Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/831

WALTHER. article), who was his predecessor at Dresden. Like Farina he appears fond of realistic tone-pictures—he imitates the cuckoo, the nightingale, the crowing of the cock, and other sounds of nature. In a set of variations we meet with imitations of the guitar by pizzicatos, of pipes by passages going up to the sixth position on the first string, of the trumpet by fanfares on the fourth string; further on he introduces echo-effects, the lyre, the harp, and winds up with a 'Coro' in full chords. Besides these childish efforts, it is true, we find some more serious pieces, which, as far as invention, harmonic and metrical treatment go, are decidedly an advance on Farina's style. Still they are extremely clumsy and altogether inferior to the better productions of Walther's Italian contemporaries. Walther's importance for the history of the development of violin-playing consists exclusively in the advanced claims his writings make on execution. While the technique of the Italians of the same and even a later period was still very limited even Corelli does not exceed the third position some Germans, especially (see that article), and Walther appear as pioneers of execution on the fingerboard. Walther ascends to the sixth position, frequently employs difficult double-stoppings, and uses a variety of bowing. [ P. D. ]

WALTZ,. Line 8 of article, for 1832 read 1732.

WALTZ. The paragraph (p. 385a) beginning 'Crabb Robinson's account,' was inadvertently inserted by the editor in the wrong place. It should come in at p. 385b, after l. 8 from bottom, and should read 'Crabb Robinson's account of the way in which he saw it danced at Frankfort in 1800 agrees with the descriptions of the dance when it found its way to England. The man, etc.' At the end of the article the minims should be dotted minims. [ W. B. S. ]

WANDERING MINSTRELS. An amateur orchestral society, founded in the year 1860. It is probably the only purely amateur full orchestra in existence in this or any other country. Capt. the Hon. Seymour J. G. Egerton, 1st Life Guards (now Earl of Wilton), was the first president and conductor, which post he held until 1873, when he was succeeded by Lord Gerald Fitzgerald, who in 1881 resigned in favour of Mr. Lionel Benson. The society has devoted its efforts chiefly to charitable objects in various parts of the country, a nett sum of nearly £15,000, the result of concerts, having been handed over to various charities up to the beginning of 1887. The meetings of the society for the first twenty years took place at Lord Gerald Fitzgerald's house, to which he added a concert room with orchestra for the exclusive use of the Society. The first 'smoking concerts' in London were instituted by the Wandering Minstrels. [ M. ]

WANHAL. Add that it seems, from the fact that some compositions of his were published at Cambridge, that he may have visited England. Further information concerning such a visit is not forthcoming.

WARNOTS,, born at Liège, 1862, not 1857, made her début Sept. 9, 1879, as Anna (Dame Blanche). She remained there two years and upwards, and gained great applause both as a comedian and as a bravura singer. Among her parts were Catarina (Les Diamans), Giralda, Prascovia, Denise (L'Epreuve Villageoise), etc. Her compass ranges from A below the line to F in alt. Miss Warnots is now or was lately at the Opéra Comique, Paris.

WARTEL, P. F. Add date of death, August 1882. Line 6 from end of article, for Patti read Piatti. Add that Mme. Wartel died Nov. 6, 1865.

WAYLETT,, whose maiden name was Cooke, born in 1797 at Bath, was taught singing by Loder. She married Mr. Waylett in 1819, and made her début at Drury Lane as Madge in 'Love in a Village,' Nov. 4, 1824, was well known as an actress and ballad singer at the 'patent' theatres, at the Strand, and elsewhere. She married a second time Alexander Lee the singer and composer, and died at Kennington, April 26, 1851. [ A. C. ]

WEBER, C. M.. P. 403a, l. 12 from bottom, for 1881 read 1818. P. 427 in list of compositions, under No. 7 of the operas, 'Die Drei Pintos,' add that it has recently been completed by the composer's grandson, C. von Weber, and August Mahler, of Leipzig, and was produced at Leipzig, Jan. 20, 1888. The following certificate of Weber's death was among the papers of Sir Julius Benedict: 'On examining the body of Carl M. von Weber we found an ulcer on the left side of the larynx. The lungs almost universally diseased, filled with tubercles, of which many were in a state of suppuration, with two vomicae, one of them about the size of a common egg, the other smaller, which was a quite sufficient cause of death. (Signed) F. Tencken, M.D.; Chas. F. Forbes, M.D.; P. M. Kind, M.D.; Wm. Robinson, Surgeon. 91 Great Portland Street, June 5, 1826, 5 o'clock.'

WEBER,, Doctor of Laws and Philosophy, composer, theorist and practical musician, was born in 1779 at Freiesheim near Mannheim, and studied and travelled until, in 1802 he settled in Mannheim as a lawyer and holder of a Government appointment. It waa here that his namesake, Carl Maria von Weber, sought a refuge after his banishment from Würtemberg (1810), that, in the house of Gottfried's father an asylum was found for old Franz Anton until his death in 1812, and that a lasting friendship was formed between Gottfried Weber, then aged 31, and Carl Maria, eight years his junior. A year previously the lawyer, proficient on the piano, flute, violoncello, and well versed in the scientific branches of musical knowledge, had founded, out of two existing societies, the 'Museum,' a band and chorus of amateurs who, under his able direction and with some professional