Marteau, Henri

Marteau, Henri – Suite en la majeur pour violon et orchestre Op. 15 (Piano reduction & solo)

(b. Rheims, 31 March 1874 – d. Lichtenberg, Upper Franconia, 3 October 1934)

Preludio p. 3
Tema con variazioni p. 31
Minuetto p. 49
Finale-Rondo p. 70

Preface
If there is any composer that encapsulates the lush, exciting sounds of the early Romantic period, and the violin virtuosity and pedagogy of that time, it is Henri Marteau. Hidden behind giants of the Romantic era, Marteau was born on March 31, 1874 into a fairly wealthy family. Musically inclined from a young age and often regarded as a child prodigy, he was gifted his first violin by Ernesto Camillo Sivori – a pupil of Paganini – at the age of 5 and began his studies with his own father; the Marteau family actually were the quite the musicians, as Henri’s mother was a pianist and his father was a violinist. Eventually, Marteau’s musical career led him to the Paris Conservatory and to Hubert Leonard, another one of Marteau’s early teachers. Inevitably, at age 10, Marteau made his debut as a solo violinist in Reims, France to an audience of about 2,000 people. From then on, Henri Marteau was a hit, touring Europe and the United States as a teenager and captivating the public and press all the while. In 1907, after years of performing, Marteau was called to succeed Joseph Joachim’s position at the Academy of Music in Berlin; but with growing tension between France and Germany in the face of the first World War, Marteau’s appointment was scrutinized, as he remained a French citizen. After a short stint of house arrest in Lichtenburg nine years after his initial arrival to Berlin, Marteau had decided enough was enough. Sweden would be his next destination, and he became a Swedish citizen and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1920. Despite his newfound citizenship, he eventually would find himself teaching in Germany and Bohemia—what is now the Czech Republic—to supplement his musical obligations in Sweden. …

For more information about the piece read the preface of the full score:
> HERE