A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Gardiner, William

GARDINER, William, the son of a stocking manufacturer at Leicester, was born in that town March 15, 1770. He became an assistant to his father in his business, to which he afterwards succeeded, and which he carried on during the rest of his life. But the taste for music never forsook him. His business occasionally required him to visit the continent, and he availed himself of such opportunities to become acquainted with the works of the best foreign composers, particularly of the great German masters, so that for a long period he knew more about their productions, especially those of Beethoven, than the majority of English professors. (See Tnayer, Beethoven, i. 441.) Both at home and abroad he sought and obtained the acquaintance of the best musicians of all ranks, both professors and amateurs. In his youth he composed some songs and duets, which were published as the productions of 'W. G. Leicester.' He next produced, under the title of 'Sacred Melodies,' a selection of pieces by the best masters, chiefly foreign, adapted to English words, which he hoped might be adopted in our churches to the exclusion of the clumsy verses of Sternhold and Hopkins, and Brady and Tate. Six volumes of this work appeared at distant intervals, and it included a volume of selections from the works of English cathedral composers. It must be confessed that the Procrustean plan was followed with the music in order to fit it to the words; yet, notwithstanding, the work had the merit of introducing to the notice of the English public many fine compositions. In 1817 Gardiner added notes to the translation of Beyle's 'Life of Haydn' by Robert Brewin, his fellow townsman, published in conjunction with translations of Schlictegroll's 'Life of Mozart' and other pieces. He next compiled an oratorio, entitled 'Judah,' by adapting English words to music selected principally from the masses of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, and connected by compositions of his own. He wrote to Beethoven offering him 100 guineas for an overture to this work, but received no reply, owing, as he supposed, to the miscarriage of his letter. In 1830 he published a work, entitled 'The Music of Nature; or, an attempt to prove that what is passionate and pleasing in the art of singing, speaking, and performing upon musical instruments, is derived from the sounds of the animated world.' The musical examples were published separately. In 1838 he published two volumes called 'Music and Friends; or, Pleasant Recollections of a Dilettante,'—the utility of which is much impaired by its frequent inaccuracy,—with a third volume in 1853. In 1840 he adapted Pope's 'Universal Prayer' to music by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. 'Sights in Italy, with some Account of the present state of music and the sister arts in that country' appeared in 1847. Besides these works Gardiner composed a few anthems. He died Nov. 16, 1853, in the 84th year of his age.

[ W. H. H. ]