Casimir Ney
Encyclopedia
Louis-Casimir Escoffier, known primarily by the pseudonym
Casimir Ney or L. Casimir-Ney, (1801 – 3 February 1877 in Arras
) was a French
composer
and one of the foremost violists
of the 19th century.
ist Jean-Delphin Alard and cellists
Auguste Franchomme
and Alexandre Chevillard (1811–1877). He was active in Parisian salons and the Société académique des enfants d'Apollon, of which he was president in 1853. He achieved virtually universal critical acclaim as a performer, with special praise for his smooth, broad viola sound. He devoted his efforts almost exclusively to the viola, in contrast to the majority of his contemporaries who went back and forth between the viola and violin. His biography was a mystery until the musicologist Jeffrey Cooper discovered an 1877 obituary of the successful Parisian violist Louis-Casimir Escoffier, who had died aged 75. Escoffier most likely took the Ney part of his pseudonym from Napoleon
's marshal Michel Ney
.
Original text:
Translation:
The 24 Préludes for viola, published in Paris around 1849, are without a doubt the most ambitious attempt in the 19th century to demonstrate the technical possibilities of the viola. The preludes are designed around the 24 keys, are not really preludes in the traditional sense. They are not introductions to anything else. The choice of terminology, "prelude" is used to convey a sense of liberty. Unlike etudes, these pieces are meant to be more than just tools for study. The preludes are not arranged in order of difficulty and do not necessarily each focus on a specific technical point. The technical demands made on the player are in some places unbelievable. For example, the interval of the 12th in the Prélude No. 7 is just short of half the string length and is impossible to play except on a small viola with very big hands. Some of the other difficult techniques asked of the performer are many double stops, double harmonics, left hand pizzicato
, 4 finger pizzicato, and the exploration of the full functional range of the instrument.
Original compositions
Transcriptions
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Casimir Ney or L. Casimir-Ney, (1801 – 3 February 1877 in Arras
Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
) was a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and one of the foremost violists
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
of the 19th century.
History
During the mid-19th century, Escoffier was highly active as a performer, primarily in string quartets; he was a member of the Quatour Alard-Chevillard and Société Alard et Franchomme, performing with violinViolin
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 Jean-Delphin Alard and cellists
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...
Auguste Franchomme
Auguste Franchomme
Auguste-Joseph Franchomme was a French cellist and composer.Born in Lille, Franchomme studied at the local conservatoire with M...
and Alexandre Chevillard (1811–1877). He was active in Parisian salons and the Société académique des enfants d'Apollon, of which he was president in 1853. He achieved virtually universal critical acclaim as a performer, with special praise for his smooth, broad viola sound. He devoted his efforts almost exclusively to the viola, in contrast to the majority of his contemporaries who went back and forth between the viola and violin. His biography was a mystery until the musicologist Jeffrey Cooper discovered an 1877 obituary of the successful Parisian violist Louis-Casimir Escoffier, who had died aged 75. Escoffier most likely took the Ney part of his pseudonym from Napoleon
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's marshal Michel Ney
Michel Ney
Michel Ney , 1st Duc d'Elchingen, 1st Prince de la Moskowa was a French soldier and military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was one of the original 18 Marshals of France created by Napoleon I...
.
Obituary
An obituary from the 11 February 1877 edition of Revue et Gazette Musicale de Paris, "Nouvelles diverses," page 47, reveals the identity of Casimir Ney.Original text:
- Un artiste qui a tenu une place des plus honorables dans le monde musical parisien, Louis-Casimir Escoffier, dit Casimir Ney, est mort à Arras, le 3 février, dans sa soixante-seizième année. Casimir Ney était connu pour son remarquable talent sur l'alto; pendant de longues années, il fit partie de nos meilleures sociétés de quatuors, et donna même chez lui des séances périodiques de musique de chambre, qui furent toujours fort recherchées.
Translation:
- An artist who has held a most honorable place in the music world of Paris, Louis-Casimir Escoffier, known as Casimir Ney, died at Arras, February 3, in his seventy-sixth year. Casimir Ney was known for his remarkable talent on the viola; for many years he was a member of some of our best quartets, and even presented periodic chamber music concerts in his home, which were always excellent.
