Mathieu Crickboom

Mathieu Crickboom ( born March 2, 1871 in Verviers ( Hodimont ); † October 30, 1947 in Brussels) was a Belgian violinist, violin teacher and composer.

Life and work

Mathieu Crickboom, son of a textile worker, received first lessons in violin and piano at the Conservatory Vervier, where he entered into a lifelong friendship with Guillaume Lekeu. In 1887 he studied with Eugène Ysaÿe at the Brussels Conservatory. This dedicated his fifth sonata for solo violin; Ernest Chausson wrote his String Quartet for him. He played second violin in the " Quatuor Ysaÿe ."

For about ten years he worked in Barcelona, ​​where he led a violin class at the Conservatory and was concertmaster of the " Philharmonic Society ". Even here he met Pablo Casals and Enrique Granados, which he gave numerous concerts trio. In 1897 here was the foundation of the " Quatuor Crickboom " with Pablo Casals cellist, Josep Rocabruna (2nd violin) and Rafael Gálvez ( Viola).

Returned to his native Belgium, he accepted a professorship at the Liège Conservatory and from 1919 until his retirement in 1936 he taught at the Brussels Conservatory. Here he returned in time from 1940 back to 1944 to represent the at this time emigrated to London Maurice Raskin.

His merit as a publisher is to the extensive new editions of the major violin repertoire, which he decorated with the zeitgeist phrasing and fingerings. His main work was the method for learning the violin playing, running with parallel technique etudes, duets and song pieces that assimilated into the respective progress of learners, a task with which he wanted to complete and complement the Violin School by Charles- Auguste de Bériot. Many of the etudes and duos he borrowed significant violin teachers and composers of the 19th century.

One of the few original compositions Crick boom counts the Sonata op.11 for violin and piano. It was premiered on April 15, 1896 by Eugène Ysaÿe and his brother Theo.