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[Illustration:
FAMOVS
COMPOSERS
AND THEIR
WORKS
VOL. I
]
Famous Composers and
their Works
Edited by
John Knowles Paine
Theodore Thomas and Karl Klauser
Illustrated
[Illustration]
Boston
J. B. Millet Company
1906
Copyright, 1891, by
J. B. MILLET COMPANY.
This book is dedicated by the Publishers to
Henry L. Higginson
who has advanced the culture of music in America.
[Illustration]
List of Contributors
America
Clarence J. Blake
Mrs. Ole Bull
Charles L. Capen
John S. Dwight
Louis C. Elson
Henry T. Finck
John Fiske
Arthur Foote
Philip Hale
William J. Henderson
Louis Kelterborn
Henry E. Krehbiel
Leo R. Lewis
W. S. B. Mathews
John K. Paine
Martin Roeder
Howard M. Ticknor
John Towers
George P. Upton
Benj. E. Woolf
England
Edward Dannreuther
Mrs. Julian Marshall
W. S. Rockstro
France
Oscar Comettant
Adolphe Jullien
Arthur Pougin
Germany
Wilhelm Langhans
Philipp Spitta
The Illustrations
The originals of the illustrations reproduced for this work were
collected from museums, conservatories, antiquaries, public and private
libraries, and other authentic sources in England and on the Continent,
by Mr. Arthur J. Mundy, who spent several months in making a special
search.
The authorities in London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna,
Leipsic, Dresden, Berlin, and other places visited, gladly assisted in
making the collection as complete as possible.
This material was placed in the hands of Mr. Karl Klauser, who made
valuable additions to it from his private collection of authentic
portraits. A lifelong study of this subject enabled him to contribute
valuable notes and comments on the illustrations.
The ornamental half-titles, headpieces, and initials were designed by Mr.
E. B. Bird, of Boston.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
DEDICATION III
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS V
LIST OF FULL-PAGE PLATES VIII
INDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS IX-XII
GENERAL INDEX 961
* * * * *
ORLANDO DI LASSO _W. J. Henderson_ 3
THE NETHERLAND MASTERS _W. J. Henderson_ 11
GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA _Louis C. Elson_ 25
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDE _W. S. B. Mathews_ 33
ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI _W. S. B. Mathews_ 37
GIOVANNI BATTISTA PERGOLESE _H. M. Ticknor_ 43
GIOACCHINO ROSSINI _Arthur Pougin_ 51
VINCENZO BELLINI _H. M. Ticknor_ 67
GAETANO DONIZETTI _H. M. Ticknor_ 75
GASPARO LUIGI PACIFICO SPONTINI _Adolphe Jullien_ 83
LUIGI CHERUBINI _Philipp Spitta_ 93
ARRIGO BOITO _Arthur Pougin_ 107
GIOVANNI SGAMBATI _Arthur Foote_ 111
GUISEPPI VERDI _Benj. E. Woolf_ 117
MUSIC IN ITALY _Martin Roeder_ 135
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH _Philipp Spitta_ 163
GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL _Philipp Spitta_ 195
CHRISTOPH WILIBALD GLUCK _W. Langhans_ 219
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN _Benj. E. Woolf_ 245
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART _Philip Hale_ 269
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (Biography) _Philip Hale_ 309
THE DEAFNESS OF BEETHOVEN _Clarence J. Blake_ 333
BEETHOVEN AS COMPOSER _John K. Paine_ 337
FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT _John Fiske_ 351
LUDWIG SPOHR _W. J. Henderson_ 375
CARL MARIA VON WEBER _H. E. Krehbiel_ 389
HEINRICH MARSCHNER _H. E. Krehbiel_ 409
FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY _John S. Dwight_ 417
ROBERT SCHUMANN _Louis Kelterborn_ 439
ROBERT FRANZ _Louis Kelterborn_ 463
GIACOMO MEYERBEER _Arthur Pougin_ 473
STRAUSS _Henry T. Finck_ 487
JOSEPH JOACHIM RAFF _W. J. Henderson_ 497
JOHANNES BRAHMS _Louis Kelterborn_ 503
CARL GOLDMARK _W. J. Henderson_ 515
MAX BRUCH _Louis C. Elson_ 519
JOSEPH GABRIEL RHEINBERGER _Louis Kelterborn_ 525
RICHARD WAGNER _W. J. Henderson_ 533
MUSIC IN GERMANY _John K. Paine and Leo R. Lewis_ 569
JEAN BAPTISTE LULLY _Oscar Comettant_ 609
JEAN PHILIPPE RAMEAU _Oscar Comettant_ 615
ANDRÉ ERNEST MODESTE GRÉTRY _Oscar Comettant_ 623
FRANÇOIS ADRIEN BOIELDIEU _Louis C. Elson_ 633
ETIENNE NICOLAS MÉHUL _Geo. P. Upton_ 639
LOUIS JOSEPH FERDINAND HÉROLD _Geo. P. Upton_ 645
DANIEL FRANÇOIS ESPRIT AUBER _Oscar Comettant_ 653
JACQUES FRANÇOIS FROMENTAL ELIAS HALÉVY _Benj. E. Woolf_ 665
HECTOR BERLIOZ _Adolphe Jullien_ 675
AMBROISE THOMAS _Benj. E. Woolf_ 691
ALEXANDER CÉSAR LÉOPOLD BIZET _Philip Hale_ 697
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS _Oscar Comettant_ 703
JULES EMILE FRÉDÉRIC MASSENET _Oscar Comettant_ 711
CHARLES GOUNOD _Arthur Pougin_ 719
MUSIC IN FRANCE _Arthur Pougin_ 735
FREDERICK CHOPIN _Edward Dannreuther_ 759
ANTON DVOŘÁK _Henry T. Finck_ 779
MICHAEL IVANOVITCH GLINKA _Philip Hale_ 785
ANTON RUBINSTEIN _Henry T. Finck_ 791
PETER ILITSCH TSCHAÏKOWSKY _W. J. Henderson_ 803
FRANZ LISZT _W. Langhans_ 813
EDUARD HAGERUP GRIEG _Sara C. Bull and Philip Hale_ 831
NIELS WILLIAM GADE _Louis C. Elson_ 837
MUSIC IN RUSSIA, POLAND, NORWAY, ETC. _Henry T. Finck_ 845
WILLIAM BYRD _W. S. Rockstro_ 867
HENRY PURCELL _John Towers_ 871
JOHN FIELD _Chas. L. Capen_ 877
WILLIAM STERNDALE BENNETT _W. S. Rockstro_ 881
MICHAEL WILLIAM BALFE _Benj. E. Woolf_ 885
ARTHUR SEYMOUR SULLIVAN _Florence A. Marshall_ 891
CHARLES HUBERT HASTINGS PARRY _W. S. Rockstro_ 899
ALEXANDER CAMPBELL MACKENZIE _Florence A. Marshall_ 903
CHARLES VILLIERS STANFORD _W. S. Rockstro_ 907
MUSIC IN ENGLAND _W. S. Rockstro_ 913
MUSIC IN AMERICA _Henry E. Krehbiel_ 933
LIST OF FULL-PAGE PLATES.
