Mori, Nicolas
Mori, Nicolas
Mori, Nicolas, English violinist and music publisher, father of Frank (Francis) Mori ; b. London (of Italian descent), Jan. 24 ,1796; d. there, June 14 ,1839. He studied with Barthelemon and appeared as a soloist in one of the latter’s concertos when he was 8. He then continued his studies with Viotti (1808–14). He was a soloist at a Phil. Soc. concert in London (1814), and then became one of its concertmasters (1816); was also concertmaster at the King’s Theatre until his death. He married Elizabeth Lavenu, widow of the publisher Lewis Lavenu, in 1819; the firm was known as Mori & Lavenu from about 1818 to 1839. He brought out the English eds. of works by Mendelssohn, and other music, and also wrote music for violin. An eccentric, he wrote flamboyant advertisements about his career, and shortly before his death announced his own memorial concert, punning on his name (“Memento Mori”).
Bibliography
E. Duffin, Particulars of the Illness and Death of the Late Mr.M. the Violinist (London, 1839).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire