Caroline Boissier-Butini facts for kids

Caroline Boissier-Butini (born May 2, 1786 – died March 9, 1836) was a talented Swiss pianist and composer. She lived a long time ago, in the 1800s. She was known for her amazing piano playing and for writing her own music.

Caroline's Musical Journey

Caroline Butini was born in Geneva, Switzerland. She was the oldest child of Pierre Butini and Jeanne-Pernette Bardin. Caroline wrote that her father was her most important supporter, even though he didn't play any instruments himself.

Growing up in a wealthy family in Geneva helped her get a good education in music. But no one in her family loved music as much as she did! We only know of one teacher she had, François-Charles Mansui, who taught her around 1808. It's not clear who taught her the very first steps of playing the piano.

When she was 22, Caroline married Auguste Boissier. He played the violin and also supported her musical passion.

Learning from the Best

In 1818, Caroline traveled to Paris and London. There, she heard some of the best pianists of her time. These included famous musicians like Johann Baptist Cramer, Marie Bigot de Morogues, Charles Mayer, Henri Bertini, and Frédéric Kalkbrenner. She found her meetings with Cramer and Kalkbrenner in London especially helpful for her own playing.

Her Favorite Music

As a pianist, Caroline played music from many different periods. She enjoyed pieces by "ancient masters" like Scarlatti, Handel, and Bach. She also played music by Haydn and Mozart. She even played music by "modern" composers of her day, such as Beethoven, Field, Weber, Meyerbeer, Berlioz, and Liszt.

Caroline was well-known in Geneva for both her piano playing and her compositions. She once wrote in her diary, "I have a third of my life dedicated to music." This shows how much music meant to her! She passed away in Prégny, near Geneva, when she was 49 years old.

Caroline's Music

Caroline Boissier-Butini wrote many pieces of music. Here are some of her selected works:

For Piano and Orchestra

• six piano concertos (a concerto is a piece for a solo instrument, like a piano, with an orchestra)
  • Concerto No. 5, called "Irlandais" (Irish)
  • Concerto No. 6, called "Suisse" (Swiss)

For Solo Piano

• three piano sonatas (a sonata is a piece for one or two instruments)
• Caprice et variations sur un air bohémien (Caprice and variations on a Bohemian tune)
• Variations sur l'air "Dormez mes chers amours" (Variations on the tune "Sleep, my dear loves")
• Caprice sur l'air d'une ballade écossaise (Caprice on the tune of a Scottish ballad)
• Variations sur deux airs languedociens (Variations on two tunes from Languedoc, France)
• Fantaisie sur l'air de la belle Rosine (Fantasy on the tune of the beautiful Rosine)
• Polonaise (a Polish dance)
• 1er Potpourri (First Potpourri, a mix of different tunes)
• 1ère Sonatine (First Sonatina, a small sonata)
• Pas russe (Russian Step)

Other Music

• Divertissement, for clarinet, bassoon, and piano
• Pièce pour l'orgue (Piece for Organ)