CONCISE biographical dictionaries of musicians are no longer a novelty; but their contents and tendency are too apt to be influenced by the immediate environment, the nationality, or the idiosyncrasies of the compilers. In the present lexicon it has been the editor's endeavor to give an impartial general view of musical biography, past and present, favoring no nation or period unduly. It has been his especial aim to make up for the scant attention which leading English and American musicians have received at the hands of foreign biographers; in this point, no other work of similar scope can compare with this in completeness, recentness, and accuracy. It will be noticed that living musicians have, in general, a somewhat larger relative space allotted them than those whose career is closed. The reasons which determined this course are, firstly, that full and correct information about contemporaries is frequently unavailable for the general public, being either scattered in numerous periodicals and books of reference, or not published at all; secondly, that earlier lexica already contain the life-histories of most musicians of prominence. It is true, that in such published biographical sketches many errors of fact occur; in the difficult matter of dates, especially, much requires rectification. Hundreds of emendations are contained in the present work, which will, it is hoped, prove more trustworthy than its predecessors. A careful collation of the standard works of reference has resulted in a weeding-out of very many mistakes, due to carelessness or inadvertence, in the biographical matter belonging to past epochs. A large amount of reliable and valuable information has been obtained by direct correspondence with musicians and writers of note, though many inquiries remained unanswered. The comparative brevity of sketches of certain prominent contemporaries is due to the impossibility of gathering sufficient and reliable data.

A feature of peculiar interest and value is presented in the three hundred accompanying pen-and-ink vignettes, by the Russian artist Gribayedoff, after authentic portraits or recent photographs. In their selection, again, a preponderance of contemporary over deceased musicians will be observed, the general plan having been, to portray individuals in whom a personal interest is felt. It was impossible to make the list as complete as projected, owing to the difficulty of procuring originals.

Despite all vigilance, many of the statements made in the nearly six thousand biographies given in the Dictionary doubtless require correction. Any suggestions tending to the improvement of the work will be gratefully received by the editor, to whom communications may be addressed in care of the publishers.

The editor wishes to extend sincere thanks to all the distinguished contributors who have so kindly furnished the material requested, and so essentially lightened his task. Special thanks are due to Mr. Richard Aldrich, of New York, for careful and critical proof-reading, and for timely asisstance in completing several important articles.

THE EDITORS.

NEW YORK, January 1, 1900.

Aaron, -----, abbot of the monasteries of St. Martin and St. Pantaleon at Cologne, where he died in 1052. Wrote "De utilitate cantus vocalis et de modo cantandi atque psallendi" (in library of St. Martin), and "De regulis tonorum et symphoniarum." He introduced the Gregorian nocturnes into Germany.