Víctor Mirecki Larramat
Encyclopedia
Víctor Alexander Marie Mirecki Larramat (21 July 1847 – 7 April 1921) was a Spanish cellist
and music teacher of Franco-Polish origin. He was born in Tarbes
, France
and died in Madrid
, Spain
.
ian and teacher. His work with Jesús de Monasterio in the Quartet Society of Madrid greatly influenced the Spanish music of the era, promoting contemporary European chamber music and allowing the work of emerging geniuses such as Manuel de Falla
to spread.
His dedication to teaching in the National School of Music
, later known as the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid
, was important in fostering the next generation of innovators in cello techniques. He, along with the Belgian cellist Adrien-François Servais
and the French cellist Auguste Franchomme
, founded the Spanish school of cellists, whose most notable later students include Augustín Rubio, Juan Ruiz Casaux and Pablo Casals
.
and of Marie Zelinne Larramat, Víctor grew up in a notable musical environment. His father, marshal and hero of the November Uprising
against Russia, had taken refuge in France. After a stay in Paris, his father moved to Tarbes
, where he taught violin. His three sons, Víctor, Maurice and Françoise, were born there, and they all eventually became dedicated to music. In 1857, at the age of ten, Víctor moved with his family to Bordeaux
, where his father taught the violin as a professor of the Conservatory. There he began his studies for a military career in the Lycée.
In April 1862, the cellist
Adrien-François Servais
and the violin
ist Henri Vieuxtemps
went out to visit Bordeaux and were sheltered in the Mirecki house. Impressed by these masters' performance and ability to interpret, the young Víctor, along with his brother, Maurice, dedicated himself to the violoncello for the next two years, under the supervision of his father. His natural talent was outstanding, and in March 1864, at 17 years of age, he played as a soloist in a public concert at the Bordeaux Conservatory in the presence of Servais. Víctor's success was such that Servais convinced Victor's father to allow him to abandon the military studies and dedicate himself completely to his instrument.
When his studies in Bordeaux
ended, he had obtained the first prize and the medal of honor of the Conservatory, and he had also been granted a scholarship to continue his studies in Paris. He began studying at the Conservatoire de Paris
in 1865 and became Auguste Franchomme
's star pupil. During the course of that year, he visited Halle
for the grave of his mentor, Servais
. His period of training in Paris concluded as he obtained the award of honor of the Conservatoire de Paris
, on 6 August 1868, surpassing his classmate, also a cellist and the future successor of the master Auguste Franchomme, Jules Delsart
.
With the help of his father and of his master, he also worked diligently in the orchestras of various Parisian theaters, meeting the great composers and musicians of the era who had to visit Paris; he developed an intimate friendship with Pablo Sarasate, Edouard Lalo
, Camille Saint-Saëns
and Jules Massenet
. On 6 August 1868, at the end of his training in Paris, he was given the award of honor of the Conservatoire de Paris.
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and music teacher of Franco-Polish origin. He was born in Tarbes
Tarbes
Tarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and died in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Introduction
Víctor Mirecki was one of the versatile concert performers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was a worldly man with a great array of social and cultural relations and was known as an ingenious cellist for his manner of interpreting music and for his work as a chamber musicChamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
ian and teacher. His work with Jesús de Monasterio in the Quartet Society of Madrid greatly influenced the Spanish music of the era, promoting contemporary European chamber music and allowing the work of emerging geniuses such as Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla y Matheu was a Spanish Andalusian composer of classical music. With Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina he is one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century....
to spread.
His dedication to teaching in the National School of Music
Madrid Conservatory
-History:The Royal Conservatory of Music was founded on July 15, 1830, by royal decree, and was originally located in Mostenses Square, Madrid. In 1852 it was moved to the Royal Opera, where it remained until the building was condemned by royal order and classes ordered to halt in 1925. For the...
, later known as the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid
Madrid Conservatory
-History:The Royal Conservatory of Music was founded on July 15, 1830, by royal decree, and was originally located in Mostenses Square, Madrid. In 1852 it was moved to the Royal Opera, where it remained until the building was condemned by royal order and classes ordered to halt in 1925. For the...
, was important in fostering the next generation of innovators in cello techniques. He, along with the Belgian cellist Adrien-François Servais
Adrien-Francois Servais
Adrien-François Servais was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in Halle, Belgium.Servais was originally trained as a violinist before switching to the cello...
and the French cellist Auguste Franchomme
Auguste Franchomme
Auguste-Joseph Franchomme was a French cellist and composer.Born in Lille, Franchomme studied at the local conservatoire with M...
