Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SNAEES SOCIEDADE DE QUAETETOS 491
H. B. Leforestier, bears some slight traces of
being originally intended to suit the conventions
of the Paris Opera -Comique I'ather
than the German stage ; but in any language
the wonderful power of the conception, musical
and dramatic, must make itself felt. In spite
of a performance which was so far from ideal
that the composer refused to allow it to be
repeated at the same theatre, the work created
a profound impression. It was given with far
more care and success at Prague on Dec. 22 of
the same year, and is accepted for perfonnanoe
at Vienna (1908). 'While the style is so
far modern as that set pieces are dispensed
with and Wagner's artistic ideals are fulfilled,
there is no attempt to curry favour with the
lovers of ugly music, or to ^vrite what sounds
bizarre for the sake of making a sensation.
The fine treatment of the choruses in the first
act, the orchestral introduction to the second
SNETZLER, John, was bom at
Germany about 1710. This truly eminent
organ-builder, after acquiring some fame in his
own country, was induced to
settle in England
[in 1740 ; he built the organ for Chesterfield
Church in 1741 and opened a factory in London
in 1755. w. h. g. f.]. He built the noble instrument
at Lynn Regis (1754) ; a very fine one at
St. Martin's, Leicester (1774) ; that of the
German Lutheran Chapel in the Savoy, which was
the first in this country provided with a pedal
clavier ; and many others, including chamber
organs of high quality. Two stories are current
of his imperfect way of speaking English and
his quaint expressions. At the competition for
the place of organist to his new organ at Halifax
(1766), he was so annoyed by the rapid playing
of Dr. Robert Wainwright, that he paced the
church, exclaiming, He do run over de ' keys
like one cat, and do not give my pipes time to
shpeak.' And at Lynn he told the churchwardens,
upon their asking him what their old
organ would be worth if repaii-ed, ' If they would
lay out £100 upon it, perhaps it would be worth
fifty.'
Snetzler lived to an advanced age, and died
at the end of the 18th or the commencement
of the 19th century. Having saved sufiicient
money, he returned to his native country ;
but
after being so long accustomed to London porter
and English fare, he found in his old age that
he could not do without them, so he returned
to London, where he died. His successor was
Ohrmann. [See Hill, W., & Son.] v.de p.
SNODHAM, Thomas. An early London
music printer. He was the son-in-law of
Thomas Este, and succeeded to the latter's
business in 1609.
He published a great number of the madrigal
books of his period, as Byrd's Psalms, '
Songs,
and Sonnets,' 1611 ; Maynard's 'The XII.
Wonders of the World set and composed for
the Viol de Gamba,' 1611 ; Robert Tailour's
'Sacred Hymns,' 1615; a second edition of
'Pammelia,' and other works. By reason of
some of his imprints reading 'Thomas Este
alias Snodham,' it has been considered that
Este changed his name. This, however, is a
mistake, the fact being that Snodham (who had
married into the family and obtained Este's
act, and, in the same section, the great loveduet
which rises in intensity of emotion with
the rising of the beacon-flame lit by the lovers
to warn ships from the dangers of the coast
and, in the third act, the whole treatment of
the final situation, in which the lovers are left
by the people to be drowned by the advancing
tide, all these poiuts are among the most
remarkable things in modern opera, and it is
difficult to point to a work of any nationality business), merely desired to be associated with
since Wagner that has a more direct appeal to the better-known name of Este, Thomas Este
the emotions, or that is more skilfully planned having just then died. r. k.
and carried out. Some charming and delicately SKOW, Valentine, was possibly son of
written French poems, for mezzo-soprano and Moses Snow, gentleman of the Chapel Royal
very small orchestra, were sung at the Queen's from 1689 until his death, Dec. 20, 1702, and
Hall, Nov. 12, 1907. M. also lay-vicar of Westminster Abbey (Mus.B.
SNAKES. A group of four or five pieces of Cambridge, 1606), and a minor composer.
catgut rather loosely stretched across the lower Valentine Snow became the finest performer
end of the side-drum, which jarring against the upon the trumpet of his -day ; was a member
parchment when the drum is struck at the other of Handel's oratorio orchestra ; and it was for
end produces a peculiar rattle characteristic of
the instrument. F. K.
Passau in
him that the great composer wrote the difficult
obbligato trumpet parts in ' Messiah,' ' Samson,'
'Dettingen Te Deum,' 'Judas Macoabaeus,' etc.
No better evidence of his ability can be required.
In January 1763 he was appointed (in succession
to John Shore, deceased) Sergeant Trumpeter
to the King, which office he held until his death
in December 1770. w. H. h.
SNUFFBOX, Musical. See vol. i. p. 136.
SOCIEDADE DE QUARTETOS DO PORTO
(Quartet Society of Oporto). This Society
originated in private musical gatherings at the
house of a banker of Oporto (Sr. Joao Miranda
GuimarSes). In 1875 the violoncellist J. Casella
settled in Oporto, and it was resolved to give
public concerts. The first subscription was for
twelve concerts, and resulted in a net profit of
about £32. Encouraged by these results, the
same little body of musicians has continued to
give two series of chamber concerts yearly,
twelve in the autumn, and sfx in the spring.
They take place on Sunday afternoons in a
small concert-room at the S. Joao Theatre.