CHASE

Preface to Alard's Les maîtres classiques du violon

The new publication which we present today to the musical public, with the assistance and under the direction of one of the first masters of our times, responds to an often-expressed desire by violinists of all levels: artist-virtuosos, artist-professors and simple amateurs. In effect it became necessary to classify with order and method, to review with care, these works, until now sparse and often incorrect as editions, which the famous violinists and illustrious composers of the last century and of the beginning of this one have left to us. In publishing in successive series the most beautiful pages of the great classic masters, our intention is thus to reunite in bound volumes the masterpieces which constitute in our times the great violin school.

Never was a moment more opportune than this for editing anew these incomparably beautiful works, when the French public turns away from light, meaningless productions to seek out the pure pleasures of true art. Encouraged by the success which, from its [first] appearance, adhered to our Ecole classiques du chant by Madame Pauline Viardot-Garcia, we have followed the same path for the publication of the Maîtres classiques du violon. Thus the first series of the present collection similarly includes fifty pieces, appearing in ten numbers at a time in chronological order, and it will always be useful to procure the items placed on sale in order one by one, without which it would be necessary to acquire the complete series or even all the ten pieces [which have already] appeared, at a time [i.e. at one fell swoop].

It is to M. Alard (professor at the Imperial Conservatoire of Music, and one of the artists who most honour the French school of violin playing) that we have entrusted the duty of seeking out and classifying the works which must constitute this collection, of annotating and completing them in such a way by means of the traditions of which he is the faithful repository, of fixing the tempo by the metronome – in a word, of giving each piece its true colour, by the precious marking of nuances and accents. A virtuoso of the first rank and having the cult of the classics to the highest degree, a professor of unarguable merit, an artist of the most clear taste – nothing could bring us more effective assistance. We could not have put in more capable hands the fate of our publication, and the speed with which M. Alard accepted the offer made to him appeared to be the best indication of success.

But our intention would not have been completely achieved if, leaving [alone] the figured bass accompaniments which were in use in former times, we had not substituted an accompaniment on the piano. We hasten to say, however, that the work was done with the most scrupulous care, changing nothing of the masters’ thought, and without altering the harmony which they had written.

Finally, to add still more to the already great value of this publication, we have not refrained from the inclusion of several inspired arrangements by renowned artists of the works in question. It is thus that the sonatas of the great S. Bach appear with the piano accompaniments by a celebrated musician, the lamented R. Schumann.