Frank Martin

Frank Martin (September 15, 1890 – November 21, 1974) was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands. He was born in Geneva, the tenth and last child of Charles Martin, a Calvinist pastor. Before he started school, he was already playing the piano and improvising. By the age of nine he composed charming children's songs that were perfectly balanced without ever having been taught musical forms or harmony. A performanc... more

Frank Martin (September 15, 1890 – November 21, 1974) was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands. He was born in Geneva, the tenth and last child of Charles Martin, a Calvinist pastor. Before he started school, he was already playing the piano and improvising. By the age of nine he composed charming children's songs that were perfectly balanced without ever having been taught musical forms or harmony. A performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion, heard at the age of twelve, left a lasting impression on the composer, for whom J.S. Bach remained the true master. Martin studied mathematics and physics at the University of Geneva for two years, working on composition and studying piano with Joseph Lauber on the side. From 1918 to 1926, he lived in Zürich, Rome, and Paris. The compositions of this period show him searching for his own musical language. In 1926, he founded the Société de Musique de Chambre de Genève, which he directed as pianist and... less