JEAN ARNOLD DAMMEN (Fétis calls him Jean André Dahmen), who belonged
to a large Dutch musical family, was born in 1760, at the Hague, and
had the reputation of being a clever player. About 1769 he was living
in London. Of his compositions, several books of Duets and Sonatas
appeared. In 1794 he was appointed to Drury Lane, and in the years 1796
and 1797 he travelled in South Germany.
Finally we must here mention JOSEPH MÜNTZBERGER. He was of German
extraction, and was born in Brussels in 1769, where his father,
Wenzeslaus Müntzberger, was chamber musician in the service of Prince
Charles of Lorraine, Governor of the Netherlands. Fétis informs us that
the young Müntzberger at six years of age played a Concerto before the
Prince, on a tenor viol, handled somewhat like the Violoncello. On
account of this performance he was induced to have the boy instructed
by the violinist, Van Maldere. This account must be erroneous, for Van
Maldere died on November 3, 1768, a year before Müntzberger’s birth. In
his fourteenth year he went to Paris. He there advanced himself--with
the sole assistance of Tillière’s Violoncello School--so far that he
was able to play the most difficult pieces of the Cello literature
of that period. In 1790 he accepted a place in the orchestra of the
“Théâtre Lyrique et Comique,” but after a time gave it up and entered
the orchestra of the “Théâtre Feydeau,”[128] of which he became first
cellist after Cardon’s resignation. Besides this, he was a member of
Napoleon the First’s band, as well as, later, of the King’s. During his
official occupation he often assisted at concerts, and specially at
those of the “Rue de Cléry,” which at the beginning of this century were
in great favour with the Parisians. In 1830 he retired on a pension, and
died in January, 1844.
Müntzberger, who, during his long residence in Paris, had not only
Gallicised himself as an artist, but also in regard to the pronunciation
of his name, composed a good deal for the Violoncello--namely, five
Concertos, a “Symphonie Concertante,” Trios, in which, besides the
Cello obbligato, the violin and bass take part; a great number of
Duets, Fantasias, and Variations; two books of Sonatas, with bass;
three of Etudes and Caprices, as well as a “Nouvelle Méthode pour le
Violoncelle.” The latter work in all probability appeared before 1800,
as in it, as in Boccherini’s compositions, besides the bass and tenor
and violin clefs, the alto and soprano clefs are used, which do not
occur in French books of instruction after this date.
Violoncello playing received a remarkable impulse in Belgium towards
the middle of our century. Platel (mentioned already on p. 101) greatly
contributed to this by founding the school of Violoncello playing which
subsequently gained such reputation. From it came out prominently,
ADRIEN FRANÇOIS SERVAIS, born on June 6, 1807, at Hal, near Brussels. He
began his career, like so many of his colleagues, with violin playing,
in which his father, who was a musician in the church at Hal, first gave
him instruction, and under whom he became acquainted with the elements
of theory. The child’s rare talent inspired the art-loving Marquis de
Sayve, who possessed an estate in the neighbourhood of Hal, with so
great an interest that he granted him the means of beginning to study in
earnest under the direction of the first violinist of that time in the
Brussels Theatre, of the name of Van der Planken. In Brussels, Servais
soon found an opportunity of hearing Platel, whose playing made a deep
impression on him, and excited in him the desire of devoting himself
to Violoncello playing. In order to become Platel’s pupil, he applied
for admission to the Brussels Conservatoire. His development was so
rapid that he surpassed all his fellow-students, and gained, before
the year was over, the first prize in the competition. Platel made him
his assistant in the Conservatoire, and at the same time he was placed
in the opera orchestra, to which he belonged for three years. During
this period, however, he did not succeed in gaining from his fellow
countrymen the appreciation which he soon after gained in Paris.
In the year 1834 Servais went to London. He acquired there also
remarkable success; but the applause of the public did not excite in
him self-satisfied content, for when he returned home he gave himself
up to renewed study, by means of which he attained to the highest
degree of masterly performance. In the beginning of 1836 he went to
Paris--the following year he travelled in Holland, and in 1839 visited
St. Petersburg, where he met with a brilliant reception. Such was the
case also when he re-appeared in his native land, and performed at
Brussels and Antwerp, after his return from Russia. In the beginning
of 1841 he undertook a second journey to the East, in which he aroused
great applause at St. Petersburg, Moscow, Warsaw, Prague, and Vienna
by his performances. In 1843 he gave concerts again in Holland, and
the following year in Germany, after which he again went to Russia.
