A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Vivier, Eugène

VIVIER, Eugène Léon, remarkable horn-player, born at Ajaccio, 1821. His father was a tax-collector, and intended him for a similar career, but his passion for music made him throw aside all restraints and go to Paris. He knew enough of the horn to gain admittance to the orchestra of the Italiens, and then of the Opéra, and after some instruction from Gallay appeared at concerts as a solo-player. His extraordinary humour and imagination soon showed themselves, and endeared him to society, in the best circles of which he mixed largely. He was also master of a curious discovery or trick upon the horn, the secret of which he has never divulged, by which he can produce three, and even four, notes at once, so as to play pieces for three horns, with full, sonorous triads, and chords of the 6 and 6-4 from the one instrument. Vivier soon made his entrance at Court, and his horn in E, with which he used to play before Louis Philippe at the Chateau d'Eu, is still preserved at the Conservatoire. From this time forward his fame steadily increased at home and abroad. Among other artistic tournées he came several times to England after 1844, and was a great favourite in London for his drollery as much as his music. As a practical joker he had no equal, and good stories might be told of him enough to fill a volume. His powers of mimicry, especially mimicry of sound, were extraordinary. He would make an English or German speech without saying a word of either English or German, yet so correct as to accent that his hearers were puzzled to know why they could not follow his argument. His published songs with pianoforte accompaniment, lead one to believe that if he had cultivated composition he might have reached a high rank. His pieces for the horn are still unprinted, and he seems to have given up the career of a virtuoso. It is now more than 15 years since we heard him play; he then had still a fine tone, made his instrument sing charmingly, and fascinated his audience, though keeping to a very restricted scale and avoiding difficulties. As one of the favourites of Napoleon III, Vivier's position since 1870–71 has been rather isolated, but he retained many friends, including the late Victor Massé and M. Philippe Gille. The latter wrote the preface for Vivier's pamphlet, 'Un peu de ce qui se dit tous les jours' (Motteroz), printed in green and black, and now extremely scarce. It was a collection of the ready-made phrases which it is so difficult to avoid, and which are the bane of ordinary conversation. Man being, according to Diderot, a mass of contradictions, Vivier, who thoroughly appreciates family life, and is an excellent son, lives alone with no companion but a pigeon! His friends, however, have still attractions for him, and this cause has induced him during the last few years to spend the winter at Nice.

[ G. C. ]