DIRECTORY / LIBRARY OF FAMOUS HISTORICAL CELLISTS
Surname letter starting with L
** Gustave Labelle
1878 – 1929
Canada
Important Activity:
Member of theatre orchestras. Member Montreal Symphony Orchestra (c.1907). Beethoven Trio (1907-10). Organizer of a cello quartet. Professor McGill Conservatory, École de Musique, Montreal, and Institut Nazareth.
Music/Publications:
Some original pieces, including an Elegy for cello. Also some orchestral pieces. He was a magazine article writer, such as in MusiCanada.
Anecdotes:
*studied cello with J-B Dubois.
* Amongst pupils were Gabriel Cusson, Raoul Dequette, Suzette Forgues, Yvette Lamontagne, Henri Letondal and Brahm Sand.
INFORMATION BY THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA
** Jacques Michel Hurel Lamare
1772 — 1823
France
Important Activity:
Principal cello Théâtre Feydeau, Professor Paris Conservatoire
Music/Publications :Four ‘cello concertos were published in his name, but they were, in fact, written by Auber ! Anecdotes:* Also known as Jacques Michel Hurel de Lamare* Pupil of Duport (the younger).
* resigned from Paris conservatoire in 1801 to be able to make tours of Germany and Russia, only settling again in Paris in 1809.
** Yvette Lamontagne
1898 – 1992
Canada
Important Activity:
Member Trio de Montreal (from 1922). Member Montreal String Quartet. Professor McGill Conservatory (1922-63), at the CMM, and at the École Vincent d’Indy.
Anecdotes:
* studied with Gustave Labelle, Francis Touche, Marcel Hubert, and in Paris with André Hekking and Pablo Casals (École normal de musique).
* among her pupils are Pierre Morin (principal cello Quebec Symphony Orchestra) and Lyse Vézina (member Montreal Symphony Orchestra).
INFORMATION BY THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA
** Anton Lang
1850 – ????
Czech
Important Activity:
Principal cello Grand Ducal Kapelle in Schwerin, with title of ‘Kammer virtuoso’.
** Daniel (de) Lange
1841 – 1918
Holland
Important Activity:
Professor Rotterdam Music School. Composer. Cellist
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Simon Ganz and Servais.
* Followed line of playing of Ganz …
Born in Rotterdam. He received organ lessons from his father and composition lessons from Johannes Verhulst and also studied cello with Simon Ganz in Rotterdam and Adrien François Servais in Brussels. He lived out his last years in America. His compositions include an opera, incidental music, choral works and, for orchestra, Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 4 (1868), Symphony No. 2 (1880), Cello Concerto and the concert overture “Willem van Holland”.
** Salvatore Lanzetti
c.1710 – 1780
Italy
Important Activity:
Profesor Naples Conservatori di Santa Maria di Loreto. Musician of the Chapel of the ‘Serenísima Republica’, Lucca. Service of the Turin court. Service of King of Sardinia (with title of ‘virtuoso’).
Music/Publications:
Own original cello compositions, and an important cello method: some works were published in Holland.
Anecdotes:
* Pupil in the Naples Conservatory.
* died in Turin
INFORMATION BY CARLOS FRUTUOSO
** Alfredo Larrocha
1870 – 1946
Spain (Basque Country)
Important Activity:
Professor Conservatoire of San Sebastian
Anecdotes:
* pupil of one of the Hekkings, in Paris.
* an important Spanish teacher, producing principal cellists for the orchestras of Madrid and Bilbao.
** Jules Bernard Lasserre
1838 – 1906
France (later Britain)
Principal cello ‘Musical Union’ (London). Principal cello in Costa’s Orchestra.
Music/Publications:
several own original pieces for the cello.
** Ludwig Lebell
1872 – 1968
Hungary (later Britain)
London Trio. Professor Trinity College of Music, London.
Friendships:
A close friend of Ernst Von Dohnanyi (made music together and played billiards!).
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Popper.
* took over from Whitehouse in London Trio.
