New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-23

being undated, took up their residence in rranes
The town or Melun received the yOnthfni mir avn.
Pathetically, and for time made much OF them,
,iAey remained there several years Itan giving
lessons. and practising diligently hinself Any
kind Of respectable existence was isund % nah
on him at last, and he finally left III young via
and went, first e Paris, and aftcrsard to Brus
was one OF the conccrtos.symnhoiies o. whieb
his fame largely rests This gst one was A
little crude. but full Of feeling and rather original
enough 80 az any rate to create small Juror IN
muslcai circles. Litolifs life ir Brussels WAC 80
full OF wild and extravapnt d.bsuchery that he
succeeded in attracting the atentioq 0f the cty
officials, who, after Several incredible pieces Of De.
pravity on his part, forced HIM to leave the coan.
try,
In Berlin no was received with the greatest en-.
thusiasm His concerts wee laYsely attended and
his eq N Ppssdess became r., rp4y pppsulSr
forgotten his little EngliSl WIFE, who had retnrrei
to her parents. In 1915 he Ind the tenierity %
go TO England, but scarcely had he landed when
his iratc fatherin-law had him arrested and throwa
into prison., Escaping somehow or other, I.iiof
fled to Holland and resumed bis eccentric wac.
behring's. His health, never robust had snEeni
much from his irregular habits, and he brousa,
up in Brunswick sorcy afflicted with hypochondIa
and sick unto death.
He was nursed back to life by the widow of hs
sometime boon companion, music publisher named
Meyer. The English wife was either dead or he'd
divorce, and LtOlG married the widow Of Nd,
friend. One OF his spasns Of responsibility took
possession Of him after his marriage. lie settled
down in Brunswick and devoted himself 10 bnilt
ing up the fortunes of the publishing house. With
the aid OF his wife ne soon put the establishment
in fourlshing condition, and at the present day
II Is Of the most important Of its kind In the
city, -, ... -. u..o;. a..
publicity, returned after three years or 50, and
litolff set out for Holland, where bis coneertos
were greatly liked. in Brussels was produced foI
the first time his overtures to the Girondins and
Robespierre.. This his greatest triumph, ard
vastly increased his fame as composer Shortly
afterward he fell violently Ill and was again
nursed back TO health by his wife. He returned
with Ter to Brunswick but the old life Of bust.
ness had completely lost its charm. it was pleas.
ant to make money. but the intoXication Of artist,
success was even more inviting: In Paris nc re-
peated his triumph Of the preceding year. M BruS-
sells. His fourth concerto symphonic was produced
To great enthusiasm, and his playing was much
admired at the Conservative.
Madame Litolf- Meyer got divorce, and he,
quite satisfied, resigned all claim u the business
which she still manages in spite Of her advanced
age.
Litolf seems to hove been man of great per-
sonal magnetism. In 1860, although his cOntin-
ued ill-health had given him an appearance Of age
which his forty-two years did not at all warrant,
his charm was great enough to win
the heart of Mile. Louise de IA Roche.
foucauld daughter of Count Wilfrid de Ia
Rochefoucauld, a young lady of great beauty and
lived very happily for time, Litolif was pas
was the grief of his varied and eccentric life.
In 1913 his fst grand opera, Mabel was
produced, and shortly afterward, "pEscadrcn
vOlant de la Refine" Neither was particularly
successful at the time, although the latter, re-
vived at the Theatre COmique twenty-five years
later. was accorded tardy recognition. lie con.
tinued to live in Paris, Bohemian existence, full
Of everything but monotony. Sometimes on the
top wave Of popularity nnd wealth, often inhabt
ing the traditional garnet. Not succeeding at the
larger theatres, he began to write light opea
In 1871 La Boite de Pandora was wildly ae
plauded at the Foies Dramatiques. Heoise and
Abeard," which really contained some excellent
music, was equally successful. This easy trans
formation from the severely classic tn the purely
popular style was only too CHARACTERISTIC OF the
laiSser-aller of the mans disposition. His later
operettas are less admired. They were all hastily
written and are unequal in strength His Opera
The Knight Templar contains many Noe pas
sages, but on the whole. was Disappointing II
is the most pretentiOus OF his later efforts, and
proved no special credit to the composer. lie
was old-fashioned and out Of date in his ideas.
If he could have added 70 his brilliant and power
full imagination, his admirable talent and fine
taste, few modern methods of arrangement, etc,
he might have done excellent work. As it is his
early compositions, the concertos Of forty years
ago, are all that remain high in public esteem,
and it is in them that his memory will continue.