Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/B/Berton, Henri Montan

Berton, Henri Montan, son of the preceding, was born at Paris in 1767. He was taught music from six years of age, and entered the Opera band, as a violinist, at thirteen. The taste of young Berton was formed on the models constantly presented to him in the performance of the dramatic compositions of Gluck, Piccini, and Sacchini. He soon became anxious to compose an opera, although one of his masters in composition had given it as his opinion that he would never succeed as a dramatic composer. Having obtained the words of a comic opera, "La Dame Invisible," he composed the music, and expressing great fear that it would not succeed, a female friend showed the manuscript to Sacchini, who not only decided in his favor, but desired to see the author, and from that time had so tender a regard for him, that he called him his son, and was his friend and guide till Sacchini's death, in 1786. H. M. Berton has composed several oratorios for the spiritual concerts, and near thirty operas, the most admired of which at the present time are, "Montano et Stephanie," "Aline," and "Fran�oise de Foix." He has also published several cantatas, and a great variety of romances. On the establishment of the Conservatory of Music, Berton was named professor of harmony. He has also written several didactic works of great celebrity, of which the following are the titles: "Arbre Genealogique des Accords," "Methods sur l'Harmonie," and a "Dictionnaire sur les Accords."