Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/259

MÉHUL. Ossianic, Spanish, patriarchal, or biblical—so long as it afforded him opportunities for local colouring, the importance of which he often exaggerated. His overtures to 'Le Jeune Henri' 'Horatius Coclès,' 'Timoléon,' and 'Les deux Aveugles de Tolède' are however incomparably superior to anything of the kind which preceded them; and most striking are such passages as the introduction to 'Ariodant,' where three cellos and a trombone hold a kind of dialogue, and that in 'Mélidore et Phrosine,' where four horns which have a complete part throughout the score, accompany the voice of a dying man with a kind of smothered rattle. In 'Uthal' the violins are entirely absent, their places being taken by the violas, in order to produce a soft and misty effect. Grétry was shocked at this innovation, and so wearied by its monotony, that he cried on leaving the theatre after the first performance, 'Six francs for an E-string (chanterelle)!'

Though Méhul's new and ingenious combinations were not always successful, and though his melodies were often wanting in that life and dash which rouse an audience, it must be acknowledged that with all his faults his work bears the stamp of a very individual mind and character, and the impress of that mighty race of 1789, with whom to will was to do, but amongst whose many gifts that of grace was too often wanting. Had he but possessed this fascinating quality, Méhul might have been the Mozart of France. As it is, we cannot withhold our admiration from the man who carried on Gluck's work with even more than Gluck's musical skill, regenerated opéra-comique, and placed himself at the head of the composers of his own time and nation.



The portrait of Méhul which we engrave is taken from a remarkable print by Quenedey, 1808. Quatre-mère de Quincy pronounced his eulogium at the Institut in Oct. 1818, and Vieillard, one of his intimate friends, published an interesting 'Notice' of him (Paris, 1859). The library of the Conservatoire contains many of his autographs, several being fragments of unpublished operas. The writer of this article discovered among them 'La Naissance d' Oscar Leclerc,' not elsewhere mentioned, an opéra-comique 'La Taupe,' and an 'Ouverture burlesque' for Piano, violin and reeds, interesting merely as musical curiosities. [ G. C. ]

MEIBOM (in Latin MEIBOMIUS),, learned historian of music, born early in the 17th century at Toenningen in Schleswig Holstein. Nothing is known of his studies, but his great work, 'Antiquæ musicæ auctores septem græce et latine' (Amsterdam, Elzevir), was published in 1652, and as in those days eminence was rarely attained in early youth, the date of his birth can hardly have been either 1626 or 1630 as commonly stated. The work was dedicated to Queen Christina of Sweden, at whose court he resided for some time. On one occasion however, while singing at the Queen's request his version of an ancient Greek melody, the whole court burst out laughing, and Meibom imagining that the Queen's physician Bourdelot was the instigator of this unseemly mirth gave him a box on the ear, and was in consequence dismissed. He took refuge with Frederic III. of Denmark, who gave him a professorship at Upsala, but he soon returned to Holland. Having endeavoured in vain to find a capitalist who would carry into execution his scheme of restoring the ancient triremes, he came to England in 1674 with the view of making arrangements for a new edition of the Old Testament. This project also failed, and returning to Holland, he died at Utrecht in 1711. The book already mentioned is one of the most valuable sources of information on ancient music, and may be considered a precursor of Gerber and Coussemaker. For his numerous works on music and geometry the reader is referred to Fétis. [ F. G. ]

MEISTER, ALTE. A collection of 40 P.F. pieces of the 17th and 18th centuries, edited by E. Pauer, published by Breitkopf & Härtel:—

Rameau. Gavotte and Variations in A minor. Kirnberger, Fugue (3 parts) In D minor. Do.,Do., (2 parts) in D. Marpurg, Capriccio in F. Méhul. Sonata in A. J. Ch. Bach, Sonata in C minor. C. P. E. Bach, Allegro in A. W. Fr. Bach, Fugue in C minor. Kuhnau, Sonata in D. Pad. Martini, Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro in E minor. J. L. Krebs, Partita in B&#x266d;. Do., Do. E&#x266d;. Matheson, 4 Gigues. Couperin, La Bandoline, Les Agrémens. Paradies, Sonata in D. Zipoli, Preludlo, Corrente, Sarabanda, and Giga in G minor. Cherubini, Sonata in B&#x266d;. Hässler, Sonata in A minor. Wagensell, Sonata in F. Benda, Largo and Presto in F. Frohberger, Toccata in D minor. Sacchini, Sonata in F. Hasse, Allegro in B&#x266d;. W. Fr. Bach, Sonata in C. Rolle, Sonata in E&#x266d;. Handel, Capriccio in G. Rameau, La Livri, L'Agaçante, La Timide. Loeilly, Suite in G minor. Rossi, Andantino and Allegro in G. F. Turini, Presto in G minor and Sonata in D&#x266d;. C. P. E. Bach. La Xenophone, Sibylle La Complaisante, Les Langueurs tendres. Graun. Gigue in B&#x266d; minor. Macielli, Glgue, Adagio, and Allegro. Sarti, Allegro in G. Grazioli, Sonata in G. D. Scarlatti, 2 Studies. Mattheson, Suite in C minor. Couperin, La Bersan, L'Ausonienne, Les Charmes, Le Bavolet flottant. Schobert. Minuet and Allegro molto in E&#x266d;. Muffat, Gigue in B&#x266d; and Allegro spiritoso in D.[ G. ]

MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG, DIE. An opera; words and music by Richard Wagner, completed in Oct. 1867, and first 