Grove, Sir George

Grove, Sir George, 1820–1900, English musicographer, whose Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1879–89) has become a standard reference work. Originally an engineer, he assisted in the establishment of the Crystal Palace in London and for many years annotated the programs of the concerts there. From these notes he later drew material for Beethoven and His Nine Symphonies (1896).

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Grove, Sir George

(born Aug. 13, 1820, London, Eng.—died May 28, 1900, London) British musicologist. He was trained as a civil engineer, and he erected lighthouses in Jamaica and Bermuda. He became secretary of the Crystal Palace in 1852, and he would write program notes for its concerts for 40 years. His extensive contributions to William Smith's Dictionary of the Bible led to his establishing the Palestine Exploration Fund in 1865. He served as editor of Macmillan's Magazine (1868–83). In 1873 he began work on his four-volume Dictionary of Music and Musicians; expanded to 20 volumes in subsequent editions, it is today the world's foremost music encyclopedia. He served as first director of the Royal College of Music (1883–92), an institution he was largely responsible for placing on a firm professional and physical foundation.