"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" Author(s): J. R. Griffiths Source: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 39, No. 662 (Apr. 1, 1898), p. 268 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3366113 . Accessed: 10/12/2014 03:39

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This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Wed, 10 Dec 2014 03:39:15 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 268 THE MUSICAL TIMES.--APRIL I, 1898. the pen of Herr Ludwig Hartmann,was broughtout at the We have also to recordthe followingdeaths:- Imperial Theatre on February24 withgreat success. The On February 20, at , FRANZ BEHR, composer of principalparts were well interpretedby Mesdames Forster popularpianoforte pieces, aged sixty-one. and Renard, Herren Dippel, Hesch, and Neidl, the On February 26, at Naples, TERESA MARTUCCI, gifted choruses also being most effectivelyrendered. Herr pianist and teacher,sister of Signor Giuseppe Martucci, Mahler,who had bestowedinfinite care at rehearsals,con- the distinguisheddirector of the Bologna Conservatorio. ducted. The composer,who was present,had reason to On February 26, at Toulouse, ViCTOR SAVIT, contra- be satisfiedwith the receptionaccorded to himselfand his bassist,founder and custodianof the Conservatoirelibrary, new work. A new comic opera by Herr Ignaz Brilll, the second in importancein , aged eighty-three. entitled" Der Husar," was broughtout on the 2nd ult.with markedsuccess at the Theater-an-der-Wien,the libretto, by Herr Leon, dealing effectivelywith a really comic CORRESPONDENCE. subject, and the music being distinctlyclever, as was to be expected fromthe composerof " The Golden Cross." " ST. MAGNUS." The Kaim of several Orchestra, , gave per- " formanceshere last month, under the directionof Herr TO THE EDITOR OF THE MUSICAL TIMES." Loewe, and has been greatly appreciated. The pro- SIR,-The authorshipof the above tune has, I believe, grammesconsisted chiefly of worksby modernmasters. always been attributedto JeremiahClark, organist of St. Paul's Cathedraland of the Chapel Royal at the beginning of the last century. OBITUARY. In a German, or ratherSwiss, collectionof four-part songs, entitled"Sammlung von Volksgesingen fair den AT West Kirby,on the i8th ult., Miss H. A. ARGENT gemischtenChor Liederbuch ffirSchulen und Vereine, (daughterof Mr.W. I. Argent,of Liverpool),who had been herausgegebenvon der Musik-Kommissionder ziircher- one of the leading teachersof the violin in Birkenheadfor ischenSchulsynode unter Redaktion von J. Heim."--[N.D.] ten years prior to her abandonmentof work owing to I find,under No. Ig92(" Bei Sonnenaufgang"),and described decline early in 1897. as " Alte Volksweise" (old folk-song),the melody of this On the 5th ult., aged eighty,NATHAN CONSTANTINE, tune in the formgiven below, the harmonybeing very son of NathanConstantine, of Keighley,professor of music, similarto thatassociated with the tune in the majorityof formany years associated with the late JohnHullah as a our English tune-books. teacherof his system. It seems to me ratherunlikely that the people of the Alps On the 6th ult.,at 96, CamberwellNew Road, WILLIAM (or any of their neighbours)could have borrowed this FREEMAN THOMAS, formerly promoter of the Promenade particularmelody fromus. The only other tune in the Concerts,Covent Garden, aged fifty-four. same book whichcan be consideredof English authorship The death is announced, on the i3th ult., at , is that of " God save the Queen," which is thereset to a wherehe had residedfor the last fifteenyears, of the well- " Volkshymnean das Vaterland," and assigned to John knownpianist and composer,. Though Bull. to the younger generationof amateurs little more than a The questionis, therefore,did Clark adopt the tune from merename, and long since retiredfrom public life,he was an old Volkslied and merelyclaim to be the arranger,or in the earlier decades of the century a very famous did he- ?-but no, perish the thought! In this latter indeed, both as a virtuoso,of the case one would be almost inclined to think that poor personality pianoforte " school of Thalberg, and as a composer of brilliant "Jerry had some other weight upon his mindbesides a morceauxde salon forhis instrument. Schulhoffwas born love disappointment,which induced him to bringabout his at on August 2, 1825, and made his pianoforteown sad end. studiesunder Kisch and Tedesco,while Tomaczek instructed Seriously, however, my little discovery has greatly him in counterpoint,he being a fellowpupil withthe latter interestedme, and perhaps some of yourreaders may be of Mr. . In 1845 he went to , the able to throwfurther light upon the matter. Here is the arbiter,at thattime, of a youngpianist's reputation. Here melodyin its "Volksweise " form:- he was fortunatein gaining the interestand friendshipof Chopin,who introducedhim to the artisticsociety of the capital, and who also greatly influencedhis style of playing. His success in concert-roomsboth here and in , where he paid frequentvisits during his pro- longed Paris residence, was considerable, and indeed sensational. He also undertookextensive tours through , and Russia. In 1870 he went Germany, , Yours truly, JOHN E. to live in Dresden, where,as previouslyin Paris, he was WEST.--- much in request as a teacher, and finally took up his residencein Berlin. His compositions,amongst themthe Yours truly, JOHN E. WEST. once famous "Galop di Bravura" and the brilliant "Carnaval de Venice," include a sonata, a morceaude concert,and a numberof popularpianoforte pieces. "HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING." Professor MICHAEL BERGSON, who, for a number of TO THE EDITOR OF " THE MUSICAL TIMES." has been an esteemed music teacher and com- years past Mr. T. in poser in London, died at his residence in Percy Street, SIR,-Referring to the letterof J. Lightwood me to mentiona still earlier UxbridgeRoad, on the 9th ult., at the age of seventy-nine.your last issue, permit appear- He was born at and made his musical studies ance of the above tune in a hymnal-viz., that in the Warsaw, Book" under Schneider,in Dessau, and in Italy. Amongsthis " Congregational Hymn and Tune (original besidesnumerous are edition), 1857-where, in the index, it is styled "St. compositions, pianoforte" pieces, many songs, of which " The BetterWorld and " Two Hearts " Vincent." have some In a recentletter which I receivedfrom the Editor of enjoyed popularity. R. he CONRAD BEHRENS, the well-known operatic singer, who, thisbook, the Rev. R. Chope, says: " Forty years a or so considerable ago I was the firstto put that tune into a Hymn-book." generation ago, enjoyed popularity I we are with English audiences, died at New York on February (The italics are mine.) think,therefore, justified after a He was in concludingthat we have here the earliest appearance 13, having undergone painfuloperation. the born at near Brunswick,in and made of the tune in a hymnal consequentupon publication Samsleben, 1834, in of Mr. W. H. his debut at the Royal Opera, Stockholm,having received by Messrs.- Ewer and Co., 1856, his musical education at the expense of the King of Cummings'soriginal arrangement. Sweden. He first in London in and Yours faithfully, appeared 1874 R. GRIFFITHS. became, for several seasons, a leading basso at Her 2A, Lorn Road, Brixton, J. Majesty's Opera. March 12, 1898.

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