Robin Humphrey Legge

“ On quitting the Royal Academy in 1836, Macfarren became music teacher in a school in the Isle of Man, but there practically his sole opportunities for obtaining musical practice were occasional performances in private of Bach's organ fugues on the piano, the pedal parts, being played by a retired naval officer on the contrabass! He devoted much of his spare time, however, to composition, and set to work upon an opera, called at first 'Craso, the Forlorn,' a title afterwards changed to 'El Malechor,' when the opera was enlarged to two acts; for this also his father wrote the libretto. ”

“ KLOSE, FRANCIS JOSEPH (1784–1830) , musical composer, born in London in 1784, was son of a professor of music, who gave him his first instruction. At a later period Klose studied pianoforte-playing and musical composition under Franz Tomisch, a pupil of Haydn. He was a member of the orchestra of the King's Theatre and of the Concerts of Antient Music, and an instrumental performer of great excellence. But he acquired so large a connection as a teacher of the piano that he gave up most of his public engagements and devoted himself almost entirely to teaching. ”

“ On the occasion of the queen's marriage in 1840, the Macfarrens, father and son, wrote an 'Emblematical Tribute' for Drury Lane, and in the same year Macfarren joined the council of the newly established Musical Antiquarian Society. For this society he edited Purcell's 'Dido and Æneas,' and several other works by old English composers, and also arranged a pianoforte score of this opera and of the same composer's 'Bonduca.' The former work, however, was subsequently discovered to have been edited from incomplete manuscripts. ”

“ In 1842 Kiallmark opened an academy for the study of the piano at his residence, 29 Percy Street. During his long life he was associated with every great pianist from Clementi to Rubinstein, and at the age of seventy-eight he studied the sonatas of Gade and Rubinstein. At eighty he was still daily practising Clementi's ‘Gradus.’ He died on 13 Dec. 1887, having only a week before played a Thalberg transcription with much of his old fire and brilliancy. He was a fine extempore player, but his compositions have not survived. ”

“ Patey's voice was a pure, sonorous and rich contralto, beautiful at its best in quality, and sufficiently extensive in compass to enable her to sing innumerable oratorio parts and ballads, in both of which she was for twenty-five years unrivalled. ”

“ A clever violoncello sonata and a serenade are musicianly works; but, in addition to chamber-music, he also wrote two operas, one of which has not been published. The other, ‘Sylvia,’ was set down for performance at Drury Lane Theatre, under the Harrison-Pyne régime, and even put in rehearsal, but it was never performed. Three orchestral overtures, one in C written for the Brighton festival of 1875, are worthy of mention. While living in Belgium Osborne was decorated by the king with the order of the Oak-Crown. ”

“ In September 1830 his first important orchestral work, a symphony in C, was produced at an Academy concert, and was followed in December 1831 by another in D minor. For the opening of the Queen's Theatre in Tottenham Street, under his father's management in 1831, Macfarren wrote an overture in D, and in 1832 the music to a piece entitled 'The Maid of Switzerland.' On 26 June 1833 another overture by him was played at the Royal Academy two days after its author had received the bronze medal for composition and improvement in piano-playing. ”

“ His son, John Langshaw (fl. 1798) , born in London in 1763, was educated chiefly in Lancaster until in 1779 he went to London to study under Charles Wesley, from whom and also from Samuel Wesley he received much kindness. He finally settled down as a teacher of music in the metropolis. On his father's death in 1798 he was appointed organist at Lancaster, where he also frequently appeared in concerts as a pianist. He published a number of compositions, including hymns, chants, songs, pianoforte concerti, and a theme with variations for piano or harp, written for the Countess of Dromore. ”

“ In 1836 he returned once more to England, and became in the following year one of the first members of the Bristol Madrigal Society, a body which during the early years of its existence frequently performed his compositions. It was probably due to the encouragement offered him by this society that Pearsall devoted himself to the composition of madrigals, with which his name is chiefly identified. ”

