members of his company from the natives of the surrounding country, he educated and brought out at his theatre many famous singers, such as La Tiberini, whose reputation otherwise would never have extended beyond their native village.
Attracted by their success pupils flocked to him from Bergamo, Milan, and other parts of Europe, and he there trained many of the most distinguished operatic vocalists; amongst whom may be named Jeanne-Sophie Löwe, Cruvelli, Grua, Brambilla, Hayes, Artôt, Tiberini, La Grange, and others equally distinguished. Appointed in 1850 by the Austrian government professor of singing to the Conservatorio at Milan, he brought out amongst others Angelica Moro, Paganini, Galli, Kisarelli, Angeleri, Peralta; and as private pupils, Albani, Stoltz, Waldmann, Aldighieri, Campanini, Vialletti, Derevis, Mariani, Palermi, Everardi, and Shakespeare. After twenty-five years service he retired from the Conservatorio upon a pension in 1875, and now devotes himself entirely to private pupils.
A friend of Rubini and Pasta, and associated with the great singers of the past, Lamperti follows the method of the old Italian school of singing, instituted by Farinelli and taught by Crescentini, Velluti, Marchesi, and Romani. Basing his teaching upon the study of respiration, the taking and retention of the breath by means of the abdominal muscles alone, and the just emission of the voice, he thoroughly grounds his pupils in the production of pure tone. His memory and his intuition are alike remarkable, and enable him to adapt to each of his pupils such readings of the music and cadenzas as are warranted by the traditions of the greatest singers and are best adapted to their powers. Mme. Albani, writing in 1875 of his published treatise on singing, says: 'To say that I appreciate the work, it is sufficient for me to state that I am a pupil of the Maestro Lamperti, and that I owe to him and to his method the true art of singing, so little known in these days.'
He is Commendatore and Cavaliere of the order of the Crown of Italy, and a member of many academies and foreign orders. He is the author of several series of vocal studies and of a treatise on the art of singing (Ricordi & Co.), which has been translated into English by one of his pupils.
LANCERS' QUADRILLE, THE, a square dance, for 8 or 16 couples. It would appear to have been the invention of Joseph Hart in 1819, according to the title-page of his original edition, published in 1820. 'Les Lanciers, a second set of Quadrilles for the Piano Forte, with entirely new figures, as danced by the Nobility and Gentry at Tenby in the summer of 1819. Composed and most respectfully dedicated to Lady and the Misses Beechy by Joseph Hart, London, for the Author, Whitaker & Co., 75 St. Paul's Churchyard.' The dance consisted of 5 figures—La Rose, La Lodoiska, La Dorset, Les Lanciers, and L'Etoile, danced to Airs by Spagnoletti, by Kreutzer, from the Beggar's Opera ('If the heart of a man'), by Janiewicz, and by Horn ('Pretty Maiden,' from the Haunted Tower) respectively. Another version was published by Duval of Dublin about the same time. In this the names of the figures and the music remain substantially the same, though in the figures themselves there is considerable alteration. Hart's figures, with a slight difference or two, are still danced, L'Etoile being now called Les Visites, and Les Lanciers danced last. Whether Hart or Duval was the real inventor is uncertain.
LANDOLFI, Carlo Ferdinando (landulphus), a reputable violin-maker of Milan, where he lived in the Street of St. Margaret, 1750–1760. He lived in an age when it had become expedient to copy rather than to invent. He occasionally copied Joseph Guarnerius so cleverly as to deceive experienced judges: and many of his works consequently cut a figure in the world even above their high intrinsic merits. Landolfi's patterns, in the midst of much excellence, exhibit that occasional faltering which too surely betrays the copyist; and his varnish is less solid, and possesses more of the quality known as 'sugariness,' than the makers of the golden age. Often it is thin and hard, especially when yellow in colour. Many red instruments however exist, which are covered with a highly transparent varnish: and these are the favourites. The Landolfi violoncellos are especially striking in quality and appearance, and are in greater demand than the violins. Good specimens realise from 30 to 50: common and undersized ones may be bought cheaper.
LANDSBERG, Ludwig, a German musician, native of Breslau, who went to Rome and remained there for 24 years, teaching the piano and amassing a wonderful collection of music, both printed and MS. On his death, at Rome May 6, 1858, his library was taken, part to Berlin and part to Breslau, and a catalogue of the ancient portion was printed (Berlin, 1859, imprimé chez Ernest Kühn)—whether the whole or a part, does not appear. It contains compositions by more than 150 musicians of the old Italian and Flemish schools, down to Casali. M. Fétis, however, who had received a MS. catalogue of the collection from Landsberg during his life, insists upon the fact that many of the most important works have disappeared. The catalogue itself does not appear to be any longer in the Fétis Library, which is now at Brussels.
LANG. A family of German musicians originally from Mannheim, but settling at Munich, and mentioned here for the sake of Josephine Lang (the second of that name), born Mar. 14, 1815, a young lady of very remarkable musical gifts and personality, who attracted the notice of Mendelssohn when he passed through Munich in 1830 and 31. There is an enthusiastic account of 'die kleine Lang' in his letter of Oct. 6, 31; in writing to Bärmann (July 7 and Sept. 27, 1834) he enquires for her, and in a letter seven years later (Dec. 15, 41) to Professor Köstlin of Tübingen, who had just married her, he shows how
