DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

LOHEKGRIN LOLLI 767
OPEHAa
Giunio Bnito. (Score at MUnat^r. Bibl, Santini.)
II Govtruatore. (Score at Myiister. Bibl. Santliii.)
L" Iiiganno per inganno, Naples, 17:18 {libretto, Naple.t R.C.M.).
L" loganno felice, N.aples, 1739 (libretto, Naples R.C.M.).
La Ciotiiiaetella correvata. Naples, 1744 (libretto, Naples R.C.M.).
Kevived lui 11 Cieisbeo, Naples, 1751 (libretto, Naples It.C.M.).
II Leaudro, Naples, 1744 (libretto, Naples E.C.M.).
(Fipale to Act I. Pare che Bonto mpietto at Cambridge, Fitzwitliaiii
Museuiiil, libretto, Naples R.C.M.
Le Zite, Naples, 1745 (libretto, Naples R.C.M.),
Dun Pad\iaiio, Naples, 1745 (libretto, Naples R.C.M.].
I.e Uriselda, Naplc*, 17S2 (libretto, Naples R.C.M. I.
Le Flute Maj;ie, Naples, 1756 (libretto, Naples R.C.M.).
OrERAS partly composed by Logroscino
Le Cliiajese Canttrine, Naples, n.d. (libretto, Naples R.C.M.
' L' iiiTiamorato balordo, Naples, n.d. tlibretto. Naples R.C.M.
La Rusnionda, Naples, 1755 (libretto, Naples R.C.M.).
1m Furba Bnrlatii, Naples, 1760 (libretto, Naples R.C.M.).
A single act from an anonymous Neapolitan comic opera in Brit.
Mus. Add. MS. 14,iiy5, is probably by Logroscino, but does not
correspond with any of the above-mentioned libretti.
Tlie names of a few more are mentioned by
Florimo. A few airs and concerted pieces from
not yet identified operas are to be found in tlie
British Museum, Naples R.C.M., Milan Con-
servatorio, and Montecassino. e. j. d.
LOHENGRIN. A romantic drama in three
acts ; words and music by Richard Wagner,
Composed in 1847, and produced at Weimar,
under the direction of Liszt, August 1850 ; in
London, in Italian, at Covent Garden, May 8,
1875 ; in English, Carl Rosa Company, Her
Majesty's Theatre, Jan, 18S0 ; and in German,
Drury Lane, May 1882. G.
LOHET, Simon, was appointed organist to
the Court of Wiirtemberg at Stuttgart, in 1571,
and liis name is mentioned up to 1611. Woltz
in his Organ Tahulalur-Buch of 1617, inserts
twenty-four pieces by Lohet, with some commendatory
words in inemoriam (see Ritter,
Geschkhte des Orr/elspielSjT.SSi, -p- 109). Twenty
of these pieces are called Fugues, though they
are not developed Fugues in the modern sense,
tlie subjects being very short, and tlie answer
coming in before the subject itself is completed,
Tliese Fu.gues are followed by a Canzona, and
two Choral -bearbeitungen, one on the Plain-
vita in morte
song melody of the ' Media
sumus, ' with the melody in the bass throughout.
Ritter has high words of praise for Lohet's
pieces, and gives four specimens (Nos. 6S-71 in
his book), two Fugues, the Canzona, and the
' Media vita ' pieces. The first of these Fugues
has tlie familiar theme of the E major Fugue
in the Second Part of the ' Wohltemperirtes
Clavier.' Of the ' Media
vita' piece Ritter says
it alone would suffice to justify for Lohet a
high place among the best masters of organ
music. ' In feeling so deep, in expression true
and touching, it is a perfect piece from the old
time, and therefore for all times ' (Ritter, p.
110). J- R- "•
LOLLI, Antonio, a celebrated violinist, horn
at Bergamo between 1728 and 1733. If it cannot
be doubted that he was a most extraordinary
performer, he appears certainly also to have
been the type of an unmusical, empty-headed
virtuoso, and in addition a complete fool.
Hardly anything is known of the earlier part
of his life and career. It is, however, generally
assumed that he was almost entirely self-taught.
We know for certain that he was at Stuttgart.
in 1762 with Nardini, There he remained, attached
to the court of the Duke of Wiirtemberg,
till 1773, wlicn lie went to St, Petersburg,
where he is said to have enjoyed the special
favour of the Empress Catherine II. He remained
in her service till 1778. In 1779 he
came to Paris, and played with great success at
the Concert Spirituel. After this he went to
Spain, and in 1785 we find him in London,
where, however, according to Burney, he appeared
but seldom in public. He continued to
travel, and we read of his appearance now at
Palermo, now at Copenhagen ; then again at
Vienna or Naples. He died in Sicily in 1802.
According to all contemporaneous testimony
LoUi was an extraordinary performer, but an
inditferent musician. Schubart, tlie well-known
German poet and musician, who had many
opportunities of hearing both him and Nardini,
speaks with unmeasured praise of LoUi's feats
of execution, the wonderful ease and absolute
certainty with which he played the most difficult
double stops, octaves, tentlis, double-shakes in
thirds and sixths, harmonics, etc. As to his
having been a bad musician, or rather no musician
at all, the testimonies are equally unanimous.
The Abbti Bertiiii plainly states that Lolli
could not keep time, could not read even easy
music, and was unable to play an Adagio properly.
On one occasion, when asked to play an
Adagio, he said :
' I am a native of Bergamo ; we
are all born fools at Bergamo,—how should I
play a serious piece?' When in England, he
almost broke down in a Quartet of Haydn which
the Prince of Wales had asked him to play.
If, with all these drawbacks as a musician, henevertheless
created, wherever he played, an immense
sensation, we are all the more compelled
to believe that his powers of execution were of
the most exceptional kind.
He is described as a handsome man, but a
great dandy and charlatan, very extravagant,
and a gambler. The Emperor Joseph II., himself
a very fair musician, habitually called him
'muddle-headed Lolli' (der Faselhans). Burney
(Hist. iv. 680) writes that 'owing to the eccentricity
of his style of composition and execution,
he was regarded as a madman by most of the
audience. In his freaks nothing can be imagined
so wild, difficult, grotesque, and even
ridiculous as his compositions and performance.'
True, Burney adds, ' I am convinced that in his
lucid intervals he was in a serious style a very
great, expressive, and admirable performer,' but
it appears doubtful whetlier Bui'uey ever heard
him in a 'lucid interval,' and therefore his
'conviction' is gratuitous.
His compositions (Concertos and Sonatas for
the violin), poor and insipid as they are, yet
are said to have been his own productions in a
limited sense only. We are assured that he