Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

STRAIGHT & SKILLERN STEATHSPEY 713
ones, bearing Antonio Stradivari's name alone,
inserted. Of the two brothers, Francesco was
the better luthier. His work is not without
originality, the outline of his Jf holes in particular
ditfering greatly from that of his father.
A picture of one of his violas is included in
Mr. George Hart's The Violin. e. h-a
STRAIGHT & SKILLERN, a firm of London
music-publishers. Thomas Straight and Thomas
Skillern were established in Great Russell Street,
Covent Garden, and issued a, set of Country
Dances for 1768. On the death of James
Oswald about 1769, they appear to have taken
over his business at 17 St. Martin's Lane, and
to have reissued some of the Oswald publications,
in some instances in conjunction with William
Randall. About 1777 or 1778, Thomas Straight
either died or gave up business, and Skillern
was left alone at 17 St. Martin's Lane, where he
remained xmtil about 1799 or 1800, at which
time his death occurred, his plates and stockin
-ti-ade being bought by Preston. Skillena's
son (presumably) now went into partnership
with Challouer (evidently Neville Butler Challoner,
the harpist) at 25 Greek Street ; they
afterwards, circa 1815, were near the corner of
Regent Street and Oxford Street.
Thomas Sti'aight, jun. , after his father's death,
sit up a music-business at 138 St. Martin's Lane,
removing about 1796, and apparently devoting
himself to music-engraving solely, at 7 Lambeth
Walk. Another address of the same or another
Straight is 4 Green Street, Leicester Square, f. k.
STRAKOSCH, Maurice and Max, brothers
well known in the United States as entrepreneurs
of operatic and concert ventures.
Maurice Strakosch, the elder of the two, was
born at Lemberg in Moravia in 1825 (Baker's
Diet.), or 1823 (Mus. JFm-ld). He studied at
the Vienna Conservatorium, and from 1845 to
1860 lived in the United States, first as a teacher
and then as an impresario. After Rossini's
death he gave performances of the Messe Solennelle
' at the Salle Ventadour, Paris, where '
he
organised a successful opera season in 1873-74.
He was European agent for his sister-in-law,
Mme. Patti, from her debut in 1859 until her
marriage, and also for many other distinguished
singers. He joined his brother in management
of the Apollo Theatre in Rome in 1884-85. In
1887 he published a volume of memoirs, and
died suddenly, Oct. 9, of the same year. His
younger brother, Max, remained in America,
when Maurice went to Europe, and managed in
his stead. He directed many successful enterprises
of Italian opera, managed the Apollo
Theatre, in Rome, with his brother in 1884-86,
and died in New York, March 17, 1892. A. c.
STRALOCH MS., a famous MS. collection of
airs written in lute tablature, for Robert Gordon
of Straloch, and dated 1627 and 1629. The
MS. was in small oblong octavo of ninety-two
leaves, and was entitled, 'An playing Booke
for the Lute. Where in ar contained many
cvrrents and other mvsical things. ... At Aberdein.
Netted and Collected by Robert Gordon
[Sir Robert Gordon of Straloch]. In the year
of our Lord 1627. In Pebruarie. ' On the back
of the title was a sketch of a person playing
on the lute.
It was given, in 1781, by Dr. George Skene
of Aberdeen, to Dr. Burney, who does not appear
to have mentioned it or to have made any use
of it. It afterwards came into the possession of
Mr. James Chalmers of London, at the sale of
whose effects it disappeared. In 1839 it was
lent to George Farquhar Graham, who made some
extracts from it. Graham's original transcrijrt
was in the library of the late T. ,W. Taphouse
of Oxford, and was sold in 1905. A fair cojiy
was made by Graham, and deposited in the
Advocates' Library, Edinburgh ; other copies,
too, have been made from the original transcript,
one by the present writer. Though the Straloch
appears to be the earliest MS. containing Scottish
airs, yet the .list of contents (see Gentleman's
Magazine, February
1823) shows how small a
proportion they bear to the English and foreign
airs. F. K.
STRANIERA, LA (The Stranger). Italian
opera in two acts ; libretto by Romani, music
by- Bellini. Produced at the Scala, Milan, Feb.
14, 1829. In London at the King's Theatre,
June 23, 1832, for Tamburini's ddbut. G.
STRATHSPEY, a Scottish dance, closely
allied to the Reel, derives its name from the
strath or valley of the Spey, in the North of
Scotland, where it appears to have first been
danced. The word does not appear in connection
with music till late in the 18th century,
but much earlier than that tunes are found
suited for the style. Though slower in time
than the Reel, the Strathspey calls for more
exertion. The former is a gliding dance, while
the Strathspey abounds in those jerky motions
which call every muscle into play. Thus the
music of the Reel is composed of a series of
passages of equal quavers, while the Strathspey
consists of dotted notes and semiquavers. 'The
latter frequently precede the long note, and this
peculiarity has received the name of the ' Scotch
snap.' That the two words were formerly
almost synonymous, is shown by a volume
which is still of the highest authority and of
which the title-page runs thus— 'A Collection
of Strathspeys or Old Highland Reells, with a
Bass for the Violincello, Harpsichord, or Pianoforte.
By Angus Gumming, at Granton.
Strathspey. 1780.' The word Strathspey is
here printed in very large letters, while ' Old
Highland Reells ' are in tlie smallest. Moreover,
throughout the volume, the word Strathspey
is not once used, but always Jieell So-and-so.
No. 5, for example, though clearly a Strathspey,
is entitled ' Achamae Reell.' Reels, and the
dance music of Scotland generally, have been
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