser began teaching at the Paris Conservatoire in 1921 and became
professor of composition in 1931. Guiraud, Gounod and Büsser, as well as Henri
Dutilleux, a pupil of Büsser, were all Prix de Rome First Grand Prize winners (1827,
1839, 1893 and 1938, respectively). Having had the opportunity to surround himself with
numerous previous winners, Sancan began working towards the Prix de Rome.

The Prix de Rome was a prestigious French competition which awarded the Premier
Grand Prix winners a bursary administered by the Institut de France, to subsidise a
residency at the Académie de France in Villa Médicis, Rome for two to three years
(Verger & Verger, 2011). Established in 1663, the Prix de Rome was offered to French
artists, painters and sculptors, and in 1803, the scholarship was extended to composers.
The competition involved two rounds, the concours d’essai or preliminary round and
concours définitif or final round. Scheduled in May each year, the preliminary round
required the competitors to write a fugue and a short choral work for choir and orchestra,
on a set text, in six days (Grayson, 2003, p. 61). Competitors who successfully progressed
to the final round were provided lodging for up to a month and were required to compose
a cantata usually for three soloists and orchestra, again on a set text, lasting around thirty
minutes. Three prizes were awarded for the cantata text. The academic forms of fugues
and cantatas were considered the Prix de Rome’s eventual downfall as the Académie des
Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France, composed of mostly teaching faculty from the
Conservatoire, was steadfast in maintaining national priorities and tradition (Smith,
2013).32 The competition was held annually and was eligible to Frenchmen under the age
of thirty. Maurice Ravel’s controversial experience with the Prix de Rome is well
documented: although he entered the competition five times, the highest distinction he
achieved was a lower second prize for his cantata, Myrrha in 1901 (Nichols, 2011, p. 35).

32
See Lu & Dratwicki (2011) for further details on the various stages of the Prix de Rome.
43
Sancan gained a closer acquaintance with the Prix de Rome competition in 1938 when a
fellow student of Büsser, Raymond Gallois-Montbrun (1918-1994), had an entry
performed by Germaine Cernay, Lucie Thélin and Roger Bourdin, with Jean Hubeau and
Sancan himself on the piano (P. Bertrand, 1938). The following year, Sancan made his
first attempt at the Prix de Rome, progressing to the final round along with Maillard-
Vergé, a pupil of Ducasse, and Gallois-Montbrun, Jean-Jacques Grunenwald and
Désenclos Lalloy, all students of Büsser ("Académies, universités, écoles: Académie des
beaux-arts," 1939; "Échos et nouvelles," 1939). A photograph of Sancan at the Prix de
Rome with fellow contestants appears in Figure 4.8. Sancan’s 1939 cantata was performed
by Mrs Turba-Rabier, MM. Prigent and Clavensy, with Sancan and Miss Valerie
Hamilton on the piano. Described by Paul Bertrand of Le Ménestrel as possessing comedy
and parody, Sancan’s cantata was “deserving of a more prominent prize [and] the
Academy was very reluctant not to award it to Sancan”33. Bertrand attributed Sancan’s
lack of award to being “s'inspire-t-il trop de la conception ravélienne” (too inspired by
Ravel): the concept and structure reminded him of Ravel’s L’heure espagnole (The
Spanish Hour) (P. Bertrand, 1939). Further shortcomings were identified in a letter from
Jules Mazellier to Sancan, dated Tuesday 4 July 1939:

If young Sancan was for sure the most musical of the candidates for the Prix de
Rome, he was not the readiest. His orchestra still left a lot to be desired. But, this
contest [Prix] was very noticed, he almost got the 2nd second Prix and I have no
doubt that he will be successful next year.34

33
Original quote: méritait une récompense, et on affirme que l'Académie hésita beaucoup à ne
pas la lui attribuer
34
Original quote: Si le jeune Sancan était pour sûr le plus musicien des aspirants au Prix de
Rome, il n'était pas le plus prêt. Son orchestre lassait encore pas mal à désirer. Mais ce concours
a été très remarqué, il a failli avoir le 2e deuxième prix et je ne doute pas qu'il obtienne un gros
succès l'an prochain année. The order of awards for the Prix de Rome was First Grand Prize,
Second First Grand Prize, First Second Grand Prize, Second Second Grand Prize and mention.
Jules Mazellier (1879-1959) was a French composer and conductor. He studied at the Paris
Conservatoire and won the Prix de Rome for his composition La Roussalka in 1909.
44
Figure 4.8: Prix de Rome of musical composition in 1939.
Competitors in the courtyard of the Fontainebleau Palace, performing an improvised choral work.

Entering again in 194335, Sancan won First Grand Prize with his cantata, La Légende
d’Icare (The Legend of Icarus). A press clipping of Sancan’s success at the Prix de Rome
is shown in Figure 4.9. The manuscript is held in the Département de la musique at the
Bibliothèque Nationale de France (Louvois) MS-8527. Sancan’s success in the Prix de
Rome meant that he joined the list of luminaries such as Berlioz (1830), Gounod (1839),
Bizet (1857), Gallon (1910), Dupré (1914), Ibert (1919), Dutilleux (1938), and Debussy
(1884). In the same year, Sancan also won le concours de composition musicale du
Conservatoire. In an article detailing this competition win, George Hacquard described
Sancan as “un nouveau Liszt, le Liszt français” (a new Liszt, the French Liszt) (Hacquard,
1943).

35
Prix de Rome was not held in 1940 and 1941. Sancan entered in 1942 but there is no
documentation describing how he progressed in the competition.
45
Figure 4.9: Prix de Rome success in 1943.

Although Sancan’s Prix de Rome prize entitled him to take up residency at the Villa
Médicis, his trip to Rome was delayed until 1946 when the hostilities of World War II
were over. During Sancan’s two-year stay at the Villa Médicis, he began composing the
Concerto for piano and orchestra which was dedicated to his wife, Line. The premier
performance of the Concerto was not given until Monday 5 September 1955 at the
Théâtre Municipal in Besançon, southern France, as part of the 8th International Music
Festival, with National de la Radiodiffusion-Télévision orchestre Française, Sancan as
piano soloist and André Cluytens (1905-1967) as conductor.36 Well-established now as a
composer, Sancan was also awarded the Grand Prix Musical de la Ville de Paris in 1962
for his composition, Symphonie pour orchestre à cordes (Symphony for string orchestra)
("Grand Prix musical de la Ville de Paris 1962," 1962). This was an award of 40,000
francs given annually by the city of Paris to a French composer (Aplin, 1999, p. 229).
Other awards included the Prix Georges Bizet,37 awarded by the l’Academia de France.

36
Program of the VIII Festival International de Besançon 1-11 September 1955.
37
Year awarded unknown.
46
Sancan was a productive composer in genres including opera, ballet, film, symphonies,
chamber music, concertos and solo instrumental works. Among his most significant
works are Ondine, a 1966 opera premiered at Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux; the ballets
Commedia dell’arte (1952), Reflets (1963), Les Fourmis (1966) performed at the Opéra
Comique in Paris; the film scores Lunegarde (1944), Olivia (1950) and The Misfortunes
of Sophie (1945); the Concerto for piano and orchestra (1955); chamber music for flute,
clarinet, oboe, horn, trumpet, saxophone, harp, violin and cello; Suite fantasque (1966),
for solo harpsichord; and Trois impressions (1949), mélodies on poems by Francis Carco.
Sancan also composed the White Symphony based on his experiences living at his farm at
Chamonix, the snowcapped alpine village at the base of Mont Blanc ("Bloomsburg STC
to hear Sancan," 1952; "Pierre Sancan to appear in concert Tuesday night young pianist
to play at Northeast College Auditorium in first American tour," 1952).38 Table S1 shows
what appears to be the first comprehensive list of Sancan’s compositions, composing
credits and contextual notes, with some additional commentary. A sample of Sancan’s
autograph manuscript of Soir de Bataille (Night of Battle) is shown in Figure 4.10.

The extant reviews of productions featuring Sancan’s music are consistently positive. The
score for Ondine was described as being written by “a young Frenchman who knows his
business… it is pleasant music to listen to, it is singable and melodious” (Kauf, 1966),
while his film music for Olivia was described as having “subtile complexité” (subtle
complexity) (Roger, 1951) and the ballet Commedia dell’arte was labelled “étincelante
réussite” (sparkling success) (Dumesnil, 1963). Further reviews on this ballet highlight
Sancan’s skills as a pianist-composer, referring to the prestigious Prix de Rome:

A ballet produced at the Comique, contains a bright musical score composed

by Pierre Sancan, who has made a name as a composer-pianist of exceptional
gifts. (Pendleton, 1952, p. D8)

Cannot find manuscript in any catalogues. Composition could refer to the Symphony for String
38

Orchestra.
47
Figure 4.10: Autograph manuscript of Soir de Bataille by Sancan.
Scanned copy of page 1 of the orchestral score, provided by Conservatoire National Supérieur
de Musique et de Danse de Paris.

48
 A great success, deserved by a work full of life and gaiety: Commedia
dell'arte, the ballet of Pierre Sancan, just created at the Opéra-Comique ... The
score of Pierre Sancan is sound and rigorous. It proves that a talented composer
can write for the dance without sacrificing bad taste or conventional wisdom,
without falling into vulgarity, and without giving up his personality in the least.
... It was good that a thirty-five-year-old musician, who won the Grand Prix
de Rome in 1943, affirmed it today…his technical training did not stifle his
natural gifts. It allowed him to effectively show his skills: Pierre Sancan
orchestrated masterfully. What a pleasure it is to hear music that sounds like
the opening of his ballet! And what a verve, what a spontaneous burst of
melodic ideas, of rhythmic forms under this learned embroidery in the
shimmering colours that is his whole score! The pleasure it gives, we owe it
as much to the honesty of the materials used as to the skill of their
implementation in a well-ordered construction. The author composed it with
care and refinement - to give, here and there, to his work the appearance of
unbridled improvisation suitable to the Commedia dell'arte. (Dumesnil,
1951)39

Interestingly, Sancan was also applauded in relation to his fugue teacher, Gallon, and
described as one of the “pleiad of authentic musicians who have succeeded Jean Gallon’s
class”40. In an homage to their master in composition, the publication 64 Leçon
d’Harmonie (1953) features four-part harmony composed by “des meilleurs disciples de
Jean Gallon” (Jean Gallon’s finest disciples) including Sancan (Delvincourt, 1953).41

39
Original quote: Un franc succès, mérité par une œuvre débordante de vie et de gaîté: Commedia
dell'arte, le ballet de Pierre Sancan, que vient de créer l'Opéra-Comique… La partition de Pierre
Sancan est saine et rigoureuse. Elle prouve qu'un compositeur de talent peut écrire pour la danse
sans sacrifier au mauvais goût, aux idées reçues, sans tomber dans la vulgarité, et sans renoncer
le moins du monde à sa personnalité... Il était bon qu'un musicien de trente-cinq ans, qui fut grand
prix de Rome en 1943, l'affirmât encore aujourd'hui… sa formation technique n'a point étouffé
ses dons naturels. Elle lui permet de les montrer avec plus de sûreté, plus d'éclat : Pierre Sancan
orchestre de main de maître. Quel plaisir c'est d'entendre une musique qui sonne comme
l'ouverture de son ballet ! Et quelle verve, quel jaillissement spontané d'idées mélodiques, de
formes rythmiques sous cette savante broderie aux couleurs chatoyantes qu'est sa partition tout
entière ! Le plaisir qu'elle donne, on le doit aussi bien à l'honnêteté des matériaux employés qu'à
l'habileté de leur mise en œuvre dans une construction bien ordonnée. L'auteur l'a édifiée avec
un soin dont il sut élégamment effacer la trace comme pour mieux - comble de raffinement -
donner, ici et là, à son ouvrage l'apparence de l'improvisation débridée convenant à la commedia
dell'arte.
40
Original quote: pléiade de musiciens authentiques qui se sont succède à sa classe
41
The composers of the four-part choral studies are all previous students of Gallon and harmony
prize winners between 1919 and 1948. Sancan’s Chant donné can be found on page 110.
49
This book serves as a method book for musical theory and a “témoignage écrit de ce long
apostolate” (testimony of the value of his teaching) (Delvincourt, 1953).

Other possible influences to Sancan’s composing style can be drawn from comments
made by his brother Jacques, having described Sancan’s works as resembling the tonal
aesthetics of early twentieth century French music, such as Albert Roussel (1869-1937),
Arthur Honneger (1892-1955), Francis Poulenc (1899-1963), but predominantly Debussy
and Ravel (J. Sancan, n.d.).

The reference to a style that was informed by the French masters connotes a sense of
respect and acknowledgement for traditional concepts. Furthermore, the emphasis on the
technical training and learned convention is an attitude that implicates a conservative
approach to composition. Many references to the genealogical musical trees have been
made in literature (Lourenço, 2010; Wisniewski, 2015) and demonstrate how national
traditions are maintained not only in performance aesthetics and technique but also in
compositional style. Sancan’s own lineage was referred to briefly in a quote by Jean-
Efflam Bavouzet: “thanks to the reflections of Pierre Sancan, who was the pupil of Henri
Büsser, who knew Debussy very well” (Marie-Jose, 2009). Sancan also declared his
nationalistic attachment to the music of French composers, such as Debussy, Ravel and
Fauré, in his 1974 interview with Roger Bouillot:

I really like Debussy. Firstly, because we were taught at the Conservatoire by

students of Claude Debussy, Fauré and Ravel, and we were extremely sensitive
to this writing and this harmony. For me, Debussy is the ultimate magical
excellence, the art of nature. (cited in Szymczak, 2016)42

Sancan also admired the music of Chopin, as reported in 1960:

He loves Bach, Schumann and Debussy, but he marvels even more at the
sequences, the harmonic discoveries, the technique of Chopin and declares “He
wrote the most pianistic music there is. The more we decipher, the more we
work, the more we realize that Chopin had discovered everything.” The

42
Original quote: J'aime beaucoup Debussy, d'abord parce que nous avons été enseigné au
conservatoire par des élèves de Claude Debussy, de Fauré et de Ravel et que pour nous, cette
écriture et cette harmonie, nous étaient particulièrement sensibles. Car Debussy c'est pour moi
un art magique par excellence, l'art de la nature.

50
 mazurkas and the 4th ballad have the favour of Pierre Sancan, who also enjoys
good jazz. (Aimez-vous Chopin ?, 1960, p. 34)43

Another composer Sancan greatly respected was Francis Poulenc (1899-1963). The
postcard shown in Figure 4.11 was sent by Sancan to Poulenc, and illustrates his deep
admiration for Poulenc’s compositions, in this instance, referring to the Concerto for two
pianos:

Mon cher Maître ;

Combien il m’est agréable de vous écrire pour vous dire le magnifique succès
remporté hier par l’audition de votre concerto �deux pianos. Pierre Dervaux
l’a conduit admirablement. Et quant �moi, je jouerai une des parties un jour
prochain avec la joie que vous savez.
Croyez mon cher Maître à mes sentiments choisis et à ma profonde
admiration.44

My dear master,
How pleasant it is for me to write to tell you about the magnificent success of
yesterday's performance of your concerto for two pianos, admirably conducted
by Pierre Dervaux. As for myself, it will give me great pleasure, as you know,
to play one of the parts some time soon.
Believe my dear Master my sentiments and deep admiration.

43
Original quote: Il aime Bach, Schumann et Debussy, mais il s’émerveille plus encore des
enchainements, des trouvailles harmoniques, de la technique de Chopin et déclare « Il a écrit la
musique la plus pianistique qui soit. Plus on déchiffre plus on travaille, plus on s’aperçoit que
Chopin avait tout découvert ». Les mazurkas, la 4 ballade ont la préférence de Pierre Sancan,
qui apprécie par ailleurs le bon jazz.
44
Signed postcard of Capilla del Rosario in Puebla, Mexico, from Sancan to Poulenc dated
Monday 1 July. The year is not written but it is suggested that it is likely 1946 or 1957.
51
Figure 4.11: Postcard from Sancan to Poulenc dated Monday July 1, 1946/1957. From the
archives at Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Other contemporary French composers who maintained friendships with Sancan included
Raymond Gallois-Montbrun (1918-1994) and Henri Dutilleux (1916-2013), both former
pupils of Jean Gallon and Prix de Rome winners, as well as Alberto Ginastera (1916-
1983), as pictured with Sancan in Figure 4.12. Sancan and Gallois-Montbrun formed a
memorable violin and piano duo in 1943 and they performed together frequently in
concerts around France and abroad. Marcel Bitsch recalls the duo’s two-man
improvisation sessions at Villa Médicis as a “highlight” that “delighted the residents”,
including Jacques and Rosette Ibert and their guests.45 The mutual respect Sancan and
Dutilleux had for each other as musicians and composers is reflected in Dutilleux’s
dedication of his composition, Improvision pour piano from Au gré des ondes, 6 petites
pièces pour piano (1946) to Sancan.

Marcel Bitsch was a composer and honorary professor at Conservatoire National Supérieur de
45

Musique de Paris.
52
Figure 4.12: Sancan at the piano.
Names written on the back of the photograph are Alberto Ginastera (with cigarette) and Nicolas
Petrov. Sancan is pointing at the higher register of the piano. “One of the Marx brothers from the
1950s was a good pianist and had a trick where he played the piano with his hand backwards,
playing glissandos and hitting the keys with his hand on the wrong side. Sancan used to do this
trick. This is a gesture I have seen him do many times when he was entertaining at the piano.”46

46
Interview with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet via Whatsapp, 19 January 2019.
53
Dutilleux’s Sonatine (1943) and Sancan’s Sonatine (1946) for flute and piano, both of
which have become standard works in the flute repertoire, were originally commissioned
for the Concours du Conservatoire, a competition founded in early nineteenth century.
Instrumentalists in their final year of study at the Paris Conservatoire were required to
sight read a piece and if successful, proceeded to perform an examination recital, the
public Concours du Conservatoire. The examination repertoire included one piece that
was known as the morceau de concours or competition piece (Fletcher, 1988, p. 41). The
morceau de concours was originally written by an instrumental professor until 1905 when
Fauré assumed the role of Director of the Paris Conservatoire and began to commission
leading French composers to compose the morceau de concours (Nectoux, 1991, pp. 268-
269; Rekward, 1997, p. 21). The distinguished composers commissioned to write the
morceau de concours included Fauré, Albéniz, Debussy, Dukas, Büsser, Casadesus, Ibert,
Gallon, Messiaen, Gallois-Montbrun and Sancan himself (Briscoe, 2007; Chung, 2004).
Often, the chosen composer of the morceau de concours for any particular instrument
would also compose the sight-reading solo for that year. The topic of morceau de
concours, including Sancan’s commissioned works, has been the subject of postgraduate
theses with regards to flute (Chung, 2004, p. 5), trumpet (Romero, 2001, p. 123) and horn
repertoire (Rekward, 1997, pp. 47-53). Sancan’s Sonatine, as mentioned in Chapter 1, has
become his most popular work, and is frequently used as an audition or examination piece
for conservatoires, orchestras and competitions.

Sancan was awarded nine further commissions for the concours which included Sonatine
for oboe and piano (1957), Violin Concerto (1958), Sonata for cello and piano (1961),
Sonatine for clarinet and piano (1963), Suite fantasque for harpsichord (1966), Rapsodie
for trumpet and piano (1970), Lamento et Rondo for saxophone and piano (1973), Theme
et Variations for harp (1975), and Ballade for horn and piano (1982). All of Sancan’s
morceau de concours had many performances on the concert stage, to critical acclaim.
The Sonatine for flute was described as a “delightful opus”, “Ravel-like in style” (Hinson
& Roberts, 2006, p. 262), a work of “Debussian warmth” that “offered the best
opportunity for flute fireworks” (Zadrozny, 1999, p. B8); and “a beautiful and flashy
piece” whose composer deserved more attention: “We love to introduce audiences to
pieces they haven't heard. I would venture to guess that most people have never heard of
Sancan and most will find it a beautiful piece” (Hyde, 2013, p. 8). James Galway
performed the work in Philadelphia, where it was thought to have “summarized the
54
demands that the Conservatoire might put on instrumentalists: agility, range, brilliance of
execution, flutter tongue effects, spectrum of tone” (Webster, 1984, p. E4). Similarly,
Sancan’s Sonata for cello was considered a composition that “by definition, [seeks] to
exploit all the technical razzle-dazzle of an instrument” (Hume, 1966, p. D11). The critic
of Washington’s Evening Star, however, criticised what appeared to be a derivative
approach:

The [cello] sonata combines angularity, barbarous rhythms, a cantabile

soliloquy of empty poetry, tone clusters, and all sorts of devices which might
have been done in 1937. it was so eclectic, in fact, that I recognised Hindemith,
Stravinsky, Quincy Porter, John Alden Carpenter, Bartok, Shostakovich and
early Prokofiev, at least. (McCorkle, 1966)

The New York Times critic agreed, though the audience appreciation was
acknowledged:

Sancan's [cello] sonata has a Bartokian first movement, a Blochian second, and
a finale that tastes of Poulenc and chatters merrily away without a brain in its
head. The piece is a charmer and the audience loved it. (Jones 1969)

Sancan’s Theme et Variations for harp received more unequivocal praise, from the critic
of the Washington Post:

Sancan's work is unique and wonderful, jazzy joyous, and deserves a

prominent place in the standard harp repertoire. (Gruber, 1993, p. D3)

Many performances of Sancan’s woodwind compositions have been included in

recordings and on the international stage, which serves as a testament to his success as a
composer. The Sonatine has been recorded by such luminaries as Emmanuel Pahud with
Eric Lesage at the piano (1997)47, Michel Debost with Christian Ivaldi (1993)48, Marc
Beaucourday with Yves Henry, who was a piano pupil of Sancan (1991)49, and Patrick

47
P. Sancan, “Sonatine”. By E. Pahud and E. Lesage. Recorded 1997. On Paris: Poulenc,
Dutilleux, Sancan, Ibert, Milhaud, Messiaen, Jolivet, EMI Classics.
48
P. Sancan, “Sonatine”. By. M. Debost and C. Ivaldi. Recorded 1993. On Ballade pour flûte et
piano, Adda.
49
P. Sancan, “Sonatine”. By. M. Beaucoudray and Y. Henry. Recorded 1991. On Flûte Panorama
1 - Paris 1920 – 1960, Skarbo.

55
Gallois with Lydia Wong (2005)50. Recordings have also been made of Sonatine for
clarinet and piano by Harold Wright with Louis Batlle (1998),51 Rapsodie for trumpet and
piano by Eric Aubier with Hiroshi Nagao (1990)52, Theme et variations by harpist Isabelle
Moretti in 199753, Lamento et Rondo for saxophone and piano by Claude Delangle with
Odile Delangle (2002)54 and more recently by Vitaly Vatulya with Maria Nemtsova
(2015)55. A recording of the film music from Olivia, first recorded in 1961 and conducted
by André Claveau was digitized by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in 2014, and is
available on the CD titled Mes grands succès.

Clearly, the concours commissions were responsible for a good deal of Sancan’s success
as a composer. Although they were not composed for the same purpose, a small number
of Sancan’s piano works have been incorporated in the syllabi for examinations in several
countries. In Australia, Princess lointaine No. 5 from Pièces enfantines is set for third
grade piano (2008) by the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) and
Mouvement for its Licentiate Diploma (2019). Mouvement also appeared in the Associate
Diploma syllabus for the London College of Music (ALCM, 2011-2017) and Trinity
College London (ATCL, from 2009) examinations in the United Kingdom. Toccata was
also included in the Licentiate Diploma syllabus for the London College of Music
(LLCM, 2011-2017) and Trinity College London (LTCL, from 2009) examinations, as
well as Associate Diploma of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Canada (ARCT, 2008
and 2015).

Sancan’s piano works have been recorded far less often than his chamber music.
Recordings of Toccata (1943), Boîte à musique (1950), Caprice romantique (1949),
Princess lointaine (1951), Concerto for piano and orchestra (1955) and Suite fantasque

50
P. Sancan, “Sonatine”. By. P. Gallois and L. Wong. Recorded 2005. On French Flute Music,
Naxos.
51
P. Sancan, “Sonatine”. By. H. Wright, L. Batlle, R. Serkin and B. Valente. Recorded 1998. On
Recital No. 2: Boston Symphony Orchestra's Harold Wright, Principal Clarinetist, 1970-1993,
Boston Records.
52
P. Sancan, “Rapsodie Pour Trompette et Piano”. By E. Aubier and H. Nagao. Recorded 1990.
On French Trumpet in Japan, Maguelone.
53
P. Sancan, “Thème Et Variations Pour Harpe”. By I. Moretti. Recorded 1997. On Musique
Française Pour Harpe Auvidis-Valois.
54
P. Sancan, “Lamento and Rondo”. By C. and O. Delangle. Recorded 2002. On A La Française.
Bis.
55
P. Sancan, “Lamento and Rondo”. By V. Vatulya and M. Nemtsova. Recorded 2015. On 20th
Century Sax. Adolphe Sax 200 Anniversary, Bomba-Piter.
56
(1966) are listed in Table 4.1. The performers include Sancan’s piano pupils Jean-
Philippe Collard (b. 1948), Yves Henry (b. 1959), Li Jian (b. 1965) and Sergio Tiempo
(b. 1972), while Jean Dubé (b. 1981) was a student of Jacques Rouvier, himself a pupil
of Sancan.

Table 4.1: Recordings of Sancan’s piano compositions.

Year Label CD Piece Performer
LP (vinyl Art et Musique Recital de Piano Face B2: Toccata Jeanne-
record) Marie Darré
LP (vinyl Ambitus, Cembalo Modern (The B2: Suite Fantasque Kristin
record) Teldec-Press Harpsichord Today) Pour Clavecin Wachenfeld
GmbH (harpsichord)
1986 Fidelio Recital in the Track 18: Boîte à Sergio
Concertgebouw musique Daniel
Amsterdam Tiempo
1997 BMG Le top des p'tits Track 16: Princess Yves Henry
classiques : petites lointaine
histoires racontées :
sur 16 pièces célèbres
pour piano
2005 Warner Tchaikovsky & Tracks 4-6: Jean-
Classics Sancan: Piano Concerto for piano Philippe
Concertos and orchestra Collard
2008 AMEB AMEB: Piano Grade 3 Track 12: Pièces Caroline
(Series 16) enfantines: V. Almonte
Princesse lointaine
2010 Danacord Rarities of Piano Track 13: Caprice Peter
Music at 1987-9 romantique Froundjian
Schloss vor Husum
Festival
2011 BNL Main gauche Track 7: Caprice Jean Dubé
Productions romantique
2013 N/A Youtube N/A Music Box Li Jian
2014 Dynamic Magic Boxes Track 20: Boîte à Dario Müller
musique

57
Another former student who championed Sancan’s compositions was Jean-Bernard
Pommier (b. 1944). Pommier appeared in concert in 1985 as both pianist and conductor
with the Israel Chamber Orchestra, performing Symphony for string orchestra (1961). It
was described in the Jerusalem Post as being “neoclassic in style, it is pleasing music,
brilliantly written for the string group. The lively reading provided an interesting opening
to the evening” (Reuter, 1985, p. 5).

In addition to commercial recordings, the Europe Broadcasting Centre in Luxembourg

has several recordings of Sancan in its archives, of the Radio Luxembourg (RTL)
Orchestra performing Commedia dell'arte and Symphony for strings, directed by Sancan
himself on February 2, 1961. It also holds a recording of Sancan’s performance of his
own Concerto for piano and orchestra, under the direction of Louis de Froment (1921-
1994).

The American reviewers previously cited tended to take a critical view of Sancan’s
evident willingness to draw on the influence of other composers, but in his piano music
this was often viewed as a strength. Machabey’s 1949 book about French composers gives
an enthusiastic description:

He manifests a variety which disconcerts the accustomed critic to label the

author according to a particular genre or style. Now, Pierre Sancan, sometimes
confines himself to the gravity of the most rigorous classicism, and sometimes
gives himself up to the most exuberant and unexpected comedy. Between these
extremes, he adopts all the psychological nuances that music is capable of
translating and does not even disdain writing for "small hands". (Machabey,
1949, p. 142)56

Similarly, the Concerto for piano and orchestra was described in a programme note as
having “the formula of Schumann. The balance in strength, virility in heroism and

56
Original quote: Il y manifeste une variété qui déconcerte le critique habitue à étiqueter chaque
auteur d’après un genre ou un style déterminé et �l’y enfermer ; or, Pierre Sancan, tantôt se
confine dans le gravite du classicisme le plus rigoureux, et tantôt se livre au comique le plus
exubérant et le plus imprévu. Entre ces extrêmes, il adopte toutes les nuances psychologiques que
la musique est susceptible de traduire, et ne dédaigne même pas d’écrire pour les « petites mains
».

58
softness of the features of emotion, restraint in grace, fire, harmonious sights”.57 Sancan’s
pieces have also been noted as “well worth digging out” ("CD reviews," 1996).

