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A Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 1900
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1ABT—ADAM DE LA HALE
3Abt, Franz, song-writer and conductor; b. Eilenburg, Dec. 22, 1819; d. Wiesbaden, Mar. 31, 1885. He was sent to the Leipzig Thomasschule to study theology, his father being a clergyman, and later obtained an excellent musical education both there and at the Univ. On his father's death he gave up theology, having already made several successful attempts at composition, and having conducted a students' philharmonic society. In 1841 he went to Bernburg as Kapellm. of the Court Th., but in the same year relinquished this post for a similar one at the Zurich Th. Here he remained till 1852, conducting several singing-societies and composing many vocal works, particularly for men's voices. He was then app. 2nd Kapellm. at Brunswick, 3 years later becoming 1st Kapellm., a position held up to 1882, when he retired to Wiesbaden.—Abt wrote over 500 works, comprising more than 3,000 numbers; the largest are the 7 secular cantatas. His popularity as a song-writer is due chiefly to the flowing, easy and elegant style of his vocal melodies, many of which ("Wenn die Schwalben heimwärts zieh'n," "Gute Nacht, du mein herziges Kind," "So viele tausend Blumen," etc.) have become true folk-songs; numerous part-songs are likewise deservedly prime favorites; in these and his choruses for men's and for women's voices, he rivals Mendelssohn in the hearts of his countrymen. On his vocal works rests his lasting fame; his pf.-compositions, of a light and popular character, are already forgotten.—His son,
5Abt, Alfred, b. Brunswick, May 25, 1855; d. of consumption at Geneva, Apr. 29, 1888. Had been Kapellm. at theatres in Rudolstadt, Kiel and Rostock.
7Achard, Léon, lyric tenor; b. Lyons, Feb. 16, 1831; st. at Paris Cons. (Bordogni); début at Théâtre-Lyrique, 1854. Engaged 1856–62 at the Grand Th., Lyons; 1862–71 at the Opéra-Comique, Paris; and 1871 at the Grand Opéra.
9Ack'ermann, A. J., b. Rotterdam, Apr. 2, 1836. Studied at The Hague in the R. Music-School, under Lübeck, Nicolas and Wietz; app. teacher of pf. there in 1865; of org. and theory, 1867.—Works: Pf.-pcs. f. 2 and 4 hands; songs.
11Acton, John, English singing-teacher and composer; b. Manchester (?), 1863. Pupil of Francesco Lamperti at Milan. Prof. of singing at the Manchester R. C. M. since its opening in 1893; since 1894, cond. of the St. Cecilia Choral Soc.—Works: 2 cantatas f. women's voices, Forest Bells, and The Rose and the Nightingale; a male chorus, "For home and liberty," w. pf.-accomp. (prize from S. London Mus. Club, 1888); also duets, songs and pf.-pieces.
13Adam, Louis, b. Müttersholtz, Alsatia, Dec. 3, 1758; d. Paris, Apr. 11, 1848. He went to Paris in 1775, and from 1797–1843 was prof. of pf. at the Paris Cons. He was a close student of the German classic masters, an admirable pianist, a comp. of numerous pf.-pieces much in vogue at the time (especially the variations on "Le roi Dagobert"), and an eminent pedagogue, the teacher of Kalkbrenner, Hérold, Henri le Moine and F. Chaulieu, and author of two standard instruction-books for piano: "Méthode ou principe générale du doigté pour le Forté-piano" (Paris, Sieber, 1798), and "Méthode nouvelle pour le Piano" (5 editions, 1802–32), written expressly for pupils of the Cons.—His son,
15Adam, Adolphe-Charles, celebrated opera-composer, was b. l'Paris, July 24, 1803; d. there May 3, 1856. He entered the Cons. in 1817, but made little progress until taken in hand by Boieldieu in his class for composition. After publishing various pf.-pieces, he brought out the 1-act opera Pierre et Catherine (1829), the success of which encouraged him to produce 13 more similar works in quick succession, the Postillon de Longjumeau (1836) gaining European celebrity for its author, and still keeping his name in grateful memory. In all, he wrote 53 theatrical works, the most popular operas after the Postillon being Le Clâlet (1834), Le fidèle Berger, Le Brasseur de Preston (1838), Le Roi d'Yvetot (1842), La Poupée de Nuremberg, Cagliostro, and Richard en Palestine (1844); also the ballets Giselle, Le Corsaire, Faust, etc. In 1847, on account of difficulties with the director of the Opéra-Comique, A. founded the Théâtre National, but was ruined financially by the revolution of 1848, and entered the Paris Cons. as prof. of composition, succeeding his father, who died that year.—A. does not rank with the foremost dramatic composers of France, his style being distinguished by taking rhythms and light elegance and grace, rather than forceful originality. His forte was comic opera, in which he was a worthy successor of Boieldieu.
17A'dam, Karl Ferdinand, b. Zadel, n. Meissen, Dec. 22, 1806; d. Leisnig, Dec. 23, 1868, as cantor and musical director there.—Works: Popular choruses and quartets f. men's voices; songs; pf.-pcs.
19Adam de la Hale (or Halle), called le Bossu d'Arras (Hunchback of Arras); b. Arras, abt. 1240; d. Naples, 1287. A gifted Trouvère, many of whose works have been preserved (publ. 1872 by Coussemaker as "Œuvres complètes du Trouvère Adam de la Hale"); the most inter-
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