PLATE PAGE
41 AUBER facing 653
12 BACH, portrait 161
13 BACH, statue 169
60 BALFE 885
18 BEETHOVEN 307
5 BELLINI 67
59 BENNETT 881
43 BERLIOZ 673
45 BIZET 697
38 BOIELDIEU 633
9 BOITO 107
29 BRAHMS 503
31 BRUCH 519
8 CHERUBINI 91
49 CHOPIN 757
72 CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC IN LEIPSIC 593
6 DONIZETTI 75
50 DVOŘÁK 779
58 FIELD 877
25 FRANZ 463
56 GADE 837
70 GARDEN OF HARMONY 737
51 GLINKA 785
15 GLUCK 217
30 GOLDMARK 515
48 GOUNOD 717
37 GRÉTRY 623
55 GRIEG 831
42 HALÉVY 665
14 HANDEL 193
16 HAYDN 243
40 HÉROLD 645
1 LASSO 1
54 LISZT 811
35 LULLY 609
63 MACKENZIE 903
22 MARSCHNER 409
47 MASSENET 711
39 MÉHUL 639
23 MENDELSSOHN 415
26 MEYERBEER 471
17 MOZART 267
65 PAINE 931
2 PALESTRINA 25
71 PANTHEON OF GERMAN MUSICIANS 567
62 PARRY 899
57 PURCELL 871
28 RAFF 497
36 RAMEAU 615
32 RHEINBERGER 525
4 ROSSINI 49
52 RUBINSTEIN 791
46 SAINT-SAËNS 703
3 SCARLATTI 37
19 SCHUBERT 349
24 SCHUMANN 437
10 SGAMBATI 111
20 SPOHR 375
7 SPONTINI 83
64 STANFORD 907
27 STRAUSS 487
61 SULLIVAN 891
44 THOMAS 691
53 TSCHAÏKOWSKY 803
11 VERDI 115
33 WAGNER 531
34 WAGNER 545
21 WEBER 387
INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS.
(Titles set in small capital letters indicate full-page illustrations.)
PORTRAITS.
PAGE
Abt, Franz 602
Adam, Adolphe 751
Albrecht, V. 4
Allegri, Gregorio 141
AUBER 653
Auber, medallion 664
BACH, J. S. 161
Bach, J. S. 175
BACH, EMANUEL 583
Balakireff 852
BALFE 885
BEETHOVEN 307
Beethoven, silhouette 311
Beethoven, miniature 312
Beethoven, by Gatteux 317
Beethoven, pencil portrait 318
Beethoven, by Schimon 319
BEETHOVEN, by Stieler 321
BELLINI 67
BENNETT 881
BERLIOZ 673
Berlioz, by Signol 681
Berlioz in his later years 683
Berlioz, by Hüssener 685
Berton 745
BIZET 697
BOIELDIEU 633
BOITO 107
Borodin 853
BRAHMS, by Brasch 503
Brahms in early youth 505
Brahms, by Weger 509
BRAHMS, by Luckhardt 511
BRUCH 519
Bruch from wood-engraving 520
Bülow, Hans von 605
CHERUBINI 91
Cherubini, by Quenedey 95
CHERUBINI, by Ingres 105
CHOPIN 757
Chopin, by Duval 761
Chopin, by Winterhalter 765
CHOPIN, bas-relief 769
Cimarosa, Domenico 148
Colbran, Isabella Angela 55
Corelli, Arcangelo 152
Cornelius, Peter 603
Cramer, Johann Baptist 590
Cui, César 847
D'Alayrac 741
David, Félicien 753
DONIZETTI 75
Donizetti 77
Dussek, Johann Ludwig 588
DVOŘÁK 779
FIELD 877
Flotow, Friedrich von 600
FRANZ 463
FRANZ, by Weger 465
Franz 469
Frescobaldi, Girolamo 151
GADE 837
Gade 839
Geyer, Ludwig 535
GLINKA 785
Glinka in his 39th year 787
GLUCK, by Duplessis 217
Gluck, by Duplessis 223
Gluck, pencil portrait 227
Gluck, by Aug. de St. Aubin 241
GOLDMARK 515
GOUNOD, by Nadar 717
Gounod in his 41st year 723
GOUNOD IN HIS STUDY 729
Graun, Karl Heinrich 579
GRÉTRY 623
Grétry, by Vigée Lebrun 630
GRIEG 831
HALÉVY 665
HANDEL 193
HANDEL'S FATHER 199
HANDEL, by Houbraken 203
Handel, by Mad. Clement 207
Hassler, Hans Leo 571
Hauptmann, Moritz 598
HAYDN 243
Haydn, by Anton Graff 249
Haydn, silhouette 255
Haydn, miniature 257
Haydn in his 49th year 263
Hensel, William 423
HÉROLD 645
Hérold, medallion 652
Hiller, Ferdinand 593
Hummel, Johann N. 589
Jadassohn, Salomon 597
Joachim 863
Lachner, Franz 596
LASSO 1
Lasso, in "Penitential Psalms" 6
Lasso 7
Lesueur 743
LISZT 811
Liszt in his 13th year 815
Liszt in his 30th year 821
Liszt in his 75th year 821
Lortzing, Albert 599
LULLY 609
Lully, by Bonnart 611
Lully 613
MACKENZIE 903
Marcello, Benedetto 145
MARSCHNER 409
Martini, Padre 146
Mascagni, Pietro 159
MASSENET 711
MASSENET IN HIS STUDY 713
MÉHUL 639
Méhul 640
Méhul 641
MENDELSSOHN 415
Mendelssohn's father 419
Mendelssohn's mother 420
Mendelssohn, Fanny 421
Mendelssohn's wife 422
Mendelssohn on his death-bed 424
Mendelssohn in his 12th year 428
Mendelssohn in his 26th year 431
MEYERBEER 471
Meyerbeer in his eighth year 475
Meyerbeer, from wood-cut 479
Monte, Philip de 23
Moszkowski 858
MOZART 267
Mozart in his sixth year 272
Mozart in his ninth year 272
Mozart in his tenth year 273
Mozart in his 14th year 273
Mozart, Maria Anna 277
