Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/739

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PIANOFORTE MUSIC.
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the Rondo pastoral (op. 11), and Rondo hongrois (op. 28) were great favourites in Vienna; his nocturnes (op. 27), Fantasia pastorale (op. 54), and excellent studies (op. 39), are also to be recommended. Johann Heinrich Clasing (1779–1829) published a sonata (op. 5), 6 rondos, 2 fantasias, and several smaller pieces—all the productions of a sound musician. Nicolaus von Krufft (1779–1818) was a composer once highly esteemed in Vienna; he left one sonata, 12 books of variations, 3 grand caprices, 12 studies, and 24 preludes and fugues; all full of elegance and taste. Wilhelm Friedrich Riem (1779–1837) composed 8 sonatas, 6 sonatinas, 2 books of variations, polonaises, ecossaises, waltzes, and anglaises greatly esteemed in the northern part of Germany. M. J. C. Leidesdorf, the friend of Beethoven and Schubert (1780–1839 [App. p.748 "1840"]), wrote 4 sonatas, 22 rondos, 36 books of variations, and a quantity of fantasias or operatic airs; and may be called a forerunner of Henry Herz and Carl Czerny. Anton Diabelli (1781–1858): this prolific composer's 29 solo sonatinas and 23 charming duet sonatinas are still very popular; his 36 books of variations and 426 books of potpourris, were, also once in great request; indeed the merits of Diabelli as an educational composer are unquestionable. Jonathan Blewitt (1782–1835 [App. p.748 "1853"]) left a concerto, a sonata, and a divertissement on Scotch airs. John Field (1782–1837), the favourite pupil of Muzio Clementi, composed 7 concertos, 18 nocturnes, 6 sets of variations, 3 sonatas, 2 fantasias on national airs, and a capital grand study, through all the keys, the execution of which is a veritable tour de force. Among the concertos, No. 4 in E♭ and No. 3 in A♭ are the best known. Georges Onslow (1784–1853), better known by his quartets and quintets, composed 2 excellent duet sonatas in F and E minor, 4 books of variations ('Charmante Gabrielle' is particularly to be recommended), a capital toccata in C major, and a grand sonata. August Alexander Klengel (1784–1852), a pupil of Clementi's, wrote 4 sonatas, 8 rondos, 8 books of variations, 4 fantasias, and 30 studies. His chief works however are first 'Les Avant Coureurs,' consisting of 24 canons, a kind of preparation for Sebastian Bach's 'Wohltemperirtes Clavier,' and secondly 24 canons and 24 fugues. Among the fugues, that on the theme 'La ci darem' is a veritable gem. Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838), Beethoven's pupil, composed 9 concertos (those in C♯ minor and E♭ are very much to be recommended), according to his own enumeration 52 sonatas, 15 fantasias, 35 rondos, 49 books of variations, and 25 duets, comprising sonatas, marches, polonaises, variations. Of Charles Neate (1784–1877), who enjoyed the tuition of Field and Woelfl, and the friendship of Beethoven, we have only 2 sonatas (published in Germany) and a valuable work on the art of fingering. Conrad Berg (1785–1852), a highly respected Alsatian professor, composed 1 sonata, 3 books of variations, and 7 rondos. Wenzel Plachy (1785–1858) wrote 35 sets of variations, and a very great number of educational pieces, among which the collective works, 'Amusements' and 'Les Délices de l'Opéra,' once enjoyed a vast popularity in Austria and South Germany. The Danish composer Friedrich Kuhlau (1786–1832) wrote 15 sonatas, many sonatinas (highly esteemed), 27 books of variations, a goodly number of rondos and other educational pieces, and 19 duets, among which the variations on Beethoven's songs are very good. Carl Maria von Weber (1786–1826) has left us four sonatas, 3 concertos, 2 polonaises, 2 rondos, 8 books of variations, valses, ecossaises, and very charming duets. Henri Lemoine (1786–1854) occupied himself chiefly with educational works; among them are a good number of divertissements, 34 books called 'Bagatelles,' a collective work 'Récréations musicales,' and the well-known 'Etudes enfantines,' op. 37. George Frederic Pinto (Sauters, 1786–1806), an artist of rare promise, left only a few sonatas.[1] John F. Burrowes (1787–1852) was an educational writer, whose Pianoforte Primer is even still in some demand. Ludwig Böhner (1787–1860), who claimed the authorship of the second subject in Weber's Freyschütz Overture, wrote 1 sonata, 14 books of variations, 6 fantasias, 12 bagatelles, and a very pretty Ave Maria. Hieronimus Payer (1787–1845), a composer little, if at all, known to English musicians, wrote about 160 light and moderately difficult educational works, consisting of variations, rondos, melanges, etc. etc., which enjoyed great popularity in Vienna, and are still used there for teaching purposes. Friedrich Kalkbrenner (1788–1849) was a prolific writer. We have by him 4 concertos, 8 solo sonatas (one for the left hand only), 18 fantasias, 20 rondeaus, 24 books of variations, 6 different works of studies (those op. 143 are most excellent), 2 duet sonatas, and a considerable number of smaller pianoforte duets. Charles Chaulieu (1788–1849) composed variations, divertissements, bagatelles, caprices, and a great number of very useful studies. Johann Peter Pixis (1788–1874) left 2 sonatas, 23 books of variations, 20 rondos, and different collections of smaller pieces. Simon Sechter (1788–1867), who taught harmony and counterpoint to Thalberg, Döhler, Kullak, Köhler, Vieuxtemps—and with whom Schubert had begun to study when death snatched him away,—composed 23 fugues, 16 preludes, canons, etc.; amongst his duet compositions the 24 fugues on popular national and comic airs are to be recommended as highly amusing. The educational composer Aloys Schmitt (1789–1866), master of Ferdinand Hiller, whose numerous books of studies are well known, wrote also 22 solo sonatas and sonatinas, 16 duet sonatas, 15 books of variations, 6 concertos, 1 concertstück, fantasias, 10 rondos, and a quantity of small pieces. Anton Halm (1789–1872), a respected Vienna professor, composed 3 sonatas, 4 rondos, 4 books of variations, and 4 of studies: 'Etudes de Concert,' 'Etudes mélodieuses, pathétiques, et héroiques.' Maria Szymanowska (née Wolowska)

  1. Only published in England, and therefore not easily accessible, as the original editions are no longer on sale.