Books › Musical biographies / 2 The American history and encyclopedia of music / W.L. Hubbard, ed, 1908 › scan 70
Scan 70
Musical biographies / 2 The American history and encyclopedia of music / W.L. Hubbard, ed, 1908
13 lines. Read by computer on 8 September 2026. Printed page 48. See the scan on archive.org.
1Menter
2Menter, Sophie. 1848-
3Daughter of Joseph Menter; a piano player and teacher; born at Munich. Showed her musical ability very early, studying first with Schönchen, later with Leonhard at Munich Conservatory, then at the age of thirteen taking private lessons of Niest. In 1863 she made her debut, and in 1867 she appeared at Frankfort, where she so impressed Tausig that he prevailed upon her to come to Leipsic as his pupil. In 1869 she began studying with Liszt, who was much interested in her, and contributed much to her musical education. In 1872 she married David Popper, a violoncellist, but was divorced in 1886. She was pianist at the Court of Prince of Hohenzollern and the Emperor of Austria, and from 1883 to 1887 she was professor at the Conservatory at St. Petersburg. She appeared in England in 1881. She is noted for her wonderful style and technique.
5Mercadante (mĕr-kä-dän'-tē), Francesco Saverio. 1795-1870.
6Composer, who ranks high in the list of Italian opera-writers; born at Altamura, near Bari. When only twelve years old he was sent to the College of St. Sebastian at Naples, where under Zingarelli he studied composition, flute and violin, and after a time was made the leader of the orchestra. For about six years he composed only instrumental music, but, on being dismissed from the college, he turned to dramatic composition. In 1818 appeared his first work, a cantata for the Teatro del Fondo, and in 1819 his L'Apoteosi d'Ercole was produced at San Carlo Theatre with gratifying success. He composed industriously, producing the opera buffa, Violenza e costanzo, and Elisa e Claudio by which his reputation was established. He composed Andronico for the Venetian Carnival. The performance of some of his works at Vienna brought him into favor with the Viennese. In 1827 he went to Spain, returning to Naples in 1831. He was appointed to succeed Pietro Generali as maestro di cappella of the Novara Cathedral in 1833. In 1836 he went to Paris to superintend the production of his opera, I Briganti, and in 1837 Il Giuramento was performed at Milan. The opera buffa, I due illustri rivali, produced in 1838, introduced an innovation in the use of brass instruments to mark the accent of the accompaniment, which proved a disagreeable characteristic of the instrumentation of Italian Opera of a later period. He was made director of music at the Cathedral at Lanciano in 1839, and in 1840 director of the Naples Conservatory. Owing to the loss of an eye at Novara, he became totally blind in 1862, and had to dictate his compositions. He died at Naples eight years later. Mercadante was a member of the Institute of France and the Italians ranked him very high as a dramatic writer. He is one of the best of the composers of the school headed by Rossini and is usually named with Bellini and Donizetti. He produced litanies; cantatas; psalms; vespers; about twenty masses; a hymn to Garibaldi in 1861, and one to Rossini in 1866; funeral symphonies to Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini and Pacini; Il lamento di Bardo, after he became blind, Messa solenne; Le sette parole di Nostro Signore; La Rimembrance; Il Lamento dell'Arabo; besides his operas, which numbered about sixty. Of these, I Briganti, produced at Paris, and Elisa e Claudio and Il Giuramento, both given at La Scala in Milan, are usually considered his best.
8Méreaux (mā-rō), Jean Amédée Lefroid de. 1803-1874.
9Grandson of Jean Nicolas Lefroid, son of Joseph; was a pianist, teacher and musical writer. He was born in Paris and began his piano training at the age of ten under Reicha. He appeared successfully in concert in Paris and London. In 1835 he began to teach in Rouen, remaining there until his death. His most important work is his collection of clavecin music, Les Clavecinistes de 1637 à 1790, which he published in 1867.
11Méreaux, Jean Nicolas Amédée Lefroid de. 1745-1797.
12Organist and dramatic composer; is best known for his two oratorios, Esther and Samson. He studied under French and Italian masters, and was made organist of the church of St. Jacques du Haut Pas in Paris. Among his works are his operas La Ressource comique; Le Retour de Tendresse; Laurette; Alexandre aux Indes; Le Duel comique; Œdipe et Jocaste, and Fabius. His ode on the birth of the Dauphin is well known.
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