DIRECTORIO / BIBLIOTECA DE VIOLONCELLISTAS HISTORICOS FAMOSOS

Apellidos empezando con F

** Alexander Fachiri 
1887-1939
U.S.A. {later Britain}
Important Activity:
He was an international lawyer and excellent amateur cellist who married Adela Adrienne (Aramis) d’Aranyi, violinist, in London in 1915.

**Giacomo Facco
1676 – 1753
Italy (later Spain)
Important Activity:
Composer, keyboard-player, violinist and cellist. Worked at the Spanish Court (Capilla Real, and taught the future kings King Luis I and King Carlos III).
Own original works, including 6 cello duo suites which were important because:
1) they are the first works known for cello written in Spain, and
2) the works treat the two cellos equally as a duo, very unusual for the time !

** Vecenzo Fenzi
1790 – 1843
Italy
Important Activity:
Professor Naples Conservatory

** Victor Fenzi
???? – 1817
Italy (later Russia)
Important Activity:
cellist and composer.
Music/Publications:  
Own original works, including 4 Cello concertos
Anecdotes:
* Brother of Guiseppe Fenzi.
* Gave concerts in several countries at beginning of 19^th century before settling in Russia.

** Carlo Ferrari     ‘The Lame’
1730 – 1789
Italy (later France and Austria)
Important Activity:
Member of Court Orchestra at Parma. Court of the Archbishop of Salzburg (little information available)
Music/Publications:  
Some own original pieces including sonatas, published in Paris
Anecdotes:
* A celebrated cellist, who made himself famous in Paris
* Perhaps he was responsible for introducing (at least, in Italy) the placing of the L.H. thumb across TWO strings in higher positions!
* nicknamed  ‘The Lame’ (on account of injured foot)
INFORMATION  BY  CARLOS FRUTUOSO

** Nerón Ferrazzano
1903 – 1977
Argentina
Important Activity:
Member of tango/light music orchestras-groups: Orchestra of Anselmo Aieta. Orchestra of Pedro Maffia. Orchestra of Osvaldo Fresedo (7 years). Orchestra of  Pedro Laurenz. Orchestra of Horacio Salgán. Permanent Orchestra of Radio Splendid.
Music:  
own original music, especially vocal and instrumental songs, many once recorded.
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Ennio Bolognini
* also a proficient double bass player.
* probably the most remarkable Argentinian cellist in the genre of tango before José Luis Bragato.
INFORMATION  BY  ARGENCELLO

** Wilhelm de Fesch
1687 – c.1757
Holland (later Britain)
Important Activity:
Organist Antwerp Cathedral.  Occasional cellist (?)
Music/Publications:  
Own original works, including interesting cello sonatas.

** Emanuel Feuermann
1902 – 1942
Germany (later USA)
Important Activity:
Professor Gürzenich Conservatory in Cologne. Principal cellist of the Gürzenich Orchestra, and cellist in Bram Elderling Quartet.
Professor Berlin Hochschule.  Professor Curtis Institute. Chamber music with Schnabel, Hubermann, Heifetz, Carl Flesch, Szyman Goldberg, Joseph Wolfsthal, Paul Hindemith, Artur Rubinstein.
Premieres:
Arnold Schoenberg’s Cello Concerto (after Monn). 
Gave the  first ‘authentic’ modern performance of original Haydn – D Major Cello Concerto.
Anecdotes:
* also gave the ‘premiere’ of the special Mozart/Szell Concerto in D Major (K285d) for cello and orchestra, specially made for him by George Szell.
* appointed to the Cologne Conservatoire as a teenager, but the institution held off conferring the title of ‘professor’ on account of his age! It is legend that in his practical audition, placed in a quartet of professors, he showed the second violinist how to play a certain difficult passage - at real pitch on his cello!
* His close friendship with Hindemith ended when Hindemith allowed Koussevitsky & Piatigorsky to give the first performance of the 1940 Cello Concerto, even though it was being written for Feuermann. Feuermann was not able to offer a venue as prestigious as Boston for the premiere!
* He was color-blind.
* complications from a routine operation resulted in his death at such an early age.

** Louis Feuillard
1872-1941
France
Important Activity:
Professor Paris Conservatoire. Regular chamber musician, especially in string quartets.
Dedications:  
Florence Schmitt – Chant Élégiaque (Elegy), for cello and piano, Op.24
Music/Publications:  
Many own original works and transcriptions. Many suitable for young players.
Anecdotes: 
* pupil of Delsart
*  his most famous student was Paul Tortelier.  
* a solid teacher, but sometimes competence as a performer received disguised criticisms (especially intonation!)
Article in JOHNSTONE-MUSIC

** Anton Filtz
1730 – 1760 
Germany
Important Activity:
Cellist & composer.
Music:
* Works included cello concertos.
Anecdotes:
* Gifted cellist and composer.
* Died young

** Angelo Marie Fiore
c.1660 – 1723
Italy
Important Activity:
Member Church Orchestra ‘Madonna della Steccata’. Cellist and composer at the Parma court.
Music/Publications:  
Own original works

** Adolf Fischer 
1847 – 1891
Belgium (later France)
Important Activity:
Cellist.
Special friendships: 
Saint-Saëns
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of Servais in Brussels Conservatoire. 
* Worked in Paris, making occasional concert tours.  

