Renowned Flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal Dies At 78
Jean-Pierre Rampal, unequivocally
the most renowned classical flutist of the 20th century, died in Paris
on Saturday (May 20) of heart failure at the age of 78.
"His flute ... spoke to the heart. A light in the musical world has
just flickered out," French President Jacques Chirac said in a statement.
Rampal, whose technically masterful and texturally rich playing helped
revive interest in the flute as a solo instrument, was beloved by music
aficionados and professional colleagues the world over for his virtuosity,
emotional warmth and joie de vivre.
"Working with him was pure pleasure, sheer joy, exuberance," violinist
Isaac Stern told The Associated
Press. "He was one of the great musicians of our time."
While best known for his interpretations of Baroque masterworks by
such composers as Bach, the soloist,
who also was a conductor and teacher, had an extremely diverse musical
palette, performing everything from jazz to English folk songs with
passion, style and grace.
He was born on January 7, 1922, in the southern French port city of
Marseille. Although his father was a flutist, the young Rampal was not
initially encouraged to become a professional musician, his parents
instead preferring that their son become a doctor.
It was during World War II, after Nazi-occupying forces in France
drafted him for labor in Germany, that Rampal first became serious
about music.
Dropping out of medical school, he went underground in Paris, studying
at the National Conservatory and winning the school's prestigious music
competition after only five months.
Following the war, he toured Europe as a soloist, chamber musician and
orchestra member, and then returned to France to take a position
as the principal flutist in the Paris Opera's
orchestra.
Over the course of his 50-year career, Rampal made recital tours all
over the world and worked with some of the greatest classical musicians
of the past century, including violinists Stern and Itzhak
Perlman and cellist Mstislav
Rostropovich.
Rampal's record label, Sony, described the flutist as perhaps the world's
most-recorded classical musician.
He is survived by his wife, two children and five grandchildren. A
funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Paris.