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Charles Louis Napoléon d'Albert (25 February 1809 – 26 May 1886) was a dance master and composer of ballets and popular dance music. He was the father of Romantic-era virtuoso pianist Eugene d'Albert and an ancestor of Giuseppe Matteo Alberti and Domenico Alberti.[1]
Biography[edit]
D'Albert was born in Nienstedten, near Hamburg, on the Elbe River. His father was 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 (Schultz) of Hamburg, an accomplished musician, gave him his first instruction, exposing him to Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. After his father died at the Battle of Waterloo in 1816, he and his mother emigrated to England.[2]
Career[edit]
D'Albert reportedly studied piano with Friedrich Kalkbrenner, who was in London between 1814-23, and composition with Samuel Sebastian Wesley in London. He received dance instruction first in London and then at the Paris Conservatoire. After completing his studies in Paris, he returned to London, taking up the post of Dancing Master at the King's Theatre and Covent Garden. During that time, he wrote the libretto for the Adolphe Adam'sAdolphe Adam ballet-pantomime La jolie fille de Grand, and created the role of the Marquis de San Lucar.[2]
By 1835, D'Albert had left London for Newcastle-on-Tyne, establishing his own dance school and composing dance music. There, he published Ballroom Etiquette (1835). His first success as a composer of popular dances was the "Bridal Polka" in 1845. His most popular tune was "The Sultan's Polka". All of his music was published by Chappell & Co.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page).
Personal Life[edit]
Charles D'Albert married Annie Rowell, a Newcastle school teacher, in 1863. The following year, during an annual teaching trip to Scotland, Annie gave birth to Eugen D'Albert. Eugen d'Albert [3]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Williamson, J. Albert, Eugen [Eugène] (Francis Charles) d’. Grove Music Online. Retrieved 8 Jun. 2022
- ^ a b Hipkins, A.J., and David Charlton. "Albert, Charles Louis Napoléon d'." Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 8 Jun. 2022.
- ^ The Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore and Legend, Vol. 4, No. 35 (Jan. 1890). pp. 105-24.
References[edit]
Category:1809 births Category:1888 deaths Category:19th-century German male musicians Category:German Romantic composers Category:German male classical composers Category:British classical composers Category:German emigrants to England