Sancan’s versatility was matched by his command of idiomatic piano writing, as asserted
in Res Musica in that “the author is perfectly aware of the perfect mastery of the
instrument, so much so that his writing is ‘pianistic’” (Camberre, 2004). Sancan himself,
however, felt that instrumental effect should not become an end in itself, once claiming
that “while remaining sensitive to daring harmonics and others, I absolutely refuse to use
them inconsiderately in the service of disorder, with the ulterior motive of making a
sensation”58 (Harvard de la Montagne, 2008).

4.4 Performer

At the end of World War II, as he took up residency for his Prix de Rome, Sancan pursued
his career as a concert pianist, touring widely and making many successful appearances
across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. Artefacts of his public
performances, collated from the public domain, private collections and archives, are
described in Table S2.

Sancan’s performance repertoire included standard classical concerti by composers such

as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt and Ravel. Sancan also performed and
recorded Mozart’s piano concerto for two pianos and three pianos, with his pupils Jean-
Bernard Pommier and Catherine Silie as fellow soloists. He performed as piano soloist
under the direction of eminent French conductors such as Charles Münch (1891-1968),
Fernand Oubradous (1903-1986), Georges Sebastian (Hungarian-born French, 1903-
1989), Manuel Rosenthal (1904-2003), André Cluytens (Belgian-born French, 1905-
1967), Pierre Dervaux (1917-1992), Georges Prêtre (1924-2017), and Yves Prin (b. 1933)
(Zisman, 2008a). Other conductors include Rafael Kubelik (Czech, 1914-1996), Dimitri

57
From programme of VIIIe Festival International de Musique de Besançon where Sancan’s
Piano Concerto was premiered on 11 September 1955.
58
Original quote: Tout en demeurant sensible aux audaces harmoniques et autres, je me refuse
absolument à les mettre inconsidérément au service du désordre, avec l’arrière pensée de faire
du sensationnel.

59
Chorafas (Greek, b. 1916-2004) and Russlan Raïtchev (Russian, 1924-2006), and Bernard
Haitink (Dutch, b. 1929).

While studying at the Paris Conservatoire, Sancan’s love of jazz had persuaded him to
form a jazz band59 and to accompany the famous French jazz singer, Fréhel (1891-
1951)60, which helped to pay for his studies. He worked as an assistant conductor to
Charles Münch in 1943/1946 with the Société des Concerts, which later became the
Orchestre de Paris (Harvard de la Montagne, 2008; Pâris, 2016).61 Sancan also conducted
the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra whilst on a recital tour in Japan later in his career (1962
and 1970).

In 1944, Arthur Honegger labelled Sancan as an “elite” of the Paris Conservatoire

(Honegger, 1944a) and furthered his praise in private correspondence with Sancan. The
letter can be found in Figure S1 and the English translation below:

I would very much like you to interpret these old [Mozart] concertos more
often because, at the rigour of a beautiful style you know how to add
sensitivity... which is an all-time enchantment.

I was hoping that some dominant chord giving you freer rein would allow us
to hear a rather unusual cadenza. The surprise was most charming and
spiritual. The funny part – but did you notice? – is that these gentlemen of the
Concert Society, caryatids of tradition, almost trembled with worry... and the
public immediately went along, delighted with this entertainment of choice
you offered us.

I do not forget that you used to conduct; the effect was felt, and to the clarity
of your playing was added this ascendant on the orchestra, to which these
gentlemen submitted with obvious sympathy.

59
Members include Jacqueline Deschamps, Pierre Sancan, Rolande Falcinelli, and Charles Jay.
60
Interview with Bavouzet via Whatsapp 19 January 2019.
61
The Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire was established in 1828 and
consisted of professors from the Paris Conservatoire and their pupils. Charles Münch was the
chief conductor of the orchestra between 1938 and 1946. The year(s) in which Sancan acted as
assistant conductor varies depending on the source.
60
 Here you are, well "in shape" to ensure the triumph of your friend's work,
tomorrow, for the Rome competition [Prix de Rome] ... I reiterate,
congratulations my dear. (Honegger, 1944b)

Sancan’s concert on 11 December 1946 was considered his debut performance in Paris.
A review from Guide du concert written on 10 January 1947, describes his success:

For his first recital, the young Prix de Rome winner Pierre Sancan attracted a
large crowd and unleashed great enthusiasm. The balance seems to be the
quality of a master pianist, with endless sound, exact movements, intimate
poetry served by a technique that is not only virtuosic but unique in attacking
the keys closely, without inaccuracy. The composer has modestly presented
some children’s pieces of his own that piano teachers should make known to
their young students ... and more!62

Sancan’s reputation began to reach abroad, as described in a 1956 review from Bulgaria:

To our shame be it said that he was not at all widely known in Bulgaria. Distant
echoes of his fame reached us from foreign newspapers in 1947. Sancan has a
marvellous technique, clear and beautifully nuanced phrasing and a mellow
and well-rounded tone. ("Bulgaria Today," 1956)

Sancan received positive reviews of his debut performance in London, in spite of what
appear to be some reservations about the French performing German music:

France has become productive of good pianists in recent years and Mr Pierre
Sancan at his first appearance here on Thursday upheld his country's reputation
in his treatment of the German classics, always a searching test for French
musicians… His deft control of a finely tempered technique turned Beethoven's
"Appassionata" sonata into a superb piece of rhetoric. In Debussy naturally and
rightly he employed a more pictorial but equally effective approach to the music.
("Recitals of the week – A French pianist," 1949)

62
Original quote: Pour son premier récital, le jeune Prix de Rome Pierre Sancan attira la grande
foule et déchaîna l'enthousiasme. L'équilibre semble être la qualité maîtresse du pianiste, aux
infinies sonorités, aux mouvements exacts, à la poésie intime servie par une technique qui n'est
pas que de la virtuosité, et une façon bien à lui d'attaquer les touches de très près, ce qui ne laisse
place à aucune faute de frappe. Le compositeur n'a modestement présenté de lui que quelques
pièces enfantines, que les professeurs de piano devraient faire connaître �leurs jeunes élèves…
et aux autres !
61
 Interpretations of German classics bore evidence of a temperament not afraid
to expess itself in a thoroughly unconventional manner. His Mozart sonata in B
flat major was a shade too elegant and fanciful, but Schumann’s ‘Papillons’ and
still more Beethoven’s Appassionata sonata were played with imaginative
insight backed by high technical accomplishment. (F.B., 1949)

In 1950, the National Music League of America established the Foreign Exchange of
Artists Programme in collaboration with the Jeunesses Musicales de France. This cultural
musical exchange programme allowed American musicians to tour throughout France
and vice versa. Sancan auditioned and was successfully selected in both 1951 and 195263,
inaugurating the exchange programme between France and America. Sancan’s first
American tour included performances in Louisiana, Indiana, New York and Alaska.64

Sancan’s performances were enthusiastically received by American audiences, which

drew him back for encores. According to Wisconsin critic, his musicianship was
“impeccable”, even if his technique is merely “adequate” (Thompson, 1952); the
emphasis on the interpretation was shared in Washington where his performance of a
Mozart sonata was “notable for its artistic restraint and lovely quality in tone” (de Sayn,
1952).

Sancan’s reception in Japan was represented in a review by Donald Berger of the Japan
Times, with particular emphasis on his interpretation of French music:

Visiting French pianist-composer-conductor, Pierre Sancan of the Paris

Conservatory, presented a highly refined evening of piano works at the
Toranomon Hall, Jan 21. It was clear from the first three compositions by
Rameau, Lully and Daquin in that Sancan has a deep and intimate knowledge of
the music he plays. His performance was a very personal one and filled with
charm. The Mozart sonata in G major K283 was given a highly individualist
treatment. Sancan’s playing was very precise and his control of pianissimo
effect would certainly have to be counted among the finest of any pianist… The
high point of the evening came with 6 preludes of Debussy from his “Douze

63
In 1952, Sancan played twenty-five dates in America, Howard Taubman, “Musical Travelers:
Three who have toured under League auspices”, New York Times, February 14, 1954, p. X7.
64
States based on reviews and promotional material of Sancan’s concerts in local newspapers:
New York Times, Fairbanks Daily, Monroe News, Indiana Gazette. Additional states may have
been included in his concert tour of America.
62
 Preludes” Books 1 and II. The refined interpretation so necessary to paint the
sketches of the preludes was in great evidence throughout Sancan’s
performance. (Berger, 1970)

In addition to the French classics, Sancan championed contemporary composers. For

example, he premiered Arthur Honegger’s Quatre Chansons pour voix grave in 1944,
with singer Ginette Guillamat.

Sancan performed ensemble works with Francis Poulenc, Monique Haas and Geneviève
Joy in a performance of Les Noces by Stravinsky with the French Radio Choir and
National Orchestra conducted by Manuel Rosenthal (Southon, 2016, p. 31). He also
accompanied fellow Prix de Rome winner, violinist Raymond Gallois-Montbrun, in Paris
and abroad, with tours in Europe, USSR, North Africa, and the Middle and Far East
(Nygren, 2012). Their recital at Wigmore Hall in London was part of a series of concerts
intended to make French chamber music more widely known in London. Gallois-
Montbrun and Sancan appeared as “composer-virtuosos”, where they performed French
works by Fauré, Ravel and Dutilleux, in addition to their own compositions which were
claimed to be of “greater interest” ("French music at the Wigmore Hall," 1945).65 Their
concerts in Paris and London concluded with a “concertised extemporization”, a practice
linked not only to the classical tradition but to modern jazz:

In the days of Bach and up to the time of Liszt, improvisation by a single

performer was a common practice in concert. Outside hot-club jazz
combinations, it has been exceedingly rare to hear two people improvise
anything together, and certainly not a composition in sonata form. Two young
musicians, both of whom have won the Prix de Rome for composition, Pierre
Sancan, pianist, and R. Gallous-Montbrun, violinist, have the distinction of
being the first to offer this new concert attraction, which they do with
remarkable success. (Pendleton, 1945)66

Sancan’s aptitude for improvisation was also documented by Machabey, who noted that
“he was able to improvise in duet with the violin of Gallois-Montbrun or four hands with

Henri Dutilleux was described as “a composer hitherto unknown to us.”

65

The critic also commented that the “highly interesting piano pieces by Sancan played with brio
66

were heard for the first time” in the concert with Gallois-Montbrun at Salle Gaveau.

63
Henriette Roget”67 (Machabey, 1949, p. 141). In Nice 1965, Guillard recalled Sancan
improvising with Pierre Cochereau for two hours, remarking “it was a great moment of
genius between two remarkable improvisers who competed with each other’s
imagination!”68 (Meloclassic, 2015)

With regard to Sancan’s compositions, Machabey remarked “it is thought that these are
just fun and dazzling recreations of a prestidigitator; [but] the views and aspirations of
Pierre Sancan go far beyond these tours de force and are in the realm of high composition”
(Machabey, 1949, p. 141). As shown in Table S2, Sancan’s recital repertoire invited
audiences to hear French classics like Debussy and Ravel, but also featured his own
compositions such as Mouvement, Toccata, Dusting and Music box. His concert career
gave Sancan an opportunity to expand his reputation not only as a performer, but also as
a composer.

Sancan played three little pieces of his own… In them all, the inspiration comes
from 10 fingers and a keyboard – among their titles are Etude, Mouvement,
Toccata-in which prestidigitation makes music out of the sonorities first let loose
on the world by Debussy. The toccata was an audacious torrent of notes that
finished with a slap of the keys with the side of the hand. ("French music at the
Wigmore Hall," 1945)

"Music Box" depicted the unique tune a little box – plays from the time it is
wound until it "runs down"; while "Dusting" portrayed the antics of a small
bey dusting the piano. No doubt the artist drew his inspiration for this little
number from his own childhood and its rendition captivated the audience.
("French Pianist Delights Large Theatre Crowd," 1953)

Although it was noted in 1964 that Sancan’s Concerto for piano and orchestra was “very
rarely performed, it seems new every time we hear it”69, Sancan’s performance of his own
Concerto was well-received by the audience at its premier in the Besançon Festival in
1955: “Here is a real natural musician, here is one of the biggest names in French music

67
Original quote: il a su réaliser l’improvisation en duo avec le violon de Gallois-Montbrun ou a
quatre mains avec Henriette Roget
68
Original quote: Ce fut un moment génial entre deux remarquables improvisateurs qui
rivalisaient d'imagination !!! Comments made on Meloclassic Facebook page.
69
Original quote: fort rarement execute ; il est de ce petit nombre d'oeuvres qui semblent
nouvelles chaque fois qu'on les entend

64
today.”70 A similar reaction was received at the Société des concerts where the audience
“applauded at length, that’s for sure... No impostor in this music so frank, so clever,
because Mr. Pierre Sancan knows how to use all the resources of his art”71 (Dumesnil,
1964).

From the late 1950s, Sancan’s performances appear to have become more sporadic, with
no press clippings found after 1975. This is likely due to his increasing involvement with
teaching at the Paris Conservatoire and privately, and his growing reputation as a
pedagogue. In an interview with Roger Bouillot in 1974, Sancan confirmed that he was
now devoting most of his time to teaching (Szymczak, 2016). Jean-Philippe Collard and
Marc Laforêt reflected that Sancan’s dedication to them as his students must have
impeded his pursuit of other musical activity:

He had no time; he was constantly caught up in teaching. He took so much

care of us! Maybe it was we who prevented it. (Camberre, 2004)

He has always had a passion for teaching and passing on knowledge, which
inevitably restricted his activities as a concert maker and composer. ("Pierre
Sancan (1916-2008)," n.d.)72

There are very few recordings of Sancan’s performances currently available. An

exception is the digitized LP recordings held by the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
As an accompanist, Sancan has appeared on many occasions with the great French cellist,
André Navarra (1911-1988), evidenced by their recordings together (Table S3). Their
reputation as ensemblists led to a concert being dedicated to Sancan and Navarra in 2001
at the Paris Conservatoire.

Sancan also featured on a television episode of Bernard Gavoty's series Les grandes
interprètes (The great performers), pictured in Figure 4.13, which showed precious
moments of Sancan performing. The episode aired on 21 July 1959. Gavoty also produced
a musical documentary titled Le métier de virtuose (The virtuoso) which aired on 12 May

70
Emille Vuillermoz’s review at the premier of Sancan’s Concerto for piano and orchestra at the
Besançon Festival in 1955.
71
Original quote: on a beaucoup applaudi, c'est certain…Aucune imposture dans cette musique
si franche, si habile, car M. Pierre Sancan connaît et sait utiliser toutes les ressources de son art
72
Original quote: Il a toujours eu la passion de l'enseignement et de la transmission du savoir, ce
qui a forcément restreint ses activités de concertiste et de compositeur.
65
1974. Directed by Josée Dayan, the 27-minute documentary features interviews with
Arthur Rubinstein and Pierre Sancan, discussing their craft. Clips of Sancan teaching his
troisième cycle piano student from the Paris Conservatoire, Olivier Gardon, form part of
the documentary. A copy of both of these interviews can be found at L'Institut National
de l'Audiovisuel (National Audiovisual Institute), in Bry-sur-Marne, France. Sancan was
also featured in a 1957 book by Gavoty and Daniel Lesur on modern music.

Figure 4.13: Photograph of Bernard Gavoty (left) and Pierre Sancan (right) from Les grandes
interprètes.

Sancan was also one of the thirty French musicians chosen as subjects for Armand
Machabey’s 1949 book, Portraits de trente musiciens français (Portraits of thirty French
musicians). This book is focused on French modern composers who were under the age
of fifty at the time of enquiry with a vocation well established. Machabey (1949) describes
Sancan as having no other motive but to share “all aspects of music with the publishers,
the concerts, the radio, the film, sometimes as a composer, sometimes as a virtuoso, or

66
conductor, or improviser”73 (p. 142). Furthermore, Sancan “appréciable enrichissement
de notre patrimoine musical” (enriches our musical heritage) (p. 143). The obscurity of
some of the musicians included in the book – Sancan included – was noted by American
reviewer, Frank Campbell, who remarked that “Tony Aubin, Raymond Gallois-
Montbrun, Georges Hugon, and Pierre Sancan are a few among many names I have seen
for the first time in this collection of short articles on contemporary French musicians”
(Campbell, 1951, p. 709). Sancan was also one of eleven French musicians selected to be
interviewed by Charles Timbrell for his book, French Pianism: A Historical Perspective
(1999).

4.5 Teacher

Although Pierre Sancan had a successful career as a performer and composer; he is most
fondly remembered today as a pedagogue, and the emergence of many elite pianists from
his class made him one of the most distinguished of French teachers. In 1956, Sancan
succeeded his teacher, Yves Nat (1890-1956), as Professor of Piano at the Conservatoire
National Supérior de Musique de Paris (CNSMDP)74 where he taught until his retirement
in 1985. His tenure of twenty-nine years, in this highly respected institution, equals that
of Lucette Descave (1906-1993), another student of Yves Nat; however, they are both
exceeded by Jean Doyen (1907-1982), Isidor Philipp (1863-1958) and Victor Staub
(1872-1953). The tenure of all the piano staff who taught supérieure classe at CNSMDP
from 1900 to 2018, collected from the CNSMDP archives, is represented in the timeline
shown in Figure 4.14. The colour-coding highlights significant teacher-student
relationships at the Paris Conservatoire, with Sancan related to Louis Diémer, Yves Nat,
Jacques Rouvier and Michel Béroff.

73
Original quote: tous ses aspects aux éditeurs, aux concerts, a la radio, au film, tantôt comme
compositeur, tantôt comme virtuose, ou chef d’orchestre, ou improvisateu.
74
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris was previously called Conservatoire
de Paris until 1946.
67
 F lo re n t B o ffa rd
M a rie -J o s e p h e J u d e
C la ire D e s e rt
E m m a n u e l S t ro s s e r
F ra n k B ra le y
M ic h e l D a lb e rt o
D e n is P a s c a l
H o rt e n s e C a rt ie r-B re s s e n
R o g e r M u ra ro
H e rve B illa u t
N ic h o la s A n g e lic h
P ie rre -L a u re n t A im a rd
H e n ri B a rd a
G e o rg e s P lu d e rm a c h e r
J e a n -F ra n c o is H e is s e r
B rig it t e E n g e re r
A la in M o t a rd
P a s c a l D e vo y o n
M ic h e l B e ro ff
A la in P la n e s
T h e o d o re P a ra s k ive s c o
B ru n o R ig u t t o
G e ra rd F re m y
J e a n -C la u d e P e n n e t ie r
J a c q u e s R o u vie r
G e rm a in e M o u n ie r
V e n t is la v Y a n k o ff
R e in e G ia n o li
G a b rie l T a c c h in o
D o m in iq u e M e rle t
P ie rre B a rb iz e t
A ld o C ic c o lin i
R a y m o n d T ro u a rd
M o n iq u e H a a s
Y vo n n e L o rio d
M o n iq u e d e la B ru c h o lle rie
L e lia G o u s s e a u
J e a n n e -M a rie D a rre
P ie rre S a n c a n
A lin e va n B a re n t z e n
L o u is e C la viu s -M a riu s
J o s e p h B e n ve n u t i
Y vo n n e L e fe b u re
V la d o P e rle m u t e r
L u c e t t e D e s c a ve s
J u le s G e n t il
G e o rg e s d e L a u s n a y
J e a n -A b e l D o y e n
M a rc e l C ia m p i
J e a n -E u g e n e B a t a lla
M a u ric e A rm o u r
C e lin y C h a ille y -R ic h e z
M a g d a T a g lia fe rro
Y ve s N a t
A rm a n d F e rt e
L a z a re -L e vy
M a rg u e rit e L o n g
S a n t ia g o R ie ra
V ic t o r S t a u b
A lfre d C o rt o t
E d o u a rd R is le r
Is id o r P h ilip p
A n t o n in M a m o n t e l
Raoul P ugno
L o u is D ie m e r
C h a rle s D e B e rio t
A lp h o n s e D u ve rn o y
E lie M iria m D e la b o rd e

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Figure 4.14: Timeline of piano professors at the Paris Conservatoire from 1900 to 2018.
Louis Diémer is highlighted in striped green and his students are coded in orange; Yves Nat is
highlighted in striped orange, and his students are coded in red. Sancan is highlighted in striped
red and his students are coded in blue.

68
Background information about Sancan’s teaching activities can be gleaned from the
institution’s normal procedures of the time. Piano teachers of the Paris Conservatoire
from 1955 were required to teach four hours a week in the preparatory class and eight
hours a week in the advanced class.75 Each preparatory and advanced class consisted of
four and eight pupils, respectively, with an additional three foreign pupils who could be
divided between the two classes.76 The prizes in the preparatory section included first,
second and third medals, while in the advanced sections, first and second prizes and first
and second accessits (runners up) were awarded.77 Sancan also taught at l'Académie
Internationale d'été de Nice (the International Summer Academy of Nice) from the 1970s
to the mid-1980s.78 It was noted during the summer of 1972 that Sancan “has so many
students in his class that he will probably work all day” ("L'académie d'été de Nice a
ouvert ses portes," 1972). This was supported by Sancan’s student, Jean-Efflam
Bavouzet, who explained that Sancan would “teach from 9am to 10pm non-stop (besides
a break for a snack and toilet breaks). He had some really talented students at the Paris
Conservatory, he had his private studios at Salle Pleyel and taught amateur pianists
privately.”79 In addition to his regular teaching schedule, Sancan conducted masterclasses
nationally and internationally (AFP, 1982).80

As mentioned in Chapter 4.3, students of the Paris Conservatoire participated in the

Concours du Conservatoire. The student’s performances were adjudicated by a jury made

75
Classes were divided into two sections, préparatoire and supérieure. The préparatoire classe
(preparatory class) took up to three years while the supérieure classe (advanced class) took up to
five years to complete. There were also strict age limits imposed for the piano classes: preparatory
class, minimum limit of ten years, maximum limit of fifteen years; advanced class, minimum
limit eleven years, maximum limit of eighteen years (Enseignement Technique Instrumental,
Classes de Piano, Conservatoire du Paris, 1955. Archives of CNSMDP). The section préparatoire
was removed in 1978/1979 and the piano diplomas at the Paris Conservatoire were divided into
cycles.
76
Females students were not allowed to exceed three-quarters of the total number of French
pupils.
77
According to 'Section de préparation aux concours de recrutement de professeur de formation
musicale dans les Conservatoires Nationaux de Région et les Ecoles Nationales de Musique’
(Conservatoire du Paris, 1980. Archives of CNSMDP), Paris Conservatoire students attended
instrumental, solfège (sight-singing) and déchiffrage (sight-reading) classes in the first cycle, and
classe d’ensemble (ensemble classes) such as chamber music or orchestra in the second cycle.
See Bongrain & Poirier (1999) for a discussion on the history of the Paris Conservatoire.
78
Years teaching at Nice estimated by JB, interview with JB via Whatsapp on 19 January 2019.
79
Interview with JB via Whatsapp on 19 January 2019.
80
Sancan gave masterclasses in China, at Peking Central Conservatory and Shanghai in 1980 and
1981, and Japan.

69
up of the president, staff members and secretary of the Paris Conservatoire. Students often
remained at the Paris Conservatoire until they received the coveted Premier Prix.81 Each
year, a list of the award-winners was published in Palmarès, a series of books that
catalogued every musical category, including strings, piano, harmony, conducting,
solfège, composition.

The order in which candidates were listed in the Palmarès depended on the number of
votes the candidate had received from the jury. When candidates received an equal
number of votes, their names would appear alphabetically on the list. It is therefore
difficult to discern the exact rank of the candidates for each year without searching the
Paris Conservatoire archives for each year. The Palmarès, however, are held at the
Médiathèque Hector Berlioz (CNSMDP library) and lists the name of the candidates, the
prize awarded, country and date of birth, as well as the candidate’s teacher. From this
collection of books, a list of all the Premier Prix winners from the supérieure classe was
compiled and grouped according to the student’s teacher during 1956 and 1985, Sancan’s
tenure as Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire. Graphs of the Premier Prix
winners for piano have been divided by gender, in which male and female students were
examined separately, as shown in Figures 4.15 and 4.16, respectively. These charts
confirm that Sancan was consistently successful in producing highly-proficient students
until his retirement, with the male students particularly successful. As Figure 4.17 shows,
however, Sancan produced numerous Premier prix pianists, both female and male,
throughout his twenty-nine year tenure at the Paris Conservatoire.

81
The ‘Section de préparation aux concours de recrutement de professeur de formation musicale
dans les Conservatoires Nationaux de Région et les Ecoles Nationales de Musique’ specifies that
depending on the number of certificates obtained and discipline (Group A : piano, violin and
cello; Group B : harpsichord, harp, classical guitar, viola, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet,
saxophone, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, bass, tuba, bass and percussion), students can have
two to three successive attempts to obtain the first prize in the Concours du Conservatoire.
70
 1956

1957

1958

1959

1960
Y ves N at
1961

Jean D oyen
1962

J e a n B a t a lla
1963

1964
M a r c e l C ia m p i

1965 J u le s G e n t il

1966 L u c e tte d e s c a v e s

1967 V la d o P e r le m u t e r

1968 Y v o n n e L e fe b u re

1969 A lin e v a n B a r e n tz e n

1970 J o s e p h B e n v e n u ti

1971 P ie r r e S a n c a n

1972 J e a n n e - M a r ie D a r r e

1973
L e lia G o u s s e a u

1974
M o n iq u e d e la B r u c h o lle r ie

1975
M o n iq u e H a s

1976
Y v o n n e L o r io d

1977
R a y m o n d T ro u a rd
1978
A ld o C ic c o lin i
1979
P ie r r e B a r b iz e t
1980
D o m in iq u e M e r le t
1981
G a b r ie l T a c c h in o
1982
R e in e G ia n o li
1983
V e n t is la v Y a n k o f f
1984
G e r m a in e M o u n ie r
1985
J a c q u e s R o u v ie r

0 2 4 6 8 10

N o . o f P r e m ie r P r ix w in n e r s

Figure 4.15: Male Premier Prix winners from supérieure classe at the Paris Conservatoire during
1956 to 1985. Data collected from Palmarès from 1956 to 1985 held at the Médiathèque Hector
Berlioz.

71
 1956

1957

1958

1959

1960
Y ves N at
1961

Jean D oyen
1962

J e a n B a t a lla
1963

1964 M a r c e l C ia m p i

1965 J u le s G e n t il

1966 L u c e tte d e s c a v e s

1967 V la d o P e r le m u t e r

1968 Y v o n n e L e fe b u re

1969 A lin e v a n B a r e n tz e n

1970 J o s e p h B e n v e n u ti

1971 P ie r r e S a n c a n

1972
J e a n n e - M a r ie D a r r e

1973
L e lia G o u s s e a u

1974
M o n iq u e d e la B r u c h o lle r ie
1975
M o n iq u e H a s
1976
Y v o n n e L o r io d
1977
R a y m o n d T ro u a rd
1978
A ld o C ic c o lin i
1979
P ie r r e B a r b iz e t
1980
D o m in iq u e M e r le t
1981
G a b r ie l T a c c h in o
1982
R e in e G ia n o li
1983
V e n t is la v Y a n k o f f
1984
G e r m a in e M o u n ie r
1985
J a c q u e s R o u v ie r

0 4 8 12 16

N o . o f P r e m ie r P r ix w in n e r s

Figure 4.16: Female Premier Prix winners from supérieure classe at the Paris Conservatoire
during 1956 to 1985. Data collected from Palmarès from 1956 to 1985 held at the Médiathèque
Hector Berlioz.

72
 1956
M a le s t u d e n ts
1957

1958 F e m a le s t u d e n ts

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

0 1 2 3 4 5

N o . o f P r e m ie r P r ix w in n e r s

Figure 4.17: Pierre Sancan’s Premier Prix winners from supérieure classe at the Paris
Conservatoire during 1956 to 1985. Data collected from Palmarès from 1956 to 1985 held at the
Médiathèque Hector Berlioz.

73
Although the success of being awarded Premier Prix must have been a momentous
achievement for any young pianist, being awarded as the laureate was an even more
exclusive and esteemed title. The laureate was the candidate who received the highest
number of votes from the jury during the Concours du Conservatoire. In some
circumstances when there was a tie for first place, there would be a further vote to identify
the laureate to be placed in the top position in the Palmarès. Each professor of piano who
taught a supérieure classe at the Paris Conservatoire between 1956 and 1985 was listed,
alongside the number of students who had received the prestigious title of laureate. Figure
4.18 demonstrates Sancan’s success in producing high calibre pianists that outperformed
the other candidates within their respective year during the Concours du Conservatoire.

J a c q u e s R o u v ie r
G e r m a in e M o u n ie r
V e n tis la v Y a n k o ff M a le
R e in e G ia n o li
F e m a le
G a b r ie l T a c c h in o
D o m in iq u e M e r le t
P ie r r e B a r b iz e t
A ld o C ic c o lin i
R a y m o n d T ro u a rd
Y v o n n e L o r io d
M o n iq u e H a a s
M o n iq u e d e la B r u c h o lle r ie
L e lia G o u s s e a u
J e a n n e - M a r ie D a r r e
P ie r r e S a n c a n
J o s e p h B e n v e n u ti
A lin e v a n B a r e n tz e n
L o u is e C la v iu s - M a r iu s
Y v o n n e L e fe b u re
V la d o P e r le m u te r
L u c e tte D e s c a v e s
J u le s G e n til
G e o rg e s d e L a u s n a y
M a r c e l C ia m p i
A rm a n d F e rte
J e a n B a ta lla
C e lin y C h a ille y - R ic h e z
M a u r ic e A r m o u r
Jean D oyen

0 2 4 6 8

N o . o f L a u r e a te w in n e r s

Figure 4.18: Laureate winners from the supérieure classe at the Paris Conservatoire during 1956
to 1985. Data collected from Palmarès from 1956 to 1985 held at the Médiathèque Hector Berlioz.

74
The competitive nature of the professors at the Paris Conservatoire was exposed by Jean-
Philippe Collard in his interview with Beigel:

I was always so alone at the Paris Conservatory. Apart from the restaurant, there's
no place for students to mix. That’s due to the competition among teachers, not
students. Once you're in with a certain teacher, you cannot switch, and you cannot
mix. It's a bad system. (Beigel, 1981, p. H1)

During Sancan’s tenure at the Paris Conservatoire, a great number of students studied
with him, predominantly French but including students from America and Asia. Figures
4.19 and 4.20 show photographs of Sancan’s piano class in 1967 and 1971, from the Paris
Conservatoire archives. Due to privacy restrictions, the names of the pictured students
could not be provided. However, many of his students became well-known pianists,
including: Jean-Philippe Collard, Marc Laforêt, Michel Béroff, Abdel Rahman El Bacha,
Jacques Rouvier, Jean-Marc Savelli, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Christian Jacob, Claude
Cymerman, Emile Naoumoff, Joël Capbert, Mark Carver, Olivier Gardon, Michel
Prezman, Dominique Cornil, Amoyel Pascal, Jean-François Antonioli, Thierry Huillet,
Michel Gal, Klaus Hellwig, Catherine Silie, Denis Pascal and Jean-Bernard Pommier. As
noted in Chapter 1, Sancan inspired his pupils: Marc Laforêt recalled him helping "every
student to express the best of himself” (Zisman, 2008b), and Jean-Philippe Collard, who
had studied with Sancan for eight years, described Sancan as “mon maître me servit avec
affection et enthousiasme” (my master [who] always supported me with affection and
enthusiasm) (cited in Szymczak, 2016). These views were shared by Pierre Cornevin,
who described Sancan as “un grand professeur” (a great teacher) (Zisman, 2008c). A
podcast dedicated to Sancan featured an interview with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet who was
adamant in calling Sancan his “master”:

You said “Professor”, I’d say “Master”. Really he has been the key in my
development, he was the Master who gave me all the means I needed… the key
for me to truly become a pianist. (Zisman, 2008e)82

82
Original quote: Vous parliez de professeur, oui j'avais presque envie de dire vraiment, de
maître, c'est une personne qui a été pour moi absolument capitale dans mon développement, c'est
vraiment le maître qui m'a donné tous les moyens … il y en a d'autres que j'ai découvert par moi-
même bien sûr, mais vraiment de me réaliser en tant que pianiste.
75
Figure 4.19: Piano class of Pierre Sancan in 1967. Photographer: André Papillon. Archives du
CNSMDP.

Figure 4.20: Piano class of Pierre Sancan in 1971. Photographer: André Papillon. Archives du
CNSMDP.
76
An evening concert held at la Roque-d'Anthéron in 1983 dedicated to Sancan, organised
by René Martin, also featured Sancan’s students. A photograph of the occasion is shown
in Figure 5.10. The below quote by Bavouzet describes this event and the close
relationship Sancan had with his students.

There were 3 or 4 pianos on stage, his famous students were there: Michel Béroff,
Jean-Philippe Collard, Jean-Bernard Pommier, El Bacha, Emile Naoumoff and
myself (latter two, the younger generations) and we played Dolly by Fauré. We
interchanged: he was playing the bass line and we would switch every 2 bars of the
higher pitch part, taking turns in a circle (“tournante”). That was real fun, we
laughed so much. (Zisman, 2008e)83

Figure 4.21: La Roque-d'Anthéron in 1983.

From left to right: Emile Naoumoff, Michel Béroff, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (behind Béroff), Jean-
Philippe Collard, René Martin, Jean-Bernard Pommier and Pierre Sancan. (Reitz, 1994, p. 71)

83
Original quote: Il y avait quand même trois ou quatre pianos sur scène, yavait donc ses grands
élèves, Michel Béroff, Jean-Philippe Collard, Jean-Bernard Pommier, El Bacha, Émile Naoumoff
et moi, donc on était un peu comme ça les ... Émile Naoumoff et moi, la jeune génération, et on
avait joué Dolly de Fauré et on s'amusait, on changeait, lui tenant les basses et on changeait la
partie d'aigu toutes les deux mesures, on faisait une tournante quoi, enfin, c'était très très
amusant, on a eu des fou-rires extraordinaires.
77
It is reasonable to presume that Sancan’s piano technique was influenced by his piano
teacher, Yves Nat, a “great teacher of musicianship” who placed great emphasis on the
importance of fingering, so much so that he often provided “fingering for every piece that
we studied – sometimes literally for every note of a piece!” (Timbrell, 1999, p. 202).
However, Jean-Philippe Collard claimed that Sancan developed his own approach which
was not influenced by Nat:

He always analysed the functions of the muscles. He demanded that I know

exactly what muscles in my arm and shoulder were activated when I raised, for
example, my fourth finger. So he had me buy medical books and study diagrams
of muscles. Yves Nat spoke very little about technique. Sancan had to fabricate a
personal technique by going to anatomy books to understand how the muscles
work. “Whys” and “hows” mattered to him. (Timbrell, 1999, p. 225)

Sancan’s approach to teaching and piano technique was therefore shaped by two
significant interests: the muscular dynamics of the human body, and the Russian school
of piano playing. Thus, in his obituary of Sancan, Lompech suggested that “the composer,
the musician Pierre Sancan felt in his muscles that the famous French technique prevented
him from playing the music in all the variety of sound colours that could be drawn from
a grand concert piano” (Lompech, 2008; emphasis added), particularly from the 1950s
when “confronted” by virtuosos trained in Moscow.

Around this pivotal time, Sancan investigated the anatomy of the back, arms, hands and
fingers. Marc Laforêt, another student of Sancan, remembered his teacher “always
conduct[ing] research to perfect piano technique, with the help of specialists in
anatomy”84 ("Pierre Sancan (1916-2008)," n.d.; emphasis added). On several occasions
Sancan attempted to explain his interest in different approaches to piano technique and
how this opposed the conservative traditions of the Paris Conservatoire:

I wondered why we, French, did not manage to draw from the piano anything
other than beaded notes [jeu perlé], wonderful indeed, but beaded. I realized we
were playing with the hand instead of the forearm. We lacked the vibration, the

84
Original quote: Il a toujours mené des recherches pour perfectionner la technique pianistique,
avec l'aide de spécialistes de l'anatomie.

78
 true gesture, but since then we have learned how to interpret Bartok and
Prokoviev. (Reitz, 1994, p. 70)85

Use all the muscular resources, not only those of the wrist or those of the forearm
but also those of the shoulder and even the back. Free the pianists of useless
movements and teach him the total mastery of their will, create automatism in
the fingers to free tension, and to let him focus solely on the interpretation, and
to remember that the law of dynamics is also valid for piano playing: dead
weight is heavier than muscular weight, so why not use it? A question of
common sense but one had to think about it and go against many traditions from
the Conservatoire in Paris. (Szymczak, 2016)86

I can confirm that back in our days and even 20 years ago… we used to play
static, didn’t we? We used to play ‘vertical’, all the time, didn’t we? So we
would experiment with some movements. But of course, some people played
wonderfully well... we just need to see the great pianists currently in Paris to
figure out that there are not 4 or 5, but 25, 30, 40 now playing the piano
beautifully. (Dayan, 1974)87

Although Sancan appreciated the “beautiful and light” approach of the traditional French
school of playing (Boone, 2004), he was greatly influenced by Russian pianists. As
mentioned in Chapter 2, he was not the first to depart from the traditions of the French
piano school as championed by Camille Saint-Saëns, Isidor Philipp and Marguerite Long:
Lazare Levy (1882-1964), Alfred Cortot (1877-1963) and Vlado Perlemuter (1904-2001)
had also begun to challenge aspects of its technique and aesthetic. By the mid-twentieth

85
Original quote: Je me demandais pourquoi nous, français, dit-il, ne parvenions pas à tirer du
piano autre chose que des notes perlées, merveilleuses certes, mais perlées. J’ai saisi que nous
jouions avec la main au lieu de l’avant-bras. Il nous manquait la vibration, le geste vrai, et depuis,
nous savons interpréter Bartok et Prokoviev.
86
Original quote: Utiliser toutes les ressources musculaires, pas seulement celles du poignet, ou
de l'avant-bras mais aussi celles de l'épaule, même du dos. Libérer le pianiste des mouvements
inutiles et lui apprendre une totale maîtrise de la volonté, créer un automatisme des doigts qui
libèrent la tension et permettent de le consacrer tout entier à l'interprétation et se souvenir que
la loi de la dynamique reste valable au piano autant qu’ailleurs : le poids mort est plus lourd que
le poids musculaire, alors pourquoi donc ne pas l’utiliser ? Question de bon sens, mais il fallait
encore y penser, et aller à l'encontre de biens des traditions du Conservatoire de Paris.
87
Original quote: Je dois dire que oui parce que de notre temps, et même il y a 20 ans… on jouait
statique, n’est-ce pas ? On jouait vertical, tout le temps, n’est-ce pas. Alors on essayait par des
mouvements. Alors il y avait des gens qui jouaient admirablement bien, bien sûr… il faut voir les
grands pianistes qui sont actuellement �Paris, pour s’apercevoir qu’il n’y en a pas 4 ou 5, il y
en a 25, 30, 40 maintenant qui jouent admirablement du piano.

79
century, professors such as Pierre Sancan and Dominique Merlet were encouraging a
“fullness of expression and technique mercifully far remote from a once sacred jeu perlé
and stylistic nonchalance” (Morrison, 1993, p. 400). Further parallels were drawn
between Jacques Février and Sancan, who made a specialty of “cultivating body
awareness in playing, based (as Chopin had also taught) on letting our weight work for
us” (Howat, 1994, p. 190). However, Sancan appears to have gone much further than the
other pedagogues in Paris at the time. Michel Béroff asserts that “Sancan was really the
only one at the Conservatoire to have developed a technique that allowed to address all
the repertoires, all the styles”88 (Reitz, 1994, p. 70). This is supported by Jean-Philippe
Collard’s comments that “Sancan was undoubtedly the person most responsible for
killing off the old French school!” (Timbrell, 1999, p. 225). Collard also recalled that
Sancan would often go to Russia to “listen to the Russian students and meet some teachers
in Moscow and Leningrad”, and Sancan advised some of his students to have lessons with
Vera Gornostaeva (1929-2015), professor at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, in
order to learn about the piano technique of her own teacher, Heinrich Neuhaus (1888-
1964) ("La Methode Gornostaeva," 1988).

According to Sancan’s brother Jacques, Sancan was further influenced by specialists in

anatomy:

His curiosity, his gift of observation, his constantly improving research,

with the help of medical specialists in the field of anatomy, will enable
him to revolutionize piano technique. The role of the muscles and the
position of the body (from head to foot) are decisive in solving many
technical problems. The result of the sound, the "touch" and the "nuance",
the handling of the pedal are linked to a rigorous bodily control itself
dependent on an active preparation inside. The resolution of the musical
line in total respect of the text is the fruit of this alchemy of which Pierre
Sancan will deepen his whole life the secret. (J. Sancan, n.d.)89

88
Original quote: Sancan était réellement le seul au Conservatoire à avoir élaboré une technique
qui permettait d’aborder tous les répertoires, tous les styles.
89
Original quote: Sa curiosité, son don d'observation, les recherches qu'il ne cessera de
perfectionner, avec l'aide de médecins spécialistes dans le domaine de l'anatomie, vont lui
permettre de révolutionner la technique pianistique. Le rôle des muscles, la position du corps
(des pieds à la tête) sont déterminants dans la résolution de nombreux problèmes techniques.

80
Jacques’ reference to his brother’s “respect of the text” was echoed by Sancan’s student,
Jean-François Antonioli:

He wanted us to stay faithful to the score, because he hated affected playing. In

the interest of faithfulness to the text, it’s essential to understand the specific
world of each composer, from many points of view, in order to avoid any
denaturation. Most of the time, originality is just a more accurate reading of the
score, which is supported by invaluable information. (Young, 2016)

Sancan himself reflected that he had learned much from teaching, though he felt that
young pianists could enhance their artistic practices through the breadth of musical
engagement that had been expected during his own student days:

I believe you can learn a lot from your students, don't you think? Personally, I
feel that they taught me a lot of things. But if I were able to teach them
something, it would be that with this fulgurance that they have, this urge to
quickly start, perhaps they haven’t had the great musical culture that we had
because we attended, very modestly, to our composition classes: we did the
piano class, then after the harmony class, counterpoint class, fugue class,
accompaniment class, and then we’d go for the Prix de Rome, which no longer
exists…They're now interested in trying to make chamber music
instrumentation with their ten fingers and being their own conductor. I always
tell them that you still have to practise with the score first, without playing, and
then you try to create some orchestral effects with your piano, and that's how
you can make progress at the piano. (Fontaine, 2016)90

L'aboutissement du son, le " toucher " et la "nuance", le maniement de la pédale sont liés à une
rigoureuse maîtrise corporelle elle-même dépendante d'une active préparation intérieure. La
résolution de la ligne musicale dans le total respect du texte est le fruit de cette alchimie dont
Pierre Sancan approfondira toute sa vie le secret.
90
Original quote: J’estime qu’on apprend beaucoup des élèves, n’est-ce pas. Personnellement,
ils m’ont appris beaucoup de choses. Mais si j’ai pu leur apprendre quelque chose c’est qu’avec
cette fulgurance qu’ils ont eue de démarrer rapidement, ils n’ont peut-être pas eu la grande
culture musicale que nous avions nous parce qu’on faisait, très modestement, nos écritures : on
faisait la classe de piano, puis après la classe d’harmonie, la classe de contrepoint, la classe de
fugue, la classe d’accompagnement, puis on allait jusqu’au prix de Rome qui, comme vous le
savez, n’existe plus.... Alors ils s’intéressent maintenant �essayer de faire avec leurs dix doigts
une instrumentation de musique de chambre, si vous voulez, et d’être leur propre chef d’orchestre.
Je le leur dis toujours il faut tout de même d’abord travailler la partition, sans jouer, puis ensuite,
vous essayez de créer avec votre piano quelques instruments d’orchestre, et c’est comme ça qu’on
arrive, peut-être, à faire progresser le piano.
81
 I am also a composer so naturally I want to ‘orchestrate’ all piano music. I insist
that my best students study orchestration and conducting, and that they learn to
play an orchestral instrument, however feebly. The piano must be viewed as a
small orchestra, with the potential of strings, winds, brass, and percussion.
(Timbrell, 1999, p. 202)

As a distinguished teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, Sancan was a jury member for the
CNSMDP. In addition, he was the president of the jury at Concours Chopin (Lebanon-
Turkey) at Casablanca Conservatoire (P. Sancan, 1950) and served as a jury member for
a number of eminent international piano competitions including the Queen Elisabeth of
Belgium, Van Cliburn, Istomin, Cortot (Paris), Busoni, Beethoven (Vienna), Rubinstein
(Tel Aviv), Ravel, Vina del Mar and Leeds. Fellow jury members included international
icons such as Rosalyn Tureck (USA), Gyorgy Sandor (USA), Leon Fleisher (USA), Gina
Bachauer (Greek), John Ogdon (UK), Lili Kraus (Hungary), Rudolf Firkusny (Czech),
Alberto Ginastera (Argentina), Nikita Magaloff (Russia), Guido Agosti (Italy) and Cécile
Ousset (France) ("Entertainments," 1983; Hume, 1976).91

Perhaps as an adjunct to his teaching, Sancan travelled around the world on a number of
recital tours over five years presenting lectures on French music, with an emphasis on
Debussy, Fauré and Ravel, in Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Benelux (Belgium,
the Netherlands and Luxembourg), England, North Africa and Japan ("Pianist Sancan due
here for recitals and lecture series," 1970; P. Sancan, 1950).92 His music associations with
periodicals included newspapers from North Africa, and musical reviews for the Lebanon
Evening (Beirut) (P. Sancan, 1950). A timeline of Sancan’s career highlights can be found
in Figure S2.

4.6 Tributes

In a highly successful career as a composer, pianist and ultimately professor of piano,

Sancan was an inspiration and role model for many of his students who themselves

Leeds and Cliburn International competition jury members.

91

With regard to Sancan’s Japan tour, Sancan conducted 6 public lectures on Debussy in Tokyo,
92

Nagoya and other major cities from the end of January to mid-February.
82
became composers, concert pianists, winners of international competitions and piano
teachers in conservatories around the world.

An event hosted by Orchestre Regional Cannes Paca was held on 9 December 2005 at
Salle Les Arlucs in Cannes la Bocca as an homage to Sancan. The programme featured
Sancan’s Concerto for piano and orchestra and Sonatine for flute and piano, with Jean-
Philippe Collard on piano and Philippe Bender as conductor and flautist. Following the
concert, a public masterclass was given by Olivier Gardon, another pupil of Sancan.

The onset of Alzheimers disease eventually prompted Sancan’s retirement from teaching
at the Paris Conservatoire in 1985 (Zisman, 2008b) and from private teaching in 1989
(Reitz, 1994, p. 69). Sancan died in Paris on Sunday 19 October 2008 in the evening, and
his funeral was held the day before what would have been his 92nd birthday in the Church
of Saint-Roch, Paris. He was laid to rest in the cemetery where his parents had been
buried, in Mornas, near Vaucluse in southeastern France. Speaking at his funeral, former
student Olivier Gardon described his death in terms of an “impossible deuil à faire”
(impossible mourning) and “angoisse” (anguish) felt by his students (Zisman, 2008d).

With the loss of the talented French musician and admired professor, a tribute concert to
Sancan was organised by the Paris Conservatoire on 16 March 2009 (Zisman, 2009). The
concert featured several of Sancan’s piano students including Martial Solal (b. 1927),
Jean-Philippe Collard (b. 1948), Michel Béroff (b. 1950), Olivier Gardon (b. 1950), Hervé
Sellin (b. 1957), Yves Henry (b. 1959), Denis Pascal (b.1961), Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (b.
1962) and Li-Jian (b. 1965). The programme for the concert featured composers whose
works Sancan had included in his own performing repertoire, as well as a number of his
own compositions. Interestingly, too, the programme evidently included a jazz
improvisation:

83
 Programme:

Chopin, Variations improvisées sur une valse (Variations improvised on a waltz)

– Hervé Sellin

Schubert, Fantasy in F minor op. 103 D. 940 for 4 hands – Li-Jian and Michel
Béroff

Ravel, La Valse for 2 pianos – Jean-Philippe Collard and Michel Béroff

Sancan, 2nd movement of Concerto for piano and orchestra for 2 pianos – Yves
Henry and Olivier Gardon

Debussy, Prélude de l'après-midi d'un faune pour 2 pianos (Prelude of the

afternoon of a fauna) for 2 pianos – Olivier Gardon and Denis Pascal

Sancan, Pièces enfantines (Children's pieces) – Yves Henry

Improvisations on a standard – Martial Solal

Ravel, Alborada del Gracioso – Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

Four of Sancan’s students, Jean-Philippe Collard, Abdel Rahman El Bacha, Yves Henry
and Marc Laforêt, paid tribute to their teacher in another concert held at Château de
Bordeaux on 25 July 2009 (Label DD, 2009). The Paris Conservatoire itself dedicated a
room to the memory of Sancan, in recognition of his work as Professor of Piano for almost
thirty years.

An article by George Hacquard in 1943 celebrating Sancan’s Prix de Rome success

describes Sancan when he was twenty-six years old, yet the impression Sancan left on his
peers even at that early stage of his career seems to remain valid today:

Pierre Sancan remains, at twenty-six years old, the modest and mischievous
child whom his comrades knew in Mazamet where he was born, in Toulouse
where he first studied music, in Meknès and in Paris where he lived, during the
war. Here is a Frenchman who must be thanked with respect for his talent, his

84
 good humour, his conscience, and for the imperishable memories he distributes
to those who are lucky enough to meet him. (Hacquard, 1943)93

Described by Reitz as a figure who “by discretion, by a natural modesty, he did not seek
honours or celebrity”94, Sancan “owes his fame especially to his students, because he
himself has never put himself particularly forward”95 (Reitz, 1994, p. 69). Comments
made by Jacques Sancan on his brother’s musical career affirmed the effect Pierre had on
his students:

Throughout his career as an interpreter and pedagogue he has not only "served"
the music, he has awakened and developed among all those who followed his
teaching the best in them. Their accomplishment and their artistic influence will
have been his greatest reward. (J. Sancan, n.d.)96

93
Original quote: Pierre Sancan est reste, a vingt-six ans, l’enfant modeste et espiègle que ses
camarades ont connu a Mazamet ou il naquit, �Toulouse ou il étudia d’abord la musique, �
Meknès et à Paris où il vécut, comme durant la guerre. Voilà un Français qui fait honneur à sa
petit patrie et �la grande, un français qu’il faut remercier avec respect pour son talent sa bonne
humour, sa conscience, et pour les souvenirs impérissables qu’il distribue a ceux qui ont la
chance de la rencontrer.
94
Original quote: Par discrétion, par une modestie toute naturelle, il n’a pas recherche les
honneurs ou la célébrité.
95
Original quote: Pierre Sancan doit surtout sa renommée a ses élèves, car lui-même ne s’est
jamais mis particulièrement en avant.
96
Original quote: Pierre Sancan tout au long de sa carrière d'interprète et de pédagogue a non
seulement " servi " la musique, il a su éveiller et développer chez tous ceux qui ont suivi son
enseignement ce qu'il y avait de meilleur en eux. Leur accomplissement et leur rayonnement
artistique auront été sa plus belle récompense.
85
 CHAPTER 5: INTERVIEW AND SURVEY STUDY

The purpose of the interview and survey study was to engage with the students of Sancan,
asking them to describe their experiences with Sancan, investigating their perceptions and
attitudes toward Sancan’s career, and gauging his influence on them and the broader
musical community.

The presentation of findings begins with participant demographics, which help to

establish Sancan’s position in the musical world in the second half of the twentieth
century. The topics discussed in the surveys and interviews include Sancan’s reputation,
the reception of his compositions, and influences on his composing and performing;
Sancan’s approach to piano technique and performance style; and aspects of the master-
apprentice relationship. Participant responses were often substantive and closely-
considered, and accordingly, they are often fully and liberally quoted, in order to construct
a rich and nuanced account of their perceptions. Quotes are coded with the participant’s
initials and corresponding question from the schedule of questions, which can be found
in Appendix A. For example, a response to question 5 in section 2 would be coded S2
Q5, while comments made during an interview are coded as such. Personal anecdotes
were also provided in an interview conducted by the researcher with Sancan’s student and
companion Irène Mathis.

5.1 Participant Information

Among the 48 individuals contacted via email, either directly, through their agent or
online personal profile page, 26 accepted the invitation to participate, 3 declined and 19
did not respond. Twenty musicians, among the 26 who expressed an interest in
participating, returned and completed the survey resulting in a final response rate of 42%.
A complete list of participants can be found in Table S4. The number of collected
responses was considered sufficient to fulfil the aims and objectives of the research, and
the sample group met the criteria for the study (Chapter 3.3), namely, the participants
were all music professionals who had been students of Sancan. The period in which the
participants studied with Sancan encompasses a large proportion of his teaching career,
as shown in Figure 5.1. Inferences can therefore be made about Sancan’s teaching style

86
 from 1961 to 1988. In their responses to the survey, the participants not only discussed
Sancan’s approach and attitudes to technique and repertoire, but made some comparisons
between Sancan and other teachers who also taught at the Paris Conservatoire during this
period.

PA
EN
MF
JB
ML
CB
JA
Participants

TH
MC
OC
CJ
DC
MG
YH
OG
JP C
KH
MP
CC
JC

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990

Y e a rs

Figure 5.1: Years in which each participant studied with Sancan. Dotted arrow indicates
approximate duration.

Twelve of the respondents (60%) completed the survey in French, reflecting the large
proportion of native French participants. The respondents’ country of origin was
predominantly France (70%) as shown in Figure 5.2, while 30% were born in other
countries ranging from Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, to the United States of
America and Argentina. This suggests that Sancan had widespread influence and
reputation, though the attraction of the Paris Conservatoire itself may have been an
influential factor. This prestige might be linked to Sancan’s travels as a performer, as well
as a gradual but continual spread of influence as his students cultivated their own musical
family trees. Something of the spread may be seen in changes from the participants’

87
country of origin, shown in Figure 5.2, to their current country of residence, shown in
Figure 5.3. At the time of the survey, fourteen of the participants were teaching in music
institutions, as listed in Table 5.1, providing them with a platform for sharing their
knowledge and potentially broadening the reputation of Sancan in France and abroad.

France

Germany
5%5%
5%
United States of
10%
America
5% Argentina
70%
Switzerland

Belgium

Figure 5.2: Participants’ country of origin.

France

Germany
5%5%
5% United States of
5% America
Australia
50%

25% Switzerland & France

5% Belgium

Portugal

Figure 5.3: Participants’ country of residence in 2017/2018.

88
Table 5.1: List of positions and institutions the participants are presently associated with and their location in 2017/2018.
Participant Position Institution Location
ML Professor of Piano, Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse Paris, France
Professor of Sight Reading de Paris (CNSMDP)
PA Professor of Piano and Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Rueil- Paris, France
Improvisation Malmaison
OC Professor of Piano Conservatoire de Chantilly Chantilly, France
TH Professor of Piano (out of class) Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Toulouse Toulouse, France
MC Associate Teaching Professor of Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
Collaborative Piano USA
CC Professor Emeritus of Piano DePauw University Greencastle, Indiana, USA
EN Associate Professor of Piano Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Bloomington, Indiana, USA
MF Performance Teaching Fellow Canberra School of Music, Australian National University Canberra, Australia
JB International Chair Royal Northern College of Music Manchester, United
Kingdom
DC Professor of Piano, Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles Brussels, Belgium
Chair of Keyboard
MG Professor of Piano for Musical Escola Superior de Música de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
Training and Accompaniment
JA Professor of Piano La Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU Vaud Sion, Switzerland
Valais Fribourg)
OG Professor of Piano Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover Hannover, Germany
KH Visiting Professor of Piano Universität der Künste Berlin Berlin, Germany

89
The population of participants consisted of 90% males and 10% females, which reflects
the gender bias of Sancan’s premier prix students, shown in Figures 5.14, 5.15 and 5.16;
it will be recalled that the classes at the Paris Conservatoire were divided according to
gender (Chapter 4.5). Most of the participants were also previous Paris Conservatoire
students and 75% of the sample group received premier prix in piano. Most of the
participants (80%) received weekly lessons, while 15% had fortnightly lessons and 5%
had infrequent lessons, every two to three months. The majority of the participants
received private lessons (95%) rather than only group lessons or masterclasses.

The current musical portfolios of the respondents were gauged by asking them to rate on
a scale from one to ten on how they spent most of their professional time. The participants
identified their musical profession as being predominantly performers (30%), teachers
(25%), both teacher and performer (25%), performer and composer (15%) and one
participant spent their time equally on performing, composing and teaching (5%). Their
pedagogical aspirations can be seen in Table 5.1 which shows that 70% of the participants
are currently teaching music in institutions. When the participants were asked to rate
aspects of their careers they considered to be important, a clear relationship between the
participants’ order of musical values and their career success was observed, in that
average scores listed in order of decreasing importance were performing, teaching,
adjudicating/examining, composing and arranging.

Sancan’s emphasis on breadth of study, mentioned in Chapter 4.5, appeared to be shared

by many of his students, in that half of the participants rated performing, teaching and
composing to be important. The value they placed on each varied with the participants’
own musical preferences and aspirations.

5.2 Reputation of Sancan and his Compositions

When respondents were asked whether they were aware of Sancan’s reputation prior to
their studies with him (Figure 5.4, S2 Q1), the responses varied greatly with the
respondent’s age and stage in their musical career. The majority of participants were
aware of Sancan’s reputation as a teacher (80%) owing to a recommendation from a
parent or former teacher, or the reputation of Sancan’s other successful students at the

90
Paris Conservatoire. In several cases (n=3), participants became acquainted with Sancan
while they were studying with another professor and switched to Sancan for further
studies after the completion of a cycle or attainment of the Prix. OC claimed that “Sancan
was considered the greatest Master of the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris, everyone
wanted to enter his class”97 (S2, Q1). This opinion was supported by DC’s view that
during the 1970s, “the reputation of Pierre Sancan was at its peak. Many young French
and foreign pianists sought to work with him at the CNSMDP or in private”98 (DC, S2
Q1), while JB noted that “he had a reputation and there was a line of people dying to have
lessons with him” (JB, interview). While these participants deliberately sought Sancan as
their teacher, others (n=4) were unaware of Sancan’s reputation as a teacher, typically
explaining that they personally were too young at the time (n=2) or met Sancan when
they arrived in Nice or Paris for their piano studies (n=2).