** Franz Fischer
1849 - ????
Germany
Important Activity:
Principal cello Pesth National Theatre Orchestra (under Hans Richter). Principal cello Bayreuth Orchestra (under Wagner). Principal cello Munich Orchestra.
Anecdotes:
* Also worked as a conductor (in Mannheim and Munich).

** Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Fitzenhagen
1848 – 1890
Germany (later Russia)
Important Activity:
Principal cello Dresden Hofkapelle, Professor Moscow Imperial Conservatory
Premieres:
Tchaikovsky – Rococo Variations
Tchaikovsky – Piano Trio
Tchaikovsky – all 3 String Quartets
Dedications:
Neruda – Mazurek, Op.64 (vlc and piano)       
Music/Publications:
many original pieces for cello and cello ensemble.
Special friendships:
Tchaikovsky, Brandukov
Anecdotes:
* often harmfully labelled as the ‘butcher’ of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations, but please do try to read the johnstone-music article on this very subject, which tries to present both sides, and in as a fair way as possible …
Article in JOHNSTONE-MUSIC

** Reine Flachot
1922 - 1998
Argentina / France
Important Activity:
Cello soloist. Cello Professor in École Normale de Musique de Paris, Centre musical international of Annecy, Tōhō Gakuen, City of Basel Music Academy, and at the CNSM de Lyon.
Anecdotes:
* She first arrived in Paris at the age of 12 to study with Jean Dumont and Paul Bazelaire, as well as with Gerard Hekking at the Paris Conservatoire.
* called "ambassador of the French school of cello for sixty years"
* Reine Flachot was distinguished by the Piatigorski Prize (1954) and the international Orense Prize (1965).
Article in JOHNSTONE-MUSIC

** Holocaust Victim - Felix Fleischmann - Cellist, trombonist and drummer (light music), born in Berlin 22/12/1885

** Friedrich Fleischmann
???? - ????
Germany
Important Activity:
Chamber musician to King of Prussia.
Music/Publications: 
Some original own compositions (not published).
Anecdotes:
* Active late 19th century. 

** Johann Georg Fleischmann
???? – 1810
Germany
Important Activity:
Service of Duke of Courland. Later Berlin Chapel (Royal Court).

** Amaryllis Fleming
1925 – 1999
Britain
Important Activity:
Professor Royal College of Music (London). Fleming String Trio (with Kenneth Essex and Granville Jones, later Emanuel Hurwitz).
Premieres: 
Seiber – Tre Pezzi, 
Arnold Cooke – Cello Sonata, 
Peter Racine Fricker – Cello Sonata.
Anecdotes:
* A major advocate of the Walton Cello Concerto.  
* Affair with French cellist Pierre Fournier.  
* Converted to Buddhism (had the honor of two meetings with the Dalai Lama).

** Arnold Földesy
1882–1940
Hungary
Important Activity:
Principal cello Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra 1916-1924. Left the orchestra to pursue a solo career.
Premieres:    
made the first recording of Volkmann - Cello Concertoin 1924
Dedications:
W.H. Squire - Harlequinade (the last of the ‘Six Morceaux’ was dedicated to a 21-year old Arnold in 1903)
Friendships:   
Arthur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Popper (Budapest Academy).
* teacher of Rudolf Hindemith

** Luigi Forino
1868 – 1936
Italy (later Argentina)
Important Activity:
Professor (and Director) Buenos Aires Conservatoire. Professor Santa Cecilia Conservatoire, Rome.
Music/Publications: 
A cello method in 5 volumes, corrersponding to different levels.
Anecdotes:
* was a native of Rome, and died there in 1936.
* began teaching in Argentina in 1901.
** he edited the Boccherini Sonatas
** he wrote a history of the cello and cellists
INFORMATION  BY  LEO VIOLA / ARGENCELLO

** Lawrence Foster
1965 – 1980
U.S.A.
Important Activity:
Promising soloist (in 1966 he debuted with both the Philadelphia and Chicago Symphony Orchestras)
Anecdotes:
* was a student at Julliard, studying with Leonard Rose - also a pupil of William Pleeth (Pleeth considered Foster to be an outstanding talent)
* he was described by Leonard Bernstein as an "authentic genius"  and was invited by Bernstein to appear on television in one of his "Young People's Concerts," with the New York Philharmonic.
* Benjamin Britten had invited him to play at the Aldeburgh Festival
* he tragically lost his life at the hands of a murderous car thief in Atlanta, Georgia in 1980.

** John Herbert Foulds
1880 – 1939
Britain (later India)
Important Activity:
Member Promenade and Theatre bands. Member Hallé Orchestra (Manchester). Director of European Music for All-India Radio in Delhi
Simultaneously with cello career he was an important composer of theatre music. Notable works for our instrument included a cello concerto and a cello sonata. 

