Life
Henri Jérôme Bertini was born in London on 28 October 1798 but his family returned to Paris six months later. He received his early musical education from his father, a pianist and composer himself, and his elder brother, Auguste, who was a pupil ofHe was in his time a shining example of the most admirable qualities of an artist. Living in an age of garish virtuosity, and hailed as a brilliant executant himself, he maintained nevertheless the most rigorous standards of musicianship in his playing, in his compositions, and in the music which he appeared before the public to interpret. This is the more remarkable when one considers that his manhood was reached during the luxuriant period of French romanticism and that the extravagances of the literary outburst were reflected in the musical movements of the time. Virtuosity was subjected to sore temptations and many succumbed. Bertini stood for the sounder qualities of the artist and gradually acquired an extended and remunerative prestige. His life was singularly devoid of incident and official distinction, but the legacy of pedagogic works which he has left to us and his honorable activity give it every right to be called a success.Bertini was celebrated as a teacher. His students included Eugenie Santa Coloma Sourget. Antoine Marmontel, who devoted the second chapter of his work on celebrated pianists to Bertini, wrote
He was unsurpassed as a teacher, giving his lessons with scrupulous care and the keenest interest in his pupils' progress. After he had given up teaching, a number of his pupils continued with me, and I recognized the soundness of the principles drawn from his instruction.
It is above all in the special class of studies and caprices, that Bertini's immense popularity is founded. It is here that he occupied a unique position and opened the path over which the next generation of composers was to rush after him. In each of his numerous collections of studies, embracing every degree of difficulty, he has insistently given to every piece, easy or difficult, brief or extended, a character of salient melody. The technical problem to be overcome presents itself as a song; even where the study is devoted to the problem of velocity the general contour falls into a melodic curve, and this is the first and transcendent cause of the universal success of these pieces, which are, furthermore, natural in respect to rhythm and carefully thought out harmonically.
Compositions
Nonetto Op. 107
The Nonetto opus 107 for flute, oboe, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, viola, cello, double bass, and piano, composed in 1835, is one of Bertini's major works.That same evening a Nonetto by Bertini for piano, viola, cello, oboe, flute, horn, bassoon, trumpet and bass, was performed. It is a great and beautiful composition in which each instrument contributes to the whole according to its importance and idiomatic qualities, without trying to stand out individually. The piano itself is only entrusted those parts which contribute to the musical sense of the moment, and makes no effort toward brilliance for brilliance's sake. Beethoven himself followed this philosophy in his immortal trios. Amongst other movements, this Nonetto includes an adagio entitled La Melancolie which provides more than its title might indicate; it is so grandiose, at times so majestically sombre, that the sentiment of melancholy one expects is overshadowed by ideas of a much higher and rare order. In no way do I mean to quibble with the title, God forbid; all I wish to say is that this admirable work is not only melancholic, but also much more. In the Scherzo and Finale one finds details of graceful melancholy as well as vivacious charm, but the Adagio rises up in the centre of the work like the Mont Blanc among its neighbouring peaks; it dominates all; it is a sublime and profound meditation which provides an almost painful impression that cannot be forgotten.Berlioz later made further comments about this evening in the July 6 edition of ''Le Journal des débats'':
The Nonetto by Bertini... is the work of a great musician with a lively and ardent imagination, who will grow stronger and more powerful if he refrains from his attempts to encourage applause as he occasionally sought to do in the first movement. HisThe Nonetto was reduced to a quintet (flute or violin, violin, viola, cello and piano) by Charles Schwencke, a pianist and composer from Hamburg who was living in Paris. This appears to have been done for amateur musicians: the flute part, which can be replaced by a violin, contains frequent octave transpositions to make it easier to play.peroration is the system used for the organization of arguments in the context of Western classical rhetoric. The word is Latin, and can be translated as "organization" or "arrangement". It is the second of five canons of classical rhetoric (the first be ...was all too obvious and he is seen to be too preoccupied with achieving success and producing effects. This detracts from the free flowing of his thoughts. This fault does not exist in the other parts of the Nonetto. In composing these the author, fully involved in his subject, undoubtedly forgot that he was actually writing for his public, and concerned himself only with the task at hand and the ultimate unity of the work. Which of these last three movements is our favourite? The Adagio, above all, is without question a noble and magnificent inspiration whose sombre poetry reminds us of the sublime greatness of Beethoven's Sonatas. This is admirable.