* his students included Maurice Zimbler, Angelo Piccioni, Paul Marinari and Reginald Kilbey.
** Charles Joseph Lebouc
1822 – 1893
France
Important Activity:
Paris Opera Orchestra. Professor Paris conservatoire. Admitted a member of the Conservatoire concerts and later elected as secretary.
Music/Publications:
Own original pieces, studies, and a Cello method
Friendships:
Saint-Saens
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of Franchomme.
** Louis Lee
1819 – 1884 (?)
Germany
Important Activity:
Principal cello Philharmonic Society (Hamburg). Professor Hamburg Conservatory. Founder chamber music society.
Music/Publications:
Original own pieces (many other genres apart from cello).
Anecdotes:
* Brother of Sebastian Lee.
* Pupil of J.N. Prell.
* Resided in Paris during several years.
** Sebastian Lee
1805 – 1877
Germany
Important Activity:
Principal cello Paris Opera Orchestra, Professor in Paris, then Hamburg.
Music/Publications:
Cello studies and a cello method.
Anecdotes:
* Brother of Louis Lee.
** Josef Adolf Leibrock
1808 – 1886
Germany
Important Activity:
Member Bruswick Court Orchestra.
Music/Publications:
Original own works.
Anecdotes:
* Taught cello by Goedeke.
* Also played violin.
** Vivian Leigh ‘English Southern Belle’
1913 – 1967
Great Britain (infancy in India)
Important Activity:
She won 2 Best Actress Awards playing American Southern Belles and immortalized two of the greatest women’s roles the silver screen has ever seen- Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). Along the way she married, and divorced, one of the greatest actors of the century – Sir Laurence Olivier. She struggled with personal problems (alcoholism and mental illness) most of her life, and only made 20 films. However, as a youngster she studied ballet, piano, and played the cello in school/youth orchestras !
** Leonardo de Leo
1694 – 1744
Italy
Important Activity:
Composer, cellist, organist of the Neapolitan school.
Music/Publications:
Own original works include 6 cello concertos (along with those Jacchini the oldest concertos in existence !)
** Paul Letondal
1831 – 1894
France, later Canada
Important Activity:
Cellist.
Anecdotes:
* blind from early childhood, he studied cello and piano. Also played the organ.
* he frequently played works by Franchomme, and wrote in a similar style.
* teaching work became important towards the end of his life, but more towards pianists and organists.
INFORMATION BY THE CANADIAN ENCYCLOPEDIA
** Jean Henri Levasseur
1764 — c. 1826
France
Important Activity:
Principal cello Opera Orchestra (Paris), Professor Paris Conservatoire. Member Napaleon’s Private Music.
Anecdotes:
* pupil of J.L. Duport
** Pierre Francois Levasseur
1753 – c. 1817
France
Important Activity:
Member Opera orchestra, Paris. Participated in ‘Concert Spirituel’ (Paris), and at Theatre Feydeau (Paris).
Music/Publications:
Own original compositions.
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of Duport (the younger).
* Probably not related to the more famous Jean Henri Levasseur
** Holocaust Victim – Izydor Lewak – Cellist, born in Lodz 1870, died in Warsaw 1942
** Jacques van Lier
1875 – 1951
Holland (later Germany, Britain)
Important Activity:
Principal cello Palais voor Volksvlijt Orchestra, Amsterdam. Member Basle Orchestra. Principal cello Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Professor Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatory. Founder Hollandisches Trio. Trio with M. Verne and D. Melsa.
Dedications:
J.R. Horton – Suite for Two Cellos
Music/Publications:
published a cello technique book.
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Hartog and Giese
* admired by Max Bruch, Joachim, Scharwenka, Sinding and Popper.
* In 1939 he escaped from Hitler’s Germany to Britain
** Lietenant-Colonel John McDonald
1759 – 1831
Scotland
Important Activity:
A son of Flora McDonald, the Scottish heroine, and McDonald of Kingsburgh, Skye. He entered the East India Company, and held various military and scientific appointments. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1800.
