Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SUSSMAYER SUITE 737
at a concert in "Vienna in 1873. One of his saal at a time of threatened war (1796), and
beat-known published works is a Liedercyclus several times repeated in the same building,
entitled 'Euheort.' Frau Sucher gained great and by the Tonkiinstler Societat. Siissmayer
renown by her singing of Isolde at Bayreuth in also composed two operas for Prague. Several
1886. In 1888 her husband was appointed to of the above works were printed, some only in
the post of conductor at the Hofoper at Berlin part, while others—masses, and smaller churchworks,
instrumental pieces, etc.—exist only in
[he retired in 1899, and died April 4, 1908]. g.
Frau Sucher, after successful performances of MS. Though wanting in depth and originality
Kundry and Eva at Bayreuth in 1888, became a his works are melodious, and have a certain
prima donna at Berlin, where she remained until popular character peculiar to himself. He might
1898, as a noted Wagner singer. On leave perhaps have risen to a higher flight had he not
of absence, she gave ' Gastspiele ' at Bayreuth been overtaken by death after a long illness,
and other cities of Germany, and in 1892 sang Sept. 17 (or 16, according to Thayer), 1803.
both at Oovent Garden and Drury Lane as Prince Esterhazy bought his entire MSS. from
Briinnhilde in 'Siegfried,' and once as Isolde, and his widow. ^ c. f. p.
was warmly received. She would have played ^^UITE. In the period between the latter
Isolde again but for a peremptory recall to part of the 16th and the beginning of the 18th
Berlin, where her services were urgently required. century the most conspicuous feature of universal
instrumental music is the profusion of
On Nov. 3, 1903, she took a final farewell of
the stage at Berlin as Sieglinde. A. c]
dance tunes. AU the most civilised nations of
SOSSMAYER,! Fkanz Xavbr, composer and that time took equal pleasure in them ; and
Oapellmeister, bom 1766 at Steyer in Upper partly owing to the itinerant musicians *ho
Austria, and educated at the monastery of traversed divers countries, and partly to the
Kremsmlinster, where he attempted composition wars which brought representatives of different
in several branches. [Some MS. operas still nationalities into frequent contact, both friendly
existing at Kremsmiinster are mentioned in and hostile, the various characteristic types
the QiielUn-Zexikon.'] At Vienna he had instruction
from Salieri and Mozart. With the adopted univeraally by composers, irrespective
were spread from one land to another, were
latter he formed the closest attachment, becoming,
to use Seyfried's expression, 'the inseparable become in many cases as characteristic of and
of nationality, and were so acclimatised as. to
companion of the immortal Amphion.' Jahn as popular in the countries of their adoption
details the work he did for the 'Olemenza di as in that of their origin. This is sufficiently
Tito' on its production at Prague, whither he illustrated in Morley's well-known Plaine ami
accompanied Mozart. Siissmayer was at the easie Introduction, 1597. For when he comes
composer's bed-side the evening before Mozart's to treat of dance-music, the first things he takes
death, while the IStter tried to give' him the notice of are Pavans and Galliards, Almanes
necessary instructions for completing his and Branles ; of which the first two are of
Eequiem, a task for which he was peculiarly Italian origin, the third probably Suabian, and
fitted by his knack of imitating Mozart's handwriting.
Jahn has stated in' detail (ii. 172) common use for dancing purposes in Queen
the last French. The first two were not only in
how much of that work is in all probability Elizabeth's time, hut were adopted by the great
Siissmayer's. [See vol. iii. p. 308.]
composers of the day and a little later as a
As a composer Siissmay&'s name (as pupil favourite basis for instrumental pieces, which
of SaUeri and Mozart ') first appears at Sohikaneder's
Theatre, where his opera, 'Moses,' was music as for accompaniments to dances ; and they
were intended as much for private enjoyment as
brought out May 4, 1792, revived in 1796, are found plentifully scattered in such collections
and again in concert-form in 1800. This was as the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book and ' Parthenia,'
among sets of variations, preludes, and
followed by ' L' Incanto superato,' a 'musicoromantic
fable' (Burgtheater, 1793), and by fantasias. A large proportion of such dances
• Der Spiegel von Arkadien ' (Schikaneder's were naturally taken singly, but composers
Theatre, 1794), libretto by Schikaneder, which early perceived the advantage of contrasting
became a favourite, and was eulogised by the one with another. Thus Morley, in the same
Wiener Zeitwng. He became in 1794 composer,
and in 1795 Oapellmeister, to the Kamth-
desirableness of alternating Pavans and Gal-
part of the work just mentioned, speaks of the
nerthor Court Theatre, where he produced liards ;
since the first was 'a kind of staid
successively 'Die edle Eache' (1795), 'Die musick ordained for grave dancing,' and the
Freiwilligen (1796), 'Der Wildfang' (1797),
'
' Der Marktsehreier and Soliman der Zweite ' '
(1799), 'Gulnare' (1800), and 'Phasma'
(1801). His patriotic cantata, 'Der Better in
Gefahr,' was performed at an entertainment to
the Vienna volunteers in the large Redouten-
He signs himself on a symphony Skssma-sr.
VOIi. TV
latter 'a lighter and more stirring kind of
dancing '
; and he further describes more obscurely
the contrast arising from the 4-time and
3 -time which subsists between them. Spitta, in
his Zi/e of Bach (i. 681, Engl, trans, ii. 73), mentions
the same contrast as popular in Germany a
little later, and refers to the publication of thirty
3b