Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

SCHOELCHER SCH(ELCHER 271
brilliant and enchanting execution, and an and he made during his travels a most interesting
unequalled facility and clearness. He had not
collection of foreign musical instruments.
the genius of our Eckard, who is undoubtedly His long stay in England had a still more remarkable
the first master in Paris ; but Schobert was
result in his enthusiasm for Handel.
more universally liked than Eckard, because Up to 1850 only the Messiah ' ' and a few other
he was always agreeable, and because it is not works of Handel had been given in Paris, but
every one who can feel the power of genius.' very spasmodically ; M. Schcelcher resolved to
This is the description of a pleasant brilliant do something to remove this reproach from
player who never soared above the heads of his France. He accordingly made a, collection of
audience. He left seventeen sonatas for PF. Handel's works, and of books and pamphlets
and violin ; eleven for PF., violin, and violoncello
bearing on his life and music, a list of which he
; three quartets for PF., two violins, and gives in the beginning of his book. To the
violoncello ; six ' sinfonies ' for PF., violin, and autographs in Buckingham Palace and the
two horns ; six PF. concertos, and four books Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge, and to the
of sonatas for PF. solo.' These seem to have copies by Smith formerly in possession of Mr.
been originally published in Paris, but editions H. B. Lennard, he obtained access, and thus
of many of them appeared in London between provided, published The Life of Sandel, by
1770 and 1780. The particulars of his death Victor SchMcher, London, Triibner, 8vo, 1857.
are given by Grimm. It was occasioned by The author was materially assisted by Mr.
eating some fungi which he gathered near Paris, Rophino Lacy,^ whose labours are amply
and which killed his wife, his children, a friend, acknowledged in the preface (p. xxii). 'The
the servant, and himself. ^ Schobert and work was written by M. Schoslcher in French,
Eckard are alike forgotten by modem musicians. and translated by James Lowe. It contains
A Minuetto and Allegro molto in E|> have been much information beyond what is indicated in
reprinted in Pauer's ' Alte Meister ' (the former the title, especially with regard to Italian opera
has been 'freely arranged' iu L. Godowsky's and music in general in England during the
' Renaissance '), other movements in the ' Maitres 18th century. The French MS., Handel et son
du Clavecin,' and a Sonata, so-called, in the temps, was handed over to La France Musicale,
Musical Library. These pieces are tuneful and which (August 19, 1860) published the first four
graceful, but very slight in construction, the chapters, and the beginning of the fifth (Nov.
harmonies consisting chiefly of alternations of 2, 1862), but there broke off, doubtiess for
tonic and dominant, seldom in more than three political reasons. The MS. wsis supposed to
parts, often bnly in two. Burney (Bist. iv. have been destroyed, till May 25, 1881, when
it was offered for sale by M. Charavay, and at
once bought for the library of the Conservatoire,
thus completing M. Schoelcher's magnificent
591, 597) remarks that his music is essentially
harpsichord music, and that he was one of the
few composers who were not influenced by
Emanuel Bach. 6.
SCH(ELCHER, Victor, French writer and
politician, son of a manufecturer of china, was
bom in Paris, July 21, 1804, educated at the
College Louis le Grand, and well known as an
ultra - republican. On the accession of the
Emperor Napoleon IIL he was expelled both
from France and Belgium, but took refuge in
London, where he brought out his Histoire des
crimes du 2 Dicemhre (1853), and an English
pamphlet entitled Dangers to England of the
Allidmce wiOi the men of the Coup d'&at (1854).
Schoelcher remained in England till August
1870, returning to Paris immediately before the
Revolution of Sept. 4. As staflF-colonel of the
Garde Nationale he commanded the Legion of
Artillery throughout the siege of Paris. After
Jan. 31, 1871, he was elected to the Assemblte
Nationale by the Department of the Seine,
Martinique, and Cayenne, and sat for Martinique
till elected a life-senator (Deo. 16, 1875).
His claim to a place in this work, however, is
as a distinguished amatem-. His devotion to
art of all kinds was proved by his articles in
i'.