THE FRENCH SCHOOL.
Italian and French Schools compared—state of instrumental
performance at the present time—style of Kreutzer, Rode, Baillot,
and Lafont—the _Conservatoire de Musique_—its origin and
effects—epigram—BALTAZARINI (M. de Beaujoyeux)—JEAN BAPTISTE DE
LULLY—becomes scullion to Mdlle. de Montpensier—elevated to the
rank of Court Musician—his career at Court—Louis the Fourteenth’s
taste in music—the establishment of an Opera—Lulli’s Te Deum for
the King’s recovery—an accident—his death—anecdote of his last
score—his style—JEAN MARIE LE CLAIR (Lecler)—born at Lyons—style
deviating from the Italian school—appointed Symphonist to Louis
XV—assassinated in the streets of Paris—JEAN BAPTISTE
SENAILLÉ—goes to Italy—returns to Paris, 1719—his pupils—JEAN
PIERRE GUIGNON—his sonatas, duetts, trios, and concertos—instructs
the Dauphin—dies at Versailles—GABRIEL GUILLEMAIN—loses his
faculties and destroys himself—PIERRE GAVINIÈS—appointed Professor
at the Conservatoire—his works—FRANÇOIS JOSEPH GOSSEC—founds the
Concert of Amateurs—his symphonies—Pagin—instructed by
Tartini—jealousy of the French musicians—their revenge—PIERRE
LAHOUSSAYE—plays at the _Concert Spirituel_ when nine years
old—Pagin undertakes his instruction—goes to Italy—hears Tartini
at church—spends three years in London—appointed Professor of the
first class at the Conservatoire—PAISIBLE—makes a progress through
several parts of Europe—dies by his own hand in 1781—SIMON
LEDUC—his extant compositions—anecdote of the Chevalier St.
George—F. HIPPOLITE BARTHÉLÉMON—serves as a midshipman—comes to
England—engaged at Vauxhall—MONDONVILLE, and others—Viotti’s
influence on the French School—CASTELS DE LABARRE—_premier violon_
at the Théâtre François—VACHER—pupil of Viotti—performs at the
Vaudeville Theatre, &c.—PIERRE RODE—shipwrecked on the English
coast—obliged to quit England—appointed Professor of the Violin at
the Conservatoire—travels—his death from paralysis in 1830— M.
Fétis on his style—RODOLPHE KREUTZER—his mode of instruction—dies
at Geneva—his compositions—CHARLES PHILIPPE LAFONT—appears at
Paris as a vocalist—studies under Kreutzer and Rode—his residence
at St. Petersburg—his contest with Paganini—PIERRE
BAILLOT—Professor at the Conservatory—his System for the
violoncello—ALEXANDRE JEAN BOUCHER—his likeness to
Napoleon—LIBON—first violinist to the Empress Josephine, to Marie
Louise, and to Charles X—BELLON—his performance at the
Philharmonic Concert—FRANÇOIS-ANTOINE-HABENECK—appointed Director
of the Opera, and Inspector General of the Conservatoire—M.
TOLBECQUE and his brother—PROSPER SAINTON—admitted Bachelor of
Letters—enters the Conservatory—appears at the Philharmonic
Concerts in London—Belgian Artists—CHARLES AUGUSTE DE BÉRIOT—early
development—visits England—his marriage with
Malibran—anecdotes—HENRI VIEUXTEMPS—his success at Vienna, &c.—his
sojourn at St. Petersburg—crosses the Atlantic—JOSEPH ARTOT—pupil
of the Kreutzers.—_pp. 176, et seq._