Adrien-François Servais

Adrien-François Servais (6 June 180726 November 1866) was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. He was born and died in what is now Halle, Belgium. He is one of the founders of the Modern Cellistic Schools of Paris and Madrid, which began through collaboration with his friend Auguste Franchomme and his disciple Víctor Mirecki Larramat. His compositions are still studied, performed and recorded all over the world. Two of his sons also had musical careers and performed his music.

Biography

Servais was originally trained as a violinist before switching to cello. Known by his contemporaries for his virtuosity and excessive vibrato, he was given the gift of a Stradivarius cello from 1701, which today bears his name. He is also known as the first cellist to adopt the bassists' use of an endpin because of the large size of his Stradivarius.

(The use of the endpin was, however, not generally adopted by most cellists until the early 20th century. For instance, Carlo Alfredo Piatti never used an endpin, though Lisa Cristiani's use of it in the 1840s and 1850s popularized the practice for female cellists.) had several children, including two sons who also pursued musical careers.

Their daughter Zofia Servais married Cyprian Godebski, a Polish sculptor in the Russian Empire, who became a professor at the Imperial Institute of Arts in St. Petersburg. Zofia died in a nearby town shortly after the birth in March 1872 of daughter Maria Zofia Olga Zenajda Godebska, known as Misia. Godebski sent his daughter to Belgium to be cared for by her Servais family for several years. She was given early musical tranining and had precocious gifts. She became a pianist.

Later Godebski remarried and reclaimed his daughter; he enrolled her in a convent boarding school in Paris for eight years. Known best as Misia Sert, she was an important patron of Paris's early 20th century artistic community, which she encouraged through hosting numerous artists, writers and musicians at her salons.

Some years after his death in 1866, Servais was honored by his home town of Halle. His sculptor son-in-law, Professor Cyprian Godebski, created and installed a statue of him in front of the town hall on its central market square.

The South-West Brabant Museum in Halle has a collection on his life and work. It also holds material about his granddaughter Misia Sert and her father Cyprian Godebski.

Works Own Compositions Fantaisie sur un thème favori, Op. 1 for cello and piano - also for cello and harp Souvenir de Spa, fantaisie, Op. 2 for cello and piano - also cello and quartet Le Comte Ory. Caprice, Op. 3 for cello and piano - also for two cellos Fantaisie et Variations brillantes sur la Valse de Schubert, Intitulée Le Désir, Op. 4 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra Concerto (en Si mineur) Op. 5 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra Le Barbier de Séville, Grande Fantaisie, Op. 6 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra Andante cantabile et Rondo à la Mazurka sur un Air de Balfe, Op. 7 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra Fantaisie Characteristique sur deux célèbres Romances de Lafont, Op. 8 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra Fantaisie burlesque (ou le Carnaval de Venise), Op. 9 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra Souvenir de la Suisse. Caprice, Op. 10 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra 6 Caprices pour Violoncelle, Op. 11 for 2 cellos Grande fantaisie sur des motifs de l’opera Lestocq, Op. 12 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra Fantaisie sur 2 Airs russes, Op. 13 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet Morceau de Concert (deuxieme Concerto en Mi mineur), Op. 14 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra Souvenir de St. Petersburg. Fantaisie, Op. 15 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra La Fille du Régiment. Fantaisie et Variations, Op. 16 for cello and piano - also for cello and quartet - also for cello and orchestra O cara memoria: Fantaisie et Variations, Op. 17 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra Concerto Militaire (en Ut mineur), Op. 18 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra Grande Fantaisie polonaise sur des Airs du ballet ‘La Noce de Cracovie’, Op. 19 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra Souvenir de Bade. Grande Fantaisie, Op. 20 for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra Souvenir de Czernowitz. Morceau de Salon sur des Airs Roumains, Op. 21 for cello and piano Concerto (en La mineur) Op. posthumous for cello and piano - also for cello and orchestra Servais & Joseph Ghys (cello & violin) Variations brillantes et concertantes sur l’air “God Save the King” Servais & Henri Vieuxtemps (cello & violin) Grand Duo sur des motifs de l’Opéra Les Huguenots de G. Meyerbeer Servais & Hubert Léonard (cello & violin) Grand Duo de Concert sur deux airs nationaux anglais 2me Grand duo de Concert sur des thèmes de Beethoven 3me Duo de Concert 4e Duo de Concert sur des motifs de l’opéra L’Africaine de Meyerbeer Servais & Jacques Gregoir (cello & piano)

Transcriptions of works by other composers Elégie en ut pour l'Alto, J. F. Mazas, op. 73 La Romanesca, fameux air de danse de la fin du XVIme siècle Le Lac de Côme. Barcarolle composée par Mr. G. Alari Souvenirs élégiaques de A. Bessems Regrets, Pensée musicale à la mémoire de la Reine des Belges, par J. Grégoir La Veillée, Pastorale de B. Damcke Etudes de Rhythme par L. J. Meerts. Transcrites pour deux Violoncelles 6 Morceaux caractéristiques composés par H. Ferd. Kufferath, Op. 30 2 Mazurkas de Chopin [Mazurka in F sharp Minor Op. 6 No 1 en Mazurka in F Minor Op. 7 No 3] Nocturne de F. Chopin [Nocturne in E flat Major Op. 9 No 2] Unpublished compositions Fantaisie intitulée concertino Fantaisie La Romantique Souvenir d’Anvers Fantasia sur la folle Fantaisie élégante Fantaisie et Variations n° 18 Fantaisie Caprice pour 2 Violoncelles Fantaisie pour violoncelle Maître Corbeau Fantaisie sur l’hymne national/Fantaisie belge pour violoncelle Air varié pour contrebasse Deux célèbres mélodies de Glinka Grand Duo de Guillaume Tell (Servais & Jules Godefroid) Duo sur Lucie de Lammermoor (Servais & Félix Godefroid) Not yet located compositions Le Chant des Alpes Grande Fantaisie, Souvenir de Naples Fantaisie slave Caprice ‘Hommage à Rossini’ Souvenir de Haydn Cinquième Concerto* Souvenir de Kiev Variations on the Russian Anthem theme Souvenirs du Mont-d'Or Larghetto - W. A. Mozart (arranged by Servais for cello, organ-harmonium and piano) Melodie for voice and cello (Servais & Willem Pasques de Chavonnes Vrugt ) Grand Duo de piano et violoncelle (with Jules Déjazet) Note: The 4th Concerto, in A minor, Op. Posth. has been found and a performance of it is available on YouTube by cellist Seeli Toivio.