100%
90%
80%
70%
Percentage

60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Teacher Composer Performer
No 4 9 10
Yes 16 11 10

Figure 5.4: Were Sancan’s students themselves aware of his reputation as a teacher, composer
and performer prior to their studies with him?

A smaller proportion of the participants were aware of Sancan’s composing (55%) and
performing (50%) activities. During the 1970s, Sancan immersed himself in teaching both

97
Original quote: Il était considéré comme le plus grand Maître du Conservatoire Supérieur de
Paris, tout le monde voulait entrer dans sa classe.
98
Original quote: La réputation de Pierre Sancan était à son apogée. Beaucoup de jeunes
pianistes français et étrangers cherchaient à travailler avec lui au CNSMDP ou en privé.
91
at the Paris Conservatoire and privately, devoting less time to concurrent activities such
as performing and composing: this corresponds with a decreasing number of
compositions after 1970, as shown in Table S1. The shift of emphasis was noted by his
students, with EN reporting that “when I finally became his student he was no longer
performing”. TH stated that “il se consacre beaucoup plus à la pédagogie” (he devoted
much more time to pedagogy) (S2 Q1) while JPC recalled that “he quickly gave up
[performing] in favour of his pedagogical career that invaded him from head to toe!”99
(JPC, S2 Q17). The shift was confirmed by Sancan himself in his 1974 interview with
Bouillot, as described in Chapter 4.4. It is interesting to note that although half of the
participants reported that they were not familiar with Sancan’s compositions, 25% of
them were aware of Sancan’s success as a Prix de Rome winner and noted this
achievement in their responses. Some students became aware of Sancan’s compositions
only during their studies with Sancan. TH, for example, stated that “I knew his music
later, once I entered the CNSMDP”100 (TH, S2 Q1). Similarly, CB “discovered a few
compositions of Sancan” (CB, S2 Q1) after he became Sancan’s student. It seems that
Sancan did not directly promote his own works to his students, as EN recalled: “since he
never suggested [the] playing of his own compositions I did not know of them when
studying with him” (EN, S2 Q1). This experience was shared with other students,
suggesting something of Sancan’s attitude towards his own works:

He never talked about his pieces or encouraged us to play them. I know of them
but never played them. He composed his own cadenza for Mozart’s piano
concerto. He gave it to me when I played the piece, but he never said I had to
play it. It was just to have a choice. (KH, interview)

When I offered to practise his concerto, he modestly replied there were many
more works worthy to be played first. I never gave up on this. (JPC, interview)

I didn’t know his pieces, not at all. Strangely enough, he never mentioned any
of his own compositions. I discovered his music much later. It is something
now that I totally regret. I would have loved to have studied his piano concerto.
Maybe there were others that were cleverer than me, but he never mentioned
his own pieces. (JB, interview)

99
Original quote: Il a vite abandonné au profit de sa carrière de pédagogue qui l'envahissait de
la tête aux pieds !
100
Original quote: J'ai connu sa musique plus tardivement, une fois entré au CNSM de Paris.
92
When the participants were asked whether Sancan viewed himself primarily as a
composer, performer, teacher or equal in all three, 70% of students responded that Sancan
was equal in all, as shown in Figure 5.5. From the four participants who identified
teaching as Sancan’s primary vocation, three of them had studied with Sancan only
briefly, for up to 1 year, and all four were students of Sancan after the mid-1970s. Their
responses may therefore be linked to the period in which Sancan withdrew from
performing and composing. This explanation undoubtedly contributed to the lower
response rate (75%) in Section 3 of the survey, which addressed Sancan’s compositions.
Commenting on Sancan’s broad and varied musical career, OG suggested that “he was
probably too talented and did not go to the depths of his possibilities and talent as a
composer”101 (S3 Q11). JB also noted that Sancan was “all three” – composer, performer
and teacher – at the beginning of the 1950s: “You can see how successful he was when
you see his interviews and people speaking about him on the radio as one of the most
gifted musicians of his generation in France” (JB, interview).

Not sure Teacher

10% 20%

Equal as a pianist,
composer and teacher
70%

Figure 5.5: Sancan as a composer, performer and teacher, as viewed by his students.

101
Original quote: Il etait sans doute trop doué et n'est pas aller au fond de ses possibilités et
talent en tant que compositeur.

93
Among the participants who were aware of Sancan’s compositions, many recalled that
his works were well-known. JA noted that “his works published by Durand [such as the]
Sonatine for flute and piano and Toccata for piano are very well known.”102 In addition,
JB stated that in “every orchestra I play with – 40 orchestras worldwide – [in] 95% of the
cases, the flautist knows Sancan’s Sonatine, whether it’s [in] Japan, America, Norway,
France, Italy” (JB interview). The popularity of these two pieces is reflected in survey
responses concerning Sancan's composition most studied by the participants and taught
to their respective students, shown in Figure 5.6. Toccata also “topped the chart” as the
most performed or recorded piece among Sancan’s compositions, with the Sonatine a
close second. These results may be biased towards the piano repertoire, of course, as the
participants were primarily pianists. The frequency and popularity of Sancan’s other
instrumental and chamber compositions might have been higher if the survey had sought
the perspectives of woodwind, brass or string instrumentalists. Despite this, the popularity
of the Toccata and Sonatine for flute and piano among the participants reflects the opinion
of the broader musical community, as discussed in Chapter 3.3. CB describes these works
as “outstanding compositions, well-crafted and challenging. Musically satisfying” (CB,
S3 Q5).

The solo piano works reported to be most studied were Toccata, followed by Mouvement
and Boîte à musique, in equal second place. One explanation for the frequency in which
these pieces are studied is that Toccata, Mouvement, and selected pieces from Pieces
enfantines are among the pieces used for audition and examination repertoire, as noted in
Chapter 4.3. Boîte à musique is the second most frequently performed piece and is the
most commonly recorded solo piano work of Sancan, as shown in Table 4.1.

Original quote: ses œuvres publiées chez Durand, la Sonatine pour flûte et piano et la Toccata
102

pour piano étant très connues.

94
 10
Studied
9
Performed/Recorded
8
Taught
7
No. of Participants

6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Piano compositions Other instrumental compositions

Figure 5.6: Compositions of Sancan that were studied, performed or recorded, and taught by his
students. (f = flute, p = piano, v = voice, o = oboe, c = cello, cl = clarinet, t = trumpet, sax =
saxophone, h = horn)

In interview settings, which offered the opportunity for further questions, KH and JB
discussed issues related to the popularity of Sancan’s compositions:

Sancan’s pieces are very well written. He knew his metier. He had a certain
amount of imagination, but he was not a genius when it comes to composing.
But we have a rule at the school [Universität der Künste Berlin] that they have
to play something contemporary in their exam, and they come up with stuff
composed 5 years ago in Russia. That is ridiculous and totally beside the point.
It would be much better to play a piece by Sancan because it stands for
something precise. He had an idea about aesthetics, what he wanted. In that
sense, it was very good. But, there are so many pieces that you could also play.
(KH interview)

95
 First, there are not so many [pieces by Sancan]. And basically, musicians’ lack
of curiosity. If the musician lacks curiosity, you can imagine the public’s lack
of curiosity. The fact that he stopped composing is also a factor. He was a very
inspired composer, certainly not avant-garde, but in the style of beautiful post-
Ravelian tradition. He sits between Ravel and Dutilleux. (JB, interview)

KH’s assertion that Sancan’s compositions represented “something precise” is worth

noting, even if it was not clearly explained. When the participants were asked whether
the status of Sancan’s compositions had changed since his death (S3 Q8), CC recognised
that Sancan’s works had become largely “neglected outside the flute sonata” and MF
noted that “perhaps the Sonatine was the only work which acquired resonance among
musicians.” Sancan’s catalogue of works are “encore trop méconnue, en general” (still
too little known in general) (MG, S3 Q8). Interestingly, MP recalled Sancan’s
compositions having been “était beaucoup joué dans les années 60-70” (played a lot in
the 60s and 70s) (MP S3 Q8), coinciding with his own studies with Sancan from 1963 to
1970. Irrespective of their prior status, there was a general consensus that Sancan’s works
“elles mériteraient d’être plus jouées” (deserve to be played more) (OG S3 Q8) and are
“sûrement pas assez présente !” (surely not [played] enough at present!) (OC S3 Q8)

When the participants were asked whether there were any particular piano works by
Sancan that deserved to be performed more often, 86% of the responses listed the
Concerto for piano, as shown in Figure 5.7. It may be recalled that Sancan began working
on this piece during his Prix de Rome residency at Villa Médicis, as discussed in Chapter
4.3. JB maintained that “everybody who hears his piano concerto would enjoy it
tremendously” (JB interview). Other pieces featured in Figure 5.7 include Toccata,
Mouvement, Caprice romantique and Boîte à musique, all regarded as compositions
worthy of more exposure.

96
 100
90
80
70
Percentage (%)

60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Toccata Mouvement Caprice Boîte à Piano Sonata (cello Rhapsode
Romantique musique Concerto and piano) (trumpet and
piano)

Figure 5.7: Apart from Sonatine for flute and piano, which pianoforte works of Sancan should
be performed more often?

The compositions represented in Figures 5.6 and 5.7 vary in difficulty, from the simple
to the “fiendishly difficult” (CB, S3 Q7). Since Sancan was spending much of his time
teaching, CC hinted that Sancan’s composition style was influenced by “Ravel, Roussel,
a bit of jazz, humour and pedagogical goals” (S3 Q6), which may explain the broad
degrees of difficulty in his piano compositions. This was also supported by ML’s
comment that Sancan’s “écriture toujours pianistiquement adaptée au niveau ciblé”
(writing [was] always pianistically adapted to the targeted level). Thus, Sancan’s major
works such as the Concerto for piano and showpieces like Toccata and Mouvement would
appeal to advanced pianists, while his Pièces enfantines aimed towards younger students
are suitable as teaching material. This is supported by the data shown in Figure 5.6 in that
Pièces enfantines was commonly taught by the participants to their own students.

When the participants were asked to describe the major influences on Sancan’s
composing style (S3 Q5), Ravel and Debussy were the most popular responses at 93%
and 50%, respectively, as shown in Figure 5.8. Sancan’s compositions were characterised
as being in the French style and “dans le droit fil de la tradition française” (in keeping
with the French tradition) (YH, S3 Q5). The French style was associated with “élégance”
(elegance) (OG, S3 Q5) and “harmony in line with Ravel with a pronounced taste for

97
poetic virtuosity”103 (TH, S3 Q5). These perceptions have some resonance with early
critiques of Sancan’s work as discussed in Chapter 4.3.

The perceived influences shown in Figure 5.8 substantiate the idea that Sancan was not
only inspired by nineteenth- and twentieth-century French composers but also by Mozart,
Prokofiev and Gershwin. This breadth is further supported by JA’s comment that
Sancan’s style was “inherited from the great French masters, [but] integrated with
unexpected combinations”104 (JA, S3 Q5).

100
90
80
Percentage (%)

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Figure 5.8: What/who are the major influences in Sancan's composing style?

Interestingly, harmony and counterpoint were mentioned by two participants as

significant features of Sancan’s compositions. In the remark quoted below, “in force”
suggests a respect for values that were related to the institution perhaps more than the
musical world beyond it:

103
Original quote: Une harmonie en ligne de Ravel, avec un goût prononcé pour une virtuosité
poétique.
104
Original quote: Un style hérité des grands maîtres français pouvant intégrer des combinaisons
inattendues.

98
 Respectful of the compositional values in force at the time (counterpoint,
harmony...), constant rhythmic interest, writing always pianistically, adapted to
the targeted level, always with audacity, small melodico-harmonic
provocations, and tenderness! (ML, S3 Q5)105

CC was still more explicit in positioning Sancan’s approach in terms of the past:

Late Ravel School, laced with demanding and rigorous composition/harmony

/counterpoint/analysis [as taught by the] faculty at the Paris Conservatoire. (CC,
S3 Q5)

In addition to the influences of Ravel and the French tradition, participants recalled that
his style featured jazz elements, with an injection of humour, highly reflective of Sancan’s
own personality. OC recalled the positive reception of Sancan’s works and the inspiration
behind Dusting in particular:

Critics of his Piano Concerto said there was nothing so successful since Ravel's!
He made multitudes of small pieces that are real little jewels. The Music Box,
Dusting. There's an anecdote on this piece: one day he goes to his studio and
there was always a maid who was cleaning this room and she dusted the piano.
“It's very pretty what you play there!” said Sancan, and he put himself on a
corner of the piano, and here, this piece was born!” (OC, S2 Q1)106

To obtain a sense of how Sancan may have intended his pieces to be played, the
participants were asked to provide suggestions for pianists performing Sancan’s
compositions (S3 Q4). Below is a summary of their suggestions:

1. Take into account the obvious influence of the French repertoire. It is very poetic
music with the language and expression close to the music of Ravel. His music
has poetry and humour.

105
Original quote: Respectueux des valeurs compositionnelles en vigueur à son époque (harmonie
contrepoint...), un intérêt rythmique constant, une écriture toujours pianistiquement adaptée au
niveau ciblé, avec toujours de la malice, de l'audace, de petites provocations mélodico-
harmoniques, et de la tendresse!
106
Original quote: Les critiques sur son Concerto pour piano ont dit qu'il n'y avait rien d'aussi
réussi depuis celui de Ravel ! Il a fait multitudes de petites pièces qui sont de véritables petits
bijoux. La boîte à Musique, Dusting. Il y a une anecdote sur ce morceau ; un jour, il va dans son
studio et il y avait toujours une femme de ménage qui nettoyait cette pièce et elle se met à
épousseter son piano. Il lui dit mais c'est très joli ce que vous jouez là ! et il s'est mis sur un coin
du piano, et voilà, cette pièce était née !
99
 2. Follow the directions: his notation is always clear. A sense of detail is essential.
3. Justice must be done to the tone. Care in the production of the sound is paramount.
4. Refined pedal, clarity, and a sound balance of the voices are all crucial.
5. Do not fear good-quality lyricism but avoid sinking into the sentimental. Do not
play with too much freedom or too much rubato.
6. Listen to where the notes go, and let yourself go. The music is already superb!

5.3 Sancan’s Multi-Faceted Career

The survey and interview participants often had a good deal to say about the connections
among composing, performing and teaching that enhanced Sancan’s approach to all of
them:

People who compose themselves have better insight into the structure of the
pieces. (KH, interview)

He often insisted on the "orchestration" of a work, by inciting us to imagine the

best instrument for this or that passage. (MG, S2 Q5)107

He had a rich approach to piano sound and considered a piano piece as an

orchestral piece. He was one of the very first piano pedagogues (at least in
France), to speak of the piano – here you should imitate the flute, or here imitate
the cello, or pizzicato of the bass. We are used to it now in any piano class, but
at the time, it was new. He could do that because of his training as a composer,
orchestrator and conductor. His pieces for orchestra are always extremely well
orchestrated and he studied orchestration with Henri Büsser (who knew Debussy
well) so his piano lessons were incredibly rich on every level. That’s why his
lessons were so incomparable. They were not a lesson of a great pianist or great
professor, it was a lesson with a great composer who was also a great pianist.
His analysis of harmony and of voices were of the highest level because of his
training as a composer. (JB, interview)

107
Original quote: Il insistait souvent sur « l’orchestration » d'une œuvre, en nous incitant �
imaginer le meilleur instrument pour tel ou tel passage.
100
In keeping with the biographical study (Chapter 4) which suggested that his performance
and pedagogical approach were influenced by factors beyond the French tradition, the
participants were asked whether they had knowledge of any teachers, pianists or national
traditions that influenced Sancan. Figure 5.9 shows that the majority of the responses
(n=8) listed Yves Nat together with the Russian piano school as influences in shaping
Sancan’s technique. Some responses referred to these separately, or to a combination of
Yves Nat, the Russian piano school and the French piano school. The French school was
mentioned in connection with Nat, but never in its own right. A number of prominent
Russian pianists were also identified by the participants as key influential figures,
specifically Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997, n=5), Heinrich Neuhaus (1888-1964, n=3),
Emil Gilels (1916-1985, n=3), Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989, n=1), and Arthur
Rubinstein (1887-1982, n=1). A typical description came from TH:

He [referred] to the Russian school. In particular, he described how he would

listen to Richter in Pleyel Hall, [playing] slowly, with a beautiful sound,
repeating each note to perfection. But the reference that came up most often
was his master Yves Nat. On the other hand, he did not think much of the
French school as it was oriented towards digitality. (TH, S2 Q8)108

In contrast, and perhaps as a result of the change in influences that Sancan assimilated,
JC asserted that Sancan’s approach was unique, and continually evolving:

He taught a pedagogy of his own, obviously influenced by Nat but he spent

much of his life thinking about his students. (JC, S2 Q9)109

The influence of the Russian school was a strong theme among participant responses. MP
reported that Sancan “admirait” (admired) the school (MP, S2 Q8), and that he questioned
aspects of French technique, becoming more receptive to the approach adopted by the
Russians. MP also asserted that Sancan’s flexible attitude was not warmly received by
other professors at the Paris Conservatoire, and that “il était souvent critiqué jalousé par

108
Original quote: Il faisait référence à l'Ecole russe. En particulier, il décrivait comment il allait
écouter Richter travailler Salle Pleyel, lentement, avec un beau son, en répétant chaque note
jusqu'à la perfection. Mais la référence qui revenait le plus souvent était son maître Yves Nat. En
revanche, il ne pensait pas beaucoup de bien d'une certaine partie de l'école française orientée
vers la digitalité.
109
Original quote: Il a enseigné une pédagogie qui lui était propre, évidemment influencé par Nat
mais sur laquelle il a passé une grande partie de sa vie à réfléchir auprès de ses élèves.
101
ses collègues” (he was often criticized jealously by his colleagues) (MP, S2 Q8) – perhaps
reflecting the mindset that allowed the French piano school to be preserved for so long.

French piano
school (0)

Both

All 3 (1)

(3)

Russian piano
Yves Nat Both
school
(3) (8)
(2)

Figure 5.9: Which teachers/pianists/national tradition was Sancan influenced by?

Sancan’s dissatisfaction with traditional approaches seems to have arisen alongside or

even before his engagement with Russian alternatives, with CC commenting on the
breadth of Sancan’s research:

Prior to my studies, he totally revised his own technique which he felt was not
adequate. He read and studied intensively numerous books in English on the
hand physiology, its muscles. He had an amazing knowledge of what goes with
the best, optimal use of muscles, with minimal waste of energy. He was
definitely influenced by the French school, but added the emerging teaching
of the Russian school after the great pianists (Gilels, Richter etc...) started to
be invited to the West. Sancan had a private studio at Salle Pleyel, and he
would sneak out, hide and listen to Richter practise his programme. (CC, S2
Q8 and 9)

102
According to OC, Jacques Sancan, the younger brother of Pierre who specialised in
Russian literature, was active in providing him with books used by Russian teachers from
Moscow. These books contained “exercises on octaves, double notes, etc.”110 (OC, S2
Q8). JC also mentioned “a whole catalogue of virtuosity exercises that he gave to his
students”111 (JC, S2 Q17) and CC alluded to a “meticulous technical regime” for which
Sancan “devised a 2 hour regimen of daily exercises inspired by the Russian school” (CC,
S2 Q5).

As mentioned by CC above, Sancan’s interest in anatomy and physiology also informed

his piano technique: 40% of the participants linked a knowledge of anatomy to Sancan’s
pedagogical method, and it was suggested that his wife’s medical background may have
contributed to Sancan’s interest:

He often shared with us the results of his experiments on the muscular studies
he had conducted with his wife, [a] doctor, to determine an optimized use of
muscles and joints and in an ideal postural attitude. (ML, S2 Q9)112

TH too was confident that sound physiological principles underlay Sancan’s approach to
technique, describing a “scientifique et toujours connectée” (scientific and always
connected) means of sound production, “using the proper limb portion (finger, wrist, arm)
and moving it smoothly and harmoniously”113 (TH, S2 Q5).

Along with their assertions about Sancan drawing on a range of influences to develop
“une technique efficace qui lui était proper” (an effective technique of his own) (DC, S2
Q17), the participants often noted that Sancan’s students were equipped to perform
repertoire that had appeared, previously, to be beyond the grasp of French pianists:

As a piano pedagogue, his students were the very first French pianists able to master
the big modern and romantic concertos of Prokofiev, Bartok, Rachmaninov and
Tchaikovsky. That was not the usual repertoire of French pianists. For good reason,

110
Original quote: Moscou des cahiers d'exercices que les professeurs russes donnaient à leurs
élèves , sur les octaves, double notes, etc.
111
Original quote: tout un catalogue d'exercices de virtuosité qu'il donnait à ses élèves.
112
Original quote: Il nous faisait souvent part des conclusions de ses expériences sur les études
musculaires qu'il avait menées avec son épouse, médecin, pour déterminer un usage optimisé des
muscles et articulations et dans une attitude posturale idéale.
113
Original quote: utilisant la portion de membre adéquate (doigt, poignet, bras) et en le mettant
en mouvement de manière souple et harmonieuse.
103
 they could not play it. They did not have the technique for it. Sancan, analyzing
profoundly and rationally (that was a word he always used) the piano technique as
such, and observing Russian pianists, he developed the kind of pianistic approach
and applied this to his students. For example, Jean Bernard Pommier was the very
first French pianist able to play Bartok’s second concerto; Michel Béroff was the
very first French pianist to play all the Prokofiev concertos; Jean Philippe Collard
played the Tchaikovsky concerto through the technique of Sancan; and so on. By
taking piano playing as a whole, considering the entire body, use of arm, back and
legs even, position of the elbows, and so on and so forth, Sancan developed and
trained pianists able to produce loud sound and physical stamina. (JB, interview)

Sancan was also open-minded and supportive of his student’s own choice of repertoire. JB
recalled that this was in stark contrast to other teachers at the Paris Conservatoire:

For this generation of musicians [in the 1970s and 1980s], Bartok’s third concerto
was hearable, but the first and second were music of no interest at all. Musicians
were very narrow-minded. They were not blind, but could not consider other music.
Sancan was completely different and open-minded. When I told him that I was
listening to the music of Pierre Boulez he respected that very much. He admitted
he never really understood the music of Messiaen or Boulez but totally understood
the interest of it and said, “You should play this music: this is the music of your
generation.” That was a very healthy attitude. (JB interview)

With regard to technical issues that should be avoided, Sancan cautioned his students
about the dangers of hand injuries such as tendinitis. Raising awareness about the
effective use of “gestures” was listed by 30% of participants as being one of the most
important things they learned from Sancan. DC recalled that she learned to avoid “gestes
nuisibles” (harmful gestures) while discovering “le geste qui produit le son que l'on
cherche” (gestures that produce the sound that one seeks” (DC, S2 Q5). Similarly, EN
remembered Sancan encouraging him to focus on sound production, “rationalising the
gestures towards the musical aim rather than making the hands imitate choreography or
translate the musical emotion” (EN, S2 Q7). Since different pianists often require a
different approach or solution when tackling a difficult passage, Sancan would often find
great satisfaction when he was on “recherche du geste juste” (the search of the right
gesture) to find “une solution pianistique adaptée à chaque élève” (a pianistic solution
adapted to each pupil) (OG, S2 Q6).

104
In keeping with the effective use of gestures, ML noted that he was “made aware of all
that I could do [that was] ineffective or useless during my warmup. That made immediate
progress for me!”114 (ML, S2 Q5). The need to avoid unnecessary movement and of
misalignment of the arm, were further mentioned by CJ:

Every student uses so [many] unneeded movements that are in the way of
creating music. Sancan's basics were strong and immutable: always sit at the
same height, always use your arm at the same angle at any octave, etc. (CJ, S2
Q11)

Sancan was also concerned with the use of weight and relaxation in piano playing, with
“le transfert de poids” (transfer of weight) (JA, S2 Q8) and “la technique des « vibrations
» et de la « rotation »” (the technique of vibrations and rotation) (MG, S2 Q9) identified
as techniques characteristic of Sancan’s teaching. The use of weight was mentioned by
60% of participants. CJ explained that “the weight technique” involved “the relationship
between the relaxation of your arms and the weight applied on the keyboard – the
retraction – the force of retracting a finger used by the next finger depressing a key” (CJ,
S2 Q9). MG recalled a memorable demonstration – “an experiment to illustrate the natural
weight of the arm and how to use it on the piano, in which it almost broke the piano
keyboard by letting the arm fall”115 (MG, S2 Q5).

Another exercise discussed by a number of participants was described as exercises de

tenues, an exercise developed to “liberate the muscles” and “make them independent from
the rest” (KH, interview). Sancan encouraged his students to practise them to “perfectly
control the intimate movement of each finger (trajectory, timing and sensation)”116 (TH,
S2 Q7). A more detailed explanation is described below by KH:

He started with the most natural hand position (thumb on E). Don’t press the
key down or hold it down, but lightly touch the surface of the key. When one
finger does something, the other fingers aren’t allowed to press the keys down

114
Original quote: à me faire prendre conscience de tout ce que j'avais pu faire d'inefficace ou
inutile pendant ma "chauffe". Que de progrès immédiats pour moi!
115
Original quote: une expérience pour illustrer le poids naturel du bras et la manière de l’utiliser
au piano, au cours de laquelle il avait presque cassé le pupitre du piano en laissant retomber
dessus son bras.
116
Original quote: contrôler parfaitement le mouvement intime de chaque doigt (trajectoire,
timing, sensation)
105
 or lift them. It is an extremely efficient tool to develop your fingers in a sensitive
way. (KH, interview)

Although there was an emphasis on the interdependency of fingers, it was highlighted

that the pianist should also have “grande souplesse du poignet” (great flexibility of the
wrist) (MP, S2 Q9), supported by “a solid palm, relaxed arms and shoulders” (EN, S2
Q9).

The participants also commented on Sancan’s approach to problem-solving, and

particularly his “le choix méticuleux des doigtés” (meticulous choice of fingering) (JA,
S2 Q8) that was “hérité de son maître Yves Nat” (inherited from his master, Yves Nat)
(JA, S2 Q5), which was often useful in solving difficult passages. CC recalled Sancan’s
“clever, inventive fingering” (CC, S2 Q10) which was “a mix of logic, simplicity and
clever hand arrangements in problematic passages” (CC, S2 Q5). This is further detailed
by JB:

His fingering was legendary. I remember the first lesson, when he put fingering
on Scarbo by Ravel, it was revelatory! He had a very rational approach to piano
playing. Therefore, fingering was crucial and the ergonomic and the shape of
your hands was important. His fingering was marvellous, intelligent, clever and
practical. (JB, interview)

A broad overview of the positioning of the whole body was important, such as the “proper
position of fingers, hands, wrists, arms and shoulders for different passages” (CC, S2 Q7).
OC too described Sancan’s approach in holistic terms: “technically, it gave us the means
to think about how to approach the piano in relation to the body and the instrument, the
actions used when we play, the best performance for the least possible effort”117 (OC, S2
Q10).

In several cases, participants identified procedures that seemed counterintuitive:

The basis of his teaching [was] thinking "up" instead of "down". [Just] as you
would teach a man to run better, asking him to think of lifting his legs as opposed

117
Original quote: techniquement, ça nous a donné les moyens de réfléchir suer la manière
d'aborder le piano par rapport au corps et à l'instrument, les gestes que nous faisons pour jouer,
le meilleur rendement pour le moins d'effort possible
106
 to thinking of them going down. That kind of counter-intuitive thought always
seems to help enormously. (CJ, S2 Q10)

A fast line must always be worked "like a nocturne of Chopin", to catch the
inflections and so that it does not become sterile when played at tempo. (TH, S2
Q5)118

Another common motif raised by the participants was that Sancan insisted that his
students be observant of the style and context of a piece. Thus, CC described the
“development of interpretative aspects associated with expression and style” (CC, S2
Q11), though he attributed this to all of his teachers:

My teachers shaped part of my pianistic style, to a great extent. Studies and

research on every piece, style, history and every composer I performed, as a
constant source of knowledge, help me a lot to nourish my performance and
build my personality up. (CC, S2 Q12)

DC, similarly, asserted that a “real musician is at the service of the composer and does
not use the composer! Be faithful to the text first and the rest will be given to you”119
(DC, S2 Q7). KH also commented on the importance of “loyal” interpretations, linking
this specifically to Sancan: “He was very fussy about style, stylistically pure, very loyal
not only to the text but also the context, which is more important, I think: we live in times,
where it all gets lost” (KH interview). EN emphasised the need for pianists to analyse the
score with “grammatical musical awareness of a given composer’s language, not reciting
but story retelling” (S2 Q11). For JB, Sancan was able to combine instinct with a strong
sense of style:

On the purely muscular point of view, considering the piano as an orchestra, and
of course, stylistically, he had a marvellous instinct. He made you understand
the difference that you don’t play Beethoven like Haydn, you don’t play Chopin
like Schumann. There were subtle differences that we all benefited from. (JB,
interview)

118
Original quote: un trait rapide doit toujours être travaillé « comme un nocturne de Chopin »,
pour en saisir les inflexions et afin qu'il ne devienne pas stérile lorsqu'on le joue au tempo.
119
Original quote: Le vrai musicien est au service du compositeur et ne se sert pas du compositeur
! Soyez d'abord fidèle au texte et le reste vous sera donné de surcroît.
107
At the same time, individuality was also considered important to Sancan as a teacher.
MC recalled that “He nurtured my individuality” and stressed that “he didn’t want me to
play like him!” (MC, S2 Q10). Sancan didn’t particularly teach his taste but wanted his
students to become “autonomes” (autonomous) (OG S3 Q11). JB described this as one
of the “trademarks” of Sancan’s class:

You could see that when you heard the concerts of his students one after another-
none of us played the same way. As a real pedagogue, he could give you the
keys to realise yourself [rather than] imposing a vision of a way of playing. That
was remarkable. You had the impression that all his advice was there for you to
realise yourself. (JB, interview)

Whilst encouraging his students to embrace their individuality, Sancan regarded his role
as a guiding one, so that the pianist could become independent. MP agreed with Sancan’s
approach, declaring that “the student must be his own teacher [and] the teacher is there
to give the roadmap”120 (S2 Q10). KH and JB made similar comments:

He would have agreed to it immediately if I had said that I’d developed my own
[way]. That I really owe to him. [With] the teacher I had before, I couldn’t say
that much remained of his teaching… How I deal with [technique and style]
practically, as a teacher and a performer – that was very much founded by
Sancan. (KH, S2 Q9 and 10)

You make progress only when you start to become your own teacher. Only when
you realise what your weaknesses are and how to correct them yourself as your
own teacher. It was Sancan who gave me that. Suddenly you are conscious about
what you are doing. In other terms, you develop from a childhood pianist and
become an adult pianist. (JB, interview)

The use of ‘logic’ to fix or solve problems was mentioned by 30% of the participants.
Several examples follow:

He would always refer to logic to fix any problem (finding the simple basis
missing that [would] solve my problem). Logic would show you that it is
possible and thus create a link in your brain allowing you to fix anything. His

120
Original quote: l'élève doit être son propre maître et que le professeur est là pour donner la
feuille de route.
108
 comparisons and practising approach were going to the core of "simpl[icity]":
"how would you sing this if you were a singer?" "When you play, do not mix
what you hear and what you think you hear" etc. (CJ, S2 Q6 and Q7)

How does the piano technique work? Everything is logical. Just ask the right
question and find the solution to the problem. (DC, S2 Q7)121

Technique, if you look at it rationally, is nothing enigmatic, most of it you can

explain, you can see, and say do this and that and it gets better. So that was a
real, not shock, but a relief that I could really find ways and develop tools on
how to solve my technical problems. He would say, “Let me see!” Looking at
someone play the piano, you can find ways to solve the problem. I think that’s
what makes a really great teacher. To give the student ideas on how to deal with
problems. He was very good at that. (KH, S2 Q6)

[Sancan recommended] concentrated work and thought, without compromise.

He always told us that after 30 minutes of such work we must be tired and feel
the need to breathe. He waged a war against those students who accumulated
the hours without knowing why or correcting any fundamental content, [relying
on] a repetitive and mechanical hope for progress. (ML, S2 Q7)122

The way Sancan customised his lessons according to the needs of each individual student
was mentioned by several participants. For example, PA noted that “each pupil was
differentiated. He gave his lesson and his advice in direct relation with the personality of
the pupil. It's pretty rare”123 (PA, S2 Q6).

Sancan’s unique qualities may have been particularly evident to the senior students who
began to study with him only after being awarded the Premier Prix. Unsurprisingly, such
students had to “refonte” (recast) (JPC, S2 Q5) and “réfléchir” (reflect) (YH, S2 Q5) on
their piano technique. JPC elaborated further:

121
Original quote: Comment fonctionne la technique pianistique ? Tout est logique. Il suffit de se
poser la bonne question et l'on trouvera la solution au problème.
122
Original quote: Le travail concentré et réfléchi sans concessions. Il nous disait toujours qu'au
bout de 30 mn de ce travail nous devions être fatigués et ressentir le besoin de s'aérer. Il faisait
la guerre à ces étudiants qui enchainent les heures sans savoir pourquoi ni rien corriger de
fondamental se contentant d'un aspect répétitif et mécanique pour espérer des progrès.
123
Original quote: Chaque élève était différencié, il donnait sa leçon et ses conseils en relation
directe avec la personnalité de l'élève. C'est assez rare.
109
 At that time, I was probably at a [certain] level and able to fool some people,
but my technique was somehow superficial. I then relearned everything. It was
rather a bitter process but efficient and my master [Sancan] always supported
me with affection and eagerness. (JPC, interview)

Similarly, after successfully obtaining the Premier Prix studying under another professor
at the conservatoire, JB furthered his piano studies with Sancan – as explained below:

His approach to piano teaching was vast and rich. One lesson he would
concentrate on the art of pedalling. For me, before him, pedal was just on or
off. With Sancan, I realized that there is a myriad of nuances of how deep to
push the pedal, how to make the dampers closer to the string, or full; and
depending on the distance between the dampers and the string, the volume also
changes. (JB, interview)

Sancan not only attracted advanced students from the Paris Conservatoire, but from
abroad. OC noted that “pianists from all over the world, some of them great, experienced
pianists already in their careers”124 played in Sancan’s public masterclasses (S2 Q5).

Many of the participants (70%) reported that they had the opportunity to hear Sancan
perform. The quality of sound in Sancan’s piano performance was evidently one of the
most noteworthy attributes in his playing, which was depicted as being “very refined…
with incredible power and a round sound, without harshness”125 (OC, S2 Q17); it featured
“purity of aesthetics and musical line and quality of sound, with very subtle pedalling”126
(OG, S2 Q17). Sancan’s attention to sound quality, legato and pedalling are described
below in more detail:

In addition to sound quality, extreme musicality, clarity of execution, [and]

perfect technique, he had a very wide range of sound, ranging from pianissimo

124
Original quote: Des pianistes de tous pays, certaines fois des grands pianistes confirmés
faisant déjà carrière, jouaient.
125
Original quote : souple et délicieusement subtile… une puissance inouïe et un son rond jamais
brutal
126
Original quote: pureté de l’esthétique et ligne musicale et qualité du son , jeu de pedales très
subtile

110
 the most subtle orchestral fortissimo, but never hard. A great stylistic rigor was
combined with a rare depth of expression. (MG, S2 Q17)127

[In demonstrating for the class] he settled down, to show the example on the
second piano of the class (which no student wanted because it was mediocre)
and drew incredible sounds [from it,] especially in legato! (ML, S2 Q17)128

He often [spoke] about playing on stages in his youth where the piano would be
brought up for the concert missing the pedals after transport. He claimed having
played a full performance without pedals, and being commended by a reviewer
for having asked to have them dismantled in order to avoid the temptation of
overusing them. (EN, S3 Q11)

This reminder about Sancan’s sense of humour helps to highlight the keen sense of
warmth and appreciation that the participants felt for their “master”, enhancing their
articulate accounts of his piano technique and approach to teaching.

5.4 Relationship between Sancan and his Students

Although the schedule of questions did not ask about them, many of the participants
volunteered personal sentiments about Sancan. The affective aspects of their responses
are of particular interest for the light they shed on the relationships Sancan had with his
students.

Sancan’s personality was highlighted as one of his most memorable features. The most
prominent characteristic remembered by the participants was his sense of humour, which
he used to set up the “perfect relaxed ambiance for his classes” (CJ, S2 Q5):

127
Original quote: En plus des aspects déjà référés (qualité du son, extrême musicalité, clarté de
l'exécution, technique parfaite), il avait une très ample palette sonore, allant du pianissimo le
plus subtil au fortissimo orchestral, mais jamais dur. Une grande rigueur stylistique s’alliait �
une rare profondeur d’expression.
128
Original quote: il s'installait, pour montrer l'exemple sur le 2ème piano de la classe (qu'aucun
élève ne voulait, car médiocre) et en tirait des sonorités incroyables notamment dans le legato !

111
 His sense of humour was incredible. After giving 10 hours of lessons, he liked to
be surrounded by his students, have a drink on a terrace and tell them funny stories
... truthful or invented from scratch. He was a great comedian. (DC, S2 Q6)129

He was the master of the masterclass. That combined three of his most remarkable
qualities – first, he was a real pedagogue, second, he was a communicator, [and
third] he was extremely funny. The masterclass was a complete show for the
public. He could make people laugh and for the student, it created a very nice
atmosphere. (JB, interview)

Sancan could also use humour to illustrate a particular point (MG, S2 Q5). “He had a way
of saying things that left no room for doubt, but never in a vexing way. Always with a
dose of humour”130 (TH, S2 Q6). OC provided an example:

Besides all the admiration we had for him, the aspect we loved was his humour.
For example, once I had not worked at all during the week and I was very scared!
I play, and I'm not doing too badly! Pierre Sancan begins to compliment me very
warmly in front of all, I'm thrilled! When I am about to replay for the course, he
ends with this sentence: "Really what you did was beautiful .... for sight-reading"!
It was Sancan! He saw everything, he heard everything, he understood
everything! Nothing escaped him! (OC, S2 Q6)131

Presumably, OC had a good deal of trust for Sancan, if he took this comment as a good-
natured nudge rather than sarcasm. CC, perhaps similarly, accepted criticism as
encouragement:

I am so lucky he accepted me as his student. During one lesson, Sancan knew right
away my lack of practice, and he started looking outside the window while
whistling. He knew I didn't practise and didn't say a word of anger. BUT, that

129
Original quote: Son sens de l'humour inénarrable . Après avoir donné 10 heures de cours, il
aimait être entouré de ses élèves, prendre un verre à une terrasse et leur raconter des histoires
drôles ...véridiques ou inventées de toutes pièces. Il était un grand comédien.
130
Original quote: Il avait une manière de dire les choses qui ne laissait pas de place au doute,
mais jamais de manière vexante. Toujours avec une dose d'humour.
131
Original quote: Outre toute l'admiration qu'on lui portait, l'aspect que nous adorions était son
humour. Par exemple, une fois je n'avais pas du tout travaillé de la semaine et j'avais très peur !
Je joue, et je ne m'en sors pas trop mal ! Pierre Sancan commence alors à me complimenter très
chaleureusement devant tous, je suis aux anges, moi qui avais si peur et je me dis en moi-même,
j'ai eu chaud mais j'ai assuré ! Alors que je m'apprête à rejouer pour le cours, il termine par cette
phrase : "vraiment ce que tu as fait est magnifique …pour du déchiffrage" ! C'était Sancan ! Il
voyait tout, il entendait tout, il comprenait tout ! rien ne lui échappait !
112
 disdain for me hurt me so much that I never returned unprepared to his class.
Another time, as he was critical of my playing for a few weeks in a row, and I did
practice!!! ... I became frustrated and asked Sancan why he was so critical -- He
replied: "You are so talented, your ceiling is way high, that's why I keep pushing
you". (CC, S3 Q11)

Sancan evidently set high expectations for his students and did not hesitate to show his
disappointment when they fell short of their potential. This proved to be a motivating
force, as his pupils not only sought Sancan’s praise and approval, but were inspired to
achieve more. A frank and carefully considered anecdote from OC, quoted in full below,
explained how Sancan had supported him through a crisis point in his early career:

He also taught me humility! When you compete in competitions, you want to find
yourself in front of others! I used, with such a Master, to always be at the top of the
list in the various competitions. It was fashionable to present then, of course, the
most perilous programme ever presented for this competition! It happened that this
jury was not willing to hear a contest of speed and strength! It followed a result
unlikely, especially for me, neither 1 ° Prize nor 2 ° Prize, nothing ...! I went to the
teacher's studio, Pleyel Hall, and said, "Master, I'm stopping the piano!" He looked
at me with an air that I did not know he had until then. He said: "What are you
talking about, it is not you who speaks there. Look at the programme that you
wanted to play. You want to show what, that you are the best pianist? You're wrong,
we expect you to show that you're the best musician. Be on time to class next week!"
I remained dumbfounded in front of his door like an idiot, I left with my head down,
crying like a child. The following year, this lesson having opened my eyes on many
points, I built a programme diametrically opposed to the previous one where the
music took its greatest share. Result: 1 ° Prize, named with Special Mention! When
I went to show him the result, (he did not like the atmosphere of the contests at the
time of the results), I was almost disappointed, he did not even look surprised, just
a big smile, saying, "Well, you see!", squeezing me in his big arms. (OC, S2 Q5) 132

132
Original quote: Il m'a aussi appris l'humilité ! Quand vous avez un tel géant devant vous, il
n'est pas difficile de se sentir "petit" mais quand vous passez des concours, vous voulez forcément
vous retrouver devant les autres ! J'avais l'habitude, avec un tel Maître, d’être toujours en tête
de liste dans les différents concours que je passais, c'est donc tout naturellement, qu'à la fin du
cursus pour le Concours du Prix, j'étais pour moi-même et pour les autres, un des grands favoris
! Il était de bon ton de présenter alors, bien entendu, le programme le plus périlleux jamais
présenté pour ce Concours ! Il s'est trouvé que ce jury n'était pas disposé à entendre un concours
de vitesse et de force ! Il s'en ait suivi un résultat peu probable surtout pour moi, ni 1°Prix, ni 2°

113
Sancan had drawn on his authority to give OC the kind of support that, on reflection, he
felt that he needed at the time. Sancan’s pupils held Sancan in such high regard that “the
demand he aroused from his students was received without him having to demand it”133
(ML, S2 Q5).

Another trait attributed to Sancan was his passion and enthusiasm for learning and sharing
his new findings with his pupils. Sancan’s approach to teaching “nous rendait ému et
heureux !” (made us excited and happy) (OC, S2 Q5). This motivation and enthusiasm is
described by KH:

He was very enthusiastic about things. He would often say, “I have discovered
something wonderful; I have changed all of my technique!” What he meant was
that he discovered something new which he integrated into his ideas of technique.
That was really infectious. With his enthusiasm, we also believed it. (KH,
interview)

Although Sancan’s title at the Paris Conservatoire was Professor of Piano, he was more
concerned about his students becoming “le musicien complet avant le pianist” (the
complete musician before the pianist) (ML S2 Q6). The students felt that Sancan
encouraged his students to follow their own paths. There were a number of occasions
described by the participants in which Sancan provided opportunities for his students to
showcase their compositions and encouraged them to compose. One such example was
recounted by MP:

Prix, rien... ! Dépité, je suis allé au studio du Maître, salle Pleyel et je lui ai dit : " Maître, j'arrête
le piano !". Il m'a regardé avec un air que je ne lui connaissais pas jusque-là, lui qui était toujours
si complice (nous étions du sud-ouest tous les deux !). Il m'a répondu : "qu'est-ce que tu racontes,
tu te prends pour qui , ce n'est pas toi qui parle là, regarde le programme que tu as voulu jouer,
tu veux montrer quoi?, que tu es le meilleur pianiste ? tu en doutes donc ?, tu t'es trompé! on
attend de toi que tu montres que tu es le meilleur musicien ! sois à l'heure à la classe la semaine
prochaine!" je suis resté médusé devant sa porte comme un idiot, je suis reparti la tête baissée,
pleurant comme un gamin, je venais de me prendre deux échecs cuisants consécutifs , de quoi
allez me pendre !!! L'année suivante, cette leçon m'ayant ouvert les yeux sur multitude de points,
j'ai bâti un programme diamétralement opposé au précédent ! Là où la musique prenait sa plus
grande part. Résultat : 1° Prix, 1° nommé avec Mention Spéciale ! Quand je suis allé lui
apprendre le résultat, (il n'aimait pas l'ambiance des concours au moment des résultats), j'ai été
presque déçu, il n'avait même pas l'air surpris, juste un grand sourire, en me disant "ben tu vois
!”, me serrant dans ses grands bras.
133
Original quote: L'exigence qu'il suscitait auprès de ses élèves et que nous lui devions
naturellement sans qu'il ait justement à l'exiger.

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 He really took me under his wing, having felt in me a soul of composer, to the point
that he invited me to his concerts as a composer and pianist. I remember that day
when he played at Pleyel, for the young musicians, the finale of his concerto. I felt
immense admiration for him and his music. He was a spiritual father to me, and I
think I was one of his spiritual sons. He knew that I loved music more than piano.
Something that was quite ground-breaking for me: in 1963, I entered the
conservatory for a year, and Pierre Sancan organized a public hearing of his class
(preparatory, and higher) [and] a tribute to Yves Nat by the students who had
worked with him. It was an immense honour that he asked me to compose a piece
for this hearing. (MP, S2 Q5 and Q6)134

CJ remembered that Sancan shared his own love of jazz and was “always very supportive
of my interest towards Jazz and improv. Sancan was himself familiar with improvisation
and found it an exciting part of piano playing” (CJ, S2 Q14). According to JB, Sancan
would “improvise at the piano” and “ask me to improvise with him”, which was “totally
unheard of at the time” (JB, interview). Sancan’s love of jazz, however, was not widely
accepted or appreciated by the other piano professors at the Paris Conservatoire during
the 1970s and 1980s:

The borders of style of music were very clear. There was no communication
between jazz world and classical world. Today that sounds strange because in any
conservatory, there is jazz class. At that time – I know that for a fact – you [would]
play a little bit of jazz in the class and the Professor next door would come and tell
you, “What are you doing here? Get out!” My former teacher, Yankov, was a great
artist, but for him – when he knew I was playing jazz, he said dead seriously, “Jean
Efflam, don’t play this music”; in French it’s “vous salissez votre âme”, meaning,
“you put dirt in your soul!” (JB, interview)

The participant responses suggested that Sancan’s students saw him as a role model as
well as an elite practitioner, and they often expressed sentiments of extreme gratitude:

134
Original quote: Il me prit vraiment sous son aile, ayant senti en moi une âme de compositeur,
au point qu'il m'invitait à ses concerts en tant que compositeur et pianiste. Je garde en mémoire
ce jour où il joua à Pleyel pour les jeunesses musicales le final de son concerto. J'ai éprouvé une
immense admiration pour lui et sa musique. Il fut un père spirituel pour moi, et je pense que j'étais
un de ses fils spirituels. Il savait que j'aimais plus la musique que le piano. Je vais quand même
vous parler d'une chose qui a été assez fondatrice pour moi : 1963, j'étais entré au conservatoire
depuis un an, et Pierre Sancan a organisé une audition publique de sa classe (préparatoire, et
supérieure) avec en plus un hommage à Yves Nat par les élèves qui avaient travaillé avec lui. Il
me fit l'immense honneur de me demander de composer une pièce pour cette audition.
115
75% of the participants referred to Sancan as their “master”, without any prompting from
the schedule of questions. There were numerous remarks suggesting that the close bond
between Sancan and his students were beyond what could be expected, normally, of a
teacher and student. Some of the strength of feeling conveyed is represented in the quotes
below:

[What I remember most is] his confidence in me and gentle-strict demands on my

progress. He was a God to me. (And he had such an extraordinary sense of
humour, which really helped me be relaxed and poised at the keyboard) - His
willingness to give me free extra lessons before a jury, recital or competition,
regardless how busy he was. (CC, S2 Q6)

I can't stop being baffled by the faith he showed in me. He knew I had a musical
potential even when my playing at the time was devoid of any such signs. (CJ, S2
Q6)

We who have worked with Sancan are still indebted to him for life. I still think
about him today, yet I have been retired for three years. I am convinced that I will
think about it until the last moment. (JC, S2 Q10)135

Sancan is the only person in my life who I called “Master”. I informed the few
lawyers I had to rub shoulders with in my life that they would never be entitled to
this name, reminding them that after all they had only a Master of Law and that
my Master was unique for the rest of my life! (ML, S2 Q6)136

I have never met a man or woman who can unite the genius, the goodness and
the charisma [that I found in Sancan]. I bless heaven for having had the chance
to meet him, to hear him but especially to listen to him. I want to be the disciple
who tries to perpetuate his essential teaching! (OC, S3 Q11, S2 Q10)137

135
Original quote: Lorsque l'on a travaillé avec Sancan, on lui reste redevable à vie. Je continue
aujourd'hui encore à penser à lui, pourtant je suis à la retraite depuis trois ans. Je suis convaincu
que j'y penserai jusqu'au dernier moment.
136
Original quote: Sancan est la seule personne de ma vie que j'ai appelé "Maître". J'ai informé
le peu d'avocats que j'ai eu à côtoyer dans mon existence que jamais ils n'auraient droit à cette
appellation, leur rappelant qu'après tout ils n'avaient qu'une Maîtrise de droit et que mon Maître
était unique pour le restant de mes jours !
137
Original quote: Je n'ai jamais rencontré jusqu'à aujourd'hui, j'ai 56 ans, un homme ou une
femme qui peut se targuer de réunir à a fois le génie, la bonté et le charisme. Je bénie le ciel
d'avoir eu la chance de le rencontrer, de l'entendre mais surtout de l'écouter. Je veux être le
disciple qui essaie de perpétuer cet enseignement si essentiel !
116
The rapport that Sancan had with his students is illustrated in Figure 5.10, which shows
an autograph that he wrote on the back of a certificate awarded to CB, dated 25 July 1979:
this evidently became a treasured keepsake.

Figure 5.10: Message from Sancan to his student.

Translation: With all my artistic sympathy, best wishes for your great career, because you are a
musician and an authentic artist. Image kindly provided by CB.

5.5 Personal Insights about Sancan from Interview with Irène Mathis

Late in the survey and interview study, the networked process of searching for former
students of Sancan led to Madame Irène Mathis, a student of Sancan who later became
his personal companion. Mme Mathis, who according to the biographies of several of her
own students (Merer, 2012; Piano Academie, 2019) once taught at the Serge
Rachmaninoff Conservatoire in Paris, currently teaches privately. On 26 January 2019,
she kindly agreed to a telephone interview about her memories of Sancan.

Mme Mathis remembered Sancan as a funny, charming, generous and kind-hearted man,
often praised for his improvisations. She added that Sancan found performing, teaching
and composing equally important: “He loved music in its entirety.” This included
conducting, which he did frequently. Sancan viewed the piano as a means of producing
music, rather than “the piano as a piano”. In terms of interpretation, “he saw the piano as
an orchestral instrument.” Although Sancan encouraged his students to become well-
rounded artists and to pursue many fields of music, as he himself successful did early in
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his career, Mathis touched on the circumstances that influenced Sancan to focus his
efforts on teaching, later in his career:

He wanted to convey his knowledge about music and the piano, so he stopped
playing concerts and composing. But, he also had some family and personal issues.
The most important thing for him was to teach what he had learnt and discovered.
When he was doing his research, his wanted to continue his research as he saw it
as never-ending knowledge and he wanted to work more. He also wanted to convey
knowledge from his past teacher, Yves Nat.

According to Mathis, Sancan’s approach to technique was informed by his study of how
muscles work – research that was conducted when he was married to Line, through whom
he had access to medical knowledge. Sancan’s research and his success as a teacher were
so significant that they informed a culture shift in piano pedagogy in Paris:

There was in France a “before and after” Sancan. Before, it wasn’t the same. You
couldn’t play as you did now. He was revolutionary in the piano world.

The interview with Mme Mathis was brief, and while she highlighted perhaps some
features of Sancan’s career – such as conducting and motives for focusing on teaching
later in his career – that had not emerged strongly in the survey and interview study, she
was able to add little of substance to the recollections and explanations of the former
Sancan students who had contributed so much to the study. Even so, this direct
communication with someone who had known him so well, and understood the various
aspects of his personal history and career, helped to reinforce the impression that Sancan’s
influence on those who knew him, was broad and meaningful, and continued to be felt.

5.6 Conclusion

This chapter has provided a rich and multifaceted view of Sancan as seen by his former
students. Remembered as “un immense pédagogue, et un grand musician” (a great teacher
and grand musician) (YH, S3 Q11) and a “pianiste hors du commun” (pianist out of the
ordinary) (JC, S2 Q6), Sancan’s positive influence is abundantly evident in the survey
and interview responses from his students. Sancan was seen as more than an expert piano
teacher who encouraged his students to be pragmatic and flexible in their approach to
118
piano repertoire and technique: he was a figure who was highly respected and admired,
and consequently, made a significant impact on the lives of his students. Thus, his
students vividly recalled, and were willing to explain with warmth and at length, their
personal and musical experiences and memories of their master.

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 CHAPTER 6: DISCUSSION, REFLECTIONS AND
CONCLUSIONS

The aim of this research was to investigate Sancan as a performer, composer and teacher,
a representative of the apprenticeship and conservatoire traditions of music education, a
participant in the evolution of national schools of piano performance, and a key figure in
the musical lives of his students.

While elite music professionals engaged in performance and composition are widely
recognised and often remembered by the public, the profiles of those who devote
themselves to pedagogy are far less visible, essentially due to the isolated and private
nature of advanced studio teaching. Consequently, the achievements of these masters and
the significance of their contributions to the musical life of the community is often under-
recognised. This study has characterised Sancan as a representative master in the
apprenticeship system. He was an outstandingly accomplished individual who was
innovative in his teaching and performing, and who encouraged his students to follow his
lead in adapting a flexible and versatile approach to their own work, cultivating a mindset
that appears to have been uncommon at the Paris Conservatoire during much of the
twentieth century.

The biographical study has shown that Sancan was a multi-talented musician. The
compilation of his performance schedules, concert programmes and discography
provided an overview of his repertoire choices and an indication of his success as a
performer on the concert stage. His development and reception as a performer can also
be traced through the reviews of his performances from the period in which he was a Paris
Conservatoire student to later in his career as an established performer. As a composer,
Sancan is known chiefly as a Prix de Rome winner and the composer of the Sonatine for
flute and piano, but the comprehensive catalogue of his compositions shows that Sancan
was highly active in this field, with a number of works performed and recorded during
his own time. Influences on his composing and performing have been identified in the
biographical study and in remarks made by his former students. Although Sancan
excelled in many areas of music, he eventually dedicated himself to teaching, adopting
the kind of career trajectory described by Manturzewska’s (1990) study of professional
120
musicians. As a teacher, his influence and significance were felt to be profound, by the
students who contributed their reflections on Sancan’s work through the survey and
interview study.

The very process of undertaking research into figures like Sancan can help inform our
knowledge of advanced music education, which remains an under-researched area.
Learning more, and disseminating information about elite practices can only help other
practitioners to approach their work “more intelligently, more imaginatively, more
creatively, more flexibly” (Bowman, 2005, p. 162). Sancan himself could be a role-model
of flexibility, and of continually seeking ways forward:

What matters most is not the efficiency or the authenticity of current practice…
what matters most is improving the effectiveness of music education – gauged
by the richness, diversity, frequency and depth of people’s musical
engagements, even (and perhaps especially) where they lie outside the confines
of the practices with which musicians, educators and researchers have
conventionally concerned themselves. (Bowman, 2005, p. 164)

From the findings presented in the biographical study (Chapter 4) and the survey and
interview study (Chapter 5), links can be drawn between Sancan’s documented life and
career and the perspectives of his students, to address the research questions posed in
Chapter 1. This chapter will also provide some reflections on the creative practice
component of the thesis, including the examined recital and a series of masterclasses with
Jean-Philippe Collard, drawing links between aspects of the dissertation and the practical
engagement that accompanied it.

6.1 Discussion

Research Question 1: How was Sancan’s professional identity developed?

Exploring the professional identity of Sancan has revealed two dichotomies in the
reception of his work: in France and abroad, and “now” versus “then”. In French classical
music, his contribution to the pedagogical landscape is well remembered, largely no
doubt, because of the network of his former students and their continuing activities as
teachers, performers and composers. In Australia, few pianists are familiar with Sancan’s
121
work as a pedagogue, and his reputation rests on a few compositions included in the
national examination syllabus. Indeed, although Sancan is remembered as a teacher in his
own country, and although his works were often played during his time as a composer,
his piano compositions are very rarely performed today, either in France or abroad.

Sancan’s legacy as a composer remains, of course, in his compositions. Many of these,

and particularly his piano compositions, have been published by Durand, and remain
available for purchase, though copyright restrictions are in place for works such as the
Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra, limiting its availability.138 Furthermore,
without the efforts of individuals performing these works, and the distribution of the
scores and performances through recordings or online domains such as YouTube and
International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), it is difficult to raise awareness of
the compositions to a broad audience.

Sancan has been clearly identified as a pianist-teacher who had an inquisitive mind and
was interested in exploring the fundamentals of muscular movement, anatomy, and
technique. On this front, Sancan was regarded by his students, music scholars and
associates, as a pioneer and innovator. The widespread descriptions of Sancan as a man
of modesty who did not seek attention or fame, may be linked to the shift in his career to
pedagogy, which would be of direct benefit to his students. Owing to the limited visibility
of one-to-one lessons or masterclasses to musicians external of those events, Sancan’s
efforts – perhaps representing his most significant work – are not easily recognised or
acknowledged by outsiders.

