Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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AAFF, Anton, one of the most distinguished
"P
tenors of his day ; born 1714 in the
village of Holzem, near Bonn, and educated
for the priesthood at the Jesuit College at
Cologne. His fine voice so struck the Elector,
Clement Augustus, that he took him to Munich,
where Ferrandini brought him forward in an
opera. After studying for a short time with
-Bernacchi at Bologna, Eaaff became one of the
first tenors of his time. In 1738 he sang at
Florence on the betrothal of Maria Theresa, and
followed up this successful debut at many of
the Italian theatres. In 1742 he returned to
Bonn, and sang at Vienna in Jommelli's
'Didone' (1749), to Metastasio's great satisfaction.
In 1752 he passed through Italy to
Lisbon; in 1755 he accepted a summons to
Madi-id, where he remained under Farinelli's
direction, enjoying every favour from the court
and public. In 1759 he accompanied Farinelli
to Naples. In 1770 he entered the service of
the Elector, Karl Theodor, at Mannheim. In
1778 he was in Paris with Mozart, and in 1779
he followed the com-t to Munich, where Mozart
composed the part of Idomeneo for him. He
died in Munich, May 27, 1797. Mozart in
his letters speaks of him as his best and dearest
'
friend,' especially in one from Paris, dated June
-12, 1778. He composed for him in Mannheim
the au-, Se ' al labbro mio non credi ' (Koohel,
295). c. F. p.
EABAN, Edward, was an Englishman, and
after having fought in the wars of the Netherlands,
from the year 1600, settled at Edinburgh,
at the Cowgate Port, as a printer, in 1620.
One work with the Edinburgh imprint alone
remains, and in the same year he removed to
St. Andrews, and finally to Aberdeen in 1622.
In this place he was under the patronage of the
town dignitaries, and had the friendship of
Bishop Forbes. It was, no doubt, these cii-cumstances
that enabled him to carry on his craft
unmolested, unlike John Forbes of the same
city who, at a later date, suffered fine and
imprisonment for infringing the monopoly held
by the King's printer in Scotland. Baban
at once commenced the printing of liturgical
works, including a prayer-book, dated 1625,
which is stated to have the music to the Psalms.
In 1629 he printed two editions ofCL. Psalmes
of the princelie prophet David, a quarto for
binding with Bibles and a 16mo edition. Also,
in 1633, two editions of The Psames of David
in prose and metre according to the Church
of Scotland. ... 2n Aberdene, imprinted by
Edward Rohan for David Mdvill, 1633, 8o.
These have the music to the Psalms printed
from movable type. Though probably not so
well executed as the music of Andro Hart of
Edinburgh, these are of great interest in the
R
history of Scottish music -printing. Eabau
gave up business in 1649, dying in 1658. F. K.
RACCOLTA GENERALE delle opeke
CLA.ssiCHE MUsiCALi. A Collection of pieces of
which the full title is as follows
'
Collection
:
generate des ouvrages classiques de musique, on
Choix de chefs d'oeuvres, en tout genre, des
plus grands compositeurs de toutes les Eeoles,
reoueillis, mis en ordre et enrichis de Notices
historiques, par Alex. E. Choron, pour servir
de suite aux Principes de Composition des eeoles
d'ltalie.' A notice on the wrapper further
says that the price of the work to subscribers
is calculated at the rate of 5 sous per page,
The numbers were not to be issued periodically,
but the annual cost to subscribers was fixed at
from 36 to 40 francs. The work was in folio,
engraved by Gill6 fils, and published by
Leduc& Co., Paris, Rue de Richelieu, 78, with
agents at Bordeaux, Marseilles, Leipzig, Munich,
Vienna, Lyon, Turin, Milan, Rome, and Naples.
It was got up with great care and taste, but
seems to have ceased after about six numbers.
For Alfieei's Raccolta ' di musica sacra
11
see vol. i. p. 66. G.
RACHMANINOV, Seegei Vassilievich, a
pianist of repute, and one of the most talented
of the younger Moscow school of composers ;
born in the Government of Novgorod, April 1
(March 20, O.S.), 1873. At nine years of age
he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatoire,
where he remained three years, making the
pianoforte his chief study. Three years later,
in 1885, he was transferred to the Conservatou'e
at Moscow. Here he studied the pianoforte,
first with Tchaikovsky's friend, Zvierev, and
afterwards with Siloti. His masters for theory
and composition were Taneiev and Arensky.
The musical influences of Moscow are clearly
evident in the works of Rachmaninov. In
1892 he won the gold medal for composition,
and on quitting the Conservatoire, in the same
year, he started on a long concert-tour through
the chief towns of Russia. In 1899 Rachmaninov
appeared in London at one of the
concerts of the Philharmonic Society, and made
a good impression in the threefold capacity of
composer, conductor, and pianist. In 1893
he was appointed professor of pianoforte to the
Maryinsky Institute for girls, in Moscow, a post
which he still holds. Several of Rachmaninov's
songs and pianoforte pieces, especially the
famous prelude in CJt minor, have attained
immense popularity. His compositions are as
follows :
A, Obcbbstbal
'The Rock,' fontaala, op. 7; Gipsy Capriccio, op. 12; SymphoDy,
op. 13 (1895).
B. PlAWOFORTE
Two Concertoa, opp. 1 and 18 ; two Suitea. opp. 5 and 17 ; six
pieces for four hands, op. 11 ; five pieces for two hands, op. 3