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Scan 310
Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1918
16 lines. Read by computer on 10 September 2026. Printed page 262. See the scan on archive.org.
1of this name in Stuttgart, both enjoying wide reputation as pianoforte-makers, viz. 'Schiedmayer & Sons,' and 'Schiedmayer Pianoforte-fabrik; vormals, J. & P. Schiedmayer.' The heads of these firms are the grandsons and great-grandsons of Johann David Schiedmayer, who towards the close of the 18th century was a musical instrument maker at Erlangen, and afterwards at Nuremberg, where he died in 1806. His son Johann Lorenz (born 1786) went after this for two years to Vienna as a workman, and in 1809 established a business at Stuttgart in partnership with C. F. Dieudonné (who died in 1825). Before that time pianoforte-making was virtually unknown in Stuttgart, those who required satisfactory instruments obtaining them from Vienna. Lorenz Schiedmayer's intelligence and aptness for business gained a position for his firm, and it soon became one of the first in Germany. In 1845 Lorenz united his two eldest sons, Adolf and Hermann, to himself, and 'Schiedmayer & Sons' soon became as well known in foreign countries as in Württemberg. Lorenz died in 1860 and his son Hermann in 1861. The sons of the brothers Adolf (1820-1890) and Hermann, bearing the same Christian names, have been for many years the directors of this firm, which has made both concert and ordinary instruments, and has competed with success in London and Paris and other exhibitions. The two younger sons, Julius (1822-78) and Paul (died June 18, 1890) at first devoted themselves to harmonium-making, then of recent introduction, a practical knowledge of which had been gained by Paul in Paris. They started together in 1854, but after the death of the father, in 1860, turned to pianoforte-making in competition with the elder firm, and the younger firm is now known as 'Schiedmayer, Pianoforte-fabrik.'
3Special mention must be made of Julius Schiedmayer's prominence as an expert in the Juries of the great Exhibitions of London, 1862; Paris, 1867; Vienna, 1873; and Philadelphia, 1876.
5A. J. H.
7SCHIEVER, ERNST, violinist, was born at Hanover on March 23, 1844. Studied under Joachim, 1860-64. In 1868 joined the Müller Quartet, with which he travelled as leader until its dissolution in 1869, and became in the same year a teacher at the Hochschule and a member of the Joachim Quartet. Remained in Berlin two years, organising with Hermann Franke (second violin), Leonhard Wolff (viola), and Robert Hausmann (violoncello) another quartet party, which was engaged subsequently by Count Hochberg, and became known as the 'Gräflich Hochberg Quartet' of Schloss Rohnstock near Striegau in Silesia. Came to England in 1878, making Liverpool his headquarters, and undertaking the leadership of the Richter orchestra, with which he has been connected for nearly thirty years. His sympathy with chamber music remains constant, the 'Schiever Quartet,' in which he is associated with A. Ross (second violin), Carl Courvoisier (viola), and Walter Hatton (violoncello), being an institution favourably known in the north of England.
9W. W. C.
11SCHIKANEDER, EMMANUEL, theatrical manager, playwright, actor, and singer, born 1751 at Ratisbon, began life as a poor wandering musician, joined some strolling players at Augsburg in 1773, married the adopted daughter of the manager, and at length undertook the direction himself. In 1780 his wanderings brought him to Salzburg, where he fell in with the Mozarts, and at once began to make a profit out of Wolfgang's talents. In 1784 we find him in Vienna, giving with Kumpf a series of excellent performances of German opera, comedy, etc., at the Kärnthnerthor theatre. He appeared on the boards both here and at the Burgtheater, where, however, he did not succeed. He next took the management of the theatre at Ratisbon, but was recalled to Vienna by his wife, who had undertaken the little theatre lately built in the grounds of Prince Starhemberg's house in the suburb of Wieden, for which Schikaneder received a privilegium or licence.1 He had no scruples as to the means to be adopted to make a hit, but in spite of large receipts was continually in difficulty. On one such occasion (March 1791) he had recourse to Mozart, whom he implored to set to music a libretto adapted by himself from a piece by Giesecke, a member of his company. Mozart, always good-natured, especially to a brother-mason, consented, and from that moment till its completion Schikaneder stuck closely to him, and did all he could to keep him amused over his work. The history of the 'Zauberflöte' is well known; Schikaneder made various suggestions in the composition, took the part of Papageno, and found himself saved from ruin by the success of the opera; but he showed little gratitude to Mozart, and after his death, instead of helping the widow of the man by whom he had benefited so materially, contented himself with loud and vain lamentations. In 1800 he entered into partnership with a merchant named Zitterbarth, who at a short distance from the small theatre just mentioned, built the present 'Theater an-der-Wien,' opened June 13, 1801. Zitterbarth then bought the privilegium from Schikaneder, who managed it for him till 1806. His next project was to build, with the assistance of some wealthy friends, a new theatre in the Josephstadt suburb, but this he did not carry out. On his way to Pesth, whither he had been invited to undertake a theatre, he went mad, was brought back to Vienna, and died in great misery Sept. 21, 1812.
13Schikaneder wrote the librettos for many
151 It was popularly called Schikaneder's theatre.
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