“ Lanza published in London in 1817 'one of the best works on the art of singing which has appeared in this country,' under the title 'The Elements of Singing familiarly exemplified.' His other works include 'The Elements of Singing in the Italian and English Styles' (London, 3 vols. 4to, 1809) ; 'Sunday Evening Recreations' (London, 1840) ; 'Guide to System of Singing in Classes' (London, 1842) . He also composed a 'Stabat Mater,' which is preserved in the library of the Royal College of Music, solfeggi, and songs. He died in London on 12 March 1859. ”

“ On reaching London in 1837 Macfarren was appointed to a professorship of harmony and composition at the Royal Academy of Music, and about the same time wrote the overture to 'Romeo and Juliet.' To the year 1838 belong the conception, composition, and production (13 Aug.) within a month of the 'Devil's Opera,' one of Macfarren's best dramatic works (cf. Banister, Life, and Musical World, 16 Aug. 1838, and Athenæum, 18 Aug. 1838) . A jubilee performance of this work was given at Taunton under T. Dudeney in 1888. ”

“ His talents were of a very high order, and he had an extraordinary capacity for work, and an indomitable courage in facing the misfortune of blindness; but he was not a genius, and his works, especially those in the larger forms, lack genuine inspiration. ”

“ He was also a member of the Philharmonic Society of London, a director of the Royal Academy of Music, and for years a prominent member of the Musical Association. He was a genial and kind friend to young musicians, and an admirable public speaker, especially when speaking extemporaneously. ”

“ After the removal of her family to the United States she made her first appearance in 1861 as a concert singer at the Academy of Music in New York, with pronounced success; and in the following year she joined, with her brother Carlo (1842–1873) , a violinist, Max Strakosch's concert party, then touring in North America. Coming next to England, Carlotta made her début in this country on 16 April 1863 at a concert at Covent Garden Theatre, when she attracted considerable attention ”

“ Patti returned to America, and became the leading attraction of Strakosch's company, gaining especial praise for her singing of the part of the Queen of the Night in ‘Die Zauberflöte.’ In the spring of 1870 she was in South America, where, at Buenos Ayres, she made almost her only appearance on the stage, singing in Rossini's ‘Barber’ and in ‘Don Pasquale.’ A concert given later in the same country for the benefit of the sufferers in the Franco-Prussian war realised a profit of sixty thousand francs. ”

“ At Wartensee Pearsall kept open house, and was frequently visited by men eminent in music, literature, and archæology. There, too, he wrote the greatest number and the best of his musical compositions. ”

“ Proceedings of the Musical Association, 6th session, p. 101) . Osborne, although upwards of eighty years of age, made his last appearance in public at a ‘social evening of the wind-instrument chamber-music society’ on 15 Nov. 1889, when he played the pianoforte part of his quintet for wood-wind and pianoforte (Musical Times, 1889, p. 725) . Osborne died at his residence, 5 Ulster Terrace, Regent's Park, London, on 17 Nov. 1893.
Osborne excelled in his performances of Bach, but many young musicians were wont to seek his advice as to the correct manner of playing Chopin. ”

“ In these he showed talents which he was advised by a friend, De Murat (afterwards Préfet du Nord) , to cultivate under a competent teacher. This he found in Reicha, a pupil of Haydn, then just arrived in Paris (1808) . In order to play classical chamber-music he also learnt the violoncello. Though living almost entirely at Clermont, he frequently visited Paris, and during one of these visits three string quintets by him were performed at Pleyel's house, and published in 1807. Two pianoforte sonatas and a set of quartets followed, and increased his reputation. ”

“ Bianchi she often sand at Windsor in the presence of George III and Queen Charlotte, and was considered one of the finest singers of Handel's music. She was a good linguist, pianoforte-player, and painter. ”

“ LAMBERT, JAMES (1725–1788) , musician and painter, was born of very humble parents at Jevington in Sussex in 1725, and received little education. He early showed a talent for art by roughly drawing sketches of animals, landscapes, &c., with such poor materials as he could obtain at Jevington; but when quite young he settled at Lewes in order to practise as a painter. At Lewes he waa known as a 'herald painter,' and painted many inn signs. ”