In the winter of 1847 he was in Paris and later on he travelled into
Scandinavia. Now a quieter time was in store for him, for in 1848, after
he had been nominated solo violinist to the King of the Belgians, he
undertook the Professorship at the Brussels Conservatoire, which for a
time attached him to the place. At the beginning of 1866 he made another
journey to Russia, which he extended to Siberia. It is supposed that by
these unceasing efforts Servais laid the seeds of his death, which took
place on November 26 of the same year, at his birthplace, whither he had
resorted to recruit his health.
Servais was not only a virtuoso of the first rank, but also a thoroughly
original artist who was the means of effecting an important advance in
Cello playing, by opening out for it new lines. His performance was
distinguished by broad, energetic, and rich intonation, as well as by
the most careful finish and effective manipulation, for he understood
how to bring out into the clearest light all the advantages of his
instrument. Many connoisseurs consider him the first cellist of his
time; in any case, he competed successfully with his French colleagues,
and raised the Belgian school of Violoncello playing to extraordinary
reputation.
Servais as a composer for his instrument is well-deserving of notice.
Besides three Concertos, he wrote ten Fantasias, with orchestral
accompaniment. He united with J. Grégoire in composing fourteen Duets
for Piano and Violoncello, and with the violinist Léonard three Duets
for Violin and Violoncello, upon opera themes. In conjunction also
with Henri Vieuxtemps, a Duet of the same kind was produced. Finally,
he composed six Caprices in the Etude form, which, however, are not
so attractive as many of his other Cello pieces. Amongst these the
“Souvenir de Spa” and Variations on Schubert’s Sehnsucht Valses have had
the widest circulation.
Of the numerous pupils whom Servais formed, the best known are--Meerens,
Deswert, Fischer, and Bekker.
CHARLES MEERENS, born at Bruges on December 26, 1831, is the son
of a clever flutist, who in 1845 settled in Antwerp, where young
Meerens received his first Cello instruction from Joseph Bessems.
Later, a certain Dumon, in Ghent, was his teacher. Having returned to
his birthplace, Bruges, he founded an amateur musical society, “Les
Francs-Amis,” and superintended a music warehouse established by his
father. In 1855 he went to Brussels in order to study music under
Servais’s direction, but subsequently devoted his chief attention to
writing on music, especially in relation to acoustics.
JULES DESWERT, the most prominent pupil of Servais, and altogether one
of the best of Belgian cellists, was born on August 1, 1843, at Louvain,
and made himself a name, after having completed his studies under
Servais, by several concert journeys. In 1865 he stopped at Düsseldorf,
and was for a time engaged there. Three years later he entered the
Weimar Hofkapelle as first Cellist, whence he was summoned to Berlin,
in 1869, with the title of Concertmaster, as solo cellist of the Royal
band and teacher in the High School of Music. He gave up this in 1873
in order to devote himself to composition. After he had remained a few
years in Wiesbaden, he chose Leipsic as his residence in 1881. Besides
two operas, of which the one called “The Albigenses” was brought out
in 1878 at Wiesbaden, and the other, “Graf Hammerstein,” in 1884 in
Mayence, he wrote three Cello Concertos, as well as an important number
of Drawing-room Pieces, re-edited a collection of old Violoncello music
and arrangements of classical compositions, and published three books
of Etudes under the title of “Le Mecanisme du Violoncelle.” He also
produced a Cello school, which was brought out by Novello, in London.
Servais also formed a very distinguished artist in the Cellist,
ADOLPHE FISCHER, born November 22, 1850, in Brussels, whose name
implies a German origin. His father, who worked in the Belgian capital
as conductor, and founded the first Society for men-singers, prepared
him for attending the Brussels Conservatoire. His education, under the
guidance of Servais, went rapidly forward. At sixteen years of age the
first prize was conferred on him. After his studies were completed,
Fischer chose Paris as his residence, and soon met with general
appreciation. Since then he has undertaken several concert tours in the
larger towns of Germany.