** Pierre Fournier    ‘The Aristrocat’
1906 – 1986
France (later Switzerland)
Important Activity:
Krettly String Quartet. Professor Ecole Normale (Paris), Trio (with Cortot and Thibaud).   Professor Paris conservatoire.  Trio (with Szigeti and Achnabel).
Dedications:
Works by Martinu including - 1^st Sonatafor cello and piano (also premiere), and Cello Concerto No.1. (plus giving first performance of the new re-scored version).   
Nin – Suite Espagnole (4^th movement – Andaluza). 
Martinon – Cello concerto.
Frank Martin – Cello concerto.
Poulenc – Sonata (?).
Premieres:  
Ravel – Chansons madécasses.  
Faure – String Quartet (gave 2nd performance). 
Roussel – Cello Concerto (1937). 
Martinu (see above)
Friendships: 
Cortot, Thibaud, Furtwangler, Karajan,  Kubelik,  Artur Schnabel, Szigeti, Primrose.
Anecdotes:
* Suffered attack of polio as a boy, which somewhat hindered his mobility.
* pupil of Bazelaire and André Hekking (Paris Conservatoire).
*taught at Paris Conservatoire 1941-49. 
* Teacher and  ‘affair’ with British cellist Amaryllis Fleming.
* became cellist of Cortot and Thibaud, taking place of Casals.
Article in JOHNSTONE-MUSIC

** Auguste Joseph Franchomme
1808 – 1884
France
Important Activity:
Orchestra of the Theatre “Ambigile-Comique” (Paris), Grand Opera Orchestra (Paris),  Principal cello Royal Chapel (Sainte-Chapelle, Paris),  Italian Opera Orchestra (Paris), String Quartet (with Alard), Professor Paris Conservatoire, Founder-member Société des concerts du Conservatoire (Paris)
Dedications :
he was dedicated the third piece in the Tableaux de genre (Trois Idylles), Op.78, of Jacob Rosenhain “Dans la nuit” composed in 1872-73
Premieres: 
Chopin – Grand Duo ‘Robert le Diable’
Chopin – Cello Sonata (in both compositions he worked with Chopin)
Music/Publications:
Own works, including 12 caprices, and studies for cello, with 2nd cello accompaniment.
Friendships:
Chopin, Mendelssohn
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Levasseur.
Article in JOHNSTONE-MUSIC

** Jacques Franco-Mendes
1816  - ????
Holland (Portuguese decendency)
Important Activity:
Conferred by King of Holland the title of Chamber Violoncellist.
Music:    
Own original works, of a serious nature (quintets, quartets).
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of Prager and Merk.
* Exerted great influence on the Dutch school of cello playing.

** Adolphe Frézin
1906 – 1978
Belgium (later USA)
Principal cello Orchestre Nationale (France).  Member of Queen Elizabeth’s (Belgium) Personal trio. Paganini Quartet (America).   Founder of Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra (USA).  Principal cello Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.  Principal cello Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Principal cello Cleveland Orchestra. Professor University of Texas.  
Premieres:   
Castenuovo-Tedesco – Guitar Quintet (gtr + string quartet).
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Brussels Conservatoire
* joined Paganini Quartet as successor to Robert Maas.
* performed Strauss – Don Quixote with the composer conducting.

** Sebastian Ludwig Friedel
1768 – 1857
Germany
Cellist at Royal Chapel at Berlin.
Music/Publications:  
 own original works.   

** Ernst (Peter) Friedlander
1906 – 1966
Austria, later Canada
Important Activity:
Principal cello Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and also at Indianapolis, New Orleans, Kansas City, and Chicago Symphony Orchestras.  Member Pro Arte Quartet (1943-55). Professor Wisconsin and Oklahama universities.  Principal cello Vancouver chamber Orchestra and Vancouver symphony Orchestra (1958-66). Cellist Vanncouver string Quartet (1960-66). Professor University of British Columbia. 
Premieres:
Milhaud – Sonata for cello (with pianist wife Marie Werbner – 1959).
Music/Publications:
Sonata for solo cello (1963), Cello concerto (1959), other cello pieces, music for string quartet, brass sextet and chamber orchestra.
Anecdotes:
* studied with Anton Walter (Vienna)
* after a career in Europe he went to the U.S.A. in 1937
INFORMATION  BY  THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA

** Carl Fuchs
1865 – 1951
Germany
Important Activity:
Principal cello Scottish Orchestra, Glasgow.  Principal cello Hallé Orchestra (Manchester). Professor Manchester Royal College of Music. Schiever Quartet. New Brodsky Quartet.
Premieres: 
Brahms – Trio in C Minor (British premiere).
Music/Publications:  
Wrote a Cello method.   Published a book of ‘Recollections’.
Anecdotes: 
* pupil of Riedel, A. Sládek, Cossman (Frankfurt Conservatory), Davidov.
* a keen exponent of the Davidov concertos. 
* played under Richter, Mottl and Wagner (Bayreuth).  Played before Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle.

** Joachim Josef Fuetsch
1766 - ????
Austria
Important Activity:
Court cellist to the Archbishop of Salzburg.
Music/Publications:  
Own original pieces, including cello concertos.
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of Luigi Zardonati.

** Frederick Christian Funck
1783 – 1866
Denmark
Important Activity:
Cellist and composer.