Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/612

 THALHOFER

554

THANKSGIVING

forte technic under Hummel. At the age of four- teen he had ah-eady made his first pubUc appearance as a pianist in Prince Metternich's salon. Four years later (1830) he began touring Europe, was received with enthusiasm by the virtuosi of the day, and was eventually (1834) appointed court chamber- musician by the emperor. During the next quarter of a century, a period in which the development of the pianoforte made enormous advances, Thalberg's fame was unrivalled save for his great contemporary, Franz Liszt. His concerts and recitals drew crowds, not only in all the capitals of Europe, including Lon- don, but also in Brazil and in the L^nited States (1857). The world of musical criticism was for a time divided between the two parties of Thalberg's admirers and those of Liszt. To Liszt, nevertheless, is due perhaps the most decisive encomium of Thal- berg as a pianist: "Thalberg is the only artist who can play the vioUn on the piano". In 1843 he married the widow of Boucher, the painter, a daugh- ter of the famous operatic basso, Lablache.

Thalberg's chief contribution to the advancement of musical art seems to have been as an exponent of possibiMties in pianoforte technic which had been unsuspected before his time. He not only possessed the mastery of touch in a transcendent degree and excelled in sosteiiuto jila.ving by the use of the pedal, but actually discovered a method of making two hands produce the triple effect of melody, accom- paniment, and bass on one keyboard — a resource exploited by many composers after him. His com- positions, some 100 in number, include two operas, "Florinda" and "Christina di Suezia", both impor- tant only as demonstrating his unfitness for this field of art. He composed successfully only for the instrument of which he was an unquestioned master, his best -known works being the fantasias on operatic and other popular melodies.

Hume, in Dirt, of Mu.-iic and Musicians (London, 1903-11); Thalberg and Vieux-temps Grand Concert Booh (pamphlet pre- served in the British Museum, London).

E. Macpherson.

Thalhofer, Valentin, Gennan theologian, b. at Unterroth, nearUlm, 21 January, 1825; d. at the same place, 17 September, 1891. He took his gymnasial studies and philosophy at DiUingen, then from 1845 studied theology at the University of Munich. In 1848 he received the degree of Doctor of Theology and was ordained priest. After this he was prefect at the seminary for priests at DiUingen (1850-63), pro- fessor of exegesis at the lyceum of DiUingen (1863- 1876), director of the seminary for priests, the Georgi- anum, at Munich, and professor of pastoral theology at the University of Munich. In 1877 he was made cathedral dean and professor of liturgy at Eichstatt, and in 1899 became the cathedral provost there. He was an able and highly respected teacher, a man of noble character, a zealous confessor, pulpit orator, and catechist, and was a fruitful writer, thorough and intellectual in his work. His labours at the Georgianum, for which he was highly praised, greatly benefited the institution. His fu-st publication was a prize essay at Munich on the bloodless sacrifice of the Mosaic worship (1848). In 1855 he \\Tote in the report of the DiUingen lyceum for that year, a dissertation on the doctrine of sacrifice contained in the Epistle to the Hebrews. In the same year he began a successful opposition to the pseudo-mysticism and Irvingism which were spreading in Swabia at that time. His chief work in this direction was the "Beitrage zur Geschichte des Aftermysticismus und insbesondere des Irvingianismus im Bistum Augsburg" (1857). His excellent commentary on the Psalms was very popular (firet published in 1857; 7th ed., 1904). In 18-r)H he edited the official publication of the Augs- burg Diocese and brought it to greater prosperity. Among the literary work done during his residence at

Munich should be mentioned his editing of a " Librarj' of the Fathers" in eighty volumes (1869-88); a work on the sacrifice of the Old and New Covenants (1870); and the editing of the "Lehrbuch der biblischen Hermeneutik" of his deceased friend Franz Xavier Reithmayi- (1874). At Eiclistatt he was commis- sioned by the bishop to revise the "Rituale Romano- Eystettense", and in addition issued a smaller ritual as a manual for the clergy of the diocese (1879-80). He then began his chief work, a large "Handbuch der Liturgik", which rests on a thorough study of the original authorities and is still indispensable. Of the special Uturgies, he published himself in 1890 the "Liturgie des heiligen Messopfers", and from the papers of the deceased Andreas Schmid he added to this in 1893 the "Liturgie des kirchlichen Stundenge- betes", the "Liturgie der Sakramente und Sakra- ment alien", and the doctrine of the church j-ear. Adalbert Ebner began a revised ethtion of this work, but unfortunately no more has been pubhshed than the first section of the first volume (1894). Schmid also edited from Thalhofer's literarj' remains "Die heiUge Messe und das Priestertum der katholischen Kirche in 25 Predigten dargestellt" (1893). In addi- tion to these larger works Thalhofer also wrote excel- lent articles for theological reviews and for the "Kirchenle.xikon" of Freiburg.

SCH.MID, £>r. Thalhofer (Kempten, 1S92), compiled from the sub- ject's own papers.

KlEMENS LOFii"LER.

Thangmar (Thankmar), historian, b. about the middle of the tenth century; d. probably at Hilde- sheim after 1022. His first appearance in history is as the head of the cathedral school at Hildesheim; at a later date he became dean of the cathedral, and being at the same time notary and librarian his position was a verj' important one. Thangmar was distinguished both as a scholar and a statesman; he taught Bishops Bernward of Hildesheim, Meinwerk of Paderbom, and Benno of Meissen, as well as the Emperor Henry II. He exercised great influence over Bernward of Hildesheim, and a large part of the affaire under epis- copal control were directed by him. In 1000 he ac- companied Bernward to Rome, and was sent several times to the imperial court as the representative of the Isishop to settle important matters, being highly es- teemed by Emperor Otto III. After the death of Bernward in 1022 he wrote an account of the active and varied fife of the bishop, a biographj- for which he had already gathered the material and of which he had probably written the firet ten chapters during the years 1008-13. He had been an eye-witness of many of the events he relates and had taken an active part in all important measures. As he says himself, Bern- ward trusted him as a child does its father. Conse- quently his "Vita Bernwardi" is one of the finest biograiahical productions of the Middle Ages, and is also one of the most valuable aiithorities for an ini- portant period of German histon,-. He displays much affection for the dead bishop, and has written a plain and simple narrative, unrhetorical and truthful. It is only in the account of the dispute between the Archbishops of Hildesheim and Mainz as to the right of jmisdiction over Gandesheim that Thangmar ap- pears at times to be a partisan of Bernward. ^ The best edition is that in the "Mon. Germ Hist.: Scrip- tores" IV, 757-782; it is also found in Migne, P. L., CXL 393-436. The life has been edited in German by Hiiffer (Berlin, 1857), and by Wattenbach (Leip-

^'wattevb'ach, Deitlschlands Geschichtsquellen. I (Berlin, 1893). 346-349; Beelte. Thantmar. sein Lehen u. Beurteitung jnnn- Vila Bcmtrardi (Hildesheim, 1891). o„„, .^„o

Patricius Schlager.

Thankagiving before and after Meala.--The

word grace, which, as apjilied to prayer over food,