Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/449

operas, 17 ballets, 2 oratorios, 12 Italian and 7 German cantatas, 9 masses, 6 graduates, 6 offertoires; scenas in various languages; airs for insertion in operas; songs, airs and duets with PF. accompaniment; and various instrumental pieces. His younger brother,

Thaddäus, born 1776, wrote a number of operas and ballets for the Leopoldstadt Theatre and the two Court Theatres, and was at one time Capellmeister and director of the musical archives of the Court Theatre. His name lives, however, not as a musician, but as a music publisher. He set up in business in 1801, and devoted himself chiefly to supporting the 'Kunstund Industrie Comptoir' in its endeavour to establish a home-trade in music, for which Haydn gave him a flattering testimonial (dated Eisenstadt 1801). After the production of his last ballet, 'Bacchus und Ariadne' (Dec. 1803), he withdrew from the theatre, and occupied himself entirely with his business till 1826, when he resigned it to his second son Peter. Later it passed into Diabelli's hands. Thaddaus Weigl published Schubert's ops. 57, 58, 88, 95, and 130.

[ C. F. P. ]

WEINLIG, Christian Theodor, born at Dresden, July 25, 1780, was instructed first by his uncle, Christian Ehregott—who as a scholar of Homilius had the Bach traditions—and then by Padre Mattei at Bologna. In 1823 he succeeded Schicht as Cantor of the Thomas-School at Leipzig, and remained there till his death, March 7, 1842, when he was followed by Hauptmann. [App. p.816 "for he was followed by Hauptmann read he was followed by Pohlenz, who in September of the same year was succeeded by Hauptmann."] He published a German Magnificat for solos, chorus, and orchestra, and some singing exercises. But it is as a teacher of theory and as the master of Wagner for six months in 1830, that his name will be remembered. Wagner has left his recollections of Weinlig's teaching on record in words which deserve to be pondered by all teachers of theory. [See Wagner, vol. iv. p. 347a.]

[ G. ]

WEISS, Franz, born in Silesia Jan. 18, 1778, died at Vienna Jan. 25, 1830, a distinguished viola-player, and long a member of the celebrated string-quartet maintained by Prince Rasoumowsky^[1] at his palace in Vienna. By these distinguished players most of Beethoven's quartets were studied for the first time, Schuppanzigh^[2] taking the first violin, the Prince himself the second, and Linke the cello. Weiss was also a composer of merit, and published, among other works, 'Variations brillantes' for violin and orchestra, op. 13 (Vienna, Artaria), quartet (Vienna, Haslinger, and Offenbach, Andre), and duets for flutes and for violins, and PF. sonatas. A symphony of his for flute, bassoon, and trumpet concertante with orchestra, was played with great success by the brothers Alois, Joseph, and Anton Khayll.

[ C. F. P. ]

WEISS, Willoughby Hunter, born April 2, 1820, at Liverpool, son of Willoughby Gaspard Weiss, professor of the flute and music-publisher. He learnt singing from Sir George Smart and Balfe, and on May 12, 1842, made his first appearance in public at a concert of his own at Liverpool. He next sang in London at the concerts of Balfe, Thalberg, etc., and then joined the farewell tour of Miss Adelaide Kemble, and made a successful début on the stage at Dublin July 2, as Oroveso in 'Norma.' On Dec. 26 he made his first London appearance in opera at the Princess's as the Count in an English version of 'Sonnambula.' He established a reputation both as an operatic and concert singer. In the former capacity he sang in the various enterprises of Bunn, Maddox, Jullien, Pyne & Harrison, and the English Opera Company Limited, and in various operas of Auber, Balfe, Benedict, Hatton, Macfarren, etc. But he excelled in oratorio, in which his rich voice and musicianly feeling showed to advantage. He made his first appearance in oratorio in 1844 at the Gloucester Festival, and was continually engaged at the London oratorio concerts and provincial festivals until close upon his death, Oct. 24, 1867. Weiss also composed songs and ballads, of which 'The Village Blacksmith' has become very popular. He also arranged a PF. edition of Weber's Mass in G. His wife,

Georgina Ansell, whose maiden name was Barrett, was born in 1826 at Gloucester, the daughter of a professor of music of that city. She was a pupil at the Royal Academy of Music (1842–45), and first attracted notice at the Gloucester Festival of 1844. On Sept. 15, 1845, she married Weiss. On Dec. 20, 1847, she made her first appearance on the stage at Drury Lane as Queen Elizabeth in Balfe's 'Maid of Honour,' and was afterwards engaged at the Princess's and Covent Garden (1864–5). She failed to maintain the great promise of her early career, and became a useful second-class singer. She married again, Feb. 13, 1872, Mr. C. Davis of New Maiden, Surrey, and died at Brighton Nov. 6, 1880.

[ A. C. ]

WEISSENBACH, Aloys, born at Telfs, Tyrol, March 1, 1766, died at Salzburg Oct. 26, 1821, entered the Austrian army as assistant-surgeon before he was twenty, and had risen to the highest rank in that service when, in 1804, he was called by Archduke Ferdinand, then Archbishop of Salzburg, to the professorship of surgery in the University there, a position which he held with very great reputation to his death. Weissenbach held an honourable place among the periodical writers of his day; composed dramas, one of which (Die Brautkranz) was acted at Vienna in 1809; and specially distinguished himself, 1812–14, by his patriotic poems. He receives a place here as author of the text to Beethoven's 'Glorreiche Augenblick,' and for his notices of the composer in his account of his visit to Vienna at the time of the Congress of 1814.^[3]

That Weissenbach was an enthusiastic admirer of Beethoven (says Graeffar) is a matter of course. Their natures were akin, even physically; for the one was as hard of hearing as the other, and both were manly, frank, open, upright characters. Just as Weissenbach

1. See vol. iii. 77.
2. Ibid. 424.
3. 'Meine Reise zum Congress.'