Bernard Peiffer
Encyclopedia
Bernard Peiffer (October 23, 1922 – September 7, 1976) was a French
jazz
pianist, composer, and teacher. His nickname was "Le Most", for his piano skills.
Born in Épinal
, France
, Peiffer was raised in a musical family, with his father and uncle playing the violin
and the organ
, respectively. Starting piano at age nine, he studied under Pierre Maire, a student of Nadia Boulanger
, and quickly demonstrated his brilliance by being able to play back long sections of classical music by ear.
After winning the 1st Prize in Piano at the Paris Conservatory, Peiffer began his professional career at the age of twenty, playing with Andre Ekyan and Django Reinhardt
.
During World War II
, he joined the French resistance
after he witnessed the execution of a friend by the Gestapo
in the streets of Paris. Soon afterward he was captured, and was incarcerated for over a year.
In the early 1950s he began a successful career, playing with Django, leading his own quintet, composing film soundtracks, and essentially achieving celebrity status among the clubs of Paris
, Monte Carlo
and Nice
, and eventually becoming nationally renowned. He released recordings on the EmArcy
, Decca
and Laurie Records
labels.
He moved to Philadelphia in 1954 with his wife Corine and daughter Rebecca. The subsequent loss of his third daughter (his first was from a previous marriage with singer Monique Dozo) profoundly affected him, resulting in the beautiful "Poem for a Lonely Child". The year 1962 saw the birth of his first son (and final child), Stephen.
During his first years in America he achieved considerable success, performing at Carnegie Hall
, Birdland
, and the Newport Jazz Festival
. During this time, critic Leonard Feather
compared his playing to that of Art Tatum. He released his last commercial album in 1965 and, after having kidney surgery a few years later, restricted himself to performing and teaching, mainly in Philadelphia. His students included Uri Caine
, Sumi Tonooka, Tom Lawton, and Don Glanden.
His last major appearance was at the 1974 New York/Newport Festival at Carnegie Hall
.
He died on September 7, 1976, aged 53.
A posthumous release, entitled Formidable...!, that spans twenty years of his career was released in 2006, produced by his student Don Glanden and son Stephen.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist, composer, and teacher. His nickname was "Le Most", for his piano skills.
Life
Born in Épinal
Épinal
Épinal is a commune in northeastern France and the capital of the Vosges department. Inhabitants are known as Spinaliens.-Geography:The commune has a land area of 59.24 km²...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Peiffer was raised in a musical family, with his father and uncle playing the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, respectively. Starting piano at age nine, he studied under Pierre Maire, a student of Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger
Nadia Boulanger was a French composer, conductor and teacher who taught many composers and performers of the 20th century.From a musical family, she achieved early honours as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, but believing that her talent as a composer was inferior to that of her younger...
, and quickly demonstrated his brilliance by being able to play back long sections of classical music by ear.
After winning the 1st Prize in Piano at the Paris Conservatory, Peiffer began his professional career at the age of twenty, playing with Andre Ekyan and Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he joined the French resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
after he witnessed the execution of a friend by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in the streets of Paris. Soon afterward he was captured, and was incarcerated for over a year.
In the early 1950s he began a successful career, playing with Django, leading his own quintet, composing film soundtracks, and essentially achieving celebrity status among the clubs of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
and Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, and eventually becoming nationally renowned. He released recordings on the EmArcy
EmArcy Records
EmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by Mercury Records, and today a European jazz label owned by Universal Music Group. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company....
, Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
and Laurie Records
Laurie Records
Laurie Records was a record label started in 1958 by Gene Schwartz and Allan I. Sussel. Sussel was a multi-millionaire whose earlier record company, Jamie Records , had been unsuccessful. As a result, Sussel joined forces with Schwartz to found Laurie Records, this time named after his other...
labels.
He moved to Philadelphia in 1954 with his wife Corine and daughter Rebecca. The subsequent loss of his third daughter (his first was from a previous marriage with singer Monique Dozo) profoundly affected him, resulting in the beautiful "Poem for a Lonely Child". The year 1962 saw the birth of his first son (and final child), Stephen.
During his first years in America he achieved considerable success, performing at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, Birdland
Birdland (jazz club)
Birdland is a jazz club started in New York City on December 15, 1949. The original Birdland, which was located at 1678 Broadway, just north of West 52nd Street in Manhattan, was closed in 1965 due to increased rents, but it re-opened for one night in 1979...
, and the Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
. During this time, critic Leonard Feather
Leonard Feather
Leonard Geoffrey Feather was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer who was best known for his music journalism and other writing.-Biography:...
compared his playing to that of Art Tatum. He released his last commercial album in 1965 and, after having kidney surgery a few years later, restricted himself to performing and teaching, mainly in Philadelphia. His students included Uri Caine
Uri Caine
Uri Caine is an American classical and jazz pianist and composer.-Early years:The son of Burton Caine, a professor at Temple Law School, Caine began playing piano at seven and studied with French jazz pianist Bernard Peiffer at 12. He later studied at the University of Pennsylvania where he came...
, Sumi Tonooka, Tom Lawton, and Don Glanden.
His last major appearance was at the 1974 New York/Newport Festival at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
.
He died on September 7, 1976, aged 53.
A posthumous release, entitled Formidable...!, that spans twenty years of his career was released in 2006, produced by his student Don Glanden and son Stephen.