- Jean-Pierre Duport
Infobox musical artist
Name = Jean-Pierre Duport
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Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth_name = Jean-Pierre Duport
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Born = birth date|1741|11|27|mf=y
Died = death date and age|1818|12|31|1741|11|27|mf=y
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Instrument =cello
Genre = classical
Occupation = musician
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Notable_instruments =Jean-Pierre Duport (
November 27 ,1741 –December 31 ,1818 ) was a cellist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He owned and played theDuport Stradivarius , which was, until recently, in the possession of the Russian cellist,Mstislav Rostropovich . Along with his brother,Jean-Louis Duport (also a cellist), he was active in the musical life of France and Germany. Jean-Pierre was the son of a dancing master, and a student of the founder of the French school of cello playing,Martin Berteau (1700-1771).He and his brother were acquainted with
Beethoven : in February, 1796, Beethoven had leftVienna for a five-month concert tour which took him toPrague (accompanied byPrince Lichnowsky , who had travelled there withMozart in 1789),Dresden ,Leipzig , andBerlin , where he was inspired by the high level and quality of musical activity at the court of King Friedrich Wilhelm II ofPrussia , at which Jean-Pierre was director ofchamber music .In 1812, Jean-Pierre returned to
Paris , where he encounteredNapoleon , who insisted on trying out Duport'sStradivarius cello, exclaiming, "How the devil do you hold this thing, Monsieur Duport?" Duport was so obviously afraid thatNapoleon would damage it, thatNapoleon laughingly returned it to the cellist's more careful hands. Actually,Napoleon had made a small dent in the ribs of the cello, which may still be seen in the instrument. It was later owned byAuguste Franchomme , thenAdrien-François Servais , thenMstislav Rostropovich .External links
* [http://www.cellist.nl/database/showcellist.asp?id=114 Biography]
* [http://www.celloheaven.com/viewtopic.php?t=65 Cello Heaven: Jean-Pierre and Jean-Louis Duport]
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