His arrangements belong to his educational apparatus; although, by the process to which he subjected them, he transformed works of a comparatively limited interest into pieces which may almost deserve a place among his own productions. The means by which he succeeded in infusing a new vitality into his arrangements vary according to the instruments for which he adapted them. In the clavier concertos he restricted himself for the most part to internal change. He strengthened and enlarged the structure of the bass, and modified the upper accompaniments with much freedom and often with the licence of an original composer. The melody in slow movements he ornamented by trills, mordents, etc.; and above all he gave solidity and sometimes an entirely new character to a movement by writing a complete melodious middle part of his own. Of this last method no more perfect example can be found than that presented by the treatment of the largo in the second concerto, in G major. The organ concertos display a different sort of versatility. Here Bach has not limited himself to merely internal development: he expands and lengthens his originals, maturing forms which Vivaldi had only suggested, and giving a 'roundness and symmetry '[1] to the whole. Lastly, in the concerto for four claviers, which was written perhaps mainly as an exercise in the composition of obbligato parts on a large scale, Bach has not only added episodes, as in the organ concertos, but also considerably augmented the contrapuntal work of the original.[2]
VIVE HENRI QUATRE. [See Henri Quatre, vol. i. p. 728.]
VIVIER, Eugène Léon, remarkable horn-player, born at Ajaccio, 1821. His father was a tax-collector, and intended him for a similar career, but his passion for music made him throw aside all restraints and go to Paris. He knew enough of the horn to gain admittance to the orchestra of the Italiens, and then of the Opéra, and after some instruction from Gallay appeared at concerts as a solo-player. His extraordinary humour and imagination soon showed themselves, and endeared him to society, in the best circles of which he mixed largely. He was also master of a curious discovery or trick upon the horn, the secret of which he has never divulged, by which he can produce three, and even four, notes at once, so as to play pieces for three horns, with full, sonorous triads, and chords of the 6 and 6-4 from the one instrument. Vivier soon made his entrance at Court, and his horn in E, with which he used to play before Louis Philippe at the Chateau d'Eu, is still preserved at the Conservatoire. From this time forward his fame steadily increased at home and abroad. Among other artistic tournées he came several times to England after 1844, and was a great favourite in London for his drollery as much as his music. As a practical joker he had no equal, and good stories might be told of him enough to fill a volume. His powers of mimicry, especially mimicry of sound, were extraordinary. He would make an English or German speech without saying a word of either English or German, yet so correct as to accent that his hearers were puzzled to know why they could not follow his argument. His published songs with pianoforte accompaniment, lead one to believe that if he had cultivated composition he might have reached a high rank. His pieces for the horn are still unprinted, and he seems to have given up the career of a virtuoso. It is now more than 15 years since we heard him play; he then had still a fine tone, made his instrument sing charmingly, and fascinated his audience, though keeping to a very restricted scale and avoiding difficulties. As one of the favourites of Napoleon III, Vivier's position since 1870–71 has been rather isolated, but he retained many friends, including the late Victor Massé and M. Philippe Gille. The latter wrote the preface for Vivier's pamphlet, 'Un peu de ce qui se dit tous les jours' (Motteroz), printed in green and black, and now extremely scarce. It was a collection of the ready-made phrases which it is so difficult to avoid, and which are the bane of ordinary conversation. Man being, according to Diderot, a mass of contradictions, Vivier, who thoroughly appreciates family life, and is an excellent son, lives alone with no companion but a pigeon! His friends, however, have still attractions for him, and this cause has induced him during the last few years to spend the winter at Nice.
VIVO. [See Vivace.]
VOCAL ASSOCIATION. Established in 1856 at a meeting at Store Street Music Hall, attended by about 300 amateurs, with the view of founding in England an association answering to the German 'Gesang-verein.' Many of the original members had sung at the concerts given shortly before by Mme. Goldschmidt at Exeter Hall, under the direction of Sir Julius (then Mr.) Benedict, and he was unanimously elected conductor of the new association, Mr. William Lockyer being elected secretary, and Mr. J. Rix treasurer. Mr. Chas. E. Horsley subsequently shared the duties of conductor. In 1857 the Society gave a series of concerts at the Crystal Palace, including Mendelssohn's 'First Walpurgis Night,' and it subsequently gave performances at St. James's Hall, at one of which the conductor's opera, 'The Lily of Killarney,' was sung. The concerts included vocal and instrumental solos, and occasionally there was an orchestra, the choir usually numbering 200 voices. Among the works given by the Association for the first time were Spohr's 'Ode to St. Cecilia,' and Challoner Master's operetta, 'The Rose of Salency.' The Association has ceased to exist for some years.
VOCAL CONCERTS. These concerts, the first of which was given on Feb. 11, 1792, ori-
- ↑ Spitta, 'J. S. Bach.' 1. 415. English translation.
- ↑ See Professor Spitta's treatment of the whole subject, i.e., vol. i. 411–416; vol. iii. 149, which is to some extent more complete than that contained in the original German edition (Band i. 409–414; ll. 629). [See also Arrangement. vol. i. 89 b.]
