Robert Soetens
Encyclopedia
Robert Soetens was a French
violin
ist, remembered particularly for premiering the Violin Concerto No. 2
of Sergei Prokofiev
in 1935.
, France
in 1897, into a musical family of Belgian
origin. His father had been a student of Eugène Ysaÿe
. He played in public at age seven, and at the age of 11 he also studied with Ysaÿe. At 13 he was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire
, where he studied under Vincent d'Indy
, Camille Chevillard
and Lucien Capet
.
At the age of 16, he played in the premiere of the First String Quartet of Darius Milhaud
, a fellow student at the Conservatoire. He left the Conservatoire to enrol in the army during World War I
. On his repatriation he became leader-soloist of an orchestra at Aix-les-Bains
, and later with orchestras at Cannes
(where André Messager
was one of the conductors), Deauville
, and Angers
. He was also playing regularly in Paris
, where he became friendly with other members of Les six
. In 1921 he married the soprano Maud Laury, but they soon separated.
In 1925 Soetens gave the first performance of Maurice Ravel
's Tzigane (in the revised version for violin and piano), and then he went on a Scandinavia
n tour with Ravel.
For the next 60 years, Soetens was a travelling virtuoso. In Brussels
, he came in contact with Sergei Prokofiev
, who chose Soetens and Samuel Dushkin
to premiere his Sonata for Two Violins in 1932. Prokofiev was so pleased with the performance of the Sonata that, because Dushkin had just received a Violin Concerto from Igor Stravinsky
, he immediately wrote his Second Violin Concerto
for Soetens, which was premiered in Madrid on 1 December 1935, under Enrique Fernández Arbós
. Prokofiev gave Soetens a year's exclusive right to perform the work and the two then undertook a 40-concert tour in Europe and north Africa - an unusual occurrence since Prokofiev, as pianist, rarely shared a platform with another soloist. Soetens played the concerto many times, including the first two British performances (under Sir Henry J. Wood in 1936 and under the composer himself in 1938), and concluding with the first performance in South Africa
in 1972.
In 1925, Soetens became leader of the Oslo Philharmonic, but continued to appear as a soloist throughout Europe. Hilding Rosenberg
dedicated his Second Violin Sonata, Op. 32, to Soetens in 1926. He played in the premiere of Albert Roussel
's Second Violin Sonata. Before his death, Roussel was also planning to write a Fantaisie for violin and orchestra for Soetens.
Soetens played frequently in London in the later 1920s and 1930s and appeared in other parts of the United Kingdom. He wrote a Violin Sonata of his own (performed 1934). In 1942 he accepted the chance of a tour in Spain
, also acting as a sleeping agent for the free French. Not being able to return without official German permission, he remained there until the end of the war, concertising in Spain, Portugal
and North Africa. After the war, he played in Egypt
, Palestine
, Lebanon
, Turkey
, and Bulgaria
. In 1947-1950, he toured Africa
, and appeared in Britain again in 1952-53 for a tour with the Scottish National Orchestra
, and once more in 1957. The years 1960 to 1962 were spent mainly in South America
, the next three in Asia
, the next five in North America
. In 1967-68 he taught at Oberlin College
in Ohio
. He formed a concert partnership with the Bulgarian pianist Minka Roustcheva in 1966, which lasted for almost 30 years. In his seventies he played in South Africa, the Azores
, Mauritius
and Iran
. In 1982 he gave masterclasses and concerts in London and Oxford. In 1983, aged 85, he performed Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Violins in a concert to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the composer's death. He gave a masterclass in Trondheim
, Norway
, in May 1992, two months before his 95th birthday.
He gave his last public concert in 1992, at the age of 95, and died on 22 October 1997, aged 100.
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...
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....
ist, remembered particularly for premiering the Violin Concerto No. 2
Violin Concerto No. 2 (Prokofiev)
The Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63, written in 1935 by Sergei Prokofiev, is a work in three movements:#Allegro moderato#Andante assai#Allegro, ben marcato...
of Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
in 1935.
Biography
Robert Soetens was born in MontluçonMontluçon
Montluçon is a commune in central France. It is the largest commune in the Allier department, although the department's préfecture is located in the smaller town of Moulins. Its inhabitants are known as Montluçonnais...
, 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...
in 1897, into a musical family of Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
origin. His father had been a student of Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe was a Belgian violinist, composer and conductor born in Liège. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tzar"...
. He played in public at age seven, and at the age of 11 he also studied with Ysaÿe. At 13 he was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
, where he studied under Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy was a French composer and teacher.-Life:Paul Marie Théodore Vincent d'Indy was born in Paris into an aristocratic family of royalist and Catholic persuasion. He had piano lessons from an early age from his paternal grandmother, who passed him on to Antoine François Marmontel and...
