The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-05-19

the
Composer,
Born
May 18th, 1868,
Died
October 2Jt 1870,
Immediately Opposite, at the other side
OF the pathway, il the grave Of Thomas
Hood. There is bronze bust Of the
poet elevated Oh pedestal Of polished
red granite, inscribed with the words
which he desired should be Ills epitaph
-" He sang tue Song of the Shirt. ,"
Bale was bcru on the 18th May, 1903,
at No. 10 Pitt street, Dublin. which con-
ta ms marble tablet recording the fact,
erected by john Logan. the musician
Bales father was Protestant and his
mother q Catholic. The boy was brought
UP & Protestant, III accordance with the
custom observed in ireland in those days
il, regard to ''mixed maria ges," that
the male children should follow the re-
ngion .. The father and the female tha;
OF the mother. Old Balfe was a member
Of the orchestra Of the Grow street
Theatre, and an excellent musician, At
{: very early age he taught his son to
play the violin and pianoforrs, and SO
proficient master Of these instruments
did young BaIfe become that while he
was yet only in Che beginning Of his
teens the announcement Of his inteuded
appearance ct 4 public concert in Dub
lin was sufficient to attract s. crowded
house
Notwithstanding his great success as
q musician, Balfe's first idea was to be-
come vocalist, and with that object in
view he went through the usual course
OF training and subsequently sang IN
many concerts iii London. Avery c1lri-
ous circumstance obtained fer Bale the
patronage and assistance of the wealthy
Russian Count Mezzara They met in
Lo1don in 1925, and the Count Was so
touched by Balfe's likeness to has de-
ceased and on y son that he took him to
Italy and defrayed the expenses Of his
Studies as q vocalist. After some years
on she lyric stage Balfe was not satisfied
With his SUCCESS, though it was very
considerable. and in 1886 he gave up
singing and turned his attention to
musical composition.
''.rhe Bohemian Grip WAS his first
great and now most wildly kno VII and ad-
nlired work. Tt was produced in Drury
IAaue, London, on the 27th November,
1s42, the composer being then in his
35th year. The newspapers Of the time
tell lis that the opera was at first re-
ceived indiffereptly, but after a few
nights public interest i'll it WIS aroused
to nn extraordinary pitch, and it was
produced for one hundred nights before
houses crammed in every part. The
light, airy, and tuneful music caught the
popular taste, the airs were of course
whistled and humlned and strummed
everywhere and by everybody, and gipsy
became delightfully."- interesting study.
.Balfe's fame as composer was now
firmly established. Every work he pro-
duced was received with similar out
bursts of popular enthusiasm. His
other great operas are "lhe Rose Of Cas-
tile" 1.-The Siege OF Rochelle" and
lie Talismano.'' The last, in the
opinion of musical critics, Is his best
work. He died before it was completed,
but committee Of English composers
having finished il. it was produced at
her Majestys Opera with great success.
The extent of Balfe's labors as CON-
poser is almost beyond credence:
Shortly after his death memorial was
presented by his admirers to D ean Stan
ley. praying for permission to erect
liable to his memory in Westminster Alb
hey, and in the memorial I find the fol-
owing detailed account of his works, set !
:orth in order to establish his claim to
he honor sought for
t'Balfe was the first British composer
% elevate the English Lyric Drama to a
nigh position in this country; SO was he {
Ilso the first native subject who was able
o compete on the Continent with foreign
composers. and produce in France, Ger i
many, Italy, and Spain the works Of a {
British musician. His prolific creative I
,ower is best proved by the published /
lst Of the works produced in England 6
nd on the Continent. Balfe wrote 4
uentY-nine operas, three of them to q
'renoh text for original production in 6
81 ari Ut 1--WE 70 italian librettes, and the g
; llu,r twenty one to English words. Mott 7