Jan Neruda

Jan Neruda , 1834-91, Czech essayist and poet, b. Prague. His popular Stories from Malá Strana (1878), tales drawn from his childhood in Prague and satiric portraits of members of the Czech middle classes, exemplifies early Czech realism. Neruda's poetry in its simplicity and lyricism has been compared to the work of Heinrich Heine. His best-known poems are contained in Ballads and Romances and Plain Themes (both: 1883). His mature verse expresses his resignation to unhappiness.

Hallé, (Sir) Charles [ Halle, Karl] (b Hagen, Ger., 1819; d Manchester, 1895). Ger.-born pianist and cond. Child prodigy pianist. Went to Paris 1836 to improve pf. technique, becoming friend of Chopin, Liszt, and Berlioz. Début in Paris in pf. trio with Alard and Franchomme, 1840. Concert tour of Ger. 1842, London 1843. Instituted first Paris series of chamber concerts 1847. Settled in Eng. 1848. First pianist to play complete series of Beethoven pf. sonatas in London (also in Manchester and Paris). Invited to settle in Manchester, 1848, where he lived for the rest of his life. Founded chamber concerts in Manchester 1848–9, choral soc. 1850, became cond. of Gentlemen's Concerts orch. 1849, cond. his first concert 1850. Founded his own series of orch. concerts Jan. 1858, thereby inaugurating what are still known as the Hallé Orch. and Hallé Concerts. Regularly appeared as soloist in concs. and as recitalist. Annual visits to London, Edinburgh, etc. Champion of new works, esp. those of Berlioz. Cond. f.p. in Eng. of Symphonie Fantastique (1879), L'Enfance du Christ (1880), and La Damnation de Faust (1880) and of Tchaikovsky's 5th sym. (1893). Cond. opera seasons in Manchester 1854–5, London 1860–1. Cond. Bristol Festival 1873–93. Toured Australia 1890 and 1891 and S. Africa 1895 with 2nd wife, the violinist Wilhelmina Norman-Neruda. First Prin., RMCM 1893–5. Knighted 1888.