The career of Swiss musician Ernest Ansermet began in 1912 at the Casino in Montreux, marking a transition from his earlier work as a mathematics professor at the University of Lausanne. Over the following decades, he established himself as a central figure in classical music through his founding of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and his pioneering work in recording technology.
Early Career and Associations
Before dedicating himself to conducting, Ansermet taught mathematics. His shift toward music accelerated when he collaborated with the Ballets Russes, where he toured extensively through France. During the First World War, he formed a long-standing creative connection with Igor Stravinsky, who was then living in exile within Switzerland. This period also saw him consult with Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy regarding the specific performance requirements of their compositions.
The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
In 1918, Ansermet established the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. The ensemble became a primary vehicle for his interpretation of both established classics and contemporary pieces. He gained recognition for his accurate approach to difficult scores and was among the first classical conductors to express public interest in jazz, notably writing in support of Sidney Bechet in 1919. Throughout his tenure, he conducted premieres of works by Britten, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky.
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Ansermet developed a productive relationship with Decca Records, which led to a prolific catalog of performances. In 1954, he recorded Europe's first commercial stereophonic audio. While he was known for precision, his refusal to perform the revised editions of Stravinsky's scores and his public opposition to the twelve-tone techniques of Arnold Schoenberg defined his ideological stance.
Philosophy and Later Years
In 1961, Ansermet published Les fondements de la musique dans la conscience humaine, a two-volume work applying Husserlian phenomenology and mathematical principles to argue against the legitimacy of Schoenberg’s musical idiom. Beyond his analytical writing and conducting, he composed several orchestral and piano works, such as the symphonic poem Feuilles de Printemps, and provided orchestrations for Debussy. He died in 1969 in Geneva and is buried at the Cemetery of Kings.
Fast facts
- Born: 1883, Vevey, Switzerland
- Died: 20 February 1969, Geneva
- Education: University of Lausanne
- Major Award: Commander of the Legion of Honour (1955)
- Membership: Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts
- Orchestra founded: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande (1918)
- Religion: Reformed
- Final recording: 1968, Stravinsky's The Firebird
Questions readers ask
What was Ansermet's background before conducting?
He was a mathematics professor at the University of Lausanne.
Which composer's music did he explicitly reject?
He avoided the music of Arnold Schoenberg and his associates, criticizing their use of twelve-tone techniques.
What notable recording milestone did he achieve in 1954?
He recorded Europe's first commercial stereophonic recordings with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.
Achievements
- Commander of the Legion of Honour — 1955
- Educated at University of Lausanne
- Worked as conductor, musicologist and composer
