Thirty Years of Musical Life in London

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

14-15

text excerpt

It was at the suggestion of Malibran that [Sir Julius] Benedict left Paris and 
went to England in 1835. He quickly made his mark as an operatic composer, and 
successfully competed with Michael Balfe and Vincent Wallace in the race for 
fame. Like them, he wrote and produced many operas; like them, he left only one 
that really promises to survive. Indeed, Benedict's "Lily of Killarney" is the 
sole English opera of the so-called "ballad" type that still shares popularity 
with "The Bohemian Girl" and "Maritana." Although such a mediocre conductor, he 
was an admirable accompanist. He had studied under Hummel at Weimar before going 
to Weber, and was a quite capable pianist. His reputation in this capacity was 
not a little enhanced by his association with Jenny Lind on her memorable tour 
in the United States (1850-52). At any rate, after his return to London his 
services "at the piano" were in request at every kind of musical function, and 
he was practically the sole accompanist employed at the Monday Popular Concerts 
during the first twenty years of their existence. 

excerpt from 'Thirty Years of Musical Life in London, 1870-1900' pp. 14-15 (180 words)

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1438890544563