opera in 3 a c t s ; libretto by Solera, music by Verdi. Produced La Scala, Milan, Mar. 9, 1842 ; Paris, Oct. 16, 1845 ; at Her Majesty's, as ' Nino,' Mar. 3, 1846. Q.
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NATHAN, ISAAC
(b. Canterbury, 1791 ; d. Australia, Jan. 15, 1864), of Hebrew parentage, was intended for the priesthood, and was in 1805 sent to Cambridge to study Hebrew, but his natural bent being for music he was articled to Domenico Corn, and devoted his attention principally to singing and composition. He appeared at Covent Garden as Henry Bertram, in ' Guy Mannering.' After composing several songs, he produced in 1 8 1 5 -2 2 ' Hebrew Melodies,' to Lord Byron's poetry, with much success. Byron became very intimate with Nathan, who set many of his poems to music. (See D.N.B.) I n 1823 he supplied part of the music for the comedy ' Sweethearts and Wives ' -one song in which, ' W hy are you wandering here, I pray ? ' became very popular-and published Musurgia Vocalis, An Essay on the History and Theory of Music and on the qualities, capabilities, and management of the Human Voice. In 1824 he brought out ' The Alcaid,' comic opera, and in 1827 ' The Illustrious Stranger,' operatic farce. In 1836 he published The Life of Madame Malibran de Beriot. In 1841 he emigrated to Sydney, where he produced ' Merry Freaks in Troublous T ime,' 1851, and ran a periodical, The Southern Euphrosyne and Australian Miscellany, from 1846. He was accidentally killed by being run over by a tramway car. He was much esteemed as a singingmaster. w. H. H . ; addns. D.N.B., B.M. Biog., etc.
NEO-MODAL
a term used to describe modern melodic or harmonic idioms derived from scales which have a definite internal organisation other than that associated with the traditional major-minor system. This definition covers (1) inflections and combinations characteristic of the true ecclesiastical modes, when used on a background of classical or later harmonies or tonalities ; (2) idioms derived from such folk-songs or other melodies as are themselves organised on a modal basis, whether derived or lo ca l; (3) any arbitrary scale, such as that of whole tones, which is used with fairconsistency as a melodic or harmonic medium. See Mo des ; Scales ; Sono ; H a rmony . q . D.
NICOLAI, JOHANN MICHAEL
chamber musician at the court of Wiirtemberg, 1669. He composed ' Erster Theil geistlicher Harmonien ' (sacred songs a 3 v. with 2 violins, 1669); 12 sonatas, partly for 2 violins and a viola da gamba, partly for 2 violins and bassoon (Augsburg, 1675), one of the earliest works of sonatas for 2 violins and bass which became so popular in the 18th century. E. v . d. s .
NOLA, DOMENICODA
(proper name Don Joan Domenico del Giovane) (b. Nola, kingdom of Naples, first quarter of 16th cent.), became maestro di cappella of the Church of the Annunziata, Naples. His publications, appearing between 1541 and 1564, consist of one book of motets a 5, some books of villanelle a 3, and madrigals a 4 and 5. His villanelle were afterwards re-edited by Claudio Merulo in 1567. Several of his madrigals appeared in later collections. Ambros mentions a book of motets a 5 and 6 (Venice, 1575), which is not indicated in Q.-L. Three of his madrigals, which have melody and good workmanship, have been republished in Torchi's L'arte musicale in Italia, vol. i. J . R. M.
NOVELLO, (1)VINCENT
(b . London, Sept. 6 , 1781 ; d. Nice, Aug. 9, 1861), son of an Italian father and English mother, was born at 240 Oxford Street. He was a chorister at the Sardinian Chapel, Duke Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, under Samuel Webbe tho organist, and after the breaking of his voice officiated as deputy for Webbc, and also for Danby, organist of the Spanish Chapel, Manchester Square. At 16 years of age he became organist of the Portuguese Chapel in South Street, Grosvenor Square, which office he held until 1822. In 1812 he was pianist to the Italian Opera Company at the Pantheon. He was one of the original members of the Philharmonic Society, and occasionally directed its concerts. Having attained great eminence as an organist, he was selected to take the organ in the 1 Creation ' at the Westminster Abbey Festival in 1834. From 1840-43 he was organist of the Roman Catholic Chapel in Moorfields. He was one of the founders of the Classical Harmonists and Choral Harmonists Societies, of both of which he was for some time conductor. In 1849 he quitted England for Nice, where he resided until his death. Novello's compositions were numerous and varied, and if not remarkable for invention or originality, are marked by grace and solid musicianship. They include 'Rosa(ba,' a cantata composed for the Philharmonic Society, and first performed in 1834 ; ' Old May Morning,' a ' cheerful glee ' which gained a prize at Manchester in 1832 ; and ' The Infant's Prayer,' a recitative and air which was long the favourite of every choir-boy who was qualified for concertsinging, and of which nearly 100,000 copies were sold. He also composed many masses, motets and sacred pieces to Latin words. But it was as an editor and arranger that he principally deserves the gratitude of lovers of music. His first work was ' A Collection of Sacred Music ' (masses and motets, including many by himself), 2 vols., 1811, 2nd edit. 1825; which was followed by 1 Twelve Easy Masses,' 3 vols., 1816 ; ' The Evening Service,' including the Gregorian hymns, 2 vols., 1822; ' The Fitzwilliam Music,' a noble selection of sacred pieces by Italian composers from MSS. in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, 6 vols., 1825 ; ' Purcell's Sacred Music,' 5 vols., 1828-32, containing many anthems, services and other pieces never before printed, afterwards republished in 4 vols. But for the accident that Novello was allowed, after the York Festival of 1828, to copy the MSS. in