- Litolff, Henry Charles
[E] Litolff, Henry Charles, composer and
pianist, born in London, February 6, 1818.
His father was a native of Alsace, taken
prisoner by the English in the Peninsular
war, who settled in London as a violinist.
His mother was Irish. Litolff studied the
pianoforte under Moscheles, and made his
debut at his master's concert, Covent Garden
Theatre, July 24, 1832. In 1835 he married,
against his parents' wish, and went to reside
in France. He gave concerts in various
places, toured in Germany, 1845-6, gaining
the title of " The English Liszt." He pla3'ed
at the Leipzig Gewandhaus several times
from November 28, 1844, to February 7, 1856.
In 1851 he entered upon the music business
of Meyer, of Brunswick, which lie transferred
to his son, Theodor, in 1860. From 1861 he
resided chiefly in Paris ; and died at Colombo,
near that city, August 5, 1891. In 1882, a
Festival in his honour was held at Angers.[W] Works. — Operas : Der Braut vom Kynast,
1847 ; Rodrique de Tolede ; Les Templiers,
written about 1865 ; produced, Brussels, Jan-
uary, 1886 ; The Flying Squadron of the
Queen, Paris, 1888 ; and King Lear, finished
in 1890, and found among his papers after
his death. Five SjTnphony-concertos, for pf.
and orchestra. Overtures, Robespierre ; Les
Girondins ; Das Welfenlied ; Chant des Beiges.[+] Quartet, strings ; Three Trios, pf. and strings ;
and a number of pieces for pf. He was a
man of genius, and his works abound with
beautiful ideas ; but the worlinianship is fre-
quently faulty, and in value his compositions
are very unequal.entry id: 249-R-34
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