Jules Charles Henri Gentil (10 February 1898 – 20 May 1985) was a French pianist and pedagogue.

Biography

Born in

Annecy Annecy ( , ; , also ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, regi ...

, son of music compositor Jules Marie Victor Gentil (1864-1940) (1864-1940), Jules Charles Henri Gentil first studied the piano with his mother Anna Mockers (1861-1937), who had been a student of

Georges Mathias Georges Amédée Saint-Clair Mathias (; 14 October 182614 October 1910) was a French composer, pianist and teacher. Alongside his teaching work, Georges Mathias was a very active concert pianist. Biography Mathias was born in Paris. He studied a ...

, then with Santiago Riera (1867–1959) at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

, where he won a first prize in 1916. Having also worked with Lazare-Lévy he often played with his brother violinist Victor Gentil (1892-1973) and with cellist

Gérard Hekking Gérard Hekking (24 August 1879 – 5 June 1942) was a French cellist. Born in Nancy, "He studied cello, first in The Hague with Professor Boumann, then in Paris in Delsart's class. Unanimously awarded first prize in 1898, he travelled as a co ...

. He taught at the

École normale de musique de Paris The École Normale de Musique de Paris "Alfred Cortot" (ENMP) is a leading conservatoire located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. The school was founded in 1919 by Auguste Mangeot and Alfred Cortot. The term ''école normale'' (English: no ...

from 1920, then shared the management of the school with

Alfred Cortot Alfred Denis Cortot ( , ; 26 September 187715 June 1962) was a French pianist, conductor, and teacher who was one of the most renowned classical musicians of the 20th century. A pianist of massive repertory, he was especially valued for his po ...

from 1938. He was also a teacher at the

, from 1941 to 1969, and also gave several

masterclass Yanka Industries, Inc., doing business as MasterClass, is an American online education subscription platform on which students can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by experts in various fields. The concept for MasterClass was conceiv ...

es in the United States. Gentil died in

La Verrière La Verrière () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. Population Transport La Verrière station is served by Transilien trains to Paris and Rambouillet. Education Preschools and elementary sc ...

at age 87.

Teaching

Gentil helped train many pianists including

Jean Micault Jean Micault (born 28 December 1924 in Bois-Colombes; died 16 November 2021)Marie-Catherine Girod, Ramzi Yassa, Seth Carlin, David Lively, Michel Sogny, and also composers such as Alain Weber,

André Mathieu André Mathieu (18 February 1929 – 2 June 1968) was a Canadian pianist and composer. Life Mathieu was born René André Rodolphe Mathieu on 18 February 1929 in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the parish of Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur ...

, and Alain Bernaud. According to his students' accounts, his teaching was turned towards the research of gestures allowing an easy execution, if necessary with unconventional fingerings, giving importance to the role of shoulders and arms, by bringing a particular care to the pedal. He did hardly any scale or exercise work, and thus moved away from the habits of his time in French piano teaching.

Bibliography

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gentil, Jules 20th-century French male classical pianists 20th-century French classical pianists French piano educators Conservatoire de Paris alumni Academic staff of the École Normale de Musique de Paris Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris People from Annecy 1898 births 1985 deaths