# Alexandre Batta

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**Alexandre Batta** (July 9, 1816 – August 10, 1902) was a Dutch cellist. Born to a musical family, he initially played the violin before hearing cellist [Nicolas-Joseph Platel](/source/Nicolas-Joseph_Platel) play and switching to the cello. He studied with Platel at the [Royal Conservatory of Brussels](/source/Royal_Conservatory_of_Brussels), winning first prize for cello in 1834. Music critic [Henri-Louis Blanchard](/source/Henri-Louis_Blanchard), writing in 1847, described Batta as one of the three great cellists of the time, alongside [Auguste Franchomme](/source/Auguste_Franchomme) and [Adrien-François Servais](/source/Adrien-Fran%C3%A7ois_Servais). Batta was named a knight of the [Legion of Honour](/source/Legion_of_Honour) in 1875.

## Life

Alexandre Batta was born on July 9, 1816, to a Belgian musical family[1] in [Maastricht](/source/Maastricht).[2] His father, Pierre, was a cellist.[3] He had two younger brothers: Laurent, a pianist, and Joseph, a composer and violinist.[4] Batta initially studied the violin and his youngest brother was to study the cello. However, Alexandre developed a passion for the cello after he heard [Nicolas-Joseph Platel](/source/Nicolas-Joseph_Platel) play. When his father left the house, he secretly played his brother's cello with his violin bow, convincing his father to allow him to study the instrument.[1]

Batta was taught by his father[3] before he studied at the [Royal Conservatory of Brussels](/source/Royal_Conservatory_of_Brussels) with Platel. There, he won the first prize for cello in 1834 alongside François de Munck.[3] Batta left the Conservatory in 1835 and moved to Paris.[1] In 1836, he bought a [Stradivarius](/source/Stradivarius) from a French dealer.[5] [The cello](/source/Batta-Piatigorsky_Stradivarius) would later be named for him.[6] In 1837, he played in a series of chamber concerts with [Franz Liszt](/source/Franz_Liszt) and [Chrétien Urhan](/source/Chr%C3%A9tien_Urhan) at the Salons Érard.[7] The concerts included the Beethoven piano trios and were successful, influencing French composers.[8] Batta played with Liszt again in 1840 in [London](/source/London) and in 1841 in Paris.[4] In 1847, [Henri-Louis Blanchard](/source/Henri-Louis_Blanchard) described him as one of the three great cellists of the time, alongside [Auguste Franchomme](/source/Auguste_Franchomme) and [Adrien-François Servais](/source/Adrien-Fran%C3%A7ois_Servais).[9] From around 1849 to 1851, he participated in chamber music sessions with Achille Dien, a violinist, and [Camille Saint-Saëns](/source/Camille_Saint-Sa%C3%ABns), who wrote an unfinished piano trio that may have been for the trio.[10]

In his later years, Batta published musical criticisms in *L'Union libérale et démocratique de Seine et Oise*.[4] In August 1875, he was named a knight of the [Legion of Honour](/source/Legion_of_Honour).[11] His wife Clémentine, a composer, died of an illness in 1880.[12] In 1893, he sold his Stradivarius to [W. E. Hill & Sons](/source/W._E._Hill_%26_Sons).[5] Batta died in [Versailles](/source/Versailles,_Yvelines)[2] on August 10, 1902.[4]

## References

1. ["Batta (Frères)"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Annuaire_dramatique/eFIsbyvvcKIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA198&printsec=frontcover). *Annuaire dramatique* (in French). Librairie Belge-Français. 1840. pp. 198–201.

1. ["Nécrologie: Alexandre Batta"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/L_Art_moderne/HTtXAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Alexandre%20Batta%22%20-wikipedia&pg=PA358&printsec=frontcover) (in French). *[L'Art Moderne](/source/L'Art_Moderne)*. Vol. 22, no. 43. 1902-10-26. p. 358.

1. Riemann, Hugo (1908). ["Batta"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopaedic_Dictionary_of_Music/ZAtKAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=batta&pg=PA61&printsec=frontcover). *Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Music*. p. 61. Retrieved 2024-11-24.

1. Haine, Malou (1995). ["Franz Liszt à Alexandre Batta"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/400_lettres_de_musiciens_au_Mus%C3%A9e_royal/rRatMBhY-BYC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA179&printsec=frontcover). *400 lettres de musiciens au Musée royal de Mariemont* (in French). Mardaga. p. 179.

1. Trowell, T. Arnold W. (October 1905). ["Celebrated Violoncellos: Their Past and Present Owners"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Strad/Oq0PAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA2-PA177&printsec=frontcover). *[The Strad](/source/The_Strad)*. Vol. 16, no. 186. p. 177. Retrieved 2024-11-24.

1. ["Antonio Stradivari | The Batta-Piatigorsky Violoncello"](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/503975). *[Metropolitan Museum of Art](/source/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art)*. Retrieved 2024-11-25.

1. Gooley, Dana (2004). ["Franz Liszt: The Virtuoso as Strategist"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Musician_as_Entrepreneur_1700_1914/TRQMMHIW6NkC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Alexandre%20Batta%22%20-wikipedia&pg=PA147&printsec=frontcover). *The Musician as Entrepreneur, 1700–1914*. Weber, William (ed.). [Indiana University Press](/source/Indiana_University_Press). pp. 147–148.

1. Fauquet, Joël-Marie (2004). "Chamber Music in France from Luigi Cherubini to Claude Debussy". *Nineteenth-Century Chamber Music*. Routledge Studies in Musical Genres. 2nd ed. Translated by Hefling, Stephen & Marley, Patricia. Hefling, Stephen (ed.). [Routledge](/source/Routledge)

1. Ruhlmann, Sophie (1997). ["August Franchomme: Portrait d'un jeune virtuose sous le règne de Louis-Phillippe aux heures de la suprématie de l'art lyrique. Paradoxes et évolution d'une carrière"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/D%C3%A9fense_et_illustration_de_la_virtuosit/dom2rNCz0KkC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Alexandre%20Batta%22%20-wikipedia&pg=PA136&printsec=frontcover). *Défense et illustration de la virtuosité* (in French). Penesco, Anne (ed.). Presses universitaires de Lyon. p. 136.

1. Strasser, Michael (September 2022). "Saint-Saëns's Works for Violin and Piano". *[Music Library Association](/source/Music_Library_Association) Notes*. **79** (1): 117–118.

1. Pougin, Arthur (1878). "Batta (Alexandre)". *Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique* (in French). Vol. 9. [Firmin Didot](/source/Firmin_Didot). p. 53.

1. ["Nouvelles"](https://www.google.com/books/edition/Revue_du_monde_musical_et_dramatique/NvtJAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Alexandre%20Batta%22%20-wikipedia&pg=PA63&printsec=frontcover) [News] (in French). *Revue du monde musical et dramatique*. Vol. 3, no. 4. 1880-01-24. pp. 63–64. Retrieved 2024-11-24.

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