# Franco-Belgian school of violinists



## Roger Knox

One of my lockdown projects has been to listen to the violin concertos and concertante pieces by composers of the Franco-Belgian school, in chronological order: *Charles de Bériot (1802-70)*, *Henri Vieuxtemps (1820-81)*, and *Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931)*. Not being a violinist, this is new territory for me. So far I've listened to most compositions for violin and orchestra by the first two. The introduction of the new Tourte bow, incorporation of virtuosic Paganini innovations into the lyrically-oriented French style, and aspects of Romantic style (e.g. larger and varied orchestra, more chromatic harmony, and enhanced expressiveness) characterized the Franco-Belgian school. I think as composers they are still under-rated; what do violinists and others think?


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## Enthalpy

Vieuxtemps and Ysaÿe are extremely known among violinists. You could add Wieniawsky to the family (they were professor-student).

Violinists know them, at least in the Belgium-French school that spread to Germany and elsewhere, because they study their works, just after or around Paganini. Meaning that not all memories are easy.

Ysaÿe improved the bow technique to play much more cleanly, which let this school widespread. The best known examples are, two generations later, Arthur Grumiaux and Hilary Hahn.

As composers, I feel Wieniawsky and Vieuxtemps plain boring, but this is a matter of taste. Ysaÿe is the one to listen to.

The all-important pieces are the *sonatas for violin solo from Ysaÿe*. Very difficult technically, very nice (though not easy to listen at initially, depending on what you're used to). Violinists have this saying: "Bach's Sonaten und Partiten are the violin's old testament, Ysaÿe's sonatas are the new testament". And Ysaÿe had not learned composition. J-S Bach neither, by the way. In many compositions by younger violinists, you hear Ysaÿe's sonatas influence, for instance Roman Kim (_Ballade Dies Irae_).

Among Ysaÿe's sonatas, the best known pieces are _Obsession_ and (less easy to appreciate) _Ballade_. _L'aurore_ and _Danse rustique_ are very nice too. The other pieces would deserve to be better known.

Few professional soloist dare to play Ysaÿe's sonatas in public. Hilary Hahn is a safe choice, but not the only one.


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## Roger Knox

Enthalpy said:


> Ysaÿe improved the bow technique to play much more cleanly, which let this school widespread. The best known examples are, two generations later, Arthur Grumiaux and Hilary Hahn. ... Ysaÿe is the one to listen to. ... The all-important pieces are the *sonatas for violin solo from Ysaÿe*.


Your post is interesting -- now planning to listen to the Ysaÿe sonatas (wow!) as well as his concertante works.Thanks also for mentioning Hilary Hahn whose connection to Ysaÿe's technique I wasn't aware of. I realize that the Franco-Belgian school is most referenced concerning violin technique and style -- I'm looking to learn more, not only on violin bowing techniques, but in relating this school to certain nineteenth century composers and compositions.


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## Roger Knox

Enthalpy said:


> Few professional soloist dare to play Ysaÿe's sonatas in public. Hilary Hahn is a safe choice, but not the only one.


The Ysaÿe Sonata No. 3 is very well structured, and the refrain with its head motive in major thirds intensifies the drama at every appearance. I listened to Hilary Hahn's version on YT and hear her celebrated fine bowing and clean intonation. Also have listened to some historic violin recordings by Ysaÿe himself where the same qualities are evident, but in his own inimitable style.


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## Knorf

Grumiaux has long been one of my favorite violinists.


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## Roger Knox

*Impressions of Grumiaux*



Knorf said:


> Grumiaux has long been one of my favorite violinists.


Having just listened to a few Arthur Grumiaux recordings, here are some non-violinist's impressions.

In the Mozart Concerto no. 4 - 1st m.; Vieuxtemps Concerto no. 4 - 1st m.; Wieniawski _Legende_, and Saint-Saëns Concerto no. 3 - 2nd m., I like his straight-up approach, dynamic shading, and overall control of the bow and on the fingerboard. I appreciate his performances more having listened to many French and Franco-Belgian violin works of the late classical and early romantic eras.

Of course the Mozart is not "Franco-Belgian" but Grumiaux's clarity and subtle bowing are, and they help achieve the sense of characterization and rhetorical dialogue that the Mozart requires (like an opera scene). Grumiaux upholds the Franco-Belgian tradition very well in the Vieuxtemps; unfortunately in this movement I feel that the best music is in the opening orchestra-only tutti, which makes the soloist's situation more difficult. Best was the "Romantic Classic" Saint-Saëns slow movement -- that was affecting indeed!


