Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/B/Blaze, Francois Henri Joseph Castil

Blaze, Francois Henri Joseph Castil, son of the preceding, was born December 1, 1784. Destined for the bar, he studied in his youth all that was necessary for the profession of advocate, which did not prevent him from cultivating music, of which the first lessons were given to him by his father. He went to Paris in 1799, to pursue his studies in the law school, which he neglected sometimes for those of the Conservatoire. Having finished the study of solfeggi, he received lessons in harmony from Perne, and prepared himself to complete his musical education, when he found it necessary to renounce his inclination in order to occupy himself' exclusively with his business. He be-came, successively, advocate, sub-prefect in the department of Vaucluse, inspector of the library, &c. He had but little time to give to the culture of an art which he passionately loved. However, he played several instruments, and had composed many romances and other fugitive pieces, which were published, when he suddenly determined to renounce the bar, the administrative career, in fine, every obstacle to his inclination : trusting in the future, he set out for Paris with his wife and children - more careful of his trunks of scores and manuscripts than of his other baggage. Two projects led him to the metropolis of the arts - he wished to have represented there the "Don Juan" of Mozart, and some other operas which he had translated and arranged for the French stage, and to publish there a book, in hopes of future renown. This book appeared, under the title of "The Opera in France," (Paris, 1820, 2 vols. 8vo.) A man of talent, a writer full of fancy, M. Castil Blaze attacked with energy, in this work, certain prejudiced persons, who, in France, were opposed to dramatic music. He pointed out the defects of the librettos of the operas, the vices of the interior administration of the theatres, the bad distribution of the parts, the false and arbitrary classification of the voices, in fine, all the causes which prevented the good execution of the music. He also made war against the passionate taste of the French for songs, (chansons,) considering them, with justice, as obstacles to the progress of art. Until the moment when M. Castil Blaze commenced, in the "Journal des D�bats," the series of piquant articles which were the foundation of his reputation, mere men of letters, ignorant of the first elements of music, had assumed the right of putting forth the false opinions, which they took for doctrines, upon an art of which they did not comprehend even the aim. To this we must attribute the prejudice which existed amongst the great part of the population against harmony, the luxury of instrumentation, and what is called scientific music. The author of the Musical Chronicle, in the "D�bats," was remarked for the specialty of his knowledge ; he silenced the non-sense of the men of letters, and began to initiate the public into the technical language which he used. Whatever progress the art of writing on music in the papers has made in France, we must not forget that M. Castil Blaze was the first who naturalized it in that country.

The treatise upon the "Opera in France" increased to an "Essay upon the Lyric Drama and Rhythmical Verse," which was published in 1826. After having written for more than ten years the Musical Chronicle for the "Journal des D�bats," M. Castil Blaze left that paper in 1832, to write for the "Constitutionnel." In 1832, he published two works. One is called "Chapel Music of the Kings of France," (Paris, Paulin, 1 vol. 12mo.,) and the other "The Dance and the Ballet, from Bacchus to Mademoiselle Taglioni," (Paris, Paulin, 1 vol. 12mo.)

The translations of the "Nozze di Figaro," of "Don Juan," "Zauberfl�te," and the "Matrimonio Segreto," were done by M. Castil Blaze before he went to Paris. The success of the music of Rossini at this period determined him to continue his works of translation, and successively he published "The Barber of Seville," "La Gazza Ladra," "Otello," and "Moise." He also attempted several pasticci, composed of a union of parts of the scores of Rossini, Mozart, Paer, and several other masters. He even composed some pieces himself, of which the best known are "Les Folies Amoureuses," and "Le For�t de Smart." The Theatre Odeon, in Paris, was especially designed, in 1822, for the representation of translated German and Italian operas ; every thing played there was successful; but the "Der Freysch�tz," by Weber, under the French name of "Robin de Bois," was received with the most enthusiasm.

The translation of "Euryanthe" was also by M. Castil Blaze, but was not so well received. M. Castil Blaze is known as a composer by some pieces of religious music, quartets for the violin, and a collection of twelve romances, amongst which are the "Chant de Thermopyles," and the pretty song of "Roi Ren�." (Condensed from F�tis.)