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Scan 468
A biographical dictionary of musicians, 1900
12 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 456. See the scan on archive.org.
1Playford, John, London music-publisher; b. 1623; d. 1693. He was in business from 1648–85. Publ. Hilton’s “Catch that catch can” (1652); “Select Musicall Ayres and Dialogues” (1653); “Musick’s Recreation on the Lyra Violl” (1652; in a collection); “Breefe Introduction to the Skill of Musick for Song and Viall” (1654; 2nd enlarged ed. 1655, with an essay on “The Art of Descant” by Dr. Thos. Campion, which was revised by Purcell in the 10th ed. of 1683; this very popular work ran through 19 numbered ed.s up to 1730, besides 6 or more unnumbered ed.s); “Psalms and Hymns in Solemn Musick of foure parts . . .” (1671); “The Whole Book of Psalms, with the usual Spiritual Songs” a 3 (2nd ed. 1695, 20th ed. 1757); “The Musical Companion” (1673; Book i, catches and rounds a 3; Book ii, dialogues, glees, ayres and songs a 2–4); “Choice Ayres, Songs and Dialogues to be sung to the theorbo . . .” (5 books; 1676–84); “Musick’s Delight on the Cithern” (1666); etc.—His son and successor, Henry Playford, b. May 5, 1657; d. about 1710; publ. “The Theatre of Musick” (4 books; 1685–7; “the newest and best songs”); “Banquet of Music” (6 books; 1688–92; ditto); Purcell’s “Orpheus Britannicus” (1698–1702) and “Ten Sonatas” with Te Deum and Jubilate for St. Cecilia’s Day (1797); Blow’s “Amphion Anglicus” (1700) and Ode on Purcell’s death; etc.
3Pleyel, Ignaz Joseph, b. Ruppertsthal, n. Vienna, June 1, 1757; d. on his estate near Paris, Nov. 14, 1831. His pianoforte-teacher till his 15th year was Wanhal; Count Erdödy, his patron, then placed him under Haydn’s care, with whom he lived 5 years. The Count now app. him his private Kapellm., but granted leave of absence for further study in Rome, together with means of maintenance. P. remained in this congenial atmosphere until 1781, then making a brief visit to Vienna, and returning to Rome, departing for the second time, in 1781, to become 2nd Kapellm. at the Strassburg Minster. He was advanced to 1st Kapellm. in 1789; lost his position through the mad attacks of the Revolution on Church and State, and went to London in the winter of 1791–2 on an invitation to conduct the Professional Concerts, a rival enterprise (though P. did not know it) to his old teacher Haydn’s concerts under Solomon’s management. These Professional Concerts were successful in themselves, but did not overwhelm the rival enterprise; P., after conducting them for a few years, returned to his property near Strassburg, but was subjected to such annoyances from the revolutionists that he sold his place in 1795, and went to Paris. Here he began business as a music-seller, and in 1797 founded a piano-factory, the growing prosperity of which gradually absorbed his attention, and caused him to give up composition. (The firm-name is now Pleyel, Wolff & Cie.; the 100,000th instrument was sold in 1889.) P. was an extremely prolific instrumental composer; he publ. 29 symphonies; a septet f. strings w. 2 horns; a sextet f. 2 violins, 2 violas, ’cello, and d.-bass; 5 books of string-quintets; 45 string-quartets; 6 quartets f. flute and strings (12 more, called by Onslow the best, are still MS.); string-trios; 2 violin-concertos; 7 symphonies concertantes f. 2 violins, f. strings, f. strings and wind, f. wind, or pf. and violin; 4 ’cello-concertos; 2 pf.-concertos, many sonatas f. pf. and violin, 6 grand sonatas f. pf. solo, sonatas f. pf. 4 hands, and other pf.-music; etc., etc.
5Pleyel, Camille, son of preceding; b. Strassburg, Dec. 18, 1788; d. Paris, May 4, 1855. Pupil of his father, and an excellent pianist; had some success as a composer (op. 1, 3 pf.-trios; op. 3, a pf.-quartet; also pieces f. pf. solo, f. pf. and violin, etc.); but is chiefly noteworthy as a piano-manufacturer, the business prospering greatly under his skilful supervision. Kalkbrenner was his partner for a time; Auguste Wolff, his successor.—His wife, Marie-Félicité-Denise, a distinguished pupil of Henri Herz, Moscheles, and Kalkbrenner; b. Paris, Sept. 4, 1811; d. St.-Josse-ten-Noode, Mar. 30, 1875. In her fifteenth year, as Mlle. Moke, her virtuosity created a sensation in Belgium, Austria, Germany, and Russia. From 1848–72 she was prof. at the Brussels Cons.
7Plüd’demann, Martin, b. Kolberg, Sept. 24, 1854; d. Berlin, Oct. 8, 1897. Pupil of Leipzig Cons.; cond. at St. Gallen; then studied singing under Hey at Munich; in 1887, cond. of the Singakademie at Ratibor; 1889, singing-teacher at the Styrian Music-School, Graz.—Very popular male choruses; as a comp. of “ballades” he approaches Löwe; also publ. songs, and pamphlets of Wagnerian tendency.
9Plutarch [Plutarchos], b. Chæronea, Bœotia, about 50 A.D.; d. there 120 (131?). Greek biographer and essayist, among whose minor treatises (“Moralia”) one, “De musica,” contains important historical data concerning music (Lat. transl. by R. Volkmann; German transl., with parallel Greek text, by R. Westphal [1865]).
11Pohl, Karl Ferdinand, b. Darmstadt, Sept. 6, 1819; d. Vienna, Apr. 28, 1887, where he had been archivist and librarian to the “Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde” since 1866. During 3 years’ residence in London (1863–6) he gathered all attainable facts concerning the residence there of Mozart and Haydn, embodying them in his “Mozart und Haydn in London” (1867;
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