Pierre Gaviniès (1728-1800)
- Second concerto (en Fa majeur) a Violino principal, No.2 Op.4 (1764)
Performers: Claire Bernard (violin); Orchestre de chambre de Rouen;
Albert Beaucamp (1921-1967, conductor)
Further info: 18th-Century French Violin Concertos
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French violinist and composer. He was Leclair’s successor as leader of
the French violin school. The esteem with which he was regarded is
indicated by his inclusion in Fayolle’s Notices sur Corelli, Tartini,
Gaviniés, Pugnani et Viotti (Paris, 1810) and by Viotti’s having
labelled him (according to Pipelet) ‘the French Tartini’. He was admired
as a performer, composer, teacher and philanthropist. Gaviniés was the
son of François Gaviniés, a violin maker, and Marie Laporte. Accurate
information about his early training is limited, though his talent was
undoubtedly nurtured by the artists who frequented his father’s violin
shop. By 1734, possibly to further Pierre’s musical education, his
father moved the family and business to Paris. At the age of 11 he
appeared in private concerts, and at 13 he made a successful Concert
Spirituel début, performing a Leclair duet with L’abbé le fils, a pupil
of Leclair; there is no evidence to suggest that Gaviniés was also one
of his pupils. Later in 1741 he performed ‘Spring’ from Vivaldi’s ‘Four
Seasons’ at the Concert Spirituel, after which his activities are not
known for several years; some believe that he was employed by the Duke
of Orleans during this period. From 1748 Gaviniés performed frequently
at the Concert Spirituel, playing both alone and with others, including
the violinist Guignon, the flautist Blavet and the singer Marie Fel. His
whereabouts from 1753 to 1759 remain a mystery except for the fact that
one year was spent serving a prison sentence for an illicit affair with
a young countess. In prison he composed his famous ‘Romance’ – a work
which appeared in numerous versions during his lifetime. In 1759 he
returned to the Concert Spirituel, and on 6 November 1760 his Le
prétendu, an intermède in three acts, was presented by the
Comédie-Italienne.
The early 1760s were perhaps the apex of Gaviniés’s career. He published
three sets of sonatas for violin and basso continuo, one set for two
violins and six concertos. Several symphonies were performed at the
Concert Spirituel, where he conducted the orchestra from his position as
leader. In the winter of 1763-64, the Mozart family attended some of
his concerts. After 1765 he performed little, perhaps because of his
envy of Antonio Lolli, a phenomenal virtuoso who had become popular for a
novel effect involving scordatura. Between 1769 and 1772, Gaviniés
organized five benefit concerts for a free school of design. With Simon
Leduc and Gossec, he directed the Concert Spirituel from 1773 to 1777,
during which time the orchestra was enlarged and the quality of
performance improved remarkably. After this he remained in Paris but
seldom played in public. A wealthy benefactress bequeathed him an
annuity of 1500 livres in 1788; the annuity may not have survived the
Revolution, however, for Gaviniés took a position playing in the
orchestra of the Théâtre de la rue de Louvois in the 1790s. When the
Paris Conservatoire was established in 1795, Gaviniés accepted the
position of violin professor. He is reported to have been an
enthusiastic and well-liked teacher. Although physical infirmities
eventually forced him to remain in his home, his fabulous technique was
not affected and he remained active until his death. In 1800 (or
possibly 1794) he published his famous Vingt-quatre matinées, a series
of difficult études. Gaviniés was a charming and affable humanitarian.
He never married, but he had numerous female admirers and friends.
Partly due to his generous nature – he favoured pupils who were less
affluent, in some cases giving them free lessons or even supporting them
– he died in relative poverty.
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