ALESSANDRO PEZZE, born 1835, at Milan, received from his father, a clever dilettante, his first musical instruction, after which, in 1846, he went to the Conservatoire of his native town. Merighi directed his violoncello studies. After he had been for some time first cellist at the Teatro della Scala, he was engaged by the English impresario, Lumley, for Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. Pezze belonged to it until 1867, in which year the theatre was destroyed by fire. Later this artist was employed in the orchestras of the Philharmonic Society and Covent Garden. He is still living in London. The Naples Conservatoire produced GAETANO BRAGA, born on June 9, 1829, at Guilianuova in the Abruzzi. He was originally destined for the church, but the inclination for music came out so strongly that he could not be kept back from it. His parents now wished that he should be educated as a singer; he, however, decided for the violoncello, on which Gaetano Ciandelli directed his studies. He soon became a pupil of Mercadante for composition. In the year 1852 he had finished his studies at the Conservatoire. Soon after he undertook a concert journey to the North of Italy, and from thence to Vienna, where he formed a connection with Mayseder, and was a member of his String Quartet for a short time. In 1855 he betook himself to Paris, where he was much in request as a favourite solo player. He is at present living in Florence. As a composer Braga devoted himself by preference to stage compositions. For the violoncello he only wrote a Concerto, and some smaller pieces with piano accompaniment, and a Serenade for voice with cello accompaniment. Other Italian violoncellists at the present time worthy of notice are--RONCHINI and G. MAGRINI in Milan, PINI in Venice, SERATO in Bologna, TOSCANINI in Parma, SBOLCI and CASTAGNOLI in Florence, FURINO in Rome, CENTOLA in Naples, MONTECCHI (who lives at present at Rennes in Bretagne as a music teacher), and MATTIOLI, now in Cincinnati.[100] FOOTNOTES: [97] In the last century there existed in Naples four Conservatoires. But in 1806 they amalgamated into one musical Institute. [98] Caffaro, opera and church music composer, was Director of the Neapolitan Conservatoire della Pietá. Milico was then famous as a stage singer. [99] See my work, “The Violin and its Masters.” 2nd Ed., 365. [100] In spite of every effort, I have not succeeded in gaining any more details concerning the above violoncellists. V.--GERMANY