Besozzi

An Italian family, that for several generations contained members, who were distinguished players of windinstruments. Alessandro, 1700-1775, was an oboe-player of remarkable skill, and also a composer. He wrote music for the violin, flute and oboe. He was born at Parma and died at Turin, at the time of his death being in the service of the King of Sardinia. Three of his brothers were celebrated players. The brother Antonio, 17071781, was an oboist of note and on Alessandro's death succeeded him at Turin. Hieronimo, born in 1713, died shortly after Antonio. He was a famous bassoon-player and the favorite and associate of Alessandro, giving with him some noteworthy duet performances. Gaetano, the youngest of the four brothers, was a renowned oboe-player, much admired in Paris and London as well as Naples. Antonio's son, Carlo, played the oboe in the Court band at Dresden. Gaetanq's son, Hieronimo, who died in Paris, also played the oboe, and his son Henri was flute-player at the Opera Comique, Paris. Louis Desire Besozzi, 1814-1879, the son of Henri, and the fourth generation of Besozzi musicians, was a distinguished pupil of the Paris Conservatory, where he studied under Lesueur. He was born at Versailles, in 1825 entered the Paris Conservatory and was here several times a prize-winner, in 1837 winning the Grand Prize of Rome. He was a teacher and composer. He made his home in Paris, and died in that city Nov. 11, 1879.