DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

ISABELLA ISOUARD 513
scene of the Last Supper. Wlietlier Isaac
actually composed the melody, or only wrote
the other parts to it, is doubtful, but it is remarkable
that here, as in others of his works,
the melody appears in the up)per part, which
was quite unusual in such compositions. It is
in these Lieder that he shows his nationality.
In them we have the music which the comiioser
brought with him from his home, the trace of
which is not lost in his greater comjjositions,
but blending itself with the new influences of
an adopted country, and of Netherland companions,
gives to his music a threefold character,
' a cosmopolitan trait ' not to be found in the
works of any other composer of the time(Anibros,
iii. 3S2). J. E. .s.-E.
ISABELLA. [See Gieakdeau.]
ISHAJI (occasionally spelt ISUM), John,
3Ius.B. [horn about 16S0, and educated at
Merton College, Oxford (Bid. of Kat. Biuij. )],
was for some years deputy -organist for Dr.
Croft. On Jan. 22, 1711, he was elected organ-
ist of St. Anne's, Soho, on Croft's resignation.
Ou July 17, 1713, he graduated as Bachelor of
Music at Oxford, and on April 3, 171S, was
elected organist of St. Andrew's, Holborn, with
a stipend of £50 per annum, upon which he
resigned his place at St. Anne's, the vestry
objecting to his holding both appointments.
Shortly afterwards he was chosen organist of St.
JIargaret's, "Westminster. He composed some
authems, two of which are in Croft's Divine
Harmony, and joined with "William Morley in
publishing a joint-collection of songs, Isham's
two-part song in which, ' Bury delights my
roving eye,' was very popular in its day, and is
reprinted by Hawkins in his History, ii. 799 (ed.
1853). He died in June 1726, and was buried
on the 12th of that mouth in St. Margaret's
church. w. H. h.
ISOUAED, or ISOARD, Xicolo, usually
known as NicoLO, born Dec. 6, 1775, at Malta,
where his father was a merchant and secretary
of the ' Massa Frumentaria, ' or government
storehouses. He was taken to Paris as a boy,
and educated at the Institution Berthaud, a
preparatory school for theengineers and artillery.
Much of his time was taken up with the study
of the pianoforte under Pin, but he passed a
good examination for the na^'y. He was, however,
recalled before receiving his commission,
and on his return to Malta in 1790 was placed
in a merchant's oSice. His pianoforte-playing
made him welcome in society ; and encouraged
by this he went through a course of harmony
with "\'el!a and Azzopardi, and with Amendola
of Palermo—where he passed several years as
clerk to a merchant— and completed his studies
under Sala and Guglielmi at !N"aples, where he
was employed by a German banking firm. He
now determined to become a composer, and abandoning
commerce, much against his father's \vish,
produced his first opera, ' L' avviso ai Maritati,'
VOL. II
at Florence in 1795. After this date he called
himself simplj'Kicolo, in order not to compromise
his family, and it was under this name that he
made his reputation. From Florence he went
to Leghorn, and composed 'Artaserse, ' an
opera seria, which procured him the cross of
San Donato of Malta. He succeeded Vincenzo
Anfossi as organist of St. John of Jerusalem
at Malta, and on the death of San Martino became
maitre de chapelle to the Order, retaining
both posts until the occupation of the island by
the French (June lO-lM, 1798). Duringtlic.se
early years he accpiired that iacilit)' which was
afterwards one of his most marked characteristics.
There was not a branch of composition which he
did not attempit, as a list of his works at this
date will show :—nine cantatas ;
masses, psalms,
and motets ; vocal pjieces for concerts ; and
eight or nine opieras which it is not necessary to
enumerate.
At this time he was strongly lu-ged to go to
Paris.' On his arrival he fotind a useful friend
in Rodolphe Kreutzer, and tlie two compiosed,
conjointly, Le petit Page ' (Feb.
(Feb. 14, ISOO), and
' Flaminius a ' Corinthe
28, 1801). At
the same time Delrieu re-wrote the lilu-ettos of
two of his Italian operas, which were performed
under their original titles, ' L'Impromptu de
' ' Campagne (June 30, ISOO), and Le Tonnelier
May 17, 1801). Isouard also made considerable
mark in society as a ]iianist. To his
friendship with Hoffmann and Etienne he owed
not only sound advice, but a series of librettos
upon which he was able to work with a certainty
of success. Thus favoured by circumstances,
he produced in sixteen years no less than thirtythree
operas. The following list is in exact
chronological order, which Fctis has not been
careful to observe :
' ' ' La Statue, ou la femnie avare ' l.\pril 291 ; Michel-,\nge (Dec.
11,18021; -Lea Confidences iMarch 3(1i ; Le Baiser et la Quittance
' (June 171, w-ith Mehul, Kreutzer. and Boieldieu ; Le Medecin Turc
' ' ' (Kov, 19. 13031 ; L'lntrit-ue aux fenetres (Feb. 241 ; Le Ddjeuner
' de Gari;ou3 ' (April 241 ; "Lit Ruse inutile (May 301 ; Li^once ' (Nov.
' 18. 1805); 'La Prise de Passau (Feb. 8i: 'Idala' (July 30, 1806);
' Les Eendez-vou3 bourfzeois (May 91; ' Les Cr^nciera' (Dec. 10,
18071; 'Un jour i Paris' (May '.141; 'Ciuiarosa' (June 28, 1808);
' ' ' L'lntrigue au Sc'rail ' (April 2.5, 13091 ; Cendrillon (Feb.
22, 18101
' ' La Victinie des Arts ' (Feb. 271. n-ith Soli6 and Berton ; La Fete
' ' ' du village (March 31) ; Le Billet de ioterie ' (Sept. 141 ; Le Magicien
saus Magie ' ' (Nov. 4, 18111 ; Lulli et Quinault ' (Feb. 27, 1812)
' ' Le Prince de Catane ' (March 4) ; Le Fran^-ais a Venise ' (June 14,
18131; 'Bayard i Mczif-res ' iFeb. 121. with Chembini, Catel, and
' ' Boieldieu ; Joconde ' ;Feb. 231 ; Jeannot et Colin (Oct. 17. 18141 ;
' ' ' ' Lea deux Maris (March 18) ; and L'une pour I'autre (May 11,
18161.
To this long list must be added ' Aladin, ou la
Lampe nierveilleuse,' which he did not live to
finish, but which was completed by Benincori,
and produced Feb. 6, 1822 ; [also a one-act
piece, 'Die Haasen in der Haasenheide,' mentioned
in the Quelien-Lexikon as existing in the
Munich opera-house.]
Isonard had the gift of melody, and reniark-
1 Fayolle, in his Dictionnaire dfs Jfiisicien.^. states that General
Vaubois took him to Paris as his private secretary, but a comparison
of dates will show this to have been an impossibility. General
Vaubois was in command of the French at M.alta, and with a garrison
of 4000 men maintained his position against the blockading forces
of the allies without and the Maltese thera»elves within, for two
years from 1798. Isouard. on the other hand, reached Paris with
his family in 1799. Fetis, foUowed in the QutUen-Lexikon. has
reproduced this error.
2 L