MUSIC LIB.
IV\L
410
B447H443
^
HERON-ALl£N
CONTRIBUTION
fornia
Qal
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
~^^^BR^
©lJugfuUini VI,
A
CONTRIBUTION
TOWARDS
^n Jlccurate ^iagraphv of
CHARLES AUGUSTE DE BERIOT
AND
MARIA FELIGITA MALIBRAN-6ARGIA;
(5.\tr«cteb from the QTorces^Jonlicnce erf the foruur.
BY
EDWARD HERON-ALLEN.
Rtprinttd from ••'Die Violin Timti.''
lenbon :
printeO for tbe Rutbor b\'
5. "Ua. TWaeifcebam, (Xburch Street, 1ken5in.jtoii.
1694.
■^mk^i^JM^
,[..14
This Edition is limited io 20 Copies.
This is No. lA
No. I.
Briixelles, le 24 i'evrier, IS.^i'.
MOX CHEK Loui?.
II est hazanleux pour Maria de repondre affir-
mativemeiit a la demaiide pressente (sic) de ces
Messieurs, mais puisque vous me demandez de leur.s
part une reponse courrier par courrier, Maria me
charge de vous dire qu'elle s'enyafje a etre de retour
avaut la fin de Mars, et a jouer pendant tout le mois
d'Avril aux Italiens. Voici seulement quelles sont les
modifications qu'elle voudrait aux conditions du
dernier engagement : 1C,000 fr. pour tout le mois
dont la moitie lui sei'a payee dadvance et I'autre
moitie a la fin de I'engagement. Elle s'engage a joixer
deux fois par semaine et trois fois lorsque sa sante le
lui permettra.
Si vous m'aviez ecrit cette lettre quinze jours plus
tard il est probable que je vous eusse repondu en
personne, car je compte etre a Paris bientot pour les
arrangements de la maison.
Adieu, mon cher ami, je n'ai pas le temps de vous
^crire plus longuement avant le depart de la po«te.
Jc finis a la hate et vous embrasse de tout coeur,
Su amigo de corazon.
CAROLOS DE BERIOT.
Mille amities de Maria et de Constance.
(RiDEKj
Pour assurer la bonne intention qu'a Maria de
jouer trois fois par semaine et pour eviter a cet egard
tout espece de different, elle consentirait a s'eugager
positivement a trois representations par semaine en
se reservant le droit d'cn mauquer une moyennant
une retenue de mille fi'ancs sur les seize mille francs
d'engagement total. Voici un arrangement qui
conviendrait peut-fitre mieux a I'administration et
plus dans le systfeme du passe. Ce serait 1,500 fr.
par representation an lieu de 1,250, eu conserrant
toutes les autres conditions.
TRANSLATION.
Brussele, 24 February, 1832.
My DEAR Louis,
It is risky for Maria to answer in the affirma-
tive to the pressing request of these gentlemen, but
as you ask me on their behalf, to give you an answer
by return of post, Maria instructs me to tell you that
•he undertakes to be back again before the end of
March, and to play during the whole of April at the
"Italiens." The following are the only modifications
of the conditions of her last engagement that she would
require r 16,000 francs for the whole month, of which
half shall be i)aid to her in advance, and half at the
termination of the engagement. She undertakes to
play twice a week, and three times Avhen her health
will permit it.
If you had written your letter a fortnight later it
is probable that I would have answered it in person,
for I hope to be in Paris soon to get the house in
order.
Good-bye, my dear friend ; I have not time to write
to you at greater length before post-time. I conclude
in haste, embracing you heartily.
Your heart's friend,
CAROLOS DE BERIOT.
A thousand good wishes from Maria and Constance.
The letter contains a loose slip upon toliich is written
as follows : —
To guarantee the genuineness of Maria's intention
to play three times a week, and to obviate any un-
pleasantness on this account, she would consent to bind
herself positively to play three times a week, reserv-
ing the right to miss one performance on payment of
(or forfeit of) 1,000 out of the 16,000 francs for the
whole engagement. This is an arrangement which
mig'ht suit the Directors better, and is more in
accordance with our former practice. It comes to
1,500 francs for each performance instead of 1.250,
the other terms remaining the same.
The letter is addressed to " Mons. L. Viardot. rue
Grange batteliere 11, Paris," and is post-marked.
" Brussels, 25th February, 1832."
This is a most interesting letter dating as it does from
the early days of that romantic liaison which linked
together the lives of Maria Malibran-Garcia and Charles
Auguste de Beriot. We are not concerned at this
present with the early lives of either of them beyond
recording that Malibran was born 2i March, 1808, in
Paris and de Beriot 20 February, 1802; that Mai'ia
Garcia married the merchant Malibran, 25 March, 182»i,
twenty-four days after de Beriot had been elected
" Vhlon de la rhambre de m Majeste le lioi de France,'^
and Solo-Violinist to WiUiam I., King of Belgium and
the Netherlands. The Eevolution of 18H0 put an end
to this latter appointment and de Beriot came to Paris.
Here he met Madame Malibran whose husband had
gone bankrupt and left for America three years before,
and that companionship commenced which terminated
only with lier death. In 1831 they went to live in
Brussels together, and shortly afterwards built
themselves a beautiful house at Ixelles a suburb of the
Belgian capital. -\s we see by this letter in February
18V<2, Malibran meditated an engagement in Paris
during the coming April, but the cholera broke out
immediately after, and, instead of going to Paris, she and
de Beriot started at a few hours^ notice on that sudden
and celebrated tour of Italy witli Lablache, of which so
many records are preserved. The teinns which she
conunanded even at this date, though moderate
compared to her later salaries, were enormous for those
days. Before her death she signed an agreement with
the Duke Visconti to sing 185 times at La Scala (Milan)
for 450,000 francs. De Heriot and Malibran returned
to Brussels in December 1><H2. and it was here in 1833
that her son Charles Wilfrid de Beriot was born (Feb-
ruary 12th.)
Later in 1833 Malibran and de Beriot were in Londoii,
returning to Italy in the autumn of that year. In
1834 she was again in London for a short season and
it was whilst passing;- through Pai'is on her way here
that she met young Julius Benedict, and persuaded
him to come with them to London, where he made his
first recorded public appearance at a concert given by
de Beriot, and where from thai- moment he practically
passed the rest of his life. Some biographers have
said that it was on their return from Naples to Paris
in 1835 that this took place, but the recorded events of
the lives of Malibran, de Beriot and Benedict, aro
hopelessly vague and conrradictory.
6
In 1834 she was back in Italy and her engagement
with Barbaja at Naples where she arrived, as we see
from the immediately following letter, on the 5th
November, commenced. Some of the incidents of
that engagement are dealt with in the next letter but
oue.
The above letter (1832) was written to Louis
Viardot the impresario and founder of the R6vuc
Inil4pevrlfnte, who gave Malibran's sister, Pauline
Garcia, her first important engagement in Paris in
1339. and married her in 1840. "
No. II.
Postmarked Naples, 8th November, 1834. Milano,
November, 16th.
The Jirxt portion of this letter u minainr/.
Nous avons vu ici " les Capuleti " par la Ronzi et la
Tacchinardi. La premiere chaiite bien, maisavecla voii
d'un petit gargon, ce qui forme un contraste assez
f'role avec sa tournure monstreuse dans le role de
Romeo. Le public Xapolitain est toujours aussi
impitoyablemeut frokl qu'il etait. C'est une masse
inerte qui ne donne signe de vie que lorsqu'un chat
passe sur la scene, ou lorsque quelqu'accroc
dans les changements du decor lui fournit un
protexte pour rire. Je vous donnerai sur le theatre
de plus amples details dans ma prochaine, apres le
debut de Maria. Nous sommes arrives a bon port a
Naples le 5-9 bre apres avoir passe par Florence et
Rome.
Vous avez sans doute appris que Lunari a 6te devalise
sur la route de Rome a Naples, entre Fondi et Terracina.
II etait avec sa f emme et sa fiUe. Les voleurs apres leur
avoir mis le pistolet sur la gorge et les avoir couche
par terre,leur ont pris tout ce qu'ils possedaient, argent,
bijoux &c., &c. Les memes voleurs ont etc pris par
2.^ gendarmes. lis etaient au nombre de 4, trois ont ete
tues. lequatri^me sera execute dans peu. lis ont fait
une longue resistance et un gendarme a ete tue d'un
coup de fusil. Nous avons passe dans ce meme endroit
pendant la nuit mais avec une escorte de trois hommes
armes jusqu'aux dents.
Adieu, mon cher Parola, donnez nous bientot de vos
nouvelles et croyez a notre amitie bien sincere. Soyez
notre interprete aupres de Mons. le Due et Mdme. la
Duchesse.
Votre bien devoue,
CHARLES.
Rappellez nous au souvenir de Mdme. votre epouse,
ainsi que de Bassi, don Cict\ &c., &c.
A quoi en est notre opera. -'La Cantatrice " .'
Addressed,
Monsieur I'Avocat Pa rol a,
chez Monseigneur le Due Visconti,
Milan.
TRANSLATION.
We have seen here " The Capulets "' by Mesdames
Ronzi and Tauchinardi. The first sings well but
with a voice like a little boy, which contrasts
drolly with her enomious figure in the part of Romeo.
The Neapolitan public is as mercilessly cold as ever;
they are an inert mass which only gives signs of life
when a cat crosses the .stage or a hitch in the scene-
shifting gives it an excuse to laugh.
I will give you fuller details about the theatre in
my next letter when Maria has made her first appear-
ance. We arrived safely at Naples on the 5th
November, having come by Florence and Rome.
You have heai'd. no doubt, that Lunari has been
cleaned out on the road from Rome to Naples, between
Fondi and Terracina. He was with his wife and
daughter. The robbers, having put a pistol to their
throats and laid them down on the ground, took from
them everything they possessed, money, jewels, &c.
These same robbers have been captured by 25 police-
men. There were four of them ; three were killed,
the fourth is shortly to be executed. They made a
stubborn resistance and a policeman was killed by a
gunshot. We passed over the same ground during
the night, but with an escort of three men armed to
the teeth.
Gowl-bye, my dear Parola, let us hear from you soon
and believe in our very sincere friendship. Convey
these sentiments to the duke and the duchess.
Your very devoted
CHARLES.
Remember us to your wif<^, as also de Bassi, don
Cice, &c., Aic. How is our opera getting on,
*' The Cantatrice .'"
8
Thi'S, though only a fragment, is a very interesting^
fragment, as it fixes the hitherto very nebulous date
of Malibrans arrival in Naples. She made her debut,
as is recorded later on, at the Fondo with Donzelli in
'• Otello," and played in Rossi's "Amelia" on the 4th
December, 1834. I do not know whether de Beriot
wrote again to Parola between this date (8th
November, 1834) and that of the succeeding letter
(.3rd February. 183.5.) In a letter written by Malibran
to Madame la Comtesse de Merlin from Naples at this
time she alludes to the unwieldy figure of Madame
Ronzi, stating that at Naples she (Malibran) "is io^
thin to succeed." (Malibran Memoirs, London, 1840,
vol 1, p. 172.) It will be more convenient to discuss
this letter and the references to Mesdames Konzi and
Tacchinardi whilst considering the next and more
important letter.
What de Beriot means by his reference to " our
opera : La Cantatrice," I am at a loss to imagine.
No. III.
Naples, le 3 Fevrier, 1835.
MOX CHER PAKOLA,
L'op6ra de Persiani, "I'lnesde Castro," a eu sa
premiere representation Mercredi pass6. Je vous en
ai promis une petite relation. Je me mets done a
I'oeuvre pour le courrier de ce soir. Get ouvrage est
decidement superbe d'un bout a I'autre, et a obtenu
un succ^s complet, succ^s d'autant plus m^ritoire a
Naples que depuis 15 ans environ c'est leltroisi^me
opera qui ait r^ussi, savoir, " I'Esule di Roma,"
•' r Ultimo giorno di Pompei," et ce dernier, tous le8
autres ont ete siffl^s impitoyablement.
Ines de Castro est un opera largement taille pour
I'effet d'un grand theatre. II n"y a pas un mor-
ceau de faible, il y a surtout une sc^ne du Terzetto
dans le 2d acte, qui arrache les larmes. C'est le
moment ou Ines embrasse ses enfants pour ne plus les
revoir. Le role d'Ines est un des plus beaux du
repertoire de Mariette. Celui du Tenor, dont Dupres
s'est tir6 avec beaucoup d'honneur, est aussi tres
soigne. En somme totale, c'est un superbe op6ra ;
mais, mon cher Parola, dans un pays ou les chefs-
d'oeuvres de Rossini ont 6t6 siffles les uns apr^s les
autres, je me demande si le merite seule d'un com-
positeur est la cause a laqaellc il faut attribuer le
succ^s d'un ouvrage 1 . . . . non sans doute, et
pour vous expliquer la reussite d'Ines de Castro je
V0U8 dirai que si Ton pouvait lever le voile qui couvi-e
ce mystere, on y verrait d'abord 50 ducats dans la
poche du chef d'orchestre. sans lesquels ce Monsieur
est incapable de bienveillance pour I'auteur, de zele
et d 'attention aux repetitions et enfin d'ensemble, et
de mesure dans sou orchestre, on verrait en second
lieu un {/sic) autre somme apeupressemblabledans la
poche du chef des choeurs sans laquelle les choriste
(sic) n'ont pas de poumons. On verrait que le tailleur
meme recoit sous main son petit cadeau sans lequel
los acteurs seraient liabilles comme des cochons, et
I'operaretarde u.^ plus d'un mois. En un mot tout
s'ach^te ici parce que tout est a vendre, amitie,
bienveillance, complaisance, tout se reduit a cette
balance : comhh n me donnez-von-s jioiir cela ? Le silence
meme s'achete an theatre, ce silence dans les coulisses
est ici un objet de speculation, et le pauvreauteur qui
ne passe pas par toutes ces conditions trouve centre
lui mille armcs qui doiveat infailliblement le
faire succombej-. Persiani a eu le bon sens de
prevenir tons ces obstacles, aussi on dit que le pauvre
diable a sacrifie euti^remont le produit de son op. ra :
aussi contre I'usage do Su. Carlo, il y avait -le
I'ensemble dans I'execution. du luxe dans "les costumes
et les decorations, et autant Amelia etait-elle couverte
de haillons autant Ines de Castro 6tait resplendis-
saute de dorures et de richesses. Tout cela. mon cher
ami, est bien avilissant. Mais c'est la verite. Jen
suis tellement degoute que j'attends le jour ou je
quitterais Naples pour n'y plus revenir comme "le
plus beau jour de ma vie. Encore un mot sur Ines ;
le succes de cet opera auquel jiersonne ne s'attendait
a bless6 mortellement deux partis, les Ronzistes a
cause de Maria, It s Barbaistes .a cause de la societe.
qu'a-t-on fait jjour paraliser entierement I'effet de
cette musique .'
On a decret^ liicr un ordre qui empeche d'applaudir
plus d'uue fois et de rappeler plus d'une fois les
acteurs. II en est resulte que la representation
d'hier qui etait la troisiemo d'Ines comprimee par
quclques gendarmes s'est reduit A, une representation
ordinaire (!.• tons les "jours— Maria en pleurait--car
rien ne lui est plus .a coeur quo d'exciter I'euthousi-
asme .!u public. i:\-<\ m -fF- la seule r^compcnMi
10
d'une veritable artiste ; moi je ne cesse de lui
repeter que rien ne peut constater mieux un triomphe
que robliyation d'envoyer la force pour la comprimer.
J'attendri toujours avec impatience lane decision de
Paris. Troupenas m'a ecrit mais sa letti'e ne m'an-
uonce rieu de nouveau. La chose sera jugee tres
prochainement voila tout. Jai ecrit a Lucca et je
suis aussi dans I'attente d"une reponse de ce cote.
J'espere pouvoir vous donner bientot du nouveau,
en attendant, jo vous reitere nos amities bien sincei'es
et vous prie d'etre notre interprete aupres du Due et
de Mdme. la Duchesse.
C.\RLO D. B.
P.S. — Xos compliments d'amitie a Bassi, D. Cicio.
etc. Je pense que TaflEaire de Rossi se terminera a
Venise, car a Xaples noiis ne serons plus a temps de
preter serment en sa presence.
La Tacchinardi est. je crois, engagee pour Paris.
Le bruit absuide des coups de poignards a ete
jusqu'a Paris, les journaux fran(;'ais en parlent avec
une arrogante certitude. On devait ici donner
ropcra de Bellini, Lcs Puyifnins ; la partition n'est pas
encore arrivee de sorte que le marche de Bellini avec
la societe est rompu non seulement pour cet ouvrage
mais pour les deux autres quil devait ecrire I'annee
procliaine. II s'agissait de 9,000 ducats pour les trois
operas. Je vous dis cela dans le cas ou M. le Due
voulut reprendre le marche de la societe, je crois que
ce serait une bonne operation.
Add reused : —
Monsieur I'Avocat Parola.
Palais de Mons. le Due Visconti,
Milan.
PostmarTied : —
Xaples, .")th February.
Milano. 10th Februarv.
TRANSLATION.
Xaples, f5rd February, 1835.
My dear Paeola.
Persiani's opera " Inez de Castro " was pro-
duced for the first time on Wednesday last. I
promised you a shoi-t account of the performance.
