translation of the 'Traité de haute composition' [Vienna, 1834, 4 vols. folio), and in his 'Art d'improviser' obviously made use of Reicha's 'Art de varier'—57 variations on an original theme.
Reicha married a Parisian, was naturalised in 1829, and received the Legion of Honour in 1831. He presented himself several times for election to the Institut before his nomination as Boieldieu's successor in 1835. He only enjoyed his honours a short time, being carried off by inflammation of the lungs, May 28, 1836. His death was deplored by the many friends whom his trustworthy and honourable character had attached to him. A life-like portrait, somewhat spoiled by excessive laudation, is contained in the 'Notice sur Reicha' (Paris, 1837, 8vo), by his pupil Delaire.[1]
REICHARDT, Alexander, a tenor singer, was born at Packs, Hungary, April 17, 1825. He received his early instruction in music from an uncle, and made his first appearance at the age of 18 at the Lemberg theatre as Rodrigo in Rossini's 'Otello.' His success there led him to Vienna, where he was engaged at the Court Opera, and completed his education under Gentiluomo, Catalani, etc. At this time he was much renowned for his singing of the Lieder of Beethoven and Schubert, and was in request at all the soirées; Prince Esterhazy made him his Kammersänger. In 1846 he made a tournée through Berlin, Hanover, etc., to Paris, returning to Vienna. In 1851 he made his first appearance in England, singing at the Musical Union, May 6, and at the Philharmonic May 12, at many other concerts, and lastly before Her Majesty. In the following season he returned and sang in Berlioz's 'Romeo and Juliet,' at the new Philharmonic Concert of April 14, also in the Choral Symphony, Berlioz's 'Faust,' and the 'Walpurgisnight,' and enjoyed a very great popularity both in songs and in more serious pieces. From this time until 1857 he passed each season in England, singing at concerts, and at the Royal Opera, Drury Lane, and Her Majesty's Theatre, where he filled the parts of the Count in 'The Barber of Seville,' Raoul in 'The Huguenots,' Belmont in 'The Seraglio,' Florestan in 'Fidelio,' Don Ottavio in 'Don Juan,' etc. etc. His Florestan was a very successful personation, and in this part he was said 'to have laid the foundation of the popularity which has so honourably earned and maintained in London.' He also appeared with much success in oratorio. In the provinces he became almost as great a favourite as in London. In 1857 he gave his first concert in Paris, in the Salle Erard, and the following sentence from Berlioz's report of the performance will give an idea of his style and voice. 'M. Reichardt is a tenor of the first water—sweet, tender, sympathetic and charming. Almost all his pieces were redemanded, and he sang them again without a sign of fatigue.' Shortly after this he settled in Boulogne, where he is now residing. Though he has retired from the active exercise of his profession, he is not idle. He has organised a Philharmonic Society at Boulogne; he is President of the Académie Communale de Musique, and his occasional concerts for the benefit of the hospital—where one ward is entitled 'Fondation Reichardt'—are not only very productive of funds but are the musical events of the town. M. Reichardt is a composer as well as a singer. Several of his songs, especially 'Thou art so near,' were very popular in their day. [App. p.770 "date of death, May 14, 1885."]
REICHARDT, Johann Friedrich, composer and writer on music; son of a musician; born Nov. 25, 1752, at Königsberg, Prussia. From childhood he showed a great disposition for music, and such intelligence as to interest influential persons able to further his career. Under these auspices he was educated and introduced into good society, and thus formed an ideal both of art and of life which he could scarcely have gained had he been brought up among the petty privations incident to his original position. Unfortunately, the very gifts which enabled him to adopt these high aims, fostered an amount of conceit which often led him into difficulties. His education was more various than precise; music he learned by practice rather than by any real study. His best instrument was the violin, on which he attained considerable proficiency, under Veichtner, a pupil of Benda's; but he was also a good pianist. Theory he learned from the organist Richter. On leaving the university of Königsberg he started on a long tour, ostensibly to see the world before choosing a profession, though he had virtually resolved on becoming a musician. Between 1771 and 1774 he visited Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Vienna, Prague, Brunswick, and Hamburg, made the acquaintance of the chief notabilities—musical, literary, and political—in each place, and became himself in some sort a celebrity, after the publication of his impressions in a series of 'confidential letters'—'Vertraute Briefen eines aufmerksamen Reisenden,' in 2 parts (1774 and l776). On his return to Königsberg he went into a government office, but hearing of the death of Agricola of Berlin, he applied in person to Frederic the Great for the vacant post of Capellmeister and Court-composer, and though barely 24 obtained it in 1776. He at once began to introduce reforms, both in the Italian opera and the court orchestra, and thus excited much opposition from those who were more conservative than himself. While thus occupied he was indefatigable as a composer, writer, and conductor. In 1783 he founded the 'Concerts Spirituels' for the performance of unknown works, vocal and instrumental, which speedily gained a high reputation. He published collections of little-known music, with critical observations, edited newspapers, wrote articles and critiques in other periodicals, and produced independent works. But enemies, who were many, contrived to annoy him so much in the exercise of his duties, that in 1785 he obtained a long leave of absence, during which he visited London and Paris, and heard Handel's oratorios and Gluck's operas, both of which he heartily
- ↑ DELAIRE, Jacques Auguste, died in 1864, is known as the Author of a 'Histoire de la Romance' and other pamphlets on music.
