Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/422

410 succeeded, he next attempted classical music, and in Holy Week gave a 'concert spirituel,' consisting of Handel's music only. This opened the way for numerous imitators. Having secured a reputation in France he came to England, and made his first appearance at Drury Lane on Monday, Oct. 12, 1840, as conductor of the Promenade Concerts, or Concerts d'hiver, given there under the management of Eliason. The series terminated in March 1841, and on Sept. 30 Musard appeared again as conductor of a set of Promenade Concerts at the Lyceum, under the management of Henri Laurent, which continued up to Christmas. He is still remembered in London, and amateurs of that period will doubtless recollect Hood's 'jeu d'esprit,' one verse of which well takes off his look and manner:—

Up to 1852 Musard was considered the best composer of dance-music and conductor of promenade concerts in France. His quadrilles—'Venise,' 'Les Echos,' etc.—contain many happy and at that time novel effects, and his music is well written and well scored. Having made money he bought a house at Auteuil, where he lived much respected. Symptoms of paralysis appeared in 1852, and he died March 31, 1859. His son, born 1828 in Paris, followed his father's profession. As early as 1847 he conducted the orchestra at a ball given at the Opéra Comique, and in 1856 Besselievre selected him to conduct the 'Concerts des Champs Elysées,' but he did not retain the post, and never rose above mediocrity—at least in music. [ G. C. ]

MUSETTE, diminutive of the old French 'muse,' both meaning an instrument of the bagpipe family, consisting of two pipes or reeds and a drone, supplied with wind from a leathern reservoir. [See .] Like the Irish bagpipe it is inflated by bellows placed under the performer's arm. The original compass was ten notes (a); but by the addition of holes and keys the scale was increased to thirteen (b):

Limited as were its resources, this instrument was once a favourite, and under Louis XIV was introduced, first into the court ballets, and then into the divertissements or entr'actes of operas. Ladies even learned to play it, and had highly ornamented instruments made for their use.

The best information on the subject is to be obtained from Mersenne's 'Harmonie Universelle,' Borjon's 'Traité de la Musette,' a folio with plates (Lyons 1672), and 'Méthode pour la Musette' (Paris, Ballard, 1737), by Louis Hotteterre, a well-known flute player, the son (according to his own statement) of Martin Hotteterre, composer and virtuoso. From these works we learn that the best makers were Le Vacher; the Hotteterres, father and two sons, Nicolas and Jean; Lissieux; Perrin, etc. The best-known players were Philippe Chèdeville (died in Paris 1782), a valued member of the orchestra at the Opéra from 1725 to 1749, and his brother Nicolas. Both published pieces for two musettes, now in the library of the Conservatoire at Paris.

2. Also a small oboe without keys, generally in G; not to be confounded with the 'hautbois de forêt' or 'oboe piccolo.'

3. The term is also applied to an air in 2-4, 3-4 or 6-8 time, of a moderate tempo, and smooth and simple character, appropriate to the instrument from which it takes its name. Thus a musette generally has a pedal-bass answering to the drone or bourdon, and the upper part abounds in grace-notes and rapid passages. To these airs were arranged pastoral dances, also called musettes, which were in great favour under Louis XIV and Louis XV, especially the latter, as may be seen by the pictures of Watteau and others of that school.

Among the most celebrated musettes may be mentioned those in 'Callirhoé' and 'Nina,' operas by Destouches and Dalayrac. They are to be found in Bach's English Suites, nos. 3 and 6, and in the sixth of Handel's Grand Concertos, of which we quote a few bars:—

[ G. C. ]

MUSICA ANTIQUA. A collection of music compiled and edited by John Stafford Smith, and published in 1812 in 2 vols. folio, with a preface and translations of the Provençal songs inserted in the work by John Sidney Hawkins, and some notes by the editor. Its nature and objects will be best described by quoting the very ample title—'Musica Antiqua. A Selection of Music of this and other countries from the commencement of the twelfth to the beginning of the eighteenth century, comprising some of the earliest & most curious Motetts, Madrigals, Hymns, Anthems, Songs, Lessons & Dance Tunes, some of them now first published from manuscripts and printed works of great rarity & value. The whole calculated to shew the original sources of the melody & harmony of this country, & to exhibit the different styles and degrees of improvement of the several periods.' The work contains 190 separate pieces. The selections are made with great skill and judgment, but are very ill digested, as instead