I set to work then for this evening's post. This
opera is decidedly superb from beginning to end, and
has pi'oved a complete success — a success the more
11
praiseworthy at Naples seeing that during- the last
15 years about, it is only the third opera which has
succeeded, to wit, ''L'Esule di Roma," '• L' Ultimo
giorno di Pompei." and this last, all the others have
been mercilessly hissed.
•• Inez de Castro " is an opera constructed on broad
lines to be effective in a large theatre ; there is not a
weak number in it, above all there is a scene, a trio
in the second act which compels one's tears — it is the
moment when Inez embraces her children for the
last time. The part of Inez is one of the finest in
Marriette's repertoire, the tenor part which Dupres
performed most creditably is also very carefully con-
snucted. In fin^it is a superb opera ; but, my dear
Parola, in a country where the masterpieces of
Rossini have been hissed off the stage one after
another, I ask myself whether the unassisted talent
of a composer is the only cause to which the success
of a work is attributable I , without doubt, no,
-and to explain to you the success of '• lues de Castro,"
I may tell you that if one could lift the veil which
covers this mystery, one would find, first of all. 50
-ducats in the pocket of the conductor of the orchestra,
without which this gentleman would be incapable
of any kindly feeling for the author, of zeal or
attention at rehearsals, in fact of inspiring unison
and time in his orchestra : in the second place one
would find a nearlv similar sum in the pocket of the
chorus-master without which the chorus-singers
Avuuld have no lungs. One would find that even the
costtunier receives his little present, u-ithout which
the actors would be arrayed like swine, and the pro-
duction delayed a month. In one word everything
has to be bought here because everything is for sale,
friendship, kindness, complaisance, everything is
reduced to this test, What will you give me for that ?
Even silence has to be bought in the theatre. .Silence
behind the scenes is an object of commercial enter-
prise, and the poor author who does not submit him-
self to all these requirements, finds arrayed against
him a thousand weapons which must infallibly cause
him to succumb. Persiani has had the good .sense to
foresee all these obstacles, and it is said that in
doing it the poor devil has sacrificed the whole pro-
ceeds of his opera. In addition, contrary to custom
at the San Carlo, there was cohesion in the perform-
jtncf. luxury in the costumes and decoration^, and
12
"Inez de Castro" was as resplendent in gold and
magnificence as "Amelia'' was covered with rags.
All this, my dear friends, is very degi-adin^, but it is
the truth. I am so disgusted with it that I look for-
ward to the day when I shall quit Naples never to
return, as the happiest day of my life. To return to
Inez, the success of this opera which is quite unex-
pected has mortally offended two parties, theRonzists
on account of Maria, and the Barbaistes on account of
thf sub'scribers. What do you think they did for the
purpose of paralysing the effect of this music 1 They
issued an order yesterday forbidding people to
applaud more than once, or to recall the actors more
than once. The result of this was that yester-
day's performance which was the third repre-
sentation of Inez, controlled Vjy some policemen,
was reduced to the level of an ordinary everyday
performance. Maria cried about it, for nothing ia
dearer to her than to rouse the enthusiasm of the
public, it is in fact the only reward of a true artist ;
I keep on telling her that nothing can prove the
greatness of her triumph more than the fact that it
is necessary to employ force to control it. I am still
waiting impatiently for a decision from Paris. I have
heard from Troupenas, but his letter contains
nothing that is new. The matter will be decided
very soon, that is all. I have written to Lucca, and
I am also waiting a reply from thence. I hope to be
able to give you fresh tidings very soon, meanwhile I
reiterate to jou our expressions of friendship and
beg you to convey them to the Duke and the Duchess.
CARLO D. B.
P.S. — Our compliments and friendship to Bassi,
D. Cicio, &c. I think that Rossi's matter will be
ended at Venice, as at Naples we shall not be in
time to make declaration in his presence. I think
Mme. Tacchinardi is engaged for Paris.
The absurd rumour about the stabbing has reached
as far as Paris ; the French papers talk about it with
arrogant certainty. They proposed giving Bellini's
opera. " I Puritani," here, but the score has not yet
arrived, and consequently Bellini's business relations
with the society are broken off, not only as regards
this work, but also as regards the two others which
he was to write next year. The arrangement was
9,000 ducats for the three operas. I mention this in
case the Duke would like to take up the matter
13
where the society had droi)ped it ; I think it would
be a good speculation.
I trust that this letter may set at rest for ever the
mis-statement, published by Fetis and Sir G-. Grove in
more than oue place, and after them by every other
biographer, that Persiani's "Inez de Castro" was
first prodiiced by Malibran in August, 18S5, at
Lucca. In addition to deciding this point, it throws
a most interesting' lii^ht on the manner in which
music was treated, or rather maltreated, at the San
Carlo in 1835, and shows that the disgraceful way in
which the artistes are bullied at that house to day is
the surviva.1 of an historic custom. " L'Esule di
Roma "' was written by Donizetti and produced in
Naples about 1820, and " Lultimo Giorno di Pompei"
was written by Giovanni Pacini and produced about
five years later. " Dupres," whom de Beriot refers
to as sing'ing the tenor part, is Gilbert Louis Duprez
(born in Paris 6th December, 180G), who, after
reaching the higher walks of his profession at the
Opera Comique in Paris, went, about 1831, to Xaples,
where he sang until 183(i, when he reached the
summit of his ambition, being engaged for the opera
in Paris. The terms " Pionzistes" and •• Barbaistes "
re<iuire some explanation. Signorina Josephine
Ronzi (who married the comedian De iJegnis) was a
lerxliug Italian prima donna, who had been attached
to the San Carlo since 18H1, and had been, during-
that time, the leading Neapolitan singer. Malibran,
on arriving in Naples, found that all her leading
parts were being sung ut the San Carlo by Ronzi, and
consequently made her debut in Naples as Desdemona
at the Fondo. It is also stated that Ronzi was the
mistress of the King of Naples, and that this mili-
tated against Malibran's success. However this may
havf- been, it is easily comprehensible that the
popular favourite should have a large body of
friends who would look coldly on the new comer.
