Camille PLEYEL discovers the talent of Ernest Guiraud.

Camille PLEYEL (1788.1855)

Letter signed.

A ½ in-8° page. Paris. July 22, 1854.

“I am keenly interested in the progress of piano studies. »

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

“I thank you, my dear Sir, for what you are kind and obliging to write to me about my participation in the decisions of the jury before which the competition for students at the Conservatory will take place , and I am pleased to my side, to have to note the progress that is made, each year, in those who receive your lessons. You know, my dear Sir, how keenly interested I am in the progress of piano studies, since this instrument has been the object of work throughout my life, first as an artist and then as a manufacturer , and I have was able to appreciate all the talent and all the zeal with which you guide the young people who are entrusted to your care. You can, therefore, count on that I will pay the most particular attention to the hearing of those who are going to undergo the competitive test again , where they have already obtained an honorable distinction, and I will be very happy, my dear Sir, to see crowned with success the efforts they made, with your excellent advice, to reach first place. I also noted what you tell me about young Guiraud from New Orleans and I will have a very real interest in hearing it…. »

The name of Camille Pleyel remains very closely linked to the piano. This played a notable 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 continue 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 fruitful work recognized by his peers.

We attach an engraved portrait of Ignace Pleyel, father of Camille.