Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/561

BENOÎT. 'Guillaume le Taciturne,' music to two Flemish dramas represented at Antwerp and Ghent in 1875 and 1876 respectively; 'Rubens-cantata,' Antwerp, 1877; 'Antwerpen,' Antwerp, 1877; 'Hucbald,' cantata, and 'Triumfmarsch' for the inauguration of the Brussels Exhibition in 1880; 'La Muse de l'Histoire,' Antwerp, 1880; 'Hymne à la Beauté,' 1882; 'Van Ryswick,' cantata, Antwerp, 1884; and 'Juich met ons,' cantata in honour of the Burgomaster Buls, Brussels, 1886. [App. p.819 "his 'Lucifer' was given for the first time in London at the Albert Hall, April 3, 1889."][ A. J. ]

BERGER,. Line 3 of article, for 1838 read 1839.

BERGGREEN,, born at Copenhagen in 1801, studied harmony and began to compose from the age of 14. Though destined by his parents for the law, he was led by his strong predilection for music to devote himself professionally to that art. His opera 'Billidet og Busten' (The Picture and the Bust), first performed April 9, 1832, and other works on a large scale, are less valued than his songs, especially his National Songs in 11 vols., his Songs for School Use, 13 vols., and above all, his Church Music and his Collection of Psalm Tunes, published in 1853, and since adopted in the churches throughout the country. His success in this direction may be owing to his position as organist to the church of the Trinity, Copenhagen, from 1838. He was a professor of singing at the Metropolitan School from 1843, and in the same year he established the first of those musical associations for the working classes now so popular in Denmark. Berggreen wrote occasional articles in the leading Danish papers, and for a short time edited a musical publication no longer existing. One of his most distinguished pupils in harmony and thoroughbass was Gade. Berggreen died at Copenhagen, aged 79, Nov. 9, 1880. For details of his early life and lists of his works, see Erslew's 'Almindeligt Forfatter Lexicon,' Copenhagen 1843, and its supplements. [ L. M. M. ]

BERINGER,, a distinguished pianist, was born in Baden in 1844. In 1849 his father was compelled to fly to England as a political refugee, where he lived in straitened circumstances. Owing to this reason the only musical education Mr. Oscar Beringer received, up to his 19th year, was from an elder sister. During the years 1859 and 1860 he gave several series of Pianoforte Recitals at the Crystal Palace, and in 1861 made his first appearance at the Saturday Concerts. Recognising the necessity of going through a course of systematic training, he studied at Leipzig under Moscheles, Richter, Reinecke, Plaidy, etc., from 1864 to 1866, and continued his studies at Berlin under Tausig, Ehlert, Weitzmann, etc. In 1869 he was appointed a professor at Tausig's 'Schule des Höheren Clavierspiels' at Berlin, but in 1871 he returned to England, where he has repeatedly played with great success at the Crystal Palace Saturday Concerts, Musical Union, etc. In Jan. 1872 he played at the Gewandhaus Concerts at Leipzig, and on his return to England in the following year he founded in London an 'Academy for the Higher Development of Pianoforte Playing,' an institution which has fully borne out the promise of its name. On Oct. 14, 1882, he played the pianoforte part in Brahms's 2nd Concerto on its first performance in England. Mr. Beringer's compositions include an Andante and Allegro for pianoforte and orchestra (performed, 1880, at the Saturday Concerts and at Mr. Cowen's Orchestral Concerts), Sonatinas for the piano, a number of small instructive pieces, and several songs. [ W. B. S. ]

BERIOT, C. A. Page 231 b, l. 28–9, for in 1835 read Mar. 26, 1836.

BERLIOZ. Page 233 b. The last paragraph but one is to be corrected as follows:—He was appointed conservateur in 1839 and librarian in 1852. See i. 393 b, lines 13–15 from bottom.

BERNER, F. W. Line 2 of article, for March read May.

BERTINI,. Add day of birth, Oct. 28.

BERTON. Line 4, add after the father's name, his dates (1727–1780). Line 11, for in read Sept. 17. Last line of article, for 1842 read Apr. 22, 1844.

BERTONI. Correct date of birth to Aug. 15, 1725, and that of death to Dec. 1, 1813. Line 4 of article, for 1750 read 1752; and two lines below, for seven read five.

BERWALD. The dates of birth and death belong to the cousin of the subject of the article, Franz Berwald, who was director of the Conservatorium in Stockholm. Johann Friedrich was born in 1788, and died in 1861, having held the appointment of capellmeister since 1834. [ M. ]

BESOZZI. Line 5 from end of article, after son add Henri, and insert date of death of Louis Désiré Besozzi, Nov. 11, 1879.

BESSON,, a celebrated manufacturer of musical instruments, born in Paris 1820, died 1875. His father was a colonel of distinction in the French army, and but for his intense love of music and natural genius for mechanics, there is no doubt young Besson would have adopted his father's profession.

In 1838, when scarcely eighteen years of age, he produced a new model cornet, which met with the greatest success, and is to this day known as the 'Besson Model.' It was recognised at the time as a decided improvement on all previous instruments of the same kind. In 1841 he invented an entirely new system of rotary action, with six valves, the right hand being applied to the top valves, the left to those at the bottom. But he was not satisfied with this advance, as, owing