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## Enthalpy

About Ysaÿe's *bow technique*:

The most observable and characteristic feature is the angle of the wrist when playing near the frog.

Ysaÿe and successors keep the angle of the wrist when changing the bowing direction near the frog, from up-bow to down-bow. This allows a very silent change in the bowing direction, which you can hear from Ysaÿe, Grumiaux and others.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_(music)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_stroke
Other violinists reduce the angle in the wrist when changing from up-bow to down-bow. At that moment, the string screeches. Little so with outstanding violinists like David Oistrakh or Razvan Stoica, but it's nearly unavoidable.

This is widely linked, but not completely, with the general position of the wrist, much less angled in Ysaÿe's technique. Other details may vary, for instance Joshua Epstein held the bow with the fingertips - but he and his students reverted later to a more usual grip.

So when heirs of Ysaÿe hear an otherwise excellent violinist screech at the frog, they just think "bad luck for him he learned at the wrong place".

==========

A few members of the impressive family tree after Vieuxtemps-Wieniawski-Ysaÿe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugène_Ysaÿe#Early_years

Nathan Milstein learned from Ysaÿe (and others! That's implicit here).
Jascha Brodsky learned from Ysaÿe and passed further to Hilary Hahn.
André Gertler learned from Ysaÿe and taught to many renowned violinists, much in Germany.
Alfred Dubois learned from Ysaÿe and passed further to Arthur Grumiaux.
Joshua Epstein learned from Arthur Grumiaux and André Gertler and taught to many renowned violinists, much in Germany.

Karin Hendel learned from Joshua Epstein, Nathan Milstein and André Gertler. She has surpassed the whole family and has the most perfect bow technique since violinists exist. Don't even try to argue about that, because she was my second professor, so the chances of convincing me are exactly zero. Hear samples there:
https://www.allmusic.com/album/hendel-plays-andrée-viardot-boulanger-farrenc-mw0001946079


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## Josquin13

This may be slightly off topic, but I wanted to alert you & others to a wonderful CD series issued by the Phaedra label called "In Flanders Fields", which is now up to around 102 CD volumes, & possibly even more. The series showcases music of both well known and lesser known Flemish and Belgian composers of roughly the period that you are presently interested in (it starts from about 1830 and goes up to today). So far, I only know a few CDs from the series (as I'm hoping it will all get boxed one day), but I have discovered, for example, two lesser known Belgian composers whose music I've found to be surprisingly excellent, in volume 2: which includes two French "impressionist" influenced string quartets by Godfried Devreese (a Belgian violinist/composer who was a pupil of Ysaÿe & César Thomson) and Prosper van Eechaute (another Belgian composer):









https://www.prestomusic.com/classic...fields-volume-2-impressionist-string-quartets.

Off the top of my head, I don't recall any violin sonatas and concertos (except for possibly ones by Joseph Jongen?), but there are likely some violin works in the series that are well worth exploring--that is, if you're looking to discover excellent lesser known Belgian and Flemish composers in addition to the violinist/composers that you've already mentioned.

The Presto Classical web page for the Phaedra record label lists 59 recordings in the series (the others may already be out of print?): https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/series/3152/browse

I've just done a quick search, & the following violin works came up, just as examples:

Volume 61, Marinus De Jong, Violin Sonata, Op. 18, etc.: 




https://www.prestomusic.com/classic...rs-fields-volume-61-marinus-de-jong#tracklist

Volume 96: 
--Charles-Louis Hanssens, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra: 



--Jef Maes, Meditation for Violin and Orchestra: 



--Lodewijk Mortelmans: Romanza for Violin and Orchestra: 



https://www.prestomusic.com/classic...96-where-are-the-snows-of-yesterday#tracklist

Volume 31--includes Arthur Meulemans' "Woudzang en Zigeunerin (Wood Song and Gypsy Woman)", for violin and orchestra, among other non-violin works: https://www.prestomusic.com/classic...olume-31-orchestral-music-by-arthur-meulemans.

If any of this music interests you, you may wish to look into the series in further detail; since, at the moment, I don't seem to be able to find a complete listing of all 102 volumes (but it must exist).

