Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/493

WISE. his burial is unknown; no traces of it can be found in the registers of the cathedral or any of the churches in Salisbury. Wise's principal compositions are for the church, and they are 'among the glories of our cathedral music. He added melody to science, and in setting sacred words evinced as much judgment as genius. His anthems, "Awake up, my glory," "Prepare ye the way of the Lord," and "The ways of Zion do mourn," have lost none of their charm by use or age, and are still listened to with admiration by all those who hear them, and whose feelings are attuned to church music of the most elegant and expressive kind.'

Six of his anthems are printed in Boyce's 'Cathedral Music,' and an Evening Service in E♭ in Rimbault's 'Cathedral Music.' Other anthems and services exist in MS. in the Tudway collection, the library of the Royal College of Music, and the choir-books of many of the cathedrals. Some catches by him are included in 'The Musical Companion,' 1667, and his duet 'Old Chiron thus preached to his pupil Achilles,' has often been reprinted. [ W. H. H. ]

WITTECZEK,, imperial councillor in Vienna, died about 1859, became acquainted with Franz Schubert through Spaun. Impressed by the great musical genius of the inspired youth he endeavoured to collect all Schubert's compositions, manuscript or printed, with extracts from newspapers and biographical notices, concerning him, and also drew up several thematic lists of his vocal and instrumental music, etc. The whole collection he bequeathed to Spaun under the condition that on his death it should become the possession of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, and be deposited in their archives, where it now forms one of the most precious treasures, and where its materials have since been consulted in many Schubert-questions. The collection is now often known as Spaun's; it is however an act of gratitude and justice to record the name of its proper founder. [ C. F. P. ]

WIXOM, (Mme. ), born in 1862, at Austen, Nevada, U.S.A., from which territory she has taken her professional name. She learnt singing at Vienna under Mme. Marchesi. On May 17, 1880, she made her first appearance on the stage, at Her Majesty's Theatre, as Amina. Although praised for the freshness of her voice, and for her evident intelligence and earnestness, her appearance in such an important character was considered premature, and she did not re-appear. In Italy she had better fortune, and after singing there in various places, made her first appearance May 17, 1883, at the Opéra Comique, Paris, as Mysoli on the revival of 'La Perle du Brésil' (Felicien David), and was favourably received in that, and Sept. 28 in Mignon. In 1884 she sang as Lucia at the Italiens. She was engaged at the Norwich Festival of 1884, and on the whole made a decided success, especially in Mackenzie's 'Rose of Sharon' (Oct. 16), and at the miscellaneous concerts, but in the soprano music of 'Elijah' she was overweighted. On Nov. 7 she sang in the 'Rose of Sharon' at the Sacred Harmonic Society on its production in London. During the winter of 1884 she sang in the United States in Italian opera. On Oct. 1, 1885, she married at Paris Dr. Raymond Palmer. She was announced for a concert tour in America for the winter of 1885, and is now (1887) in Mapleson's Opera Company at Covent Garden. [ A. C. ]

WOELFL,, was born at Salzburg, probably in 1772, and his instruction in composition and pianoforte-playing was due to Leopold Mozart and Michael Haydn. No mention of him occurs, however, in the correspondence of Leopold Mozart and his son. In 1792 or 1793 he began his public career at Warsaw. He was already a brilliant pianist, and his performances brought him into great request as a teacher. Amongst his pupils was one, the son of a banker named Ferguson, who subsequently attained some notoriety as a performer and composer. But Warsaw, in the throes of the partition of Poland (1794), was no place for an artist, and Woelfl betook himself to Vienna, where he was received with favour, both as composer and performer. His first opera, 'Der Höllenberg,' was composed to a libretto by Schikaneder, and brought out at his theatre in 1795. This was followed by 'Das schöne Milchmädchen' for the National Theatre in 1797, and 'Der Kopf ohne Mann' at Schikaneder's in 1798. The value of these pieces does not appear to have been great, but they were successful at Vienna, and the last two were performed at Leipzig, and 'Der Kopf ohne Mann' at Prague also. To this period the curious combination-piece, 'Liebe macht kurzen Prozess,' may possibly belong. On the whole, Woelfl was not of much account as a composer for the stage. As a pianoforte virtuoso, he stepped into the first rank, and was even able to contest the palm of supremacy with Beethoven. Socially, Woelfl's pleasing manners may have helped him to sustain the rivalry, from their contrast to his competitor's brusque demeanour. His strength lay in contrapuntal skill and in remarkable execution, in part due to the immense size of his hands. The heat of their partisans recalled the strife of the Gluckists and Picinnists, but the two artists themselves appear to have respected and admired each other. We hear of them as improvising duets at the house of Von Wetzlar, and Woelfl dedicated one of the best of his earlier works (op. 6) to Beethoven. At Vienna