Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/217

ULRICH.  to A. B. Marx; but poor Ulrich had no money to pay the fees. With Meyerbeer's help, however, he became a pupil of Dehn's for two years, and then produced his op. 1, a PF. trio, followed by two symphonies, all of which excited much attention. The B minor Symphony (1852) went the round of Germany, and the Sinfonie Triomphale obtained the prize of 1500 francs from the Royal Academy of Brussels in 1853, and was very much performed and applauded. In 1855 he went off to Italy and lived for long in the various great towns, but was driven back by want of means to Berlin. He brought with him an opera, 'Bertrand de Born' (still in MS.). He taught for a short time in the Conservatoire, but teaching was distasteful to him; he had not the strength to struggle against fate, and after attempting a third symphony (in G), he appears to have broken down, or at least to have relinquished his old high standard, and to have betaken himself to pot-boilers of various kinds. Amongst these his arrangements of symphonies and other orchestral works are prominent, and of first-rate merit. His wretched life brought on a most painful nervous illness, which carried him off on March 23, 1872, and thus ended a life which in happier circumstances might have produced great results. He left a quartet, two overtures, a cello sonata, and various PF. works. [ G. ]

UMLAUF,, popular dramatic composer in his day, born 1756, in Vienna, where he died June 8, 1796. In 1772 he entered the orchestra of the Court Theatre as violin-player, in 1778 became Capellmeister of the German Singspiel, in 1789 deputy Capellmeister (with Salieri as chief) at the Court Theatre, and later was associated with Weigl in a similar manner at the Opera. His first opera, 'I Rovinati,' was composed to Italian words by Boccherini (Court Theatre, 1772). When the Emperor Joseph instituted the national Singspiel (for which Mozart composed the Entführung') he pitched upon Umlauf to start it, and his 'Bergknappen' was the first German Singspiel produced at the Burgtheater (Feb. 17, 1778). This was succeeded by 'Die Apotheke'; 'Die pucefarbenen Schuhe,' or 'Die schöne Schusterin' (long a favourite with the charming singer Mme. Weiss in the principal part) (1779); 'Das Irrlicht,' comic opera in 3 acts, with Mme. Lange; and 'Der Oberamtmann und die Soldaten' (after Calderon), a 5-act play with airs and serenade (1782); 'Die glücklichen Jäger,' and 'Der Ring der Liebe,' both Singspiele (1786). These operas are all distinguished by a pleasing style, a fine flow of melody, and plenty of striking tunes. Umlauf never left Vienna but once, and that was in 1790, when he went with Salieri and a part of the Court band to the Coronation of the Emperor Leopold II. at Frankfort. A set of variations on the favourite air from 'Das Irrlicht,' 'Zu Steffan sprach in Traume,' composed for the celebrated bass-singer Fischer, was long attributed to Mozart, but they were really written by Eberl (see Köchel's 'Mozart Catalogue,' Appendix V. No. 288). Pianoforte scores appeared of 'Die schöne Schusterin' and 'Das Irrlicht,' while several of the airs from the other Singspiele were published singly or in arrangements. Umlauf's son

, born 1781 in Vienna, died June 20, 1842, at Baden, near Vienna, was violinist at the opera, in 1804 began to compose ballets, was Capellmeister of the two Court Theatres from 1810 to 1825, and engaged again in 1840. He is said to have been a clever musician, published PF. sonatas, etc., and composed a Singspiel, 'Der Grenadier' (Kärnthnerthor Theatre, 1812). His chief interest however is the important part he took in the performance of Beethoven's works. On these occasions they both acted as conductors, Umlauf standing by the side of, or behind, Beethoven; but it was his beat only which the orchestra followed, as Beethoven, either carried away by his impetuosity went too fast, as at the performance of Fidelio in 1814, or, owing to his deafness, lost the time altogether, as at concerts in 1814, 1819, and 1824. At the first two performances of the 9th Symphony in May 1824, Beethoven merely gave the tempo at the commencement of each movement, an arrangement which the programme announced in the following diplomatic terms, 'Herr Schuppanzigh will lead the orchestra, and Herr Capellmeister Umlauf conducts the whole performance. Herr L. v. Beethoven will take part in conducting the whole performance.' [ C. F. P. ]

UN ANNO ED UN GIORNO (i.e. 'A year and a day'). An opera buffa in one act, by Sir Julius Benedict. Produced at the Teatro Fondo, Naples, in 1836, for the début of F. Lablache and Mlle. Bordogni. It was repeated at Stuttgart in 1837. [App. p.806 "Add that it was produced at the Lyceum Theatre in 1836, shortly after its production at Naples."] [ G. ]

UNDA MARIS (The sea-wave), a name for the undulating organ stop more generally known as. [ G. ]

UNDINE. A cantata for solos, chorus, and orchestra; words by John Oxenford, music by Sir Julius Benedict, composed for and produced at the Norwich Festival, Sept. 1860. [ G. ]

UNEQUAL. 'Equal voices' is the term to denote that the voices in a composition are of one class—female voices, as sopranos and contraltos; or male voices, as altos, tenors, and basses. When the two classes are combined, as in an ordinary chorus, the term 'Unequal Voices' is used. [ G. ]

UNGER,, [App. p.806 "Add that the name is also spelt "] a great singer of the last generation, was born Oct. 28, 1805, at Stuhlweissenburg, near Pesth, where her father was master of the household (Wirthschaftsrath) to Baron Hakelberg. Unger was one of Schubert's friends, and recommended him to Count Johann Esterhazy in 1818, so that his daughter must have been brought up in the midst of music. She was trained by no meaner singers than Aloysia Lange, Mozart's sister-in-law, and Vogl, Schubert's friend and best interpreter, and is