Born with Montmédy (Meuse) the August 9th 1789 and died with Sydney (Australia) the January 6th 1856, Nicolas Bochsa was an early musical genius become Harpiste of foreground, prolific Compositeur (for the toothing-stone, but also for example, of light operas), swindler specialist in art in the counterfeit in signatures but also professor, Leader, editor, theater director, business manager, commercial, large untiring, producing traveller. Here what can summarize in a few words the character except standard which is Bochsa. It passed almost all its life out of France, both to Europe and to America.

It was very famous at the 19th century, at the same time because prolific type-setter and harpist of very first plan - he was harpist of Napoleon and Louis XVIII -, but also because of its extravagances and its serious contentions with justices Frenchwoman and English, which defrayed the chronicle. Forgotten History wrongfully - the musical dictionaries omit it or do not devote to him that some lines - the harpists all know it, at least name, since its works is still played at the time of contest of toothing-stone and its always interpreted studies for toothing-stone.

Bochsa however was, in its time, a genuine international star of the music. It defrayed the chronicle, in France as in England, for businesses not always musical. As for all the stars, the women played a determining role in the life of Bochsa. Its destiny will be, essentially, related to that of another forgotten star, large soprano, Anna Rivière, wife in first weddings of Henry Bishop, type-setter called a time the Mozart English. Born in a modest family in a small Lorraine borough, it is in Sydney in Australia that he will die and that he is buried today.

Quotation

One would make more than one volume of the madnesses, romantic adventures, life if agitated of this famous harpist. Its memories would be extremely curious thing. Of which gallant, mysterious adventure, fantastic, wasn't this harpist, who was one of the most beautiful men of France and Navarre under the Restoration, he the hero? | Review and musical Gazette , 1842