Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 03.djvu/51

---

violinist, his father died. This was in 1823, at about the same time an eccentric relation of his mother's, who had amassed a fortune in the West Indies, offered to adopt young Balfe if he would go out to live with him. But the boy would not forsake his profession, and determined to try his fortune in London. Charles Edward Horn, the singer, happened at that time to be fulfilling an engagement in Dublin, and to him Balfe went, emboldened by the praise he had bestowed on a song of the young Irishman's, with a request to be taken to London as an articled pupil. Horn recognised Balfe's genius, and the result was that articles were signed for a period of seven years. Balfe accompanied his new master to London, where he arrived in January 1823. After an unsuccessful début at the Oratorio concerts on 19 March 1823, he recognised the necessity of further study. Accordingly the next few years were spent under the tuition of C. E. Horn and his father, Carl Friedrich — a thoroughly sound musician, who was then organist of St. George's Chapel at Windsor. Meanwhile the young composer supported himself and assisted his mother by his earnings as a violinist in the orchestras of Drury Lane Theatre and the oratorio concerts. When he was about eighteen, finding that his voice was developing the pure quality for which it was afterwards so remarkable, he was induced to try his fortune on the operatic stage, and appeared at the Norwich Theatre as Caspar in a garbled version of Weber's 'Der Freischütz.' Fortunately for the cause of music, this experiment was a decided failure, and Balfe returned to London, where better luck awaited him. His geniality and talent had already made him many friends, and at a dinner at the house of one of them, a Mr. Heath, he met a Count Mazzara, who was so struck by the resemblance between Balfe and an only son whom he had recently lost that he offered to take the young musician with him to Italy. The count was not only a liberal patron but also a wise adviser, for on their way to Home he introduced Balfe to Cherubini, who was so much struck by his talent that he wished him to remain and study in Paris. But Balfe preferred to continue his journey to Italy, though he parted with the stern master on the best of terms, Cherubini making him promise that if he had ever need of them he might demand his services on the plea of 'friendship based on admiration.' At Rome Balfe lived for several months with Count Mazzara. But little is known of his career there, save that he studied in a somewhat desultory manner under the composer Paer. In 1826 his patron returned to England, but previous to his departure he sent Balfe to Milan, where he studied singing and composition with Galli and Federici. Here he was introduced to the manager of the Scala, an Englishman named Glossop, who commissioned him to write the music for a ballet, 'La Pérouse.' This work achieved remarkable success, and Glossop was induced to engage Balfe as a singer. Unfortunately, before the day arrived for his first appearance, the management of the theatre was changed, and the young musician had once more to find a fresh field for his talents. He returned to Paris, went to see Cherubini, and here again fortune befriended him. The Italian maestro introduced him to Rossini, who, it is said, was so charmed by his singing of the air from the 'Barbiere,' 'Largo al factotum,' as to promise him an engagement at the Italian Opera, provided he would study under Bordogni for a year previous to his début. The necessary funds were provided by a friend of Cherubini's, and the Florentine composer himself superintended Balfe's studies. Under these favourable auspices he appeared in 1827 at the Theatre des Italiens, as Figaro in Rossini's 'Barbiere,' the other characters being sung by Graziani, Levasseur, Bordogni, Madame Sontag, and Mdlle. Amigo. His success was so great that he was engaged for three years at a salary of 15,000 francs for the first year, 20,000 for the second, and 25,000 for the third. Balfe's voice was a baritone, of more sweetness of quality than stregth, but his singing was always distinguished for purity of delivery and power of expression. During his engagement at Paris, Balfe did little or nothing to increase his reputation as a composer. He wrote some additional music for a revival of Zingarelli's 'Romeo e Giulietta,' and began an opera on the subject of Chateaubriand's 'Atala, but before the end of his engagement his health broke down, and he was obliged to return to Italy. At Milan he obtained an engagement as leading baritone at Palermo, but on his way there he stopped some time at Bologna, where he met Grisi, who sang in an occasional cantata he wrote at the time. He appeared at Palermo in Bellini's 'La Straniera' on 1 Jan. 1830. In the course of his engagement he wrote and produced his first opera, 'I Rivali di se stessi,' a little work without chorus, which was written in the short space of twenty days. On the termination of his engagement at Palermo, Balfe sang at Piacenza and Bergamo; at the latter place he first met his future wife. Mile. Lina Rosa, an Hungarian singer of great talent and beauty,