Adrien-François Servais (6 June 180726 November 1866) was one of the most influential
cellists
A person who plays the cello is called a cellist. This list of notable cellists is divided into four categories: 1) Living Classical Cellists; 2) Non-Classical Cellists; 3) Deceased Classical Cellists; 4) Deceased Non-Classical Cellists.
The ce ...
of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in what is now Halle, Belgium. He is one of the founders of the Modern Cellistic Schools of Paris and
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, which began through collaboration with his friend Auguste Franchomme and his disciple
Víctor Mirecki Larramat
Víctor Alexander Marie Mirecki Larramat (21 July 18477 April 1921) was a Spanish cellist and music teacher of Franco-Polish origin. He was born in Tarbes, France and died in Madrid, Spain.
Introduction
Víctor Mirecki was one of the most versat ...
. His compositions are still studied, performed and recorded all over the world. Two of his sons also had musical careers and performed his music.
Biography
Servais was originally trained as a violinist before switching to cello. Known by his contemporaries for his virtuosity and excessive
vibrato
Vibrato (Italian language, Italian, from past participle of "wikt:vibrare, vibrare", to vibrate) is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch (music), pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. ...
, he was given the gift of a
Stradivarius
A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th ...
cello from 1701, which today bears his name. He is also known as the first cellist to adopt the bassists' use of an endpin because of the large size of his Stradivarius.
(The use of the endpin was, however, not generally adopted by most cellists until the early 20th century. For instance, Carlo Alfredo Piatti never used an endpin, though
Lisa Cristiani
Lisa Barbier Cristiani (December 24, 1827 – October 24, 1853), also known as Lise Cristiani or Elise Cristiani, was a French cellist and performer known for being one of the earliest recorded instances of a woman becoming a professional in the f ...
's use of it in the 1840s and 1850s popularized the practice for female cellists.)
Servais composed numerous works for his instrument, including four
concerti
A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ty ...
and nearly twenty duos for two cellos or for cello and violin.
Hector Berlioz
Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...
referred to Servais as "the
Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; ; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices ...
of the cello".
In addition, Servais worked with French cellist and friend Auguste Franchomme and Spanish cellist
Víctor Mirecki Larramat
Víctor Alexander Marie Mirecki Larramat (21 July 18477 April 1921) was a Spanish cellist and music teacher of Franco-Polish origin. He was born in Tarbes, France and died in Madrid, Spain.
Introduction
Víctor Mirecki was one of the most versat ...
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
. They influenced the development of future noted cellists, such as
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló (Catalan: ; 29 December 187622 October 1973), known in English as Pablo Casals,Cyprian Godebski, a Polish sculptor in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, who became a professor at the Imperial Institute of Arts in St. Petersburg. Zofia died in a nearby town shortly after the birth in March 1872 of daughter Maria Zofia Olga Zenajda Godebska, known as ''Misia''. Godebski sent his daughter to Belgium to be cared for by her Servais family for several years. She was given early musical tranining and had precocious gifts. She became a pianist.
Later Godebski remarried and reclaimed his daughter; he enrolled her in a convent boarding school in Paris for eight years. Known best as Misia Sert, she was an important patron of Paris's early 20th century artistic community, which she encouraged through hosting numerous artists, writers and musicians at her salons.
Some years after his death in 1866, Servais was honored by his home town of Halle. His sculptor son-in-law, Professor Cyprian Godebski, created and installed a statue of him in front of the town hall on its central market square.
The
South-West Brabant Museum
The South-West Brabant Museum (Dutch: ''Zuidwestbrabants Museum'') is a local museum in Halle, Belgium, Halle, Flemish Brabant, Belgium. From 1981, the museum was housed in a former college of Society of Jesus, Jesuits from the 17th century. After ...
