Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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114 ROBINSON ROCHLITZ
which was on a, large scale, and included a new concert in Paris, attheSalle Erard(Feb. 4, 1864).
cantata by Sir Robert Stewart. In 1853, an International
Exhibition was opened in Dublin graceful. Her sacred cantata, ' God is Love, '
Her pianoforte compositions are numerous and
was
;
there he assembled 1000 performers, the largest
band and chorus yet brought together in Ireland.
repeatedly performed throughout the kingdom.
On Oct. 31, 1879, she metasudden and tragic
In 1856 efforts were made to revive the end, which caused profound regret. H. m'c. d. ;
'
Irish Academy of Music,' founded in 1848, but with additions from £rit. Mm. Biog., Musical
languishing for want of funds and pupils. (See Times, Sept. 1898, p. 609, and from W. H.
Royal Irish Academy.) Mr. and Mrs. Robinson
Grattan Flood, Esq. [See also an article by Sir
joined as Professors, and nearly all the Irish
artists, both vocal and instrumental, who appeared
C. V. Stanford in Cornhill Jfofliasi7i«, Junel899.]
ROBINSON, Thomas, was author of a curious
during their time, owed both ' training work published at London in folio in 1603, bear-
and success to their teaching ; and when, after ing the following title The Schoole ofMusieke
twenty years, Mr. Robinson resigned, the institution
wherein is taught the perfect method of the true
was one of importance and stability. In fingering of the Lute, Pandora, Orpharion and
1859, for the Handel Centenary, he gave the Viol de Gamba. In 1609 he published 'New
Messiah,' with Jenny Lind and Belletti among Citharen Lessons.' Nothing is known of his
'
the principals. The net receipts amounted to biography.
w. H. H.
'
£900, an unprecedented sum in Dublin. In ROBSON, Joseph, organ - builder. See
1865 the large Exhibition Palace was opened by Apollonioon, vol. i. p. 95, and Flight, vol.
the Prince of Wales, and Robinson conducted the ii. 61.
performance with a band and chorus of 700.
p.
ROCHE, Edmond, born at Calais, Feb. 20,
After the cessation of the ' Antients,' there was
no Society to attempt systematically the worthy
1828, died at Paris, Dec. 16, 1861, began life as
a violin-player, first as Habeneck's pupil at the
production of great works. To remedy this a Conservatoire, but quickly relinquished music
chorus was trained by Robinson, and established for literature. Roche undertook the translation
in 1876 as the 'Dublin Musical Society.' The of the libretto of 'Tannhauser' for its representation
last concert conducted by Robinson was on Dec.
at the Op&a, March 13, 1861, and in a
6, 1888, previous to which the memberspresented preface to his Poesies posthum^s (Paris, L^vy,
him with -an address and a purse of 100 1863) M. Sardou has described the terrible persistence
sovereigns. The purse was returned by him
with which Wagner kept his translator
with warm expressions of gratitude, but with to his task. (See Pougin's supplement to
the characteristic words, While '
I think a professional
F^tis.) In Jullien's Richard Wagner, 1887,
man should expect his fair remunera-
the facts of the case were made public ; it seems
tion, yet his chief object may be something that Roche, not knowing German, had recourse
higher and nobler—the advancement of art in to the services of a friend named Lindau, and
the translation, when sent to the director of the
Opera, was rejected, as it was in blank verse ; the
necessary alteration into rhyme was made by
his native city.' The Society was revived in
1889, under the conductorship of Dr. Joseph
Smith, but collapsed after some years. He wrote
a variety of songs, concerted pieces and anthems,
besides arranging a number of standard songs
and Irish melodies. In 1881 he married for
the second time ; he died August 23, 1898.
In 1849 a young pianist, Miss Fanny Akthuk
(born Sept. 1831), arrived in Dublin from
Southampton, and made her first successful appearance
there^Feb. 19, 1849. She had studied
under Sterndale Bennett and Thalberg. Mr.
Robinson and she were married July 17 following,
and she continued for thirty years to be
an extraordinary favourite. Her first appearance
in London was at the Musical Union,
June 26, 1855, when she played Beethoven's
Sonata in F (op. 24), with Ernst, and received
the praises of Meyerbeer ; also at the New
Philharmonic in 1856, where she played Mendelssohn's
Concerto in D.
Mrs. Robinson also passed a very active musical
life, though it was often interrupted by
nervous illness. In teaching she had a peculiar
power of infusing her own ideas into others.
She played from time to time at concerts of a
high class, and herself gave a very successful
Roche, Nuitter, and Wagner in collaboration.
On this Lindau brought an action against
Wagner, to enforce the mention of his name as
one of the translators ; the case was heard on
March 6 , 1 8 6 1 , a week before the first representation
of the opera, and it was decided that no
name but that of Wagner should appear in the
books. So that Roche had not even the satisfaction
of seeing his name in print, in connection
with the work, for even Lajarte {BiU. Mus. de
I'Opera, ii. 230) gives Nuitter as the author of
the French words. Besides the poems contained
in the volume cited, Roche contributed critical
articles to several small periodicals. m.
ROCHLITZ, JoHANN Friedrich, critic,
and founder of the Allgemeine musikalische
Zeitung, born of poor parents at Leipzig,
Feb. 12, 1769. His fine voice procured his
admission at thirteen to the Thomasschule,
under the Cantorship of Doles, where he spent
six years and a half. He began to study
theology in the University, but want of means
compelled him to leave and take a tutorship,
which he supplemented by writing. [For the