unsuccessful attempt to renew his public career, he may be said to have
retired. He died at Bordeaux in 1830.

Of Rode's playing in his best days we are told that he displayed all the
best qualities of a grand, noble, pure, and thoroughly musical style.
His intonation was perfect, his tone large and pure, and boldness,
vigour, deep and tender feeling characterised his performances. In fact
he was no mere virtuoso but a true artist. His musical nature shows
itself in his compositions, which are thoroughly suited to the nature of
the violin, and have a noble, dignified character and considerable charm
of melody, though they show only moderate creative power. He had few
pupils, but his influence through his example during his travels, and
through his compositions, was very great indeed.

Beethoven wrote for Rode, after hearing him play in Vienna, the famous
violin Romance in F, Op. 50, one of the highest possible testimonials to
Rode's ability as a violinist. It is known, however, that he was obliged
to seek assistance in scoring his own compositions, and therefore lacked
an important part of a musical education.

The most celebrated pupil of Baillot was François Antoine Habeneck, the
son of a musician in a French regimental band. During his early youth
Habeneck was taught by his father, and at the age of ten played
concertos in public. He visited many places with his father's regiment,
which was finally stationed at Brest. At the age of twenty he went to
Paris and entered the Conservatoire, where in 1804 he was awarded first
prize for violin playing, and became a sub-professor.

The Empress Josephine, on hearing him play, was so pleased that she
granted him a pension of twelve hundred francs. He became one of the