the library of the Minster, many of these must have been lost to the world ; 18 masses by Mozart, and 16 by Haydn, of which 10 of the former and 9 of the latter were printed for the first time ; ' Convent Music,' a collection of pieces for treble voices, 2 vols., 1834 ; ' Studies in Madrigalian Scoring,' 1841; ' The Psalmist,' a collection of psalm tunes; ' The Congregational and Chorister's Psalm and Hymn Book ' ; Croft's Anthems, 2 vols. ; Greene's Anthems, 2 v o l s . ; Boyce's Anthems, 4 vols.; Organ part to Boyce's * Cathedral Music ' ; the masses of Beethoven, Hummel, etc. He took a number of madrigals by Wi(bye and others, originally written for three and four voices, and added two, three and even four additional parts to them with great, if misplaced, ingenuity. For the organ he published, amongst others, ' Select Organ Pieces,' 3 vols. ; ' Cathedral Voluntaries,' 2 vols. ; and ' Short Melodies,' 1 vol. Novello possessed well - cultivated literary taste, and numbered among his intimate friends Charles and Mary Lamb, Shelley, Keats, Leigh Hunt, Hazlitt, Edward Holmes and Charles Cowden Clarke, the latter of whom married his eldest daughter, Mary (d. Genoa, Jan. 12, 1898). Lamb mentions him with affection in more than one passage (see 1A Chapter on Ears ' in tho Essays of Elia). His family circle was greatly beloved by those who had access to it, amongst others by Mendelssohn, who was often there during his early visits to this country, and many of whose extraordinary improvisations took place in the Novellos' drawing-room. (See Joseph Bennett's ' A Novello Centenary,' Mus. T., 1881, p. 495 ; and D.N.B.) The following among Vincent Novello's children followed musical careers : (2) Ce c il ia (d. Genoa, June 20, 1890), his second daughter, studied singing under Mrs. Blane Hunt, and appeared upon the stage. She was a good musician, and an excellent and useful singer of secondary parts. She became the wife of Thomas James Serle, actor, dramatist and journalist. Their daughter, E mma Clara, a promising soprano singer, died at an early age, Oct. 4, 1877. (3) Clara A nastasia (b. June 10, 1818; d. Rome, Mar. 12, 1908), his fourth daughter, was at 9 years of age placed under Miss Hill and John Robinson, at York, to learn singing and pianoforte-playing. In 1829 she became a pupil of the Conservatoire at Paris, but returned to England in the following 3'ear on account of the Revolution. In 1833 she made her first public appearance at a concert at Windsor, with such success that she was immediately engaged at the Ancient and Philharmonic Concerts and Worcester Festival, and in the next year at the Westminster Abbey Festival. She sang at all the principal concerts and festivals until 1837, when, at the invitation of Mendelssohn, she went to Leipzig, and appeared at the Gewandhaus Concerts, whence she passed on to Berlin, Vienna, St. Petersburg and Dusseldorf. Writing to the secretary of the Philharmonic Society in Jan. 1839, Mendelssohn speaks of her and Mrs. Shaw as ' the best concert-singers we have heard in Germany for a long time,' and Schumann (Gesamrn. Schriften, iii. 47) dwells on the extraordinary interest she excited, and the universal surprise at her noble simple style of interpreting Handel. In 1839 she went to Italy to study for the stage, and became a pupil of Micheroux at Milan, with whom she remained for a year. She made her first appearance in opera at Padua, July 6, 1841, in Rossini's ' Semiramide,' with great -success. She afterwards sang at Rome, Milan, Bologna, Modena and other places. She returned to England in Mar. 1843, and appeared in opera at Drury Lane, and in oratorio at the Sacred Harmonic Concerts, and the Birmingham Festival. On Nov. 22, 1843, she was married to Count Gigliucci, and withdrew from public life ; but circumstances compelled her, a few years later, to return to the exercise of her profession, and in 1850 she sang in opera at Rome and Lisbon. In 1851 she returned to England and appeared in oratorio, in which she achieved her greatest successes, and at concerts. She also made one more appearance here on the stage, namely, in the ' Puritani ' at Drury Lane, July 5, 1853. In 1854 she sang in opera at Milan. Her greatest triumphs were at the opening of the Crystal Palace, June 10, 1854, and at the Handel Festivals in 1857 and 1859, where her clear pure notes penetrated the vast space in a manner not to be easily forgotten. In Nov. 1860 she took leave of the public in a performance of ' Messiah ' at the Crystal Palace, and at a benefit concert at St. James's Hall, and returned to Italy. Her voice was a high soprano, extending from C below the stave to D in alt, retaining till old age its purity of tone, brilliance and power. She excelled in oratorio, particularly in devotional songs, and she enjoyed the distinction of having drawn praise from Charles Lamb, notwithstanding his insensibility to music. Her reminiscences were published in 1910. (4) Mary Sa b il la (d. Genoa, Jan. 8, 1904), the sixth daughter, was also a soprano vocalist, but delicacy of throat and susceptibility to cold compelled her to relinquish singing. She translated several theoretical works into English. From 1849 she resided in Italy. (5) J o s e ph Al f r e d (b. Aug. 12, 1810; d. Genoa, July 16, 1896), the eldest son, was a bass singer, and for many years sang in oratorios and concerts. He was for some time choirmaster at Lincoln's Inn Chapel. He adapted the English text to the ' Lobgesang ' and several of tho Psalms of Mendelssohn. He was actively engaged in obtaining the repeal of the advertisement duty, the paper duty, tl>3 stamp on newspapers, and other imposts generally known as the ' Taxes upon Knowledge.' He was, however, best known as a music publisher. (See N ovello & Com pa n y.) He retired in 1856 and went to reside at Nice, whence he removed to Genoa. w. H. H.
