A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Paine, John
PAINE, John Knowles, born at Portland, Maine, U.S.A., Jan. 9, 1839. His earliest teacher in piano, organ, and composition was Hermann Kotzschmar, of Portland. He made his first appearance in public as an organist, in his native city, June 25, 1857; and on Jan. 1, 1858, was intrusted with the organ accompaniments to 'The Messiah,' without the assistance of an orchestra. In the same year he went to Berlin for three years, and studied the organ, composition, instrumentation, and singing, under Haupt, Wieprecht, and Teschner, giving several organ concerts during his stay. He returned to the United States in 1861, and gave a number of organ concerts, at which the principal compositions of Bach and Thiele were introduced to the American public. In 1862 he was appointed instructor of music at Harvard University, and in 1876 was raised to a full professorship as the first occupant of the chair. Other leading events in his career have been the production of his Mass at the Singakademie, Berlin, under his direction, Feb. 1867; of the oratorio 'Saint Peter,' also under his own direction, at Portland, June 3, 1873 (afterwards given by the Handel find Haydn Society, Boston, May 9, 1874); and of his first symphony, by Thomas's orchestra, at Boston, Jan. 6, 1876. Paine's compositions evince nobility and high aspiration, and mastery of the classical forms. His later works, beginning with the Trio in D minor (op. 22), show a gradually increasing tendency to the modern Romantic school, in both form and treatment. His orchestral works, with the exception of op. 34 (1879), have all been performed at Boston, New York, and other cities in the United States. Many of the piano pieces and chamber compositions have also frequently appeared in American concert programmes.
His published works consist of:—Op. 3. Variations for organ—'Austrian Hymn,' 'The StarSpangled Banner.' Op. 7. 'Christmas gift,' P.F. Op. 9. Funeral march, P.F. Op. 10. Mass (D), for solos, chorus, and orchestra. Op. 11. Vier Character-Stucke, P.F. Op. 12. Romance, C minor, P.F. Op. 19. Two preludes, organ. Op. 20. 'Saint Peter,' oratorio. Op. 25. Four characteristic pieces, P.F. Op. 26. 'In the Country,' 10 sketches, P.F. Op. 27. Centennial Hymn, words by Whittier; sung at the opening of the Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, May, 1876. Op. 29. Four songs, soprano.
The unpublished works comprise Sonatas for P.F. solo, and P.F. and violin; Fantasias, Variations, etc., for organ; a String Quartet; 2 P.F. trios; an Overture on 'As You Like It,' and a Symphonie-fantasia on 'The Tempest'; a Symphony in C minor (op. 23), and a ditto in A (op. 34), entitled 'Spring'; a Duo Concertante for violin, cello, and orchestra; songs; motets, etc., etc.[ F. H. J. ]