Farrenc, (Jacques Hippolyte) Aristide

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Farrenc, (Jacques Hippolyte) Aristide

Farrenc, (Jacques Hippolyte) Aristide, French flutist and music editor; b. Marseilles, April 9, 1794; d. Paris, Jan. 31, 1865. He studied flute, and went to Paris in 1815, where he studied at the Cons.; at the same time was engaged as 2nd flutist at the ThéátreItalien. In 1821 he established a music shop and printing press. He publ. French eds. of Beethoven, and also composed music for the flute. He married (Jeanne-) Louise (née Dumont) Farrenc. He diligently collected material for the rectification of existing biographies, but generously turned it over to Fétis for use in the 2nd ed. of his great work, of which Farrenc also read proofs. Jointly with Fétis’s son, Édouard, he began the publication of Le Trésor des pianistes (23 vols., 1861–74; reprinted N.Y., 1977, foreword by Bea Friedland), a collection of piano music from the 16th century to Mendelssohn, with historical notes; it was continued after his death by his wife. From 1854 he contributed articles to La France Musicale and other journals.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire