Alternate Names:

Nicolas-Charles Labro, Labro aîné (Labro the elder)

National:

French

Bass Tradition:

French

Activity:

Solo & Orchestra bassist, Composer, Conservatory Professor.

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Chronology:

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        Birth:

October 19, 1810. Sedan (Ardennes), France

        Studied with:

Louis-François Chaft

        Awards:

1833 – 2^nd Prize, Paris Conservatory competition  ¹

1835, 1836, 1837 – 1^st Prize, Paris Conservatory competition  ²

1879 – University Military Medal – 1879  ³

        Orchestras:

Société des Concerts, Paris

Opéra Comique, Paris

        Professorship:

Paris Conservatory 1853 – 1882 (1878)  ⁴

        Notable Students:

Charpentier, Delamour, Dereul, Ghys, Martin,Viseur  ⁵

        Passing:

May 28, 1882. Paris, France

        Obituaries:

La Renaissance Musicale, no. 23, June 4, 1882, p. 184 – Page Link

Le Monde illustré, no. 1372, July 14, 1883, p. 30 – Page Link

        Relatives:

Antoine Auguste Labro (1817-1887) – a brother of Charles Labro (also known as Labro Jeune or “Labro the Younger”)

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Bibliography:

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        Biographies:

Pierre, Constant. Le Conservatoire National De Musique Et De Déclamation: Documents Historiques Et Administratifs Recueillis Ou Reconstitués. Paris: Impr. nationale, 1900. (vol.2) p. 785 – Page Link

Billé, Isaia. Gli Strumenti Ad Arco e i Loro Cultori: Origine Degli Strumenti Ad Arco. Liuteria. Didattica. Storia Della Mvsica e Delle Scuole Strumentistiche in Generale. Roma: Ausonia, 1928. p. 112 (three lines of essential information)

Estate:

Unknown. Some printed and personally produced editions of Labro are located in Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris, yet given the opus numbers of his works that climbs to number 110, it is apparent that he had composed many other pieces, some of which probably not related to solo bass. Further research may offer a more complete insight into his career and work.

Autographs:

Letters: Lettre de Charles Labro à Monsieur Léon Gatayes – BNF Record Link

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Compositions:

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        Concertinos: ⁶

Concertino in G op. 30 no. 1 – Morceaux de Concours

Concertino in D op. 31 no. 2 – Morceaux de Concours 1844

Concertino in G op. 32 no. 3 – Morceaux de Concours 1846

Concertino in G op. 33 no. 4 – Morceaux de Concours

Concertino (3e) in Mi minor (?) 1869 – solo with piano sextet – BNF Record Link

5^ème Concertino pour la contre-basse : avec accompagnement de piano ou quatuor ad. lib. – BNF Record Link

6e Concertino pour la contre-basse avec accompagnement de piano ou quatuor ad lib – BNF Record Link

Concertino (Septième) pour la contrebasse à quatre cordes 1852 – BNF Record Link

8e Concertino pour la contre-basse – BNF Record Link

9^e Concertino pour la contrebasse : composé pour le concours de 1853 – BNF Record Link

10^ème Concerto pour Contre Basse, Ch. Labro”, en sol, op. 32 – BNF Record Link

        Editions:

                Labro, Charles. Morceaux De Concert, Solo Pour La Contrebasse Avec Accompagnement De Piano. 1er, 2e, 3e, 4e Morceau. Paris: l’auteur, 1881.

                Labro, Charles, and Henri Busser. Dix Concertinos De Charles Labro Pour Contrebasse À 4 Cordes. Paris: M. Eschig, 1917. (translated “Ten Concertinos”)

                Labro, Charles, and André Ameller. 4 Concertinos, Pour Contrebasse À Cordes Et Piano. Paris: Philippo & Combre, 1968.

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        Concertos: ⁷

Concerto 1845

Concerto 1848 (de 1844) (?)

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        Pieces:

Solo 1849

Caprice pour la contre-basse avec accompagnement de piano. 1879 – BNF Record Link

Variations brillantes pour violon de Mayoeder, arrangées pour la contrebasse – BNF Record Link

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Methods:

Méthode De Contre-Basse: Op. 119. Paris: Labro, 1860. – BNF Record Link

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Etudes:

30 Grandes Études Pour La Contre-Basse, Op. 74: Avec Accompagnement De Violoncelle. Paris: Philippo, 1860.

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Recordings:

4me Morceau de Concert – Performed by New Millenium Duo – Grace Baugh-Bennett piano ; Robert Docs Double bass [Track 1 at 25:40 – 37:40]  –  Page Link

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Iconography:

No contemporary portraits, pictures or other iconographic material of Charles Labro have been located yet. His bass method contains two instructional drawings featuring contemporary bass players, yet it is uncertain if these may represent him.

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Footnotes:

¹.     Pierre, Constant. Le Conservatoire National De Musique Et De Déclamation: Documents Historiques Et Administratifs Recueillis Ou Reconstitués. Paris: Impr. nationale, 1900. (vol.2) p. 620. – Page Link

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².     Pierre, Constant. Le Conservatoire National De Musique Et De Déclamation: Documents Historiques Et Administratifs Recueillis Ou Reconstitués. Paris: Impr. nationale, 1900. (vol.2) p. 785. – Page Link

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³.     Journal officiel de la République française, Paris. 1879, no. 215, 7 Août 1879, p. 8237. – Page Link

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⁴.     The following records indicate two different dates of C. Labro’s retirement form his job at the Conservatory:

                 1878 retirement date – Archives Nationales, Paris, [database] – Direct Link

                 Pierre, Constant. Le Conservatoire National De Musique Et De Déclamation: Documents Historiques Et Administratifs Recueillis Ou Reconstitués. Paris: Impr. nationale, 1900. (vol.2) p. 620. – Page Link

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⁵.     Warnecke, Friedrich. “Ad Infinitum.”: Der Kontrabass, Seine Geschichte Und Seine Zukunft. Probleme Und Deren Lösung Zur Hebung Des Kontrabassspiels. Hamburg: Der verfasser, 1909. p. 108.

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⁶.    “Ten Concertinos” are featured in the Conservatory table of the Contrabasse – Morceaux de Concourse (Conservatory Contest Pieces). How many of them have been rearranged later, or may possibly be even considered to belong to a concerto genre, will need to be discovered through the future systematization of the complete Labro’s opus. Pierre, Constant. Le Conservatoire National. 620 – Page Link

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⁷.     Possibly two concertos, if the Conservatory table proves to be a reliable source. Pierre, Constant. Le Conservatoire National. P. 620 – Page Link

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Created by Igor Pecevski

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Posted: October 19, 2014