A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Cartier, Jean
CARTIER, Jean Baptiste, a French violinist, born at Avignon in 1765; the son of a dancing-master. His first teacher on the violin was an Abbé Walrauf. In 1783 he went to Paris and continued his studies under Viotti. His progress must have been rapid, as he very soon, on Viotti's recommendation, obtained the post of accompanyist to Marie Antoinette, which he held up to the outbreak of the Revolution. In 1791 he entered the band of the opera as assistant-leader and solo-player. From 1804 he was member of the Emperor Napoleon's private band under Paisiello and, after the Restoration, of the Royal band till 1830. He died at Paris in 1841. Cartier was a good violinist, and it was his great merit to have revived the noble traditions of the old Italian school of violin -playing by publishing new editions of the works of Corelli, Tartini, Nardini and other great masters, which at that time were all but unknown in France. He thereby caused not only his own numerous pupils but all the young French violinists of his time to take up the study of these classical works for the violin. In his work 'L'art du violon' (Paris 1798 and 1801) Cartier gives a comprehensive selection from the violin music of the best Italian, French, and German masters, which is rightly regarded as a practical history of violin-literature in the 17th and 18th centuries.
It is much to be regretted that a history of violin-playing, which he wrote, has never been made public. His compositions are of no importance. He published Sonatas in the style of Lolli, Etudes, and Duos for violins. Fétis also mentions two Operas, two Symphonies and Violin-concertos, which have remained in MS.[ P. D. ]