Mozart's wife 280
MOZART FAMILY, by Carmontelle 281
Mozart family, by de la Croce 283
Mozart, last portrait of 293
Mozart, profile portrait 297
Offenbach 754
Paderewski 859
PAGANINI 679
PAINE, JOHN KNOWLES 931
Paisiello, Giovanni 147
PALESTRINA, by Böttcher 25
Palestrina 27
Palestrina, by Schnorr 29
PARRY 899
Pergolese 44
Philidor 739
Piccini, Nicola 229
Prés, Josquin des 17
PURCELL 871
RAFF 497
RAMEAU 615
Rameau, by Nesle 617
Rameau, by Bellinger 618
Reber 752
Reichardt, Johann F 581
Reinecke, Carl 594
RHEINBERGER 525
Rheinberger, by Lützel 527
Rimsky-Korsakoff 854
Rore, Cyprian de 20
ROSSINI 49
ROSSINI IN MIDDLE LIFE 53
Rossini in his 36th year 54
ROSSINI, by Dupré 57
ROSSINI ON HIS DEATH-BED 59
ROSSINI, medallion 65
RUBINSTEIN 791
Rubinstein, by Downey 793
Rubinstein, silhouette 795
SAINT-SAËNS 703
SAINT-SAËNS, by Raschkow 705
SCARLATTI, A. 37
Scarlatti, A., by Solimène 38
Scarlatti, Domenico 150
SCHUBERT 349
Schütz, Heinrich 575
Schulz, Johann Peter 591
SCHUMANN 437
Schumann in his 21st year 442
SCHUMANN, CLARA, by Weger 443
Schumann, Robert and Clara 445
SCHUMANN, ROBERT AND CLARA, by Kaiser 453
Schumann, Clara, by Hanfstängl 457
SCHUMANN, ROBERT AND CLARA, relief medallion 461
Senfl, Ludwig 570
Seroff 851
SGAMBATI 111
Smithson, Miss 677
SPOHR, by Schlick 375
SPOHR, by W. Pfaff 379
SPONTINI 83
Spontini, by Vincent 84
Spontini, by Jean Guérin 85
STANFORD 907
STRAUSS, JOHANN (senior) 489
STRAUSS, JOHANN (junior) 487
STRAUSS, JOSEPH 491
Strauss, Richard 604
SULLIVAN 891
SULLIVAN 893
Suppé, Franz von 601
Svendsen 862
Swelinck 22
Tartini, Guiseppe 153
Tausig, Carl 857
THOMAS, AMBROISE 691
Thomas, Ambroise 695
TSCHAÏKOWSKY, by Sarony 803
TSCHAÏKOWSKY, by Shapiro 805
VERDI 115
Verdi, by Deblois 121
Volkmann, Friedrich Robert 595
Wagner's gondolier, Trevisan 544
WAGNER, by Krauss 531
Wagner's mother 536
WAGNER, by Herkomer 559
WAGNER 545
Wagner 551
Wagner from family group 555
Weber, Aloysia, and Jos. Lange 279
Weber, Constanze 280
WEBER 387
Weber in his 24th year 393
WEBER, by T. Minasi 395
Willaert, Adrian 19
Zelter, Carl Friedrich 591
CARICATURES.
Auber 655
Beethoven 329
Berlioz, by Benjamin 687
Berlioz, by Carjat 688
Donizetti 76
Halévy, by Dantan 667
Halévy, by Carjat 671
Handel 210
Kreisler, Kapellmeister 455
LISZT 827
Liszt, by Dantan 829
Meyerbeer, bust 476
Meyerbeer 478
Rossini, by Carjat 56
Rossini, bust 63
Rossini from "Panthéon Charivarique" 64
Strauss, Johann (senior) 492
Verdi 129
FAC-SIMILE MANUSCRIPTS.
AUBER, music 661
AUBER, letter 662
BACH, music 182
Bach, poem 192
Balfe, letter 889
Balfe, music 890
Beethoven's creed 329
BEETHOVEN, music 336
BELLINI, letter 73
Bellini, music 74
Bizet, music 702
BOIELDIEU, music 637
Brahms, music and letter 506
BRUCH, music 521
Cherubini, music 106
CHOPIN, music 775
Donizetti, music 774
Dvořák, music 81
FRANZ, music and letter 467
GADE, music and letter 841
Gade, musical autograph 842
GLUCK, music and letter 233
GOUNOD, music 727
GRÉTRY, music 629
Grieg, music 836
Halévy, music 669
Handel, music 211
HAYDN, music 261
HÉROLD, music and letter 651
LISZT, music and letter 825
Marschner, letter 411
MARSCHNER, music 413
Massenet, music 716
MÉHUL, music 643
MENDELSSOHN, letter 425
MENDELSSOHN, music 426
MEYERBEER, music and letter 483
Mozart, letter 290
MOZART, music 292
PERGOLESE, music 47
Purcell, music 873
Raff, letter 499
Raff, music 501
Rameau, music 621
RHEINBERGER, music 529
ROSSINI, music 61
RUBINSTEIN, letter 797
Rubinstein, music 800
SAINT-SAËNS, music 707
SCARLATTI, music 40
SCHUBERT, music 361
SCHUBERT, letter 371
Schumann, Clara, letter 449
Schumann, letter 449
SCHUMANN, music 450
Schumann, music 462
Sgambati, music and letter 113
SPOHR, letter 377
SPOHR, music 383
SPONTINI, music and letter 87
Strauss (junior), music 493
Strauss (senior), music 493
Sullivan, music 895
THOMAS, AMBROISE, music 693
TSCHAÏKOWSKY, music 807
VERDI, music 125
Verdi, letter 132
WAGNER, letter 547
WAGNER, music 548
WAGNER, humorous composition 561
Weber, letter 401
WEBER, music 407
BIRTHPLACES AND RESIDENCES.
Auber's residence 658
Bach's birthplace 167
Beethoven's birthplace 310
Beethoven, house where he died 323
Gluck's birthplace 221
Gounod's residence 725
Grétry's Hermitage 627
GRIEG'S country house 833
Handel's house 201
Haydn's birthplace 247
Mendelssohn's birthplace 418
Mendelssohn's residence 435
Mozart's birthplace 274
Mozart's residence in Vienna 287
Mozart, house where he died 289
Palestrina's birthplace 32
Schubert's birthplace 353
Schumann's birthplace 441
Verdi's birthplace 119
Verdi's residence 123
Wagner's birthplace 534
Wagner's residence, Villa Triebschen 537
Wagner's residence at Bayreuth 538
Wagner's residence at Venice 541
Weber's birthplace 391
MONUMENTS, STATUES, BUSTS, AND TOMBS.
Auber, bust 656
Auber's tomb 659
BACH, statue 169
Bach, monument 185
Balfe, tablet 887
BEETHOVEN'S tomb 325
BEETHOVEN, MONUMENT IN VIENNA 332
BEETHOVEN, MONUMENT IN VIENNA 339
Beethoven, bust 341
Beethoven, monument in Bonn 345
Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert, Tombs of 365
BELLINI, monument 69
Bellini, bust 70
BELLINI'S tomb 71
Bizet's tomb 699
Boieldieu, bust 634
Boieldieu's tomb 635
CHERUBINI, monument 99
Cherubini's tomb 101
Cherubini, bust 103
CHOPIN'S tomb 773
DONIZETTI, monument 79
Donizetti, bust 80
Glinka, bust 789
Gluck's grave 231
GLUCK, statue 237
GLUCK, MONUMENT 239
Grétry's tomb 626
Grétry's Memorial Chapel 627
HALÉVY'S TOMB 668
Handel, monument in Halle 197
HANDEL, statue in Vauxhall Gardens 205
HANDEL, bust 209
HANDEL, statue, Paris Opera House 213
HAYDN, bust 251
HAYDN, monument 253
Haydn's grave 259
HÉROLD, bust 647
HÉROLD'S TOMB 649
Lasso, statue in Munich 5
Mendelssohn, bust 433
MEYERBEER, bust 477
Meyerbeer, family tomb 481
MOZART, statue 285
MOZART, MONUMENT IN VIENNA 291
MOZART, MONUMENT IN SALZBURG 299
MOZART, MONUMENT IN VIENNA 301
Purcell, memorial tablet 875
RAMEAU, statue 619
SCHUBERT, MONUMENT 363
SCHUBERT'S TOMB 367
SCHUMANN, monument 447
Spontini, bust 88
VERDI, bust 127
WAGNER, bust 563
WEBER, monument 399
MISCELLANEOUS.
Animated Forge movement 566
Auber's Piano 657
Bach and Family 171
Bach before Frederick 181
Bayreuth Hill and Theatre 540
Beethoven and Mozart 313
Beethoven's Death Mask 327
Beethoven's Life Mask 327
Beethoven leading quartet 315
Beethoven's Studio 322
BERLIN OPERA HOUSE 585
CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC AT LEIPSIC 593
Frescos in Vienna Opera House.
from "Armide" 242
" "Barber of Seville" 66
" "Creation" 266
" "Fidelio" 348
" the "Huguenots" 486
" "Jessonda" 386
" Mozart's operas 306
" Schubert's "Domestic War" 374
" the "Water Carrier" 91
GARDEN OF HARMONY 737
Gewandhaus Concert Hall in Leipsic 607
Gounod directing 732
GRÉTRY'S CLAVICHORD 625
Grétry crossing the Styx 632
Guidonian hand 137
Handel Commemoration 215
Handel's harpsichord 216
Hannibal, Scene from 576
Huguenots, billboard 484
Liszt's library and music room 818
Liszt's organ room 819
LISZT PLAYING TO HIS FRIENDS 817
Memorial Chapel, Grétry 627
Mendelssohn's hand 436
Mozart's ear 295
Mozart's first composition 270
Mozart's piano and spinet 276
Mozart, room where he was born 275
OLD MARKET SQUARE, Dresden 397
OPERA HOUSE, Paris 749
Palazzo Vendramin 543
PANTHÉON MUSICAL 755
PANTHÉON OF GERMAN MUSICIANS 567
Pergolese medal by Mercandetti 45
Pergolese commemorative medal 48
Rossini's clay pipe 60
SALZBURG 271
SCHUBERT AND HIS FRIENDS 357
SPONTINI'S PIANO 90
Strauss (junior) leading orchestra 496
St. Thomas's School 177
SYNTAGMA MUSICUM, Title-page of 572
Triumph of Rameau 622
VIENNA OPERA HOUSE 606
WAGNER AND FRIENDS AT BAYREUTH 557
Wagner's studio 539
WEBER LEADING OPERA 405
Weber's coat-of-arms 408
[Illustration: ORLANDO LASSO
_Reproduction of an engraving by C. Debluis, after an old German print in
the "Cabinet des estampes" in Paris. It bears the inscription, "Orlandus
Lassus, musicus excellens."_]
[Illustration: LASSO]
[Illustration]
ORLANDO DI LASSO
Roland Delattre is generally known by the Italian form of his name,
Orlando di Lasso. He was the last great light of the famous school of
Netherlands masters who were the real founders of modern musical art.
The history of Lasso's career is tolerably well known to us, owing to
the existence of Vinchant's "Annals of Hainault" and a sketch by Van
Quickelberg published in 1565 in a biographical dictionary called "Heroum
Prosopographia." Although the former author was born in 1580, and Lasso
died in 1594 or 1595, he places the date of the composer's birth ten
years earlier than Van Quickelberg. Fétis gives plausible reasons for
accepting Vinchant's date, yet it is probable that Van Quickelberg got
his data directly from the composer, of whom he was an intimate friend.
At any rate, he was born in Mons in 1520 or 1530 and at the age of seven
began his education. Like all musically gifted persons, he displayed his
inclination toward the tone art at an early age, and in his ninth year
he began the study of music. At that period music meant counterpoint
and church singing. Hence Lasso, being endowed with a fine voice, began
his career as a boy chorister in the church of St. Nicolas in his
native town. There he became celebrated for the beauty of his voice
and was twice stolen but recovered by his parents. The third time the
little song-bird was carried off, he consented to remain with Ferdinand
Gonzague, viceroy of Sicily and at that time commander of the army of
Charles V. When the war was over the lad went with Ferdinand to Sicily
and afterward to Milan. Van Quickelberg says that after six years his
voice broke and at the age of eighteen he was sent by his patron under
charge of Constantin Castriotto to Naples with letters of recommendation
to the Marquis of Terza. He became a member of that nobleman's household
and remained with him three years. At the end of that time he went
to Rome, where he stayed six months as the guest of the archbishop of
Florence. He was then appointed chapel-master of the famous church of St.
John Lateran. While serving there he was informed of the sickness of his
parents, and, probably being somewhat conscience stricken, set out for
Mons, where he arrived after his father and mother were dead.
He returned to Rome and soon afterward paid a visit to France and England
in company with a noble amateur of music called Julius Caeser Brancaccio.
From France he went to Antwerp, where he stayed until he went to Munich
in 1557 to enter the service of Albert of Bavaria. The doubt as to the
date of his birth makes the length of his residence in Rome uncertain. He
was there either two years or twelve, according as he was born in 1520
or 1530. The invitation to Munich seems to show that Lasso had acquired
a European reputation as a composer. Such a reputation would naturally
have been acquired during a long period of service in the Lateran church.
If, however, Lasso did remain in Rome twelve years and produce works
which gave him European celebrity, they are lost. Nevertheless even Van
Quickelberg's testimony goes to show that Lasso's fame as a composer and
as a man had preceded him to Munich. The Duke Albert directed him to
engage a number of singers for the ducal choir and take them with him
to Munich. Albert V. was a lover of art, and he is credited with being
highly pleased at the engagement of Lasso. Quickelberg says that report
in the Bavarian capital "was busy as to the character and disposition
of the man. He was credited with being a great artist and a high-minded
gentleman, and the Munich folk were not to be disappointed. The brilliant
wit of the master, his amiability of temper, the cheerfulness of his
disposition, and the universality of his knowledge, combined to make him
a favorite with all. With the duke and the duchess he was especially
intimate, and owing to their favor was admitted to the highest social
gatherings. His introduction to the court nobility resulted in his
marriage in 1558 with Regina Welkinger, a maid of honor attendant on the
duchess." [Naumann, History of Music, p. 376.]
[Illustration: ALBRECHT V.
Reproduced from an ancient prayer book.]
It may be as well to add here that Lasso and his wife had six children,
four sons and two daughters. Ferdinand and Rudolph, the eldest sons,
became composers of some note. It was in 1562 that Lasso was made
chapel-master to the Duke of Bavaria, thus attaining what was then
esteemed as the highest prize in the musical world. He now had under his
direction a fine body of singers and instrumentalists, for which a modern
composer would have written not only masses, but cantatas and oratorios.
We must bear in mind, however, that in Lasso's day church composers
preferred the _a capella_ style, and the art of orchestral accompaniment,
as we understand it now, was unknown. When instruments were used in
conjunction with voices they simply doubled the voice parts. Hence
Lasso's great compositions are all written for an unaccompanied choir.
It appears that Lasso served for five years as chamber musician before
being made chapel-master, because Ludwig Daser was not quite old enough
to be retired from the higher post and because the Duke wished Lasso to
learn the language before assuming the responsibility of the mastership.
In 1562, as stated, Daser was retired, and, as Van Quickelberg tells
us, "the Duke, seeing that Master Orlando had by this time learnt the
language and gained the good will of all by the propriety and gentleness
of his behavior, and that his compositions (in number infinite) were
universally liked, without loss of time elected him master of the chapel,
to the evident pleasure of all."
From this time forward for several years Lasso was engaged in composing
his most noted church works, among them being the famous "Penitential
Psalms," which are still held in the highest esteem among lovers of pure
old church music. He wrote also some of his finest Magnificats, as well
as many pieces of secular music. His fame spread through Europe, and
though Palestrina was his contemporary, it was Lasso who was spoken of
as the "Prince of Musicians." He was also much praised as a conductor,
and contemporary writers bear testimony to the fine precision and spirit
with which the ducal choir sang under his direction. In 1570 the Emperor
Maximilian honored the composer by making him a knight. The following
year Pope Gregory XIII. conferred upon him the order of the Golden
Spurs. The ceremony was performed with much pomp in the papal chapel at
Munich by the chevaliers Cajetan and Mezzacosta. In the same year the
composer made a visit to Paris, where he was received with every mark
of distinction by Charles IX. This visit and the favor of the monarch
have given rise to one of those pretty stories with which the history
of music is dotted, but which unfortunately will not bear scrutiny. The
story is that Charles IX., tormented by remorse for the massacre of St.
Bartholomew, asked Lasso to write his Penitential Psalms as an expression
of the kingly repentance. But dates, which are stubborn things, refuse
to be reconciled with this story. These psalms were undoubtedly written
at the request of Duke Albert. The first volume of them in manuscript is
preserved in the Royal State Library at Munich, and it bears the date
1565. The massacre of St. Bartholomew took place in 1572. The value
which Duke Albert set upon these compositions is shown by the manner
in which he treated them. They were bound in the most costly manner,
in morocco, with silver ornaments which alone cost seven hundred and
sixty-four florins. The court painter, Hans Mielich, painted for them
portraits of the Duke, Orlando, and of the persons who made the books.
J. Sterndale Bennett, in his excellent article on Lasso in Grove's
"Dictionary of Music," makes the suggestion that the production of these
noble psalms so early in the composer's life at Munich points to the
probability that his Roman sojourn was twelve years instead of two, and
that he was, therefore, born in 1520 instead of 1530. The inference is
hardly avoidable.
To return to the Paris visit, it may be deemed probable that one result
of it was the erection of a new Academy of Music, authorized by the
king in 1570. The only composition known to have been produced by Lasso
in Paris was sent to Duke Albert as "some proof of my gratitude." In
1574 Lasso set out for Paris once more, but when he had gone as far as
Frankfort he learned that King Charles IX. was dead; so he returned
to Munich, where he resumed the work of composition with undiminished
activity. Lasso never left Munich again and a detailed record of his life
subsequent to 1575 would consist chiefly of a chronological catalogue of
the works which he published. It may be said that he did not produce any
large compositions in the years 1578-80. The Duke, who had confirmed him
for life in his appointment on his return from Munich, had become ill,
and in October, 1579, this generous and high-minded patron of the arts
breathed his last.
This was a sad blow to Lasso, whose affection for his princely friend
was surely sincere. It was fortunate for the composer's material
welfare that Duke Albert's successor was a hearty admirer of his works.
The substantial nature of his regard was shown in 1587, when, Lasso
having begun to show signs of failing health, the new potentate gave
him a country house at Geising on the Ammer. There the composer sought
seclusion for a time from the bustle of court life. On April 15, he
dedicated twenty-three new madrigals to Dr. Mermann, the court physician,
and J. Sterndale Bennett sees in this an evidence of restored health
and renewed activity. Near the end of the year, however, he asked to be
relieved of some of his numerous duties. The Duke gave him permission
to retire from his post and pass a part of each year at Geising with
his family, but his salary was to be reduced to two hundred florins
per annum. His son Ferdinand, however, was to be appointed a member of
the choir at two hundred florins, and Rudolph was to be made organist
at the same salary. For some reason Lasso was not satisfied with this
arrangement, and so he resumed his labors.
[Illustration: STATUE OF LASSO IN MUNICH
Erected by Ludwig II.]
It would be gratifying to be able to picture this great master
approaching his end along the green pathway of a serene old age.
Unfortunately this cannot be done. His declining years were marked by
gloom and morbidity. He talked constantly of death, and became so peevish
as to write to Duke William complaining that he had not done all for the
composer that Duke Albert had promised. The devoted wife, Regina, united
her efforts with those of Princess Maximiliana to remove the evil effects
of this letter. The composer sank gradually and died at Munich on June
14, 1594. He was buried in the cemetery of the Franciscans, and his
widow erected a fine monument to his memory in their church. According to
Fétis this stone was two feet four inches high and four feet eight inches
long. It had ornamental bas-reliefs representing the holy sepulchre,
Lassus and his family at prayer, and the coat-of-arms conferred upon them
by the Emperor Maximilian. The inscription on the base was as follows:
"Hic ille est Lassus, lassum qui recreat orbem,
Discordemque sua copulat harmonia."
Here lies he weary who a weary world refreshed,
And discord with his harmony enmeshed.
The reader will note the play on the word _lassus_, weary. The monument
was removed when the Franciscan churchyard was dismantled in 1800, and
in 1830 the stone disappeared from view. The world of art has to thank
the "mad king" Ludwig, of Bavaria (to whom it owes debts of gratitude in
connection with Wagner's career), for the erection of a life-size statue
in bronze of Orlando Lasso. It stood originally next to the statue of
Gluck near the Theatiner Church, but was afterward removed to the public
promenade. There is another statue of Lasso at Mons, where he was born.
[Illustration: From portrait in the "Penitential Psalms," set by Lasso,
in the Royal State Library at Munich.]
Lasso was one of the most prolific composers that ever lived. He is said
to have written no less than two thousand five hundred original works. A
great number of these have been preserved, but the reader who is not able
to decipher antique scores will undoubtedly be most interested in those
which have been republished in modern form. These are as follows: his
famous seven Penitential Psalms, edited by S. W. Dehn and published in
Berlin in 1835; a "Regina coeli," "Salve Regina," "Angelus ad pastores,"
and "Miserere," Rochlitz's "Sammlung vorzüglicher Gesangstücke," Vol. I.,
published by Schott in 1838; a setting of the twenty-third Psalm as a
motet for five voices, a "Quo properas" for ten voices, and a Magnificat
for five, published at Berlin by Schlesinger; "Confirma hoc deus" for
six voices, Berlin, Guttentag; six German chansons (four voices) and one
dialogue (eight voices) in Dehn's "Sammlung alter Musik," Berlin, Crantz;
twelve motets (four to eight voices) in Commer's collection published
by Schott of Mainz; twenty motets in Proske's "Musica Divina"; the mass
"Qual donna attende" (five voices) in Proske's selection of masses
published at Ratisbon, 1856; the mass "Or sus à coup" (four voices),
edited by Ferrenberg and published by Heberle at Cologne in 1847. Many
more of his works have been edited and are ready for publication, but
remain in MS. The above list is taken from Scribner's "Cyclopedia of
Music and Musicians," and appears to be correct, as far as it goes.
Naumann's "History of Music" contains a very beautiful "Adoramus te
Christe," a chorale for four male voices. Lest the reader should fall
into the error of supposing that the great bulk of Lasso's works were
ecclesiastical, it should be mentioned that he wrote many German songs,
fifty-nine canzonets, three hundred and seventy-one French songs,
thirty-four Latin songs, and two hundred and thirty-three madrigals. Of
these last, at least one--"Matrona, mia cara"--holds its own among the
glees of to-day; and its quaint refrain of "Dong, dong, dong, derry,
derry, dong, dong," haunts every ear that once has heard it.
To rightly appreciate the value of Lasso's music one must bear in mind
the history of the great Netherlands school as a whole. Lasso was the
perfect blossom of a plant of long growth. His earliest predecessors
had been occupied in manufacturing musical materials, systematizing
the old chaotic practice of the mere improvisers and establishing
fundamental forms on which the superstructure of modern music was to be
reared. In their efforts at perfecting these forms they had fallen into
extravagances, often losing sight of the nature and purpose of music, of
which at the best they had a very imperfect comprehension. Occasionally,
at least once in each period of the existence of the school, a composer
arose who urged forward the march of development. A host of imitators
would follow, and in imitating the new forms and touches of a creative
mind these men could fall back into mere formal ingenuity again, and stay
there till another original thinker arose. The progress of musical art,
therefore, might be likened to the rising of the ocean tide on the beach,
moving forward in a series of waves, each followed by receding water.
