Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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262 SCHIEVEE SCHIKANEDEE
of this name in Stuttgart, both enjoying wide
reputation aa pianoforte-makers, viz.
' Sohiedmayer
& Sons,' and Scliiedniayer ' Pianofortefabrik
;
vormals, J. & P. Schiedmayer.' The
heads of these firms are the gi-andsons and
great-gi-andsons of Johann David Schiedmayer,
who towards the close of the 1 8th century was
a musical instruihent maker at Erlangen, and
afterwards at Nuremberg, where he died in
1806. His son Johann Lorenz (born 1786)
went after this for two years to Vienna as a
workman, and in 1809 established a business
at Stuttgart in partnership with C. F. Dieudonne
(who died in 1825). Before that time pianoforte-making
was virtually unknown in Stuttgart,
those who required satisfactory instruments
obtaining them from Vienna. Lorenz Schiedmayer's
intelligence and aptness for business
gained a position for his firm, and it soon
became one of the first in Germany. In 1845
Lorenz united his two eldest sons, Adolf and
Hermann, to himself, and Schiedmayer &
'
Sons' soon became as well known in foreign
countries as in Wilrtemberg. Lorenz died in
1860 and his son Hermann in 1861. The sons
of the brothers Adolf (1820-1890) and Hermann,
bearing the same Christian names, have
been for many years the directors of this firm,
which has made both concert and ordinary
instruments, and has competed with success in
London and Paris and other exhibitions. The
two younger sons, Julius (1822-78) and Paul
(died June 18, 1890) at first devoted themselves
to harmonium-making, then of recent introduction,
a practical knowledge of which had been
gained by Paul in Paris. They started together
in 1854, but after the death of the father, in
1860, turned to pianoforte-making in competition
with the elder firm, and the younger firm is
now known as 'Schiedmayer, Pianoforte-fabrik.'
Special mention must be made of Julius
Sohiedmayer's prominence as an expert in the
Juries of the great Exhibitions of London, 1862;
Paris, 1867 ; Vienna, 1873 ; and Philadelphia,
1876. A. or. H.
SCHIEVER, Ernst, violinist, was born at
Hanover on March 23, 1844. Studied under
Joachim, 1860-64. In 1868 joined the Miiller
Quartet, with which he travelled as leader
until its dissolution in 1869, and became in
the same year a teacher at the Hochsohule and
a member of the Joachim Quartet. Remained
in Berlin two years, organising with Hermann
Franke (second violin), Leonhard Wolff (viola),
and Robert Hausmann (violoncello) another
quartet party, which was engaged subsequently
by Count Hochberg, and became known as the
' Graflioh Hochberg Quartet ' of Schloss Rohnstook
near Striegau in Silesia. Came to England
in 1878, making Liverpool his headquarters,
and undertaking the leadership of the Richter
orchestra, with which he has been connected
for nearly thirty years. His sympathy with
chamber music remains constant, the Schiever
'
Quartet,' in which he is associated with A. Ross
(second violin), Carl Courvoisier (viola), and
Walter Hatton (violoncello), being an institution
favourably known in the north of England,
w. w. c.
SCHIKANEDER, Emmanuel, theatrical
manager, playwright, actor, and singer, born
1751 at Ratisbon, began life as a poor wandering
musician, joined some strolling players at Augsburg
in 1773, married the adopted daughter
of the manager, and at length undertook the
direction himself. In- 1780 his wanderings
brought him to Salzburg, where he fell in with
the Mozarts, and at once began to make a
profit out of Wolfgang's talents. In 1784 we
find him in Vienna, giving with Kumpf a series
of excellent performances of German opera,
comedy, etc., at the Kamthnerthor theatre.
He appeared on the boards both here and at
'the Burgtheater, where, however, he did not
succeed. He next took the management of the
theatre at Ratisbon, but was recalled to Vienna
by his wife, who had undertaken the little
theatre lately built in the grounds of Prince
Starheraberg's house in the suburb of Wieden,
for which Schikaneder received a, privilegium, or
licence.! jje had no scruples as to the means
to be adopted to make a hit, but in spite of
On
large receipts was continually in difficulty.
one such occasion (March 1791) he had recourse
to Mozart, whom he implored to set to music
a libretto adapted by himself from a piece by
Gieseoke, a member of his company. Mozart,
always good-natured, especially to a brothermason,
consented, and from that moment till
its completion Schikaneder stuck closely to
him, and did all he could to keep him amused
over his work. The history of the ' Zauberflote
is well known ; Schikaneder made various suggestions
in the composition, took the part of
Papageno, and found himself saved from ruin
by the success of the opera ; but he showed
little gratitude to Mozart, and after his death,
instead of helping the widow of the man by
whom he had benefited so materially, contented
himself with loud and vain lamentations. In
1800 he entered into partnership with a merchant
named Zitterbarth, who at a short distance
from the small theatre just mentioned, built
the present Theater an ' - der - Wien,' opened
June 13, 1801. Zitterbarth then bought the
privilegium from Schikaneder, who managed it
for him till 1806. His next project was to
build, with the assistance of some wealthy
friends, a new theatre in the Josephstadt suburb,
but this he did not carry out. On his way to
Pesth, whither he had been invited to undertake
a theatre, he went mad, was brought back
to Vienna, and died in great misery Sept. 21,
1812.
Schikaneder wrote the librettos for many
1 It was popularly called Schikaueder's theatre.