Personally, I tend to favor the Belgian & Flemish works that are most French influenced (especially by Debussy & Ravel), such as Joseph Jongen's magical Concert à Cinq, Op. 71, pour flûte, violon, alto, violoncelle et harpe: 



, and the two quartets that I've already mentioned above, as well as Cesar Franck's well known Violin Sonata, rather than those that are more inspired by a full blown late Romanticism: such as can be found in certain other chamber works by Jongen, for instance (which I don't overly care for).


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## Roger Knox

Enthalpy said:


> About Ysaÿe's *bow technique*:
> 
> The most observable and characteristic feature is the angle of the wrist when playing near the frog.
> 
> Ysaÿe and successors keep the angle of the wrist when changing the bowing direction near the frog, from up-bow to down-bow. This allows a very silent change in the bowing direction, which you can hear from Ysaÿe, Grumiaux and others.
> 
> ==========
> 
> A few members of the impressive family tree after Vieuxtemps-Wieniawski-Ysaÿe
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugène_Ysaÿe#Early_years
> 
> Nathan Milstein learned from Ysaÿe (and others! That's implicit here).
> Jascha Brodsky learned from Ysaÿe and passed further to Hilary Hahn.
> André Gertler learned from Ysaÿe and taught to many renowned violinists, much in Germany.
> Alfred Dubois learned from Ysaÿe and passed further to Arthur Grumiaux.
> Joshua Epstein learned from Arthur Grumiaux and André Gertler and taught to many renowned violinists, much in Germany.
> 
> Karin Hendel learned from Joshua Epstein, Nathan Milstein and André Gertler. She has surpassed the whole family and has the most perfect bow technique since violinists exist.


This is very interesting and I will look for these artists' recordings. One of Ysaÿe's students I did hear was Josef Gingold, both performing and giving a master class. He had a unique presence -- genial in nature, with an aristocratic sense of style, passionately upholding the art form. In the Mendelssohn Concerto, he had a particular way of tossing off the dominant seventh upward arpeggio that opens the finale that had everyone in the audience smiling. I also heard some of his student prodigies -- Yuval Yaron, Dylana Jenson, Corey Cerovsek -- all under-rated now.


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## Roger Knox

Josquin13 said:


> This may be slightly off topic, but I wanted to alert you & others to a wonderful CD series issued by the Phaedra label called "In Flanders Fields", which is now up to around 102 CD volumes, & possibly even more. The series showcases music of both well known and lesser known Flemish and Belgian composers of roughly the period that you are presently interested in ...
> 
> If any of this music interests you, you may wish to look into the series in further detail; since, at the moment, I don't seem to be able to find a complete listing of all 102 volumes (but it must exist).
> 
> 
> Josquin13 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes I'm very interested! Jongen wrote three violin concertos, Albert Dupuis a fantaisie and a concerto, and Arthur Meulemans three concertos plus the work you refer to. Thanks for letting me know of it and the Mortelmans, which I'll check out. I'm also interested in French and Dutch music of this period; incidentally, Ysaÿe premiered the Chausson _Poeme_ and the Franck Sonata, which was written for Ysaÿe to play at his own wedding. No wonder Ysaÿe was called "The Tsar" -- his influence was everywhere.
Click to expand...


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## Roger Knox

*Preserving legato*



Enthalpy said:


> About Ysaÿe's *bow technique*:
> 
> The most observable and characteristic feature is the angle of the wrist when playing near the frog.
> 
> Ysaÿe and successors keep the angle of the wrist when changing the bowing direction near the frog, from up-bow to down-bow. This allows a very silent change in the bowing direction, which you can hear from Ysaÿe, Grumiaux and others.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_(music)
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow_stroke
> Other violinists reduce the angle in the wrist when changing from up-bow to down-bow. At that moment, the string screeches. Little so with outstanding violinists like David Oistrakh or Razvan Stoica, but it's nearly unavoidable.
> 
> This is widely linked, but not completely, with the general position of the wrist, much less angled in Ysaÿe's technique. Other details may vary, for instance Joshua Epstein held the bow with the fingertips - but he and his students reverted later to a more usual grip.
> 
> So when heirs of Ysaÿe hear an otherwise excellent violinist screech at the frog, they just think "bad luck


One more thing: concerning keeping legato when changing bow direction near the frog, there are also other instruments where you have to to do something special to make the smoothest possible connection between notes. On piano, of course legato touch is done by slightly overlapping notes at finger changes. However, the smoothest connection is done by matching the volume of the second note when struck to that of the decaying first note at that time, e.g. at the resolution of an appoggiatura. Because you can't do that at every note change you save it for important places. I used to dabble in classical harmonica and there is the same problem of preserving legato, here when going from a blow note to a draw note. So you reduce the volume of the blow note at the end, then match the new draw note to it. Tommy Reilly does this frequently.