[Illustration: ORLANDO DI LASSO.]
From a very early period in the rise of the Netherlands school a
movement toward beauty and simplicity of form and expression can be
traced. This movement came to its destination in Lasso. He did not, it
is true, abandon the contrapuntal forms of his predecessors; but he
wholly subordinated them to his purpose, and his purpose was plainly the
expression of those feelings which belong to man's religious nature. He
succeeded in keeping this purpose uppermost, no matter in what style he
chose to write. Sometimes he composed simple chorales in which the voices
moved simultaneously, and again he wrote hymns in four parts, adding a
popular melody as a discant. He moved from either of these styles to
the most complicated polyphonic manner of the Des Prés period without
sacrifice of dignity, musical beauty or religious fervor. He wrote works
for two and three choirs, and he wrote others for only two voices. In
the Penitential Psalms he clearly demonstrated that a mass of voices
and parts was not necessary to an attainment of impressive effect, for
he showed that he could be most powerfully expressive and influential
while employing the simplest of means. Some of his writing is extremely
old-fashioned even for his time. It might have been handed down from
the days of Ockeghem. Again he plunges boldly into the labyrinth of
chromatics and makes one think he hears the voice of Cyprian de Rore. In
short, we must concede that Lasso displayed in his constructive skill the
versatility of a complete master, while through all his work there runs
the never-failing current of personal influence that flows only from the
masterful individuality of a real genius.
Interesting comparisons have been drawn between the style of Lasso and
that of Palestrina. The fact is that in formal arrangement Palestrina's
masses bear a close assemblance to the most modern of Lasso's works.
It is only when the Flemish master is writing in the style of his
predecessors that his construction ceases to bear resemblance to that of
the Italian. Both excelled in one style--that in which the profundity
of contrapuntal skill results in an appearance of simplicity and in a
real conveyance of emotion. The difference between the men lies in the
character of their musical thought, and that difference has been most
excellently expressed by Ambros, who says: "The one (Palestrina) brings
the angelic host to earth; the other raises man to eternal regions, both
meeting in the realm of the ideal." Fétis, in his prize essay of 1828,
says: "Too many writers in their eulogies of Lasso have called him the
Prince of musicians of his age. Whatever be the respect which I have
for that great man, I declare that I am not able to acquiesce in this
exaggerated admiration. It is sufficient for the glory of Lasso that
he equalled the reputation of a musician like Palestrina; it would be
unjust to accord him the superiority. In examining the works of these
two celebrated artists, one remarks the different qualities which they
possess and which gives to them an individual physiognomy. The music
of the former is graceful and elegant (for the time in which it was
composed); but that of Palestrina has more force and seriousness. That
of Lasso is more singable and shows greater imagination, but that of his
rival is much more learned. In the motets and madrigals of Palestrina are
effects of mass which are admirable; but the French songs of Lasso are
full of most interesting details. In fine they deserve to be compared
with one another; that is a eulogy of both."
Fétis's assertion that the music of Palestrina is the more learned is
a trifle vague. The fact is that the learning of Palestrina's music is
greater than that of Lasso's only because the former more successfully
conceals itself. Nothing could be more lovely in its simplicity than
Lasso's "Adoramus te" given by Naumann, but its simplicity is that of the
chorale style. The "Regina Coeli" given by Rochlitz is a fine specimen
of double counterpoint. The "Salve Regina," given by the same author, is
in free chorale style and is written for solo quartet and chorus. The
"Angelus ad pastores," while not strict in its counterpoint, is full of
learned work, yet withal is not involved in style. The "Principal Parts
of the 51st Psalm," also printed in Rochlitz's work, looks very much like
a modern anthem, especially the "Gloria patri." The madrigals of Lasso
are charming in their native humor and in the piquancy of their part
writing.
The influence of Lasso upon later composers cannot well be separated
from the general influence of his time, for the contrapuntal church
style was the prevailing manner of composition throughout Europe.
The Belgian, Italian, and German music of the time is all built on
the model established by the Netherlands masters. But Lasso must be
credited with having done almost as much as Palestrina toward showing
how ecclesiastical music could be written in an artistic but wholly
intelligible manner. The German writers who imitated him (Ludwig Senfl,
Paul Gerhardt and others) in their Protestant chorals and motets led
the way directly to the motets, cantatas and passion music of the Bach
period, and Lasso through his influence on them contributed toward the
development of the genius of the immortal Sebastian.
[Illustration: W. J. Henderson]
[Illustration: THE NETHERLAND MASTERS]
[Illustration]
THE NETHERLAND MASTERS
The improvisatore nursed the infancy of both poetry and music. The latter
did not grow to the stature of an art until the rude improvisations
of its early guardians gave way to the systematic compositions of the
Netherland masters. Systematic composition, however, presupposes the
existence of three fundamental elements, none of which had assumed
tangible form in the earliest days recorded in musical history. These
elements are harmony, notation and measure. Huckbald, a Benedictine Monk
of St. Armand in Flanders, is credited with being the first to formulate
rules for harmony about 895 A. D. His ideas were crude and their results
disagreeable to the modern ear. He used chiefly parallel fourths and
fifths, but he employed another freer style in which a melody moved
flexibly above a fixed bass--the earliest form of pedal point. Harmony
was not invented by Huckbald, but he must be honored as the writer of the
first treatise on the subject. The field once opened up was industriously
cultivated, and by the time the era of the Netherland school began,
had been productive of a rich harvest. Notation was also a plant of
slow growth, but the employment of four lines in a staff, together with
the spaces, was introduced by Guido of Arezzo, who died in 1050. The
formulation of rules for measure was the work of Franco of Cologne, who
flourished 1200 A. D. He adopted four characters to represent sounds of
different lengths. These notes were the _longa_, [Illustration]; the
_brevis_, [Illustration]; the _duplex longa_, [Illustration] and the
_semi brevis_, [Illustration]. He also distinguished common from triple
time, calling the latter "perfect." Fétis quotes from the introduction
to Franco's "Ars Cantus Mensurabilis" the following words: "We propose,
therefore, to set forth in this volume this same measured music. We shall
not refuse to make known the good ideas of others, nor to expose their
mistakes; and if we have invented anything good, we shall support it
with good arguments." Fétis, however, makes this significant remark:
"Néanmoins le profond savoir qu'on remarque dans l'ouvrage de Francon,
et l'obscurité dans laquelle sont ensevelis et les noms et les œuvres de
ceux, auxquels il attribue la première invention de la musique mesurée,
le feront à jamais regarder comme le premier auteure de cette importante
découverte." [Fétis, Mémoire sur cette Question: "Quels out été les
mérites des Neerlandais dans la musique," etc.--Question mise au concours
pour l'année 1828 par la quatrieme classe de l'Institut des Sciences, de
Litterature et des Beaux Arts du Royaume des Pays-Bas.]