, founded the Spanish school of cellists, whose most notable later students include Augustín Rubio, Juan Ruiz Casaux and Pablo Casals
Pablo Casals
Pau Casals i Defilló , known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time...
.
Childhood and youth in France
Son of the Polish Aleksander MireckiAleksander Mirecki
Antoine Aleksander Mirecki , was a Polish violinist.He was born in 1809 in Chrzanów, but he lived in Kraków with his mother, Françoise Kutzkowska and his young father, the half-brother of the pedagog and compositor Franciszek Wincenty Mirecki. In 1826 he went to Warsaw and began military training...
and of Marie Zelinne Larramat, Víctor grew up in a notable musical environment. His father, marshal and hero of the November Uprising
November Uprising
The November Uprising , Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in Warsaw when the young Polish officers from the local Army of the Congress...
against Russia, had taken refuge in France. After a stay in Paris, his father moved to Tarbes
Tarbes
Tarbes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.It is part of the historical region of Gascony. It is the second largest metropolitan area of Midi-Pyrénées, with 110,000 inhabitants....
, where he taught violin. His three sons, Víctor, Maurice and Françoise, were born there, and they all eventually became dedicated to music. In 1857, at the age of ten, Víctor moved with his family to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, where his father taught the violin as a professor of the Conservatory. There he began his studies for a military career in the Lycée.
In April 1862, the cellist
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
Adrien-François Servais
Adrien-Francois Servais
Adrien-François Servais was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in Halle, Belgium.Servais was originally trained as a violinist before switching to the cello...
and the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist Henri Vieuxtemps
Henri Vieuxtemps
Henri François Joseph Vieuxtemps was a Belgian composer and violinist. He occupies an important place in the history of the violin as a prominent exponent of the Franco-Belgian violin school during the mid-19th century....
went out to visit Bordeaux and were sheltered in the Mirecki house. Impressed by these masters' performance and ability to interpret, the young Víctor, along with his brother, Maurice, dedicated himself to the violoncello for the next two years, under the supervision of his father. His natural talent was outstanding, and in March 1864, at 17 years of age, he played as a soloist in a public concert at the Bordeaux Conservatory in the presence of Servais. Víctor's success was such that Servais convinced Victor's father to allow him to abandon the military studies and dedicate himself completely to his instrument.
When his studies in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
ended, he had obtained the first prize and the medal of honor of the Conservatory, and he had also been granted a scholarship to continue his studies in Paris. He began studying at the Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
in 1865 and became Auguste Franchomme
Auguste Franchomme
Auguste-Joseph Franchomme was a French cellist and composer.Born in Lille, Franchomme studied at the local conservatoire with M...
's star pupil. During the course of that year, he visited Halle
Halle, Belgium
Halle , is a Belgian city and municipality in the district Halle-Vilvoorde of the province Flemish Brabant. The city is located on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separates Flanders and Wallonia...
for the grave of his mentor, Servais
Adrien-Francois Servais
Adrien-François Servais was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in Halle, Belgium.Servais was originally trained as a violinist before switching to the cello...
. His period of training in Paris concluded as he obtained the award of honor of the Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
, on 6 August 1868, surpassing his classmate, also a cellist and the future successor of the master Auguste Franchomme, Jules Delsart
Jules Delsart
Jules Delsart was a 19th-century French cellist and teacher. He is best known for his arrangement for cello and piano of César Franck's Violin Sonata in A major...
.
With the help of his father and of his master, he also worked diligently in the orchestras of various Parisian theaters, meeting the great composers and musicians of the era who had to visit Paris; he developed an intimate friendship with Pablo Sarasate, Edouard Lalo
Édouard Lalo
Édouard-Victoire-Antoine Lalo was a French composer.-Biography:Lalo was born in Lille , in northernmost France. He attended that city's music conservatory in his youth. Then, beginning at age 16, Lalo studied at the Paris Conservatoire under Berlioz's old enemy François Antoine Habeneck...
, Camille Saint-Saëns
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French Late-Romantic composer, organist, conductor, and pianist. He is known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, Piano Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1, Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and his Symphony...
and Jules Massenet
Jules Massenet
Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, Massenet's style went out of fashion, and many of his operas...
. On 6 August 1868, at the end of his training in Paris, he was given the award of honor of the Conservatoire de Paris.