Marmontel, Antoine François

1816-1898

Piano-player and teacher; was born at Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dome. He received his musical education at the Paris Conservatory, studying piano under Zimmermann, composition under Lesueur, fugue under Halevy and harmony under Dourlen. In 1832 he received first prize for piano-playing, and in 1848 he was made professor of piano at the Conservatory, succeeding Zimmermann. In this capacity he gained a wide reputation and was the master of such pupils as Bizet, Th. Dubois, Plante, Wieniawski, E. Duvernoy and Thome. He composed a great deal of piano music, mostly of an instructive nature, among his writings being a hundred easy studies, entitled L'Art de dechiffrer, fitudes, ficole de mecanisme, Etudes de salon, and ficole elementaire de mecanisme et de style; besides sonatas, serenades, salonmusic, and some dances. Besides his compositions he has written much on musical subjects, his literary work including Virtuoses contemporains; Les Pianistes celebres; L'Art classique et moderne du piano; and a Petite Grammaire populaire.