(b. Mainstockheim, near Kitzingen, Bavaria, June 24, 1833 ; d. Munich, Mar. 30, 1912), musical writer and educationist. I t was not till her seventeenth year th a t she had any instruction in music. At th a t time her parents removed to Leipzig, and from 1850-53 she there enjoyed the advantage of pianoforte lessons from the wife of Dr. F. Brendel, herself formerly a scholar of Field's. From this period she adopted the career of a teacher of music, and studied assiduously, though without help, for th a t end. After a period of activity in America, she opened (in 1858) an institute in Gliickstadt (Holstein) for the special training of music-mistresses, and maintained it till 1865, in which year she founded a more important establishment, the Music School a t Nuremberg, in conjunction with Frau Ida Volkraann of Tilsit, and assisted by a staff of superior teachers, under Frl. Ramann's own superintendence. The school was transferred to Aug. Gollerich in 1890, when Frl. Ramann moved to Munich. She published two works-Die Musik als Qegenstand der Erziehung (Leipzig: Merseburger, 1868), and Allgemeine Erzieh- und Unterrichtslehre der Jugend (Leipzig : H. Schmidt, 1869 ; 2nd ed. 1873), which were both received with favour by the German press. From 1860 she was musical correspondent of the Hamburg Jahreszeiten. A volume of her essays contributed to th a t paper has been collected and published, under the title of Aus der Gegenwart (Nuremberg: Schmid, 1868). In the early pa rt of 1880 she published a study of Liszt's ' Christus ' (Leipzig, Kahnt), and later in the year the first volume of a Life of Liszt,1 completed in 1894 (Leipzig, Breitkopf). The first portion was translated by Mrs. S. H. Eddy, Chicago, and by Miss E. Cowdery, and published in two vols. in 1882. This is an important work. I t suffers somewhat from over-enthusiasm, but it is done with great care, minuteness and intelligence, and obviously profited largely by direct information from Liszt himself. She also edited Liszt's writings (1880-83, in six volumes). Her cousin, (2) B r u n o (b. Erfurt, Apr. 17, 1832; d. Dresden, Mar. 13, 1897), was brought up to commerce, b u t his desire and talent for music were so strong, th a t in 1857 or 1858 he succeeded in getting rid of his business and p u t himself under Dr. F. Brendel and Riedel for regular instruction. He then for five years studied under Hauptmann a t Leipzig, and was a teacher and composer a t Dresden from 1867 until his death. His works are numerous, but they consist almost entirely of songs for one or more voices, and of small and more or less sentimental pieces for the pianoforte. He also wrote poetry and some dramatic pieces. G. RAMEAU, Je a n P hilippe (b. Dijon, Oct. 23, 1683 2 ; d. Paris, Sept. 12, 1764), eminent composer and writer on the theory of music, born in the house of the former ' Cour de Saint- Vincent,' actually 5 and 7 rue Vaillant, and baptized in the Collegiate church of St. Etienne, Sept. 25, 1683. In this church his father, Jean 3 was organist. He held similar posts a t the Cathedral, Sainte Benigne and Notre- Dame, after the birth of his son. He intended Jean Philippe, the eldest of his three sons, to be a magistrate, but his strong vocation for music and obstinacy of character frustrated these views. According to his biographers he played the harpsichord a t 7, and read a t sight any piece of music put before him : music indeed absorbed him to such an extent when a t the Jesuit College th a t he neglected his classical studies, and was altogether so refractory th a t his parents were requested to remove him. Henceforth he never opened a book, unless it were a musical treatise. He quickly mastered the harpsichord, and studied the organ and violin with success, but there was no master in Dijon capable of teaching him to write music, and he was left to discover for himself the laws of harmony and composition. At the age of 17 he fell in love with a young 1 Vol. 1880 : vol. ii. p a r t I., 1887; vol. ii. p a r t ii., 1894. 2 The d a te of b irth is taken from the composer's monument at Dijon : th e first edition of this Dictionary gives th e more usual date , Sept. 25, 1683. ^ His mother's name was Claudlne de Martin6court. widow in the neighbourhood, who indirectly did him good service, since the shame which he felt a t the bad spelling of his letters drove him to write correctly. To break off this acquaintance his father sent him, in 1701, to Italy, where, however, he did not remain long, a mistake which, in after life, he regretted. He liked Milan, and indeed the attractions of such a centre of music must have been great. The story goes th a t he left with a theatrical manager whom he accompanied as first violin to Marseilles, Lyons, Nimes, Montpellier and other places in the south of France. I t is known th a t in 1702 he became temporary music-master a t the Metropolitan church of Avignon, and in the same year he was organist a t Clermont- Ferrand (until 1705). From his ' Premier Livre de pieces de clavecin ' (Paris, 1706) we learn th a t he was then living in Paris, a t a wigmaker's in the Vieille Rue du Temple, as Haydn did a t Keller's, though without the disastrous results which followed th a t connexion. Meantime he was organist of the Jesuit convent in the Rue St. Jacques, and of the chapel of the Peres de la Merci. Up to 1708 he remained in Paris, but took his father's place a t Notre Dame, Dijon, from 1709-14, in which year he was nominated organist a t the Jacobins, Lyons, till 1715, when he again started for Clermont-Ferrand, becoming cathedral organist