Scan 53
Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians Vol.5, 1925
36 lines. Read by computer on 12 September 2026. Printed page 27. See the scan on archive.org.
1TASKIN
3Pascal, Joseph,1 born Nov. 20, 1750, at Theux, died in Paris, Feb. 5, 1829, Keeper of the King's Instruments and the Chapel Royal, from 1772 to the Revolution, was his best pupil and assistant. He married a daughter of Blanchet, and was thus brought into close connection with the Couperin family. Of his two sons and two daughters, all musicians, the only one calling for separate mention here is the second son,
5Henri Joseph, born at Versailles, August 24, 1779, died in Paris, May 4, 1852, learned music as a child from his mother, and so charmed the Court by his singing and playing, that Louis XVI. made him a page of the Chapel Royal. Later he studied music and composition with his aunt, Mme. Couperin, a talented organist, and early made his mark as a teacher, virtuoso, and composer. Three operas were neither performed nor engraved, but other of his compositions were published, viz. trios for PF., violin, and violoncello; a caprice for PF. and violin; a concerto for PF. and orchestra; solo-pieces for PF., and songs. A quantity of Masonic songs remained in MS. Like his father he had four sons; none of them became musicians, but his grandson Alexandre seems to have inherited his talent. See below.
7The writer of this article, having had access to family papers, has been able to correct the errors of previous biographers. G. c.
9Taskin, Alexandre, was born March 18, 1853, at Paris, and studied at the Conservatoire, gaining, in 1874, accessits in harmony and opéra-comique. On Jan. 10, 1875, he sang the music of Joseph and Herod in the revival of Berlioz's 'L'Enfance du Christ' at the Colonne concerts, and made his stage début the same year at Amiens as Roland in Halévy's 'Mousquetairès de la Reine.' In 1878 he made successful débuts at the Théâtre Ventadour, Paris, in Pessard's 'Capitaine Fracasse,' in D'Ivry's 'Amants de Vérone.' In 1879 he was still more successful at the Opéra-Comique as Malipieri in 'Haydée,' Michel in 'Le Caïd,' and Peter the Great in 'L'Étoile du Nord,' and remained there during his stage career, as one of the best artists of the company, being excellent alike in singing and acting, and an accomplished musician. He sang the baritone parts in several new operas, viz., Charolais in Delibes's 'Jean de Nivelle'; Lindorf, Coppélius, and Doctor Miracle in Offenbach's 'Contes d'Hoffmann' (the last a remarkable performance); Vigile in Guiraud's 'Galante Aventure'; Lescaut in Massenet's 'Manon' and Phocas in 'Esclarmonde'; Squarocca in Saint-Saëns's 'Proserpine'; Pierre in Cui's 'Flibustier,' etc.: in revivals as the Toréador both of Adam and Bizet, Almaviva (Mozart), Jupiter in 'Philémon,' etc. On May 25, 1887, he was singing the part of Lotario in 'Mignon' on the night of the burning of the theatre, on which occasion he showed great coolness and presence of mind. Taskin, Bernard, the doyen of the company, and Mlle. Thomas, the principal costumier, were granted salvage medals of the first class for their courage on that occasion, whereby many lives were saved. On May 13, 1894, he sang Lotario on the 1000th night of 'Mignon,' soon after which he retired and devoted himself to teaching at the Conservatoire. He died Oct. 5, 1897, in Paris, after a long illness. On Dec. 14, 1901, a benefit performance was given on behalf of his widow and family at the new theatre, with great success. The widow, née Champion, a fellow-student of her husband's at the Conservatoire, died three days afterwards of heart disease.
11A. c.
13TASTO SOLO. Tasto (Fr. touche) means the part in an instrument which is touched to produce the note; in a keyed instrument, therefore, the key. 'Tasto solo,' 'the key alone,' is in old music written over those portions of the bass or continuo part in which the mere notes were to be played by the accompanist, without the chords or harmonies founded on them.
15G.
17TATTOO 2 (Rappel; Zapfenstreich), the signal in the British army by which soldiers are brought to their quarters at night. The infantry signal begins at twenty minutes before the hour appointed for the men to be in barracks, by the bugles in the barrack-yard sounding the 'First Post' or 'Setting of the Watch.' This is a long passage of twenty-nine bars, beginning as follows:—
19[Music notation]
21etc.
23and ending with this impressive phrase:—
25[Music notation]
27This is succeeded by the 'Rolls,' 3 consisting of three strokes by the big drum, each stroke followed by a roll on the side-drums:—
29[Music notation]
311 Fétis confuses the uncle and nephew.
332 The word is derived by Johnson from the French tapotez tous; and its original form seems to have been 'tap-to' (see Count Mansfield's Directions of Warre, 1624), as if it were the signal for the tap-rooms or bars of the canteen to put-to or close. Curiously enough, however, 'tap' seems to be an acknowledged term for the drum — 'tap of drum.' Tapoter is probably allied to the German zapfen, the tap of a cask, and zapfenstreich, the German term for tattoo; this also may mean the striking or driving home of the taps of the beer barrels. The proverbial expression 'the devil's tattoo' — meaning the noise made by a person absorbed in thought drumming with foot or fingers, seems to show that the drum and not the trumpet was the original instrument for sounding the tattoo.
353 For details see Potter's Instructions for the Side Drum.
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