Scan 30
A Dictionary of music and musicians : (A.D. 1450-1880), 1880
28 lines. Read by computer on 6 September 2026. Printed page 15. See the scan on archive.org.
1PONTE.
3TE, LORENZO DA,1 the elegant poet who wrote words for three of Mozart's operas—Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte—was Ceneda, in the Venetian States, March 1. He borrowed his name from a bishop, efactor, but was the child of very poor and was left without any education was fourteen. He was then allowed to the Seminary of his native town, and after g five years went to Venice to seek his by the aid of his pen. In this gay city, le of theatres and every kind of pleasure, a number of amorous adventures, and last obliged to escape to Treviso, where he jointed professor of rhetoric. But having against the government of the Republic, ordered to leave. He then took refuge na, where Salieri2 presented him to the r Joseph II., who made him court poet in Metastasio recently deceased. Here, not nding the difference of their characters, he an intimate friend of Mozart, and wrote retti for the three operas above named. Kelly, then in Vienna, says3 that he was coxcomb, supposed to be originally a Jew d turned Christian and dubbed himself 1. After the death of the Emperor, Feb. o, he was obliged to quit Vienna, and at married an English lady. Finding no t of permanent employment in Austria, t his wife to Paris in August 1792. But as then too stormy for him, and he soon London. Here he became a favourite of the Italian language, and was ap- poet to the Italian Opera, then under s management. As part of his duty he d in Italy in 17984 in search of singers. he took a part of Domenico Corri's music sell Italian books, but this soon ended in ry difficulties. He was in the habit of bills discounted for Taylor, and was im- enough to endorse them, thus making liable for several thousand pounds. As was not accustomed to pay his debts, ate naturally got into great difficulties, i only resource was to join his wife at ork. So on March 5, 1803,5 this strange iled for America, and after a miserable of 86 days arrived at Philadelphia en New York. Here he was unsuccessful aler in tea, tobacco, and drugs, but became favourite as professor of Italian. In 1811 to Sunbury (Pennsylvania) to manufacture a, but as usual lost his money, and returned pupils at New York. He now began to e weight of years and the disrepute into his conduct had brought him, when in Manuel Garcia arrived with his family York. Though they had never met, Da
51 Autobiography ('Memoirs di L. da Ponte,' New York 1829-30) is name thus, and so do all other writers, except M. de la his translator ('Memoires de L. d'Aponte,' Paris 1860).
62 In his charming account of Da Ponte and society in he 18th century ('Critique et Littérature Musicales,' Paris hart, but Da Ponte in his autobiography says Salieri.
73 'Encyclopaedia,' London 1826.
84 Meyer's 'Grosses Conversations Lexicon,' Hilburghausen
95 'Musikalisches Conversations Lexicon,' says 1805.
11PONTE rushed to Garcia's lodgings, and announced himself as 'Da Ponte, author of the libretto of Don Giovanni, and the friend of Mozart.' Garcia embraced the poet, singing 'Fin ch' han dal vino,' and ultimately the opera was performed at New York, Garcia playing the part of Don Giovanni, and his daughter (afterwards Madame Malibran) that of Zerlina. This was the last happy day for Da Ponte. He died at New York August 17, 1838, aged 89, neglected and in the deepest misery.
13[V. de P.]
15PONTICELLO (Ital. for the bridge of a stringed instrument) or 'SUL PONTICELLO'—a term indicating that a passage on the violin, tenor, or violoncello, is to be played by crossing the strings with the bow close to the bridge. In this way the vibration of the string is partially stopped, and a singular hissing sound produced. It occurs in solo pieces as well as in concerted music. The closing passage of the Presto, No. 5 of Beethoven's Quartet in Cg minor, op. 131, is a well-known instance.
17[P.D.]
19PONTIFICAL CHOIR. See SISTINE CHOIR.
21POOLE, ELIZABETH, a very favourite English actress and mezzo-soprano singer, born in London April 5, 1820, made her first appearance in a pantomime at the Olympic Theatre in 1827, and continued for some years to play children's parts—Duke of York to Kean's Richard; Albert to Macready's Tell; Ariel, etc. In 1834 she came out in opera at Drury Lane, as the Page in 'Gustavus'; in 1839 visited the United States and sang in 'Sonnambula' and other operas; in 1841 was engaged by Mr. Bunn for his English operas at Drury Lane. Here she sang many parts, especially Lazarillo in 'Maritana.' At the same time her ballads and songs were highly popular at concerts, both in London and the Provinces. Miss Poole appeared at the Philharmonic, June 15, 1846. She was a leading singer in the operas brought out at the Surrey Theatre by Miss Romer, in 1852, where she sang in 'The Daughter of the Regiment,' 'Huguenots,' etc., and was also much engaged by Charles Kean, F. Chatterton, and German Reed. Miss Poole (then Mrs. Bacon) retired from public life in 1870, and is still living. She was a clever, indefatigable, artist, always to be relied upon. Her voice was good, extensive, and very mellow and sympathetic in quality; her repertoire in opera was very large, and in English songs and ballads she had no rival. Her portrait is preserved in the collection of the Garrick Club.
23[G.]
25POOLE, MISS. See DICKONS, MRS., vol. i. p. 444 b.
27POPPER, DAVID, born June 18, 1846, at Prague, in the Conservatorium of which place he received his musical education. He learnt the violoncello under Goltermann, and soon gave evidence of the possession of a remarkable talent. In 1863 he made his first musical tour in Germany, and quickly rose to very high rank as a player. In the course of the journey he met von Bülow, who was charmed with his playing.
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