Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

264 SCHINDLER SOHIEA
a French musician named Hostie, and from
Gahrich. He first adopted the clarinet, but
afterwards took a wider range. From 1832 to
1837 he filled capellmeisters' posts at Salzburg,
Innsbruck, Graz, then at Berlin (Kbnigstadt
theatre), and at Pesth, where he remained for
nine years. He at length came to an anchor
as Court-capellmeister at Darmstadt, where he
died March 30, 1864. His works embrace six
operas— 'Mathilda,' 'Ten happy days,' 'Peter
von Szapary' (Pesth, 1839), 'Malvina' (Pesth,
1851), 'The Avenger,' 'Melusine' (1861); an
oratorio, ' S. Boniface ' ; an overture to ' Uriel
Acosta,' and incidental music to various plays ;
concerto for clarinet and orchestra ; and a concertante
for four clarinets and orchestra ; songs,
PF. pieces, etc. a.
SCHINDLER, Anton, the devoted friend and
biographer of Beethoven, was born in 1796 at
Medl, Neustadt, Moravia, where his father was
cantor and schoolmaster. He began the study of
music and the violin early in life. While quite
young he entered the Vienna University to study
law, and assiduously kept up his music by
practice in an amateur orchestra. His introduction
to Beethoven took place accidentally in
1814, when he was asked to take a note from
Schuppanzigh to the great composer. Later in
the year he played in Beethoven's two concerts
of Nov. 29 and Dec. 2. He and the master met
often, and the intimacy increased until, early in
1819, on the recommendation of Dr. Bach, he
became a kind of secretary to Beethoven and at
length, in 1822, took up his residence in the
master's house. He then became conductor
at the Josephstadt Theatre, w^here he studied
several of Beethoven's great works under his
own direction. Beethoven, however, at last
began to tire of his young friend, and after much
unpleasantness, in 1824, after the failure of
the concert of May 23, the breach came. Beethoven
behaved with great violence and injustice,
and Schindler was driven from him till Dec.
1826, when he arrived in Vienna from Gneixendorf,
to die. Schindler at once resumed his
position, attended him with devotion till his
death, wrote several letters i to Moscheles on
the details of the event, and in company with
Breuning took charge of Beethoven's papers.
Breuning died, and then the whole came into
Sohindler's hands.
In 1831 he wrote some interesting articles on
Beethoven and Schubert in Bauerle's Theaterzeitung.
In December he left Vienna, and became
capellnieister to the cathedral at Munster, a post
which he exchanged four years later for that
of music -director at Aix - la - Chapelle. After
some years he relinquished this, became first
a private teacher and then went entirely into
private life. He lived in various towns of
Germany, and at length in Bockenheim, near
Frankfort, where he died Jan. 16, 1864.
1 Printed in MoBchelee'a Life, i. 145-79.
His book on Beethoven is entitled Biographie
von I/udwig van Beethoven. Mit dem Portrat
Beethoven's und zwei Facsimilen (Miinster, 1840,
1 vol. 8vo).^ This was followed by Beethoven
m Paris , . . ein Nachtrag zur Biographic Beethoven's,
etc. (Miinster, 1842; 1 thin vol. 8vo),
and that by a second edition of the Biographie
with additions (Miinster, 1845, 1 vol. 8vo).
The third and last edition appeared in 1860.
Being so long about Beethoven he accumulated
many autographs and other papers and articles
of interest, and these he disposed of to the
library at Berlin for an annuity. His sister was
a singer, who in the year 1830 was engaged at
the Konigstadt Theatre, Berlin.
Schindler has been the object of much obloquy
and mistrust, but it is satisfactory to know, on
the authority of A. W. Thayer, that this is unfounded,
and that his honesty and intelligence
are both to be trusted. • G.
SCHIRA, Fkancesco, was born at Malta,
Sept. 19, 1815, received his early education at
Milan, and was placed, at the age of nine (1824),
in the Conservatorio, where he learned counterpoint
under Basily, principal of that institution.
At seventeen, having completed his studies,
Francisco was commissioned to write an opera
for the Scala, which was produced Nov. 17,
1832. That ' Elena e Malvina ' won favourable
recognition may be inferred from the fact that
a Lisbon impresario, being at Milan with the
object of forming a company for the Santo
Carlos, contracted an engagement with Schiva
for the forthcoming season as ' Maestro Direttore,
Compositore e Conduttore della Musica.' He
remained eight years at Lisbon, where he was
also appointed Professor of Harmony and
Counterpoint at the Conservatorio, composing
'
I Cavalieri di Valenza ' and ' II Fanatico per
la Musiea,' for the Santo Carlos, besides ballets,
cantatas, etc.
In January 1842 Schira quitted Lisbon for
Paris, with the idea of obtaining some book in
the French language which he might set to
music. In Paris he made the acquaintance of
Mr. Maddox, then in quest of artists for the
Princess's Theatre. This led to an offer from
the London manager, and Schira was appointed
director of music and orchestral chief at that
establishment. On Monday, Dec. 26, 1842,
the Princess's opened as a, lyric theatre, and
Schira's appearance at the conductor's desk was
his first introduction to the English public.
The opera chosen was an English version of
'
La Sonnambula,' the leading characters sustained
by Mme. Eugenie Garcia, Mme. Feron,
Messrs. Templeton, Walton, and Weiss ; Mr.
Loder (father of Edward Loder) being principal
violin. Among notable incidents during Schira's
term of conductorship may be specified the production
of two operas by Balfe, originally com-
3 Thia is the book which was translaterl or adapted by Sfoscheles
(London, Colbum, 1641), strange to say with no mention of Schindler
on the title-page.