Charles Dancla
Charles Dancla was born in Bagnères de Bigorre, France, on December 19, 1817, and died in Tunis, France, on November 10, 1907.
Charles Dancla was a Violinist, Composer and Teacher, and the most celebrated member of his family. He first started the violin locally with a teacher named Dussert, but soon, at the age of 9 was given an opportunity to play to Rode, then living in retirement in Bordeaux. Rode was so impressed by his playing and sight reading that he gave Dancla letters of introduction to Baillot, Cherubini ( then director of the Paris Conservatoire ) and Kreutzer.
From 1828 - 40 Dancla studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Paul Guérin and Baillot, winning a premier prix ( first prize ) in 1833 ; he then studied counterpoint and fugue with Halévy and composition with Berton. Some of the pupils studying with Dancla were Gounod, Bousquet and César Franck. Dancla, while still a student of composition, would often play the violin in Paris Theatre Orchestras, and soon succeeded Javault as leader at the Opéra-Comique. This provided support for his family, and enabled himself and his brothers to study at the Conservatoire. Dancla was still only 17 years old at this stage.
Dancla was associated with Habeneck's Société des Concerts at the Paris Conservatoire as early as 1834, and he was its leading violinist from 1841 to 1863, appearing also as soloist. Dancla's teacher, Baillot, often performed quartets by Boccherini, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, and this certainly inspired the Danclas ( he had 2 brothers who played the violin and cello and a sister who played the piano ) to form a chamber music group around 1839. Their concerts at Hesselbein's home became a regular feature of the Paris concert season.
However, Dancla's immediate future was more than slightly troubled ! His ambition to succeed Baillot in 1842 as principal professor of violin was never fulfilled due mainly to internal politics at the Conservatoire. This was all the more disappointing considering Dancla had Habeneck's support. Infact, due to unsettled conditions, 6 years later, Dancla refused the post of assistant conductor at the Opéra-Comique and left Paris altogether. For 2 years Dancla became postmaster ( ! ) of Cholet , though he continued to play the violin occasionally with his family in Paris. He would also play locally in the Cholet area. After a Paris concert ( 1849 ) in which his 4th quartet in Bflat was performed, Henri Blanchard wrote in his review " He is still a good composer even though circumstances have forced him to become a man of letters ". Dancla returned to Paris to work as an official in the postal administration, and was finally offered a position at the Conservatoire in 1855. In 1860 ( some sources have 1857 ) he was made professor of the violin, a post he held for 32 years until his unwilling retirement in 1892. At the age of 72 he was still performing his own works in public.
Dancla's ideal was Vieuxtemps, though he was certainly impressed with de Beriot's style and elegance and overwhelmed by Paganini's virtuosity. Dancla did not tour, so his fame outside France was based on his compositions. Blanchard had some reservations about his playing, which he attributed to Dancla's nervousness and irritability, but he praised Dancla's trills, his lightness of bowing and his brilliance. Dancla was highly respected at the Conservatoire though he did have fewer eminent pupils than his colleague Massart. Pupils of Dancla at the Conservatoire include the American woman violinist Maud Powell, and the Italian violinists Achille Simonetti and Francesco de Guarnieri.
Dancla was a prolific composer and won seven prizes altogether for his string quartets ( 14 in all ) and his works for male chorus. However it is through his didactic works that his music survives. He composed more than 130 pieces for the violin. His most famous pieces ( all 4 for violin ) are the Ecole du mécanisme Op.74 ( or Op.23 ?), his 20 Etudes brillantes Op.73, his Airs Varieés ( based on famous operatic themes of his day ) and a Progressive Method for violin beginners ( published by Ricordi ). Published by Schott are the 3 books on the "School of Melody". Each book contains a small collection of melodic encore pieces, which as regards melody are to be considered the ultimate test of purity and legato playing. Book 1 is a fine test for early (Grade 2) stage youngsters who have grasped the essence of a true singing tone. Dancla also wrote a book with a list of his works, Notes et souvenirs ( Paris, 1893, 2/ 1898 ). Dancla is regarded as the last exponent of the classical French school of violin playing.
The above biography was written by R. D. J. Herrara and can be found at users.globalnet.co.uk, which I accessed August 5, 2016. Wikipedia.org has a few details on its page about Dancla as well.
