‘Food for the spirit’: French 106-12 months-outdated pianist to release sixth album

PARIS (Reuters) – Colette Maze claims she began enjoying the piano when she was 4 decades outdated to find in audio the heat absent in her demanding upbringing.

These days, at the age of 106, her actively playing however exudes terrific tenderness and sitting down at the piano – a single of four in her Paris apartment – her agile fingers appear to hardly touch the keys as she sways to the seems of Schumann, Debussy and Chopin.

“It’s my food items, my food stuff for the spirit and for the heart”, Maze, a small, vivacious lady, informed Reuters.

Born in 1914 into a center course family members, she was homeschooled by her rigorous mother even though her father managed a fertilizer plant.

She then went on to study at the Paris Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, a conservatoire in the 16th arrondissement, prior to embarking on a lengthy vocation as an accompanist at songs schools in the cash.

Maze, credits yoga and finger gymnastics for keeping her nimble. If she stops playing she would require to feed her imagination by some means. “But I need to have one thing touchable. You require to flavor candy, and my fingers have to have to really feel the keys, to truly feel this,” as her ft access for the pedals and she commences to enjoy the moment far more.

Maze has just recorded her sixth album – a 3 quantity recording of operates by Debussy, slated to be released in April. Final 12 months, she recorded parts by Debussy and another significant French composer, Erik Satie.

Her only son Fabrice Maze, born in 1949, states his mom is an inspiration for some others, especially for the duration of the periods of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“On one particular hand she helps morale. That at 106 you can be on fantastic form if you have passion and appears to be soon after oneself — that’s fantastic information,” he states.

“And then her feeling of humour, her joy, her adore of existence, it can make you smile.”

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