Samson Francois

Another now forgotten great masterSamson Francois was one of my idols as a kid many thought his Chopin was unequaled.specialist in Ravel&Debussy he toured the world. They say he developped his very own technique inspired by Horowitz. Never thought about his technique before but this rare clip with himself speaking and playing looks pretty similar to Alan's own way of playing? Sorry about the french.

His hand is really great, look at the amazing "Roman arch" between thumb and forefinger. So sturdy and so completely moveable - wonderful! He is ALMOST playing in the style I cultivate. The only difference: he is using arm weight big time. He does this successfully so it is very educational to watch it. This is arm weight technique as it should be done, where the three arches of the hand combine to "withstand the onslaught" of the arm's weight. Their complete functionality and their complete inability to collapse in any way whatsoever allows him to add the weight of his arm to the mix and enrich his tone thuswise - it becomes a plus. Thanks for letting us know about these revealing clips - and it was an opportunity for me to brush up on my French as well! AFF