A Visit with Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)

by Sarah Moglewer

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The 1800's were replete with more tumultuous events than any one century deserved to have. Revolutions and war created uncertainty while new inventions enhanced daily life. Trade routes were sought to further the shipment of creature comforts for aristocracy and members of society. This era was filled with excitement and great expectations. This was the time into which Louise (Dumont) Farrenc was born.

In 1804 Louise was born into a long line of famous sculptors. Their works are preserved at the Louvre, Versaille, Rouen and many other French cities. The Dumont's family tree can be traced as far back as 1600. The year of her birth also marked the crowning of Napoleon and the Lewis and Clark Expedition in America. Louise met and married a fellow musician, Aristide Farrenc, in 1821, and enjoyed a hiatus of four years from her music training. Her child, Victorine, was born in 1826. Victorine was Louise's only child and died in early adulthood. However, despite the early death of her child, Louise's marriage continued to flourish. Her husband published her first compositions and encouraged her to continue her scholarly pursuits. She performed and composed many solo works for the piano as well as trios for the piano. Beethoven and Hummel were her greatest influences. She became a professor in 1842 at the Paris Conservatory and distinguished herself in her teaching. Many of her students won the competitions of the day and went on to become professional musicians.

As a scholar she edited works of the 16th and 17th century composers. The Farrencs' interest in this music was a direct result of the admiration they had for the work of Francois-Joseph Fetis (1784 ­ 1871) who presented concert historiques during the 1830's. A year before Louise's death she completed a 23 volume set of edited works of this 16th and 17th century music. While doing this editing she realized the problems of early music performance style and developed a manual to improve some of them.

"Traite des Abreviations" wrote out all mordents and gave interpretive ideas to solve the performer's problems. Her main role in music history was to carry significance beyond the ordinary recognition given to minor composers. Many women became successful concert artists, but Louise was also a recognized scholar and leader of the French Musical Renaissance of 1870.

A partial time line of events helps illustrate the political situations, explorations and inventions which helped shape Louise's life, a life which was filled with success, scholarship and family despite the tumult:

The Battle of Trafalgar caused commotion and Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific; The first steamboat sailed in 1807; Napoleon retreated from Moscow in 1812; Mazel invented the metronome in 1815 and a few years later Florida was purchased from Spain; The anti-slavery movement took off in 1831; Slavery was outlawed in the British Empire; Schumann's famous work "Neue Zeitschrift für Musik" introduced new composers works to the public; Morse Telegraph followed; Daguerre took his first photographs in 1838, and the wrenching Civil War and assassination of Lincoln took place. Meanwhile, Louise continued to complete the twenty three volumes of the 16th and 17th century masters, a work which was to assure her a place in the music world.

This revisit to the interesting and beautiful music Louise created will inspire and bring pleasure to many students of the piano.

The etude here, taken from Etudes of Louise Farrenc, is Farrenc's No. 2 in G Major. This is a brilliant exercise in melodious scale passages. This must be played quickly and lightly in a fast tempo. The passage work should be practiced slowly with traditional fingering. The student will find major, melodic minor, and chromatic passages. There is not much room for pedal in this fast piece.