HENRI

See also:

• HENRI WIENIAWSKI (1835—1880)

WIENIAWSKI (1835—1880)  , Polish violinist and composer, was born at Lublin, in Poland, on the loth of July 1835 . He was a pupil of the Paris Conservatoire from 1843 to 1846, and again in 1849—1850 . Meanwhile he had given concerts in his native country and in Russia, and in 185o entered upon the career of a travelling virtuoso, together with his brother Joseph, a distinguished pianist . He was appointed solo violinist to the tsar in 1860, and taught in the Conservatoire of St Peters-burg from 1862 to 1867 . He went on tour again in 1872 with Rubinstein in America, and on his return in 1874 was appointed to succeed Vieuxtemps as professor in the Brussels Conservatoire; but, like his predecessor, he was compelled through ill-health to give up the post after three years, returning to a public career in spite of his illness, until his death, which occurred in a hospital in Moscow, on the 31st of March 1880 . He was a wonderfully sympathetic solo player, and a good if not a great quartet player . His Legende, the fantasias on Faust and on Russian airs, his two concertos and some other pieces, have retained their high place in the violin repertory .