Camille PLEYEL discovers the talent of Ernest Guiraud.

Camille PLEYEL (1788.1855)

Signed letter.

One and a half pages in-8°. Paris. July 22, 1854.

"I am very interested in the progress of piano studies."

Pleyel, delighted to be called upon as a juror for the piano competition at the Paris Conservatory, is preparing to discover the performances of the young Ernest Guiraud.

“Thank you, my dear Sir, for your kind and obliging letter regarding my participation in the jury's decisions for the upcoming competition for students of the Conservatory . I am delighted to witness the remarkable progress made each year by those who receive your instruction. You know, my dear Sir, how keenly I follow the development of piano studies, as this instrument has been the focus of my life's work, first as an artist and then as an instrument maker . I have been able to appreciate the talent and dedication with which you guide the young people entrusted to your care. You can therefore be assured that I will pay the closest attention to the performances of those who will once again face the challenge of the competition , where they have already achieved an honorable distinction. I will be most pleased, my dear Sir, to see their efforts, under your excellent guidance, to reach the top rank crowned with success.” I have also noted what you told me about young Guiraud of New Orleans and I will take a very real interest in hearing him….

The name of Camille Pleyel remains very closely linked to the piano. It played a significant role in the careers of many 19th-century artists, including, of course, Frédéric Chopin.

Ernest Guiraud (1837-1892), born in New Orleans, returned to France in 1853 to pursue his musical education at the Paris Conservatory. Remarkably gifted at the piano, he received first prize for this instrument in 1858, then the Prix de Rome in 1859. A close friend of Georges Bizet, Guiraud left behind a prolific body of work recognized by his peers.

We are including an engraved portrait of Ignace Pleyel, Camille's father.