Alexandre Batta
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Alexandre Batta (July 9, 1816 – August 10, 1902) was a Dutch cellist. Born to a musical family, he initially played the violin before hearing cellist Nicolas-Joseph Platel play and switching to the cello. He studied with Platel at the
Royal Conservatory of Brussels The Royal Conservatory of Brussels (, ) is a historic conservatory in Brussels, Belgium. Starting its activities in 1813, it received its official name in 1832. Providing performing music and drama courses, the institution became renowned par ...
, winning first prize for cello in 1834. Music critic Henri-Louis Blanchard, writing in 1847, described Batta as one of the three great cellists of the time, alongside
Auguste Franchomme Auguste-Joseph Franchomme (10 April 180821 January 1884) was a French cellist and composer. In addition to his work in Paris, he collaborated with Spanish cellist Víctor Mirecki Larramat and Belgian cellist Adrien-François Servais in founding w ...
and
Adrien-François Servais Adrien-François Servais (6 June 180726 November 1866) was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in what is now Halle, Belgium. He is one of the founders of the Modern Cellistic Schools of Paris and ...
. Batta was named a knight of the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
in 1875.


Life

Alexandre Batta was born on July 9, 1816, to a Belgian musical family in
Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...
. His father, Pierre, was a cellist. He had two younger brothers: Laurent, a pianist, and Joseph, a composer and violinist. Batta initially studied the violin and his youngest brother was to study the cello. However, Alexandre developed a passion for the cello after he heard Nicolas-Joseph Platel play. When his father left the house, he secretly played his brother's cello with his violin bow, convincing his father to allow him to study the instrument. Batta was taught by his father before he studied at the
Royal Conservatory of Brussels The Royal Conservatory of Brussels (, ) is a historic conservatory in Brussels, Belgium. Starting its activities in 1813, it received its official name in 1832. Providing performing music and drama courses, the institution became renowned par ...
with Platel. There, he won the first prize for cello in 1834 alongside François de Munck. Batta left the Conservatory in 1835 and moved to Paris. In 1836, he bought a
Stradivarius A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...
from a French dealer. The cello would later be named for him. In 1837, he played in a series of chamber concerts with
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...
and Chrétien Urhan at the Salons Érard. The concerts included the Beethoven piano trios and were successful, influencing French composers. Batta played with Liszt again in 1840 in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and in 1841 in Paris. In 1847, Henri-Louis Blanchard described him as one of the three great cellists of the time, alongside
Auguste Franchomme Auguste-Joseph Franchomme (10 April 180821 January 1884) was a French cellist and composer. In addition to his work in Paris, he collaborated with Spanish cellist Víctor Mirecki Larramat and Belgian cellist Adrien-François Servais in founding w ...
and
Adrien-François Servais Adrien-François Servais (6 June 180726 November 1866) was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in what is now Halle, Belgium. He is one of the founders of the Modern Cellistic Schools of Paris and ...
. From around 1849 to 1851, he participated in chamber music sessions with Achille Dien, a violinist, and
Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...
, who wrote an unfinished piano trio that may have been for the trio. In his later years, Batta published musical criticisms in ''L'Union libérale et démocratique de Seine et Oise''. In August 1875, he was named a knight of the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
. His wife Clémentine, a composer, died of an illness in 1880. In 1893, he sold his Stradivarius to W. E. Hill & Sons. Batta died in
Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
on August 10, 1902.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Batta, Alexandre Musicians from Maastricht Dutch classical cellists Royal Conservatory of Brussels alumni Knights of the Legion of Honour 1816 births 1902 deaths Musicians awarded knighthoods