Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/166

154  at Gotha, where he died, in very greal destitution, Nov. 10, 1821. Concerts were given in various towns for the benefit of his widow and children. The university of Kiel gave him degree of Doctor of Music. He composed six symphonies, quartets, quintets, church music; a Te Deum, Psalms, a Dixit, Magnificat, and Hallelujah, in 4, 5, 8 and 16 parts; several operas—'Das graue Ungeheuer' (1790, Bonn), 'Die Macht der Musik' (1791), 'Der Rabe,' operetta (1792), 'Die Grossmuth des Scipio,' and 'Die Ruinen zu Paluzzi,'—the two last not performed. His best-known work is the music for Schiller's 'Song of the Bell,' which still keeps its place in concert programmes. His music is solid, but not original, being too closely modelled on Mozart. His larger works are well-known in England. The Lay of the Bell was, in the early days of the Choral Harmonists' Society, to be often found in its programmes, and is still occasionally heard. That, with 'The Transient and the Eternal,' 'The Harmony of the Spheres,' 'The Power of Song,' and a Te Deum (in D), are all published with English words by Novellos. His Toy-symphony is now and then played as an alternative to Haydn's, and was chosen for performance by an extraordinary company, embracing most of the great artists of London, May 14, 1880. Two sons, and  are mentioned in the Allg. musikalische Zeitung. Andreas's brother, born 1775, and educated for a cellist, died aged seventeen. His sister, born 1781, had a considerable reputation as a pianist. [ F. G. ]

ROMEO AND JULIET. A subject often set by opera composers; e.g.—

1. Roméo et Juliette; 3 acts; words by de Ségur, music by Steibelt. Feydeau, Paris, Sept. 10, 1793.

2. 'Giulietta e Romeo.' Opera seria in 3 acts, by Zingarelli. Produced at the Scala, Milan, Carnival [App. p.775 "Jan. 30"], 1796. It was one of Napoleon's favourite operas, when Crescentini sang in it.

3. 'Giulietta e Romeo,' by Vaccaj. Produced at the Scala [App. p.775 "the Teatro della Canobbiana"], Milan, spring of 1826 [App. p.775 "Oct. 31, 1825"]; King's Theatre, London, April 10, 1832.

4. 'I Capuletti ed i Montecchi,' in 3 acts; libretto by Romani, music by Bellini. Produced at Venice, March 12 [App. p.775 "11"], 1830. It was written for the two Grisis and Rubini. King's Theatre, London, July 20, 1833.

5. 'Romeo et Juliette,' in 5 acts; words by Barbier and Carre, music by Gounod. Produced at the Thèâtre Lyrique, April 27, 1867. In London, at Covent Garden, in Italian, July 11, 1867.

6. In addition to these it has been made the subject of a work by Berlioz, his 5th Symphony—'Roméo et Juliette. Symphonie dramatique, avec chœurs, solos de chant, et prologue en recitatif choral, op. 17.' Dedicated to Paganini. The words are Berlioz's own, versified by Emil Deschamps. It was composed in 1839, and performed three times consecutively at the Conservatoire. [App. p.775 "Add date of first performance of Berlioz's symphony, Nov. 24, 1839."] In England the First Part (4 numbers) was executed under M. Berlioz's direction at the New Philharmonic Concerts of March 24, and April 28, 1852, and the entire work by the Philharmonic Society (Cusins) March 10, 1881. [ G. ]

ROMER,, soprano singer, pupil of Sir George Smart, born in 1814, made her first appearance at Covent Garden Oct. 16, 1830, as Clara in 'The Duenna.' She met with a favourable reception, and for several years filled the position of prima donna at Covent Garden, the English Opera House, and Drury Lane, with great credit. In 1852 she took the management of the Surrey Theatre, with a company containing Miss Poole and other good singers, and brought out a series of operas in English. Miss Romer was rarely heard in the concert-room, but appeared at the Westminster Abbey Festival in 1834. She was the original singer of the title-parts in Barnett's 'Mountain Sylph' and 'Fair Rosamond.' Her performance of Amina in the English version of Bellini's 'Sonnambula' was much admired. She married a Mr. Almond, and died at Margate, April 11, 1868. [ W. H. H. ]

RONCONI, a family of distinguished singers.

, a tenor, was born July 11, 1772, at Lendinara-di-Polesine in Venetia. He first appeared on the stage in 1797 at La Fenice, Venice, and obtained great renown both as a singer and actor, there and in other Italian cities. He sang in Italian opera at St. Petersburg and Munich, and afterwards became a professor of singing at the Conservatoires in those cities, and at Milan, where he died, April 13, 1839. Of his three sons,

, born in 1811, at Venice, under the direction of his father devoted himself to instruction in singing, and became a professor in 1837 at Wurzburg, at Frankfort, and, in 1844–8, at Milan. He was similarly engaged for some years in London, and finally at St. Petersburg, where he died Sept. 10, 1875. He was the author of a Method of teaching singing, and of several songs. His second brother,

, the celebrated baritone, was born at Milan, Aug. 6, 1810. He received instruction in singing from his father, and began his dramatic career in 1831, at Pavia, as Arturo in 'La Straniera.' He played in some of the small Italian cities, then at Rome, where Donizetti wrote for him 'Il Furioso,' 'Torquato Tasso,' and 'Maria di Rohan,' in which last, as Duc de Chevreuse, he obtained one of his greatest triumphs—also at Turin, Florence, Naples, etc. In the last city Ronconi was married, Oct. 18, 1837, to Signorina Giovannina [App. p.775 "Elguerra"] Giannoni, a singer who had played in London the previous year, in opera-buffa at the St. James's Theatre [App. p.775 "Lyceum and King's Theatres"]. He began his career in England at Her Majesty's, April 9, 1842, as 'Enrico' in Lucia, and was well received during the season in that character and in those of Filippo (Beatrice di Tenda), Belcore (L'Elisir), Basilio, Riccardo (Puritani), Tasso, etc. In the last opera his wife played with him, but neither then, nor five years later as Maria di Rohan, did she make the least impression on the English public. He then made a provincial tour with her, Thalberg, and John, Parry. In the winter he played at the 'Italiens,'