Scan 45
Celebrated violinists, past and present; ("The Strad" library), 1897
10 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. Printed page 33. See the scan on archive.org.
1he became conductor of the Théâtre Monsieur (Monsieur being the title by which the King's brother was known). This post he was compelled to resign on account of his incompatibility to perform the necessary duties, and his place was taken by Lahoussaye, while he himself went to the Opéra Comique.
3But even here he could not remain for any length of time, and as to his future doings accounts vary very much. Some say that he was a member of the Arts Commission, and that in 1801 he was the head of the Bouffes Parisiennes orchestra: while others say that he was promoted to the Italian Opera, and from 1801 withdrew from musical life to Passy, where he worked diligently at composition. This last statement at any rate is true, whatever may be said of the rest, for between 1786 and 1815 no less than twenty-one of his operas were produced. His operatic attempt, Le Mariage par commission, which came out in 1816 was so unfortunate as morally to compel the composer to quit France, and he returned to his native place.
5In addition to his operas Bruni wrote four sonatas, a number of concertos, eight-and-twenty books of duets, which once were very popular, and ten quartets for violin. He also published "schools" for the violin and for the viola, which have been issued in German and English.
7The most fruitful period of his existence was (as has already been said) between 1786 and 1815. He died in 1823 in his birth-place, Coni.
9He is reported to have been a very admirable violinist in every way, but his name has certainly been kept alive if it was not made by the above-mentioned schools, and he owes little if any of his present fame to his powers with the bow.
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