ISIDORE DESWERT, not to be confounded with the Violoncellist of the
same name already mentioned. Isidore Deswert, the son of a musician
established at Louvain, was born there on January 6, 1830, and, after
he had completed his studies at the Brussels Conservatoire, he received
the first prize at the playing competition. In 1850 he found a position
as teacher at the music school of his native town, and six years later
he was invested with the office of solo cellist at the “Théâtre de la
Monnaie,” in Brussels. Since December 3, 1866, he has been occupied as
Director of the Violoncello Class at the Conservatoire there.
Of Platel’s pupils we have still to mention Batta and Van Volxem.
ALEXANDER BATTA, born on July 9, 1816, at Maestricht, received from
his father, a singing master, his first instruction in music, and
at first practised violin playing. After some time his father was
appointed “professeur de solfège” at the Brussels Conservatoire, and
in consequence the family Batta took up their abode in the Belgian
capital. There the talented boy heard the Cello master, Platel, play,
and the desire of emulating him was awakened. He succeeded in inducing
his father to let him share Platel’s instruction at the Conservatoire.
By persevering industry he succeeded in gaining the first prize with
Demunck at the competition of his class in 1834. In 1835 he went to
Paris, where he found a good reception. This decided him to make it his
home.
At this time the tenor, Rubini, was flourishing in Paris. All vied
in doing him homage, and Batta became such an unbounded admirer
of him, that he copied his manner of rendering. It is known that
instrumentalists can learn a great deal from good singers. Rubini,
however, with all the advantages of his manner of singing, had the
failing of making excessive contrasts of _forte_ and _piano_ without
the use of intermediate gradations, in order to produce startling
effects upon the public. Batta appropriated this merely for the sake of
attaining an easy effect, and therefore became for a time the recognized
darling of the Parisian public, and especially of the ladies, whom he
knew how to captivate by his sweetly coquettish style of playing. He
naturally possessed also valuable artistic qualities, but an apparently
virtuoso tendency ever after clung to him.
Batta published a respectable list of Drawing-room pieces and
transcriptions, as well as a Concerto and a couple of Concert Etudes
for his instrument. These productions were for a time made use of by
violoncellists: now they have ceased to excite any interest.
J. B. VAN VOLXEM, born on November 30, 1817, at Ucclelès-Bruxelles,
became, in 1833, a student of the Brussels Conservatoire as a pupil of
Platel. At the competition he gained the second prize for Cello playing
and composition. Later on he was Chorus Director in the Brussels Royal
Theatre. Since then he has by preference devoted himself to chorus
singing, and has deserved considerable merit for its diffusion in
Belgium.
Three other Belgian violoncellists must be added to those artists
already mentioned, namely: Chevillard, Warot, and Vieuxtemps, of whom
the first-named is distinguished as by far the most important and most
famous.
PIERRE ALEXANDRE FRANÇOIS CHEVILLARD, born on January 15, 1811, at
Antwerp, received--after he had been prepared for the musical profession
in the parental home--his higher education, as a pupil of Norblin, in
the Paris Conservatoire, to which he belonged from March 15, 1820, until
the year 1827. Dismissed from thence with the first prize, he undertook
the duties of solo cellist in the orchestra of the “Théâtre Gymnase.”
In this position, which afforded him abundant leisure for pursuing the
study of composition under Fétis’s direction, he remained until 1831.
He then became member of the orchestra of the Italian Opera. In the
year 1859 he undertook the Professoriate at the Paris Conservatoire in
Vaslin’s place.
Chevillard distinguished himself not only as a trained virtuoso player,
but also as a musician animated by a high artistic aim, which he proved
by his efforts to introduce the last String Quartets of Beethoven
into Parisian musical circles, for whom these magnificent “tone
poems” had until then been an unknown world. After repeated fruitless
attempts, which failed on account of the insufficient intelligence of
his associate players, he at length succeeded by means of the artists
Maurin, Sabattier, and Mas, who had the same aim in view, in gaining
the requisite force by which he was able to carry out his ideas. At
first the quartet confederates established private performances before a
few connoisseurs only. By degrees, however, the number of the audience
increased, so that they ventured on a public hearing, which took place
in the Pleyel Saloon. During the years 1855 and 1856 the four players
undertook tours in Germany in order to perform the last Beethoven
Quartet at Cologne, Frankfort, Darmstadt, Leipsic, Berlin, and Hanover.
Everywhere they found the appreciation which they deserved. In the year
1868 Demunck the younger joined the Quartet in the place of Chevillard,
who died at the end of 1877.
Chevillard’s cello compositions were a “Concerto, Quinze Mélodies,
Morceaux developpés pour Violoncelle et Orchestre ou Piano,” a
“Fantasia” on Themes from Marino Falliero “Lamenti, Adagio and Finale,”
and “Andante et Barcarolle.” Besides these he published a Cello school
which bears the title: “Méthode complète de Violoncelle, contenant la
théorie de l’instrument, des gammes, leçons progressives, études, airs
variés et leçons pour chacune des positions.”
CONSTANT NOËL ADOLPHE WAROT, born on November 28, 1812, at Antwerp,
began early the practice of music on the violin, but gave up this
instrument in favour of the violoncello. In 1852 he was appointed
teacher at the Brussels Conservatoire. Besides a Violoncello School,
which was introduced as a work of instruction to the Art Institute
mentioned, he wrote Duets for two Violoncellos, and an “Air Varié” with
piano accompaniment. He died on April 10, 1875, at the place of his
work.
Concerning JULES JOSEPH ERNEST VIEUXTEMPS, the younger brother of the
celebrated Violin virtuoso of the same name, nothing more is known than
the fact that he was for a long time solo cellist at the Italian Opera
in London, and that he is at present solo player in Hallé’s Orchestra at
Manchester.
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