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Scan 39
Biographical dictionary of musicians, 1940
8 lines. Read by computer on 5 September 2026. Printed page 19. See the scan on archive.org.
1Antonio, b. 1550, d. 1638, and (3) Giro-lamo, b. 1556; d. Nov. 2, 1630, worked for a time together, producing violins of nearly the same style as their father.—(4) Niccolo, b. Dec. 3, 1596; d. Apr. 12, 1684, the most celebrated of the Amatis, improved the model in several respects, and, though generally working with a small pattern, built some so-called 'grand Amatis'—large violins of more powerful tone, and in great request. The tone of his instrs. is clearer, purer, and more sonorous than in those of his predecessors. His label is 'Nicolaus Amati Cremonens. Hieronimi filius Antonii nepos. Fecit anno 16—.' In his workshop were trained both Andrea Guarneri and Antonio Stradivari.—(5) Niccolò's son, Girolamo, b. Feb. 26, 1649; d. Feb. 21, 1740, the last of the family, was far inferior to his father as a workman.—See Lütgendorff, Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart (Frankfort, 1904; 4th ed. 1922, in dictionary form; G. de Piccolellis, Genealogia degli A. e Guarneri, 1866.
3Ama'to, Pasquale, operatic baritone, b. Naples, March 21, 1878. St. at Cons. of Naples (1896–99); début as Germont in La Traviata at Teatro Bellini, Naples, in 1900. Subsequently sang at Buenos Aires, Milan, and in Russia, England, Egypt and Germany; 1909–21, member of the M. O. H. In the series of broadcasts of Puccini's operas (N. Y., 1927) he sang the leading baritone parts; lived as voice teacher in New York until 1935; since then head of the voice and opera depts. at Louisiana State Univ. School of Music; living in Baton Rouge, La. Created the rôles of King Hadraot (Armida), Carlo Worms (Germania), Jack Rance (Girl of the Golden West), Golaud (Pelleas et Melisande). Principal rôles: Count Luna (Trovatore), Lord Ashton (Lucia), des Grieux (Manon), Escamillo (Carmen), A. is regarded as one of the finest operatic baritones.
5Am'bros, August Wilhelm, distinguished musical historiograph and critic; b. Mauth, n. Prague, Nov. 17, 1816; d. Vienna, June 28, 1876; divided his student-years at Prague Univ. between law and music; was app. Public Prosecutor at Prague in 1850, but continued his musical work and study, and in 1856 attracted general notice by his essay on Die Grenzen der Musik und Poesie (2nd ed. Leipzig, 1885; Engl. transl. N. Y., 1893), a study in musical aesthetics put forth in reply to Hanslick's Vom Musikalisch-Schönen, and a treatise of high and lasting value as a corrective to Hanslick's extreme views. This was followed by Culturhistorische Bilder aus dem Musikleben der Gegenwart (1860; 2nd ed. Leipzig, 1865), a collection of admirable essays; he was then (1860) engaged by Leuckart of Breslau (now in Leipzig) to write a History of Music, his principal work, and a life-task destined to render him famous. In 1869 he was app. prof. of music, Prague Univ., and prof. of mus. history at Prague Cons.; 1872, app. to a position in the Ministry of Justice, Vienna, and also prof. in the Cons. at Vienna. In gathering the materials necessary for the history, he spent years of labor in the libraries of Munich, Vienna, and several Italian cities, having leave of absence for this purpose, and likewise a grant of money from the Vienna Academy. Vol. III, down to Palestrina, appeared 1868; A. died before completing the fourth, which was edited from his notes and materials by C. F. Becker and G. Nottebohm; a fifth vol. was published (1882) by O. Kade from further collected materials, and W. Langhans has written a sequel, in a more popular style (under the title, Geschichte der Musik des 17., 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts), bringing the work up to date (2 vols., 1882–6). A list of names and general index were also published by W. Bäumker in 1882. A 2nd ed. (Leuckart, Leipzig, 1880) of the original 4 vols. has been printed; contents: Vol. I, The Beginnings of Music, Mus. of the Antique World, of the Greeks, etc.; vol. II, from the Christian era down to the First Flemish School; vol. III, from the Netherlanders to Palestrina; vol. IV, Palestrina, his contemporaries and immediate successors. Vol. I has been re-written, not wholly to its advantage, by B. Sokolovsky. Vols. II and III are of peculiar value. Vol. II was republ. (1892) in a new revision by H. Riemann; likewise vol. IV (1909), by H. Leichtentritt; vol. V was revised and enlarged (1911) by O. Kade.—Two series of entertaining essays, Bunte Blätter (1872—74; 2nd ed. by E. Vogel, 1896), are interesting to either amateurs or professionals. Ambros was also an excellent practical musician, being a fine pianist, and the composer of an opera, Bretislav a Jitka, overtures to Othello and the Magico prodigioso, several piano-pcs., numerous songs, and 2 masses, a Stabat Mater, etc.—Cf. Guido Adler, A. W. A., in the 'Mus. Quart.' (1931).
7Ambrose (Ambrosius), b. Trier (Treves), A.D. 333; d. Milan, Apr. 4, 397; elected Bishop of Milan in 374; canonized after death. Celebrated for his regulation (384) and development of singing in the Western Churches, by the introduction and cultivation of ritual (antiphonal and congregational) song, as practised at the time in the Eastern Church. His indisputable authorship of several sacred songs has earned him the title of 'Father of Christian Hymnology.' But his reputed authorship of the 'Ambr. Chant,' Te Deum laudamus, is mythical.—Bibliography: Biraghi, Inni sinceri e carmi di S. Ambrogio
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