The Violoncello and Its HistoryWasielewski, Wilhelm Joseph von
History
The Violoncello and Its History
Wasielewski, Wilhelm Joseph von
Cellists; Cello -- History
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.
The elder Demunck had a second famous pupil in
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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