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Scan 404
Grove's Dictionary of music and musicians, 1927
32 lines. Read by computer on 4 September 2026. Printed page 346. See the scan on archive.org.
1BERG, GEORGE, a German by birth, was a pupil of Dr. Pepusch. In 1763 he gained the first prize medal awarded by the Catch Club for his glee 'On softest beds at leisure laid,' and obtained two other prizes in subsequent years.
3He published some books of songs sung at Marylebone Gardens, at which place in Apr. 1765 he produced an ode called 'The Invitation.' Thirty-one of his glees and catches are included in Warren's collections. In 1771 he was organist of the church of St. Mary-at-Hill, near Billingsgate. He published several works for the organ, harpsichord, flute, horn, etc., besides those above mentioned. w. h. h.
5BERG, JOHANN (b. Ghent; d. 1563), a music printer who set up a printing office in Nuremberg c. 1531 (the date of their first book), in conjunction with Ulrich Neuber. After the death of Berg the office was carried on by Neuber (d. 1571) and Gerlach. After 1582 traces of the firm disappear (Q.-L.). F. G.
7BERGAMASCA—in the 'Midsummer Night's Dream,' a 'Bergomask'; an Italian dance, deriving its name from Bergamo. Specimens of the dance, with words, are found in some of the 16th-century collections, such as the third book of Filippo Azzaiolo's Vilotte (1569). The first instrumental bergamasca, according to Riemann, is to be found in Uccellini's sonatas, 1642, in a long 'aria sopra la bergamasca,' from which it appears that the bergamasca was a very simple succession of four bass notes (tonic, subdominant, dominant and tonic) used as a 'ground.'
9According to the late Signor Piatti, himself a native of Bergamo, the characteristic dance of that district is of the following measure, like a country-dance, but quicker, with a strong accent on the second half of the bar:
11Signor Piatti himself published a Bergamasca for violoncello and pianoforte (op. 14) which partakes of this character.
13BIBL.—PAUL NETTL, Die Bergamaska, Z.M., Mar. 1923, pp. 291-5.
15BERGER, FRANCESCO (b. London, June 10, 1834), pianist and composer, studied at Trieste and Leipzig (Moscheles) and has had a long and distinguished career as a teacher in London, notably as professor of the pianoforte at the R.A.M. and G.S.M. He was for 27 years honorary secretary to the Philharmonic Society (see ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY). His published compositions are mainly pieces for PF., songs and short vocal pieces. He has published a useful handbook, Musical Expressions, Phrases and Sentences (Reeves) which contains equivalents in English, French, German and Italian. He has also published a volume of Reminiscences (Sampson Low).
17BERGER, LUDWIG (b. Berlin, Apr. 18, 1777; d. there, Feb. 16, 1839), a remarkable pianoforte-player and gifted composer.
19His talent showed itself early (he studied under J. A. Gurrlich), but received its great impulse from the notice taken of him at Berlin in 1804 by Clementi, who undertook his tuition, and took him to St. Petersburg. Here he met Steibelt and Field, who had much influence on his playing. In 1812 he visited Stockholm and London, and became widely known as a player and teacher. In 1815 he returned to Berlin, where he resided till his death, one of the most esteemed teachers of his time. Mendelssohn was his greatest pupil, but amongst others may be mentioned Taubert, von Herzberg, Henselt and Fanny Hensel, Mendelssohn's sister. He latterly withdrew almost entirely from active life, owing to an over-fastidious hypochondriacal temper. He left behind him a mass of good, nay even remarkable, music—pianoforte pieces, songs, cantatas and unfinished operas. Amongst his published works his 27 études are especially important; they were republished by Breitkopf, with a preface by C. Reinecke.
21BERGER, WILHELM (b. Boston, U.S.A., Aug. 9, 1861; d. Meiningen, Jan. 16, 1911), composer and piano teacher.
23His parents were German and he was taken to Germany when but a year old; studied in the Hochschule of Berlin under Kiel from 1878-82; and taught in the Klindworth-Scharwenka Conservatorium, Berlin, 1888-93. He then succeeded Steinbach as conductor of the Meiningen Orchestra.
25His orchestral works include a symphony in B minor, op. 80, variations and fugue for orchestra, op. 97, 3 Ballades for baritone and orchestra, 'Der Totentanz,' op. 86, for chorus and orchestra. His choral works include a setting of the 'Gesang der Geister über den Wassern,' op. 55, 'Meine Göttin,' for male choir and orchestra, op. 72, a work which obtained a prize in 1898; in the same year his string quintets were similarly honoured by the society of the Beethoven-house, and his symphony in B flat, op. 71, was played at Mainz. A choral work, 'Euphorion,' may also be mentioned, as well as a great number of pianoforte pieces, several concerted chamber compositions, and many vocal solos and partsongs. Some chamber works were played at the Popular Concert in Jan. 1904, when the composer visited England.
27BIBL.—WILHELM ALTMANN, Wilhelm Berger-Katalog. Vollständige Verzeichnis sämtlicher im Druck erschienener Tonwerke und Bearbeitungen Wilhelm Bergers, etc., p. 48, Leipzig, 1920.
29BERGGREEN, ANDREAS PETER (b. Copenhagen, Mar. 2, 1801; d. there, Nov. 9, 1880), studied harmony and began to compose from the age of 14.
31Though destined by his parents for the law, he was led by his strong predilection for music
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