Fritz Bovet (
fl.
''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...
1845–1888) was a
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
romantic era composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
and
violinist.
Published works
The only work now in print by Fritz Bovet is his String Quartet, Op. 14. First published in 1911, it was republished in the 1990s by Merton Music. Merton Music was a publisher of chamber music initiated, grown, and maintained by Theo Wyatt in London, UK. His last catalogue was published in 2009.
In the Merton publication of Bovet's quartet, Wyatt refers to a
writing of
Wilhelm Altmann
Wilhelm Altmann (4 April 1862 – 25 March 1951) was a German historian and musicologist.
Altmann was born in Adelnau (Odolanów), Province of Posen, and died in Hildesheim
Hildesheim (; nds, Hilmessen, Hilmssen; la, Hildesia) is a city in ...
(1862–1951), who recorded that "this
quartet
In music, a quartet or quartette (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers; or a musical composition for four voices and instruments.
Classical String quartet
In classical music, one of the most common combinations o ...
was published in
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
in 1911". Wyatt continued: "But of Fritz Bovet himself not a word is to be found in any musical
reference book
A reference work is a work, such as a paper, book or periodical (or their electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually ''referred'' to f ...
. From publications about the famous Swiss watchmaking firm of Bovet, which had a flourishing trade with
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, you will learn that Fritz was the grandson of the founder of the firm and was sent to Canton in 1845 where he was noted for playing his violin 'with the enthusiasm of a
Paganini', where he collected and
transcribed Chinese popular
melodies for incorporation in his firm's musical boxes, and where he became French vice-consul."
Bovet's String Quartet, Op. 14 was republished by Edition Silvertrust with a catalog listing stating that Fritz was a
pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
, and that his real identity was Frederick Bovet (1825–1913). The Bovet website apparently refers to him as Frédéric Bovet, and his brother as
Édouard Bovet
Édouard Bovet (14 September 1797 – 25 October 1849) was a Swiss watchmaker and founder of the Bovet Fleurier watch company.
Early life
Édouard Bovet was born in Fleurier in Neuchâtel, the son of Jean Frédéric Bovet, in 1797. Although the ...
References
19th-century male musicians
19th-century musicians
20th-century male musicians
Romantic composers
Swiss classical composers
Swiss male classical composers
20th-century Swiss composers
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