BENDA, Georg. Paloschi gives the place of his birth, Jungbunzlau, and says that he died at Kosteritz, Nov. 6, 1795.
BENDEL, Franz. See vol. ii. 735 a.
BENEDICT, Sir Julius. Add that in early life he studied with J. C. L. Abeille, and that his appointment at Vienna was that of conductor at the Kärnthnerthor Theatre, which he held from 1823 to 1825. Page 222 b, last line, for the whole read most. Page 223 a, l. 3, add the date 1852 for his return to England, and that in the same year he was appointed conductor of the Harmonic Union. Add to his works the cantata 'Graziella,' written for the Birmingham Festival of 1882 (originally intended for the Norwich Festival of 1881, but not completed in time), which was subsequently produced as an opera at the Crystal Palace. He died at his residence, 2 Manchester Square, on June 5, 1885, and was buried at Kensal Green on the 11th. (Dict. of Nat. Biog., etc.)
BENEVOLI, Orazio, a celebrated contrapuntist, born at Rome in 1602, was reputed to be a natural son of Duke Albert of Lorraine. He studied under Vincenzo Ugolini[1], and commenced his professional career as Maestro di Cappella in the Church of S. Luigi de' Francesi. After a brief tenure of this post he was called into the service of the Austrian Court, and during his residence at Vienna, in the years 1643–45, he published several collections of motets and offertories, but his best works were produced after his return to Rome. Here he resumed his former office in S. Luigi de' Francesi, but held it only for a few weeks. On Feb. 23, 1646, he was transferred to S. Maria Maggiore, and on Nov. 7 of the same year he succeeded Mazzocchi as maestro di cappella at the Vatican. This appointment he retained, in high repute both as a teacher and a composer, until his death on June 17, 1672. He was buried in the Church del Santo Spirito in Sassia. One of his best pupils was Bernabei.
Benevoli's chief merit as a composer was the skill with which he handled a large assemblage of voices in separate parts. Masses, psalms, motets and anthems of his for 12, 16, 24, and 48 voices, in 4, 5, 6, 8, and even 12 distinct choirs, are quoted by Baini, Santini, Burney, Fétis and others. Burney (in his History of Music, ii. 474) specially praises a mass a sei cori which was in his own possession; and Fétis cites a mass for 48 voices in 12 choirs[2] as a feat never excelled, and only twice equalled, viz. by J. B. Giansetti and G. Ballabene. Specimens of Benevoli's works will also be found in the contrapuntal treatises of Padre Martini, Padre Paolucci, and Fétis, who are of one mind in regarding him as an admirable model to study in writing for a large number of voices. But, excepting this particular kind of skill and ingenuity, Benevoli's music has no real artistic value. His fugues are rarely developed, for after a few bars thy break off, and though his harmony obviously imitates Palestrina's, it falls far short of the same level of excellence in respect of simplicity and grandeur. Many of Benevoli's works, both in print and in manuscript, are extant, and are preserved in the Basilica of the Vatican, in the Casa Corsini alla Lungara, in Sir Frederick Ouseley's library, and in the British Museum. Some will be found also in the collections published by Teschner, Rochlitz, and Prince de la Moskowa.
BENINCORI. Add day of birth, Mar. 28.
BENNETT, Joseph, critic and littérateur; born at Berkeley, Gloucestershire, in Nov. 1831. Author of the librettos of the 'Good Shepherd' ( J. F. Barnett), the 'Rose of Sharon' and 'Story of Sayid' (Mackenzie), the 'Golden Legend' (Sullivan), 'Ruth' (Cowen), and 'The Garden of Olivet' (Bottesini). Mr. Bennett furnishes the analyses for the programme-books of the Philharmonic Society and the Monday and Saturday Popular Concerts. His account of the origin of the latter was published[3] a propos of the thousandth concert, April 4, 1887. Mr. Bennett has published 'Letters from Bayreuth' (1877), originally contributed to the 'Daily Telegraph'; his articles on 'The Great Composers, sketched by themselves' began in the 'Musical Times,' Sept. 1877, and are still in progress there, while some of them are republished as 'Primers of Musical Biography' (Novello). Mr. Bennett edited 'Concordia' during its too-short existence,[4] and among his valuable contributions is a 'Comparison of the original and revised Scores of Elijah,' which, after the death of 'Concordia,' was completed in the 'Musical Times.' It is however as the musical reporter of the 'Daily Telegraph' that Mr. Bennett exercises the greatest influence.
BENNETT, Sir W. S. Page 225 b. Reference should be made to his attempt to obtain the professorship at Edinburgh, an account of which is found in vol. ii. 283. Line 22 from the bottom of the same column, for 1857 read 1867. (Corrected in late editions.)
BENNETT, Thomas. The date of his birth is probably 1784, if the inscription on his tombstone may be trusted.
BENOIST, François, born Sept. 10 at Nantes, entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1811, under Adam and Catel, and gained the Prix de Rome in 1815 for his 'Œnone.' On his return from Italy in 1819 he was appointed first organist at the Court, and soon afterwards professor of the organ in the Conservatoire. In 1840 he became Chef du Chant at the Opera. He died in May 1878. His works include a three-part Mass, the
- ↑ Martini, Burney, Bertini, Orloff, and others, speak of Benevoli as the pupil of Bernadino Nanini; but Liberati, doubtless writing with accurate knowledge, says in his Lettera ad Ottav. Penapegi, pp. 58, 59, 'the other renowned pupil and favourite of B. Nanini was Vincenzo Ugolini, a great master in the art of teaching … as many of his pupils have shown, especially Benevoli … who excelled his master and all others living in writing for four or even six choirs in four parts each …'
- ↑ This Mass was sung at Rome, in S. Maria sopra Minerva, by 150 professors, on August 4, 1650; and the expense of the performance was borne by a notary, Dominique Fonthia by name.
- ↑ 'A Story of Ten Hundred Concerts. Feb 14, 1859–April 4, 1887.'
- ↑ Novello, May 1, 1875, to April 22, 1876.
