, and "Alma" for Cerito, the beautiful
quartet, "Ecco quel fiero istante," and the operas "Malek Adhel" for
Paris in 1837, and "Don Carlos" for London in 1844. He remained at Her
Majesty's Theatre for fifteen years, during which time he did a great
work for singers and band, and reduced the ballet to its proper rank. In
1846 he left his position and went to the new Italian opera at Covent
Garden, where he remained for a quarter of a century, absolute in his
musical supremacy and free to deal with all works as he pleased, among
them those of Meyerbeer, at that time the most prominent composer in the
operatic world; for Wagner as yet was scarcely known. It is to Costa that
Meyerbeer owes his English reputation. In the same year (1846) he took
the direction of the Philharmonic orchestra, and two years later that of
the Sacred Harmonic Society, which he held until his death, and as
conductor of which he also directed the Handel festivals. In 1849 he was
engaged for the Birmingham festivals, and also conducted them until his
death. In 1854 he resigned his position with the Philharmonic, and his
successor, for a brief time only, was Richard Wagner. His oratorio,
"Eli," was composed for the Birmingham Festival of 1855, and his second
oratorio, "Naaman," for the same festival in 1864. In 1869 he was
knighted, and shortly afterwards, when his "Eli" was produced at
Stuttgart, it won for him the royal order of Frederick from the King of
Wuertemberg. He also had decorations from the sovereigns of Germany,
Turkey, Italy, and the Netherlands, in recognition of his musical
accomplishments. In 1871 he returned again to Her Majesty's Opera in the
capacity of "director of the music, composer, and conductor;" but a few
years ago he again dissolved his connection with it, and devoted himself
entirely to the private management and public direction of the Sacred
Harmonic Society, with which he was identified for over thirty years. He
died in April, 1884.

Eli.

The oratorio of "Eli," the text taken from the first book of Samuel, and
adapted by William Bartholomew, was first performed at the Birmingham
Festival, Aug. 29, 1855, under Costa's own direction, with Mesdames
Viardot and Novello and Messrs. Sims Reeves and Carl Formes in the
principal parts. The characters are Eli, Elkanah, Hannah, Samuel, the Man
of God, Saph the Philistine warrior, Hophni and Phinehas the sons of Eli,
and the Priests and