Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 08.djvu/66

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NEUMANN


NEVADA


attend the first Wagner festival as correspond- ent of the New York Staats-Zeitung. In 1877 he conducted the Wagner festival in New York city, wlien "The Flying Dutchman," " Tann- hauser" and "Lohengrin" were performed: also the " Walkyre," for the first time in the United States. He was elected conductor of the Philharmonic Society of New York in 1878, as successor to Theodore Thomas. He inaugurated popular promenade concerts at Boston music hall, whicli he successfully can-ied on for five seasons, 1880-85. He conducted the summer concerts at the Central Park Garden, New York, in 1886, and introduced Josef Hofman, the boy pianist. He was conductor of an English opera company, 1889- 97, in a tour over the United States and Mexico, producing the Wagner operas. He composed two symphonies; a number of overtures and can- tatas; four operas: Der Minstrel {\87d); The Rat Catcher of Hamclin (1880); Don Quixote (1883); Waldnieister's Brautfahrt (1887); a mass, and many songs and quartettes for male and female voices. He married a singer whose stage name was Georgine Von Januschowski, who survived him. He died in New York city, Dec. 4, 1897.

NEUMANN,. John Nepomucene, R. C. bishop, was born at Pracluititz, Bohemia. Austria, March 28, 1811; son of Philip and Agnes (Lebis) Neu- mann. He attended the college and the theological seminary at Budweis, 1823-33, and the seminary at Prague, 1833-35. He was ordained priest, June 25, 1836, by Bishop Dubois in St. Patrick's cathe- dral. New York city. He was missionary to the district of Niagara Falls with headquarters at Williamsville, 1836-40, and built a church in that vicinity. He studied medicine and gathered to- gether a large collection of botanical specimens, which he sent to the museum at Munich. He entered the order of the Redemptorists at Pitts- burg, Pa., Oct. 18, 1840, and on Jan. 10, 1842, made liis profession in St. James's church, Baltimore, Md., the first profession in the order made in the United States. He was attached to the church of St. James in Baltimore for which he did missionary work in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, 1843-44. On March 5, 1844. he was appointed superior of the Redemptorist convent at Pittsburgh, built the church of St. Philomena and commenced a new pastoral residence to serve as a convent for the fathers as well as for a novitiate. He was appointed vice-provincial by Father de Held of Belgia. Dec. 15, 1840, and in this capacity organized and maintained schools, asylums and benevolent and religious societies _ and also established churches in various cities. He retired from office in 1849, was made consultor to the Provincial that succeeded him and served as pastor of St. Alphonsus' church, Baltimore, in 1851. He was appointed bishop of Philadel-


phia in 1851, by command of Pius IX., and was consecrated at Baltimore on Passion Sunday, March 28, 1853, by Arclibishop Francis Patrick Kenrick, assisted by Bishop O'Reilly of Hart- ford, and Rev. Francis L'Homme. He attended the first plenary council in Baltimore in 1852. During the first five years of his episcopacy he established over fifty new churches and paro- chial schools, St. Joseph's college in Susquelianna county, St. Vincent's home for orphans, a Ger- man hosjiital, various academies and industrial schools for girls and a preparatory seminary for theological students. He visited Rome in 1854 to take part in the deliberations on the Im- maculate Conception of the Virgin Mary; paid


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a visit to his home and in 1858 opened the new cathedral. He wrote a Bible history and manuals for devotions. See " Life of The Right Reverend John Neumann, D.D.", by Rev. Eugene Grimm, C.SS.R., from German of Rev. John A. Berger, C.SS.R. (1884). During 1886-88, the preparatory process of his beatification was instituted at Phil- adelphia. He was declared ' ' Venerable " by the authorities of Rome, Dec. 15, 1896. In October, 1897, the "Apostolic Process "of his beatifica- tion and canonization was begun in Philadelphia; and the final preliminarj^ act, tliatof opening his tomb by a special ecclesiastical court, was made April 22, 1902, in order to identify his body and report to Rome. He died in Philadelphia, Pa , Jan. 5, 1860.

NEVADA, Emma, prima donna, was born in Austin, Nev., in 1861; daughter of Dr. Wixon. She was educated in Mills seminary at Oakland, Cal., and early evinced musical talent. She re- turned to Austin, Nev., and received a prepara- tory training in vocal and instrumental music there and in San Francisco. In 1877 she went to Europe, where she studied under Marches! until 1880. She adopted Emma Nevada as a stage name, and made her debut in the Italian opera "La Sonnambula" in London, England, in 1880, in the Mapleson opera company, gaining imme- diate recognition. She sang with pronounced