Charles de Bériot

Charles Auguste de Bériot (February 20, 1802 - April 8, 1870) was a Belgian violinist.

Born in Leuven, where there is now a street named in his honour, he studied violin with Jean-Francois Tiby, a pupil of Giovanni Battista Viotti. He was later encouraged by Viotti himself and briefly worked with Baillot but did not embrace all their teachings and was also influenced by Paganini. He served as chamber violinist to King Charles X of France and to King William I of the Netherlands and toured with great success to London, Paris and the great music centres of Europe.

Bériot lived together with the opera singer Maria Malibran and had a child with her in 1833. They were married in 1836 when Malibran obtained an annulment of her previous marriage. Felix Mendelssohn wrote an aria accompanied by a solo violin especially for the couple. However, Malibran died the same year from injuries sustained in a fall from a horse.

After Malibran's death, de Bériot lived in Brussels, playing little in public. In 1841, however, he went on tour in Germany, where he met and married Marie Huber, daughter of a magistrate of Vienna. [http://www.closelinks.com/summary.php?id=2214&name=Charles%20Auguste%20de%20B%E9riot]

In 1842, Baillot died, and his position as instructor at the Paris Conservatoire was offered to de Bériot. He rejected the offer, however, and in 1843 became chief violin instructor at the Brussels Conservatory where he established the Franco-Belgian school of violin playing. On account of failing eyesight he retired in 1852, and in 1858 became totally blind. Paralysis of the left arm ended his career in 1866. His most illustrious disciples were Hubert Léonard, Henri Vieuxtemps and Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst.

Bériot wrote a great amount of violin music including ten concertos, now rarely heard, although his pedagogical compositions are still of use for violin students. His son Charles-Wilfrid was a pianist who taught Granados, Ravel and Viñes.

Bériot died in Leuven at the age of 68.

References

* Famous Violinists of To-day and Yesterday by Lahee, Henry Charles, 1856-1953 [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14884]

External links

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* [http://www.closelinks.com/summary.php?id=2214&name=Charles%20Auguste%20de%20B%E9riot Charles de Bériot Facts]