The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-06-11

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Franz Abs who may be Justly styled
the favorite lyrical composer of the
present age, is native Of the little fac
tory town. Of Edenburgi in the PAnisu
providence Of saxouy. where his father,
himself distinguished musician, re-
sided aaA minister Of the Lutheran
Church. sud the future composer was
born there on the 2lst of September,
1919. The young Francis, who allowed
great musical talent at an early day,
received bis education at the celebrated
Thomas School, in Leipsic, and was al
first destined for the legslpFeiession,
and in fact studied law for about q year,
but, becoming tired of his legal drud-
gerry, devoted himself in his nineteenth
year entirely to his favorite study
music.
But on this field be was destined to
meet at first with many disappoint-
menta, and long and weary was his
search for publishers who would Jake
his virgin compositions, mostly waltzes
and other dances, in hand. At length,
however, he found q man who published
some of them, and on the 18th of April,
1888, the publisher, Kuenzel, in Leipsic,
advertised six new dances, by Franz
Abt, the first week in which the young
composer appeared before the public.
These were very favorably received,
and the success, he met with encouraged
him to further efforts. He tried his
strength 10 lyrical compositions, and
there met with still greater applause,
go that he soon decided upon this par
ticular field IS the one adapted TO his
taleuts. Studying his art, and COM
posing meanwhile great number OF
pretty pieces, which yielded him an
economical income. Abt resided in
Leipsic until the fall Of lS4l, when be
got married and obtained the position
Of leader of the orchestra OF the
Zurich Theatre. The theatre, how
ever, was closed in May 1912,
and Abt was 10 somewhat
Strengthened circumstances, when he
had the good fortune to meet an Eng
lish man, at that time residing at
Zurich, who engaged him as his music
teacher at a salary which at once freed
Abt from all pccuniary embarrass-
meuts. This position also gave him
the time to devote himself to his com
positions, and the soiourn Of the lyrical
composer, Kueken, in Zurich. acted as
q spur to animate him in his efforts.
Early in the morning he sat down 10
his work. and thus created seven new
songs, the text of which was mostly
taken from Herlossohn's "Buch der
Liebe" (Book OF Love and one Of these,
which bore the simple name OF
"Agathe," was destined to carry his
name to almost every household Of the
civilized world This simple poem was
destined to make the journey around
the world under an another name,
which, since then, has become familiar
to almost everybody-"When the Swal-
lows Homeward Fly" But this great
success was not attained right away.
On the contrary, the song was rejected
by one publisher after another, and
"the swallows flew homeward for many
years, till at last they were included in
the collection of songs published under
the name of "Orphion," by
Gospel, in Stuttgart. But even
now the song was not noticed, and
it took more than three years
before it became generally known.
Then, however, it made the triumphant
tour around the world, and soon raised
the author to fame. He received at
once any amount OF orders from musical
publishers, and not long after obtained
the position of Musical D rector OF the
Court OF Brunswick. His later compo.
sitions are we'll known, and his WAN
derer," "On the Neckar, on the Rhine,
From the eye beams the heart" Sleep
well, my darling angel, The silent
water rose" and GOOD night my lovely
child have become tavorites in every
house where music is cultivated. Par
ticulsrly the latter has OF late been
brought into particular notice by
Wachtel singing it In the "Posullion,
and is admired almost as much as the
swallow song" Wschtel has sung
this song more than seven hundred
times publicly, and thinks it one Of the
best compositions Of Abt, of whom he
entertains the highest opinion, which is
indeed shared by everybody who loves
music aud knows how to appreciate
works OF real merit.