That the Magyars know how to value their own national music may be shown by the existence at Budapest of a National Conservatorium, of which Liszt is Director, and two national theatres, one (the older, which has existed for nearly half a century) for opera and drama, and the other, opened three years ago, for vaudevilles, operettas, etc. A new grand opera-house is in course of construction, and will be opened in a few months. Musical journalism is represented by two weekly publications, one of which, the 'Zenészeti Sapok,' edited by Abranyi, is often referred to as an authority on Magyar music.
[ J. A. F. M. ]
MAID OF ARTOIS, THE. A grand opera in 3 acts; words by Bunn, music by Balfe. Produced at Drury Lane May 27, 1836.
[ G. ]
MAID OF HONOUR, THE. A comic opera in 3 acts; words by Fitzball, music by Balfe. Produced at Drury Lane Dec. 20, 1847.
[ G. ]
MAINZER, Joseph, was born in 1801 at Treves, where his father was a butcher. He was educated in the Maîtrise of Trêves Cathedral, learnt to play several instruments, and developed considerable musical gifts, then spent some time in the coal mines near Saarbruck, with the view of being an engineer, and at length embraced the ecclesiastical profession, was ordained priest in 1826, and afterwards became Abbé. His first practical introduction to music was as singing-master to the seminary at Trêves, for which he published a ' Singschule' or Method (Trêves, 1831). His political tendencies obliged him to leave Germany, and we find him in 1833 at Brussels writing an opera ('Triomphe de la Pologne') and editing the musical portion of 'L'Artiste.' His next destination was Paris, where he opened workmen's classes for music and singing, joined the staff of the 'Gazette Musicale' and wrote the musical feuilletons for the 'National.' Between 1835 and 1841 he published several educational works on music, chiefly for very young beginners, as well as other works, and an opera, 'La Jaquerie,' which was damned on Oct. 10, 1839. He then came to England, competed against Sir H. R. Bishop for the musical professorship at Edinburgh in 1841, and finally established himself at Manchester. In February of that year Mr. Hullah had started his classes on Wilhem's system, and Mainzer attempted to follow suit in the north, and with considerable success. His 'Singing for the [1]million' was at that time well known and went through many editions. He over-worked himself in this cause, and died, much esteemed and regretted, at Manchester, Nov. 10, 1851. A periodical started by him and entitled 'Mainzer's Musical Times' was the predecessor and basis of the present 'Musical Times.'
[ G. ]
MAÎTRISE, a term formerly applied in France both to the quarters assigned in cathedrals and collegiate churches to the choristers and their master, and to the institution itself, which originally included a complete education, lay and ecclesiastical. These schools turned out many great men, several rising to be bishops and popes; among the latter Pope Urban IV, a cobbler's son, whose early years were passed in the 'Psallette' at Troyes. Some centuries later, when the Maîtrises had undergone great changes, they were still the only establishments in which even secular musicians could obtain their training. From the Maîtrises the Church obtained choristers, organists, and maîtres de chapelle, and the world its favourite composers. Here also, although instrumental music was neglected, and dramatic music positively forbidden, the regimental bands found their bassoon-players, and the lyric theatres their 'clavecinistes-accompagnateurs,' cellists, and singers.
A complete account of the Maîtrises would involve a review of the whole history of music anterior to the French Revolution, so we must be content with specifying a few of the masters, composers, choristers, and organists who have reflected honour on these ancient institutions. They were real schools of music, the pupils being maintained at the cost of the chapters. Indeed they much resembled the Conservatories of Italy, both in their mode of administration, and in the course of instruction given. They were not however all organised alike, but varied with local circumstances. Thus in some the boys, the master, and the priests, lived in common, in others separately; in some the maintenance of the children was in the hands of the master, in others there was a regular purveyor. But in all the main end was the study of music. Before the Revolution there were in France 400 Maîtrises and choirs, with as many maîtres de chapelle, maintained either by the chapters of cathedrals and collegiate churches, the curés, or the monasteries. Each Maîtrise contained on an average from 25 to 30 persons, and the musicians thus diffused throughout the country numbered in all about 10,000, of whom 4,000 were pupils or choristers. There was naturally much rivalry among the different establishments, which was of great benefit to music. To show how great and widely spread was their influence we may name a few of the principal musicians and composers who owed their education and their very varied styles to this one capacious source, before the establishment of opera in France:—Eustache du Caurroy, Intermet, and Claudin (Claude de Sermisy), who flourished under Henri IV; Veillot, maître of Notre Dame; Hautcousteau, maître of the Sainte Chapelle; Péchon, maítre of St. Germain; Frémart, Cosset, Gobert, Boesset, Moulinier, and Michel Lambert, all contemporaries of Chanoine Annibal Gantez, whose 'Entretien des musiciens' (Auxerre, 1643, small 12mo. very scarce) contains curious, and not very edifying details of the lives of the maîtres de chapelle of his day. Then, with the use of opera, came Cambert, Campra, and Gilles, a pupil of Poitevin, and composer of a celebrated 'messe des morts' performed at the funeral of Rameau, Bernier, a learned contrapuntist, Rameau himself, Gau-
- ↑ M. Fétis amusingly infers from this title that Mainzer expected to number a million pupils.
