Thibaud, Jacques

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Thibaud, Jacques

Thibaud, Jacques, celebrated French violinist; b. Bordeaux, Sept. 27, 1880; d. in an airplane crash near Mt. Cemet, in the French Alps, en route to French Indochina, Sept. 1, 1953. He began his training with his father and made his debut at age 8 in Bordeaux; at 13, he entered the Paris Cons, as a pupil of Martin Marsick, graduating with the premier prix in 1896. Obliged to earn his living, he played the violin at the Café Rouge in Paris, where he was heard by the conductor Colonne, who offered him a position in his orch.; in 1898 he made his debut as a soloist (with Colonne) with such success that he was engaged for 54 concerts in Paris in the same season. Subsequently he appeared in all the musical centers of Europe, and from 1903 visited America numerous times. With his 2 brothers, a pianist and a cellist, he formed a trio, which had some success; but this was discontinued when he joined Alfred Cortot and Pablo Casals in a famous trio (1930-35). With Marguerite Long, he founded the renowned Long-Thibaud competition in 1943. His playing was notable for its warmth of expressive tone and fine dynamics; his interpretations of Beethoven ranked very high, but he was particularly authoritative in French music.

Bibliography

J.-P. Dorian, ed., Un Violon parle: Souvenirs de J. T.(Paris, 1947).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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