Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/623



Naples (1826-9) and of 3 ballets, the opera Don Carlos (1844) and 2 oratorios in England. The other was Julius Benedict (d. 1885), born at Stuttgart, a pupil of Hummel and especially of Weber, who, after operatic experience at Vienna, Naples and Paris, came to England in 1835 and fully identified himself with English music. Besides being constantly employed as conductor in London and at the Norwich festivals, he brought out 6 English operas (1838-64), several choral works, piano-pieces and 2 symphonies. The best of his operas was The Lily of Killarney (1862).

Michael William Balfe (d. 1870), born at Dublin in 1808, was the most fertile of the opera-writers. Coming to London in 1823, he worked first as violinist and singer, with study under good teachers. In 1825-33 he was in Italy or at Paris, becoming an able dramatic baritone, and writing 3 operas (1829-30). On his return to London, he made a hit with The Siege of Rochelle (1835), followed soon by several other popular works, 2 of them in Italian, besides often appearing as a singer. In 1841 he went to Paris and scored success with 2 opéras comiques (1843-4), besides producing at London his most popular work, The Bohemian Girl (1843), soon reproduced in other countries. A long line of works in English, French and Italian followed (till 1863), and he was much abroad, visiting Vienna, Berlin, St. Petersburg and Trieste, and receiving extraordinary honors. In 1864 he retired. His stage-works numbered about 30. They are over-facile and shallow, but abound with taking melodies and are often scored with some skill.

William Vincent Wallace (d. 1865), like Balfe, was an Irishman, and also a ready melodist and clever playwright. Among his 6 operas were the popular Maritana (1845) and Lurline (1860). He also wrote much salon music for the piano. He lived an adventurous life in different parts of the world.

Other writers for the stage were John Barnett (d. 1890), whose Mountain Sylph (1834) was the first English opera since Arne's Artaxerxes (1762), and who wrote several others, with innumerable songs; Edward James Loder (d. 1865), the chief of whose few works was The Night Dancers (1846); John Hullah (d. 1884), whose three early plays (1836-8) were later completely forgotten in his activity as promoter of popular song and as lecturer; G. A. Macfarren (d. 1887), among whose prolific productions were over 10 operas, including The Devil's Opera (1838), Don Quixote (1846), Robin Hood (1860) and Helvellyn (1864), besides many choral works; John Liptrot Hatton (d. 1886), with a few operas (from 1842), incidental music to various plays, and many songs; the famous Italian singing-master Alberto Randegger, who settled in London in 1854, producing the comedy The Rival Beauties (1864) and several shorter works, besides 2 early Italian operas (1852-4) and many songs; and Frédéric Clay (d. 1889), the composer of a long line of operettas (from 1859), 2 cantatas and numerous songs.

The list of those who essayed instrumental composition in the larger forms with some degree of power is worthy of more attention than it received in the crowded and eager progress of affairs upon the Continent. Only some representative names can here be mentioned:—

Cipriani Potter (d. 1871), trained both at London and at Vienna (where he met Beethoven), was from 1822 piano-teacher at the Royal Academy and in