Henry Lazarus
Encyclopedia
Henry Lazarus was the leading British
clarinet
virtuoso of the 19th century. George Bernard Shaw
wrote of Henry Lazarus:
Lazarus was born in London
. Raised as an orphan in the Royal Military Asylum in Chelsea
, he there learned the instrument from the bandmaster John Blizzard. He later studied under Charles Godfrey, bandmaster of the Coldstream Guards
. His solo debut came in 1838.
Lazarus was professor of clarinet at the Royal Academy of Music
from 1854 to 1895. He wrote a Method for the Clarinet based on the Boehm System
, although he himself never switched. His method books still in use today, and include duets, etudes, studies, finger exercises, scales, etc. He taught at Kneller Hall
from 1858.
He also played the basset horn and saxophone
.
Lazarus died in 1895 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery
, London.
and many others.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
virtuoso of the 19th century. George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
wrote of Henry Lazarus:
"He was the best clarinet [sic] player in England; when you were sitting behind Costa at the Opera you listened for certain phrases from the clarionet just as you did from the prima donna, except that you were much less likely to be disappointed in the former case."
Lazarus was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Raised as an orphan in the Royal Military Asylum in Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, he there learned the instrument from the bandmaster John Blizzard. He later studied under Charles Godfrey, bandmaster of the Coldstream Guards
Coldstream Guards
Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
. His solo debut came in 1838.
Lazarus was professor of clarinet at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
from 1854 to 1895. He wrote a Method for the Clarinet based on the Boehm System
Boehm System
The Boehm system is a system of keywork for the flute, created by inventor and flautist Theobald Boehm between 1831 and 1847.Prior to the development of the Boehm system, flutes were most commonly made of wood, with an inverse conical bore, eight keys, and tone holes that were small in size, and...
, although he himself never switched. His method books still in use today, and include duets, etudes, studies, finger exercises, scales, etc. He taught at Kneller Hall
Kneller Hall
Kneller Hall is a stately home in the Twickenham area of west London, and takes its name from Sir Godfrey Kneller, court painter to British monarchs from Charles II to George I...
from 1858.
He also played the basset horn and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
.
Lazarus died in 1895 and is buried in Brompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery is located near Earl's Court in South West London, England . It is managed by The Royal Parks and is one of the Magnificent Seven...
, London.
Compositions
Works include- Fantasia on Favorite Scotch Melodies
- Fantasia on Airs from Bellini's 'I Puritani'
and many others.