As one generation succeeds another, it is interesting to note how men rise up who seem not only capable of grasping the needs of their own generation, but also of appreciating the probable line of future development. Such men as this seem to stand out from among their contemporaries in a way that makes their names household words. In the group of violinists shown in the illustration, Ernst, Baillot and de Bériot have established for themselves a place among the immortals. Ernst (1814-1865) possessed a technic almost equal to that of Paganini himself, and in addition was a thorough musician, whose compositions are still played. Baillot (1771-1842) is generally regarded as the last of the old school of French violinists. He was professor of violin at the Conservatoire of Paris, where he compiled his book "L'Art du Violon." De Bério (1802-1870), on the other hand, was the first after Paganini to adopt a greater variety of effects, sacrificing, to some extent, the suavity of tone demanded by the older classic school. He is usually regarded as the founder of the modern Franco-Belgian school. Panofka (1807-1887) was a distinguished violinist who gave up the violin in order to teach singing. Habeneck (1781-1849) was a famous pupil of Baillot's.
