DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

JONCIERES JONES 543
out in Brussels in 1874 ; 'La bonne Aventure
' in 1882, and Le premier baiser' in 1883.
M. Jonas was professor of Solfege at the
Conservatoire from 1847 to 1866, and professor
of Harmony for military bands from 1859 to
1870. He was director of the music at the
Portuguese synagogue, in connection with which
he published in 1854 a collection of Hebrew
tunes. He was also bandmaster of one of the
legions of the Garde Nationale, and after the
Exhibition of 1867 he organised the competi-
tions of military bands at the Palais de I'ln-
dustrie, whereby he obtained many foreign
decorations. He died at Saint-Germain, May
22, 1905. G.
JOXCIERES, VicTOKiN DE, the adopted
name of Felix Luhger Rossigsol, born in
Paris, April 12, 1839. The name by which he
is known was adopted by his father, a journalist
and advocate of the Cour d'Ajipel, who, under
the Empire, was one of the principal contribu-
tors to the ' Patrie ' and tlie ' Constitutionnel.
Vietorin began by studying painting ; but by
way of amusement he composed a little operacomique
adapted by a friend from Moliere's
'Sicilien,' which was performed by students of
the Conservatoire at the Salle Lyrique in 1859.
A critic who was present advised the composer
to give up painting for music, and accordingly
Joncieres began to study harmony with Elwart.
He entered Leborne's counterpoint class at the
Conservatoire, but left it suddenly on account
of a disagreement with his master concerning
AVagner, who had just given his first concert in
Paris. From this time he studied independently
of the Conservatoire. At the Concerts Musard
he produced an overture, a march, and various
orchestral compositions ; he also wrote music to
'Hamlet, 'produced by Dumas and Paul Meurice.
A performance of this work was given as a
concert at his own expense in May 1863, and
a representation was given at Nantes on Sept.
21, 1867, under his direction, Avith Mme.
Judith of the Comedie Franeaise in the
principal part. The play was produced in
Paris at the Gaite later in the following year,
but for a performance of ' Hamlet ' at the
Franc^ais, Joncieres's music was rejected by M.
Perrin. On Feb. 8, 1867, Joncieres made his
real debut as a dramatic composer at the
Theatre Lyrique, with a grand opera, ' Sar-
danapale,' which was only partially successful.
In spite of this comparative failure, Carvalho
was persuaded to piroduce a second grand opera,
' Le dernier jour de Pompei ' (Sept. 21, 1869),
which was harshly received by the public.
Shortly afterwards a violin concerto was played
by his friend Danbe at the Concerts of the
Conservatoire (Dec. 12, 1869). The Lyrique
having come to an end after the war, Joncieres's
dramatic career ceased for a long time, as he
would not write for the Opera Comique, and
could not gain admittance to the (irand Opera.
He "wrote a Symphonic Romantique (Concert
National, March 9, 1873), and various other
I)ieces were produced at the concerts conducted
by Danbe at the Grand Hotel. At length, on
Slay 5, 1876, he succeeded in producing his
grand opera 'Dimitri,' for the opening of the
new Theatre Lyrique at the Gaite, under the
direction of Vizentini ; and the work, although
it did not attract the public, showed that the
composer possessed a strong dramatic instinct,
inspiration of some power, if little originality,
and an effective style of orchestration. The
opera was such a remarkable advance upon his
earlier productions that hopes were formed
which were not realised either by his ' Reine
Berthe ' (Dec. 27, 1878), given four times at
the Opera, nor by his ' Chevalier Jean ' 'La
(Opera
Comique, March 11, 1885), which succeeded in
Germany, though it had failed in Paris.
Besides these dramatic works Joncieres had
written numerous compositions for the concert-room
; 'Serenade Hongroise, '
Mer,
a symphonic ode for mezzo-soprano, chorus, and
orchestra, * Les Nubiennes, ' orchestral suite, a.
Slavonic march, a Chinese chorus, etc. His.
works, of which ' Dimitri ' is by far the best,
have the merit of being carefully orchestrated,
and his vocal writing is marked by a just sense
of the laws of prosody. As a critic— for from
1871 he was musical critic to 'La Liberte,'
and contributed to it theatrical notices, etc.
underthe pseudonym of ' Jennius'—hisopinions,
like his music, are wanting in balance and unity,
and have considerably injured his musical
standing. In February 1877 M. Joncieres
received the cross of the Legion d'honneur.
He died Oct. 26, 1903. A. J.
JONES, Edward, was horn at a farm-house
called Henblas, i.e. Old Mansion,—Llander-
fel, Merionethshire, on Easter Day, April 2,
1752. His father taught him and another son
to play on the Welsh harp, and other sons on
bowed instruments, so that the family formed a
complete string band. Edward soon attained
to great proficiency on his instrument. About
1775 he came to London, and in 1783 was
appointed bard to the Prince of "Wales. In
1786 he ]niWished Musical and Poetical Eelicks
of the IVelsli Bards, with a General History of
the Bards emd Druids, and a Dissertation on
the Musical Instruments of the Aboriginal
Britons ; a work of learning and research.
Another edition appeared in 1794, and in 1802
a second volume of the work was issued under
the title of The Bardic Museum. Jones had
prepared a third volume, a portion only of
which was published at his death, the remainder
being issued subsequently. The three volumes
together contain 225 Welsh airs. Besides this,
he compiled and edited
'Lyric Airs; cpnsi'iting of Sr-ecimens of Greek, Alhnuian, Walachiiin,
Turkish, Arabi;ni, Persian, Chinese, iiii'l liluorish National
Songs; with ... a few Expljuiatoiy Notes on the Figures and