Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

'
'
118 EOECKEL KONTGEN
repertory of Drury Lane ' (Diet, of Nat. Biog.). wards. From admiration of Wagner's genius,
He was author of several farces and other Eoeckel withdrew an opera of his own, ' Farinelli,
dramatic pieces, amongst which were 'Teddy wliich had been accepted for performance at
the Tiler' (written in 1830 for Tyrone Power, Dresden. See also Praeger's Wagner as I knew
and eminently successful), ' The Chimney-Piece, him, p. 119 ff. He died at Buda-Pesth on
'The Pride of Birth," 'The Student of Lyons," June 18, 1876.
and 'My Wife's Out'; of three novels, 'Old Edward, the second son of Professor Eoeckel,
London Bridge,' Memoirs of an Umbrella,' and
'
was born at Treves on Nov. 20, 1816, and
' Woman's Love ' ; and of 'The First Eudimeuts received his musical education from his uncle
of Harmony,' 1831. He composed also two J. N. Hummel. He came to London in 1835,
collections of songs: 'Songs of the Sabbath and gave his first concert in 1836 at the King's
Eve,' and 'Songs of the Birds' (1827). He Theatre. He subsequently went on a concerttour
in Germany, and performed with great
for many years persistently advocated the
establishment of a National Opera. He married success at the courts of Prussia, Saxony, Saxethe
daughter of Listen, the comedian ; died in Weimar, Anhalt-Dessau, etc. In 1848 Eoeckel
Upper Ebury Street, Pimlioo, Jan. 22, 1852, and settled in England, and resided at Bath, where
was buried at Brompton Cemetery. w. h. h. he succeeded the late Heniy Field. He died there
EOECKEL, Pkofessok Joseph August, wsis Nov. 2, 1899. He published a considerable
born August 28, 1783, at Neumburg vorm quantity of pianoforte music.
Wald, in the Upper Palatinate. He was Joseph Leopold, theyoungest son of Professor
originally intended for the chur.oh, but in 1803 Eoeckel, was born in London, April 11, 1838.
entered the diplomatic service of the Elector He studied composition at Wiirzburg omder
of Bavaria as Private Secretary to the Bavarian Eisenhofer, and orchestration under Gotze at
Charge d' Affaires at Salzburg. On the recall Weimar. Like his brother, Mr. J. L. Eoeckel
of the Salzburg Legation in 1804, he accepted settled in England, and lives at Clifton ; he is
an engagement to sing at the Theatre ander- well known as a teacher and a voluminous
Wieh, where, March 29, 1806, he appeared as composer of songs. His orchestral and instrumental
Florestan in the revival of ' Fidelio.'^ In 1823
compositions are less well known, but
Eoeckel was appointed Professor of Singing at his cantatas ' Fair Eosamoud,' ' Euth,' The
'
the Imperial Opera ; in 1828 he undertook the Sea Maidens,' 'Westward Ho,' and 'Maiy
direction of the opera at Aix-la-Chapelle, and Stuart,' The ' Victorian Age ' (1887), and many
in the following year made the bold experiment others, have been received with much favour.
of producing German operas in Paris with a The first of these was performed at the Crystal
complete German company. Encouraged by Palace in 1871, and a baritone scena with
the success of this venture. Professor Eoeckel orchestra, 'Siddartha,' was produced at the
remained in Paris until 1832, when he brought Bristol Festival of 1896. A song-cycle was
his company to London, and produced ' Fidelio,' brought forward at the same festival in 1902.
Der Freisohiitz,' and other masterpieces of the In 1864 Eoeckel married Miss Jane Jackson,
'
German school, at the King's Theatre ; the a successful pianist, who did much good work sis
principal artists being Schriider-Devrient and a teacher at Clifton, and wrote pianoforte pieces,
etc. , under the name of Jules de Sivrai. She died
Haitzinger, with Hummel (Boeckel's brother-inlaw)
as conductor. In 1835 he retired from
operatic life, and in 1853 finally returned to
Germany, where he died, at Anhalt-Cbthen, in
September 1870.
August, his eldest son, was bom Dec. 1,
1814, at Graz. He was Musikdirector at Bamberg,
at Weimar (1838-43), and lastly was
Musikdirector at the Dresden Opera in 1843-49,
and so a colleague of Eiohard Wagner ; being,
at Clifton on Aug. 26, 1907, aged 73. w. b. s.
EONTGEN, Engelbeet, bom Sept. 30, 1829,
at Deventer in Holland, entered the Conservatorium
at Leipzig in 1848, as a pupil of David
for violin and of Hauptmann for theory. Upon
graduating at the Conservatorium, Eontgen was
engaged as a first violin both, in the Opera
orchestra and in the famous Gewandhaus orchestra.
In 1869 he became professor of the
violin at the Conservatorium ; second Concert-
like the latter, involved in the Eevolution of
1848 (he had also witnessed the Paris revolution meister of the Gewandhaus orchestra, and, on
of 1830), he abandoned music and devoted the death of his illustrious master, David, in
himself entirely to politics. He spent thirteen 1873, he was made first Concertmeister in his
years in prison (1849-62), and on his release place. Eontgen was a fine violinist although he
became editor of various newspapers, at Coburg, never adopted the career of a virtuoso, and his
Frankfort, Munich, and Vienna, successively. careful editing of Beethoven's Quartets proves
He published an account of his imprisonment him to have been a scholarly musician. He
(Sachsen's Erhehvmg, etc.). Wagner's letters to maiTied a daughter of Moritz Klengel, himself
him were published in 1894, and translated Concertmeister at the Gewandhaus. He died in
into English by Miss E. C. Sellar shortly after- Leipzig, Deo. 12, 1897.—A. Ehrlich's Celebrated
Violinists; Bachmann,
^ For Boeckera own account
Le
of his intercourse with Beetiioven
Violon ; Lahee's
ee^ Thayer, vol. li. p. 294, and ToL ili. p. 369.
Famous Violinists. ir w s