The violoncellist, P. R. BEKKER, born on May 23, 1839, in the Dutch town
of Winschoten, was pupil of the Brussels School of Music from 1852-1855.
He progressed so far under Servais that he soon received the first
prize at the playing competition. Bekker sought and found a sphere of
work as music teacher at Utrecht. A testimony to the excellence of his
performances is the circumstance that, in 1861, he was granted the title
of solo Violoncellist by the King of Holland. He did not, however, long
enjoy the fruits of his industry, for he died in 1875.
Servais educated also the elder of his two sons, whose Christian name
was JOSEPH, as a very good cellist. From 1869-1870 he belonged to the
Weimar orchestra. In the year 1872 he was nominated professor of his
instrument at the Brussels Conservatoire. He was born November 23, 1850,
at Hal, the home of his father, where he died August 28 or 29, of the
year 1885.
Returning to Platel’s pupils, we have, after the elder Servais,
FRANÇOIS DEMUNCK (De Munck) to mention, who was born on October 6,
1815, in Brussels, where his father was teacher of music. Instructed
by him in the first elements of the art, he entered the Conservatoire
of his birthplace as a boy of ten years of age, and soon had Platel
as his master. In 1834 he left the Institution with the first prize,
and in the following year he was nominated as his master’s assistant.
When the latter died a few months after, Demunck was appointed his
successor. His star was gradually in the ascendant. Fétis says of him
that, about 1840, the hope was cherished that he was destined to be
at the head of the Violoncellists of his time, for his playing was
distinguished not only by the opposite fine qualities of energetic and
delicate intonation, but also by an expression full of feeling, and ease
in surmounting all difficulties. This hope was not, however, to be
fulfilled. Demunck fell into relations which had a paralysing effect on
the work of his profession. He neglected more and more the study of the
Cello; consequently his performances were deprived of their precision
and brilliancy; and, further, he ruined his health. Notwithstanding this
he still excited some consideration in London. Soon after, in the year
1845, he resigned his official work, in order to perform at concerts, in
company with a singer, in Germany. His performances, however, no longer
came up to the cherished expectations. In the year 1848 Servais stepped
into Demunck’s place as teacher at the Brussels Conservatoire, which
induced him to go to London, and labour for a time in the orchestra of
“Her Majesty’s” Theatre. But only too soon the results of his dissolute
life became apparent. He fell into doubtful circumstances, and, broken
in body and mind, he returned, in the spring of 1853, to Brussels,
where, on February 28 of the following year, he died.
Demunck published only a “Fantasia” with variations on a Russian theme
(Op. 1).
Of his two sons he brought up the younger, by name ERNEST, as cellist,
who was born in Brussels on December 21, 1840. As early as eight years
of age he was able to appear as a solo player in his native place, and
at ten in London. He then became, for a time, Servais’s pupil in the
Brussels Conservatoire. Later, in company with Julien, he travelled
all over Great Britain, then settled in London, but in 1868 went to
Paris, was there for two years member of the Maurin String Quartet, and
accepted, in 1871, the invitation made to him to be first Cellist of the
Weimar orchestra. His work for many years suffered impediment from an
injury to his left hand. Since his marriage with Carlotta Patti he has
resided in America.
As one of the elder Demunck’s pupils deserving notice,
GUILLAUME PAQUE must be mentioned, born at Brussels on July 24, 1825. At
ten years of age he became a pupil of the Conservatoire, where, during a
course of six years, he received his entire artistic training. Dismissed
from the institution with the first prize, he entered the orchestra
of the Royal Theatre in his native town. After he had belonged to it
for some years, he took up his abode in Paris, with the intention of
permanently settling there. But an offer which he received in 1840, of
entering, as solo cellist, the Italian Opera at Barcelona, induced him
to leave the French capital. Scarcely had he arrived at Barcelona, when
the Professorship of the Musical School was committed to him. In 1849
he played before the Queen of Spain in Madrid, and in 1850 he travelled
in the South of France giving concerts. In the same year he fixed his
residence in London, where he gained popularity as a chamber music
player. He found his particular sphere of work as solo cellist at the
Royal Italian Opera, as well as teacher at the London Academy of Music,
until his death on March 3, 1876. Amongst his compositions he published
several “Fantasias,” Variations, and Drawing-room pieces.