Scan 103
The American history and encyclopedia of music, 1908
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1Blaze
2law, but became a student at the Conservatory and also took private lessons in harmony. In 1820 he gave up the law and went to Paris, where he soon became famous as a musical critic and as the author of a two-volume work, The Opera in France, which appeared in 1820. From 1822 to 1832 Blaze was musical critic of the Journal des Débats, and he also wrote numerous articles for other periodicals. He also published a Dictionary of Modern Music and Theatres Lyriques de Paris, in three volumes and beside translated into French a large number of Italian and German operas. His compositions, which are forgotten, consist of two comic operas and a serious one, several romances and some chamber-music. He made a valuable collection of the songs of southern France called Chants de Provence.
4Blewitt, Jonathan. About 1780-1853.
5English organist, composer and director, son of Jonas Blewitt, a well-known organist of the latter part of the Eighteenth Century. He was born in London about 1780, studied under his father and under Battishill, and for awhile served as his father's assistant. He held several London appointments, was organist at Brecon, later at Sheffield, and in 1811 went to Ireland as private organist to Lord Cahir. He remained in Ireland a number of years, held the post of organist at St. Andrew's, Dublin, and was composer and music-director to the Theatre Royal in Dublin. He was a popular teacher and conductor in that city. In 1813 the Duke of Leinster appointed him grand organist to the Masonic body of Ireland. In 1825, Blewitt returned to London, became music-director at Sadler's Wells Theatre, brought out several stage pieces, and wrote music for pantomimes, operas and Irish ballads, the latter of which were quite popular. He was a very good singer in addition to his other talents, and also a pianist.
7Blockx (blôx), Jan. 1851-
8Distinguished contemporary Belgian composer and teacher, who has won his chief renown in opera. He was born at Antwerp, the son of an upholsterer, and as a lad was set to learn his father's trade. His employer noticing he possessed an unusual talent for music, aided him to set out on a musical career. He studied in Antwerp and Brussels, and completed his education at the Leipsic Conservatory. At an early age he composed considerable music, his Flemish songs winning for him much popularity in his native city, and in this period he also wrote cantatas and some chamber-music. In 1877 his one-act opera Iets Vergeten was brought out, and with a cantata for the Rubens Festival, Ons Vaterland, he won a prize over twenty-one other competitors. In 1886 he became a teacher at the Antwerp Conservatory, was musical director of the Cercle Artistique of Antwerp, and in 1902 succeeded Benoit as director of the Conservatory. His ballet Milenka, produced at Brussels in 1886, made his name widely known. This was followed by the four-act opéra comique, Maitre Martin, and then came the lyric drama, De Herbegprinses, produced at Antwerp in 1896 and proving a very great success. An equal success was the opera, Thyl Uylenspiegel, produced at Brussels, in 1900; and a still greater success, La Fiancée de la Mer, brought out in 1903. Grove gives this estimate of the Belgian composer's work: "In his various compositions Blockx manifests a very interesting personality, which, while carrying out the newer tendencies in harmony and orchestration, succeeds in avoiding all imitation of Wagner."
10Blow
11Bloomfield-Zeisler. See Zeisler.
13Blow, John. 1648-1708.
14Noted English organist and composer. Was the teacher of Henry Purcell. Sang in the choir of the Chapel Royal in 1660, under Henry Cook, and studied, after leaving the choir, with John Hingeston and Christopher Gibbons. He began composing while a chorister, and also became so fine an organist that, in 1669, he was appointed organist of Westminster Abbey. This position he held until 1680 when he was replaced by Henry Purcell, but on the latter's death in 1695 he was again appointed. He was appointed one of the King's private musicians and honorary composer to the King, in 1685. In 1699 he was appointed composer to the Chapel Royal, which office he was the first to fill. Although not a graduate of any university the degree of Doctor of Music was conferred on Blow, by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Upon
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