New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-12-28
By II. f. Krehbiel

'Artaxerxes,' which opened a new Pc
Rod for music in England. "from
which Is to be dated the establishment
of an English dramatic school which,
if not yet accomplished. has made
many notable advances" Though Mrs
Rogers several times refers to her
father as second cousin of Meyer
beers, she is not as entirely exact or
accurate in her definition of the rela-
tionship. 1t was her grandfather who
was Meyerbeer' second cousin. He was
born of Hungarian mother and a
Prussian father, and his name was
Bernhard Beer, which he changed to
Barnett Barnett when he took up resi-
dence in England. Meyerbeer's name
originally was Jakob Lehman Beer,
which he changed to the familiar and
famous form out of Difference to q
relative named Meyer who left him a
legacy which made him so rich that his
mother could ssay Of him that he was
composer, but not because Of neces-
sity.
Clara Doria's Story
But that is only incidental to the
history Of John Barnetts daughter,
who was born in Chcltenham, England,
and there she passed her childhood
days and began her music studies at
home. Early as this in her narrative
we find mention Of one whose name IL
bright II not luminous in the musical
history Of New York. 1t is that OF
John Sebastian Bach Mills, who en-.
tered the circle of Barnett acquein-
tances and awed them by the fact that
although child, he could play all the
rty-eight Preludes and Fugues OF
Bach from memory. He came to New
York In 1859 and lived here all his
life, though he died In Wiesbaden In
1893. Clara Barnett met him again
when they were both students of the
pianoforte at the Leipsic Conservatory
where he was one of the young mu-
sicians who used to meet with the
Misses Barnett (Clara's sister Rosa
mond was also a music student) and
their mother on Sunday evenings
Others of the party were Carl Rosa
Franklin Taylor and John Francis Bar
nett cousin Of the author. who de-
veloped into composer. Concerning
Mills at this period it must have been
1858 800 Mrs. Rogers writes:
"He had preceded us to Leipsic and
stood already in high repute at the
Consevatorium rs a pianist. He was
the delight Of Plaidy's heart as the
perfect and brilliant exponent Of his
! technical method, and when, later on.
Mr.. Mills fell madly in love with a
beautiful English girl-a Miss Young
who was in Leipsic with her mother
and sister. Plaidy was in despair. That
anything should intervene to interrupt
the brilliant career that he had
chalked out for Mills in Germany was
an unbearable grief to him! He did
all he could to separate the lovers, ap-
pealing to my mother to help, when he
found that Mrs. Young's efforts and
those of her sister did not avail with
the dark-eyed beauty. 1t was all in
vain, however, for in the long run the
lovers had their way and ended by
getting OFF to America together in
spite of an intrigue to which Plaidy in
his desperation had recourse to stop
the proceedings. Mills settled in New
York with his wife. where he stood
very high as q pianist and teacher and,
let US hope, was happy ever after!" So
we believe he was; happy, too, we're
the music lovers of New York in pos
sessng him. Forty years ago and for
a long time after two musicians of
English birth dignified local must
cianship as it has not been dignified
since. They were S. B. Mills and
Richard Hoffman. who had preceded