Henri Marteau (31 March 1874 – 3 October 1934) was a French violinist and composer, who obtained Swedish citizenship in 1915.

Life and career

Marteau was born in

Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded b ...

. He was of German and French ancestry. His father, a Frenchman, was a well known amateur violinist in Reims, and took a great interest in musical affairs. His mother, a Berliner, was an excellent pianist, who had studied under

Clara Schumann Clara Josephine Schumann (; née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, she exerted her influence over the course of a ...

. Through the influence of

Camillo Sivori Ernesto Camillo Sivori, (June 6, 1817February 18, 1894) was an Italian virtuoso violinist and composer. Born in Genoa, he was the only known pupil of Niccolò Paganini. He also studied with Antonio Restano (1790-1885), (1760s or 70s-~1865?) an ...

, Marteau's parents were easily persuaded to allow their son to adopt a musical career, and he showed remarkable aptitude in his studies, first under Bunzl, later under

Hubert Léonard Hubert Léonard (7 April 1819 – 6 May 1890) was a famous Belgian violinist, born in Liège. His earliest preparatory training was given by a prominent teacher of the time, , after which he entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1836. There he s ...

and from 1891 entered Jules Garcin's class at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

. Marteau was remarkable both for his individuality and for his development. His debut was made when only ten years old, at a concert given by the

Vienna Philharmonic Society en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, conducted by Hans Richter. A tour through Switzerland and Germany followed. A year later

Charles Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

selected this young violinist to play the ''

obbligato In Western classical music, ''obbligato'' (, also spelled ''obligato'') usually describes a musical line that is in some way indispensable in performance. Its opposite is the marking ''ad libitum''. It can also be used, more specifically, to indic ...

'' of a piece, ''Vision de Jeanne d'Arc'', composed for the Joan of Arc Centenary Celebration at Reims, where he also performed, before an audience of 2500 people, his teacher Léonard's Violin Concerto No. 5. Marteau made his professional debut in London in 1888, at a Richter concert. In 1892 he gained the first place prize at the Conservatoire de Paris, and

Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are '' Manon'' (1884) and '' Werther ...

and

Théodore Dubois Clément François Théodore Dubois (24 August 1837 – 11 June 1924) was a French Romantic composer, organist, and music teacher. After study at the Paris Conservatoire, Dubois won France's premier musical prize, the Prix de Rome in 1861. He bec ...

both wrote a violin concerto especially for his benefit. A further series of tours followed. Twice he visited America, once in 1893, and once in 1898, and he visited Russia 1897-1899. He was then engaged in teaching, and for a time was professor of the violin at

Geneva Conservatoire , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; ...

. On the death of

Joseph Joachim Joseph Joachim (28 June 1831 – 15 August 1907) was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher who made an international career, based in Hanover and Berlin. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

in 1907, Marteau was called to the

Berlin University of the Arts The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research universit ...

, where he became head of the violin department. During World War I he was expelled from Germany. The Germans accused him of being a French spy, while the French accused him of being a German spy, so he had to avoid both countries. Instead he moved to Sweden, where he became a citizen in 1915. Marteau was long an advocate of chamber music. On 13 April 1894, for example, he, pianist Ami Lauchame, a violist named Koert, and a cellist named Hegner were reported to have given their second invitation chamber music concert in New York, performing works of

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 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 C ...

and

Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...

; a third concert was scheduled for the following week."Mr. Marteau's Invitation Concerts," ''The New York Times,'' April 14, 1894
/ref> By 1906, Marteau was leading a string quartet that broke up in a dispute over a work by

Max Reger Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger (19 March 187311 May 1916) was a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and academic teacher. He worked as a concert pianist, as a musical director at the Leipzig University Church, as a professor a ...

."Max Reger and His Music: New York Has a Chance to Study an Apparently Self-Contradictory Personality in Modern Composition," ''The New York Times,'' March 11, 1908
/ref> In Berlin, he formed another string quartet with his student

Licco Amar Licco Amar (4 December 1891 – 19 July 1959) was a Hungarian violinist. Life Born in Budapest, Amar was the child of the merchant Michael Amar and Regina Strakosch, who came from North Macedonia. Amar studied with Emil Baré at the Franz Li ...

as second violinistSleeve notes for Arbiter 138, ''Hindemith as Interpreter—the Amar-Hindemith Quartet''
and

Hugo Becker Hugo Becker (born Jean Otto Eric Hugo Becker, 13 February 1863, died 30 July 1941) was a prominent German cellist, cello teacher, and composer. He studied at a young age with Alfredo Piatti, and later Friedrich Grützmacher in Dresden. Biograp ...

as cellist; later, Becker's student George Georgescu would take over the cello position.Biographical sketch published for Concursul George Georgescu 2008 International Contest for Performing Artists, Tulcea, Romania
Marteau composed a cantata for soprano, chorus and orchestra, entitled ''La voix de Jeanne d'Arc''. He died in

Lichtenberg, Bavaria Lichtenberg is a town in northeastern Bavaria, lying in the district of Hof in Upper Franconia. It lies on a hill above the valley of the river Selbitz, in the Frankenwald nature park. History The town's origins reach back to the 9th century. ...

at the age of 60. In order to revitalize the name and works of Marteau, the Hofer Symphoniker organize the

International Violin Competition Henri Marteau The International Violin Competition Henri Marteau (german: Internationaler Violinwettbewerb Henri Marteau) is a violin competition named after the famous violinist and violin teacher Henri Marteau. It is open to violinists of all nationalities ...

