A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Rode, Pierre
RODE, Pierre [App. p.773 "properly Jacques Pierre Joseph], a great violinist, was born at Bourdeaux, Feb. 26 [App. p.773 "16"], 1774. When 8 years of age he came under the tuition of Fauvel ainé, a well-known violinist of his native town, and studied under him for six years. In 1788 he was sent to Paris. Here Punto (or Stich), the famous horn-player, heard him, and being struck with the boy's exceptional talent, gave him an introduction to Viotti, who at once accepted him as his pupil. With this great master he studied for two years, and in 1790 made his first public appearance, when he played Viotti's 13th Concerto at the Théâtre de Monsieur with complete success. Although then but 16 years of age, he was appointed leader of the second violins in the excellent band of the Théâtre Feydeau. In this position, appearing at the same time frequently as soloist, he remained till 1794, and then started for his first tour to Holland and the north of Germany. His success, especially at Berlin and Hamburg, was great. From the latter place he took passage to his native town. But the vessel was compelled by adverse winds to make for the English coast. So Rode came to London; but he only once appeared in public, at a concert for a charitable purpose, and left England again for Holland and Germany. Finally he returned to France and obtained a professorship of the violin at the newly established Conservatoire at Paris [App. p.773 "add that he was solo violin at the Opéra until Nov. 17, 1799"]. In 1799 he went to Spain, and at Madrid met Boccherini, who is said to have written the orchestration for Rode's earlier concertos, especially for that in B minor. On his return to Paris in 1800 he was appointed solo-violinist to the First Consul, and it was at that period that he achieved his greatest success in the French capital. A special sensation was created by his joint performance with Kreutzer of a Duo concertante of the latter's composition. In 1803 he went with Boieldieu to Petersburg. Spohr heard him on his passage through Brunswick, and was so impressed that for a considerable time he made it his one aim to imitate his style and manner as closely as possible. Arrived at the Russian capital Rode met with a most enthusiastic reception, and was at once attached to the private music of the Emperor with a salary of 5000 roubles (about 750l.). But the fatigues of life in Russia were so excessive that from this period a decline of his powers appears to have set in. On his return to Paris in 1808 his reception was less enthusiastic than in former times, and even his warmest friends and admirers could not but feel that he had lost considerably in certainty of execution and vigour of style. From 1811 we find him again travelling in Germany. Spohr, who heard him in 1813 at Vienna, says in his autobiography (i. 178): 'I awaited with feverish excitement the performance of Rode, to whom ten years before I had looked up to as my highest ideal. But he had hardly finished his first solo before I thought that he had much fallen off. His playing appeared to me cold and manneristic. I missed his former boldness in the execution of technical difficulties, nor could I feel satisfied with his cantilène. The concerto also which he played appeared to me in no way equal to his 7th in A minor, and when he played his variations in E major—the same I had heard him play ten years ago—I felt sure that he had lost much of his execution; for he not only had simplified many of the difficult passages, but even in this modified form played them in a timid and uncertain manner. The audience also seemed hardly satisfied. By the incessant repetition of the same few pieces his style had become to such a degree manneristic, as to present almost a caricature of what it used to be.'
In Vienna Rode came into contact with Beethoven, who finished the great Sonata in G, op. 96, expressly for him. It was played by Rode and the Archduke Rudolph, Beethoven's pupil, at a private concert, but as far as the violin part was concerned, not much to the composer's satisfaction. Soon afterwards, at any rate, Beethoven requested the Archduke to send the violin part to Rode that he might play it over before a second performance, and he adds: 'he will not take it amiss; certainly not! would to God there were reason to beg his pardon for doing so.'[1] Fétis's statement that Beethoven wrote a Romance for Rode, probably rests on a confusion of the G major Sonata with the Romanza in the same key.
In 1814 Rode went to Berlin, married, and remained for some time. He then retired to his native place. At a later date he made an ill-advised attempt to resume a public career. But his appearance at Paris proved a complete failure, and Mendelssohn, writing from thence in April 1825, says that he was fixed in his resolution never again to take a fiddle in hand.[2] This failure he took so much to heart, that his health began to give way, and he died at Bourdeaux, Nov. 25, 1830.
Rode was one of the greatest of all violinists. During the earlier part of his career, he displayed all the best qualities of a grand, noble, pure, and thoroughly musical style. His intonation was perfect; his tone large and pure; boldness and vigour, deep and tender feeling, characterised his performances. In fact he was no mere virtuoso, but a true artist. His truly musical nature shows itself equally in his compositions. Although his general musical education appears to have been, like that of most French violinists, deficient (we have already mentioned that Boccherini added the simple orchestration to his earlier concertos), yet his works, especially his concertos, have a noble dignified character and considerable charm of melody, while it need hardly be added, they are thoroughly suited to the nature of the violin. On the other hand, they hardly show high creative power; of thematic treatment there is very little, the form, though not unsymmetrical, is somewhat loose, and the instrumentation poor.
He published 10 concertos; 5 sets of quartets; 7 sets of variations; 3 books of duos for 2 violins, and the well-known 24 caprices. [App. p.773 "three more concertos were published posthumously."]
Of his concertos, the 7th, in A minor, is still in the repertoire of some eminent violinists. The variations in G major—the same which the famous singer Catalani and other celebrated vocalists after her have made their cheval de bataille—still enjoy popularity. But above all, his '24 caprices or études' will always, along with Kreutzer's famous 40 caprices, hold their place as indispensable for a sound study of the violin.
Although, owing to his life of travel, he had but few direct pupils, his influence through his example and compositions on the violinists of France, and more especially of Germany, was very great indeed. Böhm, the master of Joachim, and Eduard Rietz, the friend of Mendelssohn, both studied under him for some time.