DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

754 LITOLFF LIVERPOOL MUSICAL FESTIVALS
The difficulties we have pointed out with re-
gard to these two responses apply, with searcely
diminished force, to all the rest ;
and, the more
closely we investigate the internal evidence
afforded by tlie double text, the more certainly
shall we be driven to the only conclusion deducible
from it : namely, that Tallis has left us
two Litanies, one for four voices, and the other
for five, both founded on the same Plain-song,
and both harmonised on the same basses, though
developed, in other respects, in accordance with
the promptings of two totally distinct ideas.
The four-part Litany has never, we believe,
been published in a separate form. The best
edition of that in five parts is, undoubtedly.
Dr. Boyce's ; though Messrs. Oliphant, and .John
Bishop, have done good service, in tlieir respective
reprints, by adapting, to the music of the Preces,
tliose 'latter Suffrages,' which, having no place
in the First Prayer-Book of King Edward VI.,
were not set by any of the old composers. Some
later editions, in which an attempt has been
made at ' restoration, ' have, it is to be feared,
only resulted in depraving the original text to a
degree previously unknown. w. s. R.
[In recent years tlie ancient Sarum Plain-song
of the Litany has been reproduced and set to the
words of the English Litany ; this is far richer
than Cranmer's form. w. H. r.]
LITOLFF, Henry Charles, was born in
London, Feb. 6, 1818. His father, a French
Alsatian soldier taken prisoner by the English
in the Peninsular War, had settled in London as
a violinist after the declaration of peace, and had
married an Englishwoman. In the beginning of
the year 1831 Henry Litolff was brought by his
father to Moscheles, who on hearing the boy play
the piano, was so much struck by his unusual
talent, that he offered to take him gratis as a
pupil ; and under his generous care Litolff studied
for several years. He made his first appearance
(or one of his first) at Covent Garden Theatre,
July24,1832, as ' a pupil of Moscheles, 12 years
of age.' In his 17 th year a marriageof which the
parents disapproved obliged him to leave England
and settle for a time in France. For several years
after this event Litolff led a wandering life, and
during this period he visited Paris, Brussels,
Leipzig, Prague, Dresden, Berlin, and Amsterdam,
giving in these towns a series of very successful
concerts. In 1851 he went to Brunswick,
and undertook there tlie business of the nmsicpublisher
Meyer, marrying, as his second wife,
the widow of the owner. In 1860 he transferred
this business to his adopted son, Theodor
Litolff, and he, in 1 861, started the well-known
'Collection Litolff,' as a cheap and accurate
edition of classical music, which was among
the earliest of the many series of similar size
and aim now existing. It opened with the
sonatas of Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn (vols,
i. -iv. ). Henry Litolff himself went to Paris.
His third wife was a Comtesse de Larochefou-
cauld. His opera, 'Les Templiers,' was produced
at Brussels in Jan. 1886. Litolff died August
6, 1891, at Bois le Combes, near Paris.
As a pianist Litolff s rank is high ; fire, passion,
and brilliancy of execution were combined with
thought and taste in his playing. Had it been
also correct, it would have reached the highest
excellence. In his works, however, there is great
inequality ; beautiful and poetic ideas are often
marred by repetition and a want of order, and
knowing what the author's true capacity is, the
result is a feeling of disappointment. About
115 of his works, including several operas, a
violin concerto, a short oratorio, ' Ruth et
Boaz ' (1869), and much chamber music have
been published. Among tlie best of them may
be reckoned some of his pianoforte pieces, such
as the well-known 'Spinnlied, ' a few of his
overtures and his symphony-concertos, especially
Nos. 3, 4, and 5 ; the latter are remarkable for
their wealth of original ideas in harmony,
melody, and rhythm, and for their beautiful
instrumentation (see Berlioz's Les Musiciens,
p. 303). A. H. w.
LITUUS. A Roman instrument used by
the cavalry, and answering to the ' cavalry
trumpet ' of modern armies. It was cylindrical
in bore with an expanding bell-mouth, and was
turned back upon itself only at the bell-end,
so that its general form was that of a crooked
staif, or the letter J . The pitch of one discovered
in 1827 at Cervetri, and now preserved
in the palace of the Vatican at Rome is g, an
octave higher than the Buccina (g.i'.), andamajor
third higher than the modern cavalry trumpet
of the British army, which is in e'o. D. j. E.
LIVERPOOL MUSICAL FESTIVALS.
These have not taken place with regmlarity.
The first was held in 1784, the next in 1790,
and the next in 1799. They were then suspended
till 1823, 1830, and 1836 (Oct. 4-7,
Sir G. Smart conductor), when Mendelssohn's
' St. Paul ' was performed for the second time,
and for the first time in England. Up to this
date the concerts had been held in churches,
but the next Festival took place at the Philharmonic
Hall in 1874 (Sept. 29^0ct. 1)— conductor
Sir Julius Benedict. The St. George's
Hall, containing rooms available for music,
was opened in September 1854.
The Philharmonic Society was founded Jan.
10, 1840, and opened its hall August 27, 1849.
There are twelve concerts every year, six before
and six after Christmas. Sir Julius Benedict
succeeded Mr. Alfred Mellon as conductor April
9, 1867. [He was succeeded as conductor of
the Philharmonic Society in 1880 by Max
Bruch, and he by Sir Charles Halle in 1882 ;
after his death Dr. F. H. Cowen was appointed,
and has held the post from 1896 to the present
time. No festival has taken place since 1874.]
The Liverpool Musical Society, which formerly
gave oratorio concerts in St. George's Hall, has