Jules Delsart – Discovering the Cello in Late-Nineteenth-Century France.

Research on nineteenth-century performance practice has become increasingly popular in recent years, and yet many areas in this field have remained unexplored. One such area is cello performance practice in late-nineteenth-century France, and this work will aim at shedding some light on it by placing the spotlight on one of the most prominent cellists of the period–Jules Delsart (1844-1900). Delsart was not only a central figure in the Parisian musical scene at the time, but also an influential teacher at the Conservatoire de Paris. Like many of his contemporaries, he published some music of his own, as well as a large number of arrangements for popular tunes, and these can provide invaluable information on his performance practice. Through an examination of his oeuvre, Delsart's performance style will be outlined thoroughly, and will eventually be used to facilitate a historically informed performance of music by his contemporaries.