Martin Berteau
Illustration — Martin Berteau by Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié Martin Berteau (2 February 1691 in Valenciennes, French Hainaut – 23 January 1771 in Angers) was a French classical cellist, cello teacher, and composer. He is widely regarded as the founder of the French school of cello playing.
Martin Berteau
Nicolas Bernard Lépicié · Christie's · Public domain
- Born
- 1691. · Valenciennes.
- Died
- 1771. · Angers.
- Nationality
- France.
- Occupation
- composer, cellist and musician.
- Fields
- classical music.
- Movements
- classical music and Baroque music.
- Teachers
- Francesco Alborea.
- Languages
- French.
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Illustration — Martin Berteau by Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié Martin Berteau (2 February 1691 in Valenciennes, French Hainaut – 23 January 1771 in Angers) was a French classical cellist, cello teacher, and composer. He is widely regarded as the founder of the French school of cello playing.
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wikidata · Q517573 · wikipedia · Martin Berteau
In this article
Life
Life
Descriptions of Berteau's life are often unreliable and exaggerated. As a result, little is certain about his life. He probably studied viola da gamba in Germany with the Bohemian Kozecz. F.-J. Fétis, who wrote a Biographie universelle des musiciens (1835–1844), said that Berteau made his debut on the cello in 1739 at the Concert Spirituel, playing his own concerto. However, his name is not mentioned in any media of the time, and neither his concerto nor sketches of it have been found. The only reference of his name was made by Jean-Jacques Rousseau who mentioned having heard Berteau perform in Paris in 1753.
Works
Works
With the exception of a few cello sonatas, much of Berteau's work has been lost. For many decades Berteau's well known Cello Sonata in G major, Op. 25 was credited to the Italian composer Giovanni Battista Sammartini.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1691
Martin Berteau born at Valenciennes.
1771
Martin Berteau died at Angers.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Valenciennes.
Birth place
Angers.
Death place
Teaching
Among his students were Louis-Ferdinand, Dauphin of France; The Valencian brothers Jean-Baptiste Janson (1742–1804) and Louis Auguste Joseph (1749–1815); Joseph Rey (1738–1811); Jean-Pierre Duport, known as "l'Aîné" (1741–1818), or Joseph Tillière, "ordinary cellist of the Royal Academy of Music", author of a "Méthode pour le cello" published in 1764, François Cupis de Renoussard, cellist and composer, and Jean-Baptiste Bréval (1753–1823), most certainly his last student.
Martin Berteau with his cello
Nicolas Lépicié, Louis Carrogis Carmontelle and Marie-Louise Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,438 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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