Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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424 SEREANO SERVICE
Ambroise Thomas at the Conservatoire, and
took the 'Grand prix' in 1871 for a cantata
('Jeanne d'Aro') of great promise. On his
return from Italy, despairing of acceptance at
the Opera-Comique, he closed with the Bouftes
Parisiens, and produced ' La Branche cass^e
(three acts, Jan. 23, 1874), with a success
which induced him to go on composing worlds
of the same slight character.
'
Le Manoir du
Pic Tordu ' (May 28, 1875), Le Moulin du
'
Vert galant' (April 12, 1876), and 'La Petite
Muette' (Oct. 3, 1877), all in three acts,
followed in Paris, and La Nuit de '
St. Germain'
(March 1880) in Brussels. [' Gendrillonette
came out in 1890, 'La dot de Brigitte' in
1895, and Le Carillon ' ' in 1896. He died in
Paris, Nov. 3, 1904.] G. c.
SERRANO, Emilio, born 1850 at Vitoria
(Spain), court pianist to the Infanta Isabel
(Countess of Girgenti), is Director of the Royal
Opera and Professor of the Conservatoire of
Madrid. Has composed much music, including
grand operas, of which Irene de Otranto
'
(1891) and 'Gonzalo de Cordoba' (1898) were
produced with great success in Madrid. H. v. H.
SERVA PADRONA, LA—the maid turned
mistress. An Italian intermezzo, or piece in
two acts, containing three characters, one of
whom is a mute. Words by Nelli, music by
Pei'golesi. Written and produced at Naples
August 23, 1733, and in Paris first on Oct. 4,
1746, at the Hdtel de Bourgogne, and was
revived by the Bouffons ' Italiens ' on August
1, 1752. This was followed by an obstinate
contest between the reformers, headed by Rousseau,
and the conservative musicians— -'Guerre
des LuUistes et des Bouffonisteg.' In 1754 a
translation, ' La servante maltresse, ' was brought
out, and had a run of 150 consecutive nights.
It was revived, August 13, 1862, at the Op&-a-
Comique, for the debut of Mme. Galli- Marie,
and was given in London, at the Royalty,
March 7, 1873. —An imitation of Nelli's
libretto, with the same title, was composed by
Paisiello during his stay at St. Petersburg, o.
SERVAIS, Adeien Feanqois, a great violoncellist,
was born at Hal, near Brussels, June 6,
1807. His study of music began early, but it
was not till he heard a solo by Platel on the
violoncello, that he fixed on the instrument on
which he became so famous. He became a
pupil of Platel's in the Brussels Conservatoire,
where he rapidly rose to the first rank. On
the advice of Fitis he went to Paris, where his
success was great. In 1835 he visited England,
and on May 25 played a concerto of his
own at the Philharmonic Concert, where he
was announced as ' principal violoncello to the
King of the Belgians.' He then returned
home, and wisely resolved to study for a year,
and it was during this period that he formed
the style by which he was afterwards known.
In 1836 he reappeared in Paris, and the next
dozen years were occupied in a series of long
tours through Germany, Holland, Austria,
Norway, Russia, and even Siberia. In 1842
he married in St. Petersburg. In 1848 he
settled at Brussels as Professor in the Conservatoire,
and formed many distinguished pupils.
He died at his native village Nov. 26, 1866,
of an illness contracted during his third visit
to St. Petersburg. His works comprise three
Concertos, and sixteen Fantasies, for violoncello
and orchestra ; six Etudes for violoncello and
PF.—with Gr^goir ; fourteen Duos for ditto ;
three Duets for violin and violoncello—with
Leonard ; one Duet for ditto—with Vieuxtemps.
Servais' tastes were very simple, and his great
delight was to slip on a, blouse and (like
Mozart) play skittles. At the close of his life
he became very stout, and the peg now used to
support the violoncello is said to have been
invented by him as a relief. A biography of
Servais was published at Hal by Vanderbroeck
Desmeth, 1866. [Interesting reminiscences of
him are published in the Guide Musical of
June 2, 1907, apropos of the. centenary of his
birth.] His eldest son Joseph, bom at Hal,
Nov. 28, 1850, succeeded his father in June
1872 as professor of the violoncello at the
Brussels Conservatoire. He appeared first at
Warsaw with his father, and the pair excited
the greatest enthusiasm. In 1868 he was
appointed solo violoncellist at Weimar and
remained two years. In 1875 he played for
the first time in Paris at one of Pasdelonp's
Popular Concerts, when some of the journals
spoke in terms of eactravagant praise of his
performance. The instrument used by both
father and son is a fine Stradivarius presented
by the Princess Yousoiipoff. [Joseph Servais
died at Hal, August 29, 1885.] A second son,
Feantz, a successful pianist and composer, was
a pupil in the same Conservatoire. T. p. p.
SERVICE. In matters relating to the
Church this word is used in two totally different
senses' ; first, as a rough translation of Offidv/m,
Ordo, Ritus, as when we say Communion-service,
Ordination-service, and so on : next as a purely
musical term, as when we say Wesley's '
Service
in E, ' etc. It is with this latter application of
the word only that we have here to deal.
A Service may be defined as a collection of
musical settings of the canticles and other
portions of the liturgy which are by usage
allowed to be set to free composition. The
term, therefore, excludesall versicles or responses,
or other portions founded on plain-song ; all
chants, whether Gregorian or Anglican ; and
all anthems, as their words are not necessarily
embodied in the liturgy, but selected at will.
On the other hand, it includes the Nicene
Creed, Gloria in excelsis, and other portions of
the liturgy which have from the most ancient
times received a more or less free musical
treatment.