Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/95

LACY. towns on his way to London, which he reached in Oct. 1805. He soon gave concerts at Hanover Square Rooms, under the sobriquet of 'The Young Spaniard,' his name not being announced until May, 1807, when an engraved portrait of him was published. He next performed at Catalani's first concert in Dublin, and was afterwards engaged for Corri's concerts at Edinburgh at 20 guineas per night. A few years later he quitted the musical for the theatrical profession, and performed the principal genteel comedy parts at the theatres of Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, etc. In 1818 he was appointed leader of the Liverpool concerts vice Yaniewicz, and at the end of 1820 returned to London and was engaged as leader of the ballet at the King's Theatre. Lacy adapted to the English stage both words and music of several popular operas; and his adaptations display great skill, although gross liberties were frequently taken with the original pieces, which can only be excused by the taste of the time. Among them are 'The Maid of Judah' from 'Ivanhoe,' the music from 'Semiramide,' 1829; 'Cinderella,' the music from Rossini's 'Cenerentola,' 'Armida,' 'Maometto Secondo,' and 'Guillaume Tell,' 1830; 'Fra Diavolo,' 1831; and 'Robert le Diable,' under the title of 'The Fiend Father,' 1832. In 1833 he produced an oratorio entitled 'The Israelites in Egypt,' a pasticcio from Rossini's 'Mosè in Egitto,' and Handel's 'Israel in Egypt,' which was performed with scenery, dresses, and personation. In 1839 he brought forward a readaptation of Weber's 'Der Freischütz,' introducing the whole of the music for the first time. He rendered great assistance to Mr. Schoelcher in collecting the material for his ' Life of Handel.' He died at Pentonville, Sept. 20, 1867. [ W. H. H. ]

LADY HENRIETTE,. A ballet pantomine in 3 acts; music by Flotow, Burgmüller, and Deldevez. Produced at the Grand Opera Feb. 1, 1844. Saint Georges, by whom the libretto was written, afterwards extended it into an opera, which was set by Flotow as. [ G. ]

LADY OF THE LAKE, THE. A cantata in 2 parts; the text founded on Scott's poem by Natalia Macfarren, the music by Professor G. A. Macfarren. Written for and produced at Glasgow New Public Hall Nov. 15, 1877. [ G. ]

LÄNDLER,, or , a national dance popular in Austria, Bavaria, Bohemia, and Styria. It probably derives its name from the Landel, a district in the valley of the Ens, where the dance is said to have had its origin; but according to some authorities the word simply means 'country dance,' i.e. a waltz danced in a country fashion. In fact the Ländler is a homely waltz, and only differs from the waltz in being danced more slowly. It is in 3-4 or 3-8 time, and consists of two parts of eight bars, each part being repeated two or more times. Like most early dances, it occasionally has a vocal accompaniment. Both Mozart (Köchel, No. 606) and Beethoven (Nottebohm's Cat. p. 150, 151) have written genuine Ländler, but the compositions under this name of Jensen, Raff, Reinecke, and other modern musicians, have little in common with the original dance. The following example is the first part of a Styrian Ländler (Köhler, Volkstänze; Brunswick, 1854).

The little waltz so well known as 'Le Désir,' usually attributed to Beethoven, though really composed by Schubert, is a Ländler. To know what grace and beauty can be infused into this simple form one must hear Schubert's 'Wiener Damen-Ländler' or 'Belles Viennoises' in their unsophisticated form, before they were treated by Liszt. [ W. B. S. ]

LA FAGE,, born in Paris, March 28, 1801, grandson of the celebrated architect Lenoir. After trying education for the church and the army, he settled to music as a pupil of Perne's for harmony and counterpoint, devoting himself especially to the study of plain-chant. Perne recommended him to Choron, who took him first as pupil, and then as répétiteur, or assistant-master. In 1828 he was sent by the government to Rome and studied for a year under Baini. While in Italy he produced a comic opera 'I Creditori,' but comic opera was not to be his road to distinction. On his return to Paris, in Dec. 1829, he was appointed maitre de chapelle of St. Etienne du Mont, where he substituted an organ (built by John Abbey) for the harsh out-of-tune serpent hitherto used to accompany the voices—an excellent innovation! 1833 to 36 he spent in Italy, and lost his wife and son. He returned to Paris, and there published the 'Manuel complet de Musique' (1836–38), the first chapters of which had been prepared by Choron; 'Séméiologie musicale'; 'Miscellanées musicales'; 'Histoire générale de la musique,' and many biographical and critical articles collected from periodicals. He again visited Italy after the Revolution of 1848, and during this trip took copies of MSS. never before consulted. He also visited Germany and Spain, and during the Exhibition of 1851 made a short excursion to England. He then settled finally in Paris, and published the works which have placed him in the first rank of 'musicists'—to use a favourite word of his own. Over-work as an author, and as editor in chief of 'Le Plain-Chant,' a periodical which he founded in 1859, brought on a nervous affection, which ultimately led to his removal to the asylum for the insane at Charenton, where he died March 8, 1862.

La Fage composed much music of many kinds,