Charles Dancla was a Violinist, Composer and Teacher, and the most celebrated member of his family. He first started the violin locally with a teacher named Dussert, but soon, at the age of 9 was given an opportunity to play to Rode, then living in retirement in Bordeaux. Rode was so impressed by his playing and sight reading that he gave Dancla letters of introduction to Baillot, Cherubini ( then director of the Paris Conservatoire ) and Kreutzer.
From 1828 - 40 Dancla studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Paul Guérin and Baillot, winning a premier prix ( first prize ) in 1833 ; he then studied counterpoint and fugue with Halévy and composition with Berton. Some of the pupils studying with Dancla were Gounod, Bousquet and César Franck. Dancla, while still a student of composition, would often play the violin in Paris Theatre Orchestras, and soon succeeded Javault as leader at the Opéra-Comique. This provided support for his family, and enabled himself and his brothers to study at the Conservatoire. Dancla was still only 17 years old at this stage.
Dancla was associated with Habeneck's Société des Concerts at the Paris Conservatoire as early as 1834, and he was its leading violinist from 1841 to 1863, appearing also as soloist. Dancla's teacher, Baillot, often performed quartets by Boccherini, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, and this certainly inspired the Danclas ( he had 2 brothers who played the violin and cello and a sister who played the piano ) to form a chamber music group around 1839. Their concerts at Hesselbein's home became a regular feature of the Paris concert season.
However, Dancla's immediate future was more than slightly troubled ! His ambition to succeed Baillot in 1842 as principal professor of violin was never fulfilled due mainly to internal politics at the Conservatoire. This was all the more disappointing considering Dancla had Habeneck's support. Infact, due to unsettled conditions, 6 years later, Dancla refused the post of assistant conductor at the Opéra-Comique and left Paris altogether. For 2 years Dancla became postmaster ( ! ) of Cholet , though he continued to play the violin occasionally with his family in Paris. He would also play locally in the Cholet area. After a Paris concert ( 1849 ) in which his 4th quartet in Bflat was performed, Henri Blanchard wrote in his review " He is still a good composer even though circumstances have forced him to become a man of letters ". Dancla returned to Paris to work as an official in the postal administration, and was finally offered a position at the Conservatoire in 1855. In 1860 ( some sources have 1857 ) he was made professor of the violin, a post he held for 32 years until his unwilling retirement in 1892. At the age of 72 he was still performing his own works in public.
Dancla's ideal was Vieuxtemps, though he was certainly impressed with de Beriot's style and elegance and overwhelmed by Paganini's virtuosity. Dancla did not tour, so his fame outside France was based on his compositions. Blanchard had some reservations about his playing, which he attributed to Dancla's nervousness and irritability, but he praised Dancla's trills, his lightness of bowing and his brilliance. Dancla was highly respected at the Conservatoire though he did have fewer eminent pupils than his colleague Massart. Pupils of Dancla at the Conservatoire include the American woman violinist Maud Powell, and the Italian violinists Achille Simonetti and Francesco de Guarnieri.
Dancla was a prolific composer and won seven prizes altogether for his string quartets ( 14 in all ) and his works for male chorus. However it is through his didactic works that his music survives. He composed more than 130 pieces for the violin. His most famous pieces ( all 4 for violin ) are the Ecole du mécanisme Op.74 ( or Op.23 ?), his 20 Etudes brillantes Op.73, his Airs Varieés ( based on famous operatic themes of his day ) and a Progressive Method for violin beginners ( published by Ricordi ). Published by Schott are the 3 books on the "School of Melody". Each book contains a small collection of melodic encore pieces, which as regards melody are to be considered the ultimate test of purity and legato playing. Book 1 is a fine test for early (Grade 2) stage youngsters who have grasped the essence of a true singing tone. Dancla also wrote a book with a list of his works, Notes et souvenirs ( Paris, 1893, 2/ 1898 ). Dancla is regarded as the last exponent of the classical French school of violin playing.
The above biography was written by R. D. J. Herrara and can be found at users.globalnet.co.uk, which I accessed August 5, 2016. Wikipedia.org has a few details on its page about Dancla as well.
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