Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/280

meine musikalische Zeitung,' and no doubt these are not all that he composed. How solid was his success may be judged from a passage in one of the letters of Henri Beyle (Stendhal): 'Viganò has been immensely prosperous; 4000 francs are the usual income of a ballet composer, but he has had 44,000 for the year 1819 alone.'

Viganò seems to have given his name to a kind of Minuet in 4-4 time; at least, if we may so interpret the title of a set of 12 Variations on a Minuet 'à la Vigano,' which Beethoven published in Feb. 1796.

The minuet was certainly danced, for the names of the dancers are given,^[1] and is as certainly in Common tune:—

It is worth noting that Beethoven has put the concluding variation and coda into triple time:—

The new form does not appear to have taken root. Beethoven wrote a Scherzo in duple time in his Sonata, op. 31, no. 3, and a Trio in the same in the 9th Symphony; and Mendelssohn a Scherzo in 2-4 in his Scotch Symphony; but a Minuet proper would seem to be essentially in triple time.

There is a life of Viganò—'Commentarii della vita,' etc., by Carlo Ritorni, 8vo., Milan, 1838; and much information on him and on the Ballet of Prometheus (from which the above is chiefly compiled) is given by.Thayer in his 'Beethoven,' vol. ii. 124–126 and 380–384.

[ G. ]

VILBACK,^[2] Alphonse Charles Renaud de, born June 3, 1829, at Montpellier. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1842, and in 1844 took the first organ-prize, and the Prix de Rome at the same time as Victor Massé. The favourite pupil of Halévy, and remarkably industrious, he first became known as a composer of pianoforte pieces, more brilliant than original, but, like all young prize-winners on their return from Italy, he aspired to the stage. It was not however, till Sept. 4, 1857, that he produced his first work, 'Au clair de la Lune,' a pretty operetta in one act ('Bouffes Parisiens'), followed closely by his last 'Don Almanzor' (Theatre Lyrique, April 16, 1858). He found his true vocation as organist of Saint Eugène (1855 to 1871), where he rivalled Lefébure-Wély in improvisation, and equalled him in execution. Unfortunately he became a mere music-publisher's hack, and amateur pianists are familiar with his mosaïques, fantaisies, etc., for two and four hands, with such titles as 'Beautés de l'Opéra,' etc. This journey-work did not even pay, and it was in something like poverty that he died at Brussels, March 19, 1884. So brilliant and agreeable a talker deserved a better fate. He became nearly blind, but to the last retained his charming manner and his ability as a musician. The library of the Conservatoire contains the MSS. of his cantata 'Le Renégat de Tangier' and a 'Messe Solennelle' (Aug. 1847). He has also left printed scores of several orchestral works, 'Pompadour gavotte,' 'Chanson Cypriote,' 'Marche Serbe,' etc.

[ G. C. ]

VILLANELLA (Ital., a country girl). An unaccompanied Part-Song, of light rustic character, sharing, in about equal proportions, the characteristics of the Canzonetta. and the Balletta. The looseness of the style is forcibly described by Morley, who, in Part III. of his 'Introduction to Practicall Musicke,' speaks of it thus—'The last degree of grauity (if they have any at all) is given to the villanelle, or country songs, which are made only for the ditties sake: for, so they be aptly set to expresse the nature of the ditty, the composer, (though he were neuer so excellent) will not stick to take many perfect cords of one kind together, for, in this kind, they think it no fault (as being a kind of keeping decorum) to make a clownish musick to a clownish matter: and though many times the ditty be fine enough, yet because it carrieth that name Villanella, they take those disallowances as being good enough for a plow and cart.'

This severe criticism of the old master is, however, applicable only to Villanelle of the very lowest order. The productions of Kapsperger^[3]—whose attempts in this direction were very numerous—and of other Composers wanting the delicate touch necessary for the successful manipulation of a style so light and airy, are certainly not free from reproach. But the Villanelle of Pomponio Nenna, Stefano Felis, and other Masters of the Neapolitan School,^[4] differ but little from the charming Canzonetti, the Canzone alla Napolitana, and the Balletti, for which they are so justly celebrated, and may be fairly classed among the most delightful productions of the lighter kind that the earlier half of the 17th century has bequeathed to us. Among the lighter Madrigals of Luca Marenzio—such as 'Vezzos' augelli,' quoted in vol. ii. p. 190 there are many which

1. The title of the original edition (given in the Wiener Zeitung of Feb. 27, 1796) runs as follows: 'XII Variazioni per il Clavicembalo o Piano-Forte (for harpsichord or piano) sul Menuetto ballato dalla Sigrs. Venturini e Sigr. Chechi nel Ballo delle Nozze disturbate, del Sigr. Luigi van Beethoven no. 3. In Vienna presso Artaria e Comp.' The Ballet was composed by J. J. Haibl, and produced at the Court Theatre, May 18. 1795.
2. This is probably the French spelling of the German name Wilbach. Mendelssohn, writing to his sister (Nov. 16, 1830), speaks of ordering a set of studs from Paris 'à la Back.'
3. Johann Hieronymus Kapsberger, a prolific composer and skilled musician, flourished at Venice and elsewhere in Italy in the earlier half of the 17th century; is mentioned with great eulogium by Kircher (Musurgia); and left a mass of works both for voices and instruments behind him, of which a list is given by Fétis.
4. The Stadtbibliothek at Munich contains a large number of these works, by Giovanni de Antiquis, and fourteen other Neapolitan composers; printed at Venice in 1574, in 2 very rare vols. obl. 8vo.