there, and composing his Traite de V harmonie. I t has been stated th a t his brother Claude resigned the post of organist there in his favour, but this is incorrect, his brother being then a t Dijon.1 In this secluded mountain town, with a harsh climate predisposing to indoor life, he had plenty of time for thought and study. The defects of his education drove him to find out everything for himself. From the works of Descartes, Mersenne, Zarlino and Kircher he gained some general knowledge of the science of sound, and taking the equal division of the monochord as the starting-point of his system of harmony, soon conceived the possibility of placing the theory of music on a sound basis. Henceforth he devoted all his energies to drawing up his Traite de I'harmonie, and as soon as th a t importan t work was finished he determined to go to Paris and publish it. His engagement with the Chapter of Clermont had, however, several years to run, and there was great opposition to his leaving, owing to the popularity of his improvisations on the organ, in which his theoretical studies, far from hampering his ideas, seemed to give them greater freshness and fertility. Once free he started immediately for Paris, * His younger brother, Claude (b. Dijon ; d. Autun, May 20,1761) a man of Indomitable spirit, succeeded his father as organist a t Dijon, and only left his native town in 1755, being engaged as organist a t Autun Cathedral on Mar. 8, 1755 (Bulletin de la SociHi franca!se de Musicologir, 1921, No. 8). His son Je an Francois, a fted musician, b u t a dissipated man, is admirably portrayed by iderot in his Neveu de Rameau. He published in 1766 a poem in five cantos called Le Ramtide, followed in th e same year by La Nouvelle Ramiide, a parody by his schoolfellow Jacques Cazotte. H e U mentioned by Mercier in h is Tableau de Paris. and brought out his Traite de I'harmonie (Ballard, 1722, 4to, 432 pp.).s The work did not a t first a ttra c t much attention among French musicians, and yet, as Fetis observes, it laid the foundation for a philosophical science of harmony. Rameau's style is prolix and obscure, often calculated rather to repel than a ttra c t the reader, and the very boldness and novelty of his theories excited surprise and provoked criticism. His discovery of the law of inversion in chords was a stroke of genius, and led to very important results, although in founding his system of harmony on the sounds of the common chord, with the addition of thirds above or thirds below, he put both himself and others on a wrong track. In the application of his principle to all the chords he ! found himself compelled to give up all idea of tonality, since, on the principles of tonality he could not make the thirds for the discords fall on the notes th a t his system required. Fetis justly accuses him of having abandoned the tonal successions and resolutions prescribed in the old treatises on harmony, accompaniment and composition and the rules for connecting the chords based on the ear for a fixed order of generation, attractive from its apparent regularity, but with the serious inconvenience of leaving each chord disconnected from the rest. Having rejected the received rules for the succession and resolution of chords which were contrary to his system, Rameau perceived the necessity of formulating new ones, and drew up a method for composing a fundamental bass for every species of music. The principles he laid down for forming a bass different from the real bass of the music, and for verifying the right use of the chords, are arbitrary, in- I sufficient in a large number of cases and, as ! regards many of the successions, contrary to I the judgment of the ear. Finally, he did not perceive th a t by using the chord of the 6-5-3 both as a fundamental chord and an inversion he destroyed his whole system, as in the former case it is impossible to derive it from the third above or below.3 After more study, however, particularly on the subject of harmonics, Rameau gave up many of his earlier notions and corrected some of his most essential mistakes. The development and modification of his ideas may be seen by consulting his works, of which the following is a l i s t : Nouveau systeme de musique theorique . . . pour servir d'introduction au traite d'harmonie (1726, 4 to ) ; Generation harmonique, etc. (1737, 8v o ) ; Demonstration du principe de I'harmonie (1750, 8v o ) ; Nouvelles reflexions sur la demonstration du principe de Vharmonie (1752, 8vo) ; Extrait 2 The th ird p a r t of this was transla ted into English fifteen years la te r with the title A Treatise of Music containing the Principles cf Composition. London, no date, 8vo, 180 pp. 3 Fetis has explained, detailed and refuted R ameau's B y s t em in his Esquisse de V histoire de i'harmonie, which has been used by th e writer, and to which he refers his reader*. (Tune reponse de M. Rameau a M. Euler sur Videntite des octaves, etc. (1753, 8vo)-all published in Paris. To these specific works, all dealing with the science of harmony, should be added the Dissertation sur les differentes methodes d'accompagnement pour le clavecin ou pour I'orgue (Paris, Boivin, 1732, 4to), and some articles which appeared in the Mercure de France and in the Memoires de Trevoux. The mere titles of these works are a proof of the research and invention which Rameau brought to boar on the theory of music ; but what was most remarkable in his case is th a t he succeeded in lines which are generally opposed to each other, and throughout life occupied the first rank not only as a theorist, but as