Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/766

750 POHL, C. F. Line 13 from end of article, add that the second volume of the Life of Haydn was published in 1882, and that the third is in course of completion by Herr Mandyczewski, to whom Herr Pohl left his materials at his death, which took place in Vienna, April 28, 1887.

POHLENZ,. See vol. iii. p. 54b, in which, for which he appears to have held for nine years (p. 55a, l. 1), read he had held since 1827.

POLLEDRO, G. B. Line 12 of article, for that year read the previous year.

POLLINI,. Add a second Christian name,. Correct date of death to Sept. 17, 1846.

POLLITZER,, was born at Pesth in 1832, and after studying music in his native town, in 1842 went to Vienna, where he studied the violin under Böhm, and composition under Preyer. After gaining the first prize at the Conservatorium in 1846, he went on a concert tour through the principal towns of Germany, and finally went to Paris, where he continued his studies under Alard. By the advice of Erard, in 1851 Mr. Pollitzer came to London, where he has since resided, having occupied the position of leader at Her Majesty's Opera, the Royal Choral Society, the New Philharmonic, and a professorship at the London Academy of Music. He has written violin concertos and solos which are still in manuscript. [ W. B. S. ]

POLONAISE. P. 11, last line but one before first musical example, for major seventh read leading note.

POLONINI. P. 11b, l. 2 from end, add that he died in the autumn of 1880.

PONCHIELLI,. Add that 'La Gioconda' was produced with success at Covent Garden, May 31, 1883, and that the composer died Jan. 16, 1886. Among his last compositions is a hymn in memory of Garibaldi, performed in Sept. 1882. His last work of all was an opera in 3 acts, 'Marion Delorme,' produced at the Scala, March 17, 1885. In April, 1881, Mr. Carl Rosa produced his 'Promessi Sposi' at Birmingham.

POPULAR ANCIENT ENGLISH MUSIC. Add that the author of 'Popular Music of the Olden Time,' etc., Mr. W. Chappell, died Aug. 20, 1888, at his house in Upper Brook Street. See the obituary notice in the 'Musical Times' for September, 1888.

PORTA,, born at Cremona (1520–30?); studied under Willaert at Venice, where his motets (Bk. I) were printed in 1555 (Draudius alone giving 1546 as the date of their first issue); became a Franciscan monk; was chapelmaster at Osimo till 1564; then held similar posts at Padua, first perhaps in the cathedral, for the 52 Introits published in 1566, are dedicated to the cathedral chapter, and later in the church of S. Antonio. These Introits, designed for the Sundays throughout the year, and a second set of the same for saints' days, were among the first works printed by Claudio Merulo, the organist of St. Mark's, Venice, who wrote of Porta as 'his very dear friend and one with very few equals in his profession.' Merulo's opinion has been endorsed by all competent critics down to our own times, and by common consent Porta ranks as one of the great contrapuntal masters. Arisius, moreover, speaks of him as proficient in all the liberal arts.

In 1569 he left Padua to become chapel-master at Ravenna, and one of the teachers in the boys' school founded in that city in 1568 by the young cardinal Giulio Feltrio della Rovero, who had lately been appointed archbishop and was meditating reforms in the music of his cathedral, in accordance no doubt with the recent decisions of the council of Trent. The school was a success, and Porta had several good pupils, but with reform in music itself he had scant sympathy. Composers indeed at that time were passing through a period of depression. Forbidden any longer to use in their choirs works of the older masters which they reverenced, and had hitherto regarded as models for their own art, they were now called upon to supply new compositions written under such conditions in respect of simplicity and brevity as must greatly have lessened the interest in their task. Porta disliked the introduction of new masses. His mind was 'hostile' to the duty of composing them; scruples of all kinds assailed him. 'I thought,' he writes, 'it behoved me rather to guard from an unjust oblivion the works which the great composers have left to posterity, so apt as they are to their purpose, so full of beauty, delight, and charm.' Accordingly, for many years he published nothing, but in 1575 the archbishop, in granting his request to be removed from Ravenna to the church 'della Santa Casa' at Loreto in succession to Pionerio, extracted from him a more distinct promise to publish some new works, urging him to aim at a style which would make it not only possible but even very easy to hear the words of the mass, and recommending brevity as specially suitable to Loreto, where it was an object not to tire the large congregations of pilgrims in all ranks of life, who came to worship at the shrine. Porta, however, still delayed. Further pressure was put upon him. His word, he was told, had been given and his honour was at stake. Moreover the serious illness of the Archbishop in 1577 may have warned him to delay no longer the fulfilment of his promise. So, at length, without resting day or night, and with great anxiety of mind, he prepared 12 masses, the first six (a 4) of a simple character, and the rest (a 5 and a 6, and some settings of the Agnus Dei a 7 and a 8) of somewhat more elaborate design. The dedication was signed July 4, 1568, and addressed to the Archbishop, who died two months later (Sept. 3). A copy of this work, which must be rare, since certain dates fixed by the preface have not been given in former accounts of the composer, is now in the British