Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/701

STAMATY. STAMATY,, son of a Greek father and a very musical French mother, was born at Rome, March 23, 1811. After the death of his father in 1818 his mother returned to France, remained some time at Dijon, and finally went to Paris. There, after long coquetting between music and business as a profession, Stamaty, in 1828, took an employés post in the Prefecture of the Seine. But music retained its influence on him, and under Fessy and Kalkbrenner he became a remarkable player. An attack of rheumatism forced him from playing to the study of composition. In March 1835 he made his first public appearance in a concert, the programme of which contained a concerto and other pieces of his composition. This led to his being much sought after as a teacher. But he was not satisfied, and in Sept. 1836 went to Leipzig, attracted doubtless by the fame of Mendelssohn and Schumann, then both resident there (Mendelssohn Family, ii. 20). After a short course of instruction from Mendelssohn, he returned to Paris early in 1837, and introduced much more classical music—Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc.—into his programmes. In 1846 he lost his mother, in 1848 he married, in 1862 was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, and on April 19, 1870, closed a long career of usefulness and enthusiasm. From a crowd of pupils it is sufficient to name Gottschalk and Saint Säens. His most permanent works are educational—'Le Rhythme des doigts,' much praised; 'Etudes progressives' (op. 37-39); 'Etudes concertantes' (ops. 46, 47); 'Esquisse' (op. 19); 'Etudes pittoresques' (op. 21); 'Six études caracteristiques sur Obéron,' and 12 transcriptions entitled 'Souvenir du Conservatoire.'

Besides these, his solo sonatas in F minor and C minor, a PF. trio (op. 12), a concerto in A minor, and other works, were much esteemed at the time. The concerto and some brilliant variations on an original theme (op. 3), are reviewed very favourably by Schumann (Ges. Schriften, ii. 155, 181). [ G. ]

STAMITZ. A Bohemian musical family of much renown in the 18th century, (1), born 1719; son of the schoolmaster at Deutschbrod; a man evidently of great originality and force. About 1745 he became leading violin and director of chamber-music to the Elector of Mannheim, and remained there till his death in 1761. He wrote much music for the violin, which shows him to have been a great and brilliant player. Six concertos, 3 sets of 6 sonatas, and some solo exercises, giving the effect of duets, were published at Paris, and 21 concertos and 9 solos are still in MS. He also wrote symphonies, of which 6 are published and 11 in MS., as well as concertos and sonatas for the harpsichord. There is no chance now of hearing any of Stamitz's orchestral works; but it is obvious from Burney's account ('Present State,' i. 95, 96) that they were a great advance in effect and expression on anything that preceded them. (2) His brother, born 1721, was a great cello-player, also in the Mannheim band. He became a priest, rose to nany dignities, and died at Altbunzlau Aug. 23, 1768. Another brother,, was distinguished as a painter. Cannabich was one of Johann Karl's pupils, but a still more memorable one was (3) his eldest son,, born at Mannheim, May 7, 1746, and like his father a remarkable violinist and composer. In 1770 he went to Paris, and was known there as a player of the viola and viola d'amore. In 1785 he returned to Germany, and in 1787 we find him at Prague and Nuremberg, in 1790 at Cassel, and then at St. Petersburg, where he remained for some years, and where he brought out a grand opera, 'Dardanus.' He died at Jena in 1801. His published works contain 10 symphonies, 4 do. for 2 violins and orchestra, 7 concertos for violin, 1 for viola, and 1 for piano; also many quartets, trios, etc. (4) Another son of Johann Karl was, born at Mannheim 1755. He went to Paris with Karl, and published much for the violin, of which a list is given by Fétis. [ G. ]

STANFORD,, composer end conductor, born Sept. 30, 1852, at Dublin, where his father, an enthusiastic amateur, was Examiner in the Court of Chancery. He studied composition with A. O'Leary and Sir Robert Stewart; matriculated at Queen's College, Cambridge, as choral scholar; in 1873 succeeded Dr. J. L. Hopkins as organist of Trinity College, graduated there in Classical Honours in 1874, and was appointed [App. p.796 "had been appointed two years previously"] conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society. In 1874, 5, and 6, he studied with Reinecke at Leipzig, and Kiel at Berlin; proceeded M.A. in 1877; wrote an Overture for the Gloucester Festival in the same year, which was afterwards played at the Crystal Palace, and a Psalm (the 46th, op. 8), performed at Cambridge, May 22, 1877, and at a Richter Concert. At the request of Mr. Tennyson he composed the overture, songs, and entractes for 'Queen Mary' (op. 6), when that play was produced at the Lyceum, April 18, 1876. His Symphony in B♭ was performed at the Crystal Palace, March 8, 1879.

On Feb. 6, 1881, his opera 'The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan,' in 3 acts, libretto by W. B. Squire, after Moore, was produced at the Court Theatre, Hanover, with German version by Kapellmeister Frank, published by Boosey & Co. and Bote & Bock. An Elegiac Symphony in D minor was produced at Cambridge, March 7, 1882; and a Serenade in 5 movements, also for full orchestra (op. 17), at the Birmingham Festival, 1882, with great success, and repeated at Bristol. [App. p.796 "Add that he received the honorary degree of Mus.D. at Oxford in 1883; in 1885 he succeeded Mr. Goldschmidt as conductor of the Bach Choir, and in Dec. 1887 he was elected Professor of Music in the University of Cambridge, on the death of Sir G. A. Macfarren."] Thus far every year has scored a success, and we may hope that a new 3-act opera, 'Savonarola'—words by G. A. A'Beckett—announced for production at Hamburg in the autumn, will not prove an exception. In chamber music Mr. Stanford has been equally active. He has published a Suite and Toccata for PF. solo (ops. 2 and 3); a Sonata for PF. and violin in D (op. 11), and another for PF. and cello in A (op. 9) both produced at Franke's Chamber Concerts, 1882; 3 Intermezzos for PF. and clarinet (op. 13); a String Quartet [App. p.796 "Quartet for PF. and strings"] in F (op.