The '• Barbaistes " were the friends of the manager
Barbaja as differentiated from the sub::cribers (la
Societe). Domeuico Barbaja began life as a restau-
rant waiter at Naples, continued it as director of the
San Carlo Theatre, and ended it in wealthy retire-
ment at Posilipo. Grove says that he was at the
same time manager of La Scala, Milan, and the Sau
Carlo at Naples, but I see no confirmation of this^
14
statement. The Cointesse de Merlin states that ho
was also manager of the Fondo, and that the sub-
scribers to the San Carlo were offended that Malibran
appeared first at the other opera house. This may
explain de Beriot's remark about " la Society," which
is a trifle obscure and capable of more than one inter-
pretation.
By •' Amelia " in the preceding passaye de Beriot
refers to the title role in the opera of that name,
written for Barbaja by Rossi, at Malibran's request,
and produced at the San Carlo on the 4th December,
1834. This was a comic part in which she insisted
on having a dance interpolated, which dance was a
great failure, and damned the opera.
The decision from Paris that de Beriot awaits with
such anxiety is the decision of the Parisian courts as
to the nullification of her marriage with Malibran.
This, as we shall see, was not pronounced until the
(•)th March, 1836.
Troupenas was de Beriot's friend and publisher
referred to later on.
The letter he awaited from Lucca was Avith refer-
ence to Malibran's next engag-ement, which began in
August, 1835. It is there that all her biographers
have placed her triumph in " Inez de Castro " —even
Madame de Merlin, who professes to get her informa-
tion direct from Malibran herself.
The Duke and Duchess are of course, the Duke
and Duchess Visconti, to whose house the letter is
addressed. The Duke Visconti was the director
of La Scala. with whom Malibran subsequently con-
tracted to sing during 1835-C-7 for £16,800 for 180
(or 185) performances, a remuneration which
(jompares curiously with salaries paid nowadays.
Signer Parola, to whom this, the preceding, and
the following letters are written, was a Milanese
barrister, who appears to have acted as the agent of
the Diike Visconti in engaging artists for La Scala.
He was always a very great friend, both of de
Beriot and Malibran. This further explains the final
postscript to this letter.
The Bassi referred to in the postscript it probably
Vincenzo Bassi, a bass singer of secondary reputa-
tion, who at this time was singing at Milan. Cicio
referred to in both the preceding letters with the
prefix '• don," I have been unable to trace, but h^ was
probably another artist at La Scala.
15
The postscript relative to the '-stabbing." refers to
Malibran's death scene in "Otello." She never
played this twice alike, and Donzelli. who played the
title role, never knew how he was going to catch her.
It imparted great realism to the scene, but it annoyed
Donzelli very much, and on one occasion he slightly
wounded himself with his dagger whilst pursuing her
round the stage. The incident was caught up and
elaborated b}' the French press until it assumed the
proportions of a nightly repeated attempt to murder
her at the instigation of her Neapolitan enemies.
I do not know what is referred to by " I'affaire de
Rossi" ; disgusted by the failure of " Amelia,'' Rossi
left Europe for Mexico ou the l.Jth October, 1835,
where he stayed until 1811. It is quite possible that
de Beriot refeis to some dispute or unpleasantness
arising out of the failure of " Amelia."
In speaking of "La Tacchiuardi" de Beriot refers
to Madame Persiani. the daughter of Xicolo Tacchi-
nardi, the Italian tenor, who had so perfect a voice
that it made up for his ugliness and deformity which
are said to have been monstrous. His daughter
Francesca, who was a pupil of his, and an opera
singer of considerable repute, married Persiani, the
composer of " Inez de Castm," in 1S80, and was sing-
ing iu Xaples till 1^3.3. Donizetti had written his
" Lucia di Lainmermoor '' for her in 1834, and it was
in thi« that she made licr first appearance in Paris in
18fJ7 (December 12th), according to Sir G. Grove
(Fetis gives a totally different account). It is very
interesting to note from this letter the cause which
led to •• I Puritani." being produced for the benefit of
Madame Urisi in London, in 1S3."), instead of in Naples.
The Duke Visconti did not take de Bcriot's hint :
the other two operas were never written ; " I Puri-
tani '' was Bellini's last work — he died on the 2i{rd
September, 18.35, aged 29.
No. lY.
Louvain, le li> Mirs, ls;]K.
MON CHEK PaEOLA,
Je profite du passage de M. Bruschetti sjuur
vous donner de mes nouvelles apres un bien long
silence dont vous devez sans doute m'en vouUiir, luais
vous savez combien j'ai eu I'esprit boul verse et le
coeur malade. J'ai quehpie droit :"'. vt>tre iinlulgence,
16
car raalgre tous mes chagrins je n'ai cease de penser
a vous. M. Bruschetti veut bien se charger de vous
remettre iin petit creur renfermant. one relique dont
je sixis bien avare, comrae vous pensez, et que je ue
donno qu'aux vrais amis de mon pauvre ang:e.
J'avais projette un long- voyage dans le nord, niais
j'ai 6tc malade pendant presque tout I'hiver. Cepen-
dant je compte partir dans pen avec ma belle-sceur et
sa mere pour Vienne, et pent etre meme pour Milan ou
j'aurais un bien jirand plaisir de vous revoir. M.
Bruschetti entendra Pauline ce soir (car nous donuous
xin concert a Louvain) il vous en dira assez sur ce
talent qui deviendra immense.
Adieu, mon cher ami. le temps qui me presse
m'empeche de vous ecrire plus ionguement. Mi lie
amities pour vous et votre femme.
0. De BERIDT.
Ecrivez moi un mot a I'adresse ci-dessous : —
a Ixelles. pi-es de Bruxelles.
Note by Paroln : —
Rispondo il gno 8. A idrcsnal : —
Apriie, 1838. Monsieur Parol.v,
Milan.
TRANSLATION.
