The British Musical Biography

[E] Barnett, John, composer, was born at
Bedford, July 15, 1802, son of Bernhard Beer,
a Prussian watchmaker, who settled in Eng-
land and changed his name to Barnett. He
was articled to S. J. Arnold, proprietor of the
Lyceum Theatre, and studied under C. E.
Horn, Price, and Ries. Married Miss Lindley,
daughter of the violoncello player, 1837.
Studied Vogler's system of harmony at Frank-
fort, under Schnyder von Wartensee, and
returned to London in 1838. He opened St.
James's Theatre for English opera in 1839.
Retired to Cheltenham, where he established
himself as a vocal teacher, in 1841. Resided
in Leipzig and in Italy for a short time,
superintending the education of his children.
Died near Cheltenham, April 17, 1890.

[W] Works. — Operettas and Operas : Before
Breakfast, Musical Farce, written by Richard
Peake, Lyceum, 1828; Music in Miss Mit-
ford's Rienzi, Drury Lane, 1828 ; Monsieur
Mallet, operetta, written by Thomas Mon-
crieff, Adelphi Theatre, 1828 ; Two Seconds,
operetta, written by R. Peake, Lyceum, 1829 ;
Carnival of Naples, opera, Covent Garden,
1830 ; Robert the Devil, musical drama, Co-
vent Garden, 1830 ; The Picturesque, operetta,
written by Thomas Haynes Bayley. Lyceum,
1830 ; Baron Trenck, operetta, written by T.
Morton, sen., destroyed in the fire at Covent
Garden Theatre, 1830; Country Quarters,
musical farce, Covent Garden, 1831 ; Court of
Queen's Bench, operetta, Olympic Theatre
(Vestris), 1832 ; Paphian Bower operetta,
written by Blanche and C. Dance, Olympic
Theatre, December, 1832 ; Harlequin Pat,
operetta, Covent Garden, 1832 ; Married
Lovers, musical farce, Lyceum, 1832 ; Promo-
tion, musical farce, Lyceum, 1833 ; Pet of the
Petticoats, operetta, Sadler's Wells, August,
1832 ; Win Her and Wear Her, opera, Drury
Lane, December, 1839 ; Soldier's Widow, mii-
sical drama, written by E. Fitzball, liinglish
Opera Company, Adelphi, 1838 ; Two songs
and a march in Nell Gwynne, Covent Garden,
1833 ; Song in Planche's Charles the Twelfth,
Drury Lane, 1833 ; Deuce is in her, operetta,
1833 ; Olympic Revels, 1833 ; Blanche of Jer-
sey, 1834 ; Mountain Sylph, opera, written by
Thackwray, Lyceum, August 25, 1834 ; Fair
Rosamond, opera, written by C. Z. Barnett,
Drury Lane, March 30, 1837 ; Farinelli, opera,
written by C. Z. Barnett, Drury Lane, Feb-
ruary 8, 183-7 ; Kathleen opera (never pro-
duced), composed in 1840 ; Marie, opera,
composed in 1845 (unfinished). Oratorios :
Omnipresence of the Deity, published in 1829
(never performed) ; Daniel, unfinished, com-
posed in 1841. A Mass. A Symphony, unfin-
ished, composed in 1840. Two string quartets,
MS., composed in 1840. Spare Moments, three
sketches for concertina [1859] . Part-songs:
Twelve Part-songs, mostly published in 1870 ;
Chamber Madrigals, London, 1861 : It is sum-
mer it is summer ; Bend down from thy chariot ;
Haste not ; Farewell to the Flowers ; Tic-tac
of the mill ; Dear peaceful valley ; Evening
drum ; Merrily, merrily sounds the horn ; In
the merry greenwood ; Wrong not, sweet
mistress (madrigal) ; Chamois Hunter ; O
Lord, our governor. Duets . Set of six vocal
duets [1845] ; A smile, a tear ; A spring song ;
Come where the flowers are blooming ; Dear
maid, my heart is thine ; Down in the dell ;
The Gleaner's Bell ; Good night ; The Hun-
garian to his bride ; I'll follow thee ; Moon-
light, music, love, and flowers: My gondola
glides ; No inore, no more ; Oh ! give to me ;
Oh ! 'tis sweet to meet again ; Spring ; The
twilight hour ; There's not a breeze ; When at
night ; Where are the mountains ; Wilt thou
tempt the wave ? Songs : Amusement for
leisure hours — seven songs and one duet
[1835] ; Songs of the Minstrels [1830].
Dreams of a Persian maiden [1842] ; Twelve
Russian Melodies, with words by Harry Stoe
van Dyk [1822] ; Songs of the Slavonians,
containing Bohemian popular airs, with words
by John Bowring, London, 1824 ; Twenty-four
songs in imitation of the music of various
nations, with words by Van Dyk, Leon Lee,
and Mayhew, 1824 ; Twelve Songs from Fairy
Land, written by Thomas Haynes Bayley,
1827 ; Lyric Illustrations of the Modern
Poets, 1834, reprinted in 1877 ; Adieu to thee
fair Rhine ; Ask me no more ; A day-dream ;
Banks of Broomsgrove ; Break, break, l^reak ;
Bride's farewell ; Chase the falling tear ;
Clansman's bride ; Come to me, thou gentle
child ; Dear Napoli ; Days of Chivalry ; Days
that ne'er return ; Flower of my life ; Fill up
the wine cup ; Flowers of summer; Go, thou
art free ; Highlander's bride ; Her heart is
mine ; Highland soldier ; Highland minstrel
boy ; Hark, the fairy bells ; Hope for the
best ; Here's a health to merry England ; The
Holly ; Hark, hark to the sound ; I have been
to the woods ; Is the reign of fancy over ?
Knight of the golden crest ; Light guitar ;
Light of heart am I ; Lord, I believe ; List to
my wild guitar ; My home beside the Quadal-
quiver ; Minstrel's lament ; Mermaid's song ;
Maid of Athens ; My native land, good night ;
Maiden of Sicily ; Now the lamp of day has
fled ; Normandy maid ; Rock me to sleep ;
Hose of Lucerne, 1823 ; Rise, gentle moon ;
Swiss shepherd ; Sing, nightingale, sing ;
Sailor boy's song ; Spirit of love ; There sits a
lovely maid ; The opal ring ; The ship ; Ves-
per hour ; Up to the Forest ; Village bells ;
Young moss rose ; Year's last hours. Systems
and Singing Masters, a Comment upon the
Wilhem System, and remarks upon Mr. J.
Hullah's Manual, London, 1842, also, 1877.
School for the Voice, a theoretical and practi-
cal treatise, London [1845] ; since reprinted
several times.
Barnett's Mountain Sylph was the first
English Opera cast in the dramatic form
followed by Weber and other masters. It
was very popular on its original production
in 1834, and had a run of over 100 nights. Of
the immense number of songs and other vocal
pieces puljlished by Barnett, amounting in all
to nearly 2000 items, only a few are known to
the present generation of musicians. His
eldest daughter married Mr. Robert E. Fran-
cillon, the well-known novelist.

entry id: 28-L-27