Meyer

(mi’-ér), (1) Ld. von (called “De Meyer’), Baden, near Vienna, 1816—Dresden, 1883; pianist and composer. (2) Jenny, Berlin, 1834 —18 94; concert-singer; 1865 teacher, 1888 proprietre Stern Cons. Berlin. (3) Waldemar, b. Berlin, Feb. 4, 1853; violinist, pupil of Joachim; 1873-81, member of the Berlin ct. orch. (4) Gustav, b. Kénigsberg, Pru ia, June 14, 1859; pupil of Leipzig Cons.; cond. various cities; 1895, Leipzig City Th. 1903, Prague; c. 4-act farce, ballet-pantomime, etc. D. Prague,?. (mi’-ér-bar), (rightly Jakob Liebmann Beer; by adding the name “Meyer” he secured a large inheritance from a wealthy relative; he then Italianised “Jacob” as ‘“‘Giacomo’’), Berlin, Sept. 5, 1791—Paris, 2, 1864; son of a Jewish banker; a precocious and remarkable pianist; pupil of Lauska and Clement i; at 7 played in public; studied Zelter, Anselm, Weber; 1810, was invited by Abbé Vogler to live in his house as a son and pupil; did so for 2 years, one of his fellow-pupils being his devoted friend C. M. von Weber. Here he c. an oratorio and 2 operas “Jephthas Geliibde”’ (Ct.-Op., Munich, 1813) and ‘“Alimilek’? (Munich, 1813), the first a failure, the latter accepted for Vienna, whither he went and made a great succ. as pianist though his opera was notasucc. his discouragement Salieri told him he needed only to understand the voice, and advised an Italian journey. He went to Venice in 1815 and, carried away with Ro ini’s vogue, c. 6 Italian operas which had succ., especially “ZI Croci a to in E£gitio” (Venice, 1824). While writing this last he went to Berlin hoping to prod. 3-act German opera, ‘“‘Das Thor’; found no hearing, Weber begged him not to give himself up to Italian influences. In the 6 years of silence ~ that followed, occurred his marriage, his father’s death, and the death of his two children. In 1826, he went to Paris to live, and made a profound and exhaustive study of French opera — from Lully down, forming his: third style, in which acc. to Mendel “he united to the flowing melody of the Italians and the solid harmony of. the Germans the pathetic declamation and the varied, piquant rhythm of the French.”’ He made a coalition with the sophisticated librettist, Scribe, and his first French opera, “Robert le Diable’ (Gr. Opéra, 1831), was an enormous succ., financially establishing the Opéra itself, though M. had had to pay the manager Véron a large sum to secure its production. Le pop. succ. at first, but more critical favour attended “Les Huguenots” (1836); its prod. at Berlin, 1842, led King Fr. Wm. IV, to call him there as Gen. Mus.-Dir. His opera ‘‘Das Feldlager in Schlesien”? (1843), had only mod. succ. until Jenny Lind sang it in 1844; 1847, he visited Vienna and London; returning to Berlin he prod. Wagner’s new. work ‘Rienzi’; later he obtained “The Dutchman” performance, after its rejection elsewhere. The extent to which he befriended Wagner is matter of bitter controversy, some claiming that he gave only formal a istance while Wagner was obscure, and fought him with underhanded methods and a “‘pre -bureau,’”’ when Wagner attained power. At any rate Wagner despised and publicly a ailed the music of Meyer beer. Yet, whether or no Wagner borrowed money from M., he certainly borrowed numberle points of artistic construction from him. In 1840, ‘‘Le Prophéte’’ (finished 1843) was prod. at the Paris. Gr. Opéra (1849) followed by the succe es “L’Etoile du Nord” (Op.Com., 1854), some of it taken from his “‘Das Feldlager in Schlesten’’; and “Dinorah, ou le Pardon de Ploérmel”’ (Op. Com., 1859). ‘“L’ Africaine’’ (worked on with constant and. characteristic changes from 1838) was prod. at the Paris Gr. Opéra, 1865, a year after his death. M. left by will 10,000 thaler ($7,500) ~ for the foundation of a Meyer beer Scholarship, for which only Germans under 28, and pupils of the Berlin ‘Hochschule,”’ the Stern Cons., and the Cologne Cons., are eligible. Competitors must submit a vocal fugue-@ 8 (for double chorus), an overture for full orch., and a dram. cantata @ 3, with orch. (text of cantata, and text and theme of fugue being given). The fund gives six months in Italy, six in Paris, and six more in Vienna, Munich and Dresden together. M. c. also incid. music to ‘‘Struensee’ (the tragedy by his brother, Michael Beer; Berlin, 1846), choruses to Aischylus’ “ Ewmenides”; festival-play ‘‘Das Hoffest von Ferrara’; monodrama “Thevelindens Liebe,’ for sopr. solo, chorus with clar. obbligato (Vienna, 1813); cantatas, “Gutenberg” and “Maria und ihr Genius’ (for the silver wedding of Prince and Prince Carl of Pru ia); ‘‘Der Genius der Musik _ am Beethoven”; “Brautgeleite aus der Heimath’” (for the wedding of Prince Louise of Pru ia); ode to Rauch (the sculptor), with orch.; 7 sacred odes a cappella; ‘“‘Fest hymn us” (for the King of Pru ia’s silver wedding); “Fackeltanze,”’ for wind-band, also scored for orch. (for the weddings of the King of Bavaria, and the Prince es Charlotte and Anna of Pru ia); grand march for the Schiller Centenary (1859); overture in match-form (for opening of London Exhibition, 1862); coronation march for King Wilhelm I. (1863); church music; pf.-pcs., etc. Biog. by A. de Lasalle (864); H. Blaze de Bury 1865); Ella (1868); H. Mendel 1868), and J. Schucht, 1869. Other by Pougin, Kohut, J. Weber, Curzon, Eymieu, Dauriac, Hervey, Kapp, etc. (See article, page 05. Me eroeiethand (mi’-ér-hél-moont), Erik, St. Petersburg, (25 new style), 1861—Berlin, April 4, 1932; pupil of his father and of Kiel and Stock hausen; prod. comic operas, incl. the succ. “Der Liebeskampf” (Dresden, 1892); succ. ballet “Reibezahl”’ (or ‘‘Der Berggeist’’) (Leipzig, 1893); t-act burlesque “Trischka”’ (Riga, 1894); and pop. songs.; (mi’-ér-6l’-bérsMeyer-Olbersleben la-bén), Max, Olbersleben, Weimar, April 5, 1850—Wiirzburg, Dec. 31, 1927; pupil of his father, of Miiller-Hartung and Liszt, on whose recommendation he was given a stipend by the Duke, and studied with Rheinberger and Wiillner; 1877, teacher of cpt., and comp. R. Cons. of Mus., Wiirzburg; 1907-20, dir. of same; 18709, cond. the “ Liedertafel”; 1885, Prof.; 1896, dir. “‘Deutscher Sdngerbund,”’ and co-dir. the Fifth National Sanger fest, Stuttgart; c. succ. “Clére Dettin’? (Wirzburg, 1896), and a comic opera “Der Hauben Krieg’? (Munich Opera); overtures, “Feierkldnge’ and ‘“‘Fest ouvert i ire’’; fine choruses; chamber-mus., etc. Mézeray (m4az-ré’), L. Chas. Lazare Costard de, Brunswick, 1810—Asniéres, near Paris, April, 1887; barytone and dram. composer.