Scan 66
Celebrated violinists, past and present; ("The Strad" library), 1897
10 lines. Read by computer on 18 September 2026. Printed page 54. See the scan on archive.org.
1born on June 1st,* 1781. From his father the boy learnt the elements of violin playing, and he made such rapid progress that when only ten years old, he was able to take part in a concert.
3About this time his father was removed to Brest, and there he was his son's only teacher. François while working assiduously at the violin, also found time to make repeated attempts at composition, for by 1799 he had already composed no less than three operas and a number of violin concertos. He entered the Paris Conservatorium at the age of twenty, and there studied under Baillot; in 1804 he won the first prize for violin playing, and became "repetitor" of his class.
5Through the generosity of the Empress Josephine, who was charmed with his playing, he received a pension of 1,200 francs, and entered the orchestra of the Opera Comique, after which he became successively first violinist at the Grand Opera and (after Kreutzer was appointed director), solo violinist. From 1821 to 1824 he himself was a director. From 1806 to 1815 he generally conducted the Conservatoire Concerts, and next became inspector-general of the Conservatoire, and founded a third class for violinists, beside those of Baillot and Kreutzer.
7When in 1828 a new concert society was founded through the instrumentality of the Conservatorium, Habeneck became its conductor, and in this post he made for himself a reputation for the perfect performances of all sorts of masterpieces that lasted long after his death. To him is due the credit of abolishing from Paris the old-established prejudice against the works of Beethoven, and the symphonies of this master were given with a care and skill that had never previously been heard of in the French capital. In fact so popular (in the best sense of the term) did the works of Beethoven become, that the room in which the concerts
9* Some authorities, notably Elwart's "Histoire de la Société des Concerts," give 23rd January as his birthday.
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