Page:Men of the Time, eleventh edition.djvu/309

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292

COTTERILL.

an efficient master. His progress was so rapid as to render advisable his admission into the Boyal Aca- demy of Music at Naples, of which Zingarelli was the principal, and he ultimately became the pupil of Professor Giacomo Tritto, then one of the most celebrated musical pro- fessors in Italy. His first original composition was a cantata com- posed for the Academy, entitled

    • L'lnmiagine/* which had a most

encouraging reception, and was followed by "II Delitto punito," also successful. When his aca- demical career was completed, he produced his first opera, " II Car- cere d'lldegonda," at the Teatro Nuovo, which kept possession of the stfikge during the whole of the season. His next attempt was "Malvina," for the San Carlo, a work which has been performed at the principal Italian theatres. In 1828 he visited England, and as- sisted at the Birmingham Musical Festival of that year. In 1831 he assumed the hdton of conductor at Her Majesty's Theatre, in place of Signor fiochsa, and between 1831-3, pi^uced three ballets — " Kenil- worth," "Une Heure k Naples," and *' Sire Huon," which were suc- cessful. In 1837 he produced his opera ** Malek Adel," for the Italian Opera at Paris, and it was after- wards played with success in Lon- don. In 1839 he became a natu- ralised British subject. Under Mr.Limiley's management, he in 1844 brought out his ** Don Carlos,*' which has been considered his chef- d^osuvre in the operatic line. In 1846 Mr. Costa became conductor of the Philharmonic Concerts, and in 1849 was appointed conductor of the Sacred Hs^onic Society, and in 1847 conductor of the Soyal Italian Opera, Covent Garden, with which establishment he thoroughly identified himself. He withdrew, in 1869, from the Covent Ghiiden musical direction. His great work^ the oratorio of •* Eli," produced at the Birmingham Musical Festival

of 1855, at once raised its author to a high rank among contempora- neous composers. Mr. Costa re- ceived from a body of noblemen and g^tlemen, presided over by Lord Willoughby de Broke, a mas- sive piece of plate, as a testimonial of esteem and adniiration. In 1859 he was appointed conductor of the Handel Festivals. Under his direc- tion several new operas have been produced at the Royal Italian Opera, with a completeness quite unparalleled. 'His oratorio entitled "Naaman," brought out at the Birmingham Musical Festival for 1864, was a great success. He was knighted by the Queen at Windsor Castle, April 14, 1869. In May, 1869, the King of Wfirtemberg conferred on him the Royal Order of Frederick, as a mark of the admiration entertained by his Ma- jesty of the oratorio of " Eli," per- formed under the composer's direc- tion at Stuttgart in the previous November. Sir Michael is also a Knight of the Turkish Order of the Medjidie, has received the Cross of the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle, 3rd class, and the Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau, 8rd class, and is Knight- Commander of the Crown of Italy. COTTERILL, The Right Rev. Hbnbt, D.D., Bishop of Edinburgh, is a son of the late Rev. Joseph Cotterill, Rector of Blakeney, Nor- folk, and for some time one of the Honorary Canons of Norvdch Ca- thedral. He was born at Ampton, Suffolk, in 1812, and was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he gained the Bell Univer- sity Scholarship, and took his Bachelor's degree in 1833, as Senior Wrangler, and First Smith's Prize- man, and a First-class in Claceics. He was almost immediately after- wards elected to a Fellowship on the foundation of his college. Having been ordained deacon in 1835 and priest in the following ' year, he spent some years in the Madras I^residency as a British