Compositions
Casimir Ney is most famous for his book of 24 preludes for solo viola, which are extremely difficult to play. He also wrote a trio, a quartet and a string quintet, as well as Eighteen Caprices for Violin on the G-string, and a few works for viola and piano. He also did many transcriptions.The 24 Préludes for viola, published in Paris around 1849, are without a doubt the most ambitious attempt in the 19th century to demonstrate the technical possibilities of the viola. The preludes are designed around the 24 keys, are not really preludes in the traditional sense. They are not introductions to anything else. The choice of terminology, "prelude" is used to convey a sense of liberty. Unlike etudes, these pieces are meant to be more than just tools for study. The preludes are not arranged in order of difficulty and do not necessarily each focus on a specific technical point. The technical demands made on the player are in some places unbelievable. For example, the interval of the 12th in the Prélude No. 7 is just short of half the string length and is impossible to play except on a small viola with very big hands. Some of the other difficult techniques asked of the performer are many double stops, double harmonics, left hand pizzicato
Pizzicato
Pizzicato is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument....
, 4 finger pizzicato, and the exploration of the full functional range of the instrument.
Original compositions
- Grand Trio for violin, viola and cello (before 1845)
- 1er Quadrille brillant for flute or viola and piano (1842)
- Quadrille "La petite Marie" for flute, viola, flageoletFlageoletThe flageolet is a woodwind musical instrument and a member of the fipple flute family. Its invention is ascribed to the 16th century Sieur Juvigny in 1581. There are two basic forms of the instrument: the French, having four finger holes on the front and two thumb holes on the back; and the...
, cornetCornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
and piano (1842) - Quadrille "Le Baroque" for flute, viola, flageoletFlageoletThe flageolet is a woodwind musical instrument and a member of the fipple flute family. Its invention is ascribed to the 16th century Sieur Juvigny in 1581. There are two basic forms of the instrument: the French, having four finger holes on the front and two thumb holes on the back; and the...
, cornetCornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
and piano (1842) - Quadrille for piano
- Fantaisie brillante for viola and piano, Op. 12
- 24 Préludes pour l'alto viola dans les 24 tons de la gamme, composés et dédiés aux artistes (24 Preludes in All Keys for Viola, Composed for and Dedicated to Artists), Op. 22 (published c.1849–1853)
- 1er Quintette (Quintet No. 1) for 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass, Op. 24 (1850–1855)
- Fantaisie sur la Sicilienne de A. Gouffé for violin or viola and piano, Op. 25 (1856)
- 18 Caprices pour violon sur la 4eme corde (18 Caprices for Violin on the G-String), Op. 26 (1856)
- Voir Callaunt, Pièce de salon for violin or viola and piano (1856)
- L'amour troupeur, Chansonette Marquerie (1860)
- Polka brillante et facile for 2 violas (1860)
Transcriptions
- Charles-Valentin AlkanCharles-Valentin AlkanCharles-Valentin Alkan was a French composer and one of the greatest virtuoso pianists of his day. His attachment to his Jewish origins is displayed both in his life and his work. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of six, earning many awards, and as an adult became a famous virtuoso...
: Sonate de concert for viola and piano, Op. 47 (published c.1860); original work, c.1857, for cello and piano - Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
: Sonata in F major "Spring" for viola and piano, Op. 24 (published 1840s); original 1801 work for violin and piano - Franz SchubertFranz SchubertFranz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...
: La Solitude, Mélodie de Schubert for viola and piano; original Einsamkeit for voice and piano, D.620 (1818) - La Romanesca: Air de danse du XVI. siècle (La Romanesca: Air and Dance from the 16th Century) for viola d'amoreViola d'amoreThe viola d'amore is a 7- or 6-stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin.- Structure and sound :...
and piano; original for viola d'amore solo, string quartet and guitar
Discography
- Eric Shumsky – Casimir Ney: 24 Preludes in all keys for viola solo, Vestige Classics, 2 discs (2000)