a player and composer. Ju s t when his Traite de Vharmonie was beginning to a ttra c t attention he arranged to make music for the little pieces which his fellow-countryman, Alexis Piron, was writing for the Theatre de la Foire, and accordingly, on Feb. 3, 1723, they produced ' L'Endriague,' in three acts, with dances, divertissements and ' grand airs,' as stated in the title. In Jan. 1724 he obtained the privilege of publishing his cantatas and various instrumental compositions, amongst others his ' Pieces de clavecin, avec une methode pour la mecanique des doigts,' etc., republished as ' Pieces de clavecin, avec une table pour les agrements ' 1 (Paris, 1731 and 1736, oblong folio). As a favourite music - master Rameau's position and prospects now warranted his taking a wife, and on Feb. 25, 1726, he was united to Marie Louise Mangot, a good musician, with a pretty voice. The disparity of their ages was considerable, the bride being only 18, but her loving and gentle disposition made the marriage a very happy one. A few days later, on Feb. 29, Rameau produced a t the Theatre de la Foire a one-act piece called ' L'Enrolement d 'Arlequin,' followed in the autumn by ' Le Faux Prodigue,' two acts, both written by Piron. Such small comic pieces as these were obviously composed, by a man of his age and attainments (he was now 42), solely with the view of gaining access to a stage of higher rank, but there was no hope of admission to the theatre of the Academie without a good libretto, and this it was as difficult for a beginner to obtain then as it is now. There is a remarkable letter, still extant, from Rameau to Houdar de Lamotte, dated Oct. 1727, asking him for a lyric tragedy, and assuring him th a t he was no novice, but one who had mastered the ' a r t of concealing his a r t.' The blind poet refused his request, but aid came from another quarter. La Popeliniere, the fermier general, musician, poet and artist, whose houses in Paris and at l Both F<*tis and Pougin h ave fallen into th e m istake of considering thla a s eparate work. Passy were frequented by the most celebrated artists, French and foreign, had chosen Rameau as his clavecinist and conductor of the music a t his fetes, and before long placed a t his disposal the organ in his chapel, his orchestra and his theatre. He did more, for through his influence Rameau obtained from Voltaire the lyric tragedy of ' Samson,' which he promptly set to music, though the performance was prohibited on the eve of its representation a t the Academie-an exceptional stroke of ill-fortune.2 In 1727 a competition took place for the post of organist a t the church of St. Paul, and Rameau was among the candidates. Marchand, then a t the head of the organists in Paris, was naturally one of the examiners ; and either from fear of being outshone by one whom he had formerly patronised, or for some other reason, he used his whole influence in favour of Daquin, who obtained the post. In 1732 Rameau was organist a t Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie and in 1736 a t the church of the Jesuits' College. His first dramatic work of importance, for which the Abbe Pellegrin agreed to furnish a libretto, was ' Hippolyte et Aricie,' founded on Racine's Phedre. The Abbe compelled Rameau to sign a bill for 500 livres as security in case the opera failed, but showed more sagacity and more heart than might have been expected from one ' Qui dlnait de l'autel et soupait du theatre, Le matin catholique et le soir idolatre,' for he was so delighted with the music on its first performance a t La Popeliniere's th a t he tore up the bill a t the end of the first act. The world in general was less enthusiastic, and after having overcome the ill-will or stupidity of the performers, Rameau had to encounter the astonishment of tho crowd, the prejudices of routine and the jealousy of his brother artists. Campra alone recognised his genius, and it is to his honour th a t when questioned by the Prince de Conti on the subject he replied, 1 There is stuff enough in " Hippolyte et Aricie " for ten I operas ; this man will eclipse us all.' The opera was produced a t the Academie de Musique on Oct. 1, 1733. Rameau was then turned 50 years of age, and the outcry with which his work was greeted suggested to him th a t he had possibly mistaken his career ; for a time he contemplated retiring from the theatre, but was reassured by seeing his hearers gradually accustoming themselves to tho novelties which a t first shocked them. The success of 1 Les Indes galantes ' (Aug. 23, 1735), of 1 Castor et Pollux,' his masterpiece (Oct. 24, 1737) and of ' Les Fetes d 'Hebe ' (May 21, 1739), however, neither disarmed his critics, nor prevented Rousseau from making himself the mouthpiece of those who cried up Lully a t the expense of the new composer. But Rameau was too well 2 On th e history of this work, see Huftues Im b e r t's Symphonie (1891), an d for a resume of th e facts, see M u t . T ., 1898, p. ?79 S . aware of the cost of success to be hu r t by epigrams, especially when he found th a t he could count both on the applause of the multitude and the genuine appreciation of the more enlightened. His industry was immense, as the following list of his operas and ballets produced a t the Academie de Musique in twenty years will show: Dardanus, five acta and prologue ff 'c t. 19, 1739). Les Fetes de Polymnie, three acts and prologue (Oct. 12,1745). Le Temple de la Gloire, Pete in thre e acts and prologue (Feb. 1745). Zais, four acts and prologue (Feb. 29, 1748). Pygmalion, one a c t (Aug. 27, 174