A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Beaulieu, Marie Désiré

BEAULIEU, Marie Désiré, whose family name was Martin, son of an artillery officer of Niort, born in Paris 1791 [App. p.533 "April 11"]. He studied under Rodolph Kreutzer, Benincori, and Méhul, and obtained the 'Grand Prix' at the Conservatoire in 1810. He did not accept the five years' tour to which the prize entitled him, and settled at Niort. Here he founded quartet meetings, and in 1829 a Philharmonic Society, which was afterwards expanded into the 'Association musicale de l'Ouest' (1835). This society was the first of its kind in provincial France, and through the untiring zeal of its founder has attained a high pitch of excellence. Yearly festivals are held in turn at Niort, Poitiers, La Rochelle, Angoulême, Limoges, and Rochefort; and Mendelssohn's 'St. Paul' and 'Elijah' were performed at Rochelle by this society long before they were heard in Paris. Beaulieu wrote in all styles, but excelled in church music. His principal work was a requiem on the death of Méhul, composed 1819, performed 1840. He also wrote much on music. A complete list of his compositions is given by Fétis. [App. p.533 "He died in 1863."]

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