Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/135

LEONORE PROHASKA. is in possession of Mr. Adolph Müller of Vienna. Dr. Sonnleithner—no mean authority—believed that Beethoven had also written an overture and entr'acte for the piece. For some reason or other the play was not performed. [ G. ]

LEROY, or LE ROY,, was a singer, lute player, and composer, but will be remembered as one of the most celebrated music printers of the 16th century, when printers were also publishers. Of the reasons of his taking to printing we have no account. He worked with the types of Le Bé (cut in 1540), as Attaignant had done before him with those of Hautin. Fétis states that he worked by himself for some time, but cites no evidence. In 1551 Le Roy married the sister of R. Ballard, who was already occupying himself with music printing, and was attached to the court; they joined partnership and obtained a patent, dated Feb. 16, 1552, as sole printers of music to Henri II. In 1571 he received Orlando Lasso as his guest, and published a volume of 'moduli' for him, with a dedication to Charles IX, which has already been quoted in this volume. [See p. 98a ]. Leroy's name disappears from the publications of the firm in 1589, and it may thus far be inferred that he died then. His Instruction-book for the Lute, 1557, was translated into English in two different versions, one by Alford, London 1568, and one by 'F. K. Gentleman' (Ib. 1574). A second work of his was a short and easy instruction-book for the 'Guiterne,' or guitar (1578); and a third is a book of 'airs de cour' for the lute 1571, in the dedication of which he says that such airs were formerly known as 'voix de ville.' Besides these the firm published, between 1551 and 1568, 20 books of 'Chansons' for 4 voices. [ G. ]

LESCHETITZKY,, a distinguished pianist, born of Polish parents in 1831. He attracted notice in Vienna by his pianoforte playing in 1845. He was for some time a professor at the Conservatorium of St. Petersburg, from which appointment he has retired, and now lives in Vienna. His compositions chiefly consist of morceaux de salon for the piano. He made his début in England at the Musical Union concerts in 1864, playing in the Schumann Quintet, and solos of his own composition, and has frequently since then appeared at the same concerts. Madame Annette Essipoff was for some time his pupil. [App. p.700 "in 1880 he married his pupil, Mme. Essipoff. Also that an opera by him, 'Die erste Falte' was given at Prague in 1867."] [ J. A. F. M. ]

LESLIE,, born in London, June 18, 1822, commenced his musical education under Charles Lucas in 1838. For several years he played the violoncello at the Sacred Harmonic Society and elsewhere. In 1847, on the formation of the Amateur Musical Society, he was appointed its honorary secretary, and continued so until 1855, when he became its conductor, which post he retained until the dissolution of the Society in 1861. In 1855 he formed the well-known Choir which bears his name, which numbers 200 voices, is noted for its refined performance of motets, madrigals, and other unaccompanied part music, and in 1878 gained the first prize in the International competition of choirs at Paris. In 1863 he was appointed conductor of the Herefordshire Philharmonic Society, an amateur body at Hereford. In 1864 he became principal of the National College of Music, an institution formed on the principle of the foreign conservatoires, which, however, not receiving adequate support, was dissolved in a few years. In 1874 he became the director and conductor of the Guild of Amateur Musicians. Henry Leslie's first published composition—a Te Deum and Jubilate in D—appeared in 1846. He has since produced a Symphony in F, 1847; a festival anthem, 'Let God arise,' for solo voices, chorus and orchestra, 1849; overture, 'The Templar,' 1852; 'Immanuel,' oratorio, 1853 [App. p.700 "1854"]; 'Romance, or, Bold Dick Turpin,' operetta, 1857; 'Judith,' oratorio, produced at Birmingham Festival, 1858; 'Holyrood,' cantata, 1860; 'The Daughter of the Isles,' cantata, 1861; 'Ida,' opera, 1864: besides instrumental chamber music, anthems, songs, duets, trios, pianoforte pieces, and a large number of part songs and madrigals composed for his choir. In addition to a wide range of madrigals, motets, and unaccompanied music of all ages and countries, the following are among the larger works which have been performed by this excellent choir:—Bach's motets for 8 voices; Samuel Wesley's ditto for ditto; Mendelssohn's Psalms and motets, and his Antigone and Œdipus; Gounod's motets and Messe Solennelle; Carissimi's Jonah; Tallis's Forty-part song; Bourgault Ducoudray's Symphonie religieuse (unaccompanied). [App. p.700 "in 1880 his choir was broken up; it was subsequently reorganized under Signor Randegger, and in 1885–1887 Mr. Leslie resumed its management. Died Feb. 4, 1869."] [ W. H. H. ]

LESSEL,, one of Haydn's three favourite pupils, born about 1780, at Pulawy on the Vistula, in Poland; his father, a pupil of Adam Hiller and Dittersdorf, being Musikdirector at the neighbouring castle of Prince Czartoryski. In 1797 he came to Vienna to study medicine, but the love of music proved a great distraction. Haydn eventually took him as a pupil, a service he repaid by tending him till his death with the care and devotion of a son. In 1810 he returned to Poland, and lived with the Czartoryski family, occupied entirely with music. After the Revolution of 1830 had driven his patrons into exile, Lessel led a life of great vicissitude, but being a man of varied cultivation always managed to maintain himself, though often reduced to great straits. In 1837 he was superseded in his post as principal of the gymnasium at Petrikan on the borders of Silesia, and feeling a presentiment of approaching death, he composed his requiem, and shortly after (March 1839) expired of the disease commonly called a broken heart. He left songs, chamber music, and symphonies; also church music, specially indicating gifts of no common order. Among his effects were some autographs of Haydn presented by himself. Some of his works were published by Artaria, Weigl, and Breitkopf & Härtel, among them being, 3 sonatas for P.F. (op. 2) dedicated to Haydn; fantasia for P.F.