in Halle has a collection on his life and work. It also holds material about his granddaughter Misia Sert and her father Cyprian Godebski.Openbaar Kunstbezit Vlaanderen Zuidwestbrabants Museum
Works
*Own Compositions
**''Fantaisie sur un thème favori'', Op. 1 for cello and piano - also for cello and harp
**''Souvenir de Spa, fantaisie'', Op. 2 for cello and piano - also cello and quartet
**''Le Comte Ory. Caprice'', Op. 3 for cello and piano - also for two cellos
**''Fantaisie et Variations brillantes sur la Valse de Schubert'', Intitulée Le Désir, Op. 4 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra
**''Concerto (en Si mineur)'' Op. 5 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra
**''Le Barbier de Séville'', Grande Fantaisie, Op. 6 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra
**''Andante cantabile et Rondo à la Mazurka sur un Air de Balfe'', Op. 7 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra
**''Fantaisie Characteristique sur deux célèbres Romances de Lafont'', Op. 8 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra
**''Fantaisie burlesque (ou le Carnaval de Venise)'', Op. 9 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra
**''Souvenir de la Suisse. Caprice'', Op. 10 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra
**''6 Caprices pour Violoncelle'', Op. 11 for 2 cellos
**''Grande fantaisie sur des motifs de l’opera Lestocq'', Op. 12 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra
**''Fantaisie sur 2 Airs russes'', Op. 13 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet
**''Morceau de Concert (deuxieme Concerto en Mi mineur)'', Op. 14 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra
**''Souvenir de St. Petersburg. Fantaisie'', Op. 15 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra
**''La Fille du Régiment. Fantaisie et Variations'', Op. 16 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra
**''O cara memoria: Fantaisie et Variations'', Op. 17 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra
**''Concerto Militaire (en Ut mineur)'', Op. 18 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra
**''Grande Fantaisie polonaise sur des Airs du ballet ‘La Noce de Cracovie’'', Op. 19 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra
**''Souvenir de Bade. Grande Fantaisie'', Op. 20 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra
**''Souvenir de Czernowitz. Morceau de Salon sur des Airs Roumains'', Op. 21 for cello and piano
**''Concerto (en La mineur)'' Op. posthumous for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra
*Servais & Joseph Ghys (cello & violin)
**''Variations brillantes et concertantes sur l’air “God Save the King”''
*Servais & Henri Vieuxtemps (cello & violin)
**''Grand Duo sur des motifs de l’Opéra Les Huguenots de G. Meyerbeer''
*Servais & Hubert Léonard (cello & violin)
**''Grand Duo de Concert sur deux airs nationaux anglais''
**''2me Grand duo de Concert sur des thèmes de Beethoven''
**''3me Duo de Concert''
**''4e Duo de Concert sur des motifs de l’opéra L’Africaine de Meyerbeer''
*Servais & Jacques Gregoir (cello & piano)
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*Transcriptions of works by other composers
**''Elégie en ut pour l'Alto'', J. F. Mazas, op. 73
**''La Romanesca, fameux air de danse de la fin du XVIme siècle''
**''Le Lac de Côme. Barcarolle'' composée par Mr. G. Alari
**''Souvenirs élégiaques'' de A. Bessems
**''Regrets, Pensée musicale à la mémoire de la Reine des Belges'', par J. Grégoir
**''La Veillée, Pastorale'' de B. Damcke
**''Etudes de Rhythme'' par L. J. Meerts. Transcrites pour deux Violoncelles
**''6 Morceaux caractéristiques composés'' par H. Ferd. Kufferath, Op. 30
**''2 Mazurkas de Chopin'' azurka in F sharp Minor Op. 6 No 1 en Mazurka in F Minor Op. 7 No 3**''Nocturne'' de F. Chopin octurne in E flat Major Op. 9 No 2*Unpublished compositions
**''Fantaisie intitulée concertino''
**''Fantaisie La Romantique''
**''Souvenir d’Anvers''
**''Fantasia sur la folle''
**''Fantaisie élégante''
**''Fantaisie et Variations n° 18''
**''Fantaisie Caprice'' pour 2 Violoncelles
**''Fantaisie'' pour violoncelle
**''Maître Corbeau''
**''Fantaisie sur l’hymne national/Fantaisie belge'' pour violoncelle
**''Air varié'' pour contrebasse
**''Deux célèbres mélodies de Glinka''
**''Grand Duo de Guillaume Tell'' (Servais & Jules Godefroid)
**''Duo sur Lucie de Lammermoor'' (Servais & Félix Godefroid)
*Not yet located compositions
**''Le Chant des Alpes''
**''Grande Fantaisie, Souvenir de Naples''
**''Fantaisie slave''
**''Caprice ‘Hommage à Rossini’''
**''Souvenir de Haydn''
**''Cinquième Concerto''*
**''Souvenir de Kiev''
**''Variations on the Russian Anthem theme''
**''Souvenirs du Mont-d'Or''
**''Larghetto'' - W. A. Mozart (arranged by Servais for cello, organ-harmonium and piano)
**''Melodie'' for voice and cello (Servais & Willem Pasques de Chavonnes Vrugt )
**''Grand Duo de piano et violoncelle'' (with Jules Déjazet)
*Note: The 4th Concerto, in A minor, Op. Posth. has been found and a performance of it is available on YouTube by cellist Seeli Toivio.
Bibliography
*Lev Ginsburg, ''History of the Violoncello'', Paganiniana Publications, 1983
*Peter François, ''Adrien François Servais (1807–1866), The Paganini of the Cello''
*Peter François, ''Ah! Le métier de donneur de concerts! Adrien François Servais (1807–1866) als rondreizend cellovirtuoos'', Halle, Servais Society, 2007 ()
*Peter François, ''Adrien François Servais 1807-2007. Halse cellist met wereldfaam. Catalogus van de tentoonstelling in Halle, 5 mei - 6 juni 2007'', Halle, Servais Society, 2007 (illustrated exhibition catalogue) ()