Servais, Adrien-François

Born June 6, 1807, in Hal, near Brussels; died there Nov. 26, 1866. Belgian cellist and composer.

Servais studied under N. J. Platel. He made his debut as a cellist in Paris in 1833 and began performing in European countries, including Russia, in 1839. In 1848 he visited Russia for extended periods. Servais was an outstanding representative of 19th-century cello playing, particularly in the virtuoso-romantic aspects of the art. V. F. Odoevskii and A. N. Serov both wrote of his artistry. Servais became a professor at the Brussels Conservatory in 1848. His works for cello include three concer-ti, fantasias, and études. Other compositions include duets on opera themes for cello and violin (with H. Vieuxtemps and H. Léonard) and duets for cello and piano (with J. M. Gregoir). P. I. Tchaikovsky made note of the salon character of Servais’s music.