1794, learned music from F. Weigl and Wawra. From 1812 to 1817 he studied law at the University of Vienna, and was also at the Imperial Convict, where he formed a close friendship with Schubert. [See vol. iii. p. 321b.] In 1817 he became a government official in his native town, where he was frequently visited by Schubert and Vogl. Music was a constant occupation at their common lodgings, and at houses where the three were intimate, and they made excursions in the neighbourhood. [See vol. iii. p. 331b.] In 1821 Stadler moved to Linz, where he became secretary, and in 1833 honorary member, of the Musikverein. After a residence at Salzburg as commissary of the district he retired with the title of Statthaltereirath and the Imperial order of Franz-Joseph. At Salzburg he was made an honorary member of the Cathedral Musikverein, and of the Mozarteum. Stadler was an industrious composer, but only part of his Lieder have been engraved. They include settings of poems by Pichtler, Leitner, Kaltenbrunner, Heine, Eurich, Körner, and Pannasch.
STADLER, Maximilian, Abbot, a sound and solid composer, born August 4, 1748, at Melk, in Lower Austria. At ten became a chorister in the monastery of Lilienfeld, where he learnt music, completing his education in the Jesuit College at Vienna. In 1766 he joined the Benedictines at Melk, and after taking priest's orders worked as a parish-priest and professor till 1786, when the Emperor Joseph, who had noticed his organ-playing, made him abbot first of Lilienfeld, and three years later of Kremsmünster. Here his prudence averted the suppression of that then famous astronomical observatory. After this he lived at various country houses, then privately at Linz, and finally settled in Vienna. Haydn and Mozart had been old friends of his, and at the request of the widow he put Mozart's musical remains in order, and copied from the autograph score of the 'Requiem,' the Requiem and Kyrie, and the Dies irae, both copy and original being now in the Hofbibliothek at Vienna. [See vol. ii. p. 402a.] He also came forward in defence of the Requiem against Gottfried Weber, in two pamphlets—'Vertheidigung der Echtheit des Mozart'schen Requiem' (Vienna 1826), and 'Nachtrag zur Vertheidigung,' etc. (Ib. 1827). Stadler was an excellent contrapuntist, and an authority in musical literature and history. His printed compositions include, Sonatas and fugues for PF. and organ; part-songs; two requiems; several masses; a Te Deum; 'Die Frühlingsfeier,' cantata, with orchestra, to Klopstock's words; psalms, misereres, responses, offertories, etc.; also a response to Haydn's farewell-card for two voices and PF. [See vol. i. p. 715.] Among his numerous MSS. are fine choruses for Collin's tragedy, 'Polyxena.' Stadler's greatest work, 'Die Befreiung von Jerusalem,' an oratorio in two parts, words by Heinrich and Matthaus von Collin, was given with great success in 1816 at the annual extra ooncert of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, for the benefit of the proposed Conservatorium, and in 1829 at Zurich.
Stadler died in Vienna Nov. 8, 1833, highly esteemed both as man and musician.
STAFFORD, William Cooke, a native of York, published at Edinburgh in 1830 a 12mo. volume entitled 'A History of Music,' a work chiefly noted for its inaccuracy, but which notwithstanding was translated into French (12mo. Paris, 1832) and German (8vo. Weimar, 1835).
STAGGINS, Nicholas, was taught music by his father, a musician of little standing. Although of slender ability he won the favour of Charles II, who, in 1682, appointed him Master of the King's Band of Music; and in the same year the University of Cambridge, upon the King's request, conferred upon him the degree of Mus. Doc. The performance of the customary exercise being dispensed with, great dissatisfaction was occasioned, to allay which Staggins, in July 1684, performed an exercise, whereupon he was appointed Professor of Music in the University, being the first who held that oifice. Staggins composed the Odes for William III's birthday in 1693 and 1694, and for Queen Anne's birthday, 1705. Songs by him are contained in 'Choice Ayres, Songs and Dialogues,' 1675, and other collections of the time, and a dialogue, 'How unhappy a lover am I,' composed for Dryden's 'Conquest of Granada,' Part II, is included in J. S. Smith's 'Musica Antiqua.' He died in 1705.
STAINER, Jacob, a celebrated German violin-maker, born at Absam, a village near Hall, about one German mile from Innsbruck, July 14, 1621; died 1683. According to one story, the boy had a love of music, which induced the parish priest to send him to an organ-builder at Innsbruck. This trade, however, he found too laborious. He therefore took to making stringed instruments, serving his apprenticeship to an Innsbruck 'Lautenmacher'; after which he proceeded to travel, after the usual fashion of German apprentices. In the course of his travels, according to the story, he visited and worked at Cremona and other places in Italy; and the common story is that he worked under Antonius or Nicholas Amati, and afterwards spent some time at Venice, where he wrought in the shop of Vimercati. Of all this, however, there is not a particle of evidence. It may be said that violins are in existence, signed by Stainer and dated from Cremona: but these are now believed to be spurious. Probably he found Italian violins in use among the Italian musicians at the court of the Archduke Ferdinand Charles, Count of the Tyrol, at Innsbruck, and after examining their construction and contrasting them with the rude workmanship of the ordinary German Lautenmacher, conceived the idea of making violins on Italian principles. He began at a very early age, if we may trust an apparently genuine label dated 1641. His reputation was very quickly made, for in 1643, according to the 'Jahres-Bericht des Museums in Salzburg' for 1858, he sold a 'Viola Bastarda' to
