Alfred Dubois

Alfred Dubois was a Belgian violinist and teacher born (in Brussels) on November 19, 1898.  He is one of many brilliant violinists who enjoyed wide recognition during his lifetime but was (undeservedly) relegated to the realm of forgotten artists after his death.  (The 1953 edition of Grove’s Dictionary does not mention him.)  Many of his recordings were made prior to the high-fidelity era and were not until recently released as remastered CDs.  They are now easy to find on the internet.  It has been said that his recordings of Bach and Franck works have rarely been equaled.  Understandably, during his career, he was more famous as a teacher than as a concert violinist.  I don’t know who his first teachers were, but it is known that Dubois entered the Royal Conservatory in Brussels in 1910 – he was 12 years old.  His main teacher there was Alexandre Cornelis.  (Cornelis is said to have composed piano accompaniments to the 42 famous Kreutzer etudes for violin.)  Dubois graduated in 1913 (at age 15) but continued to study with Cornelis until Cornelis’ death in 1917 - another four years.  It has been said that he also studied with Eugene Ysaye afterward although some people dispute that.  (When Ysaye died in 1931, Dubois took his place teaching at the conservatory.  He also played at Ysaye’s funeral that year.)  Dubois won the Vieuxtemps Prize in 1920.  He then embarked on a solo career – he was twenty-one years old.  He played in the Trio of the Court of Belgium from 1925 onward (with pianist Emile Bosquet and cellist Maurice Dambois.)  He began teaching at the Royal Conservatory in 1927 – he was 29 years old.  He taught there until the day he died.  He also formed a duo with pianist Marcel Maas with whom he toured the U.S. in 1938.  During the war, Dubois played in the Artis Quartet with Arthur Grumiaux on second violin, Robert Courte on viola, and Robert Maas on cello.  It is widely reported that the quartet did not play for German officials during the war (Belgium was a neutral country), but I find that hard to believe.  One source states that he spent the war years in France.  After Dubois died, his pupil, Grumiaux, took his place at the conservatory – he had already been serving as Dubois’ assistant for eight years.  Having been regarded as an extraordinary teacher, Dubois served on violin competition juries often.  Here is an audio file from YouTube in which Dubois plays the Vieuxtemps concerto number five.  You might find his tone resembling Heifetz’ sound, with very precise rhythmic control and superb intonation.  It has been said that Dubois was also a skilled violin maker although I don’t know where any of his violins are.  He may have played a Stradivarius violin made in 1667 and another from 1713, but that is not at all certain.  Alfred Dubois died (in Brussels) on March 24, 1949.  He was 50 years old. 

Arthur Grumiaux

Arthur Grumiaux was a Belgian violinist, teacher, and pianist (in the style of Julia Fischer) born on March 21, 1921 (Heifetz was 20 years old.) He began violin studies when he was 4 years old. As a very young student, he studied at both the Charleroi Conservatory and the Royal Conservatory in Brussels (where Alfred Dubois was his teacher.) He also studied composition with George Enesco (in Paris) later on, though I am not certain whether he studied violin with him. It is quite likely. He won the Vieuxtemps Prize in 1939. It has been said that after his public debut with the Brussels Philharmonic in 1940 (playing Mendelssohn’s e minor concerto), he did not play publicly until 1945, the year in which he made his debut in London with the BBC Symphony. This interval of non-participation in public performances was due to the German occupation of his neutral country during World War Two. However, he did play chamber music privately during this time. He was appointed professor of violin at the Royal Conservatory in 1949. By then, he had established himself as one of the world’s great violinists. His first tour of the U.S. came in 1951. He is remembered for his partnership (and recordings) with pianist Clara Haskil, who was also a violinist (as Grumiaux was a pianist.) Sometimes, Haskil and Grumiaux were known to switch instruments in recitals. It is probably true that their Mozart (and possibly Beethoven) recordings have never been excelled by anyone. Grumiaux’ recording of Zigeunerweisen (Sarasate) is my personal favorite. His recordings for the Philips label covered a wide range of violin repertory. There is at least one recording (of a Brahms and Mozart sonata) in which he plays both the violin and the piano accompaniment. His playing has often been described as supremely refined and elegant and his technique as exquisitely effortless. His intonation was impeccable. A recording of Arthur Grumiaux playing JS Bach’s Gavotte and Rondo from the Partita No. 3 in E major for unaccompanied violin is included on the Voyager Golden Record attached to the Voyager spacecraft. As Menuhin was made a Lord in Britain, Grumiaux was made a Baron in Belgium (1973.) He played a J.B. Guadagnini violin made in 1773 previously owned by Alfredo Campoli and subsequently (after 1962) played by Joseph Silverstein, now in the hands of the concertmaster of the Washington National Symphony. He also played a Guarneri from the year 1744 which was certified by the notorious violin dealer Dietmar Machold. There are numerous videos of his playing on YouTube and he also has a fan page on Facebook. Grumiaux died unexpectedly on October 16, 1986.