Diemer, Louis (Joseph)

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Diemer, Louis (Joseph)

Diemer, Louis (Joseph), distinguished French pianist and pedagogue; b. Paris, Feb. 14, 1843; d. there, Dec. 21,1919. He was a pupil of Marmontel at the Paris Cons., where he took the premier prix in piano (1856). He also studied with Thomas and Bazin (composition), taking premiers prix in solfege (1855), harmony and accompaniment (1859), and counterpoint and fugue (1861); he likewise took a second prix in organ (1861). He played with great success at the Alard, Pasdeloup, and Paris Cons, concerts; succeeded Marmontel (1887) as prof, of piano at the Cons. The immense success of his series of historical recitals, in 1889, made him resolve to specialize in early music, and led to his establishing the Societe des Anciens Instruments. Widor, Saint-Saens, Lalo, and others wrote pieces for him. He ed. a number of early French keyboard pieces; his collection Clavecinistes franqais was publ. posth. in 1928. In 1889 he was made a Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire