Nov. 28, 1664, on the death of Purcell's father, was made Musician in Ordinary to the King. He composed several songs, some of which appeared in 'The Treasury of Musick,' 1669, and died June 27, 1704. A John Goodgroome, probably his son, was organist of St. Peter's, Cornhill, about 1725. Theodore Goodgroome, the singing-master of Samuel Pepys and his wife, was probably his brother.
[ W. H. H. ]
GOODSON, Richard, Mus. Bac., on July 19, 1682, succeeded Edward Lowe as organist of Christ Church, Oxford, and Professor of Music in the University. Some Odes composed by him for performance at the Acts at Oxford are still extant. He died Jan. 13, 1718. His son, Richard, Mus. Bac., was the first organist of Newbury, to which post he was appointed August 24, 1709. He graduated Mus. Bac. March 1, 1716. On the death of his father he succeeded him in both posts, and was also organist of New College. He died Jan. 9, 1741.
[ W. H. H. ]
GORDIGIANI, Luigi, the son of one musician (Antonio) and the younger brother of another (Giovanni Battista), has been called the Italian Schubert. He was born at Modena June 21, 1806. His musical education was most desultory, but his talent was great, and while still in his teens he had written three Cantatas. In 1820 his father died, and he was forced to make a living by writing pianoforte pieces under such German noms de plume as Zeuner and Von Fürstenberger. His start in life was due to two Russian princes, Nicholas Demidoff and Joseph Poniatowski, the latter of whom not only furnished him with the libretto of an opera, 'Filippo,' but himself acted in it with his wife and brother at the Standish Theatre, Florence, in 1840. Between the years 1835 and 1849 Gordigiani composed or produced nine other operas, all at different theatres in Florence. But it is by his 'Canzonette' and 'Canti populari' for voice and piano that he will be remembered—delicious melodies, of a sentimental, usually mournful, cast, in the taste or on the actual melodies of old Italian national tunes, and often set to words of his own. They are more than 300 in number, and were published in parts, usually of 8 or 10 each, with characteristic titles—'In cima al monte'; 'Le Farfalle di Firenze'; 'In rival al Arno'; 'Mosaico Etrusco,' etc. They have been republished everywhere and in all languages. He also published a collection of Tuscan airs with accompaniments in 3 books. Gordigiani was odd and fantastic in manners and disposition. He died at Florence in 1860 [App. p.652 "May 1"].
[ G. ]
GORDON, John, the son of an eminent watchmaker of the same names, was born in the parish of St. Martin, Ludgate, March 26, 1702. He was admitted a foundation scholar at Westminster, and elected thence to Cambridge, where he became pensioner of Trinity College June 18, 1720. In 1721 he obtained a scholarship in the same college. He left Cambridge June 1, 22, and returned to London to study law, in view of which he had on Nov. 9, 18, entered as a student at Gray's Inn. On Jan. 16, 23, he was elected Professor of Music in Gresham College, which place had become vacant by the death of Dr. Edward Shippen. On Feb. 10, 25, he was called to the bar at Gray's Inn, but continued to hold his professorship till his death, Dec. 12, 1739.
[ W. H. H. ]
GORDON, W., a Swiss of English descent, born about the end of the 18th century. In his youth he studied music as an amateur, and was a pupil of Drouet, the celebrated flutist. After the fall of the first French Empire he obtained a captain's commission in one of the regiments of Swiss Guards in Paris. In 1826 he began his improvements in the construction of the flute. The Swiss Guards being disbanded after the revolution of 1830, Gordon devoted his whole attention to his favourite object. In 1833 he went to Munich, where he had some flutes made on a novel plan. He circulated prospectuses of his invention in Germany, Paris, and London. He came to London in the hope of finding a large demand for his instruments, but was doomed to disappointment, and returned to Lausanne. In 1836 he became deranged, and (with the exception of a short interval in 1839) remained so until his death. His modifications were carried out by Boehm, and resulted in the flute which bears that name. [Boehm; Flute, 536b.]
[ W. H. H. ]
GORGHEGGI. [See Solfeggi.]
GOSS, John Jeremiah, born at Salisbury in 1770, received his musical education as a chorister of the cathedral there, of which he subsequently became a lay vicar. On Nov. 30, 1808, he was appointed a gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and about the same period obtained the places of vicar choral of St. Paul's Cathedral and lay vicar of Westminster Abbey. His voice was a pure alto of beautiful quality, and his skill and taste in part-singing remarkable. He was for many years the principal alto at the Meetings of the Three Choirs. He died in May 1817.
[ W. H. H. ]
GOSS, Sir John, Knight, Mus. Doc., son of Joseph Goss, organist of Fareham, Hants, where he was born in 1800 [App. p.652 "Dec. 27"]. In 1811 he became one of the children of the Chapel Royal under John Stafford Smith, and on leaving the choir became a pupil of Attwood, under whom he completed his musical education. About 1824 he was appointed organist of the new church of St. Luke, Chelsea, and in 38 succeeded Attwood as organist of St. Paul's Cathedral. On the death of William Knyvett in 56 Goss was appointed one of the composers to the Chapel Royal. He was knighted in 1872, and shortly afterwards resigned his appointment at St. Paul's. He graduated as Doctor of Music at Cambridge in 1876. Goss's compositions consist of services and anthems, chants, psalm-tunes, glees, songs, orchestral pieces, etc. Of his anthems the best known are 'If we believe,' written for the funeral of the Duke of Wellington; 'Praise the Lord, O my soul,' composed for the bicentenary festival of the Sons of the Clergy; 'The wilderness'; and 'The Lord is my strength,' composed, together with a 'Te Deum,' for the Thanksgiving for the