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## Roger Knox

Enthalpy said:


> Vieuxtemps and Ysaÿe are extremely known among violinists. You could add Wieniawsky to the family (they were professor-student). ... Violinists know them, at least in the Belgium-French school that spread to Germany and elsewhere, because they study their works, just after or around Paganini.


*Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880)* was a great Polish violinist who became identified with the modern Franco-Belgian school. He was also a composer and he concertized extensively, spending a significant time in Russia where his influence helped lead to the Russian School of violin playing. Another violinist identified with the Franco-Belgian school was the Spanish *Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908)*; both he and Wieniawski studied at the Paris Conservatoire and developed in the modern direction. Like Wieniawski, Sarasate was a composer but he stuck to lighter concertante works of which _Zigeunerweisen_ is one of the most famous.

Sarasate also was interested in new music and gave premieres of important works by composers both French and of other nationalities: *Edouard Lalo* - Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, _ Symphonie espagnole_, _Fantaisie norvegienne_; *Camille Saint-Saëns* - Violin Concertos #1 and #3, Introduction and Rondo Capricioso: *Max Bruch* (Germany) - Violin Concerto #2; *Alexander Mackenzie* (Britain) - Violin Concerto.

*Ysaÿe (1858-1931)* also premiered compositions by the best French and Belgian composers: *Cesar Franck* - Violin Sonata; *Ernest Chausson* - _Poème_; Camille Saint Saens - _La muse et la poète_ (violin, cello, and orchestra); *Guillaume Lekeu* - Violin Sonata; *Claude Debussy* - String Quartet (leader). We see the vast influence on both performance and composition of the Franco-Belgian School throughout the 19th century and beyond.


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## Roger Knox

Josquin13 said:


> ... I wanted to alert you & others to a wonderful CD series issued by the Phaedra label called "In Flanders Fields." ... I have discovered, for example, two lesser known Belgian composers whose music I've found to be surprisingly excellent, in volume 2: which includes two French "impressionist" influenced string quartets by Godfried Devreese (a Belgian violinist/composer who was a pupil of Ysaÿe & César Thomson) and Prosper van Eechaute (another Belgian composer):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.prestomusic.com/classic...fields-volume-2-impressionist-string-quartets.
> 
> I've just done a quick search, & the following violin works came up, just as examples:
> Volume 61, Marinus De Jong, Violin Sonata, Op. 18, etc.:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...
> 
> ... Volume 31--includes Arthur Meulemans' "Woudzang en Zigeunerin (Wood Song and Gypsy Woman)", for violin and orchestra: https://www.prestomusic.com/classic...olume-31-orchestral-music-by-arthur-meulemans.


Josquin 13, in this great Phaedra series I especially like the above chamber works, along with Joseph Jongen's fine _Concert a cinq_, op. 71 that you also mentioned. Arthur Meulemans' _Wood Song and Gypsy Woman_ is I think far the best of the concertante works, though some of the other Flemish composers are too conservative for my liking.

I've collected information towards a French, Belgian and Dutch neglected late romantic orchestral composers thread, along the lines of the previous German and Austrian one. But I haven't decided to go further, because it's a lot of effort and there have been quite a few of negative posts recently toward that type of work.


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## Roger Knox

For some reason I keep going back to Charles de Bériot's Violin Concerto no. 9 in A minor, and have listened to it many times. His violin part sings and speaks and dances in turn. After having spent some time on web sites that demonstrate different bow strokes I'm finding them in use here by de Bériot, including the more virtuosic ones. Also am noting how the little instrument's resonances are exploited to maximum effect. There is a sense of pacing and variety that marks the presence of a natural composer. Another piece I like is his _Scène de ballet_, which Ihtzak Perlman played in his recording of student concertos.


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