Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 3.djvu/724

712 was first a pupil of Mme. Marchesi at Cologne; then of Pauline Viardot at Baden Baden, and lastly of Manuel Garcia in London. She returned to America in 1871, and soon took a high position as a concert singer. On May 13, 1873, she took leave of her native country in a concert at the Irving Hall, Boston, arrived in England, and made her first appearance on Nov. 5 at the Covent Garden Promenade Concert, under the conductorship of Sir Julius Benedict. At the Crystal Palace she first sang on Dec. 6, and shortly after appeared at the Saturday Popular, Feb. 21, 1874, Sacred Harmonic, Philharmonic, Albert Hall and London Ballad Concerts. At Gloucester, in the following September, she sang at the Festival. She was married on Easter Sunday 1875, at the Savoy Chapel, to Mr. John MacKinlay; and since then, excepting a few months in that year, when she sang in America in a series of 40 concerts under Theodore Thomas, has resided in London, and is one of the best known and most popular singers there.

Mme. Sterling is not unknown in classical music. On her first arrival here she sang the Cradle Song from Bach's Christmas Oratorio with much effect, and her répertoire contains songs of Mendelssohn and Schumann. But she is essentially a ballad singer. Her voice is one of great beauty and attractiveness; but it is her earnestness and intention, the force which she throws into the story—especially if it be weird or grim, such as 'The three fishers,' 'The sands of Dee,' or 'The three ravens'—and, probably more than all, the distinctness with which she declaims the words, whether they be German or English, that form the real secret of her success. [ G. ]

STERN,, was born at Breslau, Aug. 8, 1820, but removed at an early age to Berlin, where he learned music under Maurer, Ganz, and Rungenhagen, at the Singakademie and the Royal Academy of Arts, and soon began to compose. 'Please enquire about Mr. Julius Stern of Berlin,' says Mendelssohn, 'who has sent me a book of songs with a kind note. From the first glance I think they show talent, but I have not seen or heard anything else about him.' In 1843 he received a travelling scholarship from the King, which led him, first to Dresden for the special study of singing, and then to Paris, where he soon became known as conductor of the German 'Gesangverein.' Here he performed the Antigone, first in the studio of Henry Lehmann the painter, and then at the Odéon theatre, which drew from Mendelssohn a very characteristic letter (May 27, 1844). In 1846 he returned to Berlin, and in 1847 founded the well-known Singing Society which bore his name. The first performance of 'Elijah' in Oct. 1847, gave a specimen of the powers of the new association, and the level has since been fully maintained by performances of a very wide range of works both ancient and modern. In 1872 the Society celebrated its 25th anniversary, amid an enthusiasm which conclusively showed how wide and deep was the public feeling. In 1874 ill-health obliged Stern to retire from the conductorship, and he was succeeded by.

Meantime, in 1850, with Kullak and Marx, he had founded his Conservatorium, which, notwithstanding the defection of his two colleagues, still flourishes and has educated many good musicians. From 1869 to 71 he conducted the Berlin 'Sinfonie-Kapelle,' and at Christmas 1873 undertook the Reichshall Concerts, which however were not commercially successful, and only lasted for two seasons. He then confined himself to his Conservatorium till his death, Feb. 27, 1883. Stern has published many vocal pieces and arrangements, but his most enduring work will probably be his edition of Exercises by Vaccai (Bote & Bock), Crescentini (Peters), etc. He was made a 'Königliche Musikdirector' in 1849, and 'Königliche Professor' in 1860. [ G. ]

STEVENS,, born in London in 1757 [App. p.796 "March 27"], was educated in St. Paul's Cathedral choir under Richard Savage. He distinguished himself as a glee composer, and obtained prizes from the Catch Club for his glees, 'See, what horrid tempests rise,' 1782, and 'It was a lover and his lass,' 1786. He was appointed organist of the Temple Church, 1786, organist of the Charter House, 1796 (retaining his appointment at the Temple), and on March 17, 1801, was elected Professor of Music in Gresham College. He published three sets of glees and some songs. Nine glees and a catch by him are included in Warren's collections. Among his best glees may be mentioned 'Ye spotted snakes,' 'Blow, blow, thou winter wind,' 'Crabbed age and youth,' 'Sigh no more, ladies,' 'The cloud-capt towers,' 'From Oberon in fairy land,' 'Some of my heroes are low,' 'Prithee, foolish boy,' 'To be gazing on those charms,' and 'Strike the harp in the praise of Bragela,' all of which still retain their popularity with lovers of that class of composition. He edited 'Sacred Music for one, two, three and four voices, from the works of the most esteemed composers, Italian and English,' an excellent collection in 3 vols. fol. He died Sept. 23, 1837. [ W. H. H. ]

STEVENSON,, Knight, Mus. Doc., son of John Stevenson, a violinist in the State Band in Dublin, was born in Dublin about 1762. In 1773 he was admitted a chorister of St. Patrick's and Christ Church Cathedrals, Dublin, and continued so until 1779. He afterwards became a vicar choral of both cathedrals, and a member of the choir of Trinity College, Dublin. He composed new music to O'Keeffe's farces, 'The Son-in-Law' and 'The Agreeable Surprise,' to enable them to be performed in Dublin, and also composed for the Irish stage the operas of 'The Contract,' 1783; 'Love in a blaze,' 1800; 'The Patriot,' and 'The Burning of Moscow.' He obtained his Mus. Doc. degree at Dublin in 1791, and his knighthood from the Lord Lieutenant (Lord Hardwicke), in 1803. He composed some Services and Anthems (a collection of which he published, with his 