. The event takes place every three years at Marteau house in

Lichtenberg Lichtenberg () is the eleventh borough of Berlin, Germany. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it absorbed the former borough of Hohenschönhausen. Overview The district contains the Tierpark Berlin in Friedrichsfelde, the larger of Berlin ...

and at the

Freiheitshalle The Freiheitshalle is a building in Hof, Bavaria, Germany. Artists that have performed at the venue include Peter Maffay, Glenn Miller Orchestra, AC/DC, Queen, The Cross, Florian Silbereisen and Hofer Symphoniker Hofer Symphoniker (''Hof Sy ...

Hof, Bavaria Hof () is a town on the banks of the Saale in the northeastern corner of the German state of Bavaria, in the Franconian region, at the Czech border and the forested Fichtelgebirge and Frankenwald upland regions. The town has 47,296 inhabitant ...

Selected works

;Stage * ''Meister Schwalbe'', Musical Comedy in 1 act (1922) ;Concertante * Andante for violin and orchestra (1891) * ''Fantaisie'' in E major for violin and orchestra, Op. 3 * Cadenza for the '' Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77'' by

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...

(1904) * Concerto in B major for cello and orchestra, Op. 7 (1905) * ''Suite'' in A major for violin and orchestra, Op. 15 * Concerto in C major for violin and orchestra, Op. 18 (1919) ;Chamber music * ''Berceuse'' for violin and piano, Op. 1 (1902) * ''Berceuse'' for violin and piano, Op. 2 No. 1 * ''Feuillet d'Album'' in D minor for viola and piano, Op. 2 No. 2 * ''Andantino'' in A minor for violin and piano, Op. 2 No. 3 * String Quartet No.1 in D major, Op. 5 * ''Chaconne'' in C minor for viola and piano, Op. 8 (1905) * String Quartet No.2 in D major, Op. 9 (1905) * Trio in F minor for violin, viola and cello, Op. 12 (1907) * Quintet in C minor for clarinet and string quartet, Op. 13 (1908) * ''Études d'archet'' (Bowing Studies) for violin with violin accompaniment, Op. 14 (1910) * String Quartet No.3 in C major, Op. 17 (1921) * ''Études de gammes'' (Scale Studies) for violin, Op. 19 (1916) * ''Sérénade'' for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet and 2 bassoons, Op. 20 (1922) * ''24 Caprices d'execution transcendante'' for violin and piano, Op. 25 (1919) * ''Fantaisie'' for organ and violin, Op. 27 (1910) * ''Terzetto'' for flute, violin and viola, Op. 32 (1924) * ''Sonata Fantastica'' for violin solo, Op. 35 (1927) * ''Partita'' for flute and viola, Op. 42 No. 2 * ''Divertimento'' for flute and violin, Op. 43 No. 1 ;Keyboard * ''Trois Compositions'' for organ, Op. 23 (1918) ;Vocal * ''Ave Maria'' for voice, violin, harp (piano) and organ (harmonium), Op. 4 No. 1 * ''8 Songs'' for voice and string quartet, Op. 10 (1906) * ''Huit mélodies'', Op.19c 1. "Pluie" ("Il pleut. J'entends le bruit égal des eaux"

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

), 2. "À Douarnenez en Bretagne" ("On respire du sel dans l'air"

Sully Prudhomme René François Armand "Sully" Prudhomme (; 16 March 1839 – 6 September 1907) was a French poet and essayist. He was the first winner of the 1901 Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901. Born in Paris, Prudhomme originall ...

), 3. "Ritournelle" ("Dans la plaine blonde et sous les allées" François Coppée) 4. "Matin d'octobre" ("C'est l'heure exquise et matinale" Coppée) 5. "Chanson de mer" ("Ton sourire infini m'est cher"

) 6. "Vitrail" ("Sur un fond d'or pâli, les saints rouges et bleus" Coppée) 7. "Pitié des choses" (Coppée) 8. "Dans la rue, le soir" ("Neuf heures. On entend la retraite aux tambours." Coppée)François Coppée "Dans la rue, le soir"
/ref> * ''Acht Gesänge'', Op.28 1. "Stille Fahrt" ("Ich stand an einem dunklen Meer" :de:Hans Benzmann) 2 "Die Eichbäume" ("Aus den Gärten komm' ich zu euch, ihr Söhne des Berges!"

