Ernst, Heinrich Wilhelm (1812-1865)

Ernst, Heinrich Wilhelm

VIOLINIST, COMPOSER (FRANCE)

BORN 8 Jun 1812, Brno, Moravia - DIED 8 Oct 1865, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes
GRAVE LOCATION Nice, Alpes-Maritimes: Cimetière du Château (Allée Defly, numéro 1530)

Heinrich Ernst came from Moravia and started to study the violin when he was nine years old. As a child prodigy, he was taught by Joseph Böhm and Joseph Mayseder. He also studied composition under Ignaz von Seyfried. When the great violinist Paganini visited Vienna in 1828, Ernst was deeply impressed. He attended many of his concerts to learn from him and they met. During the next years his career was in the shadow of Paganini and he didn't like it. They met again in Frankfurt am Main in 1830 and Ernst performed Paganini's "Nel cor pìù non mi sento" so well that he impressed Paganini. Since the work hadn't been published, Ernst must have learned it by listening to it. When he visited Paganini the latter is said to have put his manuscripts away to prevent Ernst from reading them.

In 1837 he heard that Paganini would play in Marseille. He rented a room next to Paganini to listen to Paganini's rehearsels. They both performed at concerts in Marseille and the public compared their performances.

Paganini died in 1840 and Ernst mostly performed in England after 1844. In London he was a member of the Beethoven Quartet Society, playing with Joseph Joachim, Henryk Wieniawski and Carlo Alfredo Piatti. After his health detoriated he retired to Nice, where he spent most of his time on his compositions. He died in Nice in 1865 and was buried there.

Related persons
• was a friend of Berlioz, Hector
• performed with Joachim, Joseph
• was a friend of Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix
• was influenced by Paganini, Niccolò

Images
The grave of Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst at the Cimetière du Château, Nice. Picture by androom (07 Mar 2014)	The grave of Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst at the Cimetière du Château, Nice. Picture by androom (07 Mar 2014)