Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/710



ABITZKY, JOSEF. Add date of death, Aug. 19, 1881.

LACHNER. Add date of death of, May 22, 1877. P. 81b, l. 3 from bottom, for death read retirement.

LACHNITH, L. W. P. 82b, l. 6, for Aug 20 read Aug. 23. Add date of death, Oct. 3 1820.

LACOMBE,. See vol. ii. p. 732b, and add date of death, 1884.

LAFONT, C. P. Add day of birth, Dec. 1. Line 15 from bottom of page, for 1812 read 1816. Line 9 from bottom, add day of death, Aug. 23.

LAGUERRE,. Add that in 1737 he sang in Capt. Breval's 'Rape of Helen' the part of Mercury, and that his name was correctly spelt in the cast.

LAHEE,, born at Chelsea in April, 1826, held the post of organist at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, from 1847 to 1874, and is well known also as a professor and composer. His music is thoroughly English in character, and is influenced by the traditions of our old part-song writers. Mr. Lahee has been the victor in various prize competitions for glees and madrigals: in 1869 with 'Hark, how the birds' (Bristol); in 1878, with 'Hence, loathed Melancholy' (Manchester); in 1879, with 'Away to the hunt' (Glasgow); and in 1880 and 1884, with 'Love in my bosom' and 'Ah! woe is me' (London Madrigal Society). Equally good work can be seen in his other choral songs, such as 'The Unfaithful Shepherdess,' 'Love me little, love me long,' and the popular 'Bells,' and in his anthems no less than in his various songs and instrumental pieces.

Good taste is shown by this composer in the choice of his words, and he has found Longfellow congenial with his musical style. The cantata 'The Building of the Ship' was written in 1869 for the late Rev. John Curwen, who desired a work of moderate difficulty for the use of Tonic-Sol-faists. It was performed on a large scale in the Hanover Square Rooms, has since attained considerable popularity in the provinces, and has even made its way to Africa and America. The subject of another cantata, Tennyson's 'The Sleeping Beauty,' afforded Mr. Lahee scope for a greater variety of treatment, and contains some graceful writing for female voices. It has been heard on the continent and in America. [ L. M. M. ]

LAHOUSSAYE,. See vol. iv. p. 293a.

LALANDE,. Add that she died in Paris, Sept. 7, 1867.

LALANDE,, Surintendant de la Musique under Louis XIV. and XV., the cleverest composer of church music of his day, was born in Paris, Dec. 15, 1657, and died in the same city, June 18, 1726, having spent 45 years in the service of the court. He was the fifteenth child of a tailor, and was at first a chorister of St. Germain l'Auxerrois, where he studied music under Chaperon, and learnt, almost entirely by himself, to play the violin, bass viol, and harpsichord. When, on the breaking of his voice at the age of 15, he was obliged to leave the maîtrise, he bethought himself of turning his violin-playing to account, and applied for admission into Lulli's orchestra. He was refused, and swore out of pique never to touch the violin again. He gave himself up to the organ, and made such progress that he was soon appointed organist in four different churches in Paris—St. Gervais, St. Jean, Petit St. Antoine, and at the church of the Jesuits, who confided to him the composition of symphonies and choruses for several of the tragedies performed at their college. He soon afterwards applied for the post of organist to the King, but though Lulli pronounced him to be the best of the competitors, he was refused on account of his youth. He was recommended by the Maréchal de Noailles, to whose daughters he taught music, to Louis XIV., and the King chose him to superintend the musical education of the princesses, afterwards the Duchesse d'Orléans and Madame la Duchesse. Lalande was so successful in this capacity that the King appointed him master of his chamber music; and in 1683, on the retirement of Dumont and Robert from the superintendence of the chapelle, he obtained one of the appointments, for it was decided to appoint four officers to serve for three months by turns. Eventually the offices were united in the person of Lalande, who had now received several pensions and the cordon of the order of St. Michel. In 1684 the King had given him a wife, Anne Rebel, said to be the best singer of the court, had paid the expenses of the wedding, and given a dowry to the bride. In 1722, having lost his wife, and two gifted daughters, who died of smallpox in the same year as the Dauphin (1711), Lalande begged the King to allow him to remit three-quarters of his salary, thus returning to the original arrangement. He presented as his substitutes and assistants Campra, Bernier, and Gervais. As a reward for his disinterested conduct the Regent granted him a pension of 3000 livres. In the following year he married again, Mile, de Cury, daughter of one of the Princesse de Conti's surgeons, and died three years later at the age of 68. Lalande, though infinitely superior to the