Music/Publications:
He published a treatise explanatory of the principles constituting the practice and theory of the violoncello in 181 1. Also a“ Treatise on the Harmonic System, etc.,” in 1822, containing a table of the harmonics…
** Robert Lindley
1775 – 1855
Great Britain
Important Activity:
Principal cello London Opera Orchestra, Professor Royal Academy of Music (London).
Dedications:
J.N. Stiastny – Concertino, Op. 7
Music/Publications:
Own original works
Friendships:
Dragonetti
Article in JOHNSTONE-MUSIC
** August Lindner
1820 – 1878
Germany
Important Activity:
Principal cello Hannover Orchestra.
Music/Publications:
He edited the Corelli D-Minor Sonata and Handel Sonatas.
Anecdotes:
* He enjoyed the reputation of a ‘distinguished violoncellist’.
** Josef Linke
1783 – 1837
Germany (later Austria)
Important Activity:
Member Breslau (now Wroclaw) Opera Orchestra (at that time conducted by C.M. von Weber). Quartet of Ignaz Schuppanzigh (replacing Antonin Kraft, quartet then patronized by Count Razumovsky). Member Chapel Orchestra of Countess Erdody-Niezky in Croatia . Principal cello “An der Wien” Theatre Orchestra. Principal cello Vienna Court Chapel Orchestra.
Premieres:
Beethoven – Two trios Op.70.
Schubert – Trios in Bb Major and Eb Major (Op.99 and Op.100).
Dedications:
Was not officially dedicated the Beethoven – Cello Sonatas Nos. 4 and 5, Op.102 Nos. 1 and 2 (that privilege went to the Countess von Erdödy), but was clearly the cellist for whom Beethoven intended the works. He was also tutor to the children of the countess.
Music/Publications:
Original own pieces.
Anecdotes:
* Pupil of father.
* Recognized as excellent quartet player.
** Antonio Literes Carrión
1673 – 1747
Spain
Important Activity:
Service of Spanish court.
Music/Publications:
own original works, including Spanish zarzuelas (light operas)
Anecdotes:
* Majorcan violinist and cellist, though known as bass violist.
** Carl Lochner
c.1760 – 1795
Germany
Important Activity:
Service Electoral Kapelle at Mannheim.
** Jules Leopold Loeb
1857 – 1933
France
Important Activity:
Soloist & teacher
Dedications:
Boellman – Suite, Op.6 (vlc and piano)
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Chevillard.
* Important French cello teacher.
* amongst his students included Andre Navarra, Maurice Marechal and Paul Tortelier.
** Pilippo Lolli
1778 – ????
Germany
Important Activity:
Cellist.
Anecdotes:
* Son of violin virtuoso Antonio Lolli.
* The King of Prussia recognized his performance by an honorarium of 100 louis d’or. He later played in Copenhagen and Vienna (1804).
** Wilhelm Lotze
1817 – 1890
Important Activity:
Member Royal Kapelle Berlin. Germany. Zimmerman String Quartet.
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Ganz.
** Karl Lubbe
1839 – 1888
Germany
Important Activity:
Member Regimental Band Magdeburg. Grand Ducal Berneburg Orchestra, Ballenstedt. Principal cello Court Chapel at Dessau.
Music/Publications:
own original pieces, with virtuoso experiments (not published).
* pupil of Fr. Grutzmacher.
** Louis Lubeck
1838 – 1904
Holland
Important Activity:
Principal cello Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Professor Leipzig Conservatoire. Professor Franfurt-on-Maine Conservatoire. Principal cello Ducal Orchestra Sondershausen. Principal cello Berlin Royal Orchestra.
Music/Publications:
own original wotks, including 2 cello concertos (one published).
Anecdotes:
* pupil of Leon Jacquard (Paris).
* played in concerts with Clara Schumann
* worked a short spell in North America.
** Charles Lucas
1808 – 1869
Great Britain
Important Activity:
Composer and cellist to Queen Adelaide, Orchestral conductor Royal Academy of Music (London), Principal Royal Academy of Music (London), Principal cello Italian Opera (London)
Article in JOHNSTONE-MUSIC