Lucien Lambert, very early in life, attracted attention by his ardent devotion to the study of music. He used to give six hours of each day to practice, and became a pianist of rare ability. With a style of performance really exquisite, he has always excited the admiration, and sometimes the wonder, of his auditors, by easy triumphs over all piano difficulties. But his genius and ambition were such, that mere performance of the music of others did not long satisfy him. He became a composer of great merit. A man of high soul, he also, ere long, grew restive under the restraints, that, on account of his complexion, were thrown around him in New Orleans. He longed to breathe the air of a free country, where he might have an equal chance with all others to develop his powers: and so, after a while, he went to France; and, continuing his studies in Paris under the best masters of the art, he rapidly attained to great skill in performance and in composition. He finally went to Brazil, where he now resides, being engaged in the manufacture of pianos. He is about fifty years of age, a gentleman of imposing appearance. Lucien Lambert has written much music. Below is given the titles of only a very small number of his compositions:—
"La Juive;" "Le Départ du Conscrit" (fantasie march); "Les Ombres Aimées;" "La Brésiliana;" "Paris Vienne;" "Le Niagara;" "[Au Clair de la Lune]," with variations; "Ah! vous disais-je, Maman;" "L'Américaine;" "La Rose et le Bengali;" "Pluie de Corails;" "Cloches et Clochettes;" "Étude Mazurka."[18]
Sidney Lambert, stimulated by the instruction and good fame of his father and the high reputation gained by his brother Lucien, and himself possessing rich natural powers, soon became conspicuous for brilliant execution on the piano-forte, and as a composer of music for that and other instruments. He has also written a method for the piano, the merits of which are such as to cause him to be lately decorated for the same by the King of Portugal. He is now a professor of music in Paris, France. Here is a partial list of pieces composed and arranged by him:—
"Si j'étais Roi;" "Murmures du Soir;" "L'Africaine;" "Anna Bolena;" "La Sonnambula;" "L'Élisire;" "Transports Joyeux;" "[Les Cloches]."
Mr. E. Lambert is the very efficient leader and instructor of the St. Bernard Brass Band. He is a line musician, performing with much skill on several instruments.
John Lambert, only sixteen years of age, is already regarded as an excellent musical artist. He was educated in St. Joseph School, New Orleans. He seems almost a master of his principal instrument, the cornet, playing with ease the most difficult music written for the same. He is a member of the St. Bernard Band,—a very valuable member too, since he can play a variety of instruments.
The two Misses Lambert are accomplished pianists. One of them is an excellent teacher.
Edmund Dédé was born in New Orleans in the year 1829. He learned first the clarinet, and became a good player. He afterwards took up the violin for study, under the direction of C. Deburque, a colored gentleman. After a while he took lessons of Mr. L. Gabici, who was at one time chief of the orchestra of the St. Charles Theatre. Dédé was a cigar-maker by trade. Being of very good habits, and economical, he accumulated enough money after a while to pay for a passage to France, where, on his arrival in 1857, he received a welcome worthy of a great people and of so fine an artist. He is very popular, not only as a violinist, but as a man, being of fine appearance, of amiable disposition, and very polite and agreeable in his manners. While a student in New Orleans, many were they who seemed never to grow tired in listening to his peculiarly fine playing of the studies of Kreutzer and the "Seventh Air Varié de Beriot." He is considered alike remarkable in his perfect making of the staccato and the legato; is very ardent in his play, throwing his whole soul into it; and meets with no difficulties that he does not easily overcome. Mr. Dédé is now director of the orchestra of "L'Alcazar," in Bordeaux, France. He is of unmixed negro blood, and is married to a beautiful and accomplished French lady.
The titles of only a very few of the works composed by Edmund Dédé can now be given. They are as follows: "[Le Sement de l'Arabe]," "Vaillant Belle Rose Quadrille" (this it was called originally; but I believe the piece has been published under another name), "Le Palmier Overture."
Basile Barès was born in New Orleans Jan. 2, 1846, and is what may be called a self-made man. He to-day enjoys a fine reputation as a pianist and composer. His studies on the piano were begun under Eugène Prévost, who was, in years gone by, director of the Orleans Theatre and the opera-house orchestras. Barès studied harmony and composition under Master Pedigram. In 1867 he visited the Paris Exposition, at which he remained four months, giving many performances upon the piano-forte. Mr. Barès resides in New Orleans. I append this partial list of his works: "[La Capricieuse Valse]," "Delphine Valse Brillante," "Les Variétés du Carnaval," "Les Violettes Valse," "La Créole" (march), "Élodia" (polka mazurka), "Merry Fifty Lancers," "Basile's Galop," "Les Cents Gardes" (valse), and "Minuit Polka de Salon."