Etudes
Bertini wrote approximately 500 études, ranging from easy studies for young students whose hands cannot span an octave to concert études. They were published in sets of 25 studies each. Roughly in order of difficulty they are: *Études faciles composées expressément pour les petites mains ** 25 Etudes faciles et progressives, Op.100 ** 25 Etudes, Op.137 ** 25 Études primaires, Op.166 * Introduction à celles deCatalogue of works
Early works, without opus
*Introduction and variations upon the air of ''Gondrillon'' *Celebrated Irish melody as sung in the opera of ''Guy Mannering'' with variations and an introduction for the piano forte *Third divertimento for the piano forte *Air with seven variations for the piano forte *Polacca composed pour the piano forte *Again a little trifle. Andante for the piano forteWith opus
Music published without opus
Vocal Music Le jaloux dupé. Opéra comique en 1 acte *Caïn. Scène biblique (Biblical scene) *Françoise de Rimini *Cinq Morceaux religieux. Paroles latines à usage des séminaires, communautés religieuses, chapelles et maisons d'education. Ave Maris Stella, O Salutaris, Tantum Ergo, Ave Maris Stella, Ave Maria (Five religious pieces. Latin lyrics for the use of seminarians, religious communities, chapels, and places of education...) *Deuxième Messe à quatre voix pour deux ténors et deux basses avec accompagnement d'orgue (Second Mass in four voices for two tenors and two basses with organ accompaniment.) *La Melodie Religieuse. Collection de motets au Saint Sacrement et à la Sainte Vierge à une ou plusieurs voix avec accompagnement d'orgue (Religious melody. Collection ofCollaborations with other musicians
Duos for piano and violin by Bertini and Antoine Fontaine *1er livre. L'Amitié, grand Duo pour piano et violon *2ème livre. *3ème livre. Fantaisie et variations brillantes sur un air suisse pour piano et violon concertantes *4ème livre. Fantaisie concertante sur ''Robin des Bois'' pour piano et violon *5ème livre. L'automne. Grand duo concertant pour piano et violon *6ème livre. La Conversation. Duo concertant pour piano et violon *7ème livre. Duetto pour piano et violon *8ème livre. Serenata pour piano et violon *9ème livre. Notturno pour piano et violon Duo for piano and violin by Bertini and Auguste Franchomme *Thème varié pour piano et violoncelle Duo for piano and flute by Bertini and Joseph Guillou *Fantaisie pour piano et flûteArrangements
*Collection des préludes et fugues de Sébastien Bach arrangés pour le piano à quatre mains. Ecole de la musique d' ensemble. Etudes spéciales du style élévé, de la mesure et de toutes les combinaisons les plus difficiles du rythme. (Collection of preludes and fugues by Sebastian Bach arranged for piano with four hands. School of ensemble music. Special studies of elevated style, of measures (bars) and of all the most difficult combinations of rhythm.)Methods
*Méthode pratique pour le piano forte rédigée d'après le mode d'enseignement indiqué par J. Jacotet et composée de morceaux choisis (Practical method for the ''pianoforte'' edited according to the teaching method described by J. Jacotet and composed of chosen pieces.) *Méthode élémentaire et facile de piano (Simple, elementary method for the piano). *Méthode complète et progressive de piano (Complete and progressive method for the piano).Works fingered by Bertini
*Muzio Clémenti, Etudes journières des gammes. (Muzio Clémenti, Daily studies of scales.)Notes
References
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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bertini, Henri French male classical composers French Romantic composers 19th-century French male classical pianists 19th-century French classical pianists 1798 births 1876 deaths 19th-century French classical composers Composers from London