Charles Louis Napoléon d’Albert

Charles Louis Napoléon d'Albert (25 February 1809 – 26 May 1886) was a German-born British dance master and prolific composer of popular dance music. In addition to his own compositions he published numerous arrangements of operatic melodies as dance music. He was the father of the Romantic-era pianist Eugene d'Albert.

Life and career D'Albert was born on 25 February 1809 in Nienstedten, near Hamburg, the only son of François Benoit d'Albert, a cavalry captain in the French Army and aide-de-camp to General Bernard-Georges-François Frère. His mother was Chretienne Sophie Henriette, née Schultz, daughter of Johann Carl Schultz, a Hamburg merchant. She was an accomplished amateur musician and gave d'Albert his first instruction, introducing him to the music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

D'Albert studied the piano with Frédéric Kalkbrenner and composition with Samuel Wesley in London. d'Albert followed suit, becoming a student at the Académie Royale, where he studied music and dance. Returning to England he joined the corps de ballet of The King's Theatre, The following year, during an annual teaching trip to Scotland, Annie gave birth to Eugen d'Albert who became a well known pianist and composer.

After a successful career, d'Albert and his wife retired to Kensington, London in 1876. He continued to compose and promote his son's career as a virtuoso pianist and composer. D'Albert died on 26 May 1886, aged 77, and was buried in Kensal Green Cemetery.