Louvain, lt>th March. KSiJS.
My deak Parol.v.
I take advantag'e of Mr. Bruschetti's passage to
send you news of myself after a very lon>i' silence, for
which you must, no doubt, be annoyed with me, hut
you know how overwhelmed 1 have been and liow
sick at heart. I have some claim on your indulgence,
for notwithstanding' all my sorrows, I have not ceased
to think of you. Mr. Bruschetti is kind enough to
iindertake to hand yoa a little heart containing' a
relic of which I am most avaricious, .as you may sup-
pose, and which I only give to the true friends of my
poor angel.
I had contemplated a long voyage in the north, but
I have been ill nearly all the winter. Nevertheless
I count on starting shortly, wiih my sister-in-law and
her mother, for Vienna, and possibly for Milan, v.'here
it will give me great pleasure to see you again. Mr.
Bruschetti will hear Pauline this evening (for wc are
giving' a concert at Louvain) he will tell yon quite
enough about rliis (her) talent, which \\ill Ijecooie
immense.
17
Good bye, my dear i'rieiid, want of time prevente
my writing to you at greater length. A thousand
remembrances to you and your wife.
C. De Bebiot.
Write me a line to the address below : —
Ixelles, near Bruxelles.
The great interest of this letter lies in the fact that
it throws a light on the dark ages of de Beriot's life,
a period on which his biographers have been practic-
ally silent, and introduces to us Pauline G-arcia. On
the tith of March, 1836, Malibran's marriage was
annulled by the French courts (owing to a technical
flaw in the ceremony, which was improperly per-
formed by the French consul in New York), and on
the 26th March following, she was married in Brussels
to de Beriot ; a few months later they came to Eng-
land where, whilst singin^r at the Manchester Festi-
val, she was taken suddenly ill, and died after nine
days' illness, on the '2:ird September. M. Ernest
Legouve has graphically described her death in his
shore biography of Malibran, though it, like all other
biographies of her. is strangely incorrect and fanciful.
After this de Beriot retired to Ixelles. where it is
stated by Grove and Fetis he lived in seclusion till
1840. This is. however, incorrect. Madame Garcia,
the mother of Malibran, and her sister, Pauline
Garcia, lived in Brussels, naturally on terms of great
intimacy with de Beriot, and in 18H7 we find him
playing at a concert at which Pauline made her (Uhiit
as a singer. This young lady, born in 1821 (18th
Julj-) was 13 years younger than Maria Garcia and
had. during her sister's life-time, given great promise
as a singer. After a short tour with de Beriot, she re-
turned to Brussels.and we see from the above letter that
in 1838 she was performing in a concert at Louvain,
which was de Beriot's native place, and that a tour
of Germany and Italy with him was in contempla-
tion. Nothing of this appears in any of the published
biographies of de Beriot. The joint tour did not,
however, tike place, for in 1838 Paulino Garcia was
singing in Paris at the Theatre ile la Renaissance, in
May, 1839, in London at Her Majesty's in "Oiello,"
and in the autumn of the same year was engaged for
the Theatre Lyriqne, by Viardot, whom she married
in 1840, whilst in the same year de Beriot, touring in
Germany, married Mademoiselle Marie Hubi/ir, daugh-
18
ter of a Viennese maoristrate. an adopted daughter
of Prince Dietrischten Preskau, by whom he had two
eons, both of whom died before him, one an officer iu
the Belg'ian Army and the other (Franz) a violinist of
considerable repute. Pauline Viardot-Garcia (who
is the mother of M. Paul Viardot. the violinist and
leader of the Paris Opera) still lives in Paris. This
letter is written like No. III. to Signer Parola. the
Italian barrister and aprent of the Duke Visconti.
No. Y.
Ixelles, le 21 Aout, 1840.
MON CHER JULKS,
Depuis quelque temps vous comprendrez qu'il
m'a 6te bien difficile de m'occuper d'ati'aires et de
niusique, au milieu de ee tourbillon de delices et
d'emotions qu'on appelle mariage. Enfin ee n'est que
depuis peu de jours que j'ai un peu repris le gout de
I'havmonie, et j'ai fait sur le pre un petit duo, comme
un essai que je vous souraets en remplacement de
I'autre. J'ai soigne autant qu'il m'a etc possible la
partie de piano a laquelle vous donnerez la derniere
main. J'ai essaye de jouer ce petit morceau devant
quelques pe^sonnes avec ma femme et il a fait son etfet
sans etre difficile ni pour Tun ni pour I'autre. Dites
moi seulement par un mot si vous en etes content et
s'il est digne de figurer parmi les autres.
Je vous remercie, mon cher ami, des details que vous
m'avez donnez ixic) sur les articles de journaux, il en
resulte que I'auteur de la brioche, c'est moi, et cela par
ma mauvaise memoire. Je suis bien desole de tous les
desagrements dont j'ai ete la cause involontaire,
cependant je dois anssi vous gronder un peu de ne pas
m'en avoir dit un mot a Paris. II eut ete temps alors
■de parer a bien des inconvenients, qui me semblent
aujourd'hui presque irreparables, si pourtant vous avez
un bon avis a me donner je m'y soumettrai voloutiers et
j"y penserai de mon cote.
Pour en revenir ,^ nos douze petits enfants je vous
dirai que le No. 11, sur le theme de Nicolo, ne me
semble pas aussi bien que les autres et qui! serait
je crois necessaire den faire un autre. Ce tient a
la nature du th^me lui meme qui est un peu rococo
et decolore. Le morceau est d'ailleurs trop court.
J'ai demande a M. Masset un autre Thfime. J'attends.
1!>
Je suis, mon oher Jules, bien heureux d'avoir une
femrae aussi parfaite que Marie ; elle fait la conqu^te
de tous ceux qui I'approehent par la douceur et la
simplicite de ses manieres. Je fais souvent une obser-
vation que vous ferez aussi quand vous la connaitrez,
je lui trouve quelque chose de I'accent de votre femme
en parlant le frangais, il n'y a pourtant pas beaucoup
de rapport eiitre Naples et Vienne.
