“Mr. Reinagle, one of the Managers, and a Professor of Music, used to be seen, but only on particular occasions, seated at the Piano Forte, then standing against the stage, in the rear of the band [orchestra] for the mere purpose of touching a few notes solo, by way of accompaniment to the silvery tones of Mrs. Wignell. * * * Mr. Reinagle, while thus enjoying the effect of her inimitable chant, exhibited to the audience a head not unlike that of Louis the XIV but divested of the simplicity, bushy, powdered hair, large high forehead, and round full face, illuminated by silver mounted spectacle glasses, a perceptible smirk at all times about the mouth, and an extraordinary depth of dimple in his cheek, while sitting there and surveying the irritability of Mr. Gillingham, the Leader of the Band, on his being obliged to leave the music of Händel and Mozart, and strike off into the ‘President’s March.’”[228] In Durang’s account, the compositions of Reinagle are spoken of highly; there is the testimony of another man, an actor in Reinagle’s company, to substantiate the above eulogy, as follows (1804): “By the death of Wignell * * * the management devolved upon his widow and Reinagle. * * * The musical department fell of course to the charge of Reinagle, whose compositions and adaptations were deserved favorites with the public.”[229] Again, there is the testimony of a man of our own times to show that the above praise was not undeserved. Speaking of some of Reinagle’s sonatas, O. G. Sonneck says: “These sonatas follow closely in the footsteps of Ph. Em. Bach and the early Haydn without being void of individuality. If the larger works of Reinagle all were as fine and effective as these sonatas he must have been a composer of merit.”[230] Sonneck has published titles of forty-two works ascribed to Reinagle,[231] to which we have added several others some of which are still in existence. These compositions include sonatas, overtures, preludes, songs, opera music, adaptations, accompaniments, etc. From all this evidence it will appear that Alexander Reinagle must have been a great force in music in Philadelphia, and did much to shape the taste of the people for good music--especially for German music, and may thus be called the greatest German American musician of that century. Concerning his home life, it is known that Reinagle was married and had two sons, Hugh, a scenic painter of some note, and Thomas. The later years of his life Reinagle spent in the management of a theatre in Baltimore, where he died September 21, 1809.[232] Note: For a list of Reinagle’s compositions, Cf. Appendix. FOOTNOTES: [187] Sonneck, _Early Concert Life_, p. 79. [188] Sonneck, _Quarterly Magazine of International Music Society_, October-December, 1906, p. 112. [189] O. G. Sonneck first called attention to this book in his article in the _Quarterly Magazine of the International Music Society_ quoted above p. 113.