Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 1.djvu/499

ELSNER. Conservatoire, of which he became the first director and professor of composition. This institution did good service before it was closed by the political troubles of 1830. In 1834 it was revived, with Soliva as director. Elsner continued to compose, chiefly sacred music, till 1844, when he wrote his 'Stabat Mater,' his right hand being paralysed. He died in 1854. He is an interesting example of a successful composer who learnt composition by composing. His works are legion&mdash;Operas, ballets, melodramas, cantatas, church music, symphonies, and instrumental pieces of all sizes and kinds. His operas, immensely popular in Poland, are light, and in the now old-fashioned style of Paër and Mayer. His part-writing is easy and natural, but without originality or variety, while his fugues are poor, and his church-music in general too dramatic. He wrote two treatises on the fitness of the Polish language for music. [App. p.627 "he was Chopin's master."] [ M. C. C. ]

ELSSLER. [See ../Haydn, Joseph, p.712b, note.]

ELVEY,, Knight, Mus. Doc. was born at Canterbury, March 27, 1816. He commenced his musical education as a chorister of Canterbury Cathedral under Highmore Skeats, the organist. After quitting the choir he pursued his studies under his elder brother, Stephen. In 1834 he gained the Gresham prize medal for his anthem, 'Bow down Thine ear.' In 1835 he was appointed to succeed Skeats as organist of St. George's Chapel, Windsor. In 1838 he graduated as Bachelor of Music at Oxford, his exercise being a short oratorio, 'The Resurrection and Ascension,' which was afterwards produced in London by the Sacred Harmonic Society on Dec. 2, 1840, and has also been given at Boston, U. S. A., and at Glasgow. In 1840 he proceeded Doctor of Music, his exercise being an anthem, 'The ways of Zion do mourn.' He composed an anthem for voices and orchestra 'The Lord is King' for the Gloucester Musical Festival of 1853, and a similar one, 'Sing, O heavens,' for the Worcester Festival of 1857. Elvey's compositions are chiefly for the church; many of his anthems are published. He composed a Festival March for the wedding of the Princess Louise in 1871, which was afterwards performed in public. In the same year he received the honour of knighthood. His tune for the harvest hymn, 'Come, ye thankful people,' is generally admired. [ W. H. H. ]

ELVEY,, Mus. Doc., the elder brother of the preceding, was born in Canterbury, June 27, 1805. He was entered as a chorister of the cathedral under Skeats, whose pupil he continued after the breaking of his voice. On the death of Alfred Bennett in 1830, Elvey was appointed his successor as organist of New College, Oxford. In the following year he took the degree of Bachelor of Music at Oxford, his exercise being the hymn from Thomson's 'Seasons,' 'These as they change.' In 1838 he proceeded Doctor of Music, his exercise being an anthem, 'Great is the Lord!' He was Choragus of the University from 1840 till his death, Oct. 6, 1860. Stephen Elvey a compositions are not numerous; they consist chiefly of chants and services. His Evening Service, composed in continuation of Dr. Croft's Morning Service in A, and his 'Psalter and Canticles pointed' (Oxford, Parker), are well known. Some years before his death he had to submit to the amputation of a leg, through a gun accident whilst shooting. [ W. H. H. ]

ELWART,, learned musician, composer, and author, of Polish origin, born in Paris Nov. 18, 1808. He was originally a chorister in the church of St. Eustacho, but at 13 his father apprenticed him to a packing-case maker, from whom he ran away and supported himself by playing in the orchestra of a small theatre on the Boulevards. He became a pupil of the Conservatoire, learning composition under Fétis. In 1828, when in Lesueur's class, he founded 'concerts d'émulation' among the pupils, which continued for six years, and proved most useful to the students in composition as well as to the soloists. In 1831 he obtained the second prize for composition, and in 1834 the 'Grand Prix de Rome.' While at Rome he composed, amongst other things, an 'Omaggio alla memoria di Bellini,' performed at the Teatro Valle in 1835. In 1836 he resumed his post of assistant professor to Reicha at the Conservatoire. He conducted the concerts in the Rue Vivienne, and those of the Société de Ste. Cécile. Elwart was for long professor of harmony at the Conservatoire; after the war of 1870 he retired into private life, and died Oct. 14, 77. Among his compositions may be specified&mdash;the oratorios 'Noé' (Paris 1845) and 'La Naissance d'Eve' (1846); an opera 'Les Catalans' (Rouen); and choruses and instrumental music for the Alcestis of Euripides, performed at the Odéon; besides other operas not produced, symphonies, overtures, string quintets, quartets, and trios, masses, and other church music. He has written a life of Duprez (Paris, 1838); a 'Petit Manuel d'harmonie' (Paris, 1839), translated into Spanish, and in use at the Madrid Conservatoire; 'Le Chanteur accompagnateur' (Paris 1844); 'Traité du contrepoint et de la fugue' (Paris), and other theoretical works. He completed the 'Etudes élémentaires de musique' of Burnett and Damour (Paris 1845), and contributed articles on musical subjects to the 'Encyclopédie du dix-neuvième siècle' and to the 'Revue et Gazette musicale de Paris.' His 'Histoire de la Societé des Concerts' and 'Histoire des Concerts populaires' are two compendiums of useful and interesting matter. Though independent and eccentric, Elwart was both esteemed and liked. [ M. C. C. ]

ELY CATHEDRAL. The music library of this church contains a very valuable and interesting collection of MSS., principally of English church music, due chiefly to the pious care and industry of James Hawkins, its organist for 47 years from 1682. It consists of 36 volumes&mdash;21 of anthems, services, and chants, in score, 11 of 