Background
Emilie Belleville was born on the 24th of June 1808, in Munich, Germany. She was the daughter of a French aristocrat who left France in connection with the revolution and was the director of the national Court Opera in Munich.
Emilie Belleville was born on the 24th of June 1808, in Munich, Germany. She was the daughter of a French aristocrat who left France in connection with the revolution and was the director of the national Court Opera in Munich.
In 1816-1820 she studied piano in Vienna with Karl Czerny and was considered one of the most talented of his pupils; later was also a pupil of Andreas Streicher.
Concerted throughout Europe, in 1829, performed in Warsaw in front of Frideric Chopin, who enthusiastically responded to her mastery in one of the letters and dedicated her later to Waltz F minor in Op. Posth. 70, No. 2. In 1831 she went on tour to London, making her debut in the concert tour of Nikolo Paganini. Getting acquainted with violinist Antonio James Ouri there, she married him in the same year. After that the couple performed mostly in a duet. In 1832-1839 they made a tour in Germany, Austria, Russia, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, and then, in 1846-1847 they made an Italian tour. In the 1840s-1860s the activities of the Brighton Music Union, a chamber music ensemble created following the model of the London John Ella musical union, was associated with the name of the Uri couple; however, Mrs. Belleville-Ouri was more of a composer, creating about 180 salon piano pieces, including fantasies on popular opera (especially Giacomo Meyerbeer). After 1868, the couple lived in peace in Norfolk.
