Gazing at this Tombeau d’Henri Litolff, one might ponder the echoes of a life brimming with music, drama and relentless pursuit of passion. This is the final resting place of Henry Litolff. He was a composer and piano virtuoso of French and British descent.
Litolff’s story begins in London in 1818. His father, Martin Louis Litolff was a violinist. His mother was Sophie Hayes, a Scotswoman. Young Henry’s musical talent was evident early. By twelve, he began piano studies. Ignaz Moscheles recognized his gift two years later. Moscheles took him under his wing.
At seventeen, passion took hold. Litolff eloped with sixteen-year-old Elisabeth Etherington. They settled in France. Litolff’s life was filled with adventure. He was even imprisoned for debt. Ever resourceful, he bribed a jailer to escape.
In 1851, Litolff’s life took another turn. He married Julie Meyer. She was the widow of Gottfried Martin Meyer. Meyer had founded a music publishing house in Brunswick. The company then became known as Litolff’s Verlag. Despite their later divorce, the name remained. Litolff indirectly inspired Enoch music publishing. Carl Enoch, one of his sales representatives, founded his own house in Paris in 1853.
Litolff was a friend of Franz Liszt. Liszt admired Litolff greatly. He even dedicated his own Concerto No. 1 to him. In 1860, Litolff married Blanche de La Rochefoucauld. After her death, he married Lucie-Mathilde Herrier in 1873.
A man of diverse talents, Litolff joined the Paris Commune in 1871. He became an active member of the Artistic Federation. For a time, he directed the Châtelet Theatre. There, he staged some of his own operettas.
Litolff’s compositions spanned various genres. He wrote operas, symphonies and concertos. He composed chamber music and sacred oratorios. Today, he is remembered for the Scherzo from his Concerto Symphonique No. 4. His other concertos have also been recorded.
His most celebrated works are his concertos symphoniques. They include Concerto symphonique no 1 in D minor. This one is lost. Then there is Concerto symphonique no 2 in B minor, op 22. Concerto symphonique no 3 in E flat, op 45 is another. Also Concerto symphonique no 4 in D minor, op 102 composed in Brunswick, Germany. And finally Concerto symphonique no 5 in C minor, op 123.
Litolff’s symphonic works include concert overtures and dramatic symphonies. They include Le dernier jour de la Terreur or Maximilien Robespierre. Also Les Girondins, Les Guelfes and Chant des Belges.
His operas and operettas are numerous. They include Salvator Rosa, Catherine Howard and Die Braut vom Kynast. Also Rodrique de Tolède, Le Chevalier Nahal ou La Gageure du diable and La Boîte de Pandore. Further, Héloïse et Abélard, La Belle au bois dormant and La Fiancée du roi de Garbe. And also La Mandragore, Les Templiers, L’Escadron volant de la reine and Le Roi Lear.
Until 1956, a street in Paris bore his name. It was the Rue Henry-Litolff. It is now the Rue Georges-Leygues. The Rue Henry-Litolff marks the border of Colombes and Bois-Colombes.
Standing before Tombeau d’Henri Litolff, remember a life lived fully. It was a life marked by passion, adventure and enduring musical legacy.