Jean-Pierre Duport
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| Jean-Pierre Duport | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jean-Pierre Duport |
| Born | November 27, 1741 |
| Died | December 31, 1818 (aged 77) |
| Genre(s) | classical |
| Occupation(s) | musician |
| Instrument(s) | cello |
Jean-Pierre Duport (November 27, 1741–December 31, 1818) was a cellist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He owned and played the Duport Stradivarius, which was, until recently, in the possession of the Russian cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich. Along with his brother, Jean-Louis Duport (also a cellist), he was active in the musical life of France and Germany. Jean-Pierre was the son of a dancing master, and a student of the founder of the French school of cello playing, Martin Berteau (1700-1771).
He and his brother were acquainted with Beethoven: in February, 1796, Beethoven had left Vienna for a five-month concert tour which took him to Prague (accompanied by Prince Lichnowsky, who had travelled there with Mozart in 1789), Dresden, Leipzig, and Berlin, where he was inspired by the high level and quality of musical activity at the court of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, at which Jean-Pierre was director of chamber music.
In 1812, Jean-Pierre returned to Paris, where he encountered Napoleon, who insisted on trying out Duport's Stradivarius cello, exclaiming, "How the devil do you hold this thing, Monsieur Duport?" Duport was so obviously afraid that Napoleon would damage it, that Napoleon laughingly returned it to the cellist's more careful hands. Actually, Napoleon had made a small dent in the ribs of the cello, which may still be seen in the instrument. It was later owned by Auguste Franchomme, then Adrien-François Servais, then Mstislav Rostropovich.
