Overture to Euryanthe. Mendelssohn rarely if ever uses this means of effect.
[ G. ]
MY MOTHER BIDS ME BIND MY HAIR. One of the most favourite of Haydn's 12 Canzonets. The words were originally written by Mrs. Hunter to the andante of a sonata by Pleyel. The stanzas were reversed by Haydn, so that the present first verse was originally the second.
[ G. ]
MYSLIWECZEK, Josef, a Bohemian composer, son of a miller, born near Prague, March 9, 1737, had a good education in the common school, and after his father's death devoted himself to music. After many attempts at composition, and much wandering, he fell upon his feet at Parma, in 1764, with an opera, the success of which was so great as to induce the Neapolitan ambassador to engage him to write the opera for the celebration of the next birthday of the king at Naples. The new piece was called Bellerofonte, and made his reputation to that degree that though he returned to the north of Italy he was recalled to Naples no less than nine times. Mozart met him at Bologna in Nov. 1772 [App. p.727 "Oct. 1770"], and again at Munich in 1777. He was evidently very gifted. Mozart says of his sonatas that 'they are bound to please, not difficult, and very effective,' and urges his sister to learn them [1]by heart. Elsewhere he speaks of him [2]as a prize difficult to replace. He was evidently very [3]fascinating, but as evidently a loose fish, unable, with all his engagements, to keep himself respectable.[4]
In 1778 he gave his Olimpiade at Naples, which threw every one into transports of enthusiasm. The famous singer Gabrielli sang his songs everywhere, and was accustomed to say that none were so suited to her voice. He died at Rome, Feb. 4, 1781, adding another to the long list of musicians whose great popularity during their lifetime was not sufficient to preserve their works from swift oblivion. Mysliweczek is said to have had a young English friend named Barry, who buried him in San Lorenzo in Lucina, and erected a monument to him there. The Italians called him Il Boëmo, in despair at the pronunciation of his proper name.
[ G. ]
MYSTÈRES D'ISIS, LES. An arrangement, or derangement, of Mozart's Zauberflöte, words by Morel, music adapted by Lachnith; produced at the Académie Aug. 26 [App. p.727 "Aug. 23"], 1801. The opera was torn to pieces; some of the best numbers (e.g. the 2nd quintet, the terzet, the chorus 'O Isis,' Pamina's song) were taken out, numbers from other operas inserted (e.g. 'Fin ch' han dal vino' as a duet). The concluding chorus opened the opera, and immense liberties were taken with what was left. But such was the beauty and spirit of the music that its success was immense, and it kept the boards till May 2, 1827. The real Zauberflöte was first produced in Paris in 1829. Lachnith was much ridiculed at the time; he was called 'Le Dérangeur,' and his work 'Les Misères d'ici.' [See Lachnith.]
[ G. ]
N
NAAMAN. An oratorio in 2 parts; the words by W. Bartholomew, the music by Costa. Composed for the Birmingham Festival, and produced there Sept. 7, 1864.
Sir M. Costa' s former oratorio, Eli, was also written to words by Bartholomew, is in 2 parts, and was produced at the Birmingham Festival, on Aug. 29, 1855.
[ G. ]
NABUCCO, or NABUCODONOSOR. Opera in 3 acts; libretto by Solera, music by Verdi. Produced at the Scala, Milan, in Lent [App. p.727 "March 9"] 1842; at Paris, Oct. 16, 1845; in London as 'Nino' at Her Majesty's, March 3, 1846.
[ G. ]
NACHBAUR, Franz, a noted German tenor, born March 25, 1835, at Schloss Giessen, near Friedrichshafen, Wurtemburg. He was educated at the Polytechnic School, Stuttgard. As a member of a Gesangverein, his fine voice attracted the notice of Pischek, who advised him to take regular instruction in singing. He began his career as a chorister at Basle, and afterwards became a member of a German troupe travelling in France. Through the liberality of M. Passavant, a banker at Luneville, he found means for the culture of his voice, first through Orti, the bass singer, and afterwards with Lamperti of Milan. He afterwards sang in opera at Mannheim, Prague, Darmstadt, Vienna, and in 1866 at Munich, where he obtained a permanent engagement at the opera. More recently he has sung in Italy, and created Lohengrin at Rome in 1878. His parts comprise Raoul, the Prophet, Arnold, etc. [App. p.727 "Add that in 1882 he was a member of the German Opera Company at Drury Lane, and on June 3 sang the part of Walther in 'Die Meistersinger,' originally sung by him on the production of the work at Munich in 1868. He also appeared as Adolar in 'Euryanthe' on June 13."]
[ A. C. ]
NACHDRUCK, MIT (With pressure, Heavily; corresponding nearly to the Italian pesante). A direction used by Beethoven in the Rondo of the Pianoforte Concerto in E♭, No. 5. Op. 73 (Bars 9, 102, 106), to indicate that the bass is to be well emphasized. The term espressivo is coincidently used in the treble.
[ J. A. F. M. ]
NACHRUF, i.e. Farewell. The title given by Mendelssohn to the slow movement which he composed to his Quintet in A, in Paris, after hearing of the death of his great friend Edward Ritz. It replaced a minuet and trio in F♯ and D, the trio in double canon.
[ G. ]
NACHSCHLAG. The German name for one of the graces of instrumental and vocal music. It consists of a note played or sung at the end of the note to which it serves as an ornament, and it thus forms, as its name indicates, the antithesis to the Vorschlag, or short appoggiatura,