With harmony and measure governed by rules and the written page at hand
as a conserving power, systematic composition became a possibility. The
study of this art was the work of monks, who were the repositories of
polite learning in the middle ages, and they naturally sought for their
thematic material in the plain chant of the church. Their treatment of
this chant was a natural outgrowth of the impromptu production of music
which had preceded systematic composition and which clung to existence
with great pertinacity. Guido of Arezzo had taught choristers the art
of singing with such success that they began the long-honored custom of
adding ornaments to their melodies. They carried this practice to such
an extent that it became necessary for one singer to intone the melody
while another sang the ornamental part. This adding of ornamental parts
was called the art of discant; and when the monks took up scientific
composition they simply added discants to the liturgical chants of the
church. This was the beginning of counterpoint, the art of writing two
or more melodies which shall proceed simultaneously without breaking the
rules of harmony. The name "counterpoint" was early applied to it by
Johannes de Muris, doctor of theology at the University of Paris in the
beginning of the fourteenth century. This indicates that by his time the
scientific setting of note against note had fully superseded discant, the
fanciful elaboration of the singers.
It was in the hands of the great masters of the Netherland school that
this counterpoint, the first species of scientific composition, was
developed to its highest perfection. In the main the differences between
their counterpoint and ours are due to the cramped harmony of their
time, which was fettered by the employment of the Gregorian scales. The
superiority of Bach's counterpoint over theirs from a technical point of
view is the result of his mastery of chromatics and his perfection of the
system of equal temperament. With the aesthetic superiority of his work
we need not concern ourselves, for we must bear in mind the fact that
most of the Netherland masters were absorbed in developing the technical
construction of music, and had little to do with the exploration of its
emotional possibility.
Systems are not completed in a day. Those writers on musical history who
pass immediately from the labors of Franco to the Netherland masters
ignore the long series of tentative works of the French composers who
flourished between 1100 and 1370 A. D., and of the English composers
who flourished between the same years. It is a well established fact
that in England there were many writers who showed skill in the early
contrapuntal forms. Johannes Tinctoris, a Netherlander, writing in
1460 A. D., went so far as to say that the source of counterpoint was
among the English, of whom Dunstable was in his opinion the greatest
light. Walter Odington, an Englishman, wrote a learned treatise on
counterpoint in 1217, and some authorities accept him as the composer
of the notable canonic composition, "Sumer is icumen in." It is pretty
clearly established, however, that Odington was a disciple of the French
school, while Dunstable, being a contemporary of Binchois, was of later
birth than the early French composers. The writer of this paper is of
the opinion that the line of contrapuntal development appears to join
Flanders with France rather than with England, and he, therefore, prefers
to consider chiefly the French school.
The Frenchman, Jean Perotin, then, about 1130 A. D., employed imitation,
and one of his immediate successors, Jean de Garlande, says in his
treatise on music that double counterpoint was known before his time.
He says it is the repetition of the same phrase by different voices
at different times. It is impracticable in this article to review in
detail the achievements of the French school, but a summary of its work
is necessary to a comprehension of the Netherland school. The Frenchmen
possessed three kinds of harmonic combinations: the Déchant (discant) or
double, the triple and the quadruple, or in other words, contrapuntal
compositions in two, three and four parts. Discants were of two kinds.
In the first the cantus firmus, or fixed chant of the liturgy, was sung
by one voice (called tenor--Latin, _teneo_, I hold--because it held the
tune) while the other added a discant above it. In the second the discant
was freely composed, and a lower part, or bass added.
Three-part compositions were of four kinds: fauxbourdon, motet, rondeau
and conduit, the last three being written also in four parts. Fauxbourdon
was simply a three-voiced chant, the parts having similar motion, the
upper and lower being parallel sixths and the middle in fourths with
the discant. In the motet each voice had a text of its own. The rondo
was secular and was developed from the folk-music of the day. The
conduit was uncertain in form, secular in character, and, like the
rondo, was written for either voices or instruments. The early French
masters made extensive use of the parallel movement of voices, yet had
plainly no conception of harmony founded on chords. They show a much
clearer purpose in their contrapuntal writings wherein the imitations
are plainly devised according to rules. But the entire musical product
of France between 1100 and 1250 was the cold, mathematical work of
academicians, who nevertheless served the cause of the tone art by
laying down indispensable laws. The last great master of this school,
William of Machaut, who wrote the celebrated Coronation Mass for the
crowning of Charles V., flourished between 1284 and 1369. Naturally
enough the teachings of the French spread into the provinces of Belgium,
and there grew up a school from which the Netherland masters rose.
The most prominent early Belgian composer was Dufay (1350-1432). This
writer introduced secular melodies into his masses, forbade the use of
consecutive fifths, and freely used interrupted canonic part writing,
in which the imitation appears only at occasional effective places. His
works show evidences of a vague groping after euphonic beauty. Antoine
de Busnois, who died in 1482, was the last of these early masters. His
works abound in clever use of the devices of imitation and inversion. His
canonic writing is more finished and his harmony bolder than Dufay's. The
character of the music produced at this time has been well described by
Mr. Rockstro. He says: "At this period, representing the infancy of art,
the subject, or canto fermo, was almost invariably placed in the tenor
and sung in long sustained notes, while two or more supplementary voices
accompanied it with an elaborate counterpoint, written like the canto
fermo itself in one or other of the ancient ecclesiastical modes, and
consisting of fugal passages, points of imitation, or even canons, all
suggested by the primary idea, and all working together for a common end."