Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 37.djvu/191

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development of modern ideas with regard to muscular action again drew attention to Mayow (R. Heidenhain, Mechanische Leistung, 1864, p. 8; A. Gamgee, Physiological Chemistry, i. 407).

An engraved portrait is prefixed to Mayow's ‘Tractatus Quinque.’

[Besides the sources already quoted: Wood's Athenæ Oxonienses, 1st ed. ii. 474, and ed. Bliss, iii. 1199, and Fasti, ii. 281; Registers of the parishes of St. Dunstan-in-the-West and St. Paul's, Covent Garden; Gardiner's Registers of Wadham College; Catalogue of Library of Royal College of Surgeons; Birch's History of the Royal Society, iii. 384, 442; Jöcher's Gelehrten-Lexicon, 1751, iii. 333; J. N. Pechlin's De aeris et alimenti defectu, 1676, p. 142; G. F. Rodwell, ‘On the supposed Nature of Air prior to the Discovery of Oxygen,’ Chemical News, xii. 293, xiv. 51; Cuvier's Histoire des Sciences Naturelles, ii. 357–9; Burrows's Worthies of All Souls', p. 204; Gmelin's Geschichte der Chemie, 1798, ii. 112; Hoefer's Histoire de la Chimie and Nouvelle Biographie; Kopp's Geschichte der Chemie, passim, and Beiträge, &c.; K. Sprengel's Geschichte der Arzneykunde, passim; G. D. Yeats's Claims of the Moderns to some Discoveries in Chemistry, 1780; T. Beddoes's Chemical Experiments and Opinions (of Mayow), 1793; J. A. Scherer's Beweis dass J. Mayow vor hundert Jahren den Grund zur antiphlogistischen Chemie u. Physiologie gelegt hat; J. Koellner's Mayow's Schriften aus dem Lateinischen übersetzt nebst einer Vorrede von A. N. Scherer; private information from Dr. L. Larmath and Mr. C. W. C. Oman.]

P. J. H.

MAZZINGHI, JOSEPH, Count (1765–1844), composer, descended from an ancient Corsican family, was the eldest son of Tommaso Mazzinghi, a wine merchant settled in London. According to Cansick, the composer's father, who died in 1775, was violinist at Marylebone Gardens (St. Pancras Epitaphs). A Tommaso Mazzinghi published six solos for the violin, London, 1763.

Mazzinghi was born on 25 Dec. 1765 (Gent. Mag.) His mother's sister, Cassandra Frederich (afterwards Mrs. Wynne), a pianist, interested herself in his musical training, and he was a pupil of John Christian Bach, and later of Bertolini, Sacchini, and Anfossi. At the age of ten he became organist to the Portuguese Chapel (1775). He is said to have held the post of composer and director of music at the Italian opera from 1785 to 1792 (Georgian Era). He may have assisted the advertised directors, Anfossi and Cherubini, at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, but it was not until 9 Jan. 1787 that his connection with the theatre was advertised, when Cimarosa's ‘Giannina e Bernardone’ was announced, ‘under the direction of Signor Mazzinghi,’ for 9 Jan. 1787. Several songs in the pasticcio were by him. On 8 Dec. 1787 Paisiello's ‘Il Re Teodoro in Venezia’ was performed, with Mazzinghi, who had supplied some of the music, at the harpsichord. While holding the office Mazzinghi was not only responsible for alterations of and additions to various Italian operas, but brought out several ballets: ‘L'Amour et Psiche’ on 6 March 1788, ‘Sapho et Phaon,’ ‘Eliza,’ and others. He remained at his post until the King's Theatre was burnt down on 17 June 1789. In 1791 he was director of the Pantheon, the managers of which had succeeded in securing the one license granted for Italian opera. The Pantheon was, in its turn, destroyed by fire on 14 Jan. 1792. On 1 March Mazzinghi conducted at the ‘Little Theatre in the Haymarket,’ called then Theatre Royal, Paisiello's ‘La Locanda.’ He had reconstructed the opera, the score of which had been lost in the fire. The new King's Theatre, Haymarket, opened for Italian opera under other direction in 1793.

In the meantime Mazzinghi had set music to Merry's comic opera, ‘The Magician no Conjuror,’ produced at Covent Garden on 2 Feb. 1792. Other English operas by Mazzinghi were: ‘A Day in Turkey,’ 1791; ‘The Wife of Two Husbands,’ 1803; ‘The Exile,’ the Covent Garden company acting at the Opera House, 1808; ‘Free Knights,’ with the popular duet, ‘When a little farm we keep,’ 1810; and in collaboration with Reeve, who wrote the lighter airs, ‘Ramah Droog,’ 1798; ‘The Turnpike Gate,’ 1799; ‘Paul and Virginia,’ 1800; ‘The Blind Girl,’ 1801; and ‘Chains of the Heart,’ which gave much pleasure to George III, 1802.

Mazzinghi's concertanti were played at the professional concerts (Pohl, Haydn in London), and his miscellaneous compositions were popular, especially those for the pianoforte. He taught the pianoforte to many influential pupils, among them the Princess of Wales, afterwards Queen Caroline. He was entrusted with the arrangement of the concerts at Carlton House, and of the Nobility concerts, established in 1791, and held on Sunday evenings at private houses. For fifty-six years Mazzinghi was a member of the Royal Society of Musicians. In about 1790 he entered into partnership with the firm of Goulding, D'Almaine, & Co., who published all his music after that date.

Visiting Italy in 1834, Mazzinghi recovered the title of count. On his return to England he retired to Bath (Bath Journal). He died on 15 Jan. 1844 at Downside College, where he had been on a visit to his son. He was buried with some pomp in the vault of the