Fritz Bovet was a Swiss

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 romantic era composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 and violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

ist.

Published works

The only work now in print by Fritz Bovet is his String Quartet, op. 14, published by Merton Music. In this publication, Merton refers to a writing

Writing

Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...

 of Wilhelm Altmann

Wilhelm Altmann

Wilhelm Altmann was a German historian and musicologist.Altmann was born in Adelnau , Province of Posen, and died in Hildesheim.-Literary works:* Tonkünstlerlexikon, 121926* Kammermusikliteratur, 51931...

 (1862–1951), who recorded that “this quartet

Quartet

In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...

 was published in Plymouth

Plymouth

Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...

 in 1911".

Merton continues: "But of Fritz Bovet himself not a word is to be found in any musical reference book

Reference work

A reference work is a compendium of information, usually of a specific type, compiled in a book for ease of reference. That is, the information is intended to be quickly found when needed. Reference works are usually referred to for particular pieces of information, rather than read beginning to end...

. From publications about the famous Swiss watchmaking firm of Bovet, which had a flourishing trade with China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, you will learn that Fritz was the grandson of the founder of the firm and was sent to Canton in 1845 where he was noted for playing his violin "with the enthusiasm of a Paganini," where he collected and transcribed

Transcription (music)

In music, transcription can mean notating a piece or a sound which was previously unnotated, as, for example, an improvised jazz solo. Further examples include ethnomusicological notation of oral traditions of folk music, such as Béla Bartók's and Ralph Vaughan Williams' collections of the national...

 Chinese popular melodies

Melody

A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...

 for incorporation in his firm's musical boxes, and where he became French vice-consul."

It is also reported that in 1888, Bovet Frères was founded by someone who had done his apprenticeship

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...

at Fritz Bovet's "watchmaking workshop".