Julius Benedict: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=JulyOctober 20122021}}

[[File:Julius Benedict, portrait (before 1885) - Archivio Storico Ricordi ICON010454.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Julius Benedict, composer (1804-18851804–1885), before 1885.]]

Benedict was born in [[Stuttgart]], the son of a Jewish banker, and in 1820 learnt composition from [[Johann Nepomuk Hummel]] at [[Weimar]] and in 1821 from [[Carl Maria von Weber]] at [[Dresden]]; it was Weber who introduced him in [[Vienna]] to [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]] on 5 October 1823. In the same year, he was appointed [[Kapellmeister]] of the Kärnthnerthor theatre at Vienna, and two years later in 1825, he became Kapellmeister of the San Carlo theatre at [[Naples]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=720}} It was here he gave piano lessons to the young prodigy [[Theodor Döhler]].

In Naples his first opera, ''Giacinta ed Ernesto'', premiered in 1827, and another, written for his native city, ''I Portoghesi in [[Goa]]'', was given there in 1830; neither of these was a great success, and in 1834 he went to Paris, leaving it in 1835 at the suggestion of [[Maria Malibran]] for London, where he spent the remainder of his life. In 1836 he was given the conductorship of an operatic enterprise at the [[Lyceum Theatre (London)|Lyceum Theatre]], and brought out a short opera, ''Un anno ed un giorno'', previously given in Naples.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=720}}

In 1838 he became conductor of the English opera at [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]] during the period of [[Michael William Balfe]]'s great popularity; his own operas produced there were ''The Gipsy's Warning'' (1838), ''The Brides of Venice'' (1844), and ''The Crusaders'' (1846). In 1848 he conducted [[Felix Mendelssohn]]'s ''[[Elijah (oratorio)|Elijah]]'' at [[Exeter Hall]], for the first appearance of [[Jenny Lind]] in [[oratorio]], and in 1850 he was the accompanist and conductor on [[Jenny Lind tour of America, 1850–52|Lind's tour of America]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=720}}

On his return in 1852 he became musical conductor under [[James Henry Mapleson]]'s management at [[Her Majesty's Theatre]] (and afterwards at Drury Lane), and in the same year conductor of the Harmonic Union. Amongst his minor works is an ''Andantino for [[Concertina]] and [[Fortepiano]]'' written in 1858. Benedict wrote recitatives for the production of an Italian-language version of Weber's ''[[Oberon (Weber)|Oberon]]'' in 1860 (it was then the tradition in England to perform German operas in Italian). In the same year his [[cantata]] ''Undine'' was produced at the [[Norfolk and Norwich Festival|Norwich Festival]], in which [[Clara Novello]] appeared in public for the last time.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=720}}

His best-known opera, ''[[The Lily of Killarney]]'', written on the subject of [[Dion Boucicault]]'s play ''[[The Colleen Bawn]]'' to a [[libretto]] by [[John Oxenford]], was produced at [[Royal Opera House|Covent Garden]] in 1862. His [[operetta]] ''The Bride of Song'' was brought out there in 1864.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=720}}

Benedict wrote a march for the wedding of [[Edward VII|Albert Edward]], [[Prince of Wales]] and [[Alexandra of Denmark]] in 1863.{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}} ''St Cecilia'', an oratorio, was performed at the Norwich Festival in 1868; ''St Peter'' at the [[Birmingham Triennial Music Festival|Birmingham Festival]] of 1870; ''Graziella'', a [[cantata]], was given at the Birmingham Festival of 1882, and in August 1883 was produced in operatic form at [[the Crystal Palace]]. Here also a [[symphony]] by him was given in 1873.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|pp=720–721}} In the autumn of 1875, Benedict corresponded with [[W. S. Gilbert]] about collaborating on a comic opera with him, but Gilbert had too many projects and the idea was dropped.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ainger|first=Michael|year=2002|title=Gilbert and Sullivan &ndash; A Dual Biography|page=113|location=Oxford|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0-19-514769-3}}</ref>

Benedict conducted every Norwich Festival from 1845 to 1878 inclusive, and the [[Liverpool Philharmonic Society]]'s concerts from late 1875 to 1880. He was the regular accompanist at the [[Monday Popular Concerts]] in London from their start, and with few exceptions acted as conductor of these concerts.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=721}}

He contributed an interesting life of Weber to the series of biographies of ''Great Musicians''.<ref>{{cite book|author=Benedict, Julius|title=Weber|series=The Great musicians |year=1889|publisher=S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington |edition=3rd|url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100766330}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title="Weber and Schubert" (with a review of ''The Great Musicians.—Weber.'' by Julius Benedict)|journal=Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art|date=30 July 1881|volume=52|issue=1344|pages=144–146|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=iau.31858016626214;view=1up;seq=178}}</ref> In 1871 he was [[British honours system|knighted]], and in 1874 was made knight commander of the orders of [[Franz Joseph I of Austria]] and [[Frederick I of Württemberg]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=721}} In 1884, friends set up a benefit fund to aid him financially.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Literary Gossip|journal=The Week : aA Canadian journalJournal of politicsPolitics, literatureLiterature, scienceScience and artsArts|date=13 MarMarch 1884|volume=1|issue=15|page=238|url=https://archive.org/stream/weekcanadianjour01toro#page/n120/mode/1up|access-date=29 April 2013}}</ref> He died at his residence in London on 5 June 1885 and was buried in [[Kensal Green Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Death of Sir Julius Benedict |work=The Cornisman |issue=360 |date=11 June 1885 |page=6}}</ref>

Benedict had three daughters (Adeline, Georgina and Alice) and two sons (Ernest and Julius) with his first wife, Therese. Therese and his younger son Julius died within a year of each other, between 1851 and 1852. At some point in his life, Benedict converted to Christianity; his children's education included [[Sacraments of the Catholic Church|Roman Catholic sacraments]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=UoB Calmview5: Search results|url=https://calmview.bham.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=XMS811|access-date=2021-06-01|website=calmview.bham.ac.uk}}</ref> A [[London County Council]] [[blue plaque]] commemorates Benedict at 2 [[Manchester Square]], Marylebone, where he lived and died.<ref name='"EngHet'">{{cite web| url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/discover/blue-plaques/search/benedict-sir-julius-1804-1885|title=BENEDICT, SIR JULIUS (1804-18851804–1885)|publisher=English Heritage| access-date=2012-10-20}}</ref>

* 1827 -– Concertino No.1, for piano and orchestra, Op.18 (fp. Teatro del Fondo, Naples, 26 May 1827) [later incorporated into Piano Concerto in A flat, 1867]

* 1833 -– Concertino No.2, for piano and orchestra, Op.19 (fp. King's Theatre, London, 1837) [later incorporated into Piano Concerto in E flat, 1867]

* c.1850 -– ''Festival Overture'', Op.42

* 1850 -– Konzertstück [Piano Concerto No.1] in C minor, for piano and orchestra, Op.45 (fp. Philharmonic Society, London, 17 June 1850)

* 1862 -– ''The Octoroon'', overture

* c.1865 -– ''Le ménestrel'', overture. Op.76

* c.1865 -– ''The Tempest'', overture, Op.77

* 1867 -– Piano Concerto [No.2] in E flat, Op.89 (fp. Crystal Palace, London, 27 April 1867)

* 1867 -– Piano Concerto [No.3] in A flat, Op.90

* 1868 -– ''La selva incantata'', overture (fp. Philharmonic Society, London, 6 July 1868)

* 1872-73 -– Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op.101 (andante and scherzo performed Norwich Festival, 1872; first complete performance Crystal Palace, London, 22 November 1873)

* 1874 -– ''Alfred and Marie'', grand march [celebrating the marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh]

* 1874-76 -– Symphony No. 2 in C (scherzo performed [[British orchestralOrchestral Society]], St James's Hall, London, 22 January 1874; three movements performed Crystal Palace, London, 17 April 1875)

* 1822 -– ''L'amor timido'', cantata (fp. Stuttgart, August 1822)

* 1860 -– ''Undine'', cantata (fp. Norwich Festival, 1860)

* 1863 -– ''Richard Coeur de Lion'', cantata (fp. Norwich Festival, 17 September 1863)

* 1866 -– ''The Legend of St Cecilia'', cantata (fp. Norwich Festival, 1 November 1866)

* 1870 -– ''St Peter'', oratorio (fp. Birmingham Festival, 2 September 1870)

* 1882 -– ''Graziella'', cantata (fp. Birmingham Festival, 29 August 1882)

* 1883 -– ''Mary Stuart's Farewell'', scena for contralto and orchestra (fp. Philharmonic Society, London, 25 April 1883)

* 1827 -– ''Giacinta ed Ernesto'' (fp. Teatro del Fondo, Naples, 31 March 1827)

* 1830 -– ''I portoghesi in Goa'' (fp. Stuttgart, 1830; Teatro San Carlo, Naples, 28 June 1830)

* 1836 -– ''Un anno ed un giorno'' (fp. Teatro del Fondo, Naples, 19 October 1836)

* 1838 -– ''The Gypsy's Warning'' (fp. Drury Lane Theatre, London, 19 April 1838)

* 1844 -– ''The Brides of Venice'' (fp. Drury Lane Theatre, London, 22 April 1844)

* 1845-46 -– ''The Crusaders'' (fp. Drury Lane Theatre, London, 26 February 1846)

* 1861-62 -– ''The Lily of Killarney'' (fp. Covent Garden Theatre, London, 10 February 1862)

* 1864 -– ''The Bride of Song'', operetta (fp. Covent Garden Theatre, London, 3 December 1864)

* 1882 -– ''Romeo and Juliet'' (fp. Royal Lyceum Theatre, London, May 1882)

* 1858 -– ''Andantino for Concertina and Fortepiano''

* 1876 -– ''Andantino'', arranged by the composer for four performers on two pianofortes

* 1884 -– ''Andantino'', the 1876 arrangement arranged by Harry Drew for the organ.<ref>Duncan Davison & Co., London, 1884</ref>

* {{EB1911|wstitle=Benedict, Sir Julius|volume=3|pages=720–721}}

<ref>* {{cite book|last1=Palmer|first1=Fiona M.|title=Conductors in Britain, 1870–1914: Wielding the Baton at the Height of Empire|date=March 2017|publisher=Boydell Press|location=Woodbridge|isbn=9781783271450|pages=320|url=https://boydellandbrewer.com/conductors-in-britain-1870-1914.html|access-date=28 March 2017|archive-date=29 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329051706/https://boydellandbrewer.com/conductors-in-britain-1870-1914.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

* {{AllmusicAllMusic|class=artist|id=q520}}

[[Category:MaleGerman male opera composers]]

[[Category:English19th-century German Jews]]

[[Category:19th-centuryOratorio male musicianscomposers]]