(London, 1816); Alessandro nell Indie, opera seria. His style is clear and dignified, obviously formed on Handel and Haydn.
[ F. G. ]
BOND, Hugh, appointed lay-vicar of Exeter Cathedral in 1762, was also organist of the church of St. Mary Arches in that city. He published 'Twelve Hymns and Four Anthems for four voices' of his composition. Many of his pupils rose to eminence in the profession. He died in 1792.
[ W. H. H. ]
BONNO or BONO, Giuseppe, son of one of the imperial running footmen, born at Vienna 1710. Studied composition at Naples at the Emperor's cost, and in 1738 was taken into the Imperial Hof-kapelle as Hof-scholar, from which he rose to be Hof-compositeur (1739), and, on Gassmann's death, Hof-kapellmeister (1774). He was essentially a court-musician. His oratorios were executed after Lent at the court chapel, and his 'festi teatrali,' or occasional cantatas, were mostly performed by archduchesses before their imperial parents. Bonno was for many years vice-president of the Ton-künstler Societät, and the society executed his oratorio of 'Il Giuseppe ricognosciuto.' His Scores are preserved in the Imperial Library and the Musik-Verein at Vienna, and they show a very moderate amount of invention, sufficient to meet the wants of the time and the society in which he lived, but no more. He must however have had some qualities to make up for these defects, for Mozart (writing April 11, 1781, of the performances of one of his symphonies under Bonno's direction) calls him 'der alte ehrliche brave Mann.' He died April 15, 1788. A fine Amen by him, in the grand Italian style, is engraved in the Fitzwilliam music.
[ C. F. P. ]
BONNY BOOTS. The nickname of a man who appears to have been both a singer and dancer of unequalled ability at the court of Elizabeth, a devoted adherent of the Queen, and—as may be inferred from the style in which he is mentioned in verses published during her lifetime—a personal favourite of hers. He is mentioned in the 9th and 25th Madrigals of the 'Triumphs of Oriana,' a collection of pieces in honour of Elizabeth, published in 1601:—
9. 'Thus Bonny Boots the birthday celebrated
Of her his lady deerest,
Fair Oriana which to his hart was nearest.'
25. 'For Bonny Boots that so aloft could fetch it,
Oh he is dead, and none of us can reach it.'
Also in the 1st and 9th of Morley's Canzonets published in 1607:—
1. 'Fly Love that are so sprightly
To Bonny Boots uprightly;
And when in Heaven thou meet him
Say that I kindly greet him,
And that his Oriana
True widow-maid still followeth Diana.'
9. 'Our Bonny Boots could toot it,
Yea and foot it;
Say lustie lads who now shall Bonny-Boot it.'
From three of these quotations it is evident that Bonny Boots was dead at the time.
Various conjectures have been made as to his identity. He has been supposed by Hawkins (Hist. chap. 106) to have been a Mr. Hale or Hales, whose singing had pleased the Queen. Also the Earl of Essex, who was beheaded Feb. 25, 1601. But neither identification is anything more than conjecture.
BONPORTI, Francesco Antonio, born about 1660 at Trient, was an Imperial Counsellor of Austria, and occupied himself with music, in which he was one of the earliest instrumental composers of importance. His first work—Sonatas for 2 Violins and Bass—appeared in 1696 at Venice. These were followed by many others, among which the most remarkable are 'Le triomphe de la grande Alliance,' op. 8, and 100 minuets for Violins and Bass. His 'Dodici Concertini e Serenate,' etc., were printed at Augsburg in 1741.
[ F. G. ]
BOOM, Jan van, flute-player, born at Rotterdam 1773, belonged to the band of King Louis Bonaparte, settled at Utrecht and made many successful tours in Germany. His works chiefly consist of bravura pieces for the flute. His son Jan, born at Utrecht Oct. 15, 1809, was brought up as a pianist, and after a tour in Sweden and Denmark in 1825 settled at Stockholm, where in 1856 he became Professor in the Academy and Music School. In 1862 he visited the chief capitals of Europe to examine the systems of musical education. He has composed Symphonies, Quartets, Trios, and Pianoforte pieces of every description.
[ F. G. ]
BOOSEY & CO., music publishers. This house was established about 60 years ago by Thomas Boosey. He commenced business as an importer of foreign music, and was one of the very few persons then engaged in that trade. Subsequently he became the English publisher for Hummel, Romberg, De Beriot, Rossini, Vaccaj, Mercadante, and other well-known composers. The house was afterwards identified with the Italian operas of Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi, until 1854, when a decision of the House of Lords deprived it of all its foreign copyrights. This judgment caused the firm to lose 'La Sonnambula,' 'La Traviata,' 'Il Trovatore,' and 'Rigoletto,' four of the most valuable properties that have existed in the music trade.
This serious loss of copyrights caused the firm to change its character, and it has since devoted its attention to the publication of popular English music, and to the production of cheap and standard musical works.
[ G. ]
BORDONI, Faustina. [See Hasse.]
BORGHI, Luigi, a violinist and composer; pupil of Pugnani; lived from about 1780 in London, where we find him leader of the second violins at the Handel Commemoration in 1784. He published violin solos; duos for violins, violin and alto, violin and cello; violin-concertos; symphonies for orchestra, and a set of Italian canzonets.
[ P. D. ]