NAIL
opera composed by Isidore de Lara. Produced Theatre de la Gaiete, Paris, 1911; in English, Covent Garden, July 18, 1919.
NAVOIGILLE
(real name G uillaume J u l ie n ) (b. Givet, e. 1745 ; d. Paris, Nov. 1811) came to Paris, was adopted by an Italian, and patronised by Monsigny. He entered the band of the Duke of Orleans, and opened a free violin school, in which Boucher, the wellknowrn virtuoso, was educated. He composed duets and trios for strings, and two theatrical pieces, the music of which largely consisted of well-known airs. He was a good leader, but his name would have been forgotten but for the mistake of Fetis in attributing to him the authorship of the ' Marseillaise.' G. C.
NEUMARK, GEORG
(b. Miihlhausen, Thuringia, May 16, 1621; d. Weimar, July 8,1681), poet and musician. On his way to Konigsberg to study law at the University, he was robbed of all his possessions, and was obliged for a time to accept a post as private tutor at Kiel, where, it is said, he indited his best-known hymn, * Wer nur den lieben G ott lasst walten.' After various wanderings and further misfortunes, he at last in 1651 obtained a settled position as secretary and librarian to the ducal court at Weimar, where his talents were also called into requisition as court poet for festival occasions. He was enrolled in several of the fancifully named literary societies of the time for the cultivation of poetry, such as ' die fruchtbringende Gesellschaft ' and the 'Pegnitz-schaferei.' His chief work is entitled ' Musikalisch-poetischer Lustwald ' (Jena, 1657), and consists of a collection of sacred and secular songs, some of which, chiefly the sacred, are provided with melodies by Neumark himself and other musicians. The melodies have a slight instrumental accompaniment of two violins and bass. But the one hymn and tune by which Neumark really lives is the above-mentioned ' Wer nur den he ben Gott,' which, with the rhythm of the tune slightly altered, have been received into most Chora(biicher, and form the basis of Bach's Church Cantata of the same name for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity. Spitta, in his comments upon Bach's Cantata seems to consider Bach's choice of this hymn as not very appropriate to the Sunday ; but it is significant of Bach's thinking otherwise that he chose the same last verse of the hymn to be the concluding Choral to'another cantata for this Sunday, ' Siehe ich will viel Fischer aussenden.' Bach must have been fond of the tune, as he has adopted it with other words as the concluding Choral to four other cantatas, and has also employed the tune for organ treatment. (See his Choral-Preludes.) Mendelssohn has also adopted it in ' St. Paul ' to the words (in the English version) ' To Thee, 0 Lord, I yield my spirit,' with special reference to the death of St. Stephen. j . r . m.
NIELSEN, CARL
(A. Isle of Fyen, Denmark, 1865), composer, was compelled at an early age to make his own way. In his fourteenth year he joined a military band at Odense, remaining there until he was 18, when he was admitted to the Conservatoire in Copenhagen as a pupil of Gade. In 1891 he became a member of the Royal Orchestra, which, in 1908, elected him as its conductor, a post he retained until 1914. Nielsen is now principal of the Conservatoire and conductor of the ' Musical Society,' an appointment formerly held by Gade. He has frequently conducted important symphony concerts (often including his own works) in Scandinavia, Germany, Finland and Holland, and he visited London for a similar purpose in 1923. Carl Nielsen, who in Denmark is considered as the country's most representative living composer, is known chiefly as a symphonist. He has so far written five symphonies (including one entitled ' The Four Temperaments'), the last of which was produced at Copenhagen in Jan. 1923. E. B.