A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Schœlcher, Victor

by Gustave Chouquet

SCHCELCHER, Victor, French writer and politician, son of a manufacturer of china, was born in Paris, July 21, 1804, educated at the Collége Louis le Grand, and well known as an ultra-republican. On the accession of the Emperor Napoleon III. he was expelled both from France and Belgium, but took refuge in London, where he brought out his 'Histoire des crimes du 2 Décembre' (1853), and an English pamphlet entitled 'Dangers to England of the Alliance with the men of the Coup d'Etat' (1854).

Schoelcher remained in England till August 1870, returning to Paris immediately before the Revolution of Sept. 4. As staff-colonel of the Garde Nationale he commanded the Legion of Artillery throughout the siege of Paris. After Jan. 31, 1871, he was elected to the Assemblée Nationale by the Department of the Seine, Martinique, and Cayenne, and sat for Martinique till elected a life-senator (Dec. 16, 1875).

His claim to a place in this work however is as a distinguished amateur. His devotion to art of all kinds was proved by his articles in 'L' Artiste' (1832), and 'La Revue de Paris' (1833), and he made during his travels a most interesting collection of foreign musical instruments. His long stay in England had a still more remarkable result in his enthusiasm for Handel. Up to 1850 two or three detached choruses from the 'Messiah' and 'Judas Maccabeus' were the only pieces of Handel's known in Paris; M. Schœlcher heard the fine performances of entire oratorios which are native to England, and at once resolved to do something to remove this reproach from France. [App. p.785 "the sentence beginning 'Up to 1850' requires correction, as in 1827 'The Messiah' (with Latin words), the 'Ode on St. Cecilia's Day,' and 'Alexander's Feast,' had been given in Paris."] He accordingly made a collection of Handel's works, and of books and pamphlets bearing on his life and music, a list of which he gives in the beginning of his book. Among them he was fortunate enough to acquire the MS. copies of the scores of the oratorios which had been used by Handel in conducting. To the autographs in Buckingham Palace and the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge, and to the copies by Smith now in possession of Mr. H. B. Lennard, he obtained access, and thus provided, published 'The Life of Handel, by Victor Schœlcher,' London, Trübner, 8vo., 1857. The author was materially assisted by Mr. Rophino Lacy,^[1] whose labours are amply acknowledged in the preface (p. xxii). The work was written by M. Schœlcher in French and translated by Mr. James Lowe. It contains much information beyond what is indicated in the title, especially with regard to Italian opera and music in general in England during the 18th century. The French MS., 'Handel et son temps,' was handed over to 'La France Musicale,' which (Aug. 19, 1860) published the first four chapters, and the beginning of the fifth (Nov. 2, 1862), but there broke off, doubtless for political reasons. The MS. was supposed to have been destroyed, till May 25, 1881, when it was offered for sale by M. Charavay, and at once bought for the library of the Conservatoire, thus completing M. Schoelcher's magnificent gift (Nov. 1872) of all the works, in print or MS., used by him in preparing the book, and his collection of foreign instruments. He has since added a quantity of music and rare books bearing on the history of Italian opera in London, and on singing and pianoforte-playing in the United Kingdom. The 'Fonds Schœlcher,' as it is called, contains in all 500 volumes uniformly bound with the initials of the donor, and has already been of immense service to French artists and musicologists, whose knowledge of the madrigal writers and pianists of the English school, and indeed of Handel himself, is as a rule but imperfect.

[ G. C. ]

M. Schœlcher's work, though the only modern English biography of Handel, is very inadequate to its purpose. The author was no musician, and was therefore compelled to depend on the labours and judgment of another. His verdicts are deformed by violent and often ludicrous partisanship; and his style, which is extremely French, has had but small assistance from his translator.^[2] No man can write a serious book on a great subject without its being of some value, and Mr. Schœlcher's dates and lists are alone enough to make the student grateful to him; but it is to be hoped that before long some one may be found to produce a life of Handel which shall steer midway between Dr. Chrysander's highly elaborated narrative and the curious farrago of the French Republican senator. It is a great pity that M. Schœlcher's original French work is not published.

[ G. ]

1. M. Schœlcher's statement as to Mr. Lacy's assistance should materially modify our inferences from his account of his own part in the examination of Handel's MSS., p. xxi.
2. Who did not do his work well. Instead of modifying the natural over-exuberance of the author he has rather exaggerated it, and has allowed a number of sentences to pass which no literary man of any pretension should have written.