To some extent, the effectiveness of Sancan’s teaching might be displayed by his students
in their performances. However, the performance product is unique to each musician and
it must remain difficult to recognise a proponent of any particular teacher or school, based
on their performing alone. This difficulty is exacerbated by the importance, in the
performing arts, of developing one’s own artistic identity, as emphasised by Sancan
himself. Thus, Jean- François Antonioli, a former pupil of Sancan interviewed by Young,
recalled that “[Sancan] wanted each of his students to become autonomous…he was
convinced that our natural touch was an expression of our own sensitivity… [so] it is not
surprising to find such contrasting personalities as Jean-Bernard Pommier, Abdel

In Australia, Sancan’s Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra is not available for purchase
138

due to copyright restrictions

122
Rachman El Bacha, and Jean Philippe Collard among his pupils”(Young, 2016). In this
sense, Sancan did little to contribute to his own fame: nurturing the individuality of his
students must have made it more difficult for listeners to identify his “presence” in their
playing.

Even so, the success of Sancan’s students in the Concours at the Paris Conservatoire as
well as frequent successes at international piano competitions brought fame to them, but
also provided recognition to Sancan as a pedagogue. It is to this particular avenue that
Sancan owes his fame in France at least, as a notable master of piano. That recognition is
limited, again, by the sparse documentation related to his career. It is more easily traced
through living examples – the embodiment of Sancan’s legacy in his own students. Hence,
the significance of the survey and interview study lies in its revelation of memories,
perspectives and voices of Sancan’s students. Thanks to his students, sharing anecdotes
about Sancan as a performer and as a person, we can gauge something of the personality
and musical ambitions of Sancan.

How does the present situation compare with the professional identity of Sancan during
his own lifetime? As noted by JB in Chapter 5.2, Sancan maintained a successfully
diverse musical career up to the 1950s, when interviews in papers and on the radio would
“speak about him as one of the most gifted musicians of his generation in France” (JB,
interview). The multi-faceted career of Sancan meant that he was known to the broader
music community as a performer, who had toured nationally and internationally, both as
a soloist and in chamber ensembles; an award-winning composer, through his success at
the Prix de Rome and other competitions, in addition to performing his own compositions
while on tour; and a conductor, as mentioned in press clippings and by some of Sancan’s
students and by his partner. Despite his broad portfolio, his later commitment to teaching
at the Paris Conservatoire meant that at times, he was known to incoming students only
as a teacher (Figure 4.4), his institutional position out-shining many of his earlier
achievements. This sequence of biographical events corresponds, again, to the career
progression described by Manturzewska (1990). And yet, Sancan did not view teaching
as a leisurely retirement from performing and composing, but pursued teaching with the
same energy as he had his playing, conducting and composing. Regardless of his specific
vocation, his passion for music remained central and his demeanour as a teacher and
composer was self-effacing. Thus, several of the participants in the survey remarked that

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Sancan had not mentioned his own compositions during their studies with him (Chapter
5.2). Even in the press, Sancan was described as a teacher who “did not seek honours or
celebrity”139 for himself (Reitz, 1994, p. 69).

Sancan’s reputation and professional identity therefore involves multiple contrasts,

varying inside versus outside of France, and now versus then. He is best remembered and
appreciated now by the musicians who were closest to him at the Paris Conservatoire
where he was, privately, a highly influential figure.

Research Question 2: How did Sancan influence and inform the musical lives of his
students?

Undoubtedly, Sancan played a central role in not only shaping the musical careers of his
students but enriching them personally. Such phenomena have been identified in cases of
master-apprentice teaching, in which the relationship can transform into a ‘mentorship’
(Hays, Minichiello, & Wright, 2000, p. 4) with the master serving not only as a master
teacher, but also a “personal counsellor, friend, role model, supporter and defender”
(Nerland & Hanken, 2002, p. 170) and having the capacity to influence the student’s
“personality, aesthetic attitudes, life philosophy, professional standards and attitudes”
(Manturzewska, 1990, p. 135).

The findings reported in Chapter 5 are abundant with personal and affective responses
from Sancan’s students, labelling Sancan as a “god”, “spiritual father”, “genius” and “my
Master”. The participants not only praised and admired their master for his technical and
musical skills but conveyed a sense of devotion and even adoration for his teaching.
According to Polanyi, a student’s trust in their master is necessary in apprenticeship
models (1958, p. 53), and this is amply illustrated in KH’s comment that “With his
enthusiasm, we also believed it” (Chapter 5.4). Sancan was evidently successful in
creating an ideal learning environment in which the student felt at ease and, more
importantly, inspired and motivated to learn and achieve greater possibilities. His
willingness to do that suggests a fundamental personality trait for a pedagogue
responsible for teaching highly skilled, advanced students preparing to enter the

139
Original quote: il n’a pas recherche les honneurs ou la célébrité.
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community of practice. The inspiration felt by the students could be accredited to
Sancan’s own interests in expanding his own knowledge, as IM recalled that Sancan
wanted to continue his research into piano technique and “never-ending knowledge” on
how to play the piano (Chapter 5.5). Expressing this attitude and providing a ‘role model’
allowed Sancan to embark with his students on a journey of joint exploration and learning.

When it came to freedom of repertoire and variety of musical endeavours, Sancan’s views
differed from the other teachers at the Paris Conservatoire. His open-mindedness and his
support of the students’ musical curiosity were not thought to be common at the
conservatoire during the mid to late twentieth century. Not only did Sancan appreciate a
wide range of styles, but he encouraged his students to pursue their interests. His support
was extended beyond his role as a teacher when Sancan generously provided financial
assistance or invested extra time in preparing his students for success in competitions.
Sancan also supported and encouraged piano students who had a desire to pursue
composing. Being a composer himself, Sancan served as a mentor for such activity and
often provided these students with an avenue for displaying their work to an audience,
thus stepping into the arena of the professional community (Chapter 5.4). These examples
further reinforce the idea that, in outstanding cases, the master does not merely shoulder
the responsibility of teaching technical proficiency or stylistic interpretation but
influences the course of the student’s professional musical career. They also provide
evidence of Sancan as a unique and progressive individual in France during this era.

Sancan’s students, reflecting on their own personal experiences, had in turn been able to
incorporate and disseminate Sancan’s ideas into their own teaching, which 70% of the
participants reported as their main profession. Sancan clearly provided a model for
innovative and flexible thinking, by analyzing problems “rationally” and “logically”, so
that each student gains possession of the tools to become independent and “be his own
teacher” (Chapter 5.3). This long-term process was also highlighted in Manturzewska’s
sketch of professional career trajectories, through which apprentices increasingly took
their own initiatives and learned to develop their own “individual know-how”.

Sancan also informed the lives of his students through his vision of being a performer –
that a pianist should not only be concerned with the piano as their principal instrument,
but study various aspects of music including orchestration, conducting, and other
instruments. This ideal of a well-rounded, “complete” musician might be related to the
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idea that the piano could be considered as an orchestra. As JB noted, Sancan “considered
a piano piece as an orchestral piece. He was one of the very first piano pedagogues (at
least in France), to speak of the piano in this manner – here you should imitate the flute,
or the cello, or pizzicato of the bass” (Chapter 5.3).

It is evident that Sancan was regarded as an individual who changed the perceptions and
lives of pianists at the Paris Conservatoire. Described as being “revolutionary” in the
context of piano pedagogy in France, Sancan was able to influence generations of pianists
who would then inspire subsequent generations; the effect on the French tradition was
labelled by Irène Mathis as “before and after Sancan” (Chapter 5.5), a powerful claim
about his contribution to the piano pedagogy landscape in France. The achievements of
Sancan may be attributed not only to his expertise but to his persona. Considered the
“master of the masterclass” (Chapter 5.4), Sancan was a dedicated pedagogue and a good
communicator, and possessed the ability to make people laugh through humour and
showmanship – qualities remembered by his students in the context of both lessons and
informal outings. The amalgamation of these characteristics certainly strengthened the
relationship between Sancan and his students, leaving them with an image of Sancan as
a talented, charismatic, generous and knowledgeable musician.

Research Question 3: How can the relationship between Sancan and his students be
associated with the traditions of music pedagogy?

In terms of traditions of music pedagogy, Sancan was a master working in a system of

apprenticeship. From the nineteenth century, the master-apprentice tradition was drawn
into the modern conservatoire setting as well as in private studio-based learning. The most
important concrete outcome of music apprenticeships is the preparation of the apprentice
to enter the professional music community: by providing them with the dispositions and
tools to deal with technical or stylistic issues, tackling them logically and rationally,
Sancan enabled his students to become independent and to proceed as masters in their
own right.

Literature on the career stages of professional musicians has identified a period in which
young adult artists search for a master to develop their artistic and professional awareness
(Manturzewska, 1990; Sosniak, 1985). The participants in this study were at this stage of
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their musical careers when they were studying with Sancan, so it is not surprising that
many of them labelled Sancan their ‘master’, and reported the development of both
professional and personal relationships.

It is interesting to note that a number of survey participants had studied with another
master teacher at the Paris Conservatoire prior to their studies with Sancan. More
importantly, this group of musicians had actively sought to study with Sancan after the
attainment of their Prix for piano, indicating that they were regarded already as
experienced and proficient, but suggesting that they did not feel prepared to enter the
professional arena and desired further training and development. These pianists recalled
the change experience in strong terms (Chapter 5.3): “before him, pedal was just on or
off. With Sancan, I realised that there is a myriad of nuances of how to push the pedal”
(JB, interview); “my technique was somehow superficial. I then relearnt everything”
(JPC, interview). Because they changed teacher at an advanced stage of their
development, they were able to compare the teaching and approaches of at least two
different masters, with Sancan eclipsing their earlier studies: “The teacher I had before, I
couldn’t say that much remained of his teaching” (DC, S2 Q9).

Conversely and perhaps inevitably, the participants who studied with Sancan for a brief
period of time by joining masterclasses or a summer course did not develop the same
strength of connection with Sancan as the long-term students from the Paris
Conservatoire. Moreover, the relationship Sancan had with students outside the institution
was of a more formal nature and lacked the development of deep ties described by his
conservatoire students, possibly due to the conservatoire students being more overtly
committed to achieving a successful music career.

The use of the term “master” by 75% of the participants, as mentioned previously,
indicates that these students readily accepted and positioned themselves in this traditional
master-apprentice structure. Research studies in music education have found that teachers
often teach the way they themselves were taught (Haddon, 2009; Mills & Smith, 2003)
and hence rely on their personal experiences to develop their own practices (Burwell,
Carey, & Bennett, 2017). In Sancan’s case, a flexible and innovative approach
encouraged his students to adopt his exploratory spirit in their own teaching, not merely
replicating the specific details. Consequently, this generation of musicians were inclined
to perpetuate and preserve Sancan’s methods and approaches for future generations.
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Placing this study in relation to the literature on traditional music pedagogy, a number of
parallels can be drawn, highlighting the advantages of the master-apprentice model. Thus,
Sosniak (1985), in her study of accomplished American pianists, reported that they were
in awe of their masters: the idea that this man was willing to teach me… overwhelmed
me” (p.5): this attitude is matched by responses in the current study from former students
who were thankful and “indebted” to Sancan for accepting them as his students. Sancan’s
students also recognized that Sancan was “devoted” to teaching, with Collard noting, “he
took so much care of us!” (Camberre, 2004). Sancan dedicated his career to teaching
where he nurtured his students and shared in their successes. The accomplishment of his
students, according to his brother, were "his greatest reward” (J. Sancan, n.d.). One
contrast between Sancan and masters depicted in the literature, however, is that other
masters appear to have taken a domineering role in order to exert authority (Nielsen, 1999;
Sosniak, 1985), a trait very far removed from the descriptions of Sancan by his students.
At the same time, it was noted that Sancan was granted authority by his students without
demanding it (Chapter 5.4). Authority is considered to be an important and “productive
resource” in instrumental learning and highly sought after by students (Nerland &
Hanken, 2004, p. 6).

One possible explanation for the enthusiasm of Sancan’s students for positioning
themselves in the traditional apprenticeship model is that it provides the members with a
sense of identity, in professional terms. Owing to Sancan’s prominent position at the Paris
Conservatoire and reputation as a talented all-round musician, labelling themselves as
apprentices of Sancan, with the master effectively “lending” his name to the students –
conveys a sense of identity and prestige. It will be recalled that Sancan was recognised,
along with Dominique Merlet, as “two of the most influential post-war conservatoire
teachers” (Timbrell, 1999, p. 255) and both were included in a list of outstanding teachers
in France (Timbrell & Chappell, 1999, p. 78). This could, by association, elevate the
status of their students in the musical community, and in time, bestow a legacy of
authority on them as proponents of their work. Be that as it may, the survey responses
indicate that Sancan’s students had a genuine emotional attachment to him. A sense of
belonging to a ‘family’ was felt by some of the students, with Bavouzet stating that “I
truly believe that all his students, we are somehow brothers, or sisters”140 (Zisman,

140
Original quote: Je pense que tous ceux qui sont passés par sa classe, on est quelque part tous
frères, ou sœurs.
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2008e). It is worth nothing, again, that the students who studied with other professors at
the Paris Conservatoire prior to Sancan did not hold their previous teachers in such high
regard. Although using Sancan’s name in places where he was well-known may have
brought professional advantages to the students, this study, shows that their connections
with him were not merely superficial.

Another sense of identity was created when students placed themselves within the French
piano school. Associating themselves with that pedagogical lineage provides them with a
sense of musical authority, inherited through Sancan but implicating the further tradition
behind him. Sancan’s own musical family tree included Yves Nat, Louis Diémer,
Antoine-Francois Marmontel, Pierre Zimmerman and finally François-Adrien Boieldieu,
one of the forefathers of the French piano school (Figure 2.1). Despite this grand lineage,
of course, Sancan’s teachings departed from the traditional approaches and contributed
to the diffusion of the traditional French school. Rather than recognize the dissolution of
the French piano school, Reitz (1994) labelled such departures as “La Nouvelle Ecole
Française”, with Sancan a prominent member. With respect to music compositions,
however, the pianists involved in the study maintained a sense of nationalism, having felt
a great connection to the music of their country of origin. Sancan had explained, in his
1967 interview with Bouillot, that they were “extremely sensitive” to the music of the
French greats, because “we were taught at the Conservatoire by students of Debussy,
Ravel and Fauré” (Chapter 4.3).

Research Question 4: How can Sancan’s pianistic ideas be related to the notion of
national piano schools?

According to Kingsbury, instrumental teachers maintain a “distinct and distinguished

musical heritage” (1988, p. 45), and it is sometimes asserted that they do this by teaching
in the same manner as they were taught (Haddon, 2009). Sancan was, no doubt, a member
of the French piano school but he did not restrict himself to perpetuating the traditions
transmitted through his education at the Paris Conservatoire. Through his receptiveness
to ideas, a pragmatic approach to problem-solving and a willingness to address new
“problems”, genres or repertoires, Sancan’s teaching explored different avenues, despite
facing criticism from his colleagues (Chapter 5.3).

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In the opinion of a wide range of scholars and musicians, national piano schools existed
historically and could be identified through their “national characteristics [and] traditions
of interpretation” (Wisniewski, 2015, p. 93). This notion was undermined by the late
twentieth century by globalisation, and an increased access to international travel,
competitions, recordings and other media. Thus, Timbrell stated, in Wisiewski’s study,
that the French piano school became “assimilated with other schools in the 1950s due to
widespread international teaching and absorption of trends” (Wisniewski, 2015, pp. 114-
115). This decade coincided with the years Sancan began teaching at the Paris
Conservatoire and it supports the notion that pianists did not abandon the French piano
school but enriched it by, in Sancan’s case, absorbing Russian approaches.

Historically, in the conservatoire system, local traditions were preserved by the teachers
passing down knowledge and experience to their students in an apprenticeship-like
setting. The post-war disruption was fuelled when Sancan took up his post at the Paris
Conservatoire in that he was influenced by external factors, particularly the technique of
Russian pianists and his interest in physiology assisted by his wife’s medical knowledge.
It was also influenced by a broader interest in repertoire, and the development of
techniques to manage it (Chapter 4.5). Hence JB’s comment that “As a piano pedagogue,
[Sancan’s] students were the very first French pianists able to master the big modern and
romantic concertos of Prokofiev, Bartok, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, that was not
the usual repertoire of French pianist” (Chapter 5.3). Incorporating the methods
developed by the Russians and taking on a pragmatic view of piano playing, producing
the best possible sound and developing stamina, noted to be lacking in French pianists at
the time, Sancan tested his ideas empirically and passed on successful approaches to his
students. Thus, ML noted that Sancan “often shared with us the results of his
experiments” (Chapter 5.3). With his students adopting similar attitudes and approaches,
Sancan became material in, as Collard put it, “killing off the old French school” (Timbrell,
1999, p. 225).

Arguably, Sancan also contributed to the diffusion of national schools by attracting young
artists from all over the world who sought masterclasses with him, and through the
diaspora of former students who eventually took up teaching in several countries around
the world. Insofar as their survey responses are an indication of their current practices,
Sancan’s former students carry his teaching forward through their own learned

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dispositions, in a never-ending search for new knowledge and improvement. If this
process diffuses the traditions of the old French school, it also enriches them.

6.2 Relationship between Creative Work Portfolio and Dissertation

The creative work spanned the complete candidature of this degree and was represented
by a stream of activity, including performances, lessons, and private practice and
reflections. The concrete product of the creative work is the audio-visual recording
submitted with this dissertation; a recording of a live public concert event held on
Tuesday 9 April 2019 in Studio 334 at the University of New South Wales.

A copy of the printed programme, entitled “Hidden gems of the piano repertoire”, appears
in Appendix C. The live recording, essential for works intended for the enjoyment of a
live audience, was produced by the Creative Practice Unit at UNSW. A DVD of the recital
may be found inside the back cover of the dissertation, and a link to the recording, along
with a list of works performed, appears at Chapter 6.4 below.

In keeping with the spirit of the dissertation, the recital was inspired by relatively
neglected works in the piano repertoire by pianist-composers of the early to mid-twentieth
century. The aim of the creative work was to explore the formal research and its meaning
in practice (Chapter 3.7). The recital showcased and highlighted some of the “hidden
gems” that have been seldom performed in concert and deserve to be championed, though
of course no recital can “complete” such a task: these works will require ongoing attention
if they are to stay relevant to twenty-first century musicians and audiences. Ironically,
few of Sancan’s own students appear to perform or teach his piano compositions (Figure
5.6).

The creative project supports the dissertation component of my PhD in Music

Performance – documentary research, survey and interviews – through its connection
with Sancan and works related to him. This bi-directional research-led practice and
practice-led research approach, and an exploration of the relationship between the
compositions and the composer, allowed me to focus on and engage with the musical
inspiration of the composition, and to gain literally “hands-on” experience with the

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technical issues involved, to successfully execute a selection of small- and large-scale
piano compositions..

Personal engagement can also bring unique opportunities to understand aspects of

musical traditions. Documentary evidence and survey data refer to technical and
interpretative features of national piano schools that can be identified and discussed, and
are convincing as a whole, though those features may be impossible to define
“scientifically”; ultimately there is no other way to explore the full meaning of this kind
of research than participating in the act of performance. Like many pianists in Australia,
my own practice has not been drawn from a particular school but a range of diverse
influences from experiences in my personal history through the many years as an
apprentice in music education as well as adopting new concepts and techniques informed
by research and numerous masterclasses with international artists.

It can often be difficult to explain technique in a meaningful way. Reflecting on my own

experience involved a good deal of experimentation, something that resonates with
features of Sancan’s own approach. Some of the issues that I had to address could, I found,
be traced through genealogical trees of various countries, that contributed to the current
musical life of Australia. For example, “flexibility in the wrist” was a technique initially
raised with me by teachers Grant Foster (who studied piano with Alexander Sverjensky
and Marcel Ciampi, associated with the Russian and French family trees) and Professor
Günter Reinhold (who studied piano with Yvonne Loriod and Alfred Cortot, and analysis
with Olivier Messiaen). Interestingly, in spite of such prestigious links, none of my
teachers attempted to impose an ethos of national piano schools in their teaching.

The recital programme has a wide range of dynamics from ppp to fff which required the
production of a full sound. The concept of “weight technique” was introduced to me at
an early stage of my music education by Foster and later reinforced by Dr Kirill Monorosi
who studied with Professor Christian Müller. This technique raised my awareness of the
movement and use of the whole body, while using the arm to avoid harshness. Another
challenge presented by this programme was the need to devise what CC called “clever,
inventive finger” (Chapter 5.3), a lesson highlighted in the teaching of both Sancan and
Nat. For this, I learned much from masterclasses with Müller (who studied with Volkmar
Lehmann and Oleg Maisenberg) and Professor Sara Davis Buechner (who studied with
Rudolf Firkusny, Byron Janis and Paul Badura-Skoda), which enhanced my
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experimentation with fingering, swapping over hands within passages, and the skilful
positioning of the hands. Although there is a strong sense here of “vertical influences”
through these master and their family trees, there is a wide range of “horizontal
influences” through members of the music community who assisted in the preparation for
my performance, including James Powell, Adolfo Barabino, Dr Christine Logan and Dr
Kim Burwell. Through such combined influences, as experienced so often by
contemporary pianists, the clarity of measurable influences must have become obscured
in my own development as a pianist.

The majority of the piano works in my recital programme were also performed at various
music events during my PhD candidature. These include performances in England (2015),
Italy (2015, 2016), France (2016), Spain (2017), Germany (2017), U.S.A. (2017) and
Australia (2015-9) at national and international music festivals and competitions.

In September 2018, I had the unique and exciting opportunity to travel to Paris to attend
private lessons with internationally acclaimed concert pianist, Jean-Philippe Collard. The
lessons were conducted in English at Collard’s residence in Paris. Collard, recipient of
the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, was a disciple of Sancan and remains the only
pianist, aside from the composer himself, who has recorded the piano concerto composed
by Sancan. The lessons focused on piano compositions of Sancan, with an emphasis on
the concerto. The classes provided exceptional insights into the interpretation of the
works, with ideas about voicing and gestures in order to produce particular sounds and to
portray certain characterisations in the pieces.

Given the time constraints, however, Collard’s recommendations were concentrated more
on the interpretative rather than technical advice. Specific examples of ideas that were
broad and immediate after the class are summarised below.

Voicing and balance

With the numerous options conceivable in voicing such as bringing out any of the
multiple notes in a chord, or playing them equally, in many of the sections I had initially
chosen to bring out one particular voice – typically, the moving voice (e.g. left hand in
the second movement) or the note on the beat in broken chords and octave passages (e.g.
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sections 26 to 28 in first movement). The advice from Collard was to play them all with
equal weight and importance. The effect was to create a different texture, with the
uppermost, right hand melody taking the focus over more cohesive chords.

Hand gestures to achieve a desired effect and character

The intermittent changes in character in the third movement require the performer to
create different qualities of sound. The playful, joke-like quality three bars before section
63, and section 68, was highlighted by Collard. He used the analogy of a runner who
would think of lifting the legs as opposed to them going down. In the same sense, pianists
must think of the how to lift the fingers rather than how they are pressed down. Similarly,
Collard instructed me to lift the hand in such a way that one would think “up, up”. This
not only resulted in a different look and feel, but also created a particular musical effect
and colour. This approach reminded me of CJ’s remark, that Sancan encouraged students
to think “up” instead of “down” (Chapter 5.3); and this emphasis and interest in
fingerwork recalled the jeu perlé approach identified as a trait of the French piano school.

Pedalling to create different effects

Sancan clearly indicates in his scores where pedal must be held, with an emphasis on
colour: examples include the marking pedale obligato in Section 10 of the first movement
and cadenzas in the first and third movements. However, other sections are unmarked,
and these, according to Collard, require a wider range and more distinctive use of pedal.
In one case, shortly before section 36 in the first movement, the sustaining pedal can be
used to create a jazz effect, which seems consistent with the many reports of Sancan’s
love of jazz. Collard also called for more pedal in other passages such as Section 33 and
cadenza of the first movement. One technique I had not previously encountered swapping
from the sustaining pedal to una corda pedal while holding chords in both hands – without
repeating the notes. This, Collard explained, is the intention in the cadenza of the finale,
where the performer is instructed, ‘reprenez l'accord sans jouer puis lever la pédale
lentement’ (repeat the chord without playing and slowly raise the pedal). The clever
writing allows the sustained notes to be held in the background to create a distant,
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transparent effect. The same device appears in Sancan’s Caprice romantique with the
direction ‘reprendre sans jouer’ (repeat without playing). Coincidentally, a similar effect
is indicated in another work in my recital programme – the Berceuse in Agosti’s L’oiseau
de feu, where the instruction ‘baisser les touches sans les jouer’ (lower the keys without
playing them) is given for the bass notes.

Impressionism and other references

Collard’s approach suggested that much of Sancan’s music focused on conveying a

certain idea or emotion. The stylistic influences on Sancan as a composer are prominent
in his piano concerto, recalling references made by survey participants (Chapter 5.2) and
music critics (Chapter 4.3) to the styles of Ravel, Prokofiev, Messiaen, Debussy,
Stravinsky and jazz.

Interestingly, Collard suggested that I should play lyrical solo sections in Sancan’s piano
concerto, such as Section 10 in the first movement, as if they had been written by Chopin.
The reference to Chopin as a model of shapely playing recalled a comment made by TH
– that a fast line should be played "like a nocturne of Chopin", to capture its inner
inflections (Chapter 5.3). Sancan himself remarked on his love of Chopin’s music, hinting
at its influence on his own work, in the publication celebrating Chopin’s hundred and
fiftieth anniversary: “He wrote the most pianistic music that is. The more we decipher
[and] the more we work, the more we realize that Chopin had discovered everything”
(Aimez-vous Chopin ?, 1960, p. 34).

6.3 Reflecting on Lessons with Collard

I was very thankful to Collard for sharing his interpretative understanding of Sancan’s
piano compositions, as he had studied the concerto with Sancan himself and had unique
insights to offer. In lieu of direct contact with Sancan, working with one of his leading
disciples provided an opportunity to experience the approach of an elite practitioner with
close connections to Sancan. To frame my reflections, I will refer to the hallmakrs of
“internationally-renowned artist-teachers” as observed by Duke and Simmons (2006).
These hallmarks are considered in three broad categories: goal and expectations, effecting
change, and conveying information.
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My first meeting with Collard began with a discussion of my PhD project and what it
entailed, the specific goals of the lesson and my future aspirations as a performer. This is
consistent with the elite practices noted by Duke and Simmons: in order to arrange the
lesson appropriately, the master must understand what the student expects to accomplish
from the lesson, and ‘lesson targets’ are determined at an early stage. Again, consistent
with Duke and Simmons (2006), it was apparent that Collard had a ‘clear auditory image’
(p. 11) of the piece studied, that guided his judgement on interpretative choices. The
execution of the piece was explicitly based on his experience in learning the piece with
the composer, and implicitly on his historical knowledge and connection with the French
piano school.

Further hallmarks were evident in the lessons, proceeding at a fast pace to ensure that we
covered as much material as possible; and, conversely, in occasions when Collard would
interrupt that pace to give an extended demonstration or tell a story (p. 13). When Collard
used imagery or recalled how Sancan taught a particular technique, he would turn to the
piano to demonstrate, with a clear commentary highlighting the desired effect or sound.
The hallmark situating technique within interpretation, so that technique “simply supports
the main goal of creating characteristic sound quality” (p. 14), was evident in the
recommendation mentioned previously, that I should think “up” instead of “down” in
order to create a particular effect.

There were very few instances of negative feedback as Collard focused on interpretative
suggestions; however, there were “infrequent, intermittent instances of positive
feedback” (p. 15), given with enthusiasm and warmth, which – aside from reassuring me
about my playing – created a sense of excitement in the lesson.

The experience of the one-on-one lessons with Collard was thought-provoking. It instilled
in me a sense of connection to Sancan and I wondered whether this may have been what
it would be like to have a lesson with Sancan. The occasion was articulated when Collard
referenced Sancan during the lessons: “Sancan suggested to play this down here”, or
“Sancan would say …”. Aside from genuine interest and enjoyment, and reflecting on my
own experience objectively, working with Collard was also inspiring because he is an
internationally recognized artist. Apprentices may be galvanized by such a well-known
and admired figure, and that in itself may have a positive influence on the receptiveness
of the student, providing an important motivating element that helps to fuel the whole
136
apprenticeship system. Perhaps illustrating that point himself, Collard concluded our
lessons referring again to the special relationship that he remembered with Sancan as his
own master, and thanking me for undertaking what he regarded as important research.

