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Scan 196
the history of the violin, 1864
4 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. Printed page 174. See the scan on archive.org.
1known also by the name of Labbé, about 1730, contributed much to the establishment of the violoncello, and the disuse of the viol da gamba. Bigati was celebrated for his style of accompaniment, and his improvising. Playing once at the church of Avignon, and accompanying Dubrieul, they sought to outdo each other, in consequence of Boccherini being present. One of the assistants in the church was a purblind canon, whose little dog had followed him in, but had twice been turned out by his master. On returning after the second expulsion of the animal, the canon saw something in the shade, moving backwards and forwards, which he took for granted was the tail of his intractable dog, instead of being in any way connected with the tail-piece of a violoncello; so he gave a heedless but vigorous kick, and struck not the poor beast, but Bigati's instrument, which, with the unlucky canon, Bigati, and Dubrieul, all came down together, to the great dismay of the attentive but now astonished congregation.
3Bertaud, who died in 1756, by his skill added much to the reputation of the violoncello, and may be considered the founder of the French school. Amongst other pupils he had the two Duports, both excellent players, with fine tone and execution, of whom the eldest, Jean Pierre, born at Paris in 1741, was one of the most skilful performers of his age; he died in 1818; and his brother, Jean Louis, born in 1749, in 1819; he has left a valuable work on the fingering of the instrument. The two Jansons were fine players about the same time. One of the Jansons was in London in 1772, and is mentioned as a pupil of Duport in one of the publications of the day (the "Theatrical Review"), "his taste and execution is very astonishing, we cannot give him the preference of his master." On two nights one of the Duports
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