Neuilly, Fulk of. Sec Fulco.
Neukomm, Chevalier Sigismunu, a celebrated Ger- man composer, noted for his devotion to sacred music, was born at Salzburg in 1778. He was related to the Haydn family, and, evincing musical talents at a very early age, he was j)laced under the Haydn brothers for instruction. From Michael Haydn, the elder brother — author of The Creation — Neukomm acijuired that predilection for sacred music which distinguished him throughout his career. At the age of twenty he went to Vienna to study under Joseph Haydn, who received his young relative most kindly and made him his pu- pil; and the friendship thus begun lasted without in- terruption during the whole of the great master's life. Neukomm's close and unbroken intercourse with Joseph
properly belonging to a bishop. Absolutely destitute Haydn, and admiration of his genius, had a sensible
] effect on the formation of his own style, which is marked not only with Haj-dn's regularity, symmetry, and clear- ness, but with many of Haydn's characteristic traits of musical phraseology. After having gained a high rep- utation in Germany, Russia, France, Italy, and South America, Neukomm went to England in 1829, and his reception by the public was such as to induce him to pass much time in that country. His residence in England was an active period of his life. It was while there that his greatest works were composed, among them the oratorios of Mount Sinai and Uaviil. Mount Sinai, originally set to CJerman words, was afterwards adapted by him to an English version of the text, and performed for the first time at the Derbj' Musical Festival of 1831. David, the poem of which was orig- inally written in Englisli, was composed expressly for the Birmingham Musical Festival, and performed in 1834. During the same period he gave the English public many vocal pieces, both sacred and secular, which obtained general popularity. Among these, his sacred cantatas, Miriam, The I'rophenj of Babylon, and Absa- lom, are remarkable for their grandeur, expression, and complete adaptation of the music to English iioctry,for Neukomm was a perfect master of the English language. The Sea was for a long time the most popular song of the daj^ ; and though it has given place to newer favor- ites, it is still frequently heard, and always with jileas- ure, Neukomm's latest work is Twenty Psalms selected from the authorir.e<l l-'.niiHsli IV r.svV)», for the use of sing- ing-schools, choral sm iriii>. churches, and chapels of every persuasion. It was \vritttn for the Association for the Revival of Sacred Music in Scotland, and published by that body at Edinburgh in 1853. It possesses great value. The most beautiful of the Psalms are selected, and the music, in a plain and simple style, has the grand and solemn beauty which characterizes Neukomm's sacred works. Neukomm died at Paris, April 3, 1858. His residence for a few years previous had been al- ternately at London, Paris, and IJoini. There is scarce- ly a branch of his art which he has left untouched. A collection of voluntaries for the organ — an instrument (HI which Neukomm was one of the greatest performers in Europe— is among the most important works pro- duced by him in England. His instrumental composi- tions, symphonies, quartets, sonatas, etc., are very nu- merous and uf much merit; but it is on his great sacred works that his permanent fame will rest. In the course of his long life Neukomm received many of the honors due to the highest distinction in his art. He was invested with several orders of knighthood in France, Portugal, and Prussia; was a member of the Koyal Academy of Arts in Prussia, and of most of the principal musical institutions and societies in Europe and the Uniteil States. The doctorate of music was conferred on him by the University of Dublin, and he was one of the jury of the great London Exhibition in 1851. For several years before his death he was atilicted
of all ecclesiastical science, ignorant of or despising his cjiiscopal duties, he acted the part of a valiant warrior and a skilfid captain, and this part alone he was by ed- ucation and general training fitted to play in life. See Annales Cobnarienses, apud Urstisium, passim; Herr- gott, Genealorj. Ilabsb. vol. ii, passim; Jiasilea Sacra, p. 237 ; ,\fonum. de I'l/ist. de Vancien ercche de Bale, col- lected by M. Trouillat, vol. ii, passim.— Iloefer, Nouv. Bio'/. (li'nerale, s. v.
Neufchatel, Jean de, a French prelate of note, was born in Neufchatel, Switzerland, about 1335. Be- longing to one of the most important houses of the county of Bourgogne, and son of Thibaut, baron de Neufchritel, and of Jeainie de Chalons, he became at fif- teen canon of Autun, then prior of St. Peter of Abbe- ville and of Notre-Dame of Bar-le-Duc. Ordained priest in Besan<;on, he appeared as a candidate for arch- bishop of that city, but failed to secure support, and was content to lie consecrated in 1371 bishop of Nevers, wliiiicr he passed in October, 1372, to the see of Toul. 'I'iMi 111],, n.iCliarles IV gave him, in 1377, letters-patent \, iiirli iiiNoirl liitn with temporal power and recognised him as a prince of tlie empire. Robert de Geneve, his relative, having become pope under the name of Clement VII, made liim, in 1378, one of his chamberlains, and on October 23, 1383, created him cardinal. Jean in the following year resigned his bishopric, the administration of which he resumed May 29, 1385. He became, in December, 1392, bishop of "Ostia and of Velletri, and two years after concurred in the election of Pierre de Lune, otherwise known as Benedict XIII, whom he crowned at Avignon in October, 1394. Jean was long obedient to liim ; but, adlicted by the schism which rent the Church, he used all means to bring it to an end, and ceased not to solicit Benedict XIH to resign; yet Neufchatel died without having been able to triimiph over the obstinacy of Pierre de Lune. On the day of his death, which oc- curred in Avignon, October 4, 1398, a fire consumed his ' palace, and his ashes, collected by his friends, were de- posited in the Carthusian Monastery of Villeneuve-les- Avigiion. See G(dl.l<t ( 'hris/imia, vols, xii and xiii ; Au- bery. Ilisloire (ks cardinaux. — Iloefer, Xouv. Biog. Gen- eral; s. V.