6.4 Recital Programme

RECITAL PROGRAMME

[Link]

Password :

Toccata (1943) Pierre Sancan (1916-2008)

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1955)

i. Modéré
ii. Andante
iii. Allegro vivo

Mouvement (1946)

Choral et Variations from Piano Sonata Opus 1 (1948) Henri Dutilleux (1916-2013)

Dusting (1950) Pierre Sancan (1916-2008)

Caprice romantique pour la main gauche (1949)

Boîte à musique (1950)

L’oiseau de feu (1928) Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971)/ Guido Agosti (1901-1989)

i. Danse Infernale du Roi Kastcheï

ii. Berceuse
iii. Finale

137
The PhD recital programme featured works of various styles, composed between 1928
and 1955. The programme featured all of Sancan’s solo and concerto piano compositions
that are suitable for a concert stage, excepting the elementary teaching material and the
Concertino for piano and chamber orchestra. Unfortunately, the score of the Concertino
was not available for purchase, and there were copyright issues regarding the loan and
performance of the work.

The rest of the programme was informed by composers and works related to Sancan’s
musical career and compositions. The recital featured Dutilleux’s Choral et Variations
from his Piano Sonata opus 1 (1948). I chose to include Dutilleux in the programme
because he had much in common with Sancan: as previously mentioned, both were
students of Büsser, and Prix de Rome winners. Sancan and Dutilleux dedicated
compositions to each other; and coincidentally, both are best known today for their flute
Sonatines. As mentioned in Chapter 4, Dutilleux’s wife Geneviève Joy (1919-2009) – to
whom the Piano Sonata is dedicated to – was a fellow student of Yves Nat and a colleague
of Sancan at the Paris Conservatoire.

Although no evidence has been found of an acquaintance between Sancan and Stravinsky,
Sancan was clearly an admirer. He performed Les Noces alongside Geneviève Joy,
Francis Poulenc and Monique Haas at the Stravinsky festival in February 1945, and
played the Capriccio for piano and orchestra at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in July of
that same year. It has been remarked previously (Chapter 4.3) that Sancan was open to
specific influences from a range of composers and his Sonata for cello and piano (1961)
was thought to reflect the style of Stravinsky – along with Hindemith, Porter, Carpenter,
Bartok, Shostakovich and early Prokofiev (McCorkle, 1966). As noted above, the
L’oiseau de feu piano transcription by the work of Guido Agosti (1901-1989), who will
have known Sancan from their work together on the jury of the 5th Cliburn International
Piano Competition held in Fort Worth, in September 1977 (Chapter 4.5). A pupil of
Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924), Agosti was known as a virtuoso performer and a well-
known teacher: his pupils included Leslie Howard (1893-1943), Raymond Lewenthal
(1923-1988), Maria Tipo (b. 1931), and Klaus Hellwig (b. 1941) – who also studied with
Sancan, and who was interviewed for the current study.

138
6.5 Conclusion

Sancan was a highly accomplished pianist, composer, conductor and teacher, well-known
and much appreciated during his lifetime, who like many elite musicians ultimately chose
to narrow his focus and devote himself chiefly to teaching. In spite of what was evidently
a profoundly valuable contribution to the lives and careers of his students, this shift of
focus has inevitably meant that Sancan is no longer well known, particularly outside of
France. The current study appears to be the first scholarly work focused on his career: a
certain amount of research has concentrated on the historical figures that represent the
various European national piano schools during the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, but much less notice has been taken of the key figures who inspired and
embraced departures from the traditional approaches and developed more innovative and
catholic ideas. The apprenticeship model, critical in carrying forward the contributions of
individual masters, and although those may become traditions in themselves, they remain
private in nature and hidden from public view.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and document Sancan's musical career and
his influence on the transformation of the French piano school, explore the impact Sancan
had on his students, and to introduce – or reintroduce – some lesser-known twentieth
century compositions to a wider audience. The thesis examined the teaching methods of
a progressive French pianist, composer and educator. Sancan was an exemplary master-
artist who was educated through the rigour of traditional French curriculum, who enriched
his own understanding of music and technique continually through his career, and who
shared his knowledge generously with his students. The students who adopted his
approaches were equipped to develop their own solutions to musical and technical
problems, granting them independence and individuality as artists, essential qualities for
musicians entering the elite professional community. Studying with a master who did not
seek a high profile for himself, Sancan’s students often achieved fame as successful artists
in their own right, and they acknowledge Sancan as the main contributor to their
development into professional musicians. The memory of Sancan continues to have an
emotional impact on his students and he remains a significant role model to them, more
than a decade after his death. He is remembered as a talented, supportive, charismatic
musician by his apprentices, who continue to feel the powerfully influential and life-

139
changing effect that their relationship with Sancan had on their personal and professional
outlook.

Many of Sancan’s innovative attitudes have become common in elite teaching practices,
including an acceptance and appreciation of a wider range of musical styles, teaching
students to understand and draw on many aspects of music, and remaining open and
forward looking through a continual search for knowledge, experimentation with
technique, and learning through exposure to various international artists.

Sancan’s piano compositions stand firmly within the extensive and wide-ranging French
piano repertoire and include numerous effective concert pieces as well as elementary
teaching material. My own curiosity, research and determination have led me to countless
“hidden gems” of the miniatures and concert repertoire, waiting to be discovered and
championed, not only by public performers but by studio teachers in the apprenticeship
tradition, and at all levels of study. With early exposure, young students may learn to
continue the search for other lesser-known composers, or, eventually, explore the more
advanced compositions in such composers’ catalogues.

This study has contributed to scholarly knowledge of piano technique and pedagogy
through a case study representative of elite artist-teachers. The significant, if hidden
results of their work must have influenced how music is taught and learned, and must
hold a deep personal significance for the students they taught directly. Through the
research and documentation of the musical contribution of figures of the highest calibre,
like Sancan, their contribution can be recognised, appreciated and shared by future
generations.

140
 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Figure S1: Letter from Arthur Honegger dated 5 May 1944.

Although letter is signed A. Stromeyer, Sancan’s aunt leaves a note at the beginning and end of
the letter indicating that the letter is from Arthur Honegger.

141
Figure S2: Timeline of Sancan’s musical career highlights

142
Table S1: List of Sancan’s compositions
Key: Compositions are colour coded to indicate solo piano works and piano concerti;
chamber music; *works commissioned for the Concours de Conservatoire.141
Year Composition Description
19?? Roderic et Cunégonde Orchestral score142
1939 Fugue, chœur For choir, composed for the Prix de Rome
1939 Soir de Bataille Cantata composed for the Prix de Rome143
1942 Fugue, chœur For choir, composed for the Prix de Rome
1943 Fugue, chœur For choir, composed for the Prix de Rome
1943 La Légende d'Icare (Legend of Icaros) Cantata composed for the Prix de Rome
1943 Toccata en la (Toccata in A) For piano
1946 Lunegarde Film directed by Marc Allégret starring
Gaby Morlay based on a novel by Pierre
Benoit, music by Sancan
Story of how a daughter of a French
Count is finally reunited with her mother,
who had run away and taken to drink after
her husband's false accusations of
infidelity.
1946 Les Malheurs de Sophie (Sophie’s Film directed by Jacqueline Audry, music
misfortune) by Sancan
Sentimental comedy based on the novel
by the Comtesse de Ségur.
1946 Sonatine* For flute and piano
Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de
Paris 1946
One movement, Ravel-like in style. Flute
cadenza; graceful flowing lines in piano.
Three sections of contrasting moods and
tempos. Med-Difficult (Hinson &
Roberts, 2006, p. 262)
1946 Mouvement (Movement) For piano
Animated, contrasting sections, but
always returns to toccata-like opening
style; fast repeated notes; glissandos

141
A compilation of compositions catalogued in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF,
National Library of France), Bibliothèque municipale de Nantes (Municipal library of Nantes),
and in literature.
142
Autographical manuscript at the Médiathèque Hector Berlioz. Year composed unknown.
Orchestral score with voices and inclusion of stage directions in the manuscript.
143
Sancan’s first attempt at the Prix de Rome. The cantata was performed by Mrs Turba-Rabier,
and MM. Prigent and Clavensy, with Sancan and Miss Valerie Hamilton on the piano.
143
 Med- difficult (Hinson & Roberts, 2013,
p. 884)
1947 Berceuse (Lullaby) For piano
1949 Trois impressions (Three impressions) For vocals and piano on poems by Francis
1. Entends, contre les vieux Carco
piliers, l'eau vive (Hear,
against the old pillars, the
lively water)
2. C'est la pluie douce dans les
feuilles (It is the gentle rain in
the leaves)
3. La ronde (The round)
1949 Caprice romantique (Romantic For piano
caprice) Dedicated to Madame Voskochaki.
Like a grand waltz painted with broad
brush strokes. Agitated rhythms and
octaves in the middle section. Some black
key glissandi. Require ease in keyboard
shifts, chords and octaves. Modern
harmonies. Good concert work.
Difficult (Patterson, 1999, p. 147)
1950 Dusting For piano
With fantasy, many glissandos and
acciaccatura chords, sprightly
Med-Difficult (Hinson & Roberts, 2013,
p. 884)
1950 Boîte à musique (Music Box) For piano
1951 Olivia Film directed by Jacqueline Audry,
starring Claire Olivia, music by Sancan.
The story of young English girl sent to a
French finishing school and her love for
her schoolmistress.
1951 Cinq pièces enfantines (1er degré) For piano
(Five children’s pieces, book 1) Little known suite of six interesting
1. Tendre souvenir (Fond teaching pieces filled with vitality.
recollection) Intermediate Level 7 (Magrath, 1995, p.
2. Promenade sans histoire 484)
(Promenade without a story)
3. Jouet mécanique (Mechanical
toy)
4. Princesse lointaine (Faraway
princess)
5. Sur les chevaux de bois (On
the merry-go-round)
1951 Jardin d'enfants : 19 pièces faciles For piano. Selected and fingered by
pour le piano, 1er recueil Marie-Rose Clouzot.

144
 (Kindergarten: 19 easy pieces for the Pieces: Nous n'irons plus au bois (Alain
piano, 1st collection) Jehan), Mélodie (Jeanne Leleu), Le chant
du pâtre (Simone Ple), Les sabots de
Cathy (Hector Fraggi), Petit conte
(Maurice Thiriet), Ronda (André Sas),
Crépuscule (Jean Clergue), Première
mélancolie (Pierre Sancan), Pastoral
(André Sas), Frère Jacques (Jacques
Chailley), Promenade dans le parc (Noël
Gallon), Cancion (André Sas), Plantation
song (Maurice Thiriet), Devant l'icône
(Simone Ple), Clarinette solo (Claude
Pascal), Danse française (Georges Auric),
Chansons américaine (Jean Hubeau), Le
manège à vapeur (Henri Sauguet),
Spiritual (Jean Wiener)
1951 Nouvelles cadences du concerto en ré For Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor
mineur pour piano et orchestre de W. K.466 for piano and orchestra
A. Mozart (New cadences)
1952 Commedia dell’arte (The Italian Ballet created at the Opéra-Comique
Commedia144)
Debuted on Friday November 23, 1951 at
Opéra-Comique. The characters have the
names Pulcinella, Zani, Lelio, Oratio,
Flamina, Franceschina, etc. ("La
"Commedia Dell'Arte"," 1951)
1953 64 Leçons d'harmonie offertes en Four-part choral studies by students of
hommage à Jean Gallon (64 Lessons Jean Gallon’s harmony class during 1919
of harmony offered in tribute to Jean to 1948. Students include Casadesus,
Gallon) Dutilleux, Messiaen, Gallois-Montbrun
and Sancan.
Sancan’s Chant donné can be found on
pages 110-112.
1955 Concerto For piano and orchestra
Modéré: freely tonal, arabesque lines,
effective integration of orchestra and
piano.
Andante: one theme elaborated in various
ways, chromatic, melancholy.
Allegro vivo: light music-hall tunes,
varied meters, brilliant cadenza, quiet
close. Fluent and versatile pianism
required throughout. Neoclassic

144
A form of rehearsed improvised comedy originating from Italy
145
 Difficult (Hinson, 1993, p. 257)
1957 Sonatine* For oboe and piano
Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
1957
1958 Concerto* For violin and orchestra
Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de
Paris 1958
1961 Symphony For string orchestra
1961 Sonate (Sonata) * For cello and piano
Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
1961
Disjunct octaves, freely tonal, chordal
punctuation, toccata-like passages,
octotonic, glissandi, melodic line
superimposed in triplets. Expressive
sonorities in Andante sostenuto; perpetual
motion and toccata style in Vif. Superb
piano writing. Large span required.
Difficult. (Hinson & Roberts, 2006, p.
199)
1962 Ondine, fille de la forêt (Ondine, a Created at the Grand Théâtre de
forest sprite) Bordeaux Opera written to the text by La
Motte-Fouquet (commissioned)
1963 Sonatine* For clarinet and piano
Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
1963
Three connected movements, excellent,
light. Difficult. (Hinson & Roberts, 2006,
p. 311)
1963 Reflet (Reflection) Ballet
1963 Concertino For piano and chamber orchestra
Vif; andante; presto
More tart and 'secco' than the concerto,
attractive
Med-difficult (Hinson, 1993, p. 257)
1966 Morceaux de déchiffrage (Sight For harpsichord
reading) Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
1966
146
 1966 Suite fantasque (Capricious suite) For harpsichord or piano
Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
1966
1966 Les Fourmis (The Ants) Ballet, choreography by Claude Bessy
The ballet depicts an army of giant ants
that attack and consume five men fleeing
from an unspecified form of captivity.
(Davies, 1966, p. 4)
1967 Six pièces enfantines (2ème degré) For piano
(Six children’s pieces book 2) Easy-Intermediate
1. Petite valse (Little waltz)
2. Le cirque au village (The
circus in the village)
3. La chasse aux papillons
(Hunting butterflies)
4. Accordéon (Accordian)
5. Le soldat joyeux (The merry
soldier)
6. Berceuse de Noël (Christmas
berceuse)
1967 Petites mains (Small hands) For piano
The music is in the best French classical
tradition. Even when stripped down to
meet the requirements of children, there
remains a Faure-like beauty of line and a
subtle harmonic structure that must be
difficult to achieve within such limits.
Easy / Grade 4145
1970 Rapsodie (Rhapsody)* For trumpet and piano
Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
1970
1971 Une soirée chez Sophie (an evening at For piano, selected and fingered by
Sophie’s) from Le monde merveilleux Suzanne Sohet-Boulnois.
de la musique : Collection de six Pieces: Marcetta (Gérard Meunier), Ne
recueils pour le piano V.3 (The pleure pas (Henriette Puig-Roget),
wonderful world of music: Collection Chansons dialoguée de la Mongolie ;
of six pieces for the piano. Vol. 3) Choral du XVIe siècle (Jules Mouquet),
Dans une gondole (Barbara Kirby-
Mason), Pavane (Paul Dedieu) Peters
Chanson des Maramures ; Valse
mélancolique (Jean. Absil), La cornemuse
(Ettore Caussade Pozzoli), Chant du

It is a pity that no recording comes with the Sancan book. Comment from Music in Education,
145

Volume 34-35, Macmillan Journals, 1970

147
 berger (Simone Plé), Tendre pavane ;
Berceuse (Paule Jaume), Les poulains ;
Chant des bateliers de la Volga (Joseph
Strimer), Valsez Sophie (Pierre Sancan),
La chanson du marin (Charles Jay) Dodo-
swing (Charles-Henry) Children's dances
No 1 et 2 (Zoltán Kodály)
1971 Le monde merveilleux de la musique : For piano, selected and fingered by
Collection de six recueils pour le Suzanne Sohet-Boulnois.
piano V.4 (The wonderful world of Pieces: Musique dans les bois (Simone
music: Collection of six pieces for the Plé), Vieille complainte flamande (Jean
piano. Vol. 4) Absil), Tic tac (Pierre Lantier), Au foyer
(Suzanne Sohet-Boulnois), Dans la vieille
petite église (Simone Plé), Le petit chien
noir (Monique Gabus), Dormez "Doll"
(Pierre Sancan), Pastorale (Henry
Barraud), Les noix et le vin (Barbara
Kirby-Mason), Le Coucou (Jean Absil),
Cadeau de Noël (Wladimir Rebikov),
Petit thème et ses variations (Alice
Sauvrezis), Choral Op. 25 (Raffaele
d'Alessandro), Jasmin de Provence
(Germaine Tailleferre), Vieille chanson
française (Jules Mouquet), Danse de
Pierrot (Paule Jaume)
1973 Lamento et rondo (Lament and rondo) For alto saxophone in E-flat and piano
* Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
1973
1975 Theme et variations (Theme and For harp
variations) * Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
1975
1982 Ballade* For horn and piano
Morceau de Concours du Conservatoire
National Supérieur de Musique de Paris
1982
Written for Georges Barboteu. Single-
movement work features flutter tonguing,
difficult rhythms and fast technique.
(Seraphinoff & Dempf, 2016, p. 294)
1987 Les Contemporains : pièces faciles For piano. Editor: Lucette Descaves
pour le piano (The Contemporaries: Pieces: Valse du Prince et de la Belle
Easy pieces for piano, Volume 1) (Paule Maurice), Ping-pong (Pierre
Lantier), Jeu (Darius Milhaud), Le petit
148
 chaperon rouge (Jacques Chailley), Quelle
heure est-il ? (André Lavagne), Notturno
(Maurice Thiriet), Berceuse dans un
hamac (André Jolivet), La vieille horloge
de grand-mère (Pierre Sancan), Ballade du
soldat incassable (Jean Martinon), Valse
(Claude Arrieu), Peine de coeur (Daniel
Lesur), Les fleurs endormies (Marcel
Landowski), Pastorale (Jean-Michel
Damase), Danse de Doudou volé par les
Bohémiens (Jacqueline Deschamps),
Marche des animaux (Claude Pascal),
Badinage (Jacques Thierac) Espièglerie
(Henri Sauguet), Rotundello (Albert
Beaucamp), Monsieur Clown (Michel
Garcin), L'histoire de Babar (Francis
Poulenc)
2003 Next to piano juniors (52 pièces pour For piano. Editor: Brigitte Bouthinon-
piano) Dumas
Works by C. Czerny, P. Maurice, W. A.
Mozart, B. Bartok, J.-P. Rameau, J.
Chailley, F. Le Couppey, L. v. Beethoven,
L. Papp, M. Garcin, L. Borsody, G. F.
Haendel, M. Clementi, I. Stravinsky, J.
Haydn, B. Jolas, O. Gartenlaub, R.
Schumann, C. Debussy, C.P.E. Bach, J.
Garscia, J. Makholm, H. Purcell, S.
Prokofiev, C. Mayran de Chamisso, P.
Sancan, M. Bitsch, F. Schubert and H.
Dutilleux
2018 Bonjour, Piano! – Early intermediate For piano.146
level In the Desert (Jean-Michel Arnaud),
Lullaby (François Couperin), The Cuckoo
(Louis-Claude Daquin), The Doll's
Lament (César Franck), Waltz (Olivier
Hauray), The Happy House (Charles
Koechlin), Sleeping Doll, Sophie's Waltz
(Pierre Sancan), Lullaby (Erik Satie),
Street Singer (Henri Sauguet), Arithmetic
Lesson, The Doll, Going for a Walk,
Little Dream, Music Box, The Spinning
Top, Waltz of the Marionettes (Alexandre

146
Year indicates year of publication. Bonjour, Piano! are a series of books by French composers,
divided into five levels of difficulty. Hal Leonard, who distribute Durand publications in
Australia, remarked that many of the French composers included in these series of books “will be
new to many teachers, allowing for fresh discoveries”.
149
 Tansman), Go to Sleep, Little Brother,
The Marquis and Marquise (Jean Trémer)
2018 Bonjour, Piano! – Upper intermediate For piano.
level The girl with the flaxen hair, Rêverie
(Claude Debussy), Life; F. Poulenc:
Polka, Rustic Piece (Darius Milhaud),
Young Men Working (Pierre Sancan),
Gnossienne No. 3, The (Perpetual) Tango,
The Races, The Son of the Stars: First Act
Prelude - The Calling, Yachting (Erik
Satie), The Child of the Troop, The
Cyclists (Henri Sauguet), In Chapel
(Déodat de Séverac), Rainy Day,
Speeding Along, Toccata (Alexandre
Tansman)
2018 Bonjour, Piano! –Intermediate level For piano.
Franz, Mystery (Olivier Hauray),
Greetings, Lullaby, Siciliana (Charles
Koechlin), Candy (Darius Milhaud),
Staccato, Tyrolean Waltz (Francis
Poulenc), Prélude (Maurice Ravel),
Skipping, Sound the Drum (Pierre
Sancan), Gymnopédie No. 1 (Erik Satie),
Paul and Virginia (Henri Sauguet), Games
in the Park (Déodat de Séverac), Difficult
Problem, Dreams, The Little Cartoon Cat,
Ping Pong, Prayer, Spanish Mood
(Alexandre Tansman)

150
Table S2: List of Sancan’s concert performances
Date Venue Programme Other information
January Salles de “Audition- Spectacle” Press clipping
19, 1930 Hautes Sancan “already has a man's
3.30pm Etudes, Ecole, finger, a sure technique and
Solo piece by Sancan, age 13
Rabat, the intelligence of the page
Meknès he plays.”
Gabriel Pierné - Fantaisie
Sancan and Oubbédia “got a
ballet for two pianos
real ovation from the
Performed by Sancan and audience that recalled them
Miss Yvonne Oubbédia, age at length.”
16
Sancan awarded 1er accessit
de Piano de l’Ecole
Municipale de Musique
Saturday Salle Erard, Mozart - Cosi fan tutti, Renault Symphony Orchestra
December Paris ouverture Conductor: R. Liard.
11, 1937 Rimsky Korsakov - Hymne au
soleil Ms Madeleine Carré of the
9:00pm Schola Cantorum and Pierre
Mozart - Rondo (Mlle Carré) Sancan, first prize winner in
piano of the Paris
Lalo - Rhapsodie norvégienne Conservatoire
Chopin - First movement of
the Sonata in B-flat (Sancan) Published in ‘Les
Liszt - Rêve d'amour (Sancan) Spectacles’, Le Temps, 5
December 1937, available
Liard - Deux pièces brèves, en
première audition from Gallica, (accessed 3
Haydn - Allégro de la April 2017)
symphonie en ut

Debussy - Prélude (Sancan)

Liszt - Rhapsodie hongroise
(Sancan)

Mendelssohn - Symphonie
italienne
Beethoven - Prométhée
May 21, Salle du Honegger - Quatre Chansons First performance (public
1944 Conservatoire, pour voix grave for voice and premier) by Ginette
Paris piano Guillamat (voice) and Pierre
1. La douceur de tes
Sancan (piano)
yeux
2. Derrière Murcie en (Spratt, 1987, pp. 570-571)
fleurs
3. Un grand sommeil
noir
4. La terre les eaux va
buvant

151
November Salles des Mozart - Sonata in G major Concert programme
12, 1944 Fêtes de la for piano and violin
Chambre de Sancan (piano)
3pm
Commerce de Debussy - Preludes (Bruyères,
Minstrels, La Puerta del vino, Raymond Gallois Montbrun
Versailles (violin)
General Lavine-eccentric)

Delvincourt - Danceries for Profits donated to the local

violin and piano French Red Cross

Sancan - Pieces for piano

(Mouvement, Berceuse,
Toccata)

Montbrun - Etudes (from 12

Etudes Caprices for solo
violin)

Fauré - Sonata No. 1 for violin

and piano
February Stravinsky Stravinsky - Les Noces Chœur de Radio France
3, 1945 Festival (French Radio Choir)
Performed by Francis Orchestre National de la
Poulenc, Monique Haas, Radiodiffusion Français
Geneviève Joy and Pierre Conductor: Manuel
Sancan Rosenthal
(Southon, 2016, p. 31)
June 1945 Salle Gaveau Montbrun - Etudes Press clipping by Edmund J.
Pendleton, ‘Music in Paris’,
New York herald Tribune, 16
Sancan - “highly interesting
June 1945
piano pieces”
Beethoven - Piano sonata
Ravel - Piano sonata
November Wigmore Hall “French music at the Wigmore Sancan (piano)
18, 1945 Hall” Gallois-Montbrun (violin)
3.30pm
Fauré - Sonata No. 2 for Published in The Sunday
violin and piano Times (London, England),
Ravel - Sonata for violin and Sunday November 18, 1945,
piano p. 8, issue 6397, and
Classified ad 2, The
Observer (1901- 2003); Nov
Sancan - Three little pieces
11, 1945; p. 7
(Etude, Mouvement, Toccata)
Dutilleux - Promenade,
Berceuse (Sancan)

152
 Gallois-Montbrun - Caprices,
Improvisation

Concerted extemporization
(Sancan and Gallois-
Montbrun)
December Salle Gaveau Bach - Toccata and Fugue in Press clipping by Edmund J.
11, 1946 D minor Pendleton, ‘Music in Paris’,
Schumann - Carnival New York Herald Tribune,
16 Jun 1945
Debussy - Twelve Preludes
Ravel - Toccata
Sancan - Pièces enfantines,
Berceuse, Mouvement
February Tel Aviv, Carnival – Schumann Sancan is giving a series of
19, 1947 Israel Liszt - Sixth rhapsody concerts in Palestine under
the Patronage of the French
Debussy - Preludes
Consul General
Sancan - Pièces enfantines
Published in ‘Social and
Personal’, The Palestine
Post, Friday Feb 21 1947, p.
2 and P.R., Palestine Post,
Feb 26, 1947, p. 4
March Jerusalem, Concert programme unknown Variety (Archive: 1905-
1947 Israel 2000); Los Angeles Vol.
165, Iss. 13, (Mar 5, 1947):
63
November Paris “Recital dedicated to Details of pieces in concert
7, 1947 Schumann and Debussy” programme unknown
Saturday, Théatre des Mozart - Sérénade (K. 203) Conductor: Richard Korn
November Champs Mozart - Piano Concerto in D Soloist: Sancan
6, 1948 Elysées, Paris minor
5:45 pm Mozart - Sympony in E flat
January Wigmore Hall Mozart - Sonata in B flat Published in The Sunday
13, 1949 major Times (London, England),
7pm Schumann - Papillons Sunday Jan 02, 1949, p. 7,
issue 6559.
Beethoven - Appassionata
sonata Repeat ad on Sunday Times
Sunday Jan 9, 1949, p. 7,
Debussy - Preludes
issue 6560.
Sunday Théatre des Berlioz - Carnaval romain Details from concert
January Champs Schumann - Concerto in A programme
30, 1949 Elysées, Paris minor
5:45 pm

153
 Dvorak - New World Société des Concerts du
Symphony Conservatoire
Conductor: Rafaël Kubelik
Soloist: Sancan
December Salle Pleyel Concert programme unknown Mentioned in Nouvelles, Le
2, 1950, Monde, December 2, 1950
9pm
June 8, 24 Square du “Concert in hommage to Madame Becheau La Fonta,
1951 Bois-de- Debussy” organizer of this concert
6pm Boulogne, à
Paris (Former
Sonata for Violin and Piano Published in ‘Hommage à
home of
(Jacques Thibaud) Debussy’, Le Monde, May
Claude
Sonata for harp, flute and 18, 1951
Debussy)
viola (Lily Laskine, Fernand
Garatge and Etienne Ginot)
Pisces d'Or (Pierre Sancan)
Placet futile (Madame
Becheau La Fonta)
June 13, Strasbourg, “Strasbourg Music Festival” “The remarkable technique
1951 France and the intelligence of his
playing justified the choice
Schubert recital:
of the organizers of the
Impromptu, op. 90 festival of such an artist.”
Andante with variations, op.
142
René Dumesnil, ‘Le Festival
Musical Moments, op. 94 de Strasbourg,’ June 14,
Sonata in A major, op. 120 1949
February Ravel - Piano concerto Conductor: Albert Wolff
15, 1952 Saint-Saëns - Carnival of the
Animals Published in ‘R.D., Pierre
Mozart - Great Symphony in Sancan Jacqueline Potier
E flat Madeleine La Candela’, Le
Dukas - Sorcerer’s apprentice Monde, 15 February 1952
March 3, Harvard Club Solo recital. Concert Two month tour in America
1952 programme unknown organised by National Music
League (Beckley, 1952)
March 4, Corning, New Concerto performance Orchestra: Corning
1952 York Philharmonic Orchestra
Soloist: Sancan
March 7, Waldorf- Performers include Frances Proceeds will go to the
1952 Astoria Hotel, Magnes (violinist), Rise National Music League
9pm New York Stevens (mezzo-soprano),
David Garrey and Brooks
154
 Smith (accompanists), and Published in ‘Music as
Pierre Sancan (piano) Written’, The Billboard, Vol
Schubert - Impromptu 64, Issue 8, 23 February
1952 p. 22, and in Variety
Debussy – Mouvement
(Archive: 1905-2000); Los
Angeles, Vol 185, Issue 10,
p. 69, Feb 13, 1952
March 13, Beth El Schubert - Impromptu Press clipping from
1952 temple Variations Wisconsin State Journal,
8.15 pm auditorium, Debussy – Three Preludes Thursday March 13, 1952,
Wisconsin Section 2, p. 5
Schumann - Papillons
Liszt - Légendes
Chopin – Two works
April 1, Fort Pierce, Concert programme unknown Press clipping from The
1952 Florida News Tribune from Fort
Pierce, Florida, p. 4, March
23 1952

