Sir Julius Benedict (27 November 1804 – 5 June 1885) was a German-born composer and
conductor, resident in England for most of his career.
Life and music
Benedict was born in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
, the son of a Jewish banker, and in 1820 learnt composition from
Johann Nepomuk Hummel at
Weimar
Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...
and in 1821 from
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (5 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and Music criticism, critic in the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Best known for List of operas by Carl Maria von Weber, h ...
at
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
; it was Weber who introduced him in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
to
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
on 5 October 1823. In the same year, he was appointed
Kapellmeister
( , , ), from German (chapel) and (master), literally "master of the chapel choir", designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in i ...
of the Kärnthnerthor theatre at Vienna, and two years later in 1825, he became Kapellmeister of the San Carlo theatre at
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
. It was here he gave piano lessons to the young prodigy
Theodor Döhler.
In Naples his first opera, ''Giacinta ed Ernesto'', premiered in 1827, and another, written for his native city, ''I Portoghesi in
Goa'', was given there in 1830; neither of these was a great success, and in 1834 he went to Paris, leaving it in 1835 at the suggestion of
Maria Malibran for London, where he spent the remainder of his life. In 1836 he was given the conductorship of an operatic enterprise at the
Lyceum Theatre, and brought out a short opera, ''Un anno ed un giorno'', previously given in Naples.
In 1838 he became conductor of the English opera at
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...
during the period of
Michael William Balfe
Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''.
After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...
's great popularity; his own operas produced there were ''The Gipsy's Warning'' (1838), ''The Brides of Venice'' (1844), and ''The Crusaders'' (1846). In 1848 he conducted
Felix Mendelssohn
Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...
's ''
Elijah
Elijah ( ) or Elias was a prophet and miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible.
In 1 Kings 18, Elijah defended the worsh ...
'' at
Exeter Hall, for the first appearance of
Jenny Lind in
oratorio
An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble.
Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...
, and in 1850 he was the accompanist and conductor on
Lind's tour of America.
On his return in 1852 he became musical conductor under
James Henry Mapleson's management at
Her Majesty's Theatre
His Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated in the Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The building, designed by Charles J. Phipps, was constructed in 1897 for the actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who ...
(and afterwards at Drury Lane), and in the same year conductor of the Harmonic Union. Amongst his minor works is an ''Andantino for
Concertina and
Fortepiano
A fortepiano is an early piano. In principle, the word "fortepiano" can designate any piano dating from the invention of the instrument by Bartolomeo Cristofori in 1700 up to the early 19th century. Most typically, however, it is used to ref ...
'' written in 1858. Benedict wrote recitatives for the production of an Italian-language version of Weber's ''
Oberon
Oberon () is a king of the fairy, fairies in Middle Ages, medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania ...
'' in 1860 (it was then the tradition in England to perform German operas in Italian). In the same year his
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...
''Undine'' was produced at the
Norwich Festival, in which
Clara Novello appeared in public for the last time.
His best-known opera, ''
The Lily of Killarney'', written on the subject of
Dion Boucicault
Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...
's play ''
The Colleen Bawn'' to a
libretto
A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...
by
John Oxenford, was produced at
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
in 1862. His
operetta
Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
''The Bride of Song'' was brought out there in 1864.
Benedict wrote a march for the wedding of
Albert Edward,
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
and
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, queen-consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 Januar ...
in 1863. ''St Cecilia'', an oratorio, was performed at the Norwich Festival in 1868; ''St Peter'' at the
Birmingham Festival of 1870; ''Graziella'', a
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...
, was given at the Birmingham Festival of 1882, and in August 1883 was produced in operatic form at
the Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast iron and plate glass structure, originally built in Hyde Park, London, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. The exhibition took place from 1 May to 15 October 1851, and more than 14,000 exhibitors from around ...
. Here also a
symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...
by him was given in 1873. In the autumn of 1875, Benedict corresponded with
W. S. Gilbert about collaborating on a comic opera with him, but Gilbert had too many projects and the idea was dropped.
Benedict conducted every Norwich Festival from 1845 to 1878 inclusive, and the
Liverpool Philharmonic Society's concerts from late 1875 to 1880. He was the regular accompanist at the
Monday Popular Concerts in London from their start, and with few exceptions acted as conductor of these concerts.
He contributed an interesting life of Weber to the series of biographies of ''Great Musicians''. In 1871 he was
knighted, and in 1874 was made knight commander of the orders of
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...
and
Frederick I of Württemberg. In 1884, friends set up a benefit fund to aid him financially. He died at his residence in London on 5 June 1885 and was buried in
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in P ...
.
Benedict had three daughters (Adeline, Georgina and Alice) and two sons (Ernest and Julius) with his first wife, Therese. Therese and his younger son Julius died within a year of each other, between 1851 and 1852. At some point in his life, Benedict converted to Christianity; his children's education included
Roman Catholic sacraments. A
London County Council
The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...
blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving a ...
commemorates Benedict at 2
Manchester Square, Marylebone, where he lived and died.
