BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY

OF

MUSICIANS:

With a Bibliography of English Writings

on Music.

BY

JAMES D. BROWN,

MITCHELL LIBRARY, GLASGOW.

ALEXANDER GARDNER,

PAISLEY; AND 12 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON.

1886.

PREFACE.

THE following explanatory remarks and acknowledgments are offered by way of Introduction.

This work is intended for students of Music or persons interested in the art, and while not claiming a great degree of completeness in any department, may nevertheless be found interesting and useful as a supplement to larger and more ambitious works of the same class. It aims at conciseness in every particular, and each notice is so arranged that any fact of a biographical or bibliographical character may be readily found. All anecdotal and gossipy matter has been suppressed, the intention of the Editor being merely to put forth a work of utility, especially in view of the fact that so many works in musical literature exist to which readers can turn for pastime. The endeavour has been to present a series of brief notices of Musicians in which every important fact likely to be of use has been noted. Prominence has naturally been given to British Musical Biography, and no one whose life or works seemed of interest has been knowingly omitted. The Bibliographical character of the work accounts for the presence of many names of minor importance, and accordingly not apology is offered for the comparative insignificance of any name. mentioned throughout the book. The notices of Foreign Musicians are confined to such as claim attention by their acknowledged eminence, or by their connection in any way with Britain. The Critical Remarks occurring here and there throughout the work are generally digests from a collation of opinions by writers of authority. It should also be further remarked that the nationalities of biographical subjects are, with certain exceptions, fixed by parentage and not by birth place.

The Bibliographical Appendix forms a brief Subject-Index to the work itself, and in a general way to the English Literature of Music. No pretence is made to an exhaustive or even accurate treatment of this division of the work, and the only plea which can be recorded on

its behalf is its almost complete novelty. To be a Bibliography in the strict meaning of the word would make it needful to record every particular of publication, which has been found impossible in the present case, as a personal examination of only a small number of the books indexed could be made. For its imperfections both in regard to accuracy and detail the compiler can only apologize. With a view to the compilation of a complete Bibliography of the English writings on Music and Collections of all kinds, the Author would be obliged if possessors of musical books would communicate titles and dates to him.

To Mr. Stephen S. Stratton, of Birmingham, the Author desires to express most grateful acknowledgment for willing and valuable assistance in every department of the work. The book is indebted to him for dates, facts, and suggestions of every kind, and to him is due many of the corrections of chronological errors in musical biography which have been perpetuated in work after work. His valuable services in connection with the revisal for the press are also thankfully acknowledged. Thanks are also warmly accorded to Mr. James Love, of Falkirk, N. B.; Major G. A. Crawford, of London; Mr. W. H. Dana, of Warren, Ohio; Mr. W. H. Daniell, of Boston, Mass.; and Messrs. Karl Merz, W. B. Gilbert, J. C. Fillmore, David Baptie, C. E. Stephens, and many others, for services rendered in connection with British and American Biography and Bibliography. The notices of many of the living musicians noticed throughout the work are indebted to themselves for revision and correction in the biographical sections, and the Author desires to acknowledge much assistance freely rendered in this respect.

In conclusion the Author would invite additions, suggestions and corrections of all kinds, which may be sent for him to the care of the publisher, and of these, acknowledgment will gladly be made.

LANGSIDE, GLASGOW, 1886.