April 8, Northeast “Pierre Sancan to appear in Press clipping from The

1952 Louisiana concert” Monroe News-Star, Monroe,
State College Louisiana, April 7, 1952, p. 2
auditorium
April 17, Teachers “Bloomsburg STC to hear Press clipping from The
1952 College, Sancan” Indiana Gazette, Indiana,
Indiana, Pennsylvania, Sat April 5,
Pennsylvania 1952, p. 14
April 21, Phillips Schumann – Carnaval Press clipping from The
1952 Gallery, Bach - Three chorales Evening Star, Washington
April 22, 1952
Mozart - Sonata
Debussy - La Puerta del Vino,
Bruyeres and General Lavine
Sancan - Romantic caprice for
the left hand (encore)
April 27, Gardner Concert programme unknown Press clipping from The
1952 Museum, Christian Science Monitor;
2pm Boston, Apr 26, 1952; p. 5
Massachusetts
August 16, Teatro Solis, Bach - Suite No. 3 Orquesta Sinfónica del Sodre
1952 Montevideo, Mozart - Piano concerto in C
Uruguay
Cluzzeau-Mortet - Preludio y Press clipping by Susana
Danza Salgado, ‘The Teatro Solis:
Faure - Pelléas et Mélisande 150 years of opera, concert
and ballet in Montevideo’,
Liszt - Piano Concerto no. 2
Wesleyan University Press,

155
 Middletown, Connecticut.
2003, p. 414
March 12, Fairbanks, “Famed French pianist to play Press clipping from
1953 Alaska in Fairbanks Wien Alaska is Fairbanks Daily News-
Pierre Sancan” Miner, Fairbanks, Alaska,
March 12, 1953
p. 3
March 20, Seward “Third Alaska music trails Press clipping by Bob
1953 Auditorium, concert” Kederick, Variety; Los
Alaska Angeles Vol. 190, Iss. 2,
(Mar 18, 1953): 62.
March 24, Lacey Street Bach, Mozart, Debussy, Organised by the Fairbanks
1953 Theatre, Chopin, Liszt, Sancan (‘Music Concert Association
Fairbanks, Box’ and ‘Dusting’ as Press clipping from
Alaska encores) Fairbanks Daily News
Miner, Fairbanks Alaska,
March 25 1953, p. 1
June 15, Teatro Colón, Mozart - Concerto No. 20 in Concert programme
1953 Buenos Aires D minor, K 466 Orquesta Sinfonica de la
9:00pm Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Conductor: Lionello Forzanti
February Théâtre des Programme included Brilliant week for the French
2, 1954 Champs- Beethoven, Schumann, piano school, with Pierre
Élysées Chopin, Liszt, Mozart and J.S. Sancan on Monday, and
Bach (Chorales). Yves Nat on Thursday,
showing both their vitality
Benefit
and wealth.
concert for the
Tuberculosis Pierre Sancan, he is a
clinic complete musician, an artist,
(Laënnec an inventor of melodies and
Hospital) rhythms, including the clever
worker, the harmonious
scientist and the ingenious
orchestrator… The art of
Pierre Sancan is all finesse
and balance.
Published by René
Dumesnil, ‘Les Concerts’, Le
Monde, February 9, 1954.
February Bolívar “Sancan was the first Medellín, Luis Echavarría
15, 1954 theatre in performer for the 1954 Villegas Library,
Medellín season” Documentary Heritage Hall,
(Colombia) Newspaper Library

156
March 31, Washington Chopin, Ravel, Liszt and two Concert sponsored by
1954 College, Sancan works Chester Community College
Chestertown, Music Group (Washington
Maryland College, 1954)
July 1, Théâtre des Handel - Concerto grosso Concerto grosso: M. Andre
1954 Champs- opus 6 (No. 10) for two Bogues, Miss Gabrielle
Elysées violins, cello, strings and Devries, M. Andre Remond
harpsichord Piano: Sancan
Stravinsky - Cappricio Conductor: Manuel
Rosenthal
Monday Théâtre Haydn - Symphony in D National de la
September Municipal, major (Miracle) Radiodiffusion-Télévision
6, 1955 Besançon Sancan - Concerto for piano orchestre Française
and orchestra (premier) Conductor: André Cluytens
Rimsky-Korsakov - Soloist: Sancan
Schéhérazade
April 29, Algiers, Concert programme unknown Radiodiffusion-Télévision
1956 France Française
1956 Bulgaria Mozart’s Concerto for piano Orchestra: Sofia
and orchestra Philharmonic Orchestra
Press clipping from Bulgaria
Today, Volume 5, Sofia
Press Agency, 1956
December Société des Franck - Le chasseur maudit Conductor: Louis Fourestier
1956 concerts, (the cursed hunter) Soloist: Sancan
Champs- Honegger - Symphonie Published by René
Élysées liturgique Dumesnil, ‘Louis Fourestier
Sancan - Concerto for piano et Pierre Sancan à la Société
and orchestra Mme Thyssens-Valentin
L'ensemble à vent et Roger
Boutry’, Le Monde,
December 20 1956
Sunday Société des Sancan - Concerto for piano Conductor: Louis Fourestier
December concerts, Paris and orchestra Soloist: Sancan
1957
Published by René
Dumesnil, ‘Réflexions sur la
saison symphonique’, Le
Monde, 14 August 1957
Saturday, Concert de Roussel - Le festin de Details from concert
June 6, Musique l'araignée programme
1959 Française, Sancan - Concerto pour piano Orchestra: Orchestre
9:00pm Opera de Nice and orchestra Philharmonique de Nice
France Debussy - Les Nocturnes Conductor: Jean Perisson

157
 Ravel - Daphnis et Chloé Presenter: Bernard Gavoty
(Clarendon)
Soloist: Sancan
(Tamino Autographs, 2015)
December Broadcasted Broadcast of concert Soloist-Sancan
21, 1961 on December Mozart - Concerto in D minor
21 on France
Mentioned in ‘Lesur et
III and IV,
Sibélius’, Le Monde,
and December
December 21, 1961
30 on France I
February Tokyo, Japan Concert programme unknown With Tokyo Symphony
13, 1962 Orchestra
January NHK, Japan Radio broadcast
19, 1970
January Toranomon Rameau - Musette en Rondeau Press clipping from Japan
21, 1970 Hall, Tokyo Lully - Gavotte times, Jan 18, 1970, p. 9
D'Aquin - Coucou
Mozart - Sonata in F major K
283
Schumann - Fantasie in C
major Op. 17
Ravel - Sonatine
Debussy - 6 preludes
February 11.05-11.55 Rameau - Rondo Press clipping from Japan
1, 1970 A.M. Radio Lully - Gavotte Times, Feb 1, 1970, p. 5
Programme
Ravel - Sonatine
Debussy - Preludes Book 2
Sancan - Impromptu on a
Theme of Japan, others (AK)
February Mainichi Hall, Concert programme likely to Press clipping from Japan
5, 1970 Osaka be the same as above in Times, Jan 19, 1970, p. 5
January/February concert
February Kyosai Hall, As above Press clipping from Japan
9, 1970 Sapporo Times, Jan 19, 1970, p. 5
February Tokyo Yoshiaka Irino - Sinfonietta Tokyo Symphony Orchestra
13, 1970 Metropolitan Ravel - Concerto in G major Conductor: Kazuyoshi
7pm Festival Hall, for Piano Akiyama and Sancan
Tokyo
Berlioz - Fantastic Symphony Soloist: Sancan
Sancan’s own orchestral work Sancan to appear as
conductor presenting his own
composition

158
 Concert programme from
Japan Times Feb 8, 1970, p.
9

Sancan also gave a limited

number of private lessons
throughout the country.
Press clipping from Japan
Times, Jan 19, 1970, p. 5.
February Seoul, South Broadcast Radio Television Studio in
17, 1970 Korea Tongyang
March, Athens, “French pianist Pierre Sancan Conductor: Alexandros
1975 Greece was soloist of the last weekly Myrat
concert of the Athens State” Soloist: Sancan
Published by Rena
Velissariou, Variety; Los
Angeles Vol. 178, Iss. 6,
(Mar 19, 1975): 85.

159
Table S3: Recordings of Sancan’s performances
CD Label/Year Published Programme Performers
Cello Sonatas Nos. 3, Musidisc (30 RC 731) Beethoven - Cello Sonatas Nos. 3, 4 & the 1st Movement from No. 5 André Navarra (cello),
4 & The 1st Mov Pierre Sancan (piano)
From No. 5 3 x Vinyl recording
Chorals / J.S. Bach. 1955 (LP recording) Bach - Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Jesus bleibet meine Sancan
Papillons : Opus 2 Freude (Chorale) (Arranged for Solo Piano by Pierre Sancan)
Digitized in 29 January
2016 Bach - 10 Chorale Preludes: No. 2, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,
BWV 645 (arranged by Busoni)
BnF Collection
Bach - 10 Chorale Preludes: No. 5, Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr, BWV 639

Schumann - Papillons Op. 2- No. 1-12

Préludes - Claude 1955 (vinyl recording) Debussy - La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin (Book 1 Prelude No. 8), La Puerta Sancan
Debussy/ Sonatine - Del Vino (Book 2 Prelude No. 3), General Lavine Eccentic (Book 2
Ravel Digitized 2 February Prelude No. 6), Bruyeres (Book 2 Prelude No. 5), Minstrels (Book 1
2016 Prelude No. 12)

Ravel - Sonatine M.40

(BnF collection)
Valse En La Bemol 1956 (vinyl recording) Chopin - Waltz in A flat major, Op. 69 No. 1 ("Valse De l'Adieu") Sancan
Majeur Op. 69 No 1
("Valse De Chopin - Nocturne No. 11 in A flat major Op. 9 No. 2
L'adieu"); Nocturne
No. 11 En Mi Bemol
Majeur Op. 9 N °2 /
Frédéric Chopin
Les Symbolistes 1961 Debussy - Clair de Lune Sancan

160
Maurice Ravel Le Club Français Du A1-3: Ravel - Concerto En Sol Majeur Pour Piano Et Orchestre Conductor: Pierre Dervaux
Disque – 336
B1-4: Ravel - Concerto Pour La Main Gauche Pour Piano Et Orchestre Orchestra: Südwestfunk-
1964 (Vinyl recording) Orchester Baden-Baden

Soloist: Pierre Sancan

Concerto for Two Nonesuch (H-1028) A1-3: Mozart - Concerto for Two Pianos & Orchestra in E Flat Major, K. Orchestra: Orchestra of the
Pianos - Concerto for 365 Association of Lamoureux
Three Pianos 1965 (vinyl recording) Concerts
B1-3: Mozart - Concerto for Three Pianos & Orchestra in F Major, K. 242
Digitized 19 November Conductor: Dimitri
2016 Mozart - Piano Concerto no. 7 in F Major, K 242 Chorafas

ReNovo Mozart - Piano Concerto No 10 in E flat Major, K365 Soloists: Jean-Bernard

Pommier, Pierre Sancan,
Catherine Silie (tracks B1
to B3)
Intégrale des Sonates Musidisc (CRC 15) Beethoven - Sonata Op.5 No 1, Sonata Op.5 No 2, Sonata Op.69, Sonata Navarra (cello), Sancan
et Variations Pour Op. 102 No.1, Sonata Op. 102 No. 2 (piano)
Piano Et Violoncelle 1977 (vinyl discs)
Beethoven - 7 Variations in E flat major, 12 Variations in F major, 12
Variations in G major
Morceaux Choisis Accord (461 735-2) CD 2: Tracks 6-8 Conductor : Pierre Dervaux

Universal (461 735-2) Ravel - Concerto Pour Piano Et Orchestre En Sol Majeur (1931) Orchestra : Orchestre du
Sudwestfunk de Baden-
2001 Baden

Soloist: Pierre Sancan

161
Sonates et variations Accord (4767786) Disc 1: Navarra (cello), Sancan
pour violoncelle et (piano)
piano January 1, 2005 Beethoven - Sonata for cello and piano in F major, Op. 5 No. 1
(2xCD)
Beethoven - Sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op. 5 No. 2
Re release
Mozart - Variations on a theme from The Magic Flute by Mozart, Op. 66
3 October 2005
Handel - Variations on a theme by Handel, in G minor WoO45
Universal Music

Disc 2:

Beethoven - Sonata for cello and piano in A major, Op. 69 No. 3

Beethoven - Sonata for cello and piano in C major, Op. 102 No. 1

Beethoven - Sonata for cello and piano in D major, Op. 102 No. 2

Handel - Variations on a theme by Handel, in E-flat major WoO46

Ravel: Concertos January 1, 2006 Ravel - Pavanne pour une infante défunte Orchestra: Orchestre du
pour piano – Bolero Sudwestfunk Baden Baden
– La valse Universal Music Ravel - Piano Concerto in G major, M. 83
Conductor: Pierre Dervaux
Ravel - La valse
Soloist: Sancan
Ravel - Boléro

Ravel - Concerto pour la main gauche in D major, M. 82

162
Ravel: Morceaux August 4, 2009 CD2, Tracks 6-8 Orchestra: Orchestre du
choisis (selected Sudwestfunk de Baden-
works) 2x CD Accord – 461 Ravel - Concerto pour piano et orchestre en sol majeur (Piano concerto in Baden
735-2, Universal – 461 G major)
735-2 Conductor: Pierre Dervaux

Soloist: Sancan
Sancan : Boîte à 26 May 2015 Sancan - Boîte à musique Sancan
musique ; Chopin:
Valse, Op. 69 No. 1 BnF collection Chopin - Valse, Op. 69 No. 1 in A-flat major "L'adieu"
"L'adieu" & (Recorded in 1956)
Nocturne, Op. 9 Chopin - Nocturne, Op. 9 No. 2 in E-flat major
Strauss-Poulenc- May 1, 2017 Strauss – Le chevalier a la rose Orchestra : Orchestra
Prokofiev national de la RTF
[Link] Sancan – Concerto for piano and orchestra
Conductor: Manuel
(Concert recorded on 2 Poulenc – Les animaux modeles Rosenthal
February 1956)
Prokofiev – Le pas d’acier, Op. 43
Soloist: Sancan

163
Table S4: List of Participants
Name Code/Initials Interview/Survey
Pascal Amoyel PA Survey
Jean-François Antonioli JA Survey
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet JB Phone interview
Carl Blake CB Survey
Joël Capbert JC Survey
Mark Carver MC Survey
Olivier Cazal OC Survey
Jean-Philippe Collard JPC Survey, interview, lessons
Dominique Cornil DC Survey
Claude Cymerman CC Survey
Marcela Fiorillo MF Survey
Michel Gal MG Survey
Olivier Gardon OG Survey
Klaus Hellwig KH Interview
Yves Henry YH Survey
Thierry Huillet TH Survey
Christian Jacob CJ Survey
Marc Lys ML Survey
Irène Mathis IM Phone interview
Emile Naoumoff EN Survey
Michel Prezman MP Survey

164
 APPENDICES

Appendix A: Questionnaire (English)

Sancan: Pianist, teacher and composer

Welcome
Thank you for participating in this survey.

The responses from this questionnaire will be used to assist in the research being
conducted on Pierre Sancan.

The survey consists of three sections:

1-Getting to know you!
2-Sancan as a teacher and performer
3-Sancan as a composer

Please do not hesitate to contact Halina ([Link]@[Link]) if you have any

questions. We expect this survey to take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete.

Your answers are invaluable and we appreciate you taking the time to complete this
survey.

Please click the button below to begin.

Section 1 Getting to know you!

This first section will ask a few questions about you.

Q1 What is your name?

If you do not wish to be identified, please skip Q1 and proceed to Q2.

o First name: ________________________________________________

o Last name: ________________________________________________

165
Q2 What is your current country of residence?

________________________________________________________________

Q3 What aspects do you consider most important in your career as a musician?

Please drag the bar to indicate the level of importance.

Least important Most important

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Teacher (piano, other instrument,

composition) ()

Arranger (piano, other instrument,

ensemble) ()

Composer (piano, other instrument,

ensemble, film and TV) ()

Performer (solo pianist, accompanist,

ensemblist) ()

Conductor (orchestra) ()

Adjudicator/examiner (jury member in local,

national, international piano competitions)
()

166
Q4 How do you spend most of your time as a musician?
Please drag the bar to indicate the amount of time.

None of the time Most of the time

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Teaching (piano, other instrument,

composition) ()

Arranging (piano, other instrument,

ensemble) ()

Composing (piano, other instrument,

ensemble, film and TV) ()

Performing (solo pianist, accompanist,

ensemblist) ()

Conducting (orchestra) ()

Adjudicating/examining (jury member in

local, national, international piano
competitions) ()

Q5 Are you currently associated with an institution?

Please specify your music institution and your role, or proceed to the next questions if
this does not apply to you.

o Institution (e.g. university, conservatory, company):

________________________________________________

o Title/Role (e.g. lecturer, piano teacher):

________________________________________________

Section 2
Sancan as a Teacher and Performer
Let us explore your experiences with Sancan.

167
Q1 Prior to your studies with Pierre Sancan, were you aware of his reputation as a
performer/teacher/composer?
Please explain.

o Performer: ________________________________________________
o Teacher: __________________________________________________
o Composer: ________________________________________________

Q2 What years did you study with Sancan?

________________________________________________________________

Q3 What was the nature of your studies with Sancan? (e.g. one-on-one lesson, group
lesson, public or private masterclass, private lesson)?

________________________________________________________________

Q4 How frequent were your classes with Sancan?

o Rare (once or twice a year)

o Not frequent (once every few months)
o Frequent (every fortnight)
o Very frequent (every week)
Q5 What memorable experiences do you have of Sancan as a teacher?
Please describe three.

o Experience 1: ________________________________________________
o Experience 2: ________________________________________________
o Experience 3: ________________________________________________

168
Q6 What do you remember most about Sancan? What about him made the biggest
impression on you?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q7 Can you identify three things you learned from your studies with Sancan?

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________

Q8 Was there a reference to a national tradition (e.g. French, Russian) in your piano
lessons with Sancan? Were there any teachers/pianists he was influenced by?
Please explain.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q9 Was there an emphasis on specific techniques that could be attributed to his

teaching and playing?
Please explain.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

169
 ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q10 Are there any aspects of his teaching reflected in your own style of playing or
teaching?
If yes, please explain.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q11 What do you think are the most important factors that influence a performer’s
development?
Please describe three.

o Factor 1: ________________________________________________
o Factor 2: ________________________________________________
o Factor 3: ________________________________________________

Q12 What else in your opinion has shaped your own pianistic style (e.g. teacher, own
personality, live performances, recordings)?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

170
Q13 What do you think are the most important factors that influence a performer’s
choice of repertoire?
Please describe three.

o Factor 1: ________________________________________________
o Factor 2: ________________________________________________
o Factor 3: ________________________________________________

Q14 Does your repertoire consist of a wide range of styles or is there a particular style,
period (e.g. Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th/21st century) or composer you
specialise in or play more often in your repertoire?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q15 What/who influenced your own choice of repertoire?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q16 Did you have the opportunity to hear Sancan perform?

o Yes
o No

171
Q17 How would you describe Sancan's playing? Did he have an individual style or
technique?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Section 3
Sancan as a Composer

This section aims to provide some background into the influences behind Sancan's
compositions and the reception of his works.

Q1 Did you have the opportunity to study Sancan’s piano compositions with him?
If yes, please list the name of the compositions. If no, please proceed to Q2.

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
o 4. ________________________________________________
o 5. ________________________________________________

172
Q2 Have you performed or recorded any of Sancan’s compositions?
If yes, please list the name of the compositions. If no, please proceed to Q3.

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
o 4. ________________________________________________
o 5. ________________________________________________

Q3 Have you taught any of Sancan’s compositions to your students?

If yes, please list the name of the compositions. If no, please proceed to Q4.

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
o 4. ________________________________________________
o 5. ________________________________________________

Q4 Do you have any suggestions for pianists performing Sancan’s music?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

173
Q5 How would you characterise Sancan's style of composition?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q6 What would you consider are the major influences in Sancan's composing style?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q7 Sonatine for flute and piano (1946) is widely performed today by flautists. Are there
any pianoforte works of Sancan that you feel should be performed more often by
pianists?
Please list the name of the compositions.

o Composition 1: ________________________________________________
o Composition 2: ________________________________________________
o Composition 3: ________________________________________________

Q8 With regards to the compositions of Sancan, has its place in concert repertoire
changed since his own lifetime?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

174
Q9 From your acquaintance with Sancan, did he consider himself chiefly as a pianist,
composer, teacher or equal in all three?

o Pianist
o Composer
o Teacher
o Equal as a pianist, composer and teacher
o Not sure

Q10 With regards to the previous question, was Sancan's perception shared by the
public?

o Yes
o No
o Not sure

Q11 Is there any comment, anecdote, impression or remark you would like to add
about Sancan as a pianist/teacher/composer?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Contact
May I contact you for follow up questions if any arise with regards to the answers you
have provided?
If yes, please provide your email address.

________________________________________________________________
175
Completion
Please click the button below to submit your responses and complete the survey.

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey!

176
Appendix B: Questionnaire (French)

Sancan, un pianiste, un professeur et un

compositeur

Bienvenue
Je vous remercie d’avoir pris le temps de répondre à ce questionnaire.

Les réponses de ce questionnaire permettront de documenter la recherche menée sur

Pierre Sancan.

1re partie. Faisons connaissance !

2e partie. Sancan le professeur et l’interprète
3e partie. Sancan le compositeur.

N’hésitez pas à contacter Halina ([Link]@[Link]) si vous avez des

questions. D’après nos estimations, répondre à l’ensemble des questions vous prendra
30 minutes environ.

Vos réponses sont précieuses et nous vous sommes reconnaissants du temps que
vous nous consacrez.

1re partie Faisons connaissance !

Cette première partie comporte quelques questions personnelles afin de mieux vous
connaître.

Q1 Quel est votre nom ?

Si vous souhaitez rester anonyme, ignorez Q1 et passez à Q2.

o Prénom : ________________________________________________
o Nom de famille : ________________________________________________

177
Q2 Quel est votre pays de résidence actuel ?

________________________________________________________________

Q3 Quelles facettes de votre carrière de musicien estimez-vous être les plus

importantes ?

Moins important Plus important

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Professeur (piano, autre instrument,

composition) ()

Arrangeur (piano, autre instrument,

ensemble) ()

Compositeur (piano, autre instrument,

ensemble, cinéma et télévision) ()

Interprète (pianiste solo, accompagnement,

membre d’un ensemble musical) ()

Chef d'orchestre ()

Juge/examinateur (membre du jury d’une

compétition de piano régionale, nationale,
internationale) ()

178
Q4 Combien de temps consacrez-vous à ces différentes activités musicales ?

Aucun La majeure partie de

mon temps

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Enseignement (piano, autre instrument,

composition) ()

Arrangement (piano, autre instrument,

ensemble) ()

Composition (piano, autre instrument,

ensemble, cinéma et télévision) ()

Scène (pianiste solo, accompagnement,

membre d’un ensemble musical) ()

Chef d'orchestre ()

Arbitrage/évaluation (membre du jury d’une

compétition de piano régionale, nationale,
internationale) ()

Q5 Êtes-vous actuellement affilié à un institut ?

Veuillez indiquer le nom de l’établissement ainsi que votre rôle. Si cette question ne
vous concerne pas, veuillez poursuivre avec 2e partie.

o Établissement (par ex., université, conservatoire, entreprise) :

________________________________________________

o Titre/fonction (par ex. chargé de cours, professeur de piano, professeur [autre],

tuteur) : ________________________________________________

2e partie Sancan le professeur et l’interprète.

Découvrons votre expérience avec Pierre Sancan.

179
Q1 Connaissiez-vous la réputation de Sancan en tant
qu’interprète/professeur/compositeur avant d’entamer vos études avec lui ?
Veuillez donner une réponse détaillée.

o Interprète ________________________________________________
o Professeur ________________________________________________
o Compositeur ________________________________________________
Q2 En quel niveau d’études Sancan a-t-il été votre professeur ?

________________________________________________________________

Q3 Quelle a été la structure de vos études avec Sancan ? (par ex., cours de maître
public ou privé, cours particulier)

________________________________________________________________

Q4 Quelle était la fréquence de vos cours avec Sancan ?

o Rares (une à deux fois par an)

o Peu fréquents (tous les deux ou trois mois)
o Fréquents (tous les 14 jours)
o Très fréquents (chaque semaine)
Q5 Quelles expériences mémorables avez-vous retirées de l’enseignement de
Sancan ?
Veuillez en décrire trois.

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
180
Q6 Quel est votre souvenir le plus précis à propos de Sancan ? Quel aspect vous a le
plus marqué ?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q7 Pouvez-vous identifier 3 choses que vous avez apprises durant vos études auprès
de Sancan ?

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
Q8 Durant vos leçons de piano avec Sancan, n’a-t-il jamais été fait référence à une
école de piano, française ou russe par exemple ? Était-il influencé par un professeur ou
un pianiste en particulier ?
Veuillez donner une réponse détaillée.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q9 L’accent était-il mis sur une ou plusieurs techniques remarquables qui pourraient
être imputables à sa méthode d’enseignement et à son jeu ?
Veuillez donner une réponse détaillée.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

181
 ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q10 Certains aspects de son enseignement sont-ils observables dans votre manière
de jouer ou dans votre style pédagogique ?
Si oui, veuillez donner une réponse détaillée.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q11 D’après votre expérience, quels facteurs influent le plus la formation et l’évolution
d’un artiste ?
Veuillez en citer trois.

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
Q12 Quels sont, selon vous, les autres éléments ayant contribué à la personnalisation
de votre style pianistique ? (par ex., influence d’un professeur, votre propre
personnalité, des représentations en public, des enregistrements) ?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

182
Q13 Quels sont pour vous les facteurs ayant le plus d’influence sur le choix du
répertoire d’un artiste ?
Veuillez en citer trois.

o 1 : ________________________________________________
o 2 : ________________________________________________
o 3 : ________________________________________________
Q14 Votre répertoire présente-t-il une grande diversité de styles ? Ou bien, vous êtes-
vous spécialisé et jouez-vous plus fréquemment des morceaux d’un certain style, d’une
période précise (baroque, période classique, romantisme, 20e/21e siècle) ou d’un
compositeur en particulier ?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q15 Par qui ou par quoi votre propre choix de répertoire est-il guidé ?
Veuillez donner une réponse détaillée.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q16 Avez-vous eu l’occasion d’entendre Sancan jouer ?

o Oui
o Non
183
Q17 Comment décrieriez-vous le jeu de Sancan ? Possédait-il un style ou une
technique qui lui était propre ?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

3e partie Sancan le compositeur.

L’objectif de cette partie est de mettre en lumière les influences caractérisant les
compositions de Sancan et le contexte entourant la réception de ses œuvres.

Q1 Avez-vous eu la possibilité d’étudier les œuvres pour piano de Sancan lorsque

vous étiez son élève ?
Si oui, veuillez donner le nom de ses œuvres

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
o 4. ________________________________________________
o 5. ________________________________________________

184
Q2 Avez-vous joué ou enregistré l’une des œuvres de Sancan ?
Si oui, veuillez donner le nom de ses œuvres

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
o 4. ________________________________________________
o 5. ________________________________________________
Q3 Avez-vous enseigné à vos élèves des œuvres de Sancan ?
Si oui, veuillez donner le nom de ses œuvres

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
o 4. ________________________________________________
o 5. ________________________________________________
Q4 Auriez-vous des conseils pour les pianistes jouant la musique de Sancan ?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q5 Comment décrieriez-vous le style de composition de Sancan ?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________
185
 ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q6 Quelles ont été, selon vous, les principales influences sur son style de
composition ?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Q7 La Sonatine pour flûte et piano est maintenant souvent jouée par des flûtistes du
monde entier. Quelles œuvres pour piano de Sancan mériteraient d’être jouées plus
souvent par les pianistes ?
Veuillez donner le nom de ses œuvres

o 1. ________________________________________________
o 2. ________________________________________________
o 3. ________________________________________________
Q8 Pensez-vous que la place des compositions de Sancan dans un répertoire de
concert a été modifiée depuis l’époque où il vivait encore ?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

186
Q9 Vous avez connu Sancan. Se considérait-il principalement comme un pianiste, un
compositeur, un professeur, les 3 en même temps ?

o Pianiste
o Compositeur
o Professeur
o Les 3 en même temps
o Vous l’ignorez
Q10 Par rapport à la question précédente, le public percevait-il Sancan de la même
manière qu’il se percevait lui-même ?

o Oui
o Non
o Vous l’ignorez
Q11 Souhaiteriez-vous ajouter un commentaire, une anecdote, une impression ou
toute autre remarque concernant Sancan en tant que
pianiste/professeur/compositeur ?

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Merci Je vous remercie d’avoir pris le temps de répondre à ce questionnaire.

187
Contact Dans l’hypothèse où vos réponses soulèveraient de nouvelles questions, puis-
je vous contacter ?
Veuillez indiquer votre adresse électronique.

________________________________________________________________

Terminé Le questionnaire est terminé.

Veuillez cliquer sur le bouton ci-dessous pour envoyer vos réponses.

188
Appendix C: Printed recital programme

189
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191
192
193
194
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