Louis Diémer
French pianist, teacher and composer (b. 14 February 1843 in Paris; d. 21 December 1919 in Paris), born Louis-Joseph Diémer.
Louis studied at the Paris Conservatory from the age of ten, under Antoine François Marmontel (piano), Ambroise Thomas (composition) and François Benoist (organ). After his graduation in 1861 he taught piano and regularly gave concerts, touring with Pablo de Sarasate. In 1887, he succeeded Marmontel as professor at the Conservatory, where he continued to compose, teach and perform.
Dedications
In 1893, Tchaikovsky dedicated his Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 75 (1893), to Diémer.
Correspondence with Tchaikovsky
3 letters from Tchaikovsky to Louis Diémer have survived, dating from 1887 and 1888, all of which have been translated into English on this website:
- Letter 3177b – 10/22 February 1887, from Maydanovo
- Letter 3504 – 23 February/6 March 1888, from Paris
- Letter 3514a – 7/19 March 1888, from Paris
5 letters from Louis Diémer to Tchaikovsky, dating from 1888 and 1889, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin.
Bibliography
- Ein bisher unbekannter Brief Čajkovskijs, Paris, 18. März 1888, an Louis Diémer (2013)
- "Diémer m'a offert son concours". Čajkovskij und seine Interpreten in Frankreich (2018)