Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/473

WILD. his farewell as an accompanyist, as the other had been his farewell as a player. Wild died in 1860, at Ober Dobling near Vienna. [ C. F. P. ]

WILDER,, lyric poet and musical critic, born Aug. 21, 1835, at Welteren, between Alost and Ghent. While studying for his doctor's degree in law and philosophy at the University of Ghent, he also frequented the Conservatoire, and thus acquired a thorough knowledge of harmony. Having written for a time for the 'Journal de Gand,' he came to the conclusion that there was no field in Belgium for a writer on music, and determined, like his countrymen Vaez and Gevaert, to push his way in Paris. He began by translating songs, and ended with adapting Wagner's works for the French stage. Being not only a clever versifier, but having a fine musical instinct, his work of this kind is excellent. His printed volumes include '40 Melodies' by Abt; Schumann's 'Myrthen' and an Album; 'Echos d'Allemagne'; Rubinstein's 'Mélodies Persanes' and duets; Mendelssohn's Lieder and duets; Chopin's songs; Weber's songs; 'Les Gloires d'Italie,' etc.; French versions of Handel's 'Messiah,' 'Judas Maccabeus,' and 'Alexander's Feast'; Schumann's 'Paradise and the Peri,' 'Manfred,' 'Mignon,' 'Pilgrimage of the Rose,' 'Sängers Fluch,' and 'Adventlied'; Rubinstein's 'Tower of Babel,' and A. Goldschmidt's 'Seven Deadly Sins.' He has adapted for the French stage Abert's 'Astorga'; Mozart's 'Oca di Cairo'; Schubert's 'Häusliche Krieg'; Paisiello's 'Barbiere di Siviglia'; F. Ricci's 'Une Folie a Rome,' and L. Ricci's 'Festa di Piedigrotta'; Weber's 'Sylvana'; J. Strauss's 'La Reine Indigo' and 'Tsigane'; Suppé's 'Fatinitza'; and Wagner's 'Meistersinger,' 'Tristan und Isolde,' and 'Walküre.'

His critiques and feuilletons in 'L'Evénement,' 'L'Opinione Nationale,' 'Le Parlement,' and 'Le Gil Blas' have not yet been collected. He wrote for the 'Ménestrel' from June 1871 to 1884, and has republished 'Mozart: l'homme et l'artiste' (Paris 1880, 8vo. and 1881, 12mo.), and 'Beethoven: sa vie et son œuvre' (Paris 1883, 12mo.). To him also we owe the publication of Mozart's ballet 'Les petits Riens,' produced in Paris June 11, 1778, with a success represented by a French epigram of the day as but indifferent, but by Mozart himself in a letter to his father (July 9, 1778) as very great. [ G. C. ]

WILHELM,, worthy of commemoration only as composer of the ; born at Schmalkalden, Sept. 5, 1815, and died there Aug. 26, 1875 [App. p.817 "Aug. 16, 1873"]. He directed the Liedertafel at Crefeld from 1840–65, composed his famous Song in 1854, and received an annual pension of £150 for it in 1871. [ G. ]

WILHELMI,, violinist, born at Usingen in Nassau Sept. 21, 1845, his mother being a good singer and pianoforte player; was first taught by K. Fischer of Wiesbaden, under whom he made astonishing strides, playing in public as early as 9. By the advice of Liszt he spent from 1861 to 1864 at the Leipzig Conservatorium under F. David, learning composition from Hauptmann, then from Richter, and afterwards at Wiesbaden from Raff. While at the Conservatorium he made an appearance at the Gewandhaus Concerts in 1862, and shortly afterwards began that career of wandering which he has maintained ever since, and always with great success. In 1865 he visited Switzerland; in 1866 Holland and England; in 1867 France and Italy. In 1869, 70, and 71 he was again in England, and made a long tour with Santley; in 1868, Russia, etc.—In 1872 he made his début at Berlin, and in 1873 at Vienna. At the Nibelungen performances at Bayreuth in 1876 Wilhelmi led the violins. The Wagner Concerts at the Albert Hall, London, in 1877, were due to his representations, and here again he led the first violins. [See, p. 363b.] In 1878 he made his first tour in America.—Wilhelmi resides at Biberich on the Rhine in the intervals of his artistic tours. He is second to no living artist in his general command over the resources of his instrument, and excels in the purity and volume of his tone, no less than in the brilliancy of his execution. His repertoire includes the principal works of the great masters: but Bach and Paganini appear to be his favourite authors. [ G. ]

WILHEM,, a musician known chiefly by his efforts to promote the popular teaching of singing, was born at Paris, Dec. 18, 1781. In early youth he was in the army, but an irresistible passion for music made him take to it as the pursuit of his life. After passing through the Paris Conservatoire, he became one of the Professors in the Lycée Napoleon, and afterwards had a post in the College Henri IV. His original compositions were few chiefly settings of Beranger's lyrics. It was about the year 1815 that he began to interest himself in the class-teaching of music in schools. Soon after this, Béranger, who knew him well, met one day in the streets of Paris the Baron Gérando, who was at the head of a society for promoting elementary education. 'We are busy,' he said to the poet, 'about getting singing taught in the schools; can you find us a teacher?' 'I've got your man,' said Béranger, and told him of Wilhem's work. This led to Wilhem's being put in charge of the musical part of the society's work, and afterwards, as his plans broadened out, he was made director-general of music in the municipal schools of Paris. He threw himself into this cause with an enthusiasm which soon produced striking results. Besides the school teaching, he had classes which gave instruction to thousands of pupils, mainly working people; and out of this presently grew the establishment of the, the vast organisation which has since covered France with singing societies. [See vol. ii. p. 611.] 