E. Robert Schmitz

{{Short description|Franco-American pianist, teacher, writer, editor, and organizer (1889–1949)}}

File:E. Robert Schmidt extracted.jpg

E. Robert (Elie Robert) Schmitz (February 8, 1889, in Paris – September 5, 1949, in San Francisco) was a Franco-American pianist, teacher, writer, editor, and organizer.

He studied with Louis Diémer at the Conservatoire de Paris where he won first prize in piano. A protégé of Debussy, Schmitz caught the attention of Camille Saint-Saëns and Vincent D'Indy while directing the Association musicale moderne et artistique (later renamed L'Association de concerts Schmitz) which premiered Debussy's Première rhapsodie, Roussel's Evocations, Le Flem's Crépuscules d'amour, and Milhaud's Suite symphonique. Schmitz lead the Association from 1911–14.{{cite book | last = Slonimsky | first = Nicolas |author2=Theodore Baker | title = Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Eighth Edition | publisher = Schirmer Books | year = 1992 | location = New York, New York }}

Schmitz toured the United States in 1919 and, the following year, founded the Franco-American Music Society in New York, which incorporated as Pro Musica from 1923–36.{{Cite book |last=Perlis |first=Vivian |title=Two Men for Modern Music: E. Robert Schmitz and Herman Langinger |publisher=Institute for Studies in American Music, Dept. of Music, School of Performing Arts, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York |year=1978 |location=Brooklyn, NY |oclc=6861675}}{{Cite thesis |last=Wiecki |first=Ronald V. |type=PhD diss. |title=A Chronicle of Pro Musica in the United States (1920–1944): With a Biographical Sketch of its Founder, E. Robert Schmitz |publisher=University of Wisconsin, Madison |year=1992}} During this period, the first American appearances of Bartók and Ravel were sponsored, as well as lectures and concerts by Schoenberg, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky. Schmitz also had a personal and professional friendship with Charles Ives.{{Cite journal |last=Wiecki |first=Ronald V. |date=1992 |title=Two Musical Idealists – Charles Ives and E. Robert Schmitz: A Friendship Reconsidered |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3052141 |journal=American Music |volume=10 |issue=1, Spring |pages=1–19 |doi=10.2307/3052141 |jstor=3052141 }}

Schmitz published his system of piano study, The Capture of Inspiration, in 1935,{{Cite book |last=Schmitz |first=E. Robert |title=The Capture of Inspiration |publisher=E. Weyhe |year=1935 |editor-last=Rodriguez |editor-first=José |location=New York |oclc=3357496}} as well as editions of the Chopin Etudes, the Bach Two-Part Inventions, and other works that included explanatory texts on his method.{{Cite book |last=Chopin |first=Frédéric |title=Etudes |publisher=C. [Charles] Fisher |year=1938 |editor-last=Schmitz |editor-first=E. Robert |edition=3rd printing, revised |location=New York |oclc=7165848}}{{Cite book |last=Bach |first=Johann Sebastian |title=Two-part Inventions |publisher=Charles Fisher |year=1944 |editor-last=Schmitz |editor-first=E. Robert |edition= |location=New York |oclc=978210390}}{{Cite thesis |last=Merritt |first=Debra E. |type=DMA diss.| url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3254331/ |title=The Editions of Alfred Cortot and E. Robert Schmitz Revisited: Pedagogical Perspectives on Selected Chopin Etudes |publisher=University of Nebraska, Lincoln |year=2007}} His book, The Piano Works of Claude Debussy, a technical analysis with commentary, was published posthumously in 1950.{{Cite book |last=Schmitz |first=E. Robert |title=The Piano Works of Claude Debussy |publisher=Dover Publications |year=1966 |edition= |location=New York |oclc=615631}} Among his pupils were composers Samuel Dolin, Harry Somers, and Gertrude Price Wollner;{{Cite book |last=Cohen |first=Aaron |title=International Encyclopedia of Women Composers |publisher=Books & Music (USA) |year=1987 |isbn= |edition=2nd, revised and enlarged |location=New York |pages=764}} and pianist Naomi Yanova.{{cite journal|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/naomi-yanova-adaskin-emc|title=Adaskin, Naomi Yanova|author=Betty Nygaard King|date=December 16, 2013|work=The Canadian Encyclopedia}}

He recorded in 1942 the Debussy Preludes, Books I and II, for RCA Victor Records, as well as other works for Edison Records.{{Cite web |title=E. Robert Schmitz |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/4893583-E-Robert-Schmitz |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=Discogs}}{{Cite web |title=E. Robert Schmitz |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/104206/Schmitz_E._Robert |access-date=2022-11-12 |website=Discography of American Historical Recordings}} The CD, Élie Robert Schmitz joue Debussy (Les introuvables, vol. 34 ), was released in 2023.{{Cite web |title=Élie Robert Schmitz – Joue Debussy |url=https://www.discogs.com/fr/release/27601197-%C3%89lie-Robert-Schmitz-Joue-Debussy |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Discogs}}

Schmitz died at age 60.{{Cite news |date=1949-09-07 |title=E. Robert Schmitz, Concert Pianist, 60 |page=29 |work=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1949/09/07/archives/e-robert-schmitz-60-concert-pianist.html |access-date=2022-11-12}}