“ In 1816 he visited Paris, where he had lessons in dancing from the best teachers. His natural bent was, however, towards the stage, and on 28 Sept. 1818 his first publicly performed dramatic work, 'Ah ! what a Pity, or the Dark Knight and the Fair Lady,' was given at the English Opera House (for the benefit of John Pritt Harley) [q. v.] ; from this date almost every year witnessed the production of some piece or other from his pen. ”

“ None of these achieved more than a succès d'estime, the overture of the second work alone surviving for any length of time. In 1832 Onslow was elected one of the first honorary members of the Philharmonic Society in London, for which he wrote a symphony. ”

“ After taking part in some fifty concerts, as well as singing before the court, Carlotta Patti spent a large part of the next six years in various continental tours, singing at Vienna in 1865, and again in 1867 at the Carl Theatre. During one of these tours a wealthy Wallachian noble amateur once sent a coach-and-four with four men to meet the diva ”

“ KIRKMAN, JACOB (fl. 1800) , musical composer, was probably a nephew of Jacob Kirkman, who carried on the business of harpsichord-maker in Broad Street, Golden Square, London, about 1770. The younger Kirkman acquired some reputation as a pianist and composer of pianoforte works in London before the end of the eighteenth century. One Jacob Kirkman died in Upper Guilford Street, London, 29 April 1812, aged 67 (Gent. Mag. 1812, i. 596) . Among his published works may be mentioned: 1. ”

“ He was 'considered by competent judges to be without question the most legitimate English bass singer, the most accomplished in various styles, and altogether the most perfect and finished that has appeared in this country. He was endowed by nature with organs of great strength and delicacy ”

“ King was a very serviceable man.’ The titles of his best-known works are: 1. Anthems—‘Rejoice in the Lord,’ ‘Hear, O Lord,’ ‘O pray for the peace of Jerusalem,’ ‘Wherewithal shall a young man.’ 2. Services in F, C, B flat, and D, which are still occasionally performed. Four of his anthems are to be found in Page's ‘Harmonia Sacra,’ and two in Stevens's ‘Sacred Music.’ Other of his compositions are included in Arnold's ‘Cathedral Music,’ and the Tudway Collection (Harl. MSS. 7341–2) . Some services and anthems by King were published separately in 1859 and 1866. ”

“ In November and December 1882 he composed the music for the performances of Sophocles's 'Ajax' in Greek at Cambridge, Stanford directing (Mus. Times, 1 Jan. 1883) . In 1883 Macfarren wrote his fourth oratorio, 'King David,' which was performed at the Leeds Festival in October under Sir Arthur Sullivan. 'Its reception was most cordial, this result being no doubt aided by a very fine performance' (ib. November 1883, p. 605) . For the opening of the International and Universal Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, April 1884, Macfarren wrote his 'St. ”

“ In 1890 Mme. Patey made a prolonged and triumphant tour in Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan, and other countries. On her return to England she contemplated retirement from public life. At the end of 1893 she began a farewell tour through the English provinces. During its course she appeared at Sheffield on 28 Feb. 1894; but the excitement of the enthusiastic reception accorded her brought on an attack of apoplexy, and she died in the concert-room. She was buried at Brompton cemetery on 3 March.
Mme. ”

“ Onslow visited Paris for the last time in 1852. He died suddenly, after a walk at daybreak, on 3 Oct. 1853, at Clermont.
His compositions, the number of which is enormous, include: (1) Symphonies, op. 41, 42; (2) thirty-four quintets; (3) thirty-six quartets; (4) six trios for pianoforte, violin, and violoncello; (5) a number of duets for violin and pianoforte; (6) a sextet (op. 30) ; (7) a septet (op. 79) ; (8) a nonet (op. 77) ; (9) sonatas for pianoforte alone, and for pianoforte and another instrument, besides the dramatic and other works mentioned in the text. ”

“ Shortly after George's birth his father, who had run through his property, disappeared and soon died. Thereupon his widow married her butler, a man named Pottle, and George was adopted by his mother's family. He began his education under the care of a Dr. ”