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.
 
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