Je voudrai bien pouvoir aller vous rcjoindre soit a
Briton (sic) soit a Dieppe, mais je n'ose former aucun
projet de peur de ne pouvoir le realiser et vous faire
perdre un temps pr6cieux. Je trouve que vous faites
bien d'exploiter I'angletevre mais ne rejettez pas pour
cela Paris : c'est la que tot ou tard vous reviendrez
depenser vos guinees et faire de nouveaux operas pour
completter (sic) votre reputation. Adieu, cher fiston (?).
Je vous emlirasse de tout coeur,
Votre ami,
CH. De BERIOT.
Addressed : —
Monsieur J. Benedict,
at MM. Addison & Beale,
Eegent Street, Conduit Street,
London.
TRANSLATIOX.
Ixelles. 21st Augu.st. 1840.
My dear Jui.ks,
_ You will readily understand that for some
time it has been very difficult for me to attend to
business or to music in the midst of the whirligig of
delights and emotions that they call marriage. In
fact, it is only a few days ago that I felt onceliiore in
the vein for harmony, and I composed out in the
fields a little duet as an experiment, which I submit
to you in the place of the other. I have done as
much as I can to the piano part, and you will put
the finishing touches to it. I played this little piece
just to try it before a few people with ray wife, and
it was effective without being difficult for either of
us. Only tell me in a word if you are satisfied
with it, and if it is worthy to figure among the
others.
I am much obliged to you, my dear friend, for the
details you have given me as to the newspaper
articles ; I see now that the whole thing is my fault,
and is the consequence of my bad memory. ' I am
'20
very miserable about all the unpleasantness of which
I have been the involuntary cause, but at the same
time I must scold you a little for not having said a
•word to me about it when I was in Paris. There
would have been time then to prevent so much incon-
venience, which seems to me to-day to be practically
irreparable ; however, if you can give me any good
advice in the matter, I will submit myself to it. and
give it my best consideration.
To return to our twelve little children, I must tell
you that No. 11, on the theme of Nicolo, does not
seem to me to be as good as the others, and I think
we shall have to make another. It partakes of the
character of the theme itself, which is a
little old-fashioned and colourless In addition to
this, the piece is too short. I have asked Mr. Masset
for a new theme. I am waiting for it. I am, my
dear Jules, very happy to have so perfect a wife aa
Marie ; she makes a conquest of everyone who comes
near her, by reason of the sweetiaess and simplicity
of her manners. I often remark a thing which you
also will remark when you know her. I find her
accent in speaking French is something like your
wife's and yet there is not much connection between
Naples and Vienna.
I should very much like to join you at Brighton or
Dieppe, but I do not dare to make any plans for fear
of not being able to execute them, and so waste j'our
precious time. I think you do well in cultivating
England, but do not, on account of that, abandon
Paris — it is there that sooner later you will return to
spend your guineas and compose new operas to com-
plete your reputation. Good-bye, my dear fellow, I
embrace you with all my heart, your friend.
CH. De BERIOT.
Puttmarked : —
Brussels, 22nd August, 1840 ; and
London, 24th August, 1840.
With this letter, we reach another of the impor-
tant stages of de Beriot's life, namely, his active re-
entry into the musical world immediately after hie
mirriage with Mile. Huber. It is written to Mr.
(afterwards Kir Julius) Benedict, which gives it an
added interest, for it was owing to the persuasions of
de B6riot and Malibran. whom he met in Paris in
1834 or 1835, that he came over to London and settled
21
here for the rest of his life. The only works that I
know of in which de Beriot and Julius Benedict col-
laborated was a duo on " La Sonnambula," and •' Six
duos Faciles, le Fruit de I'Etude," which was pub-
lished in Paris by Brandus. It is possible, however,
that this letter refers to the latter six duos. The
Masset to whom he refers was the Anolinist and chef
d'orchestre of that name to whom the succeeding
letter was written two years later. I have not been
able to trace the name of Benedict's first wife, who
was a Neapolitan, but she died whilst on a visit to
Naples with him in 1851, a few months after his son
had been killed by the fall of a chimney on a Saon«
steam-boat. The concluding- paragraph of the letter
is particularly significant, when we consider the cir-
cumstances of the latter part of Sir Julius Benedict's
life in England. It was in this year, 1840, that de
Beriot became connected with the Conservatoire of
Brussels, bitt he did not receive his appointment a«
head of the faculty of the violin until early in 1843,
and the circumstances which led to his appointment,
which have never been recorded in any of his biog'ra-
phies, are related by himself in the following letter : —
No. YI.
Bruxelles, le 18 8bre, 18-12.
MoN CHEB Masset,
Aussitot apres mon retour a Bruxelles le Minis-
tre de I'lnteri-ur m'a fait appeler pour me dire qu'il
savait que j'etais sur le point de quitter la Belgique
pour aller occupsr la place de Baillot, et qu il esperait
que je ne prendrais pas cette resolution avant de lui
avoir laisse le temps d'agir. II est de mon devoir,
a-t-il ajoute, de vous retenir dans le pays. J'ignore
encore ce qu'il a a me proposer, mais dans cette posi-
tion delicate, vous comprendrez qu'avant de savoir
quelles sont les intentions du Ministre je ne puis
donner une reponse categorique a Paris. Dans tous
les cas il n'y a pas de temps de perdu ; Je ne pourais
(isir) entrer dans mes fonctions au Conservatoire
qu'apres avoir mis d'ordre a mes affaires ici, et apres
m'Stre install^ dans mon nouveau domicile, ce qui
n'est pas I'affaire d'un jour.
