Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/616

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CORONACH.
COURTEVILLE.

returning home to Temar (Tara) with the spoil and hostages taken from the enemy:

When he reached Ferud in Meath Fiachra died of his wounds there. His Leacht (stones set up to protect the urn) was made; his Fert (mound of earth) was raised; his Cluiche Caintech (pyre) was ignited; his Ogham name was written; and the hostages which he had brought from the South were buried alive round the Fert of Fiachra, that it might be a reproach to the Momonians for ever, and that it might be a trophy over them.

The Cluiche Caintech here used for the pyre was properly the whole funeral rite, and included the burning of the body, the enclosing of the ashes in the urn, the recitation of dirges, and the performance of games. When in Christian times burial took the place of cremation, some of these observances survived, in particular the dirge or wail, while the lighted candles are supposed to represent the ignition of the pyre. Much information of a most interesting nature will be found in Professor Sullivan's work, and not altogether confined to matters of antiquity.

These observances seem to be a survival of rites common to the Aryan nations of antiquity. The funerals of Patroclus and of Hector, as related in the Iliad, may be taken as descriptions of a traditionary custom, thousands of years older than Homer, practised by the progenitors of these nations before even the earliest swarm had left its fatherland.

Much interesting matter regarding Celtic customs will be found in O'Curry's Lectures; Walker's Memorials of the Bards; Logan's Gael, edited by Dr. Stewart, and an admirable chapter on the ethnology of the country in W. F. Skene's Celtic Scotland. Mr. George MacDonald is thanked not only for the Gaelic etymology, but also for kind hints on the subject.

CORRI, Domenico. Line 1 of article, add day of birth, Oct. 4, and for Naples read Rome. Line 2, for about 1826 read May 22, 1825. Add that in 1771 he was invited to Edinburgh to conduct the concerts of the Musical Society, and settled there as a publisher and singing-master. He went to London, as stated in the Dictionary, in 1774, but did not again visit England till 1787, when he joined Mazzinghi and Storace in writing additional music to Paisiello's 'Re Teodoro.' The opera of 'The Travellers' was produced on Jan. 22, 1806. His instruction book, called 'The Singer's Preceptor' was issued in 1810, and contains an autobiographical preface. Last line but two of article, for Antonio read Philip Antony, and add that he was one of the original promoters of the Philharmonic Society. (Dict. of Nat. Biog.)

[ M. ]

COSI FAN TUTTE. To last line but one add that it was also produced as 'The Retaliation' at the Theatre Royal, English Opera House (Lyceum), April 14, 1841. Add that 'Tit for tat' was produced at the English Opera House, July 29, 1828.

COSTA. Line 22 of article, for Psalm, etc. read cantata on Is. xii. P. 406 b, line 12, for in February 1838, read Jan. 14, 1837. Add date of death, April 29, 1884.

COSTELEY, William. Line 8 of article, correct the statement that the society founded by him was called 'Puy de Musique, etc.,' that title referring to a musical contest established by the guild in 1575, at which Orlando de Lassus carried off the first prize, a silver harp. Add day of death, Feb. 1. (Dict. of Nat. Biog.)

[ M. ]

COTTA, Johannes, who died at Willerstedt in 1868, is worthy of mention as composer of the spirited music for four male voices to Arndt's patriotic song, which electrified Germany at the time of the rising against Napoleon in 1813, 'Des Deutschen Vaterland,' commencing 'Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland.' The same song was skilfully set, but with undesirable complexity, by G. Reichardt in 1826. But Cotta's tune is the one wedded to the poem from the beginning, and during the period of enthusiasm for the new national idea.

[ R. M. ]

COTTON, John, the author of a treatise on music, dating from the latter part of the eleventh or the beginning of the twelfth century. There exist five copies in MS., at Leipzig, Paris, Antwerp, the Vatican Library, and two at Vienna. A sixth copy, used by Gerbert, who published the treatise in 1784, was destroyed in the fire at St. Blasien in 1768. In the Paris and Antwerp copies the authorship is ascribed to Cotton or Cottonius, two of the others bearing the title 'Joannis Musica.' Gerbert quotes an anonymous work ('De Script. Eccles.'), in which reference is made to a learned English musician known as Joannes; and the dedication of the book, which runs 'Domino et patri suo venerabili Anglorum antistiti Fulgentio,' bears out the assumption that its author was English. It has been variously proposed to ascribe its authorship to Pope John XXII, and to Joannes Scholasticus, a monk of the monastery of St. Matthias at Trèves, but the above theory is probably correct. The treatise is valuable as explaining the harmonic system of the period in which it was written. (Dict. of Nat. Biog.)

COUCHED HARP. An obsolete name for Spinet, which see.

COUPPEY, LE. See vol. ii. p. 731 b, and add that he died in 1887.

COURTEVILLE, Raphael. Line 16 of article, for 1696 read 1695. Line 19, etc., The statement that he died and was succeeded by his son in 1735 is without confirmation. The vestry registers of the Church of St. James's, Piccadilly, show no entry of a change of organists between 1691 and 1771, and as several entries imply that Courteville had been for many years before the latter date unable to perform his duties, it is highly probable, if not actually certain, that one person of the name held the post for eighty years. He seems to have married in 1735 a lady of large fortune. (Notes and Queries, sec. II. x. 496.) In 1738 he published 'Memoirs of Lord Burleigh,' signing it only with initials. A pamphlet by him on Insolvency was published in 1761, and a satire on his writings appeared in the 'Westminster Journal' of Dec. 4, 1742, bearing his signature, with the appended titles,