Schindler, who showed it to Schoberlechner, and, no doubt at his desire, again urged Beethoven to comply with the request. Beethoven however did not know Schoberlechner, and had no very high opinion of him, as he played chiefly bravura pieces, and pompously paraded all his titles and decorations, which gave occasion for many a sarcastic remark from Beethoven.[1]
At St. Petersburg he recommended himself to dall' Occa, a professor of singing, whose daughter he married in 1824. After travelling in Germany and Italy, the pair returned to St. Petersburg in 1827, where Mme. Schoberlechner was engaged for three years at the Italian Opera at a salary of 20,000 roubles. Her husband composed for her an opera, 'Il Barone di Dolzheim,' which had some success. After a few more years wandering, Schoberlechner retired to a country house near Florence. His last opera was 'Rossane,' produced at Milan, Feb. 9, 1839. He died at Berlin on Jan. 7, 1843.
His published works are chiefly for the pianoforte; a list of them is to be found in Fétis's 'Biographie des Musiciens.' His wife,
Madame Sophie Schoberlechner, daughter of Signor dall' Occa, as above stated, was born at St. Petersburg in 1807. She was her father's pupil, and married in 1824. Up to 1827 she appeared only in concerts, but was then engaged at the Italian Opera of St. Petersburg, as we have also already mentioned. She had a very beautiful voice, and for twelve or thirteen years sang with unvarying success in almost all the principal towns of Germany and Italy, but her organ was too delicate for such constant usage. It deteriorated early, and in 1840 she left the stage, retired to her husband's property in Tuscany, and died at Florence in 1863.
SCHOBERT—or Chobert in Mozart's orthography[2]—a player on the harpsichord, whose sonatas were the delight of our great-grandmothers. His Christian name does not appear, and little is known of his biography. He is said to have been born and brought up at Strassburg. He settled in Paris before 1761, in which year his first works were published there, where he was in the service of the Prince de Conti. On the occasion of his death, Aug. 1767, Grimm, no mean judge of music, inserts in his 'Correspondance' a very high eulogium on his merits as a player. He praises him for 'his great ability, his brilliant and enchanting execution, and an unequalled facility and clearness. He had not the genius of our Eckard, who is undoubtedly the first master in Paris; but Schobert was more universally liked than Eckard, because he was always agreeable, and because it is not everyone who can feel the power of genius.' This is the description of a pleasant brilliant player who never soared above the heads of his audience. He left 17 sonatas for PF. and violin; 11 for PF., violin and cello; 3 quartets for PF., 2 violins and cello; 6 'sinfonies' for PF., violin and 2 horns; 6 PF. concertos, and 4 books of sonatas for PF. solo.[3] These seem to have been originally published in Paris, but editions of many of them appeared in London between 1770 and 1780. The particulars of his death are given by Grimm. It was occasioned by eating some fungi which he gathered near Paris, and which killed his wife, his children, a friend, the servant, and himself.[4] Schobert and Eckard are alike forgotten by modern musicians. A Minuetto and Allegro molto in E♭ have been reprinted in Pauer's 'Alte Meister,' other movements in the 'Maîtres du Clavecin,' and a Sonata, so-called, in the Musical Library. These pieces are tuneful and graceful, but very slight in construction, the harmonies consisting chiefly of alternations of tonic and dominant, seldom in more than three parts, often only in two. Burney (Hist. iv. 591, 597) remarks that his music is essentially harpsichord music, and that he was one of the few composers who were not influenced by Emanuel Bach. It is incredible that Fétis can have discovered any likeness between Schobert and Mozart.
SCHCELCHER, Victor, French writer and politician, son of a manufacturer of china, was born in Paris, July 21, 1804, educated at the Collége Louis le Grand, and well known as an ultra-republican. On the accession of the Emperor Napoleon III. he was expelled both from France and Belgium, but took refuge in London, where he brought out his 'Histoire des crimes du 2 Décembre' (1853), and an English pamphlet entitled 'Dangers to England of the Alliance with the men of the Coup d'Etat' (1854).
Schoelcher remained in England till August 1870, returning to Paris immediately before the Revolution of Sept. 4. As staff-colonel of the Garde Nationale he commanded the Legion of Artillery throughout the siege of Paris. After Jan. 31, 1871, he was elected to the Assemblée Nationale by the Department of the Seine, Martinique, and Cayenne, and sat for Martinique till elected a life-senator (Dec. 16, 1875).
His claim to a place in this work however is as a distinguished amateur. His devotion to art of all kinds was proved by his articles in 'L' Artiste' (1832), and 'La Revue de Paris' (1833), and he made during his travels a most interesting collection of foreign musical instruments. His long stay in England had a still more remarkable result in his enthusiasm for Handel. Up to 1850 two or three detached choruses from the 'Messiah' and 'Judas Maccabeus' were the only pieces of Handel's known in Paris; M. Schœlcher heard the fine performances of entire oratorios which are native to England, and at once resolved to do something to remove this reproach from France. [App. p.785 "the sentence beginning 'Up to 1850' requires correction, as in 1827 'The Messiah' (with Latin words), the 'Ode on St. Cecilia's Day,' and 'Alexander's Feast,' had been given in Paris."] He accordingly made a collection of Handel's works, and of books and pamphlets bearing on his life and music, a list of which he gives in the beginning of his book. Among them he was fortunate enough to acquire the MS. copies of the scores of the oratorios which had been used by Handel in
