Scan 57
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians Volume 2, 1927
36 lines. Read by computer on 10 September 2026. Printed page 19. See the scan on archive.org.
1His 'Violin School' is certainly one of the best works of the kind, and the publication of the 'Hohe Schule des Violinspiels' (a collection of standard works of old violinists) marks an epoch in the development of modern violin-playing.
3F. H.R.
5His son, (2) JULIUS PETER PAUL (b. Leipzig, Aug. 4, 1840), was leader of the orchestra at Carlsruhe from 1862-65; he came to England about the latter year, and became master of the music at Uppingham School, where until 1907, when he retired to Oxford, he exerted an important influence in education. Cambridge conferred the degree of Master of Music on him Mar. 1908. He was a valued contributor to the earlier editions of this Dictionary.
7DAVIDE, (1) GIACOMO (b. Presezzo, near Bergamo, 1750; d. Dec. 31, 1830), was a very great Italian tenor, better known as 'David le père.' Having studied composition under Sala, he was able to suit his fioriture to the harmony of the passage he wished to embroider; but he was even more distinguished in serious and pathetic music, and that of the church, than in bravura. In 1785 he went to Paris, sang at the Concert Spirituel, and made a great sensation in the 'Stabat' of Pergolesi. Returning to Italy, he sang during two seasons at La Scala. In 1790 he was at Naples again, and in 1791 he came to London. Lord Mount-Edgcumbe wrote:
9'He was undoubtedly the first tenor of his time, possessing a powerful and well-toned voice, great execution as well as knowledge of music, and an excellent style of singing. He learned to pronounce English with tolerable correctness, and one of his last performances was in Westminster Abbey, at the last of the Handel festivals.'
11In 1802 he was at Florence, and returned in 1812 to Bergamo, where he was appointed to sing at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. It is said that he sang at Lodi in 1820. He formed two pupils, one of whom was his son, and the other Nozzari.
13His son, (2) GIOVANNI (b. 1789; d. St. Petersburg, c. 1851), long enjoyed the reputation in Italy of a great singer, though his method of producing his voice was defective, and he frequently showed want of taste, abusing his magnificent voice, with its prodigious compass of three octaves comprised within four B flats.
15He made his début at Brescia in 1810, and sang with success at Venice, Naples and Milan. He was engaged at La Scala for the whole of 1814. In the autumn of that year he was first employed by Rossini in his 'Turco in Italia.' Rossini then wrote rôles for him in 'Otello' (1816), 'Ricciardo e Zoraïde' (1818), 'Ermione' and 'La donna del lago' (1819). In 1818 he sang at Rome, Vienna and London. Ebers had made overtures to him in 1822, and his engagement was on the point of completion when he was engaged for seven years by Barbaja, who at that time directed the operas of Naples, Milan, Bologna and Vienna. Davide appeared in London in 1829, singing, among other operas, with Mrs. Wood in Pacini's 'L'ultimo giorno di Pompei'; but he was passé. He arrived in Paris in the same year. Édouard Bertin, a French critic, said of him:
17'It is impossible for another singer to carry away an audience as he does, and when he will only be simple, he is admirable; he is the Rossini of song. He is a great singer; the greatest I ever heard.'
19He was singing in Italy from 1831 till he retired in 1841 to Naples, where he founded a school of singing. A few years later he accepted the post of manager at the Opera of St. Petersburg, and is said to have died there about 1851.
21DAVIDOV, CHARLES (b. Goldingen, Courland, Mar. 17, 1838; d. Moscow, Feb. 15, 1889), eminent violoncellist and composer, took his mathematical degree at the Moscow University in 1858. Shortly afterwards he chose the musical profession, and studied the violoncello under Schmidt in Moscow and Schuberth in St. Petersburg. Composition he studied under Hauptmann in Leipzig.
23His first appearance in public was at the Gewandhaus, Dec. 15, 1859, after which he became leading violoncellist in that orchestra and professor at the Conservatorium vice Grützmacher. In 1862 he was appointed first violoncello to the St. Petersburg Opera, and shortly afterwards to a professorship at the Conservatoire. From 1876-86 Davidov was director of this institution, and his reign was marked by most benevolent measures in favour of poor students. The number of scholarships was greatly increased, and free quarters found for the impecunious. He made his first appearance in London at the Philharmonic, May 19, 1862, in a concerto of his own. In the first edition of this Dictionary the following criticism of his playing occurs:
25'His tone was expressive, his intonation certain, especially in the higher registers, his execution extraordinary, and there is great individuality in his style.'
27His works include:
29Symphonic Sketch for Orchestra (op. 27) and Orchestral Suite (op. 37). For violoncello: four Concertos (opp. 3, 14, 18, 31), the Russian Fantasia (op. 7), and numerous small pieces of which the best known are 'Adieu,' 'Solitude' and 'Am Springbrunnen'; PF. Quintet (op. 40), String Quartet (op. 38) and Sextet (op. 35). His Songs (op. 26) were exceedingly popular. He also wrote an admirable School for the Violoncello.
31R. N.
33DAVIDSBÜNDLER, see SCHUMANN, ROBT.
35DAVIDSON, G. H., a name notable in modern days as one of the pioneers of cheap music publishing. His early introduction to the public was his collection of Charles Dibdin's songs, the first attempt towards a complete gathering up to that time. This had the music to the principal songs, and was prefaced by a memoir by George Hogarth. It was issued in an octavo volume by How & Parsons in 1842. Before 1847 Davidson had turned publisher of both literary and musical works, his address being Water Street, Bridge Street, London.
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