Theodore Hauman (Ghent, 3 July 1808 - Brussels, 21 August 1878) also written Theodor Haumann, was a Belgian violinist and teacher.

Biography

Theodore Hauman was a prominent Belgian violinist born in a Jewish family in Ghent. He studied violin with Joseph François Snel of the Grand théâtre of Brussels. During his training, he alternated for several periods the study of the violin, with university studies. At the behest of his parents he studied at the University of Leuven but he left it after two years to devote himself to the violin, but ultimately graduated in Law in 1830. Since 1827, he was successful soloistThe Violin and Its Music By George Hart, George Hart Ditson, 1883 p .322 in performances in Paris and devoted himself entirely to music, practicing violin for up to ten hours a day. He made a new appearance in Paris in 1832 with great success. The following year Hauman met

Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; ; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices ...

who took a friendly interest in him so much that he became his protégé. Hauman took part in

Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

's memorable concert on December 22, 1833. It was on that occasion that Paganini, who had come mainly to encourage his "protégé", heard the "

Symphonie fantastique ' (''Fantastic Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist … in Five Sections'') Opus number, Op. 14, is a program music, programmatic symphony written by Hector Berlioz in 1830. The first performance was at the Paris Conservatoire on 5 December ...

" op. 14 directed by Narcisse Girard and at the end of the concert she knelt in front of Berlioz as a sign of admiration. After the successes in Paris, he performed as a violinist in numerous concerts in France and conducted numerous tours in Europe in the following years. Hauman was elected in 1842 as a member of the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm. Hauman is mentioned several times in the diaries of

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

and

Clara Wieck 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 o ...

. In Paris, between January and February 1843, Camillo Sivori, Paganini's famous pupil, and Hauman challenged each other in a public performance, a sort of 'skill contest', of Paganini's Venice Carnival. According to Berlioz, in 1844 Hauman after a triumphal tour in Russia decided to open a music school in Paris to devote himself to teaching.Berlioz, Feuilleton du Journal des débats, 29 December 1844, pp. 1-2

Critical reception

The testimonies of contemporaries on Hauman's playing do not seem to have always been favorable. Despite an excellent technique, it seems that he had a strong inclination to mannerism, " Fantasias with Airs with variations". The German poet

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; ; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was an outstanding poet, writer, and literary criticism, literary critic of 19th-century German Romanticism. He is best known outside Germany for his ...

was particularly lashing in his critique of Hauman, classifying him as the prototype of the "virtuoso of the void". For Heine, Hauman tended to move away from the composer's language by adding "embellishments" and other bright flourishes that were irrelevant to the original text.

Composition

* Albert Sowinski-Theodore Hauman, ''Duo brillant sur la prière d'Otello'', for violin and piano op. 13, Paris, Launer, sa . 1829 dedicated to Madame Malibran

Bibliography

*François-Joseph Fétis, voice Hauman (Théodore), in Biographie universelle des musiciens, tome quatrième, deuxième édition, Paris, Firmin Didot, 1862, pp. 244–245 *Baron de Bazancourt (tr. JA Munkelt), Theodore Haumann the Belgian violinist, in "The Musical Standard", Vol. 15, Fasc. 741, (12 Oct. 1878), p. 231

References

External links

François-Joseph Fétis, ''Biographie universelle des musiciens'' (Second edition), volume 4, 1862, pp. 244-245
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hauman, Theodore 19th-century Belgian classical violinists Belgian music educators Jewish classical violinists 1808 births 1878 deaths