Selva, Blanche (1884–1942)
Selva, Blanche (1884–1942)
French pianist. Born in Brive, France, on January 29, 1884; died in Saint-Armand, France, on December 3, 1942.
Blanche Selva studied at the Paris Conservatory, making her debut in 1897. In 1904, at age 20, she stunned musical Paris by performing the entire keyboard output of Johann Sebastian Bach in 17 recitals. Selva taught at the Schola Canto-rum in Paris from 1901 through 1922, as well as at the Strasbourg and Prague and Barcelona conservatories. She was also a highly regarded scholar who wrote several books, perhaps the most important being La Sonate (1913). As a pianist, Selva brought many works of the modern French school to the public, including the premiere of Isaac Albeniz's Iberia. Vincent D'Indy dedicated his Sonata, Op. 63, to Selva, which she premiered in 1908, and Albert Roussel dedicated his Suite for Piano, Op. 14, to her.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia