Auguste Franchomme

Who was Auguste Franchomme?

Auguste-Joseph Franchomme was a French cellist and composer.

Born in Lille, Franchomme studied at the local conservatoire with M. Mas and Pierre Baumann, before continuing his education with Jean-Henri Levasseur and Louis-Pierre Norblin at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won his first prize only after one year.

He began his career playing with various orchestras and was appointed solo cello at the Sainte-Chapelle in 1828. Along with the violinist Jean-Delphin Alard, teacher of Pablo de Sarasate, and the pianist Charles Hallé, creator of the Hallé Orchestra, he was a founder and member of the Alard Quartet. The Quartet was rare for a chamber ensemble of its time because it consisted of professional musicians. Franchomme also belonged to the founding ranks of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire.

Franchomme forged close friendships with Felix Mendelssohn, when the latter visited Paris in 1831, and with Frédéric Chopin. In 1833, Chopin and Franchomme collaborated to write a Grand Duo concertant for piano and cello, based on themes from Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera Robert le diable. Franchomme also rewrote the cello parts for Chopin's Polonaise Brillante, Op. 3, and was the dedicatee of Chopin's Cello Sonata, Op. 65. Franchomme was also the dedicatee of the cello sonata of Charles-Valentin Alkan.