WALTER, Gustav, born 1835, at Bilin, Bohemia, learned singing at the Prague Conservatorium from Franz Vogl, and made his first appearance in opera as Edgar at a private representation of Lucia. He played at Brunn for a short time, and in July 1856 appeared at Vienna in Kreutzer's 'Nachtlager.' He has been permanently engaged there, and has attained great popularity, both on the stage as a 'lyric' tenor, and in the concert-room as an interpreter of the songs of Schubert. He came to London in 1872, and made his first appearance on May 13, at the Philharmonic, where he was favourably received in 'Dies Bildniss' (Mozart), and songs of Riedel and Rubinstein. He also sang at the Crystal Palace, etc. His daughter Minna, a pupil of Madame Marchesi, has played in Vienna and elsewhere, and is now engaged as a principal soprano at Frankfort.
WALTER, John, organist of Eton College at the commencement of the 18th century, composed some church music; but his chief claim to distinction is having been the first music-master of John Weldon.
WALTER, William Henry, born at Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A., July 1, 1825. When quite a lad he played the organ at the first Presbyterian Church, and was afterwards appointed organist at Grace Episcopal Church, Newark. At 17 he came to New York, and in 1842 became organist of Epiphany Church; then of Annunciation; and in 1847 of St. John's Chapel, Trinity parish. In 1848 he was promoted to the organ at St. Paul's Chapel, where he remained until 1856, when he was transferred to Trinity Chapel, Twenty-fifth Street, where he remained until 1869. He was appointed organist at Columbia College, New York, in 1856, and in 1864 received the honorary degree of Doctor in Music from that institution, with which he is still connected (1885). His principal works are 'Common Prayer with Ritual Song,' 'Manual of Church Music,' 'Chorals and Hymns,' 'Hymnal with Tunes, Old and New,' Psalms with Chants,' 'Mass in C,' and 'Mass in F,' besides a number of Anthems and Services for use in the Episcopal Church. His son,
George William, was born at New York Dec. 16, 1851; began to make melodies at the age of 3 years; played the organ at Trinity Chapel, New York, when 5; completed his musical studies under John K. Paine of Boston, and Samuel P. Warren of New York; has resided in Washington, D.C., since 1869, and in 1882 was created Doctor in Music by the Columbian University of that city. His compositions have been written more for the virtue of his profession than for performance or publication. As an organist he is chiefly known for his facility in extemporaneous performance and for his skill in registration. His musical library numbers over 8000 works.
WALTHER, Johann, Luther's friend, and one of the earliest of the composers in the Reformed Church, was born 1496—according to his tombstone, at Gotha, near Cola, in Thuringia; in 1524 was singer in the choir at Torgau, and in the following year Capellmeister, or 'Sängermeister,' to the Elector of Saxony. In 1548 he was sent to Dresden to organise and lead a choir of singers for Moritz of Saxony, and remained till 1555, when he returned with a pension to Torgau, and there lived till his death in 1570.
In 1524 he was called to Wittenberg by Luther to assist him in framing the German Mass. The result of this was his 'Geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn' for 4 voices (1524), the earliest Protestant Hymnbook. His other works are 'Cantio Septem Vocum,' etc. (1544); 'Magnificat octo tonorum' (1557); 'Ein newes christliches Lied' (1561); 'Ein gar schöner geistlicher und christlicher Bergkreyen' (1561); 'Das christlich Kinderlied Dr. Martin Luthers, Erhalt uns Herr, bei Deinem Wort … mit etlichen lateinischen und deutschen Sangen gemehret' (1566). Other pieces are included in the collections of Rhaw and Forster, 'Montan-Neubers Psalmenwerk' 1538, and 'Motetten-sammlung' 1540.
WALTHER, Johann Gottfried, a very skilful contrapuntist[1] and famous musical lexicographer, born at Erfurt, Sept. 18, 1684; died at Weimar, March 23, 1748; was pupil of Jacob Adlung and J. Bernhard Bach in 1702; became organist of the Thomas Church at Erfurt, and July 29, 1707, town organist of Weimar (in succession to Heintze) and teacher of the son and daughter of the Grand Duke; and in 1720 'Hofmusicus' (Court musician). Walther was a relative of J. S. Bach, and during Bach's residence in Weimar (1708–14) they became very intimate, and Bach was godfather to his eldest son. The meagre notice of Bach in Walther's Lexicon seems to show that the intimacy did not last. Mattheson's judgment of Walther, in his 'Ehrenpforte,' is a very high one; he regards him as 'a second Pachelbel, if not in art the first.' In the arrangement and variation of Chorales on the organ, he certainly stands next to Bach himself. An anecdote preserved by one of Bach's sons shows that he was once able to puzzle even that great player.[2] He printed the following pieces:—Clavier concert without accompaniment (1741); Prelude and Fugue (1741), 4 Chorales with variations; and a mass of compositions remains in MS. in the Berlin Library and elsewhere. But Walther's most lasting work is his Dictionary—'Musikalisches Lexicon oder musikalische Bibliothek' (Leipzig, 1732), the first to combine biography and musical subjects, a work of great accuracy and merit, and the ground-work to many a subsequent one. This work was the production of his leisure hours only. He published a first sketch, of 68 pages, in 1728, under the title of 'Alte und neue musikalische Bibliothek oder musikalisches Lexikon' (Ancient and Modern Musical Library or Musical Lexicon). Walther had prepared elaborate corrections and additions for a second
