Scan 71
The American history and encyclopedia of music, 1908
18 lines. Read by computer on 11 September 2026. Printed page 52. See the scan on archive.org.
1Metastasio
2in 1740. On his death-bed he was given the blessing of Pope Pius VI., then visiting at the Court of Joseph II. As a man Metastasio was selfish but had an intensely passionate and emotional nature, and as a poet he united the playwright's cleverness of Scribe and a wonderful poetic power, which made his verses veritable melody. His characters were weak and artificial, and his dramas seem lifeless now, because of their classic form. He was a musical composer and singer as well as a poet. Of his twenty-nine dramas, the best are Olimpiade; Achille in Sciro; Clemenza di Tito, set to music by Mozart; Atilio Regolo; Artaserse; Temistocle; and Zenobia. He also wrote oratorios, cantatas, pieces of circumstance, sonnets and elegies. His opera texts have been set to music by Gluck, Hasse, Porpora, Handel, Jommelli, Mozart and others.
4Methfessel (mät'-fěs-sěl), Albert Gottlieb. 1785-1869.
5German song-writer and conductor; was born at Stadttilm, in Thuringia, and died at Heckenbeck. He played at the Court of Rudolstadt in 1810, was musical director at Hamburg in 1822, and in 1832 became Court chapelmaster at Brunswick, a position which he held for ten years, when he retired on a pension. He is chiefly known for his German student songs, as Rheinweinheil, Deutscher Ehrenpreis and Krieger's Abschied. He composed an opera, Der Prinz von Basra; an oratorio, Das befreite Jerusalem; piano-music and collections of songs.
7Métra (mā-trä), Jules Louis Olivier. 1830-1889.
8Composer of popular French dance-music; born at Rheims. His father was an actor and he also played juvenile parts. He studied music with Edmond Roche and in several small theatres of Paris he played on the violin, violoncello and doublebass viol. From 1849 to 1854 he studied harmony with Elwart at the Paris Conservatory, then composition with Ambroise Thomas. He conducted orchestra at the Beaumarchais Theatre and afterward at the dance halls, Bal Robert, Mabille, Château des Fleurs, Athnée musicale, Élysée Montmartre, Casino-Cadet and Bal Frascati; he also conducted for the masked balls of the Opéra Comique and the opera balls and the Theatre de la Monnaie, Brussels, and for several years was conductor at the Folies-Bergères. Among his compositions are his waltzes, La Vague, Les Roses, and Le tour du monde; mazurkas; quadrilles; and polkas, as well as eighteen operettas and ballet-divertissements, which he produced at the Folies-Bergères and the ballet Yedda, which he brought out at the opera. He died in Paris.
10Mettenleiter (mět'-těn-li-těr), Johann Georg. 1812-1858.
11Organist; choirmaster and musical composer; born at St. Ulrich, near Ulm, where later he became choirmaster and organist. He is known chiefly on account of his scholarly church compositions of which he published Manuale breve cantionum ac precum and Enchiridion chorale, both with organ accompaniments; and 95th Psalm for six male voices. In manuscript he has left some masses, two Misereres, a Stabat Mater and an Ave Maria for double chorus. His brother has written a biography, entitled Johann Georg Mettenleiter, ein Künstlerbild.
13Metzdorff (měts'-dôrf), Richard. 1844-
14Composer of vocal and instrumental music; born at Danzig; studied in Berlin under Geyer, Dehn and Kiel. He became chapelmaster of orchestras at Berlin, Nuremburg, Brunswick, Hanover and Düsseldorf. Among his compositions are his opera, Rosamund, produced at Weimar, 1875, and Haybart und Signe which appeared in 1893. He also wrote three symphonies; an overture to King Lear; the ballad, Frau Alice, for contralto, chorus and orchestra; several collections of song; trios for piano and strings; sonatas and other pieces for piano; two symphonies, one in F, one in D minor.
16Meyer (měr), Gustav. 1859-
17Composer and conductor; born at Königsberg, Prussia; began his musical education in his native town under Robert Schwalm. From 1880 to 1884 he studied with Reinecke and Jadassohn in the Conservatory at Leipsic. He was chapelmaster at Leignitz, Görlitz, Eisenach, Dorpat and Breslau, where he stayed five years, then at Stettin. In 1895 he became conductor at the Leipsic City Theatre.
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