Books › Grove's dictionary of music and musicians, 1916 › scan 150
Scan 150
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians, 1916
25 lines. Read by computer on 6 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 114. See the scan on archive.org.
1which was on a large scale, and included a new cantata by Sir Robert Stewart. In 1853, an International Exhibition was opened in Dublin; there he assembled 1000 performers, the largest band and chorus yet brought together in Ireland.
3In 1856 efforts were made to revive the 'Irish Academy of Music,' founded in 1848, but languishing for want of funds and pupils. (See ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY.) Mr. and Mrs. Robinson joined as Professors, and nearly all the Irish artists, both vocal and instrumental, who appeared during their time, owed both training and success to their teaching; and when, after twenty years, Mr. Robinson resigned, the institution was one of importance and stability. In 1859, for the Handel Centenary, he gave the 'Messiah,' with Jenny Lind and Belletti among the principals. The net receipts amounted to £900, an unprecedented sum in Dublin. In 1865 the large Exhibition Palace was opened by the Prince of Wales, and Robinson conducted the performance with a band and chorus of 700.
5After the cessation of the 'Antients,' there was no Society to attempt systematically the worthy production of great works. To remedy this a chorus was trained by Robinson, and established in 1876 as the 'Dublin Musical Society.' The last concert conducted by Robinson was on Dec. 6, 1888, previous to which the members presented him with an address and a purse of 100 sovereigns. The purse was returned by him with warm expressions of gratitude, but with the characteristic words, 'While I think a professional man should expect his fair remuneration, yet his chief object may be something higher and nobler—the advancement of art in his native city.' The Society was revived in 1889, under the conductorship of Dr. Joseph Smith, but collapsed after some years. He wrote a variety of songs, concerted pieces and anthems, besides arranging a number of standard songs and Irish melodies. In 1881 he married for the second time; he died August 23, 1898.
7In 1849 a young pianist, Miss FANNY ARTHUR (born Sept. 1831), arrived in Dublin from Southampton, and made her first successful appearance there—Feb. 19, 1849. She had studied under Sterndale Bennett and Thalberg. Mr. Robinson and she were married July 17 following, and she continued for thirty years to be an extraordinary favourite. Her first appearance in London was at the Musical Union, June 26, 1855, when she played Beethoven's Sonata in F (op. 24), with Ernst, and received the praises of Meyerbeer; also at the New Philharmonic in 1856, where she played Mendelssohn's Concerto in D.
9Mrs. Robinson also passed a very active musical life, though it was often interrupted by nervous illness. In teaching she had a peculiar power of infusing her own ideas into others. She played from time to time at concerts of a high class, and herself gave a very successful concert in Paris, at the Salle Erard (Feb. 4, 1864). Her pianoforte compositions are numerous and graceful. Her sacred cantata, 'God is Love,' was repeatedly performed throughout the kingdom.
11On Oct. 31, 1879, she met a sudden and tragic end, which caused profound regret. H. M'C. D.; with additions from Brit. Mus. Biog., Musical Times, Sept. 1898, p. 609, and from W. H. Grattan Flood, Esq. [See also an article by Sir C. V. Stanford in Cornhill Magazine, June 1899.]
13ROBINSON, THOMAS, was author of a curious work published at London in folio in 1603, bearing the following title—The Schoole of Musick: wherein is taught the perfect method of the true fingering of the Lute, Pandora, Orpharion and Viol de Gamba. In 1609 he published 'New Citharen Lessons.' Nothing is known of his biography.
15W. H. H.
17ROBSON, JOSEPH, organ-builder. See APOLLONICON, vol. i. p. 95, and FLIGHT, vol. ii. p. 61.
19ROCHE, EDMOND, born at Calais, Feb. 20, 1828, died at Paris, Dec. 16, 1861, began life as a violin-player, first as Habeneck's pupil at the Conservatoire, but quickly relinquished music for literature. Roche undertook the translation of the libretto of 'Tannhäuser' for its representation at the Opéra, March 13, 1861, and in a preface to his Poesies posthumes (Paris, Lévy, 1863) M. Sardou has described the terrible persistence with which Wagner kept his translator to his task. (See Pougin's supplement to Fétis.) In Jullien's Richard Wagner, 1887, the facts of the case were made public; it seems that Roche, not knowing German, had recourse to the services of a friend named Lindau, and the translation, when sent to the director of the Opera, was rejected, as it was in blank verse; the necessary alteration into rhyme was made by Roche, Nuitter, and Wagner in collaboration. On this Lindau brought an action against Wagner, to enforce the mention of his name as one of the translators; the case was heard on March 6, 1861, a week before the first representation of the opera, and it was decided that no name but that of Wagner should appear in the books. So that Roche had not even the satisfaction of seeing his name in print, in connection with the work for even Lajarte (Bibl. Mus. de l'Opera, ii. 230) gives Nuitter as the author of the French words. Besides the poems contained in the volume cited, Roche contributed critical articles to several small periodicals.
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24ROCHLITZ, JOHANN FRIEDRICH, critic, and founder of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, born of poor parents at Leipzig, Feb. 12, 1769. His fine voice procured his admission at thirteen to the Thomasschule, under the Cantorship of Doles, where he spent six years and a half. He began to study theology in the University, but want of means compelled him to leave and take a tutorship, which he supplemented by writing. [For the
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