Friedrich Hölderlin Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin (, ; ; 20 March 1770 – 7 June 1843) was a German poet and philosopher. Described by Norbert von Hellingrath as "the most German of Germans", Hölderlin was a key figure of German Romanticism. Part ...

, 3. "Abendlied" ("Die Nacht ist niedergangen"

Otto Bierbaum Otto Julius Bierbaum (28 June 1865 – 1 February 1910) was a German writer. Bierbaum was born in Grünberg, Silesia. After studying in Leipzig, he became a journalist and editor for the journals ''Die freie Bühne'', ''Pan'' and '' Die Insel'' ...

), 4. "Empor!" ("Nun breite stolze Schwingen aus" :de:Adolf Holst), 5. "Gipfelndes Glück" ("Ein Duft weht überall"

Carmen Sylva Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise of Wied (29 December 18432 March 1916) was the first queen of Romania as the wife of King Carol I from 15 March 1881 to 27 September 1914. She had been the princess consort of Romania since her marriage to then ...

) 6. "Regenlied" ("Walle, Regen, walle nieder"

Klaus Groth Klaus Groth (24 April 1819 – 1 June 1899) was a Low German poet. Biography Groth was born in Heide, in Ditmarschen, the western part of the Duchy of Holstein. He was the oldest son of Hartwig Groth, a miller, and his wife Anna Christina. He ...

) 7. "Hütet Euch" ("Wo am Herd ein Brautpaar siedelt"

Emanuel Geibel Emanuel von Geibel (17 October 18156 April 1884) was a German poet and playwright. Life Geibel was born at Lübeck, the son of a pastor. He was originally intended for his father's profession and studied at Bonn and Berlin, but his real interests ...

), 8. "Liebesnacht" ("O weile, süßer Geliebter! Martin Greif) * ''Drei geistliche Gesänge'' (Three Sacred Songs) for medium voice and organ, Op. 29 (1923) * ''Fünf Schilflieder'' for baritone, viola and piano, Op. 31; words by

Nikolaus Lenau Nikolaus Lenau was the pen name of Nikolaus Franz Niembsch Edler von Strehlenau (13 August 1802 – 22 August 1850), a German-language Austrian poet. Biography He was born at Csatád (Schadat), Kingdom of Hungary, now Lenauheim, Banat, then p ...

1. "Drüben geht die Sonne scheiden" 2. "Trübe wird's, die Wolken jagen" 3. "Auf geheimem Waldespfade" 4. "Sonnenuntergang; Schwarze Wolken zieh'n" 5. "Auf dem Teich, dem Regungslosen" * ''2 Ballades'' for voice and piano, Op. 34 (1924) ;Choral * ''Drei Lieder'' (Three Songs) for mixed chorus, Op. 33 (1924) * ''La voix de Jeanne d'Arc'', Cantata for soprano, chorus and orchestra

Sources

* Sadie, S. (ed.) (1980) ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians'', ol. # 11 *The Memoirs of Carl Flesch 1957 *An Encyclopedia of the Violin - Alberto Bachmann 1875 *Violin Virtuosos - Henry Roth 1997

CD Releases

* Henri Marteau: Concerto in C major for violin and orchestra, Op. 18 and Serenade Op. 20 - Nicolas Koeckert and the

Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern The Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern (German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern) is a German radio orchestra. Its administrative headquarters is in Saarbrücken, at the ''Funkhaus Halberg''. The orc ...

(Solo Musica SM 299) * Henri Marteau: Huit mélodies, Op. 19c and Op. 28 -

Vesselina Kasarova Vesselina Kasarova ( bg, Веселина Кацарова; born 18 July 1965) is a Bulgarian operatic mezzo-soprano. Early life and education Kasarova was born in the central Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora. Under the communist regime she studie ...

and Fünf Schilflieder for baritone, viola and piano, Op. 31 -

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (28 May 1925 – 18 May 2012) was a German lyric baritone and conductor of classical music, one of the most famous Lieder (art song) performers of the post-war period, best known as a singer of Franz Schubert's Lieder, ...

(Solo Musica SM 263) * Henri Marteau: Quintet in C minor for clarinet and string quartet, Op. 13 and Serenade, Op. 20 - Mark Lieb and the Phoenix Ensemble (with Alexander v. Zemlinsky's Trio, Op 3) (Navona Records NV 6076), Feb. 2017 * Henri Marteau: Quintet in C minor for clarinet and string quartet, Op. 13 - Praetorius Quartett and String Quartet No.2 in D major, Op. 9 - Marteau Quartett (Solo Musica SM 282) * Henri Marteau: Discovery of a Romanticist (Solo Musica SM 229) * Henri Marteau: string quartets, Vol. 1 - Isasi Quartet (CPO 555 128-2)

External links

Henri Marteau website
*
Website of the International Violin Competition Henri Marteau

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marteau, Henri 1874 births 1934 deaths Musicians from Reims French classical composers French male classical composers 19th-century French male classical violinists French emigrants to Sweden Swedish classical violinists