When I was a teenager, my cello teacher who played with the Toronto symphony, arranged for me to meet and play for the cello soloists who performed with the orchestra. As a result I met and played for Janos Starker, Jacqueline Du Pre, who I befriended and corresponded with, and Pierre Fournier! He was so sweet and kind and inspiring. He invited me to come to Europe and said that in exchange for taking cello lessons with him, I could live at his place with his wife and child and do some babysitting for them in return! Shortly after that I received an invitation to study in Dusseldorf, Germany in the Masterclass of Antonio Janigro. I received a Canada Council Grant to help make that happen and so that is where I went. To this day I wish I had chosen to study with Mr. Fournier. He had such an elegant sound, flawless technique and warm and friendly personality! I have been very blessed in my lifetime.

I will forever be in awe of Fournier's bow arm. True perfection.

Pierre Fournier plays so beautiful the cello that I want to cry.

Incredible musician - I had a chance of hearing Fournier and Rostropovich one after another and I remember that it was hard to say who I liked more (they both played the Saint Saens).That was in Odessa in 1970.

The noble and rigorous play of Fournier is awesome in this first concerto of Saint-Saëns, quite classic in its writing.

So noble- nothing artificial, just the music. Perfect.

I performed with Fournier in 1965...which was an out-of-this-world experience. He was preparing the Shostakovitch Cello Concerto to play with The Cleveland Orchestra with Szell. I had 36 hours to learn the orchestra reduction, included in a program with E Minor Cello Sonata by Brahms, etc.

Spent my youth listening to this man's DG LP recording of the Saint Saens and Lalo. I still find it to be one of the best; impeccable and balanced if sometimes understated. It's so wonderful to find the video on KZfaq, put a real smile on my face and provided for some nice surprises on bowing, if none on fingerings. He certainly gives the impression of being fully in control of his instrument and to my ears, really in the service of the composer.

One of the most refined cellist ever.

Che eleganza e che suono! Ci vogliono tutti gli aggettivi ed i superlativi per avvicinarsi a descriverlo.

Questi strumentisti e musicisti dovrebbero essere immortali grande grande grande e noi piccoli piccoli

Elegant, poised, clean, idiomatic, fluid, alive... What a musician (and what an instrumentalist)!

Wonderful - what a warm tone, His phrasing is sterling.

He plays cello with speed and delicacy as playing violin ! The only one that i have heard, so far. Beautiful !

What a beatytyful sight! His soul is as lovely as is his exterior Tank you for postng it

This is the GOLD STANDARD for this great work.... They didn't call him the "Aristocrat of Cellists" for nothing........

Thank you for posting this marvelous performance!

I do love this man

Pierre is such a God of Cello.

Absolutely. Stunning.

Fournier tone is really beautiful...

聴いていると、涙が出てくる。素晴らしい演奏。

Wonderful

Fenomenale ❤️

Thanks for uploading. great performance.

Superb! Such fantastic playing!!!! The sound from that cello is just AMAZING!!

So good to listen to while learning because nothing is exaggerated or stretched beyond limits.

E,ovako se to radi!!!moj naklon maestro!!!

Great! Bravo from México!

I love this man

5:42 2nd movement 10:09 3rd movement

wonderful!

what an exquisite sound

Magnifique

-- Un précieux enregistrement. --

i love it

Best by a mile!!

surnommé l aristocrate du violoncelle.Un jeu plein de douceur et de délicatesse.

Learning this piece right now and I'm highkey panicking bc of the eighth note chords at around 2:55... He makes it look so effortless

the best

Kafka on the shore ✌️

This piece of music reminds me of the Punishment Children had to Endure in my past too I play the piano I've read Alice Miller who wrote books about how Children are abused and what it does to people in the long run And some knowledge of the abuse **of children in the 1800s and before it

Im Dienste der Komposition, uneitel und voller Wärme.

Every time I hear Fournier I have the impression of listening to a violin which sounds really low.

Stupendo interprete

Is it a French 'thing'?....there is a recently posted excerpt of Edgar Moreau performing same that is also elegant & refined...

When and where was this filmed, please? And with what ensemble?

what orch is this with?

I can’t even get to the chromatic scale in the second section without dying, let alone those double stops in section C. How he so gud at cello?

Io non capisco questi che caricano i video senza mettere nessuna informazione: chi è il direttore d'orchestra? Che orchestra è? In quale sala si è tenuto il concerto? E in che data? L'unica informazione che c'è è la data in cui è stato caricato il video. Ma quella la mette KZfaq automaticamente.

noble

Ja bi to negde oduglovacio,ali dobro ima nas raznih!!!!

0:24

Good LORD!! That level of playing.... Notice the lack of ‘acting’ in his playing. The pained expressions that are sooo prevalent today. Just his gorgeous sound. All my fav. Cellists are now dead. Thankfully we have these videos to remember what real artistry is or was....

00:12 ;)

바카우스

.

groß

What a weak c string! Didn't do anythimg wrong. Just wasn't as satisfying for me as more aggressive players, maybe. he's so gentle lol

I will forever be in awe of Fournier's bow arm. True perfection.

0:24