, Camille Chevillard
Camille Chevillard
Camille Chevillard was a French composer and conductor.He was born in Paris, France. He led the Lamoureux Orchestra in the premieres of Debussy's Nocturnes and La mer . He was the son-in-law of conductor Charles Lamoureux...
and Lucien Capet
Lucien Capet
Lucien Louis Capet was a French violinist, pedagogue and composer.-Career:Capet came from the Paris proletariat. By the age of fifteen, he had to maintain himself by playing in bistros and cafes...
.
At the age of 16, he played in the premiere of the First String Quartet of Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud
Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...
, a fellow student at the Conservatoire. He left the Conservatoire to enrol in the army during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. On his repatriation he became leader-soloist of an orchestra at Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated on the shore of Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-Geography:...
, and later with orchestras at Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
(where André Messager
André Messager
André Charles Prosper Messager , was a French composer, organist, pianist, conductor and administrator. His stage compositions included ballets and 30 opéra comiques and operettas, among which Véronique, had lasting success, with Les p'tites Michu and Monsieur Beaucaire also enjoying international...
was one of the conductors), Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
, and Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
. He was also playing regularly in 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...
, where he became friendly with other members of Les six
Les Six
Les six is a name, inspired by The Five, given in 1920 by critic Henri Collet in an article titled "" to a group of six composers working in Montparnasse whose music is often seen as a reaction against the musical style of Richard Wagner and impressionist music.-Members:Formally, the Groupe des...
. In 1921 he married the soprano Maud Laury, but they soon separated.
In 1925 Soetens gave the first performance of Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
's Tzigane (in the revised version for violin and piano), and then he went on a Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n tour with Ravel.
For the next 60 years, Soetens was a travelling virtuoso. In Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, he came in contact with Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
, who chose Soetens and Samuel Dushkin
Samuel Dushkin
Samuel Dushkin was an American violinist of Polish birth.Dushkin was born in Suwałki, Poland. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris as well as with Leopold Auer in New York City and Fritz Kreisler...
to premiere his Sonata for Two Violins in 1932. Prokofiev was so pleased with the performance of the Sonata that, because Dushkin had just received a Violin Concerto from Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
, he immediately wrote his Second Violin Concerto
Violin Concerto No. 2 (Prokofiev)
The Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63, written in 1935 by Sergei Prokofiev, is a work in three movements:#Allegro moderato#Andante assai#Allegro, ben marcato...
for Soetens, which was premiered in Madrid on 1 December 1935, under Enrique Fernández Arbós
Enrique Fernandez Arbos
Enrique Fernández Arbós was a Spanish violinist, composer and conductor who divided much of his career between Madrid and London. He originally made his name as a virtuoso violinist and later as one of Spain’s greatest conductors.Fernández Arbós was born in Madrid...
. Prokofiev gave Soetens a year's exclusive right to perform the work and the two then undertook a 40-concert tour in Europe and north Africa - an unusual occurrence since Prokofiev, as pianist, rarely shared a platform with another soloist. Soetens played the concerto many times, including the first two British performances (under Sir Henry J. Wood in 1936 and under the composer himself in 1938), and concluding with the first performance in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1972.
In 1925, Soetens became leader of the Oslo Philharmonic, but continued to appear as a soloist throughout Europe. Hilding Rosenberg
Hilding Rosenberg
Hilding Rosenberg , was the first Swedish modernist composer, and one of the most influential figures in Swedish 20th century classical music....
dedicated his Second Violin Sonata, Op. 32, to Soetens in 1926. He played in the premiere of Albert Roussel
Albert Roussel
Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period...
's Second Violin Sonata. Before his death, Roussel was also planning to write a Fantaisie for violin and orchestra for Soetens.
Soetens played frequently in London in the later 1920s and 1930s and appeared in other parts of the United Kingdom. He wrote a Violin Sonata of his own (performed 1934). In 1942 he accepted the chance of a tour in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, also acting as a sleeping agent for the free French. Not being able to return without official German permission, he remained there until the end of the war, concertising in Spain, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and North Africa. After the war, he played in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. In 1947-1950, he toured Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and appeared in Britain again in 1952-53 for a tour with the Scottish National Orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is Scotland's national symphony orchestra. Based in Glasgow, the 89-member professional orchestra also regularly performs in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and abroad. Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company has performed full-time since 1950,...
, and once more in 1957. The years 1960 to 1962 were spent mainly in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, the next three in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, the next five in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In 1967-68 he taught at Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He formed a concert partnership with the Bulgarian pianist Minka Roustcheva in 1966, which lasted for almost 30 years. In his seventies he played in South Africa, the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. In 1982 he gave masterclasses and concerts in London and Oxford. In 1983, aged 85, he performed Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Violins in a concert to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the composer's death. He gave a masterclass in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, in May 1992, two months before his 95th birthday.
He gave his last public concert in 1992, at the age of 95, and died on 22 October 1997, aged 100.