Avant de repondre affirmativement a Mr. Auber, je
desirerais savoir si I'espoir qui m'a 6tc donne relative-
ment a un appartement au conservatoire pourait («/>)
se realiser, ct si ce logement serait assez spacieux pour
ma petite famille, et enfin si'l serait dans la partie
nouvellement batie clu Conservatoire. Cette question
n'est pas sans importance ct je vous serais oblige, men
eher Masset, cle prendre quelques informations a cet
egard et d'avoir la bonte da m'en faire part
J'ai corrige I'epreuve de I'air varie, je ne vous
I'envois pas paroe que vous m'avez dit que vous vouliez
ie faire paraitre avec le quatuor ou le petit orchesti'e.
Cependant si vous le desirez je vous I'expedierai de
suite, sinon je tacherai de terminer la partition le plus
promptement possible.
Veuillez bien faire part de ma lettre a Troupenas et
lui dire que j'ai dit a Schott tout ce qii'il faUuit pour
Its etudes.
J 'attends Thalberg ' aujourd'hui. Comment va ce
pauvre Wolff? Est-il enfin d'aplomb sur ses jambes?
J'ai ete tellement affairt' depuis mon retour que je n'ai
pas pu faire la petite )iote dent nous sommes convenus,
raais cela ne tardera pas.
Adieu, ecrivez moi un mot, et croyez moi
Votre tout devoue
C. De BEKIOT.
Mille choses aimable pour ma femme et moi a
Mme. Masset.
Addressed : —
Monsieur Masset,
40, Kue Vivienne, Paris.
TEAXSLATION.
Brussels, isth October, 1842.
My de.^r Masset,
Immediately upon my return to Brussels the
Minister of the Interior sent for me to tell me that he
kne^Y that I was on the point of leaving Belgium to go
and take Baillot's place, and that he hoped I would
not definitely resolve upon this course without giving
him time to act. " It is my duty," he added, " to
keep you in the country." I do not yet know what
proposition he has to make to me; but, under these
delicate circumstances, you will understand that until
I know what are the intentions of the minister I
cannot send a categorical reply to Paris. In any event
there is no time lost. I should not be able to enter
upon my duties at the Conservatoire without having
23
put my affairs here in order, and until I sboald be
tettled in my new abode, which is not a matter of a
day.
Before replying in the atfivmative to M. Auber, I
I should like to know whether the hope that has been
held out to me of a residence in the Conservatoire is
likely to be realised, and if this accommodation would
be large enough for my little family, and. rinally,
whether it would be in the newly-built portioi: of the
Conservatoire. This is a not unimportant question,
and I should be obliged to you, my deai- Masset, If you
would make some enquiries on this point and iei me
know the result.
I have corrected the proof of the air with variations.
I do not send it you because you told me you vanted
to publish it with (accompaniment of) the quarxe; or
small orchestra. Ne\ertheless, if you wish it, I will
send it to you at once, otherv/ise I will try to finish the
score as soon as possible.
Please communicate the contents of this letcer to
Troupenas, and tell him that I have said to Schott
all that if nrcessary ahuut the exercises.
I expect Thalberg- to-day. How is poor Wolff 1 Is
he firmly on his legs again .' I have been so busy
>;ince my return that I have not been able to v.rite
out the little note ( ? bill) as we arranp-ed. but, I will
not delay about it. G-ood-bye, write me a line, and
Tielieve me.
Your devoted
C. De BERIOT.
A thousand greetings lor my wife and my-eh' to
Mdme. Masset.
Postmarked : —
Brussels, IHth October. 1842.
This letter is, as far as I know, the only record
•ixtant of the close of the penultimate phase of de
Beriot's career. Baillot, who was the leading pro-
fessor of the violin at the Paris Conservatoire, had
died on the 15th September, 1842, just a month
>)efore the above letter was written. Auber. Avho
had become Director of the Conservatoire on the
retirement of Cherubini in 1841, had immediately put
him.self into communication with de Beriot (who
vas then on a concert tour, being merely a professor
•if the violin at the Conservatoire of Brus^sele), and
••Ifered him the po^-t vacated by the death of Bail'ot.
This seems to have aroused the dormant apprecia-
tion of his fellow-countrjTnen with the result that
he was offered a similar post in Brussels, which post
he naturally accepted rather than the other. He
retained his position till 1852, when he became blind
and retired to Louvain, where he completed hig
" Grande Methode du Violon," which was published
in 1858. The date of his death is variously given
as the 8th or 20th of April, 1870, and he left
behind him a considerable fortune in the enjoyment
of which his son Htill lives in Paris.
It is impossible to :^ay to which of his many "airs
varies" the above letter refers. He speaks of
Eui;'^ne Troupenas, Ills friend, and the publisher of
many of his compositions. Troupenas was, besides
being a music publisher, an ai'dent amateur and
theoretician on the science of music. He died at
Paris in 1850 (11th April).
The Schott referred to is of course the publisher of
that name.
Thalberg-, the pianist, was one of de Beriot's
greatest friends, but was }iot his brother-in-law. as
Fetis asserts, Thalberg" being- a natural son and
without sisters.
The Wolff of whom mention is made is Edouard
Wolff, the pianist, a composer of the most remarkable
fecundity. He had evidently met with some accident
or illness at this date.
Nicolas Jean Jacques Masset. to whom this letter
is written, was a violinist and orchestral leader, who,
from 1839 until I8ir>, was the leading tenor at the
Opera Comiqtie in Paris. It would seem from this
and other letters, as if he were in the position of
agent lor de B^riot in Paris.
It will be seen that the six preceding letters throw
much light on the lives of de Beriot and those with
whom he was associated. There is no really good
biography of de Beviot extant ; the best perhaps is
that of Mr. G-. T. Ferris, in his " Sketches of Great
Violinists " (De Fid. Bibl., No. 81). The articles in
"Groves' Dictionary" and "Fetis' Biography" are
vague, unsatisfactory, contradictory, and incorrect.
He seems, however, to have been a great letter writer,
and it is probable that could more of his letters be
recovered an accurate biography of de Beriot might
be written.
E. H.-A.
,^1'^-kr'^^
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