Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Phillip Sear plays a 'The pretty Polish girl' from 1900 by the French cellist and composer Ernest Gillet (1856–1940).
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"Brother of the oboist and composer Georges Gillet, Ernest Gillet studied at the École Niedermeyer in Paris and then with Auguste-Joseph Franchomme at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won First Prize in 1874; from 1875 to 1882 he was a cellist of the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris, later appearing as solo cellist with the Concerts Colonne, Concerts Lamoureux and Concerts de Monte-Carlo. His career was shaped by a dual identity as performer and composer, and his output reflects the salon and theatre culture of late 19th-century Paris.
Gillet’s solo piano music forms a substantial part of a catalogue said to exceed 400 pieces, and much of it belongs to the light-character repertory. The pieces are generally concise, tuneful and technically approachable, with a strong preference for dance rhythms, decorative figuration and clear phrase structure; among the better-known titles are 'Loin du bal' and 'Vous êtes charmante!', as well as character pieces such as 'Marche burlesque' and 'Babillage'. In the broader keyboard repertory, this music sits close to the salon tradition rather than the concert sonata lineage, yet it remains representative of French pianistic taste in the period.
Across his wider output, Gillet wrote operetta, chamber music and numerous salon works, with 'La Fille de la mère Michel' bringing him notable stage success in 1893." (Perplexity AI, 13 July 2026).
In this context, I think the title refers to a woman rather than the dance, given that the piece is a mazurka.
Thumbnail image created with Picsart ( tinyl.co/4WqE ).
#frenchmusic #mazurka
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Played by Phillip Sear
psear.co.uk (Email: piano4@psear.33mail.com
WhatsApp: wa.me/441444483794 ) TikTok: tiktok.com/@pianogems
****See all my latest videos here: tinyurl.com/phillip210 ****
Phillip Sear plays a 'The pretty Polish girl' from 1900 by the French cellist and composer Ernest Gillet (1856–1940).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Brother of the oboist and composer Georges Gillet, Ernest Gillet studied at the École Niedermeyer in Paris and then with Auguste-Joseph Franchomme at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won First Prize in 1874; from 1875 to 1882 he was a cellist of the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris, later appearing as solo cellist with the Concerts Colonne, Concerts Lamoureux and Concerts de Monte-Carlo. His career was shaped by a dual identity as performer and composer, and his output reflects the salon and theatre culture of late 19th-century Paris.
Gillet’s solo piano music forms a substantial part of a catalogue said to exceed 400 pieces, and much of it belongs to the light-character repertory. The pieces are generally concise, tuneful and technically approachable, with a strong preference for dance rhythms, decorative figuration and clear phrase structure; among the better-known titles are 'Loin du bal' and 'Vous êtes charmante!', as well as character pieces such as 'Marche burlesque' and 'Babillage'. In the broader keyboard repertory, this music sits close to the salon tradition rather than the concert sonata lineage, yet it remains representative of French pianistic taste in the period.
Across his wider output, Gillet wrote operetta, chamber music and numerous salon works, with 'La Fille de la mère Michel' bringing him notable stage success in 1893." (Perplexity AI, 13 July 2026).
In this context, I think the title refers to a woman rather than the dance, given that the piece is a mazurka.
Thumbnail image created with Picsart ( tinyl.co/4WqE ).
#frenchmusic #mazurka
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Played by Phillip Sear
psear.co.uk (Email: piano4@psear.33mail.com
WhatsApp: wa.me/441444483794 ) TikTok: tiktok.com/@pianogems
****See all my latest videos here: tinyurl.com/phillip210 ****