Compositions (selective list)
Orchestral
* 1827 – Concertino No.1, for piano and orchestra, Op.18 (fp. Teatro del Fondo, Naples, 26 May 1827)
ater incorporated into Piano Concerto in A flat, 1867* 1833 – Concertino No.2, for piano and orchestra, Op.19 (fp. King's Theatre, London, 1837)
ater incorporated into Piano Concerto in E flat, 1867* c.1850 – ''Festival Overture'', Op.42
* 1850 – Konzertstück
iano Concerto No.1in C minor, for piano and orchestra, Op.45 (fp. Philharmonic Society, London, 17 June 1850)
* 1862 – ''The Octoroon'', overture
* c.1865 – ''Le ménestrel'', overture. Op.76
* c.1865 – ''The Tempest'', overture, Op.77
* 1867 – Piano Concerto
o.2in E flat, Op.89 (fp. Crystal Palace, London, 27 April 1867)
* 1867 – Piano Concerto
o.3in A flat, Op.90
* 1868 – ''La selva incantata'', overture (fp. Philharmonic Society, London, 6 July 1868)
* 1872-73 – Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op.101 (andante and scherzo performed Norwich Festival, 1872; first complete performance Crystal Palace, London, 22 November 1873)
* 1874 – ''Alfred and Marie'', grand march
elebrating the marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh* 1874-76 – Symphony No. 2 in C (scherzo performed
British Orchestral Society, St James's Hall, London, 22 January 1874; three movements performed Crystal Palace, London, 17 April 1875)
Choral and vocal
* 1822 – ''L'amor timido'', cantata (fp. Stuttgart, August 1822)
* 1860 – ''Undine'', cantata (fp. Norwich Festival, 1860)
* 1863 – ''Richard Coeur de Lion'', cantata (fp. Norwich Festival, 17 September 1863)
* 1866 – ''The Legend of St Cecilia'', cantata (fp. Norwich Festival, 1 November 1866)
* 1870 – ''St Peter'', oratorio (fp. Birmingham Festival, 2 September 1870)
* 1882 – ''Graziella'', cantata (fp. Birmingham Festival, 29 August 1882)
* 1883 – ''Mary Stuart's Farewell'', scena for contralto and orchestra (fp. Philharmonic Society, London, 25 April 1883)
Operatic

* 1827 – ''Giacinta ed Ernesto'' (fp. Teatro del Fondo, Naples, 31 March 1827)
* 1830 – ''I portoghesi in Goa'' (fp. Stuttgart, 1830; Teatro San Carlo, Naples, 28 June 1830)
* 1836 – ''Un anno ed un giorno'' (fp. Teatro del Fondo, Naples, 19 October 1836)
* 1838 – ''The Gypsy's Warning'' (fp. Drury Lane Theatre, London, 19 April 1838)
* 1844 – ''The Brides of Venice'' (fp. Drury Lane Theatre, London, 22 April 1844)
* 1845-46 – ''The Crusaders'' (fp. Drury Lane Theatre, London, 26 February 1846)
* 1861-62 – ''The Lily of Killarney'' (fp. Covent Garden Theatre, London, 10 February 1862)
* 1864 – ''The Bride of Song'', operetta (fp. Covent Garden Theatre, London, 3 December 1864)
Incidental music
* 1882 – ''Romeo and Juliet'' (fp. Royal Lyceum Theatre, London, May 1882)
Other music
* 1858 – ''Andantino for Concertina and Fortepiano''
* 1876 – ''Andantino'', arranged by the composer for four performers on two pianofortes
* 1884 – ''Andantino'', the 1876 arrangement arranged by Harry Drew for the organ.
[Duncan Davison & Co., London, 1884]
Cantata - 78 giri HMV 1927 "La zingara e l'uccello - Amelita Galli Curci
See also
*
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is a music organisation based in Liverpool, England, that manages a professional symphony orchestra, a concert venue, and extensive programmes of learning through music. Its orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmo ...
References
*
*
External links
Musical Manuscripts Collectionat the
Harry Ransom Center
The Harry Ransom Center, known as the Humanities Research Center until 1983, is an archive, library, and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe ...
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict, Julius
19th-century classical composers
German opera composers
German male opera composers
English opera composers
Composers for concertina
Musicians from Stuttgart
German conductors (music)
German male conductors (music)
English classical composers
British male conductors (music)
Knights Bachelor
Composers awarded knighthoods
Jewish classical composers
German emigrants to the United Kingdom
19th-century German Jews
1804 births
1885 deaths
19th-century conductors (music)
Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery
English male classical composers
19th-century German composers
19th-century English musicians
19th-century British composers
Oratorio composers
Principal conductors of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic