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diff --git a/old/56208-8.txt b/old/56208-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 97aaa21..0000000 --- a/old/56208-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,16597 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Philip Hale's Boston Symphony Programme -Notes, by Philip Hale - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Philip Hale's Boston Symphony Programme Notes - -Author: Philip Hale - -Editor: John Naglee Burk - -Release Date: December 20, 2017 [EBook #56208] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HALE'S BOSTON SYMPHONY NOTES *** - - - - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - PHILIP HALE'S BOSTON SYMPHONY PROGRAMME NOTES - - - HISTORICAL, CRITICAL, AND DESCRIPTIVE COMMENT ON MUSIC AND COMPOSERS - - Edited by - JOHN N. BURK - - With an Introduction by - LAWRENCE GILMAN - - [Illustration: Lyre] - - _Garden City, New York_ - DOUBLEDAY, DORAN & COMPANY, INC. - MCMXXXV - - PRINTED AT THE _Country Life Press_, GARDEN CITY, N. Y., U. S. A. - - COPYRIGHT, 1935 - BY DOUBLEDAY, DORAN & COMPANY, INC. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - FIRST EDITION - - - - - EDITOR'S NOTE - - -This book, assembling the musical writings of Philip Hale, draws -principally upon the programme books for which he wrote descriptive -notes for thirty-two years of concerts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. -Since the notes were addressed to audiences approaching the music with, -presumably, open minds, the writer judiciously withheld his individual -opinion. This opinion he freely expressed in his newspaper reviews of -the same concerts, extending over an even longer period, and it has -seemed advisable, by combining the two, to bring together the critic and -the historian. The editor has found, in the newspaper files, pertinent -critical paragraphs which are here used to introduce the programme notes -about each particular work. The transition from criticism to descriptive -note is indicated by a typographical ornament. - -In going through the scrapbooks in the Allen A. Brown Room of the Boston -Public Library, wherein the newspaper criticisms of Philip Hale's forty -active years are carefully preserved, the editor came across this -observation by him, in the Boston _Herald_ of March 13, 1912: "In 1945 -some student in the Brown Room of the Public Library will doubtless be -amused by opinions expressed by us all, of works first heard in 1912. -Some of us will not then be disturbed by his laughter or by quotations -ornamented with exclamation marks of contempt or wonder." - -There is cause for wonder, to a student at a time ten years short of the -year Mr. Hale mentioned; wonder, however, at his quick perception of -essential values upon first hearing what time has since proved a -masterpiece, or considerably less than a masterpiece, as the case may -be. Few indeed are the professional judges of music who are not glad to -leave undisturbed in the dust of the newspaper files some skeletons of -their past--appalling errors of denunciation or proclamation. Again and -again, when his fellow critics of another day wrote laughably of a then -new tone poem of Richard Strauss or pastel of Claude Debussy, Philip -Hale delivered a sane and still quotable judgment. - -No attempt has been made to modify by omissions Mr. Hale's frank -expressions of personal preferences among the composers. This writer -never spoke as a major prophet, but as one who might be discussing a -favorite subject over a demi-tasse. Anyone is privileged to disagree, -and those insisting upon their eternal verities are referred to any one -of a hundred books where the musical monuments are enshrined in ringing -platitudes of praise. When this critic wrote, with the very opposite of -solemnity, about Bach, or Brahms, or Wagner, his ridicule was always -directed against a certain snobbish element in his public--a genus which -sat at the feet of these composers. "There is, it is true, a gospel of -Johannes Brahms," he wrote as long ago as 1896, "but Brahms, to use an -old New England phrase, is often a painful preacher of the word.--Brahms -is a safe play in Boston. Let me not be unthankful; let me be duly -appreciative of my educational opportunities in this town." - - -It is a joyful privilege to be the agent of bringing the treasure of -Philip Hale's musical knowledge and commentary within the permanence and -general accessibility of two covers. It was at first hoped that the -author could assist in the compilation, but, failing in health, he was -unable to give more than his whole-hearted assent to the project. His -death, November 30, 1934, came before the book was far under way. - -The material drawn upon is of vast proportions. From the autumn of 1901 -through the spring of 1933, Philip Hale contributed programme notes for -everything played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in its regular -concerts--upward of a thousand works. As music critic, Mr. Hale -commented upon these and many more. He wrote for the Boston _Home -Journal_ from 1889 to 1891; the Boston _Journal_ (like the other -publication, long since extinct), from 1891 to 1903; and from then until -his retirement in 1933 for the Boston _Herald_. There were also the -editorials on various musical topics which he contributed anonymously to -the _New Music Review_ for many years. Acknowledgment is due for the -quotations made from all of these publications; in particular the Boston -Symphony Orchestra Concert Bulletins, which have provided the bulk of -this book, and the Boston _Herald_, from which by far the larger number -of critical paragraphs are drawn. To these should be added the -innumerable writers to whom Mr. Hale himself has referred in the course -of his programme notes. The helpful advice of Mrs. Philip Hale in the -choice of the frontispiece is gratefully acknowledged. - -The problem of selecting from the vast accumulation of Philip Hale's -writings became somewhat less formidable when a large number of works -now forgotten, and others still current but of lesser importance, were -eliminated. One hundred and twenty-five works have been chosen, with the -aim of including those most often encountered upon symphony programmes. -The works of recent composers were necessarily limited to those which -had been played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and therefore -described in its programmes, up to April, 1933. They are still further -limited by the exigencies of space. The quoted reviews have been kept -clear, for the sake of continuity, of dates and sources; documentation -in the programme notes has been minimized. These notes are given in the -form in which they most recently appeared. Their partial curtailment is -justified by the readiness of their author to adjust them to the space -of the programme in hand. To have used each note in its fullest form -would have reduced the number of works which the book could contain. As -regards the newspaper quotations, they are largely of recent years, and -in any case represent the writer's reconsidered opinion. A disproportion -in the space given to a certain composer or certain work may be set down -to the fact that in a few instances Mr. Hale did not happen at any time -to write one of his inimitable essays in miniature which could be -detached from the discussion of the occasion and the performance. - - - - - CONTENTS - - - PAGE - Editor's Note v - Introduction by Lawrence Gilman xvii - BACH, JOHANN SEBASTIAN - The Brandenburg Concertos 2 - The Concertos for Pianoforte 4 - The Orchestral Suites 5 - BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VAN - Symphony No. 1, in C major 7 - Symphony No. 2, in D major 10 - Symphony No. 3, in E flat major 13 - Symphony No. 4, in B flat major 18 - Symphony No. 5, in C minor 22 - Symphony No. 6, in F major 26 - Symphony No. 7, in A major 29 - Symphony No. 8, in F major 34 - Symphony No. 9, in D minor 38 - Overture to _Leonore_ No. 3 44 - Overture to _Egmont_ 47 - Overture to _Coriolanus_ 49 - Concerto for Pianoforte, No. 4, in G major 51 - Concerto for Pianoforte, No. 5, in E flat major 52 - Concerto for Violin, in D major 54 - BERLIOZ, HECTOR - _Symphonie Fantastique_, in C major 57 - Overture, _The Roman Carnival_ 64 - BLOCH, ERNEST - _Schelomo_, Hebrew Rhapsody for Violoncello and Orchestra 66 - BORODIN, ALEXANDER - Symphony No. 2, in B minor 70 - BRAHMS, JOHANNES - Symphony No. 1, in C minor 77 - Symphony No. 2, in D major 80 - Symphony No. 3, in F major 83 - Symphony No. 4, in E minor 86 - _Variations on a Theme by Josef Haydn_ 88 - _Tragic_ Overture 90 - _Academic Festival_ Overture 91 - Concerto for Pianoforte, No. 1, in D minor 94 - Concerto No. 2, in B flat major, for Pianoforte 95 - Concerto for Violin, in D major 97 - BRUCKNER, ANTON - Symphony No. 7, in E major 102 - Symphony No. 8, in C minor 106 - CARPENTER, JOHN ALDEN - _Adventures in a Perambulator_, Suite 114 - DEBUSSY, CLAUDE ACHILLE - _Prélude à l'Après-Midi d'un Faune_ 119 - _Nocturnes_ 122 - _La Mer_ 124 - _Ibéria_: "Images" for Orchestra, No. 2 127 - DVORÁK, ANTON - Symphony No. 5, in E minor 131 - ELGAR, EDWARD - Variations on an Original Theme, _Enigma_ 135 - DE FALLA, MANUEL - Ballet-Pantomime: _El Amor Brujo_ 140 - Three Dances from _El Sombrero de Tres Picos_ 142 - FRANCK, CÉSAR - Symphony in D minor 146 - HANDEL, GEORG FRIDERIC - Twelve Concerti Grossi, for String Orchestra 151 - HAYDN, FRANZ JOSEF - (London Symphonies) - Symphony No. 104, in D major (B. & H. No. 2) 155 - Symphony No. 94, in G major ("_Surprise_") (B. & H. No. 6) 157 - (Paris Symphonies) - Symphony No. 88, in G major (B. & H. No. 13) 158 - HINDEMITH, PAUL - _Konzertmusik_ for String and Brass Instruments 161 - HONEGGER, ARTHUR - _Pacific 231_, Orchestral Movement 164 - D'INDY, VINCENT - Symphony No. 2, in B flat major 166 - _Istar_, Symphonic Variations 170 - LISZT, FRANZ - A _Faust_ Symphony 175 - Symphonic Poem, No. 3, _Les Préludes_ 181 - Pianoforte Concerto, No. 1, in E flat 182 - LOEFFLER, CHARLES MARTIN - _A Pagan Poem_ 184 - MacDOWELL, EDWARD - Orchestral Suite, No. 2, in E minor, _Indian_ 186 - MAHLER, GUSTAV - The Symphonies 190 - Symphony No. 5, in C sharp minor 192 - MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, FELIX - Symphony in A major, "_Italian_" 195 - Overture and Incidental Music to _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ 199 - Concert Overture, _The Hebrides_, or _Fingal's Cave_ 201 - Concerto for Violin, in E minor 203 - MOUSSORGSKY, MODESTE - _A Night on Bald Mountain_ 206 - MOZART, WOLFGANG AMADEUS - Symphony in E flat major (Koechel No. 543) 211 - Symphony in G minor (Koechel No. 550) 212 - Symphony in C major ("_Jupiter_") (Koechel No. 551) 212 - Overture to _The Marriage of Figaro_ 217 - Overture to _The Magic Flute_ 219 - The Concertos for Violin 221 - Mozart as Pianist 222 - PROKOFIEFF, SERGE - Scythian Suite 225 - Classical Symphony 227 - RACHMANINOFF, SERGEI - Symphony No. 2 in E minor 229 - Concerto No. 2 in C minor, for Pianoforte 232 - RAVEL, MAURICE - _Ma Mère l'Oye_: Five Children's Pieces 234 - _Daphnis et Chloé_, Ballet (Second Series) 237 - _Bolero_ 239 - RESPIGHI, OTTERINO - Symphonic Poem, _Pines of Rome_ 241 - RIMSKY-KORSAKOV, NICOLAS - Symphonic Suite, _Scheherazade_ 244 - Caprice on Spanish Themes 250 - SAINT-SAËNS, CHARLES CAMILLE - Symphony No. 3, in C minor (with organ) 255 - SCHOENBERG, ARNOLD - _Verklärte Nacht_, Arranged for String Orchestra 259 - SCHUBERT, FRANZ - Symphony No. 8, in B minor ("_Unfinished_") 265 - Symphony No. 7, in C major 267 - SCHUMANN, ROBERT - Symphony No. 1, in B flat major 272 - Symphony No. 2, in C major 275 - Symphony No. 3, in E flat major 278 - Symphony No. 4, in D minor 282 - Concerto in A minor, for Pianoforte 285 - SCRIABIN, ALEXANDER - _The Poem of Ecstasy_ (_Le Poème de l'Extase_) 288 - SIBELIUS, JEAN - Symphony No. 1, in E minor 292 - Symphony No. 2, in D major 295 - Symphony No. 4, in A minor 298 - Symphony No. 5, in E flat major 300 - Symphony No. 7 301 - _Finlandia_, Symphonic Poem 303 - _The Swan of Tuonela_, Symphonic Poem 305 - STRAUSS, RICHARD - _Don Juan_, Tone Poem 308 - _Tod und Verklärung_, Death and Transfiguration, Tone Poem 310 - _Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks_, Tone Poem 313 - _Thus Spake Zarathustra_, Tone Poem 316 - _Don Quixote_, Variations 320 - _Ein Heldenleben_ (A Hero's Life), Tone Poem 327 - STRAVINSKY, IGOR - Suite from _L'Oiseau de Feu_ (The Fire-Bird) 331 - Suite from _Petrouchka_ 333 - _Le Sacre du Printemps_ (The Rite of Spring) Pictures of Pagan - Russia 336 - TAYLOR, DEEMS - _Through the Looking Glass_, Suite 339 - TCHAIKOVSKY, PETER - Symphony No. 4, in F minor 344 - Symphony No. 5, in E minor 346 - Symphony No. 6, in B minor, _Pathétique_ 350 - _Romeo and Juliet_, Overture Fantasia 354 - Concerto for Pianoforte, No. 1, in B flat minor 356 - Concerto for Violin, in D major 359 - WAGNER, RICHARD - Overture to _Rienzi_ 365 - Overture to _Der Fliegende Holländer_ 366 - Overture to _Tannhäuser_ 367 - Prelude to _Lohengrin_ 368 - Prelude and _Liebestod_ from _Tristan und Isolde_ 370 - Prelude to _Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg_ 371 - A _Siegfried_ Idyl 373 - "_The Ride of the Valkyries_," from _Die Walküre_ 375 - Prelude to _Parsifal_ 376 - _Good Friday Spell_, from _Parsifal_ 379 - WEBER, CARL MARIA VON - Overture to _Oberon_ 381 - Overture to _Der Freischütz_ 382 - Overture to _Euryanthe_ 385 - WILLIAMS, RALPH VAUGHAN - A London Symphony 389 - Index 395 - - - - - INTRODUCTION - - -Some day an inquisitive musicologist will consider the part played in -the history of musical education and musical taste by that seemingly -indispensable adjunct of the symphonic concert room, the Programme Note. -When that time comes, the contributions made by Philip Hale to the -musical civilization of his time will appear in their true proportions. -For more than a generation, from the beginning of the twentieth century -to the fifth year of the Great Depression, Hale provided programme notes -for everything played by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in its regular -concerts--"upward of a thousand works", as Mr. Burk informs us in his -valuable note to the present collection. The annual issue by the Boston -Symphony Orchestra of the bound volumes containing Philip Hale's -annotations was an event in the musical world of America that exceeded -in importance and interest the appearance of the average new symphonic -work upon the Orchestra's programmes. A decade ago, in commenting upon -the issue of one of those momentous and liberal tomes (sometimes they -included more than two thousand pages), I remarked that it provided a -musical education in one volume. Those famous annotations--modestly -indicated on the title-page, in small and light-faced type, as -"historical and descriptive notes by Philip Hale"--constitute a library -of musical information the like of which is not to be found elsewhere on -this sufficiently book-congested sphere. - -Though Hale was a New Englander by birth, he had not the normal New -England suspicion of entertainment as an educational ingredient; and he -did not scruple to amuse. He was almost indecently readable. He never -hesitated to lighten musical instruction with diversion and with wit. He -knew much besides music; and he was able to peptonize for the reader his -vast and curious erudition. He could tell you about the maceration of -Oriental women, and what action is described by the word -"tutupomponeyer", and who invented the first chess-playing automaton, -and how locomotive engines are classified, and what Pliny said -concerning the bird called penelope. He knew all about the various -editions of the singular _Commentaires sur les epistres d'Ovide_ by -Claude Gaspar Bachet, Sieur de Meziriac, in which the parentage of -Ulysses is discussed. He could tell you why the river Ebro bears that -name; and what Louis XIV ate for supper--which, you may like to be -reminded, often consisted of four plates of different soups, the whole -of a pheasant, a partridge, a heaped-up plate of salad, two huge slices -of ham, mutton stewed with garlic, and a plate of pastries topped off -with fruit and hard-boiled eggs. As for all the other things that Hale -knew, you must turn to his writings if you would appreciate their range -and number. - -And all this fantastically varied learning--which not only seemed -boundless in extent, but which was also incredibly exact and -circumstantial--adorned a general culture that was nourishing and -humane, and a specifically musical culture which conceived no relevant -fact as inconsiderable, no anecdote unimportant, no human aspect -unrevealing. The average programme note is a deadly and a stifling -thing; but these amazing annotations, traversing all history and the -ceaseless tragi-comedy of life, assure us that a programme note may -sometimes, if an artist has contrived it, be more rewarding than the -music that occasioned it. - -Philip Hale transformed the writing of programme notes from an arid and -depressing form of musical pedagogy into an exhilarating variety of -literary art. The formidable weight of learning which he bore was -employed with an ease and finesse, a lightness of touch, a charm of -manner, a wit and conciseness and flexibility, which belong among the -achievements of distinguished letters. His predecessor as annotator of -the Boston Symphony Orchestra's programmes, the accomplished William -Foster Apthorp, had prepared the way for Hale's achievement. Apthorp's -notes, written between 1892 and 1901, surpassed in brilliance and acumen -anything that had come out of Europe or America. But Philip Hale, by -reason of his exceptional width of intellectual range, and the well of -knowledge which he drew upon, and his insatiable, devouring, delighted -curiosity, established himself almost at once as the master of an -enlivened order of creative musical scholarship which was a new thing -under the tonal sun. - -One might justly say of him, as critic, commentator, analyst, what Sir -George Grove said of Schubert--a saying that Hale himself was fond of -quoting: "There never has been one like him, and there never will be -another." - Lawrence Gilman. - - - - - PHILIP HALE'S BOSTON SYMPHONY PROGRAMME NOTES - - - - - JOHANN SEBASTIAN - BACH - - - (Born at Eisenach on March 21, 1685; died at Leipsic on July 28, 1750) - -No matter how well old music may be performed by chorus, orchestra, -virtuoso, many audiences are bored by it today. There is one exception: -the music of Bach. "He is the forerunner, the prophet that foresaw our -epoch and our tastes." This speech is often heard, as is the remark: -"There is not one ultra-modern harmonic thought that is not to be found -somewhere in Bach's music." Bach is one of the great fetishes in music. -The late John S. Dwight really believed in the plenary inspiration of -the indefatigable weaver of counterpoint. No matter how formal, how dull -a page of music looked or sounded, Mr. Dwight was in ecstasy the moment -he was told the page was signed with Bach's name. - -Mme Wanda Landowska (in _Musique ancienne_) says entertainingly: "The -idea that the Cantor of Eisenach, though dedicating his music to -Frederick the Great and princes of his period, composed it solely with a -view to a Châtelet audience is so consecrated a commonplace that I -hardly dare to dream of combating it." Von Bülow and others have -declared that Bach's _Chromatic Fantasy_ is an anticipation of modern -romanticism; but the composers hinted at in this piece are more modern -than Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann. Frescobaldi, Buxtehude, Couperin, and -the writers for the lute are more modern because they are less known. -And Bach not only knew their works but followed them rather than the -advanced ideas of his own epoch; for Bach was a conservative rather than -a radical. - - - - - THE BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS - - - No. 1 in F, for two horns, three oboes and bassoon, with strings - No. 2 in F, for violin, flute, oboe, trumpet, with strings - No. 3 in G, for three string orchestras - No. 4 in G, for violin and two flutes, with strings - No. 5 in D, for pianoforte, flute, and violin, with strings - No. 6 in B, for two viole da braccia, two viole da gamba, violoncello, - and bass - - * * * - -The six Brandenburg Concertos, completed on March 24, 1721, were written -in answer to the wish of a Prussian prince, Christian Ludwig, Margraf of -Brandenburg, the youngest son of the Great Elector by a second wife. -This prince was provost of the Cathedral at Halberstadt. He was a -bachelor, living now at Berlin and now on his estate at Malchow. Fond of -music, and not in an idle way, he was extravagant in his tastes and mode -of life, and often went beyond his income of nearly fifty thousand -thalers. In May, 1718, Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen, at whose court -Bach was _Kapellmeister_, journeyed to Carlsbad to drink the waters. He -took with him Bach and a quintet from his orchestra; also his -clavicembalo with three "servants to care for it"; he was also thus -attended when he visited Carlsbad in 1720. The Margraf may have been at -Carlsbad, and as he was very fond of music and had his own orchestra, he -undoubtedly attended Leopold's musical parties. At any rate, he gave -Bach a commission. It was on March 24, 1721, that Bach--possibly someone -at the Court--wrote a dedication in French: - - _"A son altesse royale, Monseigneur Crétien Louis, Margraf de - Brandenbourg, etc., etc., etc._ - - - "_Monseigneur_, - - "Two years ago, when I had the honor of playing before your Royal - Highness, I experienced your condescending interest in the - insignificant musical talents with which heaven has gifted me, and - understood your Royal Highness's gracious willingness to accept some - pieces of my composition. In accordance with that condescending - command, I take the liberty to present my most humble duty to your - Royal Highness in these Concerti for various instruments, begging your - Highness not to judge them by the standards of your own refined and - delicate taste, but to seek in them rather the expression of my - profound respect and obedience. In conclusion, Monseigneur, I most - respectfully beg your Royal Highness to continue your gracious favor - toward me, and to be assured that there is nothing I so much desire as - to employ myself more worthily in your service. - - "With the utmost fervor, Monseigneur, I subscribe myself, - - "Your Royal Highness's most humble and most obedient servant, - - "Jean Sebastian Bach. - - "Coethen, 24 March, 1721."[1] - -These concertos--"_Concerts avec plusieurs instruments_"--were intended -as a gift for the Margraf's birthday in March. Nothing is known about -the reception in Berlin, nor is it positively known whether they were -ever played at the palace of the Margraf. "The condition of the -autograph suggests that, like the parts of the 'Kyrie' and 'Gloria' of -the B minor Mass at Dresden, it was never performed by the recipient." -It was the Margraf's habit to catalogue his library. The name of Bach -was not found in the list, although the names of Vivaldi, Venturini, -Valentiri, Brescianello, and other writers of concertos were recorded. -After the death of the Margraf in 1734, Bach's score was put for sale -with other manuscripts in a "job lot." The Brandenburg Concertos came -into the possession of J. P. Kirnberger. They were later owned by the -Princess Amalie, sister of Frederick the Great and a pupil of -Kirnberger. Their next and final home was the Royal Library, Berlin, No. -78 in the Amalienbibliothek. They were edited by S. W. Dehn and -published by Peters, Leipsic, in 1850. - - - - - THE CONCERTOS FOR PIANOFORTE - - - D minor (with strings) - E major (with strings) - D major (with strings) - A major (with strings) - F minor (with strings) - G minor (with strings) - F major (with two flutes and strings) - A minor (with flute, violin and strings) - D major (with flute, violin and strings) - - * * * - -Little is known about these concertos. It is supposed that the seven -were formed by putting together various separate movements, or were -arrangements or transcriptions for the clavier. "In all the concertos -for clavier, whether for one instrument or many, there are passages for -the solo instrument unaccompanied which anticipate the procedure of -modern concertos, with considerable use of _arpeggios_, and even -occasional _cadenza_ passages. Bach follows the Italian types in the -general scheme and easy style of the quick movements, and they are -rather homophonic in feeling, with the exception of the last movement of -the double concerto in C major, which is a fugue of the most vivacious -description.... Bach clearly enjoyed writing in the concerto form and -found it congenial. It would be even natural to infer that he found -opportunities for performing the works, as in many cases the same -concertos appear in versions both for violin and clavier."[2] - -Parry also says: "When Bach writes slow movements for the clavier, he -makes them serve as phases of contrast to the quick movements, in which -some rather abstract melody is discussed with a certain aloofness of -manner, or treated with elaborate ornamentation, such as was more suited -to the instrument than passages of sustained melody pure and simple. The -alternative presented in the admirable concerto for the clavier in D -minor is to give a _Siciliano_ in place of the central slow movement, a -course which provides a type of melody well adapted to the limited -sustaining power of the harpsichord.... The finest of them [the -concertos] is that in D minor, above mentioned, which from its style -would appear to have been written at Cöthen." - -It is supposed that there was use of the general bass in these -concertos. A second clavier was usually employed; but there is reason to -believe that a portable organ, or lutes, theorbos, and the like were -also used in accompaniment. Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote in his _J. S. -Bach_ (Leipsic, 1905): "The seven concertos for clavier are in effect, -and with one exception only, transcriptions made at Leipsic after 1730 -at a time when Bach saw himself obliged to write concertos for the -performances of the Telemann Society, which he began to conduct in 1729, -and for the little family concerts at his own home. These transcriptions -are of unequal worth. Some were made carefully and with art, while -others betray impatience in the accomplishment of an uninteresting task. -Only one of the pianoforte concertos is not derived from a violin -concerto." - - - - - THE ORCHESTRAL SUITES - - - No. 1. Suite in C (for two oboes, and bassoon, with strings) - No. 2. Suite in B minor (for flute with strings) - No. 3. Suite in D (for two oboes, three trumpets, and drums, with - strings) - No. 4. Suite in D (for three oboes, bassoon, three trumpets, and - drums, with strings) - -The term "suite" was not given by Bach to the four compositions that now -are so named--the suites in C major, B minor, and two in D major. He -used the word "_ouverture._" The original parts of these overtures were -handed over in 1854 by the Singakademie of Berlin to the Royal (now -Stadt) Library of that city. - -Bach probably composed the four suites during his stay at Cöthen -(1717-23), as _Kapellmeister_ to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. The -prince was then nearly twenty-four years old, an amiable, well-educated -young man, who had traveled and was fond of books and pictures. He -played the violin, the viol da gamba, and the harpsichord. Furthermore, -he had an agreeable bass voice and was more than an ordinary singer. -Bach said of him, "He loved music, he was well acquainted with it, he -understood it." The music at the Court was chiefly chamber music, and -here Bach passed happy years. - -Under the reign of Leopold's puritanical father there was no Court -orchestra, but in 1707 Gisela, Leopold's wife, set up to please her -husband an establishment of three musicians. When Leopold returned from -his grand tour he expanded the orchestra. In 1714 he appointed -Augustinus Reinhard Stricker _Kapellmeister_, and Stricker's wife -Catherine soprano and lutanist. In 1716 the orchestra numbered eighteen -players who, "with some omissions and additions," constituted its -membership under Bach. Stricker and his wife retired in August, 1717. -Leopold offered the post of _Kapellmeister_ to Bach, "who was known to -him since his sister's wedding at Nienburg in the previous year." This -orchestra, reinforced by visiting players, probably played the -Brandenburg music before it was performed elsewhere. - - - - - LUDWIG VAN - BEETHOVEN - - - (Born at Bonn, December 16 (?), 1770; died at Vienna, March 26, 1827) - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 1, IN C MAJOR, OP. 21 - - - I. Adagio molto; allegro con brio - II. Andante cantabile con moto - III. Menuetto: allegro molto e vivace; trio - IV. Finale: adagio; allegro molto e vivace - -Why debate whether the music of this First symphony is wholly Mozartian; -whether there are traces of the "greater" Beethoven? Let the music be -taken for what it is, music of the end of the eighteenth century. At the -same time let us recall the fact that when this symphony was played in -Paris a hundred years ago, two or three critics protested against the -"astonishing success" of Beethoven's works as "a danger to musical art." -"It is believed," said one, "that a prodigal use of the most barbaric -dissonances and a noisy use of all the orchestral instruments will make -an effect. Alas, the ear is only stabbed; there is no appeal to the -heart." - -In spite of pages of mere routine, the music still has a certain -freshness and a quaint beauty. The symphony will always remain a -charming work with trivial passages, not to be compared as a whole with -the three great symphonies of Mozart or the latter symphonies of Haydn. - - * * * - -The symphony in C major, No. 1, probably originated in 1800, was -sketched at an earlier period, and elaborated in 1799. - -The first performance was at a concert given by Beethoven at the -National Court Theater, "next the Burg," Vienna, April 2, 1800. - -The concert began at 6:30 P.M. The prices of admission were not raised. -It was the first concert given in Vienna by Beethoven for his own -benefit. A correspondent of the _Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung_ -(October 15, 1800) gave curious information concerning the performance. -"At the end a symphony composed by him was performed. It contains much -art, and the ideas are abundant and original, but the wind instruments -are used far too much, so that the music is more for a band of wind -instruments than an orchestra." The performance suffered on account of -the conductor, Paul Wranitzky. The orchestra men disliked him and took -no pains under his direction. Furthermore, they thought Beethoven's -music too difficult. "In the second movement of the symphony they took -the matter so easily that there was no spirit, in spite of the -conductor, especially in the performance of the wind instruments.... -What marked effect, then, can even the most excellent compositions -make?" The parts were published in 1801 and dedicated to Baron von -Swieten. - -Berlioz[3] wrote concerning it as follows: "This work is wholly -different in form, melodic style, harmonic sobriety, and instrumentation -from the compositions of Beethoven that follow it. When the composer -wrote it, he was evidently under the sway of Mozartian ideas. These he -sometimes enlarged, but he has imitated them ingeniously everywhere. -Especially in the first two movements do we find springing up -occasionally certain rhythms used by the composer of _Don Giovanni_, but -these occasions are rare and far less striking. The first _allegro_ has -for a theme a phrase of six measures, which is not distinguished in -itself but becomes interesting through the artistic treatment. An -episodic melody follows, but it has little distinction of style. By -means of a half cadence, repeated three or four times, we come to a -figure in imitation for wind instruments; and we are the more surprised -to find it here, because it had been so often employed in several -overtures to French operas. The _andante_ contains an accompaniment of -drums, _piano_, which appears today rather ordinary, yet we recognize in -it a hint at striking effects produced later by Beethoven with the aid -of this instrument, which is seldom or badly employed as a rule by his -predecessors. This movement is full of charm; the theme is graceful and -lends itself easily to fugued development, by means of which the -composer has succeeded in being ingenious and piquant. The _scherzo_ is -the first-born of the family of charming _badinages_ or _scherzi_, of -which Beethoven invented the form and determined the pace; which he -substituted in nearly all of his instrumental works for the minuet of -Mozart and Haydn with a pace doubly less rapid and with a wholly -different character. This _scherzo_ is of exquisite freshness, lightness -and grace. It is the one truly original thing in this symphony in which -the poetic idea, so great and rich in the majority of his succeeding -works, is wholly wanting. It is music admirably made, clear, alert, but -slightly accentuated, cold, and sometimes mean and shabby, as in the -final _rondo_, which is musically childish. In a word, this is not -Beethoven." - -This judgment of Berlioz has been vigorously combated by all fetishists -that believe in the plenary inspiration of a great composer. Thus Michel -Brenet[4] (1882), usually discriminative, found that the introduction -begins in a highly original manner. Marx took the trouble to refute the -statement of Ulibichev,[5] that the first movement was an imitation of -the beginning of Mozart's "_Jupiter_" symphony--a futile task. We find -Dr. Prof. H. Reimann[6] in 1899 stoutly maintaining the originality of -many pages of this symphony. Thus in the introduction the first chord -with its resolution is a "genuine innovation by Beethoven." He admits -that the chief theme of the _allegro con brio_ with its subsidiary theme -and jubilant sequel recalls irresistibly Mozart's "_Jupiter_"; "but the -passage _pianissimo_ by the close in G major, in which the basses use -the subsidiary theme, and in which the oboe introduces a song, is new -and surprising, and the manner in which by a crescendo the closing -section of the first chapter is developed is wholly Beethovenish"! He is -also lost in admiration at the thought of the development itself. He -finds the true Beethoven in more than one page of the _andante_. The -trio of the _scherzo_ is an example of Beethoven's "tone-painting." The -introduction of the _finale_ is "wholly original, although one may often -find echoes of Haydn and Mozart in what follows." - -Colombani combated the idea that the symphony is a weak imitation of -symphonies by Haydn and Mozart. Ulibichev wrote that Beethoven, in order -to reveal himself, waited for the minuet. "The rhythmic movement is -changed into that of a _scherzo_, after the manner instituted by the -composer in his first sonatas." When the symphony was first performed at -Leipsic, a critic described it as a "confused explosion of the -outrageous effrontery of a young man." At Vienna in 1810, the work was -described as "more amiable" than the second symphony. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 2, IN D MAJOR, OP. 36 - - - I. Adagio molto; allegro con brio - II. Larghetto - III. Scherzo - IV. Allegro molto - -The symphony is an answer to those who insist that the inner emotions of -a composer must find a vent in the music composed at the time. Never was -Beethoven more wretched physically and mentally than when he wrote this -symphony, music that breathes forth serenity, beauty, gayety, and -courage. - - * * * - -In 1801 Beethoven's deafness, which had begun with a roaring in his -ears, grew on him. He suffered also from frightful colic. He consulted -physician after physician; tried oil of almonds, cold baths and hot -baths, pills and herbs and blisters; he was curious about galvanic -remedies, and in his distress he wrote: "I shall as far as possible defy -my fate, although there must be moments when I shall be the most -miserable of God's creatures.... I will grapple with fate; it shall -never pull me down." - -Dr. Schmidt sent him in 1802 to the little village of Heiligenstadt, -where, as the story goes, the Emperor Protus planted the first vines of -Noricum. There was a spring of mineral water--a spring of marvelous -virtues--which had been blessed by St. Severinus, who died in the -village and gave the name by which it is known today. Beethoven's house -was on a hill outside the village, isolated, with a view of the Danube -valley. Here he lived for several months like a hermit. He saw only his -physician and Ferdinand Ries, his pupil, who visited him occasionally. - -Nature and loneliness did not console Beethoven. He had been in dismal -mood since the performance of the First symphony (April, 1800). The -powers of darkness, "_finstere Mächte_," to quote Wasielewski's phrase, -had begun to torment him. He had already felt the first attacks of -deafness. It is possible that the first symptoms were in 1796, when, as -a story goes, returning overheated from a walk, he plunged his head into -cold water. "It would not be safe to say that the smallpox, which in his -childhood left marks on his face, was a remote cause of his deafness." -In 1800-01 Beethoven wrote about his deafness and intestinal troubles to -Dr. Wegeler, and to the clergyman, Carl Amenda, in Kurland. It was at -the beginning of October, 1802, that Beethoven, at Heiligenstadt, almost -ready to put an end to his life, wrote a letter to his brothers, the -document known as "Beethoven's will," which drips yew-like melancholy. - -Furthermore, Beethoven was still passionately in love with Giulietta -Guicciardi, of whom he wrote to Wegeler, November 16, 1801: "You can -hardly believe what a sad and lonely life I have passed for two years. -My poor hearing haunted me as a specter, and I shunned men. It was -necessary for me to appear misanthropic, and I am not this at all. This -change is the work of a charming child who loves me and is loved by me. -After two years I have again had some moments of pleasure, and for the -first time I feel that marriage could make me happy. Unfortunately, she -is not of my rank in life, and now I certainly cannot marry." Beethoven, -however, asked for her hand. One of her parents looked favorably on the -match. The other, probably the father, the Count Guicciardi, refused to -give his daughter to a man without rank, without fortune, and without a -position of any kind. Giulietta became the Countess Gallenberg. -Beethoven told Schindler that after her marriage she sought him out in -Vienna, and she wept, but that he despised her. - -Yet during the sad period of the winter of 1802-03, Beethoven composed -the Second symphony, a joyous, "a heroic lie," to borrow the descriptive -phrase of Camille Bellaigue. - -The first performance of the Second symphony was at the Theater an der -Wien, April 5, 1803. The symphony was performed at Leipsic, April 29, -1804, and Spazier characterized it as "a gross monster, a pierced dragon -which will not die, and even in losing its blood (in the _finale_), wild -with rage, still deals vain but furious blows with his tail, stiffened -by the last agony." Spazier, who died early in 1805, was described by -his contemporaries as a learned and well-grounded musician and a man of -sound judgment. - -A Leipsic critic found that the symphony would gain if certain passages -were abbreviated and certain modulations were sacrificed. Another -declared that it was too long; that there was an exaggerated use of the -wind instruments; that the _finale_ was bizarre, harsh, savage. Yet he -added that there was such fire, such richness of new ideas, such an -absolutely original disposition of these ideas, that the work would -live; "and it will always be heard with renewed pleasure when a thousand -things that are today in fashion will have been long buried." - -The sketch of Berlioz may here serve as an analysis: "In this symphony -everything is noble, energetic, proud. The introduction (_largo_) is a -masterpiece. The most beautiful effects follow one another without -confusion and always in an unexpected manner. The song is of a touching -solemnity, and it at once commands respect and puts the hearer in an -emotional mood. The rhythm is already bolder, the instrumentation is -richer, more sonorous, more varied. An _allegro con brio_ of enchanting -dash is joined to this admirable _adagio_. The _gruppetto_ which is -found in the first measure of the theme, given at first to the violas -and violoncellos in unison, is taken up again in an isolated form, to -establish either progressions in a _crescendo_ or imitative passages -between wind instruments and the strings. All these forms have a new and -animated physiognomy. A melody enters, the first section of which is -played by clarinets, horns, and bassoons. It is completed _en tutti_ by -the rest of the orchestra, and the manly energy is enhanced by the happy -choice of accompanying chords. - -"The _andante_ [_larghetto_] is not treated after the manner of that of -the First symphony: it is not composed of a theme worked out in canonic -imitations, but it is a pure and frank song, which at first is sung -simply by the strings, and then embroidered with a rare elegance by -means of light and fluent figures whose character is never far removed -from the sentiment of tenderness which forms the distinctive character -of the principal idea. It is a ravishing picture of innocent pleasure -which is scarcely shadowed by a few melancholy accents. - -"The _scherzo_ is as frankly gay in its fantastic capriciousness as the -_andante_ has been wholly and serenely happy; for this symphony is -smiling throughout; the warlike bursts of the first _allegro_ are wholly -free from violence; there is only the youthful ardor of a noble heart in -which the most beautiful illusions of life are preserved untainted. The -composer still believes in immortal glory, in love, in devotion. What -abandon in his gayety! What wit! What sallies! Hearing these various -instruments disputing over fragments of a theme which no one of them -plays in its complete form, hearing each fragment thus colored with a -thousand nuances as it passes from one to the other, it is as though you -were watching the fairy sports of Oberon's graceful spirits. - -"The _finale_ is of like nature. It is a second _scherzo_ in two time, -and its playfulness has perhaps something still more delicate, more -piquant." - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 3, IN E FLAT MAJOR "EROICA," OP. 55 - - - I. Allegro con brio - II. Marcia funebre: Adagio assai - III. Scherzo: Allegro vivace; Trio - IV. Finale: Allegro molto - -It is interesting to note the difference in the expression of heroism -between this symphony and Strauss's _Heldenleben_. To be sure, Beethoven -had Bonaparte at first in mind, while in _Heldenleben_ the hero -is--Richard Strauss, defying his enemies, rejoicing vaingloriously in -his immortality as a composer. It is not necessary to accept the -theories of Beethoven's commentators. The excellent Nietzel finds that, -in the second theme of the first movement, "the hero, having for the -first time exerted his force, turns about to look at the path he has -trod." Wagner sees Man, not merely a triumphant soldier, the hero. -Schindler believes the symphony to be the celebration of the French -Revolution. And so on and so on. It is enough that the structure and the -spirit of the symphony are heroic, that there is the grand gesture, that -even in the Funeral March there is no whine of pessimism, no luxury of -woe. It is a heroic lamentation over heroes slain in defence of freedom, -a lamentation in which there is exultation, even in grief. - - * * * - -At Nussdorf in the summer of 1817, Beethoven, who had then composed -eight symphonies, and the poet Christian Kuffner were having a fish -dinner at the Tavern Zur Rose. Kuffner asked him which of his symphonies -was his favorite. - -"Eh! Eh!" said Beethoven. "The _Eroica_." - -"I should have guessed the C minor," said Kuffner. - -"No, the _Eroica_." - - -Anton Schindler wrote in his life of Beethoven: - - "First in the fall of 1802 was his [Beethoven's] mental condition so - much bettered that he could take hold afresh of his long-formulated - plan and make some progress: to pay homage with a great instrumental - work to the hero of the time, Napoleon. Yet not until 1803 did he set - himself seriously to this gigantic work, which we now know under the - title of _Sinfonia Eroica_: on account of many interruptions it was - not finished until the following year.... The first idea of this - symphony is said to have come from General Bernadotte, who was then - French Ambassador at Vienna and highly treasured Beethoven. I heard - this from many friends of Beethoven. Count Moritz Lichnowsky, who was - often with Beethoven in the company of Bernadotte, ... told me the - same story."[7] Schindler also wrote, with reference to the year 1823: - "The correspondence of the King of Sweden led Beethoven's memory back - to the time when the King, then General Bernadotte, Ambassador of the - French Republic, was at Vienna, and Beethoven had a lively - recollection of the fact that Bernadotte indeed first awakened in him - the idea of the _Sinfonia Eroica_." - -These statements are direct. Unfortunately, Schindler, in the third -edition of his book, mentioned Beethoven as a visitor at the house of -Bernadotte in 1798, repeated the statement that Bernadotte inspired the -idea of the symphony, and added: "Not long afterward the idea blossomed -into a deed"; he also laid stress on the fact that Beethoven was a -stanch republican and cited, in support of his admiration of Napoleon, -passages from Beethoven's own copy of Schleiermacher's translation of -Plato. - -Thayer admits that the thought of Napoleon may have influenced the form -and the contents of the symphony; that the composer may have based a -system of politics on Plato; "but," he adds, "Bernadotte had been long -absent from Vienna before the Consular form of government was adopted at -Paris, and before Schleiermacher's Plato was published in Berlin." - -The symphony was composed in 1803-04. The story is that the title page -of the manuscript bore the word "Buonaparte," and at the bottom of the -page "Luigi van Beethoven"; and "not a word more," said Ries, who saw -the manuscript. "I was the first," also said Ries, "to bring him the -news that Bonaparte had had himself declared emperor, whereat he broke -out angrily: 'Then he's nothing but an ordinary man. Now he'll trample -on all the rights of men to serve his own ambition; he will put himself -higher than all others and turn out a tyrant!'" There is also the story -that when the death of Napoleon was announced, Beethoven exclaimed: "Did -I not foresee the catastrophe when I wrote the Funeral March in the -_Eroica_?" Vincent d'Indy argues against Schindler's theory that -Beethoven wished to celebrate the French Revolution _en bloc_. "_C'était -l'homme de Brumaire_" that Beethoven honored by his dedication. The -autograph score, sold at auction in Vienna in 1827 for three florins, -ten kreutzers, shows the erasure of two words under "_Sinfonia grande_" -on the title page: one is plainly "Bonaparte"; under his own name, -Beethoven wrote, in large characters, "Written on Bonaparte." Paul -Bekker, arguing that the _Eroica_ is not the portrait of any one hero, -but that the symphony represents his concept of human heroism, believes -that the first movement is the only one of direct connection with -Napoleon: "The hero's deeds have resulted in victory, the restless will -has achieved fulfilment."[8] - -There can be nothing in the statements that have come down from Czerny, -Dr. Bartolini, and others: the first _Allegro_ describes a sea fight; -the Funeral March is in memory of Nelson or General Abercrombie, etc. -There can be no doubt that Napoleon, the young conqueror, the Consul, -the enemy of kings, worked a spell over Beethoven, as over Berlioz, -Hazlitt, Victor Hugo; for, according to W. E. Henley's paradox, -although, as despot, Napoleon had "no love for new ideas and no -tolerance for intellectual independence," yet he was "the great First -Cause of Romanticism." - -The first performance of the symphony was at a private concert at Prince -Lobkowitz's in December, 1804. The composer conducted, and in the second -half of the first _Allegro_ he brought the orchestra to grief, so that a -fresh start was made. The first performance in public was at a concert -given by Clement at the Theater an der Wien, April 7, 1805. The symphony -was announced as "A new grand Symphony in D sharp by Herr Ludwig van -Beethoven, dedicated to his Excellence Prince von Lobkowitz." Beethoven -conducted. Czerny remembered that someone shouted from the gallery: "I'd -give another kreutzer if they would stop." Beethoven's friends declared -the work a masterpiece. Some said it would gain if it were shortened, if -there were more "light, clearness, and unity." Others found it a mixture -of the good, the grotesque, the tiresome. - -The symphony was published in October, 1806. The title in Italian stated -that it was to celebrate the memory of a great man. And there was this -note: "Since this symphony is longer than an ordinary symphony, it -should be performed at the beginning rather than at the end of a -concert, either after an overture or an aria, or after a concerto. If it -be performed too late, there is the danger that it will not produce on -the audience, whose attention will be already wearied by preceding -pieces, the effect which the composer purposed in his own mind to -attain." - -The theme of the first movement is note for note the same as that of the -first measures of the Intrade written by Mozart in 1768, at Vienna, for -his one-act operetta, _Bastien et Bastienne_, performed that year in a -Viennese garden house. Beethoven's theme is finished by the violins and -developed at length. There is a subsidiary theme, which begins with a -series of detached phrases distributed among wood-wind instruments and -then the violins. The second theme, of a plaintive character, is given -out alternately by wood-wind and strings. The development is most -elaborate, full of striking contrasts, rich in new ideas. The passage in -which the horn enters with the first two measures of the first theme in -the tonic chord of the key, while the violins keep up a tremolo on A -flat and B flat, has given rise to many anecdotes and provoked fierce -discussion. The _coda_ is of unusual length. - -The Funeral March, _Adagio assai_, C minor, 2-4, begins, _pianissimo e -sotto voce_, with the theme in the first violins, accompanied by simple -chords in the other strings. The theme is repeated by the oboe, -accompanied by wood-wind instruments and strings; the strings give the -second portion of the theme. A development by full orchestra follows. -The second theme is in C major. Phrases are given out by various -wood-wind instruments in alternation, accompanied by triplet _arpeggios_ -in the strings. This theme, too, is developed; and there is a return to -the first theme in C minor in the strings. There is fugal development at -length of a figure that is not closely connected with either of the two -themes. The first theme reappears for a moment, but strings and brass -enter _fortissimo_ in A flat major. This episode is followed by another; -and at last the first theme returns in fragmentary form in the first -violins, accompanied by a _pizzicato_ bass and chords in oboes and -horns. - -M. d'Indy,[9] discussing the patriotism of Beethoven as shown in his -music, calls attention to the _militarisme_, the adaptation of a warlike -rhythm to melody, that characterizes this march. - -_Scherzo_: _allegro vivace_, E flat major, 3-4. Strings are _pianissimo_ -and _staccato_, and oboe and first violins play a gay theme which Marx -says is taken from an old Austrian folk song. This melody is the basic -material of the _scherzo_. The trio in E flat major includes hunting -calls by the horns, which are interrupted by passages in wood-wind -instruments or strings. - -_Finale_: _allegro molto_, E flat major, 2-4. A theme, or, rather, a -double theme, with variations. Beethoven was fond of this theme, for he -had used it in the _finale_ of his ballet, _Die Geschöpfe des -Prometheus_, in the Variations for pianoforte, Op. 35, and in a country -dance. After a few measures of introduction, the bass to the melody -which is to come is given out, as though it were an independent theme. -The first two variations in the strings are contrapuntal. In the third -the tuneful second theme is in the wood-wind against runs in the first -violins. The fourth is a long fugal development of the first theme -against a counter subject found in the first variation. Variations in G -minor follow, and the second theme is heard in C major. There is a new -fugal development of the inverted first theme. The tempo changes to -_poco andante_, wood-wind instruments play an expressive version of the -second theme, which is developed to a _coda_ for full orchestra, and the -symphony ends with a joyful glorification of the theme. - -First performances: London, 1814. Paris (at a rehearsal in 1815 -everybody laughed after the first and second movement; this happened at -another attempt some years later), Conservatory Orchestra, 1828. St. -Petersburg, 1834. Rome, 1860. Madrid, 1878. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 4, IN B FLAT MAJOR, OP. 60 - - - I. Adagio; Allegro vivace - II. Adagio - III. Allegro vivace. Trio. Un poco meno allegro - IV. Finale: Allegro, ma non troppo - -Of the nine symphonies of Beethoven the Fourth and Sixth are the least -impressive. The First is historically interesting, and its _finale_ is -delightfully gay. The Second is also interesting as showing the -development of Beethoven's musical mind. After the _Eroica_, the Fourth -seems a droop in the flight of imagination. Yet there are noble and -strange things in this symphony, things that only Beethoven could have -written: the introduction, the mysterious measures with the _crescendo_ -that majestically reëstablishes the chief tonality in the first -movement; the superb _adagio_. - - -The old theory that the Fourth was inspired by Beethoven's love for -Therese Brunswick; that he was betrothed to her, which made happiness -the keynote to the music, has been disproved, if ever it was accepted by -students of Beethoven's life. As a matter of fact, nothing is known -about the "origin" of the music. A German commentator has recently -spoken of "indecisiveness of mood" as "part of the imaginative scheme of -the whole work"; he even sees in the _adagio_ "the stimulus of some -tense emotion" such as inspired the love letter, whether aroused by the -"Immortal" or some other beloved. Is it not enough to hear the serene, -nobly emotional _adagio_ without vain speculation as to why Beethoven -was so deeply moved? Nor is it necessary to see Berlioz's Archangel -Michael, who, by the way, was the warlike leader of the angelic hosts, -sighing and overcome by melancholy, as "he contemplated the worlds from -the threshold of the empyrean." One might ask why should Michael grow -melancholy at the glorious sight? Nor can Beethoven's _adagio_ be justly -characterized as melancholy. - - * * * - -The composition of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor was interrupted -by work on the Symphony in B flat major, No. 4, a symphony of a very -different character. The symphony was probably planned and composed in -the summer of 1806. "Having been played in March, 1807, at one of the -two subscription concerts at Lobkowitz's," Thayer is justified in adding -solemnly that "it must have been finished at that time." - -After the performance of the _Eroica_, Beethoven also worked on his -opera, _Fidelio_. The French army entered Vienna November 13, 1805; on -the 15th, Napoleon sent to the Viennese a proclamation dated at -Schönbrunn, and on November 20, 1805, _Fidelio_ was performed for the -first time, before an audience largely composed of French officers. -There were three performances, and the opera was withdrawn until March -29, 1806, when it was reduced from three acts to two. The opera was -again coldly received; there were two performances; and there was no -revival in Vienna until 1814. - -Beethoven, disturbed by the disaster which attended the first -performances of his _Fidelio_ in Vienna, during the French invasion, -went in 1806 to Hungary to visit his friend, Count Brunswick. He visited -the Prince Lichnowsky at Castle Grätz, which was near Troppau in -Silesia. It has been said that at Martonvásár, visiting the Brunswicks, -he found that he loved Therese and that his love was returned. Some, -therefore, account for the postponement of the Fifth symphony, begun -before the Fourth, "by the fact that in May, 1806, Beethoven became -engaged to the Countess Therese.... The B flat symphony has been -mentioned as 'the most tenderly classical' of all works of its kind; its -keynote is 'happiness'--a contentment which could have come to the -master only through such an incident as the one above set forth--his -betrothal." We do not see the force of this reasoning. - -It is better to say with Thayer that nothing is known about the origin -of the Fourth beyond the inscription put by the composer on the -manuscript which belongs to the Mendelssohn family: "_Sinfonia 4^ta -1806. L. v. Bthvn._" - -This we do know: that, while Beethoven was visiting Prince Lichnowsky at -the latter's Castle Grätz, the two called on Franz, Count Oppersdorff, -who had a castle near Grossglogau. This count, born in 1778, rich and -high-born, was fond of music; he had at this castle a well-drilled -orchestra, which then played Beethoven's Symphony in D major in the -presence of the composer. In June, 1807, he commissioned Beethoven to -compose a symphony, paid him two hundred florins in advance and one -hundred and fifty florins more in 1808. Beethoven accepted the offer, -and purposed to give the Symphony in C minor to the Count; but he -changed his mind, and in November, 1808, the Count received, not the -symphony, but a letter of apology, in which Beethoven said that he had -been obliged to sell the symphony which he had composed for him, and -also another--these were probably the Fifth and the Sixth--but that the -Count would receive soon the one intended for him. The Fifth and Sixth -were dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz and Count Rasoumowsky. Oppersdorff at -last received the Fourth symphony, dedicated to him, a symphony that was -begun before he gave the commission; he received it after it had been -performed. He was naturally offended, especially as the Fourth symphony -at first met with little favor. He did not give Beethoven another -commission, nor did he meet him again, although Beethoven visited again -the Castle Grätz in 1811. The Count died January 21, 1818. - -The Fourth symphony was performed for the first time at one of two -concerts given in Vienna about the 15th of March, 1807, at Prince -Lobkowitz's. The concert was for the benefit of the composer. The -_Journal des Luxus und der Moden_ published this review early in April -of that year: - -"Beethoven gave in the dwelling house of Prince L. two concerts in which -only his own compositions were performed: the first four symphonies, an -overture to the tragedy _Coriolanus_, a pianoforte concerto, and some -arias from _Fidelio_. Wealth of ideas, bold originality, and fullness of -strength, the peculiar characteristics of Beethoven's Muse, were here -plainly in evidence. Yet many took exception to the neglect of noble -simplicity, to the excessive amassing thoughts, which on account of -their number are not always sufficiently blended and elaborated, and -therefore often produce the effect of uncut diamonds." - -Was this "Prince L." Lobkowitz or Lichnowsky? Thayer decided in favor of -the former. - -Berlioz writes of this symphony: - -"Here Beethoven abandons wholly the ode and the elegy--a reference to -the _Eroica_ symphony--to return to the less lofty and somber but -perhaps no less difficult style of the Second symphony. The character of -this score is generally lively, nimble, joyous, or of a heavenly -sweetness. If we except the meditative _adagio_, which serves as an -introduction, the first movement is almost entirely given up to -joyfulness. The motive in detached notes, with which the _allegro_ -begins, is only a canvas, on which the composer spreads other and more -substantial melodies, which thus render the apparently chief idea of the -beginning an accessory. This artifice, although it is fertile in curious -and interesting results, has already been employed by Mozart and Haydn -with equal success. But we find in the second section of this same -_allegro_ an idea that is truly new, the first measures of which -captivate the attention; this idea, after leading the hearer's mind -through mysterious developments, astonishes it by its unexpected -ending.... This astonishing _crescendo_ is one of the most skillfully -contrived things we know of in music: you will hardly find its equal -except in that which ends the famous _scherzo_ of the Symphony in C -minor. And this latter, in spite of its immense effectiveness, is -conceived on a less vast scale, for it sets out from _piano_ to arrive -at the final explosion without departing from the principal key, while -the one whose march we have just described starts from _mezzo-forte_, is -lost for a moment in a _pianissimo_ beneath which are harmonies with -vague and undecided coloring, then reappears with chords of a more -determined tonality, and bursts out only at the moment when the cloud -that veiled this modulation is completely dissipated. You might compare -it to a river whose calm waters suddenly disappear and only leave the -subterranean bed to plunge with a roar in a foaming waterfall. - -"As for the _adagio_--it escapes analysis. It is so pure in form, the -melodic expression is so angelic and of such irresistible tenderness, -that the prodigious art of the workmanship disappears completely. You -are seized, from the first measure, by an emotion which at the end -becomes overwhelming in its intensity; and it is only in the works of -one of these giants of poetry that we can find a point of comparison -with this sublime page of the giant of music. Nothing, indeed, more -resembles the impression produced by this _adagio_ than that which we -experience when we read the touching episode of Francesca da Rimini in -the _Divina Commedia_, the recital of which Virgil cannot hear 'without -weeping in sobs,' and which, at the last verse, makes Dante 'fall, as -falls a dead body.' This movement seems to have been sighed by the -archangel Michael, one day when, overcome by melancholy, he contemplated -the worlds from the threshold of the empyrean. - -"The _scherzo_ consists almost wholly of phrases in binary rhythm forced -to enter into combinations of 3-4 time.... The melody of the trio, given -to wind instruments, is of a delicious freshness; the pace is a little -slower than that of the rest of the _scherzo_, and its simplicity stands -out in still greater elegance from the opposition of the little phrases -which the violins throw across the wind instruments, like so many -teasing but charming allurements. - -"The _finale_, gay and lively, returns to ordinary rhythmic forms; it -consists of a jingling of sparkling notes, interrupted, however, by some -hoarse and savage chords, in which are shown the angry outbursts which -we have already had occasion to notice in the composer." - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 5, IN C MINOR, OP. 67 - - - I. Allegro con brio - II. Andante con moto - III. Allegro; trio-- - IV. Allegro - -As for the Fifth symphony, what words can be said of its composer more -fitting than those of De Quincey's apostrophe to Shakespeare; "O mighty -poet! Thy works are not those of other men, simply and merely great -works of art, but are also like the phenomena of nature, like the sun -and the sea, the stars and the flowers, the frost and the dew, hailstorm -and thunder, which are to be studied with entire submission of our own -faculties, and in the perfect faith that in them there can be no too -much or too little, nothing useless or inert, but that the farther we -press in our discoveries, the more we shall see proofs of design and -self-supporting arrangement where the careless eye had nothing but -accident!" - - -In all modern music there is no page more thrilling than that of the -mysterious, unearthly transition from the _scherzo_ to the _finale_, and -the preceding pages are the triumph of absolute music over that which -needs a programme or is the translation of something into music. Here is -music that was not suggested, but it suggests that which can only be -imagined, not spoken, not painted, not written in lofty rhyme or -passionate prose. - - * * * - -Beethoven sketched motives of the _Allegro_, _Andante_, and _scherzo_ of -this symphony as early as 1800 and 1801. We know from sketches that -while he was at work on _Fidelio_ and the pianoforte concerto in G -major--1804-06--he was also busied with this symphony, which he put -aside to compose the Fourth symphony, in B flat. - -The Symphony in C minor was finished in the neighborhood of -Heiligenstadt in 1807. Dedicated to the Prince von Lobkowitz and the -Count Rasoumowsky, it was published in April, 1809. It was first -performed at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, December 22, 1808. - -Instead of inquiring curiously into the legend invented by -Schindler--"and for this reason a statement to be doubted," as Bülow -said--that Beethoven remarked of the first theme, "So knocks Fate on the -door!" (it is said that Ferdinand Ries was the author of this -explanation and that Beethoven was grimly sarcastic when Ries, his -pupil, made it known to him), instead of investigating the statement -that the rhythm of this theme was suggested by the note of a -bird--oriole or goldfinch--heard during a walk; instead of a long -analysis, which is vexation and confusion without the themes and their -variants in notation, let us read and ponder the words of the great -Hector Berlioz: - -"The most celebrated of them all, beyond doubt and peradventure, is also -the first, I think, in which Beethoven gave the reins to his vast -imagination, without taking for guide or aid a foreign thought. In the -First, Second, and Fourth, he more or less enlarged forms already known, -and poetized them with all the brilliant and passionate inspirations of -his vigorous youth. In the Third, the _Eroica_, there is a tendency, it -is true, to enlarge the form, and the thought is raised to a mighty -height; but it is impossible to ignore the influence of one of the -divine poets to whom for a long time the great artist had raised a -temple in his heart. Beethoven, faithful to the Horatian precept, -'_Nocturna versate manu, versate diurna_,' read Homer constantly, and in -his magnificent musical epopee, which, they say, I know not whether it -be true or false, was inspired by a modern hero, the recollections of -the ancient Iliad play a part that is as evident as admirably beautiful. - -"The Symphony in C minor, on the other hand, seems to us to come -directly and solely from the genius of Beethoven; he develops in it his -own intimate thought; his secret sorrows, his concentrated rage, his -reveries charged with a dejection, oh, so sad, his visions at night, his -bursts of enthusiasm--these furnish him the subject; and the forms of -melody, harmony, rhythm, and orchestration are displayed as essentially -individual and new as they are powerful and noble. - -"The first movement is devoted to the painting of disordered sentiments -which overthrow a great soul, a prey to despair; not the concentrated, -calm despair that borrows the shape of resignation; not the dark and -voiceless sorrow of Romeo who learns of the death of Juliet; but the -terrible rage of Othello when he receives from Iago's mouth the -poisonous slanders which persuade him of Desdemona's guilt. Now it is a -frenetic delirium which explodes in frightful cries; and now it is the -prostration that has only accents of regret and profound self-pity. Hear -these hiccups of the orchestra, these dialogues in chords between wind -instruments and strings, which come and go, always weaker and fainter, -like unto the painful breathing of a dying man, and then give way to a -phrase full of violence, in which the orchestra seems to rise to its -feet, revived by a flash of fury; see this shuddering mass hesitate a -moment and then rush headlong, divided in two burning unisons as two -streams of lava; ... and then say if this passionate style is not beyond -and above everything that had been produced hitherto in instrumental -music.... - -"The _adagio_" [_andante con moto_] "has characteristics in common with -the _allegretto_ in A minor of the Seventh symphony and the slow -movement of the Fourth. It partakes alike of the melancholy soberness of -the former and the touching grace of the latter. The theme, at first -announced by the united violoncellos and violas, with a simple -accompaniment of the double-basses _pizzicato_, is followed by a phrase -for wind instruments, which returns constantly, and in the same tonality -throughout the movement, whatever be the successive changes of the first -theme. This persistence of the same phrase, represented always in a -profoundly sad simplicity, produces little by little on the hearer's -soul an indescribable impression.... - -"The _scherzo_ is a strange composition. Its first measures, which are -not terrible themselves, provoke that inexplicable emotion which you -feel when the magnetic gaze of certain persons is fastened on you. Here -everything is somber, mysterious; the orchestration, more or less -sinister, springs apparently from the state of mind that created the -famous scene of the Blocksberg in Goethe's _Faust_. Nuances of _piano_ -and _mezzoforte_ dominate. The trio is a double-bass figure, executed -with the full force of the bow; its savage roughness shakes the -orchestral stands and reminds one of the gambols of a frolicsome -elephant. But the monster retires, and little by little the noise of his -mad course dies away. The theme of the _scherzo_ reappears in -_pizzicato_. Silence is almost established, for you hear only some -violin tones lightly plucked and strange little cluckings of -bassoons.... At last the strings give gently with the bow the chord of A -flat and doze on it. Only the drums preserve the rhythm; light blows -struck by sponge-headed drumsticks mark the dull rhythm amid the general -stagnation of the orchestra. These drum notes are C's; the tonality of -the movement is C minor; but the chord of A flat sustained for a long -time by the other instruments seems to introduce a different tonality, -while the isolated hammering of the C on the drums tends to preserve the -feeling of the foundation tonality. The ear hesitates--but will this -mystery of harmony end?--and the dull pulsations of the drums, growing -louder and louder, reach the violins, which now take part in the -movement and with a change of harmony, to the chord of the dominant -seventh, G, B, D, F, while the drums roll obstinately their tonic C; the -whole orchestra, assisted by the trombones, which have not yet been -heard, bursts in the major into the theme of a triumphal march, and the -_finale_ begins.... - -"Criticism has tried, however, to diminish the composer's glory by -stating that he employed ordinary means, the brilliance of the major -mode pompously following the darkness of a _pianissimo_ in minor; that -the triumphal march is without originality, and that the interest wanes -even to the end, whereas it should increase. I reply to this: Did it -require less genius to create a work like this because the passage from -_piano_ to _forte_ and that from minor to major were the means already -understood? Many composers have wished to take advantage of the same -means; and what result did they obtain comparable to this gigantic chant -of victory in which the soul of the poet-musician, henceforth free from -earthly shackles, terrestrial sufferings, seems to mount radiantly -towards heaven? The first four measures of the theme, it is true, are -not highly original, but the forms of a fanfare are inherently -restricted, and I do not think it possible to find new forms without -departing utterly from the simple, grand, pompous character which is -becoming. Beethoven wished only an entrance of the fanfare for the -beginning of his _finale_, and he quickly found in the rest of the -movement and even in the conclusion of the chief theme that loftiness -and originality of style which never forsook him. And this may be said -in answer to the reproach of his not having increased the interest to -the very end; music, in the state known at least to us, would not know -how to produce a more violent effect than that of this transition from -_scherzo_ to triumphal march; it was then impossible to enlarge the -effect afterwards. - -"To sustain one's self at such a height is of itself a prodigious -effort; yet in spite of the breadth of the developments to which he -committed himself, Beethoven was able to do it. But this equality from -the beginning to end is enough to make the charge of diminished interest -plausible, on account of the terrible shock which the ears receive at -the beginning; a shock that, by exciting nervous emotion to its most -violent paroxysm, makes the succeeding instant the more difficult. In a -long row of columns of equal height, an optical illusion makes the most -remote appear the smallest. Perhaps our weak organization would -accommodate itself to a more laconic peroration, as that of Gluck's -'_Notre général vous rappelle_.' Then the audience would not have to -grow cold, and the symphony would end before weariness had made -impossible further following in the steps of the composer. This remark -bears only on the _mise en scène_ of the work; it does not do away with -the fact that this _finale_ in itself is rich and magnificent; very few -movements can draw near without being crushed by it." - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 6, IN F MAJOR, "PASTORALE," OP. 68 - - - I. Awakening of serene impressions on arriving in the country: - allegro, ma non troppo - II. Scene by the brookside: andante molto moto - III. Jolly gathering of country folk: allegro; in tempo d'allegro - Thunderstorm; tempest: allegro - IV. Shepherd's song; gladsome and thankful feelings after the storm: - allegretto - -When justly read, this symphony is indeed pastoral, light-hearted, -something more than a fearsome length relieved only by the little -ornithological passage in which nightingale, quail, and cuckoo are -neatly imitated; at least, it is fair to suppose this; we have never -heard the nightingale sing. Jean Cocteau, in his amusing little book -full of aphorisms designed to make the bourgeois sit up, says that the -nightingale sings badly. So we must not be unduly prejudiced by praise -of the bird coming from Milton, Matthew Arnold, and other poetical -enthusiasts. Then there is the thunderstorm--the tempest, to use the -good country term that has come down from Shakespeare and before him. -And how charming the first two movements! To borrow the Host's -characterization of Master Fenton, the symphony smells April and May. - - * * * - -This symphony--_Sinfonia pastorale_--was composed in the country round -about Heiligenstadt in the summer of 1808. It was first performed at the -Theater an der Wien, Vienna, December 22, 1808. The descriptive headings -were probably an afterthought. In the sketchbook, which contains -sketches for the first movement, is a note: "_Characteristic Symphony. -The recollections of life in the country._" There is also a note: "_The -hearer is left to find out the situations for himself._" - -M. Vincent d'Indy in his _Beethoven_ (Paris, 1911) devotes several pages -to Beethoven's love of nature. "Nature was to Beethoven not only a -consoler for his sorrows and disenchantments; she was also a friend with -whom he took pleasure in familiar talk, the only intercourse to which -his deafness presented no obstacle." Nor did Beethoven understand Nature -in the dryly theoretical manner of Jean Jacques Rousseau, whose writings -then were in fashion, for there could be no point of contact between the -doctrines of this Calvinist of Geneva and the effusions of Beethoven, a -Catholic by birth and by education. Nor did Beethoven share the views of -many Romantics about Nature. He would never have called her "immense, -impenetrable, and haughty," as Berlioz addressed her through the mouth -of his Faust. A little nook, a meadow, a tree--these sufficed for -Beethoven. He had so penetrated the beauty of nature that for more than -a dozen years all his music was impregnated by it. - -His bedside book for many, many years soon after his passion for -Giulietta Guicciardi was the _Lehr und Erbauungs Buch_ of Sturm. -Passages underscored show the truth of the assertions just made, and he -copied these lines that they might always be in his sight: "Nature can -be justly called the school of the heart; it shows us beyond all doubt -our duty towards God and our Neighbor. I wish therefore to become a -disciple of this school, and offer my heart to it. Desirous of -self-instruction, I wish to search after the wisdom that no disillusion -can reject; I wish to arrive at the knowledge of God, and in this -knowledge I shall find a foretaste of celestial joys." - -Nature to Beethoven was the country near by, which he could visit in his -daily walks. If he was an indefatigable pedestrian, he was never an -excursionist. - -M. d'Indy draws a picture of the little _Wirthschaften_ in the suburbs -of the large towns, humble inns "not yet ticketed with the pompous -barbarism of 'restaurant.'" They were frequented by the bourgeoisie, who -breathed the fresh air and on tables of wood ate the habitual sausage -and drank the traditional beer. There was a dance hall with a small -orchestra; there was a discreet garden with odorous alleys in which -lovers could walk between the dances. Beyond was the forest where the -peasant danced and sang and drank, but the songs and dances were here of -a ruder nature. - -Beethoven, renting a cottage at Döbling, Grinzing, or Heiligenstadt, -which then were not official faubourgs, could in a few minutes be in the -forest or open country. He did not attempt to reproduce the material, -realistic impression of country sounds and noises, but only the spirit -of the landscape. - -Thus in the _Pastoral_ symphony, to suggest the rustic calm and the -tranquillity of the soul in contact with Nature, he did not seek curious -harmonic conglomerations, but a simple, restrained melody which embraces -only the interval of a sixth (from _fa_ to _re_). This is enough to -create in us the sentiment of repose--as much by its quasi-immobility as -by the duration of this immobility. The exposition of this melody based -on the interval of a sixth is repeated with different timbres, but -musically the same, for fifty-two measures without interruption. In an -analogous manner Wagner portrayed the majestic monotony of the river in -the introduction to _Rheingold_. Thus far the landscape is uninhabited. -The second musical idea introduces two human beings, man and woman, -force and tenderness. The second musical thought is the thematic base of -the whole work. In the _scherzo_ the effect of sudden immobility -produced by the bagpipe tune of the strolling musician (the oboe solo, -followed by the horn), imposing itself on the noisy joy of the peasants, -is due to the cause named above; here, with the exception of one note, -the melody moves within the interval of a fifth. - -The storm does not pretend to frighten the hearer. The insufficient -kettledrums are enough to suggest the thunder, but in four movements of -the five there is not a fragment of development in the minor mode. The -key of F minor, reserved for the darkening of the landscape hitherto -sunny and gay, produces a sinking of the heart and the distressing -restlessness that accompany the approach of the tempest. Calm returns -with the _ambitus_ of the sixth, and then the shepherd's song leads to a -burst of joyfulness. The two themes are the masculine and feminine -elements exposed in the first movement. - -According to M. d'Indy the _andante_ is the most admirable expression of -true nature in musical literature. Only some passages of _Siegfried_ and -_Parsifal_ are comparable. Conductors usually take this _andante_ at too -slow a pace and thus destroy the alert poetry of the section. The brook -furnishes the basic movement, expressive melodies arise, and the -feminine theme of the first _allegro_ reappears, alone, disquieted by -the absence of its mate. Each section is completed by a pure and -prayer-like melody. It is the artist who prays, who loves, who crowns -the diverse divisions of his work by a species of Alleluia. - -It has been said that several of the themes in this symphony were taken -from Styrian and Carinthian folk songs. It is dedicated to Prince von -Lobkowitz and Count Rasoumowsky. The work was published in 1809. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 7, IN A MAJOR, OP. 92 - - - I. Poco sostenuto; vivace - II. Allegretto - III. Presto; assai meno presto; tempo primo - IV. Allegro con brio - -The rhapsodists have had their say; the commentators have pried and -conjectured; the later symphonies are still sublime in their grandeur. -They well-nigh express the inexpressible. - -Nor have the legends, fondly believed for years, done injury to the -music. It matters not whether the Seventh symphony be a description of -Germany exulting in its deliverance from the French yoke, or the -apotheosis of the dance; whether the allegretto picture a procession in -the catacombs or be the love dream of an odalisque. Whenever the music -is played, whenever it comes into the mind, it awakens new thoughts and -each one dreams his own dreams. - -Each writer in turn publishes in print or by word of mouth his little -explanation, but Beethoven broods, mysterious, gigantic, above -commentators, above even conductors when they misunderstand him, or -plume themselves upon a new and striking interpretation, or in their -endeavor to grasp and convey to others the essential greatness of the -composer put their trust in din and speed. - - * * * - -The first sketches of this symphony were probably made before 1811 or -even 1810. The score of the symphony was dedicated to the Count Moritz -von Fries and published in 1816. The edition for the pianoforte was -dedicated to the Tsarina Elizabeth Alexievna of All the Russias. - -The Seventh and Eighth symphonies were probably played over for the -first time at the Archduke Rudolph's in Vienna on April 20, 1813. -Beethoven in the same month vainly endeavored to produce them at a -concert. The first performance of the Seventh was at Vienna in the large -hall of the university, on December 8, 1813. - -Mälzel, the famous maker of automata, exhibited in Vienna during the -winter of 1812-13 his automatic trumpeter and panharmonicon. The former -played a French cavalry march with calls and tunes; the latter was -composed of the instruments used in the ordinary military band of the -period--trumpets, drums, flutes, clarinets, oboes, cymbals, triangle, -etc. The keys were moved by a cylinder. Overtures by Handel and -Cherubini and Haydn's Military symphony were played with ease and -precision. Beethoven planned his _Wellington's Victory_, or _Battle of -Vittoria_, for this machine. Mälzel made arrangements for a concert--a -concert "for the benefit of Austrian and Bavarian soldiers disabled at -the battle of Hanau." - -This Johann Nepomuk Mälzel (Mälzl) was born at Regensburg, August 15, -1772. He was the son of an organ builder. In 1792 he settled at Vienna -as a teacher of music, but he soon made a name for himself by inventing -mechanical music works. In 1816 he constructed a metronome, though -Winkel, of Amsterdam, claimed the idea as his. Mälzel also made ear -trumpets, and Beethoven tried them, as he did others. His life was a -singular one, and the accounts of it are contradictory. Two leading -French biographical dictionaries insist that Mälzel's "brother Leonhard" -invented the mechanical toys attributed to Johann, but they are wholly -wrong. Fétis and one or two others state that he took the panharmonicon -with him to the United States in 1826 and sold it at Boston to a society -for four hundred thousand dollars--an incredible statement. No wonder -that the Count de Pontécoulant, in his _Organographie_, repeating the -statement, adds, "I think there is an extra cipher." But Mälzel did -visit America, and he spent several years here. He landed at New York, -February 3, 1826, and the _Ship News_ announced the arrival of "Mr. -Maelzel, Professor of Music and Mechanics, inventor of the Panharmonicon -and the Musical Time Keeper." He brought with him the famous -automata--the Chess Player, the Austrian Trumpeter, and the Rope -Dancers--and opened an exhibition of them at the National Hotel, 112 -Broadway, April 13, 1826. The Chess Player was invented by Wolfgang von -Kempelen. Mälzel bought it at the sale of von Kempelen's effects after -the death of the latter, at Vienna, and made unimportant improvements. -The Chess Player had strange adventures. It was owned for a time by -Eugène Beauharnais, when he was viceroy of the kingdom of Italy, and -Mälzel had much trouble in getting it away from him. Mälzel gave an -exhibition in Boston at Julien Hall, on a corner of Milk and Congress -streets. The exhibition opened September 13, 1826, and closed October 28 -of that year. He visited Boston again in 1828 and 1833. On his second -visit he added _The Conflagration of Moscow_, a panorama, which he sold -to three Bostonians for six thousand dollars. Hence, probably, the -origin of the panharmonicon legend. He also exhibited an automatic -violoncellist. Mälzel died on the brig _Otis_ on his way from Havana to -Philadelphia on July 21, 1838, and was buried at sea, off Charleston. -The _United States Gazette_ published his eulogy and said, with due -caution: "He has gone, we hope, where the music of his harmonicons will -be exceeded." The Chess Player was destroyed by fire in the burning of -the Chinese Museum at Philadelphia, July 5, 1854. An interesting and -minute account of Mälzel's life in America, written by George Allen, is -published in the _Book of the First American Chess Congress_, pp. 420-84 -(New York, 1859); see also _Métronome de Maelzel_ (Paris, 1833); the -_History of the Automatic Chess Player_, published by George S. -Hilliard, Boston, 1826; Mendel's _Musikalisches Conversations-Lexicon_; -and an article, _Beethoven and Chess_, by Charles Willing, published in -_The Good Companion Chess Problem Club_ of May 11, 1917 (Philadelphia), -which contains facsimiles of Mälzel's programmes in Philadelphia (1845) -and Montreal (1847). In Poe's fantastical "Von Kempelen and His -Discovery" the description of his Kempelen, of Utica, N. Y., is said by -some to fit Mälzel, but Poe's story was probably not written before -1848. His article, "Maelzel's Chess Player," a remarkable analysis, was -first published in the _Southern Literary Messenger_ of April, 1836. -Portions of this article other than those pertaining to the analysis -were taken by Poe from Sir David Brewster's _Lectures on Natural Magic_. - -The programme of the Vienna concert was announced: "A brand-new -symphony," the Seventh, in A major, by Beethoven; and also _Wellington's -Sieg, oder die Schlacht bei Vittoria_. _Wellington's Sieg_ was completed -in October, 1813, to celebrate the victory of Wellington over the French -troops in Spain on June 21 of that year. Mälzel had persuaded Beethoven -to compose the piece for his panharmonicon. He furnished material for it -and gave him the idea of using "God Save the King" as the subject of a -lively fugue. He purposed to produce the work at concerts, so as to -raise money enough for him and Beethoven to visit London. A shrewd -fellow, he said that if the "_Battle_" symphony were scored for -orchestra and played in Vienna with success, an arrangement for his -panharmonicon would then be of more value to him. Beethoven dedicated -the work to the Prince Regent, afterwards George IV, and forwarded a -copy to him, but the "First Gentleman in Europe" never acknowledged the -compliment. _Wellington's Sieg_ was not performed in London until -February 10, 1815, when it had a great run. The news of this success -pleased Beethoven very much. He made a memorandum of it in the notebook -which he carried with him to taverns. - -The benefit concert was brilliantly successful, and there was a -repetition of it December 12 with the same prices of admission, ten and -five florins. The net profit of the two performances was four thousand -six gulden. Spohr tells us that the new pieces gave "extraordinary -pleasure, especially the symphony; the wondrous second movement was -repeated at each concert; it made a deep, enduring impression on me. The -performance was a masterly one, in spite of the uncertain and often -ridiculous conducting by Beethoven." Glöggl was present at a rehearsal -when violinists refused to play a passage in the symphony and declared -that it could not be played. "Beethoven told them to take their parts -home and practise them; then the passage would surely go." It was at -these rehearsals that Spohr saw the deaf composer crouch lower and lower -to indicate a long _diminuendo_, and rise again and spring into the air -when he demanded a climax. And he tells of a pathetic yet ludicrous -blunder of Beethoven, who could not hear the soft passages. - -Beethoven was delighted with his success, so much so that he wrote a -public letter of thanks to all that took part in the two performances. -"It is Mälzel especially who merits all our thanks. He was the first to -conceive the idea of the concert, and it was he who busied himself -actively with the organization and the ensemble in all the details. I -owe him special thanks for having given me the opportunity of offering -my compositions to the public use and thus fulfilling the ardent vow -made by me long ago of putting the fruits of my labor on the altar of -the country." - -The first movement opens with an introduction, _poco sostenuto_, A -major, 4-4. The main body is _vivace_, 6-8. The _allegretto_ is in A -minor, 2-4; the third movement, _presto_, F major, 3-4. The _finale_, -_allegro con brio_, A major, 2-4, is a wild rondo on two themes. Here, -according to Mr. Prod'homme and others, as Beethoven achieved in the -_scherzo_ the highest and fullest expression of exuberant -joy--"unbuttoned joy," as the composer himself would have said--so in -the _finale_ the joy becomes orgiastic. The furious bacchantic first -theme is repeated after the exposition, and there is a sort of coda to -it, "as a chorus might follow upon the stanzas of a song."[10] - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 8, IN F MAJOR, OP. 93 - - - I. Allegro vivace e con brio - II. Allegretto scherzando - III. Tempo di menuetto - IV. Allegro vivace - -Beethoven characterized his Eighth symphony as "a little symphony" and -in the same letter spoke of the Seventh as a great one; yet if Czerny is -to be believed the composer was vexed because the audience was cool when -the Eighth was first performed. He said, "because it is much better" -than the Seventh, which was played at the same concert. Authors often -pronounce strange judgments on their works, as parents often favor a -stupid or unpleasant child; but this composer had a right to be proud of -the little Benjamin--the colossal Ninth was not then born--for the -Eighth symphony is charged with the spirit of the greater Beethoven. - -Some commentators have endeavored to read a programme into the symphony, -thinking perhaps thus to give it greater importance. One speaks of the -symphony as a "military trilogy"; another thinks the _allegretto_ is a -parody of Rossini's manner, but the movement was written in 1812, and -Vienna did not go mad over the Olympian Rossini until after that year. -We even find Vincent d'Indy citing the Eighth as revealing impressions -of Nature made on the composer's soul; the trio of the pompous minuet is -to M. d'Indy a representation in grotesque fashion of a peasant band, -and the Hungarian theme in the _finale_, the hymn of Hunyadi, denotes -the arrival of gypsy musicians in the midst of a festival. - -The symphony needs not such support to excite extraneous interest. In -the music we find Beethoven in reckless mood, whimsical, delighting in -abrupt contrasts, shouting his joy, ready to play a practical joke. -There is, no doubt, the absence of the "fine taste" which Debussy misses -in the case of Beethoven and finds ruling the musical life of Bach and -Mozart. No, Beethoven was not Paterian in a struggle after taste. He was -an elemental person, coarse in his life, with an enormous capacity for -hard work. There are others who have been condemned for a lack of taste: -Euripides, Rabelais, Shakespeare, Verdi, Walt Whitman. De Quincey, a -stylist, found Goethe lacking in taste when he wrote _Wilhelm Meister_. - -And in this symphony, characterized by mad jollity, and a playfulness -that at times approaches buffoonery, there are exquisite musical -thoughts; there are passages that for a moment sound the depths and -reach the heights. - - * * * - -The Eighth symphony was composed at Linz in the summer of 1812. -Beethoven was in poor physical condition in that year, and as -Staudenheim, his physician, advised him to try Bohemian baths, he went -to Töplitz by way of Prague; to Carlsbad, where a note of the -postillion's horn found its way among the sketches for the Eighth -symphony; to Franzensbrunn, and again to Töplitz; and lastly to his -brother Johann's home at Linz, where he remained until into November. - -At the beginning of 1812 Beethoven contemplated writing three symphonies -at the same time; the key of the third, D minor, was already determined, -but he postponed work on this; and as the autograph score of the first -of the remaining two, the Symphony in A, No. 7, is dated May 13, it is -probable that he contemplated the Seventh before he left Vienna on his -summer journey. His sojourn in Linz was not a pleasant one. Johann, a -bachelor, lived in a house too large for his needs, and so he rented a -part of it to a physician, who had a sister-in-law, Therese Obermeyer, a -cheerful and well-proportioned woman of an agreeable if not handsome -face. Johann looked on her kindly, made her his housekeeper, and -according to the gossips of Linz, there was a closer relationship. -Beethoven meddled with his brother's affairs, and, finding him obdurate, -visited the bishop and the police authorities and persuaded them to -banish her from the town, to send her to Vienna if she should still be -in Linz on a fixed day. Naturally, there was a wild scene between the -brothers. Johann played the winning card: he married Therese on November -8. Ludwig, furious, went back to Vienna and took pleasure afterwards in -referring to his sister-in-law in both his conversation and his letters -as the "Queen of Night." - -This same Johann said that the Eighth symphony was completed from -sketches made during walks to and from the Pöstlingberge, but Thayer -considered him to be an untrustworthy witness. - -The two symphonies were probably played over the first time at the -Archduke Rudolph's in Vienna, April 20, 1813. Beethoven in the same -month endeavored to produce them at a concert, but without success. The -Seventh was not played until December 8, 1813, at a concert organized by -Mälzel. The first performance of the Eighth symphony was at a concert -given by Beethoven at Vienna in the Redoutensaal on Sunday, February 27, -1814. - -The _Allgemeine Musik-Zeitung_, in a review of this concert, stated that -the Seventh symphony was again heartily applauded, and the _allegro_ was -repeated. "All were in anxious expectation to hear the new symphony (F -major, 3-4), the latest product of Beethoven's muse; but this -expectation _after one hearing_ was not fully satisfied, and the -applause which the work received was not of that enthusiastic nature by -which a work that pleases universally is distinguished. In short, the -symphony did not make, as the Italians say, a _furore_. I am of the -opinion that the cause of this was not in weaker or less artistic -workmanship (for in this, as in all of Beethoven's works of this -species, breathes the peculiar genius which always proves his -originality), but partly in the mistake of allowing this symphony to -follow the one in A major, and partly in the satiety that followed the -enjoyment of so much that was beautiful and excellent, whereby natural -apathy was the result. If this symphony in future should be given alone, -I have no doubt concerning its favorable reception." - -There were in the orchestra at this concert eighteen first violins, -eighteen second violins, fourteen violas, twelve violoncellos, seven -double basses. The audience numbered about three thousand, although -Schindler spoke of five thousand. - -We know from his talk noted down that Beethoven originally planned an -elaborate introduction to this symphony. - -It is often said that the second movement, the celebrated _allegretto -scherzando_, is based on the theme of a "three-voice circular canon, or -round, _Ta, ta, ta, lieber Mälzel_, sung in honor of the inventor of the -metronome at a farewell dinner given to Beethoven in July, 1812, before -his leaving Vienna for his summer trip into the country." This story was -first told by Schindler, who, however, did not say that the dinner was -given to Beethoven alone, and did say that the dinner was in the spring -of 1812. Beethoven was about to visit his brother Johann in Linz; Mälzel -was going to England to produce there his automaton trumpeter but was -obliged to defer this journey. Beethoven, who among intimate friends was -customarily "gay, witty, satiric, 'unbuttoned,' as he called it," -improvised at this parting meal a canon, which was sung immediately by -those present. The _allegretto_ was founded on this canon, suggested by -the metronome, according to Schindler. Thayer[11] examined this story -with incredible patience, and he drew these conclusions: the machine -that we now know as Mälzel's metronome was at first called a musical -chronometer, and not until 1817 could the canon include the word -"Metronom." Schindler, who was seventeen years old in 1812, heard the -story from Count Brunswick, who was present at the meal, but was not in -Vienna from March, 1810, till the end of February, 1813, four months -after the completion of the symphony. Furthermore, Beethoven is reported -as having said: "I, too, am in the second movement of the Eighth -symphony--ta, ta, ta, ta--the canon on Mälzel. It was a right jolly -evening when we sang this canon. Mälzel was the bass. At that time I -sang the soprano. I think it was toward the end of December, 1817." -Thayer says: "That Mälzel's 'ta, ta, ta' suggested the _allegretto_ to -Beethoven, and that at a parting meal the canon on this theme was sung, -are doubtless true; but it is by no means sure that the canon preceded -the symphony.... If the canon was written before the symphony, it was -not improvised at this meal; if it was then improvised, it was only a -repetition of the _allegretto_ theme in canon form." However this may -be, the persistent ticking of a wind instrument in sixteenth notes is -heard almost throughout the movement, of which Berlioz said: "It is one -of those productions for which neither model nor pendant can be found. -This sort of thing falls entire from heaven into the composer's brain. -He writes it at a single dash, and we are amazed at hearing it." - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 9, IN D MINOR, WITH FINAL CHORUS ON SCHILLER'S "ODE TO - JOY," OP. 125 - - - I. Allegro, ma non troppo, un poco maestoso - II. Molto vivace; presto - III. Adagio molto e cantabile - IV. Presto - Allegro assai - Presto - Baritone recitative - Quartet and chorus: allegro assai - Tenor solo and chorus: allegro assai vivace, alla marcia - Chorus: allegro assai - Chorus: andante maestoso - Adagio, ma non troppo, ma divoto - Allegro energico, sempre ben marcato - Quartet and chorus: allegro ma non tanto; prestissimo - -Much has been written about the Ninth symphony, a symphony that has been -and is a stumbling block to certain conductors and hearers. It is easy -to smile at such books as _Le Livre de la Genèse de la IX Symphonie de -Beethoven_, by Ricciotto Canudo, with its fantastical theories and -titles given to the leading themes, but the comments of more ordinary -mortals have led conductors into singular experiments. Some have -rewritten passages. Some, fearing the inherent difficulties in the -_finale_, have transposed this _finale_ a tone lower. There are hearers -who, knowing the theory of Wagner--that the Ninth symphony was the -logical end of purely instrumental music, and Beethoven introduced -singers in the finale to show his impatience with the orchestra as a -medium of full expression--look on the symphony as a polemical work and -in turn deny all absolute music written after Beethoven's death. - -The music remains, in spite of the commentators and the too anxious -conductors. The instrumental movements are among the proudest -achievements of man. Mr. Canudo may begin his "explanation" of the -opening _allegro_ by saying: "In the beginning was space; and all -possibilities were in space; and life was space"; he may find in a -certain page the "religious affirmation of Creation"; he may entitle the -first theme of the _adagio_ "The rhythm of the blessed cosmic night" and -thus take his pleasure. - -The music of the first three movements is not the less sublime or -beautiful because it has no programme, because it has no text for -singers. With the exception of a few stupendous passages in the -_finale_, where Beethoven is among the stars, the _finale_ falls below -the movements that precede it. There is more frenzied joy in the -_scherzo_; there is greater, world-embracing humanity, a loftier, nobler -spirit in the _adagio_. The theme of Joy is not in itself one of -Beethoven's most fortunate inventions, and there are pages both for -singers and for orchestra that disconcert even if they do not seem to -the hearer abnormal and impotent. The answer made by some is that if an -ideal performance could be attained the grandeur of the thought would -then be overwhelming. Unfortunately, human voices have their -limitations. - -Yet if the first three movements are performed alone, there is a sense -of incompleteness. If the _finale_ is transposed, the effect is -diminished. And so the Ninth symphony as a whole is still a stumbling -block to many. - - * * * - -Beethoven made sketches for his Ninth symphony as early as 1815. The -symphony was completed about February, 1824. The idea of adding a chorus -to the last movement probably came to him only in the course of his -work, for there are sketches of a purely instrumental _finale_ which -Nottebohm says were made in June or July, 1823; but Schiller's _Hymn to -Joy_ had long tempted Beethoven. At Bonn, in 1792, he thought of setting -music to it. His _Fantaisie_ for piano, orchestra, and chorus (1800) -contains the melodic germ that he afterwards used for Schiller's words. -Perhaps the "mother melody" may be found in a folk song, "Freu' dich -sehr, O meine Selle, und vergiss' all' Noth und Qual." Wasielewski -thinks the origin is in a song of Beethoven's, "Kleine Blümen, kleine -Blätter," with text by Goethe, while the music was composed in 1810. - -According to Beethoven's sketchbooks, he was planning two symphonies; -one, for England, was to be purely instrumental; the other was the -_Sinfonie allemand_, either with variations after the chorus when it -entered, or without variations; the _finale_ with "Turkish music"--that -is, bass drum, cymbals, and triangle--"and choral song." - -In 1817, there was correspondence between the Philharmonic Society of -London and Beethoven with reference to the latter's visiting England. He -was offered 300 guineas if he would come to London and superintend the -production of two symphonies to be composed for the Society. Beethoven -asked for 400 guineas; 150 to be paid in advance (one hundred were for -traveling expenses). The previous offer was repeated, but Beethoven -abandoned his intention of going to London. - -At the first performance of the Ninth symphony in England (March 21, -1825), the programme read: "New Grand Characteristic Sinfonia, MS. with -vocal _finale_, the principal parts to be sung by Madame Caradori, Miss -Goodall, Mr. Vaughan, and Mr. Phillips; _composed expressly for this -Society_." There was also a note in which it was said that in 1822 the -directors of the Philharmonic had offered Beethoven £50 for a symphony -to be delivered at the stipulated time; and as it had been performed and -published at Vienna before the Society could use it, the remuneration -was ample. It should be remembered that the Philharmonic Society, -learning of Beethoven's sickness in 1827, sent him £100. Beethoven -acknowledged in most grateful terms, eight days before his death, the -receipt of the sum given him by these "generous" Englishmen, and spoke -of a tenth symphony wholly sketched, also a new overture, that he might -send to them. He had written to Ries in 1823 that only his poverty -compelled him to write the Ninth symphony for the Philharmonic; he had -sent to it the overture _The Dedication of the House_, and he asked Ries -to drive as good a bargain as he could for it. He had been vexed because -the Philharmonic Society had characterized three overtures delivered for -75 guineas in 1815: _Ruins of Athens_, _King Stephen_, and _Zur -Namensfeier_, as "unworthy" of the composer. - -After Beethoven's death, the Philharmonic Society reclaimed the gift of -£100, but was persuaded to withdraw the claim. A portion of the money -was applied to the payment of the funeral expenses. - -The first performance of the Ninth symphony was at the Kärthnerthor -Theater, Vienna, on May 7, 1824. Musicians and wealthy amateurs -organized the concert, for the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde had refused -the undertaking on account of the expense. Beethoven then proposed to -give the first performance of the symphony and the great Mass in Berlin, -where Count Brühl, the Intendant of the Royal theaters there, was -favorably inclined. This led the Viennese patrons and musicians to sign -a petition, begging Beethoven to spare Vienna the shame. He reflected, -and consented. The programme, approved by the police, was as follows: -Grand Overture, Op. 124; Three Grand Hymns for solo voices and chorus; -Grand Symphony with a _finale_ in which solo voices and chorus enter, on -the text of Schiller's "Ode to Joy." The three "Hymns" were the _Kyrie_, -_Credo_, _Agnus Dei_, of the Mass in D. Sedlinsky, the chief of police, -acting on the advice of the Archbishop, had forbidden the printing of -"Sacred words" on a play-bill, and the church authorities were opposed -to the performance of missal music in a theater. - -The solo singers were Henriette Sontag, Karolina Unger, Anton -Haitzinger, and J. Seipelt. The chorus was composed of amateurs from the -Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. Ignaz Schuppanzigh was the concertmaster; -Michael Umlauf conducted. Beethoven asked for twenty-four violins, ten -violas, twelve violoncellos and double basses, and a doubling of wind -instruments. The rehearsals were laborious. The solo singers had great -difficulty in learning their parts. Mmes Sontag and Unger begged -Beethoven to make changes in their music. He was obdurate. Mme Unger -called him to his face "tyrant over all the vocal organs." When he -refused to change the music, she said to Mme Sontag: "Well, then we must -go on torturing ourselves in the name of God." The success of the -symphony was great, though the performance was imperfect. "There was -lack of homogeneous power, a paucity of nuance, a poor distribution of -lights and shades." When the drum alone beat the _scherzo_ motive, the -audience applauded so that a repetition seemed inevitable. (It was of -the _scherzo_ that Rossini, hearing the symphony in Paris, exclaimed, "I -could not have written that.") Mme Unger led Beethoven to the edge of -the stage that he might see the crowd waving hats and handkerchiefs. He -bowed and was calm. Mme Grebner, who had sung in the chorus, told Felix -Weingartner that Beethoven sat in the middle of the orchestra and -followed the score. Thalberg, the pianist, who was in the audience, told -A. W. Thayer that Beethoven was dressed in a black dress-coat, white -neckerchief and waistcoat, black satin small-clothes, black silk -stockings, shoes with buckles; but Thalberg was mistaken if Schindler's -story is true, for he called on Beethoven just before the concert and -said, "O great master, you do not own a black frock-coat! The green one -will have to do. The theater will be dark, and no one will notice it. In -a few days the black one will be ready." - -The success was unprecedented; the net pecuniary result was a sum -equivalent to sixty dollars. Beethoven was angry. Some days after the -concert, dining in a restaurant with Schindler and Duport, he accused -them of having swindled him; nor would he be persuaded by Schuppanzigh -that the charge was absurd, for Beethoven's brother Johann and nephew -Karl had watched the cashiers. - -There was a second performance in Vienna on May 23, 1824, in the large -Hall of the Redoutes. Duport assumed all the expenses, and guaranteed -Beethoven 500 florins. The programme was not the same, but it included -the symphony, the _Kyrie_, and the overture. The hour, noon, was -unfavorable. Duport lost some hundreds of florins. These were the only -performances at which Beethoven could be present. - -Beethoven had purposed to dedicate the symphony to the Tsar Alexander; -he finally dedicated it to Friedrich Wilhelm III, the King of Prussia. -The King answered, expressing appreciation, and saying that he had sent -to him a diamond ring. The gem turned out to be not a diamond, but a -reddish stone valued by the court jeweler at 300 florins in paper money. -The indignant Beethoven was inclined to return the ring; but he sold it -to the jeweler who had appraised it. Some thought that the "reddish -stone" had been substituted for the diamond ring on the way to Vienna. - -Though Beethoven had long been fond of Schiller's "Ode to Joy," the -Ninth symphony was not conceived at first as a celebration of joy. In -1818, he had the plan of introducing voices into a symphony "in the -ancient modes," but the text was to be relating to some Greek myth, or a -pious song. - -The symphony begins _Allegro ma non troppo_, D minor, 2-4; but the chief -theme, though hinted at, does not appear until after sixteen measures. -There is a continuous melodic development which may be divided into -several distinct periods, but there is no marked contrast in character -between what might be called eight separate themes. - -The second movement, _molto vivace_, D minor, 3-4, is a _scherzo_, -though it is not so called in the score. It is built on three leading -themes. The peculiar rhythm of the dotted triplet is maintained either -in the melody or in the accompaniment. - -The third movement, _adagio molto e cantabile_, B flat major, 4-4, has -been described as a double theme with variations. - -The _finale_ begins with several orchestral sections, the first -_presto_, D minor, 3-4. There are recitatives for the lower strings. -Finally, the baritone enters with this recitative: - - _O brothers, these sad tones no longer! - Rather raise we now together our voices, - And joyful be our song!_ - -_Allegro assai_, D major, 4-5. The baritone "with the encouragement of -the basses of the choruses at the beginning," sings the first theme. -Then follow passages for chorus, quartet, until the tempo changes to -_allegro assai vivace alla marcia_, B flat major, 6-8. There are later -changes in tempo until the final _prestissimo_, "in which the chorus -goes stark mad with joy." - -The following translation of Schiller's ode is by the late Henry G. -Chapman: - - - _TO JOY_ - - _Joy, thou spark from flame immortal - Daughter of Elysium! - Drunk with fire, O heav'n-born Goddess, - We invade thy halidom! - Let thy magic bring together - All whom earth-born laws divide; - All mankind shall be as brothers - 'Neath thy tender wings and wide._ - - _He that's had that best good fortune, - To his friend a friend to be, - He that's won a noble woman, - Let him join our Jubilee! - Ay, and who a single other - Soul on earth can call his own; - But let him who ne'er achieved it - Steal away in tears alone._ - - _Joy doth every living creature - Draw from Nature's ample breast; - All the good and all the evil - Follow on her roseate quest. - Kisses doth she give, and vintage, - Friends who firm in death have stood; - Joy of life the worm receiveth, - And the Angels dwell with God!_ - - _Glad as burning suns that glorious - Through the heavenly spaces sway, - Haste ye brothers, on your way, - Joyous as a knight victorious._ - - _Love toward countless millions swelling, - Wafts one kiss to all the world! - Surely, o'er yon stars unfurl'd, - Some kind Father has his dwelling!_ - - _Fall ye prostrate, O ye millions! - Dost thy Maker feel, O world? - Seek Him o'er yon stars unfurl'd, - O'er the stars rise His pavilions!_ - - - - - OVERTURE TO "LEONORE NO. 3," OP. 72 - - -The overture is in itself a condensation of what is dramatic in an opera -that has commonplace, yes, bourgeois pages. Hearing the overture, one is -spared the sight of a bulbous and shrieking prima donna; of a tenor -whose throat had been seriously affected by a long confinement in a -"dem'd moist" dungeon; of the operetta young man and woman chatting with -a flatiron among the stage properties; of four persons, each with an -individual sentiment, singing the same tune in an approved scholastic -form. - - -It might be well to play in the same concert the three Leonore overtures -in the order in which they were probably written: Nos. 2, 3, 1. A -programme composed exclusively of piano sonatas by Beethoven is an -invention of the Adversary, and it deserves the attention of the police -as a deliberate act against public morals. Nor is an orchestral -programme devoted exclusively to the works of any composer to be -encouraged, except possibly when the Ninth symphony is given. But with -these overtures the case is different, for here is a revelation of -Beethoven's processes of musical and dramatic thought when he was -mightily interested in the same subject.... How many composers, after -the achievement of a _Leonore No. 2_, would have the courage or the -ability to shape from it a _Leonore No. 3_? After the three were -attentively heard and thoughtfully considered, then _No. 3_ might be -reasonably reserved for concert use and the other two put away ready but -surely on the shelf. - - * * * - -In the year that saw the production of _Fidelio_ (November 20, 1805), -Napoleon's army was hastening toward Vienna. There was an exodus from -the town of the nobility, merchants, and other residents. The vanguard -of the French army entered on November 13. Those of the Viennese who -would have appreciated the opera had fled the town. The theater was not -well filled. Many in the audience were or had been officers in -Napoleon's army. The success of the opera was small. Only two -performances followed the first. At the first and at the second the -overture _Leonore No. 2_ was performed. Anna Pauline Milder, afterwards -Mme Hauptmann, was the heroine. "The opera was hastily put upon the -stage, and the inadequacy of the singers thus increased by the lack of -sufficient rehearsals." Beethoven had received the text in 1804. He -worked on the music the following summer at Hetzendorf. On his return to -Vienna, rehearsals were begun. In later years _Fidelio_ was one of Anna -Milder's great parts: "Judging from the contemporary criticism, it was -now [1805] somewhat defective, simply from lack of stage experience." - -_Leonore No. 2_ was the overture played at the first performance in -Vienna. The opera was withdrawn, revised, and produced again on March -29, 1806, when _Leonore No. 3_, a remodeled form of _No. 2_, was the -overture. There was talk of a performance at Prague in 1807. Beethoven -wrote for it a new overture, retaining the theme derived from -Florestan's air, "In des Lebens Frülingstagen." The other material in -_Nos. 2_ and _3_ was not used. The opera was not performed; the -autograph of the overture disappeared. _Fidelio_ was revived at Vienna -in 1814. For this performance Beethoven wrote the _Fidelio_ overture. We -know from his diary that he "rewrote and bettered" the opera by working -on it from March to May 15 of that year. - -The dress rehearsal was on May 22, but the promised overture was not -ready. On the 20th or 21st, Beethoven was dining at a tavern with his -friend Bartolini. After the meal was over, Beethoven took a bill of -fare, drew lines on the back of it, and began to write. "Come, let us -go," said Bartolini. "No, wait a while: I have the scheme of my -overture," answered Beethoven, and he sat until he had finished his -sketches. Nor was he at the dress rehearsal. They waited for him a long -time, then went to his lodgings. He was fast asleep in bed. A cup of -wine and biscuits were near him, and sheets of the overture were on the -bed and the floor. The candle was burnt out. It was impossible to use -the new overture, which was not even finished. Schindler said a -_Leonore_ overture was played. According to Seyfried, the overture used -was that to _The Ruins of Athens_. - -The order, then, of these overtures, according to the time of -composition, is now supposed to be _Leonore No. 2_, _Leonore No. 3_, -_Leonore No. 1_, _Fidelio_. It was said that _Leonore No. 2_ was -rewritten because certain passages given to the wood-wind troubled the -players. Others say it was too difficult for the strings and too long. -In _No. 2_, as well as in _No. 3_, the chief dramatic stroke is the -trumpet signal, which announces the arrival of the Minister of Justice, -confounds Pizarro, and saves Florestan and Leonore. - -The _Fidelio_ overture is the one generally played before performances -of the opera in Germany, although Weingartner has tried earnestly to -restore _Leonore No. 2_ to that position. _Leonore No. 3_ is sometimes -played between the acts of the opera. The objection to this is that the -trumpet episode of the prison will then discount the dramatic ending of -the overture when it comes in the following act, nor does the joyous -ending of the overture prepare the hearer for the lugubrious scene with -the Florestan soliloquy. Bülow therefore performed the overture at the -end of the opera. Zumpe did likewise in Munich. They argued with Wagner -that this overture is the quintessence of the opera, "the complete and -definite synthesis of the drama that Beethoven had dreamed of writing." -There has been a tradition that the overture should be played between -the scenes of the second act. - -The key of the _Leonore Overture No. 3_ is C major. A short _fortissimo_ -is struck. It is diminished by wood-wind and horns, then taken up, -_piano_, by the strings. From this G there is a descent down the scale -of C major to a mysterious F sharp. The key of B minor is reached, -finally A flat major, when the opening measures of Florenstan's air, "In -des Lebens Frülingstagen" (Act II of the opera), is played. The theme of -the _allegro_, C major, begins _pianissimo_, first violins and -violoncellos, and waxes impetuously. The second theme has been described -as "woven out of sobs and pitying sighs." The working out consists in -alternating a pathetic figure, taken from the second theme and played by -the wood-wind over a nervous string accompaniment, with furious -outbursts from the whole orchestra. Then comes the trumpet call off -stage. The twice-repeated call is answered in each instance by the short -song of thanksgiving from the same scene. Leonore's words are: "_Ach! du -bist gerettet! Grosser Gott!_" A gradual transition leads from this to -the return of the first theme at the beginning of the third part (flute -solo). The third part is developed in general as the first part and -leads to a wildly jubilant _coda_. - - - - - OVERTURE TO "EGMONT," OP. 84 - - -Strange things have been done by conductors to Beethoven's overture. We -remember Franz Wüllner in Berlin slackening the pace in the _allegro_ -section when he came to the heavy chords that are supposed by some -commentators, finders of sunbeams in cucumbers, to represent Alva, and -then playing the chords with brutal emphasis and a long pause between -them. Another conductor, no less a person than Arthur Nikisch, made a -long hold on the short, incisive violin stroke just before the _coda_, -and then brought the figure slowly down _portamento_. We doubt if he did -this in later years. - - * * * - -This overture was composed in 1810; it was published in 1811. The music -to Goethe's play--overture, four entr'actes, two songs sung by Clärchen, -"Clärchen's Death," "Melodrama," and "Triumph Symphony" (identical with -the coda of the overture), for the end of the play, nine numbers in -all--was performed for the first time with the tragedy at the Hofburg -Theater, Vienna, May 24, 1810. Antonie Adamberger was the Clärchen. - -When Hartl took the management of the two Vienna Court theaters, January -1, 1808, he produced plays by Schiller. He finally determined to produce -plays by Goethe and Schiller with music, and he chose Schiller's _Tell_ -and Goethe's _Egmont_. Beethoven and Gyrowetz were asked to write the -music. The former was anxious to compose the music for _Tell_; but, as -Czerny tells the story, there were intrigues, and, as _Egmont_ was -thought to be less suggestive to a composer, the music for that play was -assigned to Beethoven. Gyrowetz's music to _Tell_ was performed June 14, -1810. It was described by a correspondent of a Leipsic journal of music -as "characteristic and written with intelligence." No allusion was made -at the time anywhere to Beethoven's _Egmont_. - -The overture has a short, slow introduction, _sostenuto ma non troppo_, -F minor, 3-2. The main body of the overture is an _allegro_, F minor, -3-4. The first theme is in the strings; each phrase is a descending -_arpeggio_ in the violoncellos, closing with a sigh in the first -violins; the antithesis begins with a "sort of sigh" in the wood-wind, -then in the strings; then there is a development into passage work. The -second theme has for its thesis a version of the first two measures of -the sarabande theme of the introduction, _fortissimo_ (strings), in A -flat major, and the antithesis is a triplet in the wood-wind. The coda, -_allegro con brio_, F major, 4-4, begins _pianissimo_. The full -orchestra at last has a brilliant fanfare figure, which ends in a -shouting climax, with a famous shrillness of the piccolo against -fanfares of bassoons and brass and between crashes of the full -orchestra. - -Long and curious commentaries have been written in explanation of this -overture. As though the masterpiece needed an explanation! We remember -one in which a subtle meaning was given to at least every half-dozen -measures: The Netherlanders are under the crushing weight of Spanish -oppression; Egmont is melancholy, his blood is stagnant, but at last he -shakes off his melancholy (violins), answers the cries of his -country-people, rouses himself for action; his death is portrayed by a -descent of the violins from C to G; but his countrymen triumph. Spain is -typified by the sarabande movement; the heavy, recurring chords portray -the lean-bodied, lean-visaged Duke of Alva; "the violin theme in D flat, -to which the clarinet brings the under-third, is a picture of Clärchen," -etc. One might as well illustrate word for word the solemn ending of -Thomas Fuller's life of Alva in _The Profane State_: "But as his life -was a mirror of cruelty, so was his death of God's patience. It was -admirable that his tragical acts should have a comical end; that he that -sent so many to the grave should go to his own, and die in peace. But -God's justice on offenders goes not always in the same path, nor the -same pace; and he is not pardoned for the fault who is for a while -reprieved from the punishment; yea, sometimes the guest in the inn goes -quietly to bed before the reckoning for his supper is brought to him to -discharge." The overture is at first a mighty lamentation. There are -voices of an aroused and angry people, and there is at the last -tumultuous rejoicing. The "Triumph Symphony" at the end of the play -forms the end of the overture. - - - - - OVERTURE TO "CORIOLANUS," OP. 62 - - -Someone said--was it A. W. Thayer?--of this overture that he could not -understand it--until he read Collin's tragedy; that he could not -reconcile the music with Shakespeare's text. Pray, what would the -gentleman have had? It is immaterial whether Beethoven had Collin or -Shakespeare in mind. The name Coriolanus was enough, even if he knew it -only from some schoolboy history of Rome; for in this music we hear the -proud voice, we hear the haughty, inexorable bearing of the -soldier-patrician. Nor does it matter whether the lyrical theme is the -entreating voice of wife or mother. Possibly if one should read Collin's -play he would wonder that Beethoven should have written an overture for -it. There it is--one of Beethoven's greatest works. From his own disdain -of the mob, from his own contempt of what the public thought of his -music, he recognizes in Coriolanus a kindred spirit. - - * * * - -The original manuscript of the overture bears this inscription: -_Overtura_ (_zum Trauerspiel Coriolan_) _composta da L. v. Beethoven, -1807_. The words in parentheses are crossed out. The overture was -published in 1808. The tragedy by Heinrich Joseph von Collin, in which -the hero kills himself, was produced in Vienna on November 24, 1802. -Collin (1771-1811) was jurist and poet. In 1803 he was ennobled. In 1809 -he became court councillor. Other tragedies by him were _Regulus_ and -_Polyxena_. In 1807 Beethoven was expecting a libretto from him. Collin -tried _Macbeth_, Tasso's _Jerusalem Delivered_, and a _Bradamante_ to -which J. F. Reichardt set music. But Beethoven wrote to Collin: - -"Great irate poet, give up Reichardt. Take my _music_ for your _poetry_; -I promise that you will not thereby suffer. As soon as my concert is -over ... I will come to you, and then we will at once take in hand the -opera--and it shall soon sound. For the rest you can ring out your just -complaints about me by word of mouth." The libretto before this had -seemed to Beethoven "too venturesome" in respect of its use of the -supernatural. Collin's biographer, Laban, says that the _Macbeth_ -libretto was left unfinished in the middle of the second act "because it -threatened to become too gloomy." At various times Beethoven thought of -Grillparzer's _Melusine_, Körner's _Return of Ulysses_, Treitschke's -_Romulus and Remus_, Berger's _Bacchus_, Shakespeare's _Romeo and -Juliet_, Schiller's _Fiesco_, Grillparzer's _Dragomira_, Voltaire's -tragedies, and Goethe's _Faust_, as operatic subjects. He told Rellstab -that the material must be attractive to him; that it must be something -he could take up with sincerity and love. "I could not compose operas -like _Don Juan_ and _Figaro_. They are repugnant to me. I could not have -chosen such subjects; they are too frivolous for me!" - -It is in one movement, _allegro con brio_, in C minor, 4-4, as written, -_alla breve_ as played. It begins with a succession of three long-held -_fortissimo_ C's in the strings, each one of which is followed by a -resounding chord in the full orchestra. The agitated first theme in C -minor soon gives place to the second lyrically passionate theme in E -flat major. The development of this theme is also short. The free -fantasia is practically passage-work on the conclusion theme. The -tendency to shorten the academic sonata form is seen also in the third -part, or recapitulation. The first theme returns in F minor with -curtailed development. The second theme is now in C major. The _coda_ -begins with this theme; passage-work follows; there is a repetition of -the C's and the chords of the beginning; and the purely dramatic close -in C minor may be suggestive of the hero's death. - - - - - CONCERTO FOR PIANOFORTE, NO. 4, IN G MAJOR, OP. 58 - - - I. Allegro moderato - II. Andante con moto - III. Rondo: vivace - -This concerto was probably composed for the most part, and it was surely -completed, in 1806, although Schindler, on advice from Ries, named 1804 -as the year, and an edition of the concerto published by Breitkopf & -Härtel states that the year 1805 saw the completion. - -The concerto was performed by Beethoven in one of two private -subscription concerts of his works given in the dwelling house of Prince -Lobkowitz, Vienna, in March, 1807. The first public performance was in -the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, December 22, 1808. - -The score was dedicated "humbly" by Beethoven to "his Imperial Highness, -the Archduke Rudolph of Austria." - -I. _Allegro moderato_, G major, 4-4. The first movement, contrary to the -tradition that prevailed at the time, begins with the pianoforte alone. -The pianoforte announces the first four measures of the first theme, -five measures if an introductory chord be counted. (These measures are -to be found in a sketchbook of Beethoven which is dated 1803, but in -this book they end in the tonic, and not in the dominant.) The orchestra -then enters in B major, but soon returns to G major, and develops the -theme, until after a short climax with a modulation a second theme -appears, which is given to the first violins. There is a third theme -_fortissimo_ in G major, with a supplement for the wood-wind -instruments, and still another new theme, an expressive melody in B flat -major. - -II. _Andante con moto_, E minor, 2-4. This movement is free in form. -Beethoven put a footnote in the full score to this effect: "During the -whole _andante_, the pianist must use the soft pedal (_una corda_) -unintermittently; the sign 'Ped' refers to the occasional use of the -ordinary pedal." This footnote is contradicted at one point in the score -by the marking "_tre corde_" for five measures near the end of the -movement. A stern and powerful recitative for strings alternates with -gentle and melodic passages for the pianoforte. "The strings of the -orchestra keep repeating a forbidding figure of strongly marked rhythm -in _staccato_ octaves; this figure continues at intervals in stern, -unchanging _forte_ through about half the movement and then gradually -dies away. In the intervals of this harsh theme the pianoforte as it -were improvises little scraps of the tenderest, sweetest harmony and -melody, rising for a moment into the wildest frenzied exultation after -its enemy, the orchestra, has been silenced by its soft pleading, then -falling back into hushed sadness as the orchestra comes in once more -with a whispered recollection of its once so cruel phrase; saying as -plainly as an orchestra can say it, 'The rest is silence!'"[12] - -III. _Rondo_: _vivace_. The first theme, of a sunny and gay character, -is announced immediately by the strings. The pianoforte follows with a -variation. A short but more melodic phrase for the strings is also taken -up by the pianoforte. A third theme, of a bolder character, is announced -by the orchestra. The fourth theme is given to the pianoforte. The -_rondo_, "of a reckless, devil-may-care spirit in its jollity," is based -on this thematic material. At the end the tempo becomes _presto_. - - - - - CONCERTO FOR PIANOFORTE, NO. 5, IN E FLAT MAJOR, OP. 73 - - - I. Allegro - II. Adagio un poco mosso - III. Rondo: allegro ma non tanto - -There are noble pages, also moments of tenderness, in the first -movement; there is a majestic, compelling sweep. In the second movement -there is simplicity, serenity of contemplation, Buddhistic music of -singular detachment, found only in certain measures of Beethoven and -Handel; but the _finale_ with the endless repetitions of a Kangaroo -theme leads one to long for the end. - - * * * - -Beethoven, having made some sketches in 1808, wrote this concerto in -1809 at Vienna. The town was occupied by the French from May 12 to -October 14. - -It is said that the first public performance of which there is any -record was at Leipsic on November 28, 1811. It is also stated that this -performance was late in 1810. The pianist was Friedrich Schneider. The -_Allgemeine Musik Zeitung_ described the concerto as "without doubt one -of the most original, imaginative, effective, but most difficult of all -existing concertos." Schneider, it seems, played "with soul" as well as -force, and the orchestra accompanied remarkably, for "it respected and -admired composer, composition, and pianist." - -The first performance with which Beethoven was concerned was at Vienna -on February 12, 1812, when Karl Czerny (1791-1857) was the pianist. The -occasion was a singular sort of entertainment. Theodor Körner, who had -been a looker-on in Vienna only for a short time, wrote home on February -15: "Wednesday there took place for the benefit of the Charitable -Society of Noble Ladies a concert and a representation of three pictures -after Raphael, Poussin, and Troyes, as Goethe describes them in his -_Elective Affinities_. A new concerto by Beethoven for the pianoforte -did not succeed"; but Castelli's _Thalia_ gave as the reason of this -failure the unwillingness of Beethoven, "full of proud self-confidence," -to write for the crowd. "He can be understood and appreciated only by -the connoisseurs, and one cannot reckon on their being in a majority at -such an affair." Thayer moralizes on this statement. "The trills of Miss -Sessi and Mr. Siboni and Mayseder's Variations on the March from _Aline_ -were appropriate to the occasion and the audience." - -The Vienna correspondent of the _Allgemeine Musik Zeitung_ wrote that -the extravagant length of the concerto diminished the total effect which -the "noble production of the mind" would otherwise have made. As for -Czerny, "he played with much accuracy and fluency, and showed that he -has it in his power to conquer the greatest difficulties." But the -correspondent wished that there had been greater purity in his -performance, a finer contour. - -The tableaux pleased mightily, and each one was repeated. - - -The first movement, _allegro_, in E flat, 4-4, opens with a strong chord -for full orchestra, which is followed by a _cadenza_ for the solo -instrument. - -The first theme is given out by the strings and afterward taken up by -the clarinets. The second theme soon follows, first in E flat minor, -softly and staccato by the strings, then _legato_ and in E flat major by -the horns. It was usual at that time for the pianist to extemporize his -_cadenza_, but Beethoven inserted his own with the remark, "_non si fa, -una cadenza ma s'attacca subito il seguente_" (that is to say, "Do not -insert a _cadenza_, but attack the following immediately"); and he then -went so far as to accompany with the orchestra the latter portion of his -_cadenza_. - -The second movement, _adagio un poco moto_, in B major, 2-2, is in the -form of "quasi-variations," developed chiefly from the theme given at -the beginning by muted strings. This movement goes, with a suggestion -hinted by the pianoforte of the coming first theme of the _rondo_, into -the _rondo_, the _finale_, _allegro_, in E flat, 6-8. Both the themes -are announced by the pianoforte and developed elaborately. The end of -the _coda_ is distinguished by a descending long series of pianoforte -chords which steadily diminish in force, while the kettledrums keep -marking the rhythm of the opening theme. - - - - - CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN, IN D MAJOR, OP. 61 - - - I. Allegro ma non troppo - II. Larghetto - III. Rondo - -Beethoven composed this concerto in 1806 for the violinist, Franz -Clement, who played it for the first time at the latter's concert in the -Theater an der Wien, December 23 of that year. - -Beethoven, often behindhand in finishing compositions for solo -players--according to the testimony of Dr. Bartolini and others--did not -have the concerto ready for rehearsal. Clement played it at the concert -_a vista_. - -The first movement, _allegro ma non troppo_, in D major, 4-4, begins -with a long orchestral _ritornello_. The first theme is announced by -oboes, clarinets, and bassoons. It is introduced by four taps of the -kettledrums on D. (There is a story that these tones were suggested to -the composer by his hearing a neighbor knocking at the door of his house -for admission late at night.) The wind instruments go on with the second -phrase. Then come the famous and problematical four D sharps in the -first violins. The short second theme is given out by wood-wind and -horns in D major, repeated in D minor, and developed at length. The solo -violin enters after a half cadence on the dominant. The first part of -the movement is repeated. The solo violin plays the themes or embroiders -them. The working out is long and elaborate. A _cadenza_ is introduced -at the climax of the conclusion theme. There is a short _coda_. - -The second movement, _Larghetto_, in G major, 4-4, is a romance in free -form. The accompaniment is lightly scored. The theme is almost wholly -confined to the orchestra, while the solo violin embroiders with -elaborate figuration until the end, when it brings in the theme, but -soon abandons it to continue the embroidery. A _cadenza_ leads to the -_finale_. - -The third movement, _rondo_, in D major, 6-8, is based on a theme that -has the character of a folk dance. The second theme is a sort of hunting -call for the horns. There is place for the insertion of a free _cadenza_ -near the end. - - * * * - -Beethoven's great development of the symphony was in his use of the -instruments--not in their number. For the most part, he called for -virtually the same orchestra which his predecessors, Mozart and Haydn, -evolved: two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, -two trumpets, kettledrums and strings. This applies to Beethoven's -First, Second, Third, Fourth, Seventh, and Eighth symphonies -(exceptions: the addition of a third horn in the _Eroica_ symphony, and -use of a single flute in the Fourth). - -In the Fifth symphony, he gave greater sonority to his _finale_ with -three trombones, double bassoon, and piccolo. - -In the Sixth, he added a piccolo for the storm, two trombones for the -storm and _finale_. - -In the Ninth, he increased his horns to four, added three trombones, and -the following instruments in the _alla marcia_ of the _finale_: piccolo, -double bassoon, cymbals, triangle, and bass drum. - -In the overtures here listed, Beethoven added to the above essential -orchestration as follows: _Egmont_--two additional horns, piccolo; -_Leonore_--two additional horns and three trombones. The concertos call -for the minimum orchestration, "in twos."--EDITOR. - - - - - HECTOR - BERLIOZ - - - (Born at La Côte Saint-André, December 11, 1803; died at Paris, March - 9, 1869) - -The more Berlioz is studied, the more the wonder grows at his colossal -originality. Yet there are some who still insist that he had little -melodic invention. They have ears, and they do not hear. They should -read the essay of Romain Rolland, and the essay of Felix Weingartner in -his _Akkorde_, for there are many, unfortunately, who do not trust their -own judgment and are eager to accept the sayings of others who are -considered men of authority. - -Berlioz wrote his _Fantastic_ symphony in a high-strung, hotly romantic -period. Romanticism was in the air. Much that seems fantastic to us, -living in a commercial and material period, was natural then. It was as -natural to be extravagant in belief, theories, speech, manner of life, -dress, as it was to breathe. And Berlioz was a revolutionary of -revolutionaries. His "antediluvian hair" that rose from his forehead was -as much of a symbol as was the flaming waistcoat worn by Théophile on -the memorable first night of _Hernani_. We smile now at the -eccentricities and the extravagancies of the period, but we owe the -perpetrators a heavy debt of gratitude. They made the art of today -possible. - -It is easy to call Berlioz a _poseur_, but the young man was terribly in -earnest. He put his own love tragedy into his _Fantastic_ symphony; he -was a man; he suffered; he was there; and so the music did not pass away -with the outward badges of romanticism, with much of Byron's poetry, -with plays and novels of the time. The emotions he expressed are still -universal and elemental. - - - - - SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE, IN C MAJOR, OP. 14 a - - - I. Dreams, Passions: Largo: Allegro agitato e appassionato assai - II. A Ball: Waltz: allegro non troppo - III. Scene in the Meadows: Adagio - IV. March to the Scaffold: Allegretto non troppo - V. A Witches' Sabbath: Larghetto: allegro - -When one remembers that Beethoven had died only a few years before -Berlioz wrote his symphony; that Schubert also had died; that Schumann -and Wagner were not known as composers, one must regard this audacious -work of Berlioz as nothing less than marvelous. No predecessor had given -him hints for orchestration: he invented his own system; he thought and -wrote orchestrally. Liszt, Meyerbeer, Wagner, Strauss, the Russian -School, in fact, the musical world of the last century is indebted -deeply to Hector Berlioz. Without him all would have been sadly at a -loss. - -One may smile in this matter-of-fact age at the frantic love of Berlioz -for the Irish actress; at the programme of the _Fantastic_ symphony, -written when he was not twenty-seven years old. But there's no denying -the genius in this work, the genius that has kept this music alive in -spite of a few cheap or arid pages; for there is the imagination, the -poetic sensitiveness that we rightly associate with genius. If one would -gladly shorten the "Scene in the Fields," what is to be said against -that masterpiece "The March to the Scaffold," with its haunting, -nightmarish rhythm, its ghostly chatter of the bassoons, its mocking -shouts of brass? Or who does not find beauty in the first movement, -brilliance in the second, and a demoniacal spirit in the _finale_? - -Ernest Newman has wisely said that the harmonies of Berlioz suited -exactly his aims; that however strange they may seem on paper, they are -justified when they are heard. As for the charge of failure as a -melodist, there are the songs; there is the pathetic air of Marguerite -in _The Damnation of Faust_, the "Farewell of the Shepherds" in _The -Childhood of Christ_, the grand arias in _Les Troyens_. - - * * * - -This symphony forms the first part of a work entitled _Épisode de la vie -d'un artiste_ (Episode in the Life of an Artist), the second part of -which is a lyric monodrama, _Lélio, ou le retour à la vie_ (Lelio; or, -The Return to Life). Berlioz published the following preface to the full -score of the symphony: - - - "PROGRAMME OF THE SYMPHONY - -"A young musician of morbid sensibility and ardent imagination poisons -himself with opium in a fit of amorous despair. The narcotic dose, too -weak to result in death, plunges him into a heavy sleep accompanied by -the strangest visions, during which his sensations, sentiments, and -recollections are translated in his sick brain into musical thoughts and -images. The beloved woman herself has become for him a melody, like a -fixed idea which he finds and hears everywhere. - - - "Part I - "DREAMS, PASSIONS - -"He first recalls that uneasiness of soul, that _vague des passions_, -those moments of causeless melancholy and joy, which he experienced -before seeing her whom he loves; then the volcanic love with which she -suddenly inspired him, his moments of delirious anguish, of jealous -fury, his returns to loving tenderness, and his religious consolations. - - - "Part II - "A BALL - -"He sees his beloved at a ball, in the midst of the tumult of a -brilliant fête. - - - "Part III - "SCENE IN THE FIELDS - -"One summer evening in the country he hears two shepherds playing a -_Ranz-des-vaches_ in alternate dialogue; this pastoral duet, the scene -around him, the light rustling of the trees gently swayed by the breeze, -some hopes he has recently conceived, all combine to restore an unwonted -calm to his heart and to impart a more cheerful coloring to his -thoughts; but _she_ appears once more, his heart stops beating, he is -agitated with painful presentiments; if she were to betray him!... One -of the shepherds resumes his artless melody, the other no longer answers -him. The sun sets ... the sound of distant thunder ... solitude ... -silence. - - - "Part IV - "MARCH TO THE SCAFFOLD - -"He dreams that he has killed his beloved, that he is condemned to death -and led to execution. The procession advances to the tones of a march -which is now sombre and wild, now brilliant and solemn, in which the -dull sound of the tread of heavy feet follows without transition upon -the most resounding outburst. At the end, the _fixed idea_ reappears for -an instant, like a last love-thought interrupted by the fatal stroke. - - - "Part V - "WALPURGISNIGHT'S DREAM - -"He sees himself at the witches' Sabbath, in the midst of a frightful -group of ghosts, magicians, and monsters of all sorts, who have come -together for his obsequies. He hears strange noises, groans, ringing -laughter, shrieks to which other shrieks seem to reply. The _beloved -melody_ again reappears; but it has lost its noble and timid character; -it has become an ignoble, trivial, and grotesque dance tune; it is _she_ -who comes to the witches' Sabbath.... Howlings of joy at her arrival ... -she takes part in the diabolic orgy.... Funeral knells, burlesque parody -on the _Dies Iræ_. Witches' dance. The Witches' dance and the _Dies Iræ_ -together." - - -In a preamble to this programme, relating mostly to some details of -stage-setting when the _Épisode de la vie d'un artiste_ is given entire, -Berlioz also writes: "If the symphony is played separately at a concert -... the programme does not absolutely need to be distributed among the -audience, and only the titles of the five movements need be printed, as -the symphony can offer by itself (the composer hopes) a musical interest -independent of all dramatic intention." - -The score is dedicated to Nicholas I of Russia. - - * * * - -The symphony begins with a slow introduction, _Largo_, C minor, 4-4. Two -measures of soft preluding lead to a plaintive theme played by the -strings, _pianissimo_. This theme is a melody of romance composed by -Berlioz in his youth and recurs in modified form in each movement. -"Strange to say," wrote Berlioz of the imagined artist, "the image of -the loved one never comes into his mind without the accompaniment of a -musical thought in which he finds the characteristic grace and nobility -attributed by him to his beloved. This double _idée fixe_--obsessing -idea--constantly pursues him; hence the constant apparition in all the -movements of the chief melody of the first _allegro_." - -The symphony is scored for two flutes (and piccolo), two oboes (and -English horn), two clarinets and E flat clarinet, four bassoons, four -horns, two cornets-à-pistons, two trumpets, three trombones, two tubas, -two pairs of kettledrums (three players) bells, snaredrum, bass drum, -cymbals, two harps, and strings. - -What was the origin of this symphony? Who was the woman that inspired -the music and was so bitterly assailed in the argument sent to his -friend Ferrand? Boschot describes her as she looked in 1827: "Tall, -lithe, with shoulders rather fat and with full bust, a supple figure, a -face of an astonishing whiteness, with bulging eyes like those of the -glowing Mme de Staël, but eyes gentle, dreamy, and sometimes sparkling -with passion. And this Harriet Smithson had the most beautiful -arms--bulbous flesh, sinuous line. They had the effect on a man of a -caress of a flower. And the voice of Harriet Smithson was music."[13] - -Harriet Constance Smithson, known in Paris as Henrietta Smithson, born -at Ennis, Ireland, March 18, 1800, was seen as Ophelia by Berlioz at the -Odéon, Paris, September 11, 1827, after engagements in Ireland and -England. She appeared there first on September 6 with Kemble, Powers, -and Liston. Her success was immediate and overwhelming. She appeared as -Juliet, September 15 of the same year. Berlioz saw these first -performances. He did not then know a word of English: Shakespeare was -revealed to him only through the mist of Letourneur's translation. After -the third act of _Romeo and Juliet_ he could scarcely breathe; he -suffered as though "an iron hand was clutching" his heart, and he -exclaimed, "I am lost." And the story still survives, in spite of -Berlioz's denial, that he then exclaimed: "That woman shall be my wife! -And on that drama I shall write my greatest symphony." He married her, -and he was thereafter miserable. He wrote the _Romeo and Juliet_ -symphony. To the end he preferred the "Love Scene" to all his other -music. - -Berlioz has told in his Memoirs the story of his wooing. He was madly in -love. After a tour in Holland, Miss Smithson went back to London, but -Berlioz saw her always by his side; she was his obsessing idea, the -inspiring muse. When he learned through the journals of her triumphs in -London in June, 1829, he dreamed of composing a great work, the _Episode -in the Life of an Artist_, to triumph by her side and through her. He -wrote Ferrand, February 6, 1830: "I am again plunged in the anguish of -an interminable and inextinguishable passion, without motive, without -cause. She is always at London, and yet I think I feel her near me: all -my remembrances awake and unite to wound me; I hear my heart beating, -and its pulsations shake me as the piston strokes of a steam engine. -Each muscle of my body shudders with pain. In vain! 'Tis terrible! O -unhappy one! if she could for one moment conceive all the poetry, all -the infinity of a like love, she would fly to my arms, were she to die -through my embrace. I was on the point of beginning my great symphony -(_Episode in the Life of an Artist_), in which the development of my -infernal passion is to be portrayed; I have it all in my head, but I -cannot write anything. Let us wait." - -He wrote Ferrand on April 16, 1830: "Since my last I have experienced -terrible hurricanes, and my vessel has cracked and groaned horribly, but -at last it has righted itself; it now sails tolerably well. Frightful -truths, discovered and indisputable, have started my cure; and I think -that it will be as complete as my tenacious nature will permit. I am -about to confirm my resolution by a work which satisfies me completely." -He then inserted a description of the work. "Behold, my dear friend, the -scheme of this immense symphony. I am just writing the last note of it. -If I can be ready on Whitsunday, May 30, I shall give a concert at the -Nouveautés, with an orchestra of two hundred and twenty players. I am -afraid I shall not have the copied parts ready. Just now I am stupid; -the frightful effort of thought necessary to the production of my work -has tired my imagination, and I should like to sleep and rest -continually. But if the brain sleeps, the heart keeps awake." - -He wrote to Ferrand on May 13, 1830: "I think that you will be satisfied -with the scheme of my _Fantastic_ symphony which I sent you in my -letter. The vengeance is not too great; besides, I did not write the -_Dream of a Sabbat Night_ in this spirit. I do not wish to avenge -myself. I pity her and I despise her. She's an ordinary woman, endowed -with an instinctive genius for expressing the lacerations of the human -soul, but she has never felt them, and she is incapable of conceiving an -immense and noble sentiment, as that with which I honored her. I make -today my last arrangements with the managers of the Nouveautés for my -concert the 30th of this month. They are very honest fellows and very -accommodating. We shall begin to rehearse the _Fantastic_ symphony in -three days; all the parts have been copied with the greatest care; there -are 2,300 pages of music; nearly 400 francs for the copying. We hope to -have decent receipts on Whitsunday, for all the theaters will be -closed.... I hope that the wretched woman will be there that day; at any -rate, there are many conspiring at the Feydeau to make her go. I do not -believe it, however; she will surely recognize herself in reading the -programme of my instrumental drama, and then she will take good care not -to appear. Well, God knows all that will be said, there are so many who -know my story!" He hoped to have the assistance of the "incredible -tenor," Haizinger, and of Schröder-Devrient, who were then singing in -opera at the Salle Favart. - -The "frightful truths" about Miss Smithson were sheer calumnies. Berlioz -made her tardy reparation in the extraordinary letter written to -Ferrand, October 11, 1833, shortly after his marriage. He too had been -slandered: her friends had told her that he was an epileptic, that he -was mad. As soon as he heard the slanders, he raged, he disappeared for -two days, and wandered over lonely plains outside Paris, and at last -slept, worn out with hunger and fatigue, in a field near Sceaux. His -friends had searched Paris for him, even the morgue. After his return he -was obstinately silent for several days. - -At last Berlioz determined to give a grand concert at which his cantata -_Sardanapale_, which took the prix de Rome, and the _Fantastic_ symphony -would be performed. Furthermore, Miss Smithson was then in Paris. The -concert was announced for November 14, 1830, but it was postponed till -December 5 of that year. But Miss Smithson was not present; she was at -the Opéra at a performance for her benefit, and she mimed there for the -first and last time the part of Fenella in Auber's _Muette de Portici_. -The symphony made a sensation; it was attacked and defended violently, -and Cherubini answered, when he was asked if he heard it: "_Ze n'ai pas -besoin d'aller savoir comment il né faut pas faire_." - -After Berlioz returned from Italy, he purposed to give a concert. He -learned accidentally that Miss Smithson was still in Paris; but she had -no thought of her old adorer; after professional disappointments in -London, due perhaps to her Irish accent, she returned to Paris in the -hope of establishing an English theater. The public in Paris knew her no -more; she was poor and at her wit's end. Invited to go to a concert, she -took a carriage, and then, looking over the programme, she read the -argument of the _Fantastic_ symphony which with _Lélio_, its supplement, -was performed on December 9, 1832. Fortunately, Berlioz had revised the -programme and omitted the coarse insult ("She is now only a courtesan -worthy to figure in such an orgy") in the programme of the _Sabbat_; -but, as soon as she was seen in the hall of the Conservatory, some who -knew Berlioz's original purpose chuckled, and spread malicious -information. Miss Smithson, moved by the thought that her adorer, as the -hero of the symphony, tried to poison himself for her, accepted the -symphony as a flattering tribute. - -Tiersot[14] describes the scene at this second performance in 1832. The -pit was crowded, as on the great days of romantic festival -occasions--Dumas's _Antony_ was then jamming the Porte -Saint-Martin--with pale, long-haired youths, who believed firmly that -"to make art" was the only worthy occupation on the earth; they had -strange, fierce countenances, curled mustaches, Merovingian hair or hair -cut brushlike, extravagant doublets, velvet-faced coats thrown back on -the shoulders. The women were dressed in the height of the prevailing -fashion, with coiffures _à la girafe_, high shell combs, -shoulder-of-mutton sleeves, and short petticoats that revealed buskins. -Berlioz was seated behind the drums, and his "monstrous antediluvian -hair rose from his forehead as a primeval forest on a steep cliff." -Heine was in the hall. He was especially impressed by the _Sabbat_, -"where the Devil sings the mass, where the music of the Catholic church -is parodied with the most horrible, the most outrageous buffoonery. It -is a farce in which all the serpents that we carry hidden in the heart -raise their heads, hissing with pleasure and biting their tails in the -transport of their joy.... Mme Smithson was there, whom the French -actresses have imitated so closely. M. Berlioz was madly in love with -this woman for three years, and it is to this passion that we owe the -savage symphony which we hear today." It is said that, each time Berlioz -met her eyes, he beat the drums with redoubled fury. Heine added: "Since -then Miss Smithson has become Mme Berlioz, and her husband has cut his -hair. When I heard the symphony again last winter, I saw him still at -the back of the orchestra, in his place near the drums. The beautiful -Englishwoman was in a stage box, and their eyes again met: but he no -longer beat with such rage on his drums." - -Musician and play actress met, and after mutual distrust and -recrimination there was mutual love. She was poor and in debt; on March -16, 1833, she broke her leg, and her stage career was over. Berlioz -pressed her to marry him; both families objected; there were violent -scenes; Berlioz tried to poison himself before her eyes; Miss Smithson -at last gave way, and the marriage was celebrated on October 3, 1833. It -was an unhappy one. - -"A separation became inevitable," says Legouvé.[15] "She who had been -Mlle Smithson, grown old and ungainly before her time, and ill besides, -retired to a humble lodging at Montmartre, where Berlioz, -notwithstanding his poverty, faithfully and decently provided for her. -He went to see her as a friend, for he had never ceased to love her, he -loved her as much as ever; but he loved her differently, and that -difference had produced a chasm between them." - -After some years of acute physical as well as mental suffering, the once -famous play actress died, March 3, 1854. Berlioz put two wreaths on her -grave, one for him and one for their absent son, the sailor. And Jules -Janin sang her requiem in a memorable _feuilleton_. - - - - - OVERTURE, "THE ROMAN CARNIVAL," OP. 9 - - -Berlioz's overture, _Le Carnaval Romain_, originally intended as an -introduction to the second act of _Benvenuto Cellini_, is dedicated to -Prince de Hohenzollern-Hechingen. It was performed for the first time, -and under the direction of the composer, at the Salle Herz, Paris, on -February 3, 1844. The overture was composed in Paris in 1843, shortly -after a journey in Germany. The score and parts were published in June, -1844. - -The chief thematic material of the overture was taken by Berlioz from -his opera _Benvenuto Cellini_, originally in two acts, libretto by Léon -de Wailly and Augusta Barbier. It was produced at the Opéra, Paris, on -September 10, 1838. - -The success of _The Roman Carnival_ overture was immediate. The applause -was so long-continued that the work was repeated then and there. Berlioz -gives an account of the performance in the forty-eighth chapter of his -Memoirs. He first says that Habeneck, the conductor at the Opéra, would -not take the time of the _saltarello_ fast enough. - -"Some years afterwards, when I had written the overture _The Roman -Carnival_, in which the theme of the _allegro_ is the same _saltarello_ -which he never could make go, Habeneck was in the foyer of the Salle -Herz the evening that this overture was to be played for the first time. -He had heard that we had rehearsed it without wind instruments, for some -of my players, in the service of the National Guard, had been called -away. 'Good!' said he. 'There will surely be some catastrophe at this -concert, and I must be there to see it!' When I arrived, all the wind -players surrounded me; they were frightened at the idea of playing in -public an overture wholly unknown to them. - -"'Don't be afraid,' I said; 'the parts are all right, you are all -talented players; watch my stick as much as possible, count your rests, -and it will go.' - -"There was not a mistake. I started the _allegro_ in the whirlwind time -of the Transteverine dancers; the audience shouted, '_Bis!_' We played -the overture again, and it went even better the second time. I went to -the foyer and found Habeneck. He was rather disappointed. As I passed -him, I flung at him these few words: 'Now you see what it really is!' He -carefully refrained from answering me. - -"Never have I felt more keenly than on this occasion the pleasure of -conducting my own music, and my pleasure was doubled by thinking on what -Habeneck had made me suffer. - -"Poor composers, learn to conduct, and conduct yourselves well! (Take -the pun, if you please.) For the most dangerous of your interpreters is -the conductor. Don't forget this." - - * * * - -The overture is scored for two flutes (and piccolo), two oboes, English -horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two -cornets, three trombones, kettledrums, two side drums, cymbals, -triangle, and strings. - - - - - ERNEST - BLOCH - - - (Born at Geneva, Switzerland, July 24, 1880) - - - - - "SCHELOMO" (SOLOMON), HEBREW RHAPSODY FOR VIOLONCELLO AND ORCHESTRA - - -Mr. Bloch is most inspired when he stands firmly and proudly on Jewish -ground. The well equipped composer is seen in all that he writes, but -his three Jewish Poems for orchestra, his Psalms, for voice and -orchestra, his _Schelomo_, are far above his what might be called -Gentile work, even above his concerto, not to mention the cycloramic -_America_. As he has written in an account of himself and his artistic -beliefs, it is the Jewish soul that interests him: "the complex, -glowing, agitated soul" that he feels vibrating through the Bible. No -wonder that the despair of the Preacher in Jerusalem and the splendor of -Solomon alike appealed to him; the monarch in all his glory; the -Preacher, who when he looked on all his works that his hands had wrought -and on the labor that he had labored to do, could only explain: "And -behold, all was vanity, and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit -under the Sun." And so Mr. Bloch might have taken as a motto for this -Hebrew rhapsody the lines of Rueckert: - - _Solomon! Where is thy throne? It is gone in the wind - . . . . . . . . . . . - Say what is pleasure? A phantom, a mask undefined. - Science? An almond, whereof we can pierce but the rind. - Honor and affluence? Firmans that Fortune hath signed - Only to glitter and pass on the wings of the wind._ - -Other composers have taken Solomon for their hero; as Handel in his -oratorio; Goldmark, representing him as mighty and jealous in _The Queen -of Sheba_; Gounod in the opera similarly entitled, based on the wildly -fantastic tale of Gerard de Nerval; there are older operas, but all, or -nearly all, are concerned with _Grand Turke_, the Sultan of the -Ottomans. It was left for Mr. Bloch to express in music the magnificence -and the pessimistic, despairing philosophy of the ruler to whom is -falsely attributed the book, Ecclesiastes. Here is music that does not -brook conventional analysis; music that is now purely lyrical, now -dramatic, now pictorial; music that rises to gorgeous heights and sinks -to the depths; with a conclusion that is not of the Preacher, the pious -admonition after summing up the whole matter, but a conclusion voiced by -the violoncello: "There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor -wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest." Here is no Solomon, lord of -all creatures at whose name Afrites and evil genii trembled, the Solomon -of the "Thousand Nights and a Night," here is the monarch that having -known power and all the pleasures, enumerating them--even to "the -delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all -sorts"--reasoned that everything was futile; that all was vanity. - -One might therefore infer that this rhapsody is distressingly somber, -for nothing is more wearisome than a long-drawn-out complaint. The -inference would be wrong, for Mr. Bloch has imagined in tones, in -superbly exultant measures, the pomp and sumptuousness of the King -enthroned. There are orchestral bursts of glorification; between them -are recitatives and lyric reflections for the jaded voluptuary, the -embittered philosopher. The ingenuity displayed is as remarkable as the -individuality, the originality shown by the composer stirred in his soul -not only by the story of Solomon; moved mightily by the thought of -ancient days, the succeeding trials and persecution of his race. More -than once in the rhapsody, if there is a suggestion of Solomon's court -and temple, there is also the suggestion of the Wailing Wall. - - * * * - -_Schelomo_ was composed at Geneva, Switzerland, in the first two months -of 1916. With the _Trois poèmes juifs_ (composed in 1916) and the -symphony _Israel_ (1913-18), it is that portion of Mr. Bloch's work that -is peculiarly Hebraic in character. In a letter to the writer of these -notes in 1917, Mr. Bloch wrote that the Psalms, _Schelomo_, and _Israel_ -were more representative than the _Jewish Poems_ because they came from -the passion and the violence that he believed to be characteristics of -his nature. "It is not my purpose, not my desire, to attempt a -'reconstitution' of Jewish music, or to base my works on melodies more -or less authentic. I am not an archæologist. I hold it of first -importance to write good, genuine music, my music. It is the Jewish soul -that interests me, the complex, glowing, agitated soul, that I feel -vibrating throughout the Bible; the freshness and naïveté of the -Patriarchs; the violence that is evident in the prophetic books; the -Jew's savage love of justice; the despair of the Preacher in Jerusalem; -the sorrow and the immensity of the Book of Job; the sensuality of the -Song of Songs. All this is in us; all this is in me, and it is the -better part of me. It is all this that I endeavor to hear in myself and -to transcribe in my music: the venerable emotion of the race that -slumbers way down in our soul." - -The _Musical Quarterly_ of January, 1921, published a translation by -Theodore Baker of Guido M. Gatti's estimate of _Schelomo_ contributed to -_La Critica musicale_ of April-May, 1920: - -"The Hebrew rhapsody for solo violoncello with orchestra bears the name -of the great king Solomon. In this, without taking thought for -development and formal consistency, without the fetters of a text -requiring interpretation, he has given free course to his fancy; the -multiplex figure of the founder of the Great Temple lent itself, after -setting it upon a lofty throne, and chiseling its lineaments, to the -creation of a phantasmagorical entourage of persons and scenes in rapid -and kaleidoscopic succession. The violoncello, with its ample breadth of -phrasing, now melodic and with moments of superb lyricism, now -declamatory and with robustly dramatic lights and shades, lends itself -to a reincarnation of Solomon in all his glory, surrounded by his -thousand wives and concubines, with his multitude of slaves and warriors -behind him. His voice resounds in the devotional silence, and the -sentences of his wisdom sink into the heart as the seed into a fertile -soil: 'Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, ... all is vanity. What -profit hath a man of all his labor which he taketh under the sun? One -generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth -abideth for ever.... He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.'... -At times the sonorous voice of the violoncello is heard predominant amid -a breathless and fateful obscurity throbbing with persistent rhythms, -again, it blends in a phantasmagorical paroxysm of polychromatic tones, -shot through with silvery clangors and frenzies of exultation. And anon -one finds oneself in the heart of a dream-world, in an Orient of fancy, -where men and women of every race and tongue are holding argument or -hurling maledictions; and now and again we hear the mournful accents of -the prophetic seer, under the influence of which all bow down and listen -reverently. The entire discourse of the soloist, vocal rather than -instrumental, seems like musical expression intimately conjoined with -the Talmudic prose. The pauses, the repetitions of entire passages, the -leaps of a double octave, the chromatic progressions, all find their -analogues in the Book of Ecclesiastes--in the versicles, in the fairly -epigraphic reiteration of the admonitions ('and all is vanity and -vexation of spirit'), in the unexpected shifts from one thought to -another, in certain _crescendi_ of emotion that end in explosions of -anger or grief uncontrolled." - - -_Schelomo_ is scored for three flutes (and piccolo), two oboes (and -English horn), two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, -contra-bassoon, four horns, four trumpets, three trombones and tuba, -kettledrums, tambourine, side drum, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, -celesta, two harps, and strings. - - - - - ALEXANDER PORPHIRIEVITCH - BORODIN - - -(Born at St. Petersburg, November 12, 1833;[16] died there February 28, - 1887) - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 2, IN B MINOR, OP. 5 - - - I. Allegro moderato - II. Molto vivo - III. Andante - IV. Allegro - -Only a Russian can do justice to this music, which is wildly Russian; -that is to say, the Russia of the Orient. One is tempted, hearing the -repetitions of the first leading theme, a motto phrase it may be called, -to say with Hamlet: "Leave thy damnable faces and begin," but the -monotony of repetition becomes irrepressive. A Russian critic was -reminded more than once in the course of the first and last movements of -the ancient Russian knights in their awkwardness, also in their -greatness. We are told that Borodin intended to portray them in tones. -He himself said that in the slow movement he wished to recall the songs -of Slav troubadours; to picture in the first movement the gatherings of -princes, and in the _finale_ the banquets of heroes where the Russian -Guzla and bamboo flute were heard while the mighty men caroused. It is -easy in the lyrical passages to be reminded of corresponding phrases in -_Prince Igor_, nor is this surprising, for he was working on the -symphony and the opera at the same time. He was then obsessed by the -life of feudal Russia. - -No composer can be called great simply because he is a nationalist in -his music. The folk tunes of a nation have often worked damage to the -composer relying on them for his themes, and content with the mere -exposition of them. Rimsky-Korsakov and Moussorgsky were nationalists, -but their music passed the frontier; it gives pleasure in every country. -Is Borodin to be ranked with them? - -Eric Blom, speaking of Borodin as a pioneer, remembers how he was once -condemned as an "incompetent amateur who wrote hideous discords because -he did not know the rules of harmony"--an unwarranted and foolish -condemnation, as unjust as Tchaikovsky's characterization in the bitter -letter he wrote to Mme von Meck in 1878 the year after this symphony was -first heard. Admitting that Borodin had talent, "a very great talent," -he said that it had come to nothing for the want of teaching, "because -blind fate has led him into the science laboratories instead of a vital -musical existence." The reference was to Borodin's fame as a chemist at -the Academy of Medicine. This was written when Tchaikovsky was accused -of that atrocious crime, cosmopolitanism, by his fellow laborers in the -Russian vineyard. - -There are pages of splendid savagery in this symphony; there are a few -wild, haunting melodies. No, the composer of the two symphonies, one at -least of the string quartets, and a handful of exquisite songs is not to -be flippantly dismissed. - - * * * - -Borodin's Symphony in B minor was written during the years 1871-77. The -first performance was at St. Petersburg in the Hall of the Nobility, -February 14, 1877, and Eduard Napravnik was the conductor. - -Borodin's First symphony, in E flat major, was begun in 1862 and -completed in 1867. Stassov furnished him with the scenario of a libretto -founded on an epic and national poem, the story of Prince Igor. This -poem told of the expedition of Russian princes against the Polovtsi, a -nomadic people of the same origin as the Turks, who had invaded the -Russian Empire in the twelfth century. The conflict of Russian and -Asiatic nationalities delighted Borodin, and he began to write his own -libretto. He tried to live in the atmosphere of the bygone century. He -read the poems and the songs that had come down from the people of that -period; he collected folk songs even from Central Asia; he introduced in -the libretto comic characters to give contrast to romantic situations; -and he began to compose the music, when at the end of a year he was -seized with profound discouragement. His friends said to him: "The time -has gone by to write operas on historic or legendary subjects; today it -is necessary to treat the modern drama." When anyone deplored in his -presence the loss of so much material, he replied that this material -would go into a second symphony. He began work on this symphony, and the -first movement was completed in the autumn of 1871. But the director of -the Russian opera wished to produce an operatic ballet, _Mlada_. The -subject was of an epoch before Christianity. The fourth act was -intrusted to Borodin: it included religious scenes, apparitions of the -ghosts of old Slavonic princes, an inundation, and the destruction of a -temple; and human interest was supplied by a love scene. Faithful to his -theories, Borodin began to study the manners and the religion of this -people. He composed feverishly and did not leave his room for days at a -time. Although the work was prepared by the composers--Minkus was to -write the ballet music, and Borodin, Cui, Moussorgsky, and -Rimsky-Korsakov the vocal music--the scenery demanded such an expense -that the production was postponed, and Borodin began work again on his -Second symphony and _Prince Igor_. He worked under disadvantages: his -wife, Catherine Sergeïevna Protopopova (she died August 9, 1887), an -excellent pianist, was an invalid, and his own health was wretched. In -1877 he wrote: "We old sinners, as always, are in the whirlwind of -life--professional duty, science, art. We hurry on and do not reach the -goal. Time flies like an express train. The beard grows gray, wrinkles -make deeper hollows. We begin a hundred different things. Shall we ever -finish any of them? I am always a poet in my soul, and I nourish the -hope of leading my opera to the last measure, and yet I often mock at -myself. I advance slowly, and there are great gaps in my work." - -Borodin in a letter (January 31, 1877) to his friend, Mme Ludmilla -Ivanovna Karmalina, to whom he told his hopes, disappointments, -enthusiasms, wrote: "The Musical Society had determined to perform my -Second symphony at one of its concerts. I was in the country and did not -know this fact. When I came back to St. Petersburg, I could not find the -first movement and the _finale_. The score of these movements was lost; -I had without doubt mislaid it. I hunted everywhere, but could not find -it; yet the Society insisted, and there was hardly time to have the -parts copied. What should I do? To crown all, I fell sick. I could not -shuffle the thing off, and I was obliged to reorchestrate my symphony. -Nailed to my bed by fever, I wrote the score in pencil. My copy was not -ready in time, and my symphony will not be performed till the next -concert. My two symphonies then will be performed in the same week. -Never has a professor of the Academy of Medicine and Surgery been found -in such a box!" - -The Second symphony was at first unsuccessful. Ivanov wrote in the -_Nouveau Temps_: "Hearing this music, you are reminded of the ancient -Russian knights in all their awkwardness and also in all their -greatness. There is heaviness even in the lyric and tender passages. -These massive forms are at times tiresome; they crush the hearer." But -Stassov tells us that Borodin endeavored by this music to portray the -knights. "Like Glinka, Borodin is an epic poet. He is not less national -than Glinka, but the Oriental element plays with him the part it plays -for Glinka, Dargomijsky, Balakirev, Moussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov. He -belongs to the composers of programme music. He can say with Glinka: -'For my limitless imagination I must have a precise and given text.'" Of -Borodin's two symphonies the second is the greater work, and it owes its -force to the maturity of the composer's talent, but especially to the -national character with which it is impregnated by the programme. The -old heroic Russian form dominates it as it does _Prince Igor_. - -The symphony is scored for three flutes (and piccolo), two oboes, -English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, -three trombones, bass tuba, three kettledrums, bass drum, cymbals, -triangle, tambourine, harp, and the usual strings. - -It appears from the score that this symphony was edited by -Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazounov. - -I. _Allegro_, B minor, 2-2. The first movement opens with a vigorous -theme given out by the strings in unison, while bassoons and horns -reinforce each alternate measure. This theme may be taken for the motto -of the movement, and it is heard in every section of it. Another motive, -_animato assai_, is given to the wood-wind. After the alternation of -these two musical thoughts, the expressive second theme, _poco meno -mosso_, 3-2 time, is introduced by the violoncellos, and afterward by -the wood-wind. The vigorous first theme is soon heard again from the -full orchestra. There is development. The time changes from 2-2 to 3-2, -but the motto dominates with a development of the first measure of the -second subject. This material is worked at length. A pedal point, with -persistent rhythm for the drum, leads to the recapitulation section, in -which the theme undergoes certain modifications. The _coda_, _animato -assai_, is built on the motto. - -II. _Scherzo_, _prestissimo_, F major, 1-1 time. There are a few -introductory measures with repeated notes for first and second horn. The -chief theme is followed by a new thought (syncopated unison of all the -strings). This alternates with the first theme. - -_Trio_: _Allegretto_, 6-4. A melody for the oboe is repeated by the -clarinet, and triangle and harp come in on each alternate half of every -measure. This material is developed. The first part of the movement is -repeated, and the _coda_ ends _pianissimo_. - -III. _Andante_, D flat major, 4-4. There are introductory measures in -which a clarinet is accompanied by the harp. A horn sings the song of -the old troubadours. _Poco animato_. There is a tremolo for strings, and -the opening melody, changed somewhat, is heard from wood-wind -instruments and horns. _Poco più animato_, 3-4. A new thought is given -to the strings with a chromatic progression in the bass. After the -climax the opening theme returns (strings), and the movement ends with -the little clarinet solo. Then comes, without a pause, the - -IV. _Finale._ _Allegro_, B major, 3-4. The movement is in sonata form. -There is an introduction. The chief theme, _forte_, is given to the full -orchestra. It is in 5-4. The second subject, less tumultuous, is given -to clarinet, followed by flute and oboe. The chief theme is developed, -_lento_, in the trombones and tuba, and in a more lively manner by -strings and wood-wind. The second subject is developed, first by -strings, then by full orchestra. The recapitulation section is preceded -by the introductory material for the opening of the movement. - - - - - JOHANNES - BRAHMS - - - (Born at Hamburg, May 7, 1833; died at Vienna, April 3, 1897) - -Those who like to know about composers as human beings rejoice in the -knowledge that Beethoven was irascible, the despair of his landladies, -given to rough joking; that Haydn was nagged by his shrew of a wife and -fell in love in London with a widow; that Mozart was fond of punch and -billiards; that César Franck's trousers were too short. There are many -anecdotes about the great, some of them no doubt apocryphal. - -In the excellent biography of Brahms by Walter Niemann[17] there is an -entertaining chapter entitled "Brahms as a Man." - -He was not fussy in his dress. At home he went about in a flannel shirt, -trousers, a detachable white collar, no cravat, slippers. In the country -he was happy in a flannel shirt and alpaca jacket, carrying a soft felt -hat in his hand, and in bad weather wearing on his shoulders an -old-fashioned bluish-green shawl, fastened in front by a huge pin. (In -the 'sixties many New Englanders on their perilous journeys to Boston or -New York wore a shawl.) He preferred a modest restaurant to a hotel -table d'hôte. In his music room were pictures of a few composers, -engravings--the Sistine Madonna among them--the portrait of Cherubini, -by Ingres, with a veiled Muse crowning the composer--"I cannot stand -that female," Brahms said to his landlady--a bronze relief of Bismarck, -always crowned with laurel. There was a square piano on which a volume -of Bach was usually standing open. On the cover lay notebooks, writing -tablets, calendars, cigar cases, spectacles, purses, watches, keys, -portfolios, recently published books and music, also souvenirs of his -travels. He was passionately patriotic, interested in politics, a firm -believer in German unity. He deeply regretted that he had not done -military service as a young man. Prussia should be the North German -predominant power. - - -A Viennese musician once said that whenever he heard one of Brahms' -symphonies he was inclined to prefer it to the other three; but he was a -passionate Brahmsite. The second has a freshness and a spontaneity that -are perhaps not found in the others, though the third presses it hard in -these respects; but there is a rugged grandeur in the first that puts it -above the others. - - -Professor Schweizerhoffsteinlein, the celebrated Wagnerite, once said: -"To me, however many movements there are in an orchestral work of -Johannes Brahms, to me--hear me once--there are only two: he makes the -first, and I make the second." But the eminent professor was no doubt -unjust toward Brahms, in his clumsy ponderous way. - - -The sensuousness of Brahms is cerebral; it might be called Platonic. -There are various kinds of sensuousness in music, as in human life. Some -years ago Joséphin Péladan, the fantastical Sar of dark corners, likened -the music of Brahms to a gypsy woman dancing in tight-fitting corsets. -He detected "latent heat beneath the formal exterior." - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 1, IN C MINOR, OP. 68 - - - I. Un poco sostenuto; allegro - II. Andante sostenuto - III. Un poco allegretto e grazioso - IV. Adagio; allegro non troppo, ma con brio - -Brahms' First symphony contains remarkable pages, as those of the first -movement, passages in the second, and the marvelously poetic -introduction to the final _allegro_. Mr. Apthorp's belief that this -introductory episode may have been suggested to Brahms by the tones of -the Alpine horn is not too fanciful, and this impression is made on all -that have heard the horn whether in the Oberland or high up in the -Canton Vaud. Brahms' fondness for Switzerland is well known, and he had -visited that country before the _finale_ was performed. In this -introductory _adagio_ there is a lyric flight and at the same time an -imaginative force in superb decoration that are seldom found in the -purely orchestral compositions of Brahms. - - * * * - -Brahms was not in a hurry to write a symphony. He heeded not the wishes -or demands of his friends, he was not disturbed by their impatience. As -far back as 1854 Schumann wrote to Joachim: "But where is Johannes? Is -he flying high or only under the flowers? Is he not yet ready to let -drums and trumpets sound? He should always keep in mind the beginning of -the Beethoven symphonies; he should try to make something like them. The -beginning is the main thing; if only one makes a beginning, then the end -comes of itself." - -Max Kalbeck, of Vienna, the author of a life of Brahms in 2,138 pages, -is of the opinion that the beginning, or rather the germ, of the -Symphony in C minor is to be dated 1855. In 1854 Brahms heard in Cologne -for the first time Beethoven's Ninth symphony. It impressed him greatly, -so that he resolved to write a symphony in the same tonality. This -symphony he never completed. The first two movements were later used for -the Pianoforte concerto in D minor, and the third for "Behold all flesh" -in _A German Requiem_. - -A performance of Schumann's _Manfred_ also excited him when he was -twenty-two. Kalbeck has much to say about the influence of these works -and the tragedy in the Schumann family over Brahms, as the composer of -the C minor symphony. The contents of the symphony, according to -Kalbeck, portray the relationship between Brahms and Robert and Clara -Schumann. The biographer finds significance in the first measures, _poco -sostenuto_, that serve as introduction to the first _allegro_. It was -Richard Grant White who said of the German commentator on Shakespeare -that the deeper he dived the muddier he came up. - -Just when Brahms began to make the first sketches of this symphony is -not exactly known. He was in the habit, as a young man, of jotting down -his musical thoughts when they occurred to him. Later he worked on -several compositions at the same time and let them grow under his hand. -There are instances where this growth was of very long duration. He -destroyed the great majority of his sketches. The few that he did not -destroy are, or were recently, in the library of the Gesellschaft der -Musikfreunde at Vienna. - -In 1862 Brahms showed his friend Albert Dietrich an early version of the -first movement of the symphony. It was then without the introduction. -The first movement was afterwards greatly changed. Walter Niemann quotes -Brahms as saying that it was no laughing matter to write a symphony -after Beethoven; "and again, after finishing the first movement of the -First symphony, he admitted to his friend Levi: 'I shall never compose a -symphony! You have no conception of how the likes of us feel when we -hear the tramp of a giant like him [Beethoven] behind us.'" - - -The first movement opens with a short introduction, _un poco sostenuto_, -C minor, 6-8, which leads without a pause into the first movement -proper, _allegro_, C minor. Second movement, _andante sostenuto_, E -major, 3-4. The place of the traditional _scherzo_ is supplied by a -movement, _un poco allegretto e grazioso_, A flat major, 2-4. The -_finale_ begins with an _adagio_, C minor, 4-4, in which there are hints -of the themes of the _allegro_ which follows. Here William Foster -Apthorp should be quoted: - -"With the thirtieth measure the tempo changes to _più andante_, and we -come upon one of the most poetic episodes in all Brahms. Amid hushed, -tremulous harmonies in the strings, the horn and afterward the flute -pour forth an utterly original melody, the character of which ranges -from passionate pleading to a sort of wild exultation, according to the -instrument that plays it. The coloring is enriched by the solemn tones -of the trombones, which appear for the first time in this movement. It -is ticklish work trying to dive down into a composer's brain, and -surmise what special outside source his inspiration may have had; but -one cannot help feeling that this whole wonderful episode may have been -suggested to Brahms by the tones of the Alpine horn, as it awakens the -echoes from mountain after mountain on some of the high passes in the -Bernese Oberland. This is certainly what the episode recalls to anyone -who has ever heard those poetic tones and their echoes. A short, solemn, -even ecclesiastical interruption by the trombones and bassoons is of -more thematic importance. As the horn tones gradually die away, and the -cloudlike harmonies in the strings sink lower and lower--like mist -veiling the landscape--an impressive pause ushers in the _allegro non -troppo, ma con brio_ (in C major, 4-4 time). The introductory _adagio_ -has already given us mysterious hints at what is to come; and now there -bursts forth in the strings the most joyous, exuberant _Volkslied_ -melody, a very Hymn to Joy, which in some of its phrases, as it were -unconsciously and by sheer affinity of nature, flows into strains from -the similar melody in the _finale_ of Beethoven's Ninth symphony. One -cannot call it plagiarism: it is two men saying the same thing." - -The symphony was produced at Carlsruhe by the Grand Duke's orchestra on -November 4, 1876. Dessoff conducted from manuscript. Brahms was present. -There was a performance a few days later at Mannheim, where Brahms -conducted. - -Richard Specht,[18] stating that the First symphony made its way -slowly--even Hanslick was far from being enthusiastic--attributes the -fact largely to unsatisfactory interpretations. - -After the first performance in Boston (by the Harvard Musical -Association, January 3, 1878), John S. Dwight wrote in his _Journal of -Music_ that the total impression made on him was "as something -depressing and unedifying, a work coldly elaborated, artificial; earnest -to be sure, in some sense great, and far more satisfactory than any -symphony by Raff, or any others of the day, which we have heard; but not -to be mentioned in the same day with any symphony by Schumann, -Mendelssohn, or the great one by Schubert, not to speak of -Beethoven's.... Our interest in it will increase, but we foresee the -limit; and certainly it cannot be popular; it will not be loved like the -dear masterpieces of genius." - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 2, IN D MAJOR, OP. 73 - - - I. Allegro non troppo - II. Adagio non troppo - III. Allegretto grazioso, quasi andantino - IV. Allegro con spirito - -The latest biographers of Johannes Brahms differ curiously concerning -the character of the Second symphony. The excellent Walter Niemann finds -a tragic undercurrent; "ghostly elements glimmering in a supernatural, -uncanny way"; even "mysterious Wagnerian visions." The equally excellent -Richard Specht finds sunshine, fair days, warm winds, clarity, and -tenderness. Brahms can on occasion be gloomy and crabbed enough. Why -cannot Mr. Niemann, a devoted admirer of Johannes, allow him to be -cheerful once in a while, as in this Second symphony? - - -The Symphony in D is the most genial of the four, the most easily -accepted by an audience, for, if there are pages of supreme beauty in -it, as toward the end of the first movement, so there are pages that are -Mendelssohnian in form and in the rhythm of the easily retained melodic -thought. Mendelssohn, a shrewd composer, seldom, if ever, committed the -blunder of surprising an audience. As in the theater, so in the concert -hall, an audience does not wish to be left in doubt, and in this -symphony, which is in reality a storehouse of truly beautiful things, -there is every now and then a passage that is accepted by the hearer as -an agreeable commonplace. - - * * * - -Chamber music, choral works, pianoforte pieces, and songs had made -Brahms famous before he allowed his First symphony to be played. The -Symphony in C minor was performed for the first time in 1876. Kirchner -wrote in a letter to Marie Lipsius that he had talked about this -symphony in 1863 or 1864 with Mme Clara Schumann, who then showed him -fragments of it. No one knew, it is said, of the existence of a second -symphony before it was completed. - -The Second symphony, in D major, was composed, probably at -Pörtschach-am-See, in the summer of 1877, the year that saw the -publication of the first. Brahms wrote Dr. Billroth in September of that -year: "I do not know whether I have a pretty symphony; I must inquire of -skilled persons." He referred to Clara Schumann, Dessoff, and Ernst -Frank. On September 19, Mme Schumann wrote that he had written out the -first movement. Early in October he played it to her, also a portion of -the _finale_. The symphony was played by Brahms and Ignaz Brüll as a -pianoforte duet (arranged by the composer) to invited guests at the -pianoforte house of his friend Ehrbar in Vienna a few days before the -announced date of the orchestral performance, December 11, 1877. Through -force of circumstances the symphony was played for the first time in -public at the succeeding Philharmonic concert of December 30. Hans -Richter conducted. The second performance, conducted by Brahms, was at -the Gewandhaus, Leipsic, on January 10, 1878. - -Certain German critics in their estimate of Brahms have exhausted -themselves in comparison and metaphor. One claims that, as Beethoven's -Fourth symphony is to his _Eroica_, so is Brahms' Second to his First; -the one in C minor is epic, the one in D major is a fairy tale. When -Bülow wrote that Brahms was an heir of Cherubini, he referred to the -delicate filigree work shown in the _finale_ of the second. Felix -Weingartner, whose _Die Symphonie nach Beethoven_ (Berlin, 1898) is a -pamphlet of singularly acute and discriminative criticism, coolly says -that the Second is far superior to the First: "The stream of invention -has never flowed so fresh and spontaneous in other works by Brahms, and -nowhere else has he colored his orchestration so successfully." And -after a eulogy of the movements he puts the symphony among the very best -of the new classic school since the death of Beethoven--"far above all -the symphonies of Schumann." - -Richard Specht, in his Life of Brahms, writes: "The work is suffused -with the sunshine and the warm winds playing on the water, which recall -the summer at Pörtschach that gave it life. The comfortably swinging -first subject at once creates a sense of well-being with its sincere and -sensuous gladness.... This movement is like a fair day in its creator's -life and outshines the other three sections--the brooding _andante_, the -rather unimportant _scherzo_ ... the broad, sweeping _finale_ which, for -all its lively, driving motion, strikes one as cheerless and artificial -in its briskness. The impression of the unsymphonic nature of this work -is probably due partly to a prejudice that expects to see cosmic images -and not mere genre pictures in such a composition, and partly to the -meter adopted for the first movement. It is remarkable that Brahms did -not employ the common time almost invariably used by the symphonic -masters from Mozart to Schubert in their opening movements until he came -to his Fourth symphony. The round-dance nature of the 3-4 measure in the -D major symphony is especially difficult to take seriously, and rightly -so; for this is a light-hearted work, a declaration of love in symphonic -form. - -"Brahms was particularly fond of this dear and tender composition, as -might be judged from the little mystifications with which he raised the -expectations his friends had of the new work that followed its elder -sister within the space of a year. He persisted in describing it as -gloomy and awesome, never to be played by any musicians without a -mourning band on their sleeve." (As a matter of fact Brahms wrote to -Elisabet von Herzogenberg on December 29, 1877: "The orchestra here play -my new symphony with crape bands on their sleeves, because of its -dirge-like effect. It is to be printed with a black edge, too.") "He -replied in a tone of waggish secrecy to Elisabet, who was impatiently -waiting for the score and scolded him for not rewarding her discretion -by sending her the work, which she knew to be ready ('May the deuce take -such modesty!') and who, incidentally, took exception to his spelling so -noble a word as 'symphony' with an 'f'. 'It really is no symphony,' he -writes, 'but merely a _Sinfonie_, and I shall have no need to play it to -you beforehand. You merely sit down at the piano, put your little feet -on the two pedals in turn, and strike the chord of F minor several times -in succession, first in the treble, then in the bass _ff_ and _pp_ and -you will gradually gain a vivid impression of my "latest."' And he was -as pleased as Punch with the glad surprise and delight of the adored -woman and of all his friends when they saw this sunny work." - - - - - SYMPHONY, NO. 3, IN F MAJOR, OP. 90 - - - I. Allegro con brio - II. Andante - III. Poco allegretto - IV. Allegro - -Some justly prefer the Symphony in F major to the other three. It has no -pages equal in imagination to the wonderful introduction to the _finale_ -of the First; it has nothing in it like the architectural grandeur of -the Fourth's _finale_; but, as a whole, it is the most poetic of the -four. Brahms wrote nothing more commanding than the opening of the first -movement. Page after page thereafter might be cited in praise. And in -this symphony the natural austerity of the composer is mellowed, his -melancholy, as in the third movement, is tender, wistful, not -pessimistic. - - * * * - -Brahms worked on his Third symphony in 1882, and in the summer of 1883 -he completed it. - -The first performance of the Third symphony was at a Philharmonic -concert in Vienna, December 2, 1883. Hans Richter conducted. Brahms -feared for the performance, although Richter had conducted four -rehearsals. He wrote to Bülow that at these rehearsals he missed the -Forum Romanum (the theater scene which in Meiningen served as a concert -hall for rehearsals), and would not be wholly comfortable until the -public gave unqualified approval. Max Kalbeck states that at the first -performance in Vienna a crowd of the Wagner-Bruckner _ecclesia militans_ -stood in the pit to make a hostile demonstration, and there was hissing -after the applause following each movement had died away; but the -general public was so appreciative that the hissing was drowned and -enthusiasm was at its height. Arthur Faber came near fighting a duel -with an inciter of the _Skandal_ sitting behind him, but forgot the -disagreeable incident at the supper given by him in honor of the -production of the symphony, with Dr. Billroth, Simrock, Goldmark, -Dvorák, Brüll, Hellmesberger, Richter, Hanslick, among the guests. At -this concert Franz Ondricek played the new violin concerto of Dvorák. - -It is said that various periodicals asserted that this symphony was by -far the best of Brahms' compositions. This greatly annoyed the composer, -especially as it raised expectations which he thought could not be -fulfilled. Brahms sent the manuscript to Joachim in Berlin and asked him -to conduct the second performance where or at what time he liked. For a -year or more the friendship between the two had been clouded, for Brahms -had sided with Mrs. Joachim in the domestic dispute, or at least he had -preserved his accustomed intimacy with her, and Joachim had resented -this. The second performance, led by Joachim, was at Berlin, January 4, -1884. Dr. Franz Wüllner was then the conductor of the Berlin -Philharmonic Orchestra Subscription Concerts. Brahms had promised him in -the summer before the honor of conducting this symphony in Berlin for -the first time. Joachim insisted that he should be the conductor. -Churlish in the matter, he persuaded Brahms to break his promise to -Wüllner by saying that he would play Brahms' violin concerto under the -composer's direction if Brahms would allow him to conduct the symphony. -Brahms then begged Wüllner to make the sacrifice. Joachim therefore -conducted it at an Academy Concert, but Brahms was not present; he came -about a fortnight later to Wüllner's first subscription concert, and -then conducted the symphony and played his pianoforte concerto in D -minor. The writer of these notes was at this concert. The symphony was -applauded enthusiastically, but Brahms was almost as incompetent a -conductor as Joachim. (His pianoforte playing in 1884 on that occasion -was muddy and noisy.) Brahms conducted the symphony at Wiesbaden on -January 18, 1884. The copyright of the manuscript was sold to the -publisher Simrock, of Berlin, for 36,000 marks ($9,000) and a percentage -on sums realized by performances. - -Hans Richter in a toast christened this symphony when it was still in -manuscript, the "_Eroica_." Hanslick remarked concerning this: "Truly, -if Brahms' First symphony in C minor is characterized as the -'_Pathetic_' or the '_Appassionata_' and the second in D major as the -'_Pastoral_,' the new symphony in F major may be appropriately called -his '_Eroica_'"; yet Hanslick took care to add that the key word was not -wholly to the point, for only the first movement and the _finale_ are of -heroic character. This Third symphony, he says, is indeed a new one. "It -repeats neither the poignant song of Fate of the first, nor the joyful -Idyl of the second; its fundamental note is proud strength that rejoices -in deeds. The heroic element is without any warlike flavor; it leads to -no tragic action, such as the Funeral March in Beethoven's _Eroica_. It -recalls in its musical character the healthy and full vigor of -Beethoven's second period, and nowhere the singularities of his last -period; and every now and then in passages quivers the romantic twilight -of Schumann and Mendelssohn." - -Max Kalbeck thinks that the statue of Germania near Rüdesheim inspired -Brahms to write this symphony.[19] Joachim found Hero and Leander in the -_finale_! He associated the second motive in C major with the bold -swimmer breasting the waves. Clara Schumann entitled the symphony a -"Forest Idyl" and sketched a programme for it. - -The first movement, _allegro con brio_, in F major, 6-4, opens with -three introductory chords (horns, trumpets, wood-wind), the upper voice -of which, F, A flat, F, presents a short theme that is an emblematic -figure, or device, which recurs significantly throughout the movement. -Although it is not one of the regular themes, it plays a dominating -part. Some find in a following cross-relation--A flat of the bass -against the preceding A natural of the first theme, the "Keynote to some -occult dramatic signification." Enharmonic modulation leads to A major, -the tonality of the second theme. There is first a slight reminiscence -of the "Venusberg" scene in _Tannhäuser_--"_Naht euch dem Strande!_" Dr. -Hugo Riemann goes so far as to say that Brahms may have thus paid a -tribute to Wagner, who died in the period of the composition of this -symphony. The second theme is of a graceful character, but of compressed -form, in strong contrast with the broad and sweeping first theme. The -second movement, _andante_ in C major, 4-4, opens with a hymnlike -passage, which in the first three chords reminds some persons of the -"Prayer" in _Zampa_. The third movement is a _poco allegretto_, C minor, -3-8, a romantic substitute for the traditional _scherzo_. _Finale_, -_allegro_, in F minor, 2-2. At the end the strings in tremolo bring the -original first theme of the first movement, "the ghost" of this first -theme, as Apthorp called it, over sustained harmonies in the wind -instruments. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 4, IN E MINOR, OP. 98 - - - I. Allegro non troppo - II. Andante moderato - III. Allegro giocoso - IV. Allegro energico e passionato - -Much of the Fourth symphony is melancholy and lamentful, but it is -relieved by the consolatory beatitude of the _andante_ and the elevating -stateliness of the conclusion.... The austerity with which the composer -has been reproached--in many instances unjustly--is here pronounced. The -solidity of the structure may be admired, but the structure itself is -granitic and unrelieved. The symphony has not the epic grandeur of the -first, the geniality of the second, the wealth of varied beauty that -distinguishes the third. - - * * * - -This symphony was first performed at Meiningen, October 25, 1885, under -the direction of the composer. - -It was composed in the summers of 1884 and 1885 at Mürzzuschlag in -Styria: Miss Florence May in her Life of Brahms says that the manuscript -was nearly destroyed in 1885: "Returning one afternoon from a walk, he -[Brahms] found that the house in which he lodged had caught fire, and -that his friends were busily engaged in bringing his papers, and amongst -them the nearly finished manuscript of the new symphony, into the -garden." - -In a letter, Brahms described this symphony as "a couple of entr'actes," -also as "a choral work without text." He was doubtful about its worth. -He consulted his friends, and he and Ignaz Brüll played a pianoforte -arrangement in the presence of several of them. He judged from their -attitude that they did not like it and he was much depressed. There was -a preliminary orchestral rehearsal at Meiningen in October, 1885, -conducted by Hans von Bülow. Brahms arrived in time for the first -performance. The symphony was most warmly applauded, and the audience -endeavored, but in vain, to obtain a repetition of the third movement. - -The symphony was performed at a Philharmonic concert in Vienna on March -7, 1897, the last Philharmonic concert heard by Brahms. We quote from -Miss May's biography: "The Fourth symphony had never become a favorite -work in Vienna. Received with reserve on its first performance, it had -not since gained much more from the general public of the city than the -respect sure to be accorded there to an important work by Brahms. Today -[_sic_], however, a storm of applause broke out at the end of the first -movement, not to be quieted until the composer, coming to the front of -the artist's box in which he was seated, showed himself to the audience. -The demonstration was renewed after the second and the third movements, -and an extraordinary scene followed the conclusion of the work. The -applauding, shouting house, its gaze riveted on the figure standing in -the balcony, so familiar and yet in present aspect so strange, seemed -unable to let him go. Tears ran down his cheeks as he stood there, -shrunken in form, with lined countenance, strained expression, white -hair hanging lank; and through the audience there was a feeling as of a -stifled sob, for each knew that they were saying farewell. Another -outburst of applause and yet another; one more acknowledgment from the -master; and Brahms and his Vienna had parted forever." - -Heinrich Reimann gives a short description of the symphony: "It begins -as in ballad fashion. Blaring fanfares of horns and cries of pain -interrupt the narration, which passes into an earnest and ardent melody -(B major, violoncellos). The themes, especially those in fanfare -fashion, change form and color. 'The formal appearance, now powerful, -prayerful, now caressing, tender, mocking, homely, now far away, now -near, now hurried, now quietly expanding, ever surprises us, is ever -welcome: it brings joy and gives dramatic impetus to the movement.' A -theme of the second movement constantly returns in varied form, from -which the chief theme, the staccato figure given to the wind, and the -melodious song of the violoncellos are derived. The third movement, -_allegro giocoso_, sports with old-fashioned harmonies, which should not -be taken too seriously. This is not the case with the _finale_, an -artfully contrived _ciacona_ of antique form, but of modern contents. -The first eight measures give the 'title-page' of the _ciacona_. The -measures that follow are variations of the leading theme; wind -instruments prevail in the first three, then the strings enter; the -movement grows livelier, clarinets and oboes lead to E major; and now -comes the solemn climax of this movement, the trombone passage. The old -theme enters again after the _fermata_, and rises to full force, which -finds expression in a _più allegro_ for the close."[20] - - - - - VARIATIONS ON A THEME BY JOSEF HAYDN, IN B FLAT MAJOR, OP. 56a - - -At Bonn, in August, 1873, Brahms with Clara Schumann played to a few -friends the _Variations on a Theme by Haydn_ in the version (Op. 56b) -for two pianofortes. - -It is not definitely known whether the orchestral version or the one for -two pianofortes was the earlier. The orchestral stands first in thematic -catalogues of Brahms' compositions, but the pianoforte version was -published first--in November, 1873. The probability is that the -orchestral version was the first. The autograph manuscript of Op. 56b is -dated at the end "Tutzing July 1873." It was in November, 1870, that C. -F. Pohl showed Brahms the compositions of Haydn, an _andante_ from a -symphony and the _chorale_ that gave Brahms his theme. Kalbeck believed -that the score of Haydn's _chorale_ put Brahms in mind of the excellent -wind choir of the Detmold Court Orchestra, and the thought of the Vienna -Philharmonic Orchestra gave him greater desire to write an orchestral -work. - -The theme is taken from a collection of _divertimenti_ for wind -instruments by Haydn. In the original score it is entitled _Chorale St. -Antoni_. The _divertimento_ in which this theme occurs is in B flat -major; it is composed for two oboes, two horns, three bassoons, and a -serpent. For the third bassoon and the serpent Brahms substituted a -double bassoon. The _divertimento_ was composed by Haydn probably about -1782-84 and for open-air performance. It was performed at a concert in -London in March, 1908. As then played, it consisted of a lively -introduction, the _Chorale Sancti Antonii_, a _minuetto_ and a _rondo_. -It was then questioned whether Haydn composed the _chorale_, and why the -folk-song-like tune was so named. - -The theme is announced by Brahms in plain harmony by wind instruments -over a bass for violoncellos, double basses, and double bassoon. - -Variation I. _Poco più andante._ The violins enter, and their figure is -accompanied by one in triplets in the violas and violoncellos. These -figures alternately change places. Wind instruments are added. - -II. B flat minor, _più vivace_. Clarinets and bassoons have a variation -of the theme, and violins enter with an _arpeggio_ figure. - -III. There is a return to the major, _con moto_, 2-4. The theme is given -to the oboes, doubled by the bassoons an octave below. There is an -independent accompaniment for the lower strings. In the repetition the -violins and violas take the part which the wind instruments had, and the -flutes, doubled by the bassoons, have _arpeggio_ figures. - -IV. In minor, 3-8. The melody is sung by oboe with horn; then it is -strengthened by the flute with the bassoon. The violas and shortly after -the violoncellos accompany in scale passage. The parts change place in -repetition. - -V. This variation is a _vivace_ in major, 6-8. The upper melody is given -to flutes, oboes, and bassoons, doubled through two octaves. In the -repetition the moving parts are taken by the strings. - -VI. _Vivace_, major, 2-4. A new figure is introduced. During the first -four measures the strings accompany with the original theme in harmony, -afterwards in _arpeggio_ and scale passages. - -VII. _Grazioso_, major, 6-8. The violins an octave above the clarinets -descend through the scale, while the piccolo doubled by violas has a -fresh melody. - -VIII. B flat minor, _presto non troppo_, 3-4. The strings are muted. The -mood is _pianissimo_ throughout. The piccolo enters with an inversion of -the phrase. - -The _finale_ is in the major, 4-4. It is based throughout on a phrase, -an obvious modification of the original theme, which is used at first as -a ground bass--"a bass passage constantly repeated and accompanied each -successive time with a varied melody and harmony." This obstinate phrase -is afterwards used in combination with other figures in other passages -of the _finale_. The original theme returns in the strings at the -climax; the wood-wind instruments accompany in scale passages, and the -brass fills up the harmony. The triangle is now used to the end. Later -the melody is played by wood and brass instruments, and the strings have -a running accompaniment. - -The late Max Kalbeck in his long-winded and ponderous Life of Brahms has -much to say about these Variations. Which St. Anthony was in Haydn's -mind is immaterial. Kalbeck decided that Brahms' hero is the St. Anthony -of Thebes. Brahms was a friend and admirer of Anselm Feuerbach, the -artist, who had painted a life-size Temptation of St. Anthony, the monk -kneeling with a book, a scourge, and a skull near him, while a woman -begs him to leave his religious meditation and enter into life. This -picture was so ridiculed that the sensitive Feuerbach destroyed it, but -it had been engraved and photographed. - -Kalbeck finds a _crescendo_ of musical psychology in the Variations, -which, as they are developed, remind him of musical dissolving views. -The seventh Variation pictures the severest test undergone by the saint: -"The most atrocious because it is the sweetest." In this Siciliano he -sees the apparition of the tempting woman. The music is "the -quintessence of human voluptuousness, which according to Master Eckhart -is 'mixed with bitterness.' After it comes death. Blessed is the man -that has withstood the temptation! The _finale_, which includes -seventeen and more variations, celebrates him." - -Did Brahms have all this in mind when he wrote these Variations? Was not -Kalbeck like the man "of meager aspect with sooty hands and face" seen -by Captain Lemuel Gulliver at the Academy of Lagado engaged for eight -years upon a project for extracting sunbeams from cucumbers? - - - - - "TRAGIC" OVERTURE, OP. 81 - - -The _Tragic_ overture is among the greatest works of Brahms; by its -structure, and by its depths of feeling. There is no hysterical -outburst; no shrieking in despair; no peevish or sullen woe; no -obtruding suggestion of personal suffering. The German commentators have -cudgeled their brains to find a hero in the music: Hamlet, Faust, this -one, that one. They have labored in vain. The soul of Tragedy speaks in -the music. - - * * * - -Although the _Tragic_ overture is Op. 81 and the _Academic_ is Op. 80, -the _Tragic_ was composed and performed before the _Academic_: it was -performed for the first time at the Fourth Philharmonic Concert at -Vienna in 1880. - -The _Tragic_ overture may be said to be a musical characterization of -the principles of tragedy as laid down by Aristotle or Lessing; it -mirrors, as Reimann puts it, the grandeur, the loftiness, the deep -earnestness, of tragic character; "calamities, which an inexorable fate -has imposed on him, leave the hero guilty; the tragic downfall atones -for the guilt; this downfall, which by purifying the passions and -awakening fear and pity works on the race at large, brings expiation and -redemption to the hero himself." Or as Dr. Dieters says: "In this work -we see a strong hero battling with an iron and relentless fate; passing -hopes of victory cannot alter an impending destiny. We do not care to -inquire whether the composer had a special tragedy in his mind, or if -so, which one; those who remain musically unconvinced by the -unsurpassably powerful theme, would not be assisted by a particular -suggestion."[21] - -The overture was composed in 1880 and published in 1881. - - - - - ACADEMIC FESTIVAL OVERTURE, OP. 80 - - -Johannes Brahms desired to give thanks publicly to the University of -Breslau because he had received from the illustrious dignitaries of that -university the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. How best could he express -his thanks in music? By something stately, pompous? Or by something -profound and cryptic? Brahms acted with shrewdness in the matter; he -took for his thematic material well-known students' songs. These songs -are familiar throughout Germany, and it is not as though a composer -called upon, for instance, to write an appropriate overture for an -approaching jubilee at Yale should take songs peculiar to that college; -nor is it as though a composer should take "Eli Yale" and "Fair Harvard" -and a Dartmouth or Williams song for his themes. Wherever Brahms' -overture is heard by a German student, whether of Heidelberg, Bonn, -Berlin, or Breslau, the themes are old friends and common property. - -But where is the reckless gayety of student life in this overture? Much -of it is dry, on account of the orchestration. For even when you admit -that Brahms was a master builder of musical structures, you are not -thereby estopped from saying in clear, bell-like tones that he was also -color deaf. - -The Brahmsite turns triumphantly to the _Fuchslied_--"Was kommt dort von -der Höh"--which is introduced by two bassoons, accompanied by 'cellos -and violas _pizzicati_. "There! there!" he exclaims, "that is -excruciatingly funny. Only a master, only a Johannes could make so -easily a master stroke!" If you cross-examine him you will find that the -humor consists in the choice of instruments. - -Somebody once said that the bassoon is the clown of the orchestra. -Therefore the double bassoon should be twice as funny--perhaps even a -Shakespearean clown. And simply because somebody gave the poor bassoon -this name, it must be regarded as funny _per se_. "Funny"? The bassoon -is lugubrious, ghostly, spectral, weird, unearthly, demoniacal. It -smells of mortality. It suggests the glow-worm and the grave. The wicked -nuns in _Robert le Diable_ heard it and obeyed the spell, for corruption -called to corruption. It lends a flavor of the charnal house to -Tchaikovsky's _Pathétique_. It pictures the mood of Leonora without Di -Luna's tower. It chatters and gibbers as the murderous artist in the -_Symphonie fantastique_ goes his wretched way to the scaffold. It is the -instrument dear to all that inhabit the night air, the cemetery, the -diseased mind. - -But these bassoons appear in Brahms' overture "_etwas plötzlich_"--a -phrase I once heard used in a Berlin beer hall by a dapper and corseted -and monocled officer, who was extremely thirsty and thus addressed the -waiter. And I defy any sober-minded person who has not the fear of -Brahms before his eyes to find the introduction or the treatment of the -song spontaneously gay or humorous. The song itself is a good freshman -hazing song. - -Some of the books--and books of authority--say that the _Academic_ was -written for performance at Breslau on the occasion of Brahms' receiving -the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. He did receive the degree, but it -was on March 11, 1879, and if anyone doubts this I shall be happy to -quote to him the degree in the original Latin--which I cannot construe, -except as regards the date. I like to think of Brahms as a doctor of -philosophy. The degree goes so well with the man. It also explains -some--not all--of his music. Let the overture be considered and weighed -as the night work of a Doctor of Philosophy. - - * * * - -Brahms wrote two overtures in the summer of 1880 at Ischl--the -_Academic_ and the _Tragic_. They come between the Symphony in D major -and that in F major in the list of his orchestral works. It is said by -Heuberger that Brahms wrote two "Academic Festival overtures"; so he -must have destroyed one of them. When the _Academic_ was first played at -Breslau, the rector and Senate and members of the Philosophical faculty -sat in the front seats at the performance, and the composer conducted -his work. Brahms was not a university man, but he had known with Joachim -the joyous life of students at Göttingen--at the university made famous -by Canning's poem: - - _Whene'er with haggard eyes I view - This dungeon that I'm rotting in, - I think of those companions true - who studied with me at the U- - niversity of Göttingen-- - niversity of Göttingen_; - ---the university satirized so bitterly by Heine. - -Brahms wrote to Bernard Scholz that the title '_Academic_' did not -please him. Scholz suggested that it was "cursedly academic and -boresome," and suggested _Viadrina_, for that was the poetical name of -the Breslau University. Brahms spoke flippantly of this overture in the -fall of 1880 to Max Kalbeck. He described it as a "very jolly potpourri -on students' songs à la Suppé"; and, when Kalbeck asked him ironically -if he had used the "Foxsong," he answered contentedly, "Yes, indeed." -Kalbeck was startled, and said he could not think of such academic -homage to the "leathery Herr Rektor," whereupon Brahms duly replied, -"That is also wholly unnecessary." - -The first of the student songs to be introduced is Binzer's "Wir hatten -gebauet ein stattliches Haus" (We had built a stately house, and trusted -in God therein through bad weather, storm, and horror). The first -measures are given out by the trumpets with a peculiarly stately effect. -The melody of "Der Landesvater" is given to the second violins. And then -for the first time is there any deliberate attempt to portray the -jollity of university life. The "Fuchslied" (Freshman Song) is -introduced suddenly by two bassoons. There are hearers undoubtedly who -remember the singing of this song in Longfellow's "Hyperion"; how the -freshman entered the _Kneipe_, and was asked with ironical courtesy -concerning the health of the leathery _Herr Papa_ who reads in Cicero. -Similar impertinent questions were asked concerning the _Frau Mama_ and -the _Mamsell Soeur_; and then the struggle of the freshman with the -first pipe of tobacco was described in song. "Gaudeamus igitur," the -melody that is familiar to students of all lands, serves as the -_finale_. - - - - - CONCERTO FOR PIANOFORTE, NO. 1, IN D MINOR, OP. 15 - - - I. Maestoso - II. Adagio - III. Rondo: allegro non troppo - -This concerto was played for the first time at Hanover, on January 22, -1859. Brahms was the pianist; Joachim conducted. - -Brahms, living in Hanover in 1854, worked in the spring and summer on a -symphony. The madness of Schumann and his attempt to commit suicide by -throwing himself into the Rhine had deeply affected him. He wrote to -Joachim in January, 1855, from Düsseldorf, "I have been trying my hand -at a symphony during the past summer, have even orchestrated the first -movement and composed the second and third." - -This symphony was never completed. The work as it stood was turned into -a sonata for two pianofortes. The first two movements became later the -first and the second of the Pianoforte concerto in D minor; the third is -the movement "Behold all flesh" in _A German_ _Requiem_. The sonata for -two pianofortes was frequently played in private in the middle 'fifties -by Brahms with Clara Schumann, or his friend Julius Otto Grimm, who had -assisted him in the orchestration of the symphony. Grimm (1827-1903), -philologist, conductor, lecturer, doctor of philosophy, composer of a -symphony, suites and other works, declared that the musical contents of -this sonata deserved a more dignified form, and persuaded Brahms to put -them into a concerto. The task busied Brahms for two years or more. The -movements were repeatedly sent to Joachim, whose advice was of much -assistance. In 1858 the _Signale_ reported that Brahms had arrived in -Detmold, and it was hoped that some of his compositions might be -performed there. "He has completed, among other things, a pianoforte -concerto, the great beauties of which have been reported to us." The -musicians at Detmold were not inclined to appreciate Brahms; it is said -that the _Kapellmeister_, Kiel, was prejudiced against him; but the -concerto was rehearsed at Hanover, and Joachim, in spite of a certain -amount of official opposition, put it on the programme of the Hanover -Subscription Court Concerts, the third of the series for 1858-59. - -The concerto was then coldly received. The Hanover correspondent of the -_Signale_ wrote, "The work had no great success with the public, but it -aroused the decided respect and sympathy of the best musicians for the -gifted artist." Brahms played the concerto at a Gewandhaus concert in -Leipsic on January 27, 1859. The public and the critics were unfriendly. -The composer wrote to Joachim: "A brilliant and decided failure.... In -spite of all this, the concerto will please some day when I have -improved its construction." Breitkopf & Härtel refused to publish it; -but Rieter-Biedermann gave it to the world in 1861. - - - - - CONCERTO NO. 2, IN B FLAT MAJOR, FOR PIANOFORTE AND ORCHESTRA, OP. 83 - - - I. Allegro non troppo - II. Allegro appassionato - III. Andante - IV. Allegretto grazioso - -The choice of this concerto shows the high purpose and the pure aim; for -the Second concerto of Brahms is not one to tickle the ear, stun the -judgment, and provoke cheap and boisterous applause. And as the Second -symphony of Brahms is to the First, so is the Second concerto of Brahms -to the First. In each case, while the passion is less stormy, the -thoughts are less crabbed and gnarled. Only in the first movement of the -B flat major concerto does Brahms "keep up a terrible thinking." - -The second fascinates by its sturdiness and rhythmic capriciousness; the -third movement is Brahms at his noblest, when his thought is as lofty -and serenely beautiful as a summer sky at noon. And who can describe in -words the enchanting, haunting delight of the _finale_--music like unto -the perfect verse of a supreme poet whose imagination is kindled by wild -or melancholy tales told him in youth by gypsy lips. - - * * * - -This concerto was performed for the first time at Budapest, from -manuscript, November 9, 1881, when the composer was the pianist. - -On April 8, 1878, Brahms, in company with Dr. Billroth and Carl -Goldmark, made a journey to Italy. Goldmark, who went to Rome to be -present at the last rehearsals of his opera _Die Königin von -Saba_--production was postponed until the next year on account of the -illness of the leading soprano--did not accompany his friends to Naples -and Sicily. Returning to Pörtschach, Brahms sketched themes of the -Concerto in B flat major on the evening before his birthday; but he left -the sketches, in which "he mirrored the Italian spring turning to -summer," undeveloped. - -His violin concerto originally contained a _scherzo_ movement. -Conferring with Joachim, he omitted this movement. Max Kalbeck thinks -that this _scherzo_ found a home in the second pianoforte concerto. - -In March, 1881, Brahms set out on a second journey in Italy. He visited -Venice, Florence, Siena, Orvieto, Rome, Naples, and Sicily. He returned -to Vienna on his birthday of that year with his mind full of Italian -scenes in springtime and with thoughts of the pianoforte concerto -inspired by his first visit. On May 22 he went to Pressbaum near Vienna -and lived in the villa of Mme Heingartner. In 1907, Orestes Ritter von -Connevay, then the possessor of the villa, erected a monument to Brahms -in the garden. A bronze bust stands on a stone pedestal. An iron tablet -bears this inscription: "Here in the summer of 1881 Johannes Brahms -completed _Nänie_, Op. 82, and the pianoforte concerto, Op. 83." Brahms -was moved by the death of Anselm Feuerbach, the painter, to set music -for chorus and orchestra to Schiller's poem, "Nänie." - -Miss May says in her life of Brahms that the manuscript of _Nänie_, and -portions of the concerto, were soon lent by Brahms to Dr. Billroth, "the -concerto movements being handed to him with the words, 'A few little -pianoforte pieces.'" "It is always a delight to me," wrote Billroth, -"when Brahms, after paying me a short visit, during which we have talked -of indifferent things, takes a roll out of his greatcoat pocket and says -casually, 'Look at that and write me what you think of it.'" - - - - - CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN, IN D MAJOR, OP. 77 - - - I. Allegro non troppo - II. Adagio - III. Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo vivace - -This concerto was written, during the summer and the fall of 1878, at -Pörtschach on Lake Wörther in Carinthia for Joseph Joachim, dedicated to -him, and first played by him under the direction of the composer at a -Gewandhaus concert, Leipsic, on January 1, 1879. - -Brahms, not confident of his ability to write with full intelligence for -the solo violin, was aided by Joachim, who it appears from the -correspondence between him and Brahms, gave advice inspired by his own -opinions concerning the violinist's art. Richard Specht, in his -_Johannes Brahms_ (1928), says that Brahms agreed to scarcely anything -but "bow marks and fingering; otherwise he adhered to his text, and not -always to the advantage of his notation, which has often been misread by -violinists." There was a dispute concerning the writing of "ties over -staccato dots, which has not the same meaning for the violinist as for -the pianist." Joachim tried to explain this difference, but Brahms -obstinately refused to alter his notation, "which was afterwards duly -misinterpreted." - -The concerto was originally in four movements. It contained a _scherzo_ -which was thrown overboard. Max Kalbeck, the biographer of Brahms, -thinks it highly probable that it found its way into the Second -pianoforte concerto. The _adagio_ was so thoroughly revised that it was -practically new. "The middle movements have gone," Brahms wrote, "and of -course they were the best! But I have written a poor _adagio_ for it." -Specht suggests that Brahms may have intended to save the rejected two -movements for a second violin concerto, "of which he made sketches -immediately after the first." - -Florence May in her life of Brahms quotes Dörffel with regard to the -first performance at Leipsic: "Joachim played with a love and devotion -which brought home to us in every bar the direct or indirect share he -has had in the work. As to the reception, the first movement was too new -to be distinctly appreciated by the audience, the second made -considerable way, the last aroused great enthusiasm." Miss May adds that -the critic Bernsdorf was less unsympathetic than usual. - -Kalbeck, a still more enthusiastic worshiper of Brahms than Miss May, -tells a different story. "The work was heard respectfully, but it did -not awaken a bit of enthusiasm. It seemed that Joachim had not -sufficiently studied the concerto or he was severely indisposed." Brahms -conducted in a state of evident excitement. A comic incident came near -being disastrous. The composer stepped on the stage in gray street -trousers, for on account of a visit he had been hindered in making a -complete change of dress. Furthermore he forgot to fasten again the -unbuttoned suspenders, so that in consequence of his lively directing -his shirt showed between his trousers and waistcoat. "These -laughter-provoking trifles were not calculated for elevation of mood." - -In spite of Leipsic, Brahms soon recovered his spirits. He wrote to -Elisabet von Herzogenberg from Vienna in January: "My concert tour was a -real downhill affair after Leipsic; no more pleasure in it. Perhaps that -is a slight exaggeration, though, for friends and hospitality are not -everything on a concert tour. In some trifling ways it was even more -successful; the audiences were kinder and more alive. Joachim played my -piece more beautifully with every rehearsal, too, and the _cadenza_ went -so magnificently at our concert here that the people clapped right on -into my _coda_. But what is all that compared to the privilege of going -home to Humboldtstrasse and being pulled to pieces by three -womenkind--since you object to the word 'females'?" - -The composition is fairly orthodox in form. The three movements are -separate, and the traditional _tuttis_, _soli_, _cadenzas_, etc., are -pretty much as in the old-fashioned pieces of this kind; but in the -first movement the long solo _cadenza_ precedes the taking up of the -first theme by the violin. The modernity is in the prevailing spirit and -in the details. Furthermore, it is not a work for objective virtuoso -display. - - The orchestra which Brahms requires in his symphonies is practically - the same as that which Beethoven used in the first three movements of - his Ninth: two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons and - double bassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, - kettledrums, and strings. This is the orchestration of Brahms' First - symphony (the trombones being reserved for the final movement). The - Second omits the double bassoon but adds a tuba. The Third lists the - same orchestra as the First. The Fourth adds a piccolo, and in this - symphony the trombones are not heard until the opening chords of the - _finale_. - - To the above basic orchestration Brahms added, in his _Tragic_ - overture, a piccolo and tuba, and in his _Academic_ overture, a - piccolo, a third trumpet, tuba, bass drum, cymbals, and triangle. The - _Variations_ add piccolo and triangle but omit trombones. The - concertos follow the usual orchestration, with but two trombones in - the piano concertos--none in the violin concerto.--EDITOR. - - - - - ANTON - BRUCKNER - - - (Born at Ansfelden, in Upper Austria, September 4, 1824; died at - Vienna, October 11, 1896) - -Both the admirers of Bruckner and those that dislike his music lay -stress on the fact that he was born a peasant and was essentially a -peasant to the day of his death, although the Rector Magnificus of the -University of Vienna bowed before him when he presented him with the -honorary degree of doctor. The detractors find in Bruckner's peasanthood -his salient faults. The former say that by reason of the simplicity and -purity of his character Bruckner was as Paul caught up in the body or -out of the body, they cannot tell, to the third heaven, caught up into -paradise where he heard unspeakable words, which it was not lawful for -him to utter, but it was allowed him to hint at them in music. The -latter insist that his peasant naïveté is revealed in his interminable -chatter, in his vague wanderings, in his lack of continuity and cohesion -in the expression of thought. - -The wretched game of politics is still played with Bruckner. Because he -worshipped Wagner and because Brahms, or rather Hanslick--who was to -Brahms both elephantier and thurifer--was opposed to Wagner, the -Wagnerites therefore pitted Bruckner against Brahms and proclaimed the -former the great successor to Beethoven in the field of absolute music. -As a matter of fact, Brahms was neither bitterly hostile toward Wagner -nor did he sneer at Bruckner. There was room for both Brahms and -Bruckner--except in Vienna and except in the shaggy breasts of -Wagnerites. Hanslick is dead, "the executioner of Bruckner," as William -Ritter characterizes him, "the man who derided all the true glories of -the music of his time for Brahms' sole benefit"; but Hanslick in his -lifetime did not kill Bruckner, who had friendly audiences in Vienna -before his death, whose fame has steadily grown. - -In order to appreciate fully and yet with discrimination the -indisputable talent, the irregular, uncontrolled genius of Bruckner, it -is not necessary to inquire curiously into Bruckner's humble origins, or -into the character of his father and mother. It was the theory of -Sainte-Beuve that the superior man is found, at least in part, in his -parents, and especially in his mother; but I doubt in this instance -whether an intimate acquaintance with Therese, the daughter of the -innkeeper and administrator Ferdinand Helm, at Neuzeng, would explain -the inconsistencies and contradictions in her son's music. She was no -doubt a strong, lusty woman, and she bore her husband a dozen children. -As for Bruckner being a peasant, poor, now rude in behavior and speech, -and now almost cringing in his desire to be courteous, shabbily -educated, very few of the greatest composers have been born in rooms of -purple hangings, very few have been distinguished for the elegance of -their manners or the depth and breadth of their general learning. - -The wonder is that Bruckner, the long-ignored, poor, humble school -teacher, grotesque in appearance, a peasant in speech and action, should -have had apocalyptic visions and spoken musically with the tongues of -angels. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 7, IN E MAJOR - - - I. Allegro moderato - II. Adagio: sehr feierlich und langsam - III. Scherzo: allegro. Trio: etwas langsamer - IV. Finale: bewegt, doch nicht schnell - -This certainly is a gigantic work, abounding in lofty and noble pages, -abounding also in trivialities, tiresome repetitions, and fussy and -insignificant details. As in the other symphonies of Bruckner that we -have heard, there is a lack of continuity in each movement; there are -impressive preparations that lead to nothing: "In the name of the -Prophet--Figs!" The composer had little sense of structure. To use -Disraeli's phrase, he was intoxicated with his own verbosity. His taste -in ornamentation was more than doubtful. He could crown a noble façade -with gingerbread work; he would plan an extension of cheap stucco to a -pure temple of marble. - -And yet in the Seventh symphony there are pages that come closer to -Beethoven at his greatest than we find in the symphonies of other -composers. There are grand thoughts expressed in a masterly manner in -Franck's symphony and in the symphony in B flat by Vincent d'Indy; the -introduction to the _finale_ of Brahms' First symphony has elemental -grandeur and spiritual intensity; but Bruckner's spirit in the _adagio_ -and in the main body of the _scherzo_ of the Seventh symphony is nearer -akin to that of Beethoven. - - * * * - -Bruckner's Symphony in E major was composed in the time between -September, 1881, and September, 1883. The first movement was completed -December 29, 1882; the third, October 16, 1882; the fourth, September 5, -1883. The symphony is dedicated "To His Majesty the King, Ludwig II of -Bavaria, in deepest reverence," and was published in 1885. - -The statement is often made that the _adagio_ was composed as funeral -music in memory of Richard Wagner. As a matter of fact, this _adagio_ -was completed in October, 1882. Wagner died February 13, 1883. - -The singular statement has been made that a premonition of Wagner's -death inspired Bruckner to compose a dirge--this _adagio_. Bruckner, who -had what the Germans call "peasant cunning," may have agreed to this in -the presence of those who were thus affected by the thought, but he -himself knew, as will be seen by his letters to Felix Mottl in 1885 -concerning the first performance at Carlsruhe, that the movement had not -in all respects the character of a dirge. Indeed, he pointed out the -measures of the funeral music: "At X in the _adagio_ (Funeral music for -tubas and horns)" etc.; also, "Please take a very slow and solemn tempo. -At the close, in the Dirge (In memory of the death of the Master), think -of our Ideal!... Kindly do not forget the _fff_ at the end of the -Dirge." - -Bruckner wrote to Mottl in a letter published February 10, 1900: "At one -time I came home and was very sad; I thought to myself, it is impossible -that the Master can live for a long time, and then the _adagio_ in C -sharp minor came into my head." - -The symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two -bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, four Wagner -tubas, bass tuba, kettledrums, triangle, cymbals, strings. - -I. _Allegro moderato_, E major, 2-2. The first theme is announced by -horn and violoncellos against the violins, tremolo, and clarinets, -violas, and violoncellos add a subsidiary theme. The chief theme appears -in a richer orchestral dress. There is a _crescendo_ based on the -subsidiary theme, and the whole orchestra enters, but there is quickly a -_diminuendo_, and the mood becomes more nervous, more uncertain. The -second theme, one of complaint, is given to oboe and clarinet, with -horns and trumpet in the accompaniment. This theme with its peculiar -instrumentation and its changing tonality is in marked opposition to the -first. This second chief theme is developed at length. (The first -assumes greater importance later.) In this development there are -evidences in the manner of leading the voices of Bruckner's partiality -for the organ. The mood becomes more restful, although the theme of -complaint is not silent, but soon appears, inverted, in the violins. It -may here be said that Bruckner delighted in this manner of varying a -theme. A mighty _crescendo_ is based on a phrase of this inverted theme -over an organ-point, F sharp, but instead of the arrival of the expected -climax a theme of somewhat mournful character is given to wood-wind -instruments with counterpoint in the strings. The rhythm of this -counterpoint is maintained in the final section of the exposition part. -An episode for the brass follows. There is soon a calmer mood, and -gentle horn and clarinet tones mingle with the voices of the strings. - -The free fantasia begins with an inversion of the first theme -(clarinet). The rhythm of the characteristic counterpoint just mentioned -appears, but a solemn, religious mood is soon established (trombones, -_pianissimo_). The second chief theme appears in its inverted form, also -the "contrapuntal figure." The mood is now one of doubt and perplexity, -but the decisive, inexorable first theme enters, inverted, C minor, in -the full orchestra, _fortissimo_, and with canonic imitation. - -The beginning of the third, or recapitulation, part of the movement is -quietly worked. The first theme appears _piano_ (violoncellos and horn); -there is an inversion of the theme for violins and flute, and there is -canonic imitation for oboe and trumpet. As in the first part, the -subsidiary leads to the second chief theme, which is now in E minor and -is given to the clarinet. There is an end to the delicate -instrumentation. There is a great _crescendo_, which ends in an -inversion of the second chief theme, _fortissimo_, for full orchestra. -Other _crescendos_ follow, one with the second theme to an episode of -choral character, others based on the "contrapuntal figure." The great -climax comes in the elaborate _coda_, which is built on a long -organ-point on the bass E, with the first subsidiary theme and with the -first chief theme, which now has its true and heroic character. - -II. _Adagio, sehr feierlich und langsam_ (in a very solemn and slow -manner), C sharp minor, 4-4. This movement is thought by many to be -Bruckner's masterpiece and monument. It undoubtedly established his fame -when there were few to recognize his irregular genius. The _adagio_ was -played in cities of Germany in memory of the composer shortly after his -death, as at the Philharmonic Concert, Berlin, led by Mr. Nikisch, -October 26, 1896. - -In this movement, as in the _finale_, Bruckner introduced the Bayreuth -tubas, to gain effects of peculiar solemnity and also, no doubt, to pay -homage to the master whom he loved and venerated. - -The chief melody of the _adagio_ is given to the lower strings and tubas -and is answered by all the strings. - -There is a passage of stormy lamentation, and then consolation comes in -a melody for violins (_moderato_, F sharp major, 3-4). This theme is -developed, chiefly by the strings. Then there is a return to the first -and solemn theme, with wood-wind instruments and strings in alternation. -There is a great _crescendo_ with bold modulations until the entrance, C -major, of the chief theme (second violins, supported by horn, oboes, and -clarinets), which is soon followed by a variant of the answer to this -theme. The answer soon appears in E flat major and in its original form -and is maintained for a long time (G major). There is a modulation to A -flat major, and the _cantilena_ is repeated. After the entrance again of -the chief melody and the restoration of the original tonality there is a -_crescendo_ of great and imposing force. This is over, and the tubas -chant the answer to the chief theme and after an interlude for strings -the chief theme itself, C sharp major. The horns take up the -_cantilena_, and the last chord, C sharp major, dies away in brass -instruments to a _pizzicato_ of the strings. - -III. _Scherzo_: _sehr schnell_ (very fast), A minor, 3-4. This _scherzo_ -is based chiefly on two themes--the first for trumpet (_piano_), then -clarinet, with a figure for strings; the second, a wild and raging one. -The _scherzo_ ends after a great _crescendo_. Drumbeats lead to the -trio, F major, _etwas langsamer_ (somewhat slower), with an expressive -melody for strings. The theme of this trio is made at first out of an -inversion of the _scherzo_ theme, but the trio is in all respects in -marked contrast to the _scherzo_, which after the trio is repeated. - -_Finale_: _bewegt, doch nicht schnell_ (with movement, but not fast), E -major, 2-2. The first theme, given to the violins, has a certain -resemblance, as far as intervals are concerned, to the chief theme of -the first movement, but it is joyous rather than impressive. Flutes and -clarinets enter at times, and horn tones also enter and lead to the -second theme, which has the character of a choral, with an accompanying -_pizzicato_ bass. The tubas are then heard in solemn chords. A new theme -of a dreamy nature follows (strings), and then at the beginning of the -free fantasia an orchestral storm breaks loose. This dies away, and a -theme appears which is derived from the first and main motive, which in -turn enters, inverted, and with a _pizzicato_ bass. The choral theme is -also inverted, but it gives way to the chief motive, which is developed -and leads to another tempestuous burst, ended suddenly with a pause for -the whole orchestra. The repetition section brings back the themes in -inverted order. The second chief theme is heard in C major. After a time -there is a _crescendo_ built on passages of this motive, which leads to -a powerful episode in B major, with a theme in the bass derived from the -chief motive. This motive is given to violins and clarinets, and there -are contrapuntal imitations. The choral theme, appearing at the end of -the free fantasia, is heard no more. The first chief theme dominates to -the end. There is an imposing _coda_. - -I am indebted in a measure to the analysis of this symphony by Mr. -Johannes Reichert, prepared for the concerts of the Royal Orchestra of -Dresden. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 8, IN C MINOR - - - I. Allegro moderato - II. Scherzo: allegro--andante--allegro moderato - III. Adagio - IV. Finale: Feierlich, nicht schnell - -Bruckner's Eighth is in all respects to be numbered with his greatest. -The structure is nobler, the form more clearly recognized than in his -other symphonies. There is less perplexing or boresome detail. The -digressions do not cause the main line of musical argument to be -forgotten. The interest is more steadily maintained. The instrumentation -is richer in color and in contrasts. Above all, the invention shown, -both in thematic lines and in wealth of development, is little less than -marvelous, for Bruckner was sixty years old when he began work on this -symphony. - -Much has been said in European cities about the extraordinary length of -the work. This length does not seem distressing. Bruckner had a great -deal to say, and whereas in other symphonies he sometimes stammers and -often falters, as though he were not able to express his thoughts, as -though they were so great to him that he hesitated to put them into even -musical speech, which comes nearest to the full expression of the -inherently inexpressible, in this symphony he is master of his speech; -he is convincing, authoritative, eloquent. Furthermore, he is more -discriminative in his use of material. In other symphonies he is seen -building indifferently with marble and clay. His Eighth symphony is as a -stately temple, in which mortals forget the paltry cares and -tribulations of earth, and gods appear calm and benignant. - -There are pages that remind one of the visions seen by John on the isle -of Patmos. "And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and -as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings." - -There are also pages of ravishing beauty, as those of the trio in the -_scherzo_, as those devoted to the exposition of the first and second -themes of the _adagio_, as those of the second theme in the _finale_. -The _scherzo_, with rough humor and its episode of rare melodic beauty -finely orchestrated, is of this earth, but the other movements leave the -earth behind in a sustained and fearless flight. This is especially true -of the first movement and the _adagio_. - -In the _finale_ there is here and there a drooping of the wings, but the -opening measures of this _finale_ and the close are towering and -exultant. - - * * * - -This symphony, begun in 1885, was completed in 1890. It was performed -for the first time in Vienna, December 18, 1892, at a Philharmonic -concert led by Hans Richter. Even Hanslick admitted in his bitter review -(_Neue Freie Presse_, December 23, 1892) of the symphony that the -concert was a triumph for the composer. "How was the new symphony -received? Boisterous rejoicing, waving of handkerchiefs from those -standing, innumerable recalls, laurel wreaths," etc. - -The symphony is dedicated to the composer's "imperial and royal -apostolic Majesty Francis Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and apostolic -King of Hungary." It is scored for three flutes, three oboes, three -clarinets, three bassoons (and double bassoon), eight horns, three -trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, triangle, cymbals, -three harps, and usual strings. - -It appears that, when the symphony was first performed, there was an -explanatory programme written by some devout disciple. This programme -stated that the first theme of the first movement was "the form of the -Æschylean Prometheus"; and a portion of this movement was entitled "the -greatest loneliness and silence." The _scherzo_ was supposed to typify -"The German Michael." "_Der deutsche Michel_" may be translated "the -plain, honest, much enduring (but slow) German," and "Michel" in a -figurative sense means yokel, boor, clodhopper. Hanslick wrote: "If a -critic had spoken this blasphemy, he would probably have been stoned to -death by Bruckner's disciples; but the composer himself gave this name, -the German Michael, to the _scherzo_, as may be read in black and white -in the programme." The published score bears no motto. The -programme-maker found in the _scherzo_ "the deeds and sufferings of -Prometheus reduced in the way of parody to the smallest proportions." -And in the _adagio_ was disclosed "the all-loving Father of mankind in -his measureless wealth of mercy." The _finale_ was characterized by him -as "heroism in the service of the Divine," and the trumpet calls in the -_finale_ were explained as "the announcers of eternal salvation, heralds -of the idea of divinity." On the other hand, it is said that the -beginning of the _finale_ was suggested to Bruckner by the meeting of -the three emperors! - -In the published score there is nothing to give the idea that the music -has any programme, any argument. Yet Johannes Reichert in his -analysis[22] of the symphony, referring to Josef Schalk's vision of -"Prometheus Bound" in the first movement, found something of Prometheus -or of Faust in the music. - - -I. _Allegro moderato_, C minor, 2-2. The first and chief motive is given -to violas, violoncellos, and double basses. It is announced -_pianissimo_; it is decisively rhythmed, and its rhythm and its upward -leap of a sixth are important factors in the development. After a short -_crescendo_, the strings are about to return to a _pianissimo_ when the -theme is proclaimed with the full force of the orchestra. - -The first violins have the expressive and questioning second theme. -Wood-wind instruments answer the question. The rhythm of the second -theme, a rhythm that is characteristically Brucknerian, is used in -counterpoint to a new _cantilena_ sung by horns and first violins. - -There is a modulation to the dominant of the chief tonality. The second -theme now assumes an obstinate, arrogant character. Wood-wind -instruments conduct over _pianissimo_ and sustained chords of tubas, -with the use of the first measures of the chief motive, to the second -subsidiary section. In spite of the interrupting springs of the seventh -there is a return to a quiet mood. Then comes a chromatic and mighty -_crescendo_ for full orchestra, which reaches a climax with trumpet -fanfares. The chief motive returns and is given out thrice _pianissimo_. -The first horn has the chief motive in augmentation, and there is a -double echo of it: from first oboe; from tenor tuba. - -The "working-out" section begins with the indication "very quietly." -Oboes and tubas introduce constituent parts of the chief motive in -augmentation; then the motive itself appears in inversion and as in a -_stretto_. This form of elaboration is long continued. And now the -second theme appears inverted, and gives with its compelling rhythm the -impetus to a great crescendo which reaches its climax with the encounter -of the two themes _fortississimo_. This shock occurs three times without -a decisive result. The orchestra seems to lose its force. There are -wandering fragments of the two motives, while the trumpet keeps up -monotonously the rhythm of the chief theme. A fragment of the first -theme leads to the repetition section. - -The repetition is at first free, whereas as a rule in Bruckner's -symphonies it is literal. The first theme, now a lamentation, is given -to the first oboe. The clarinet answers in another tonality. After bold -modulations the second theme is repeated. The prevailing mood of unrest -ends with a long held _fermata_. The second subsidiary section is -repeated quietly, and, as in the first chief section of the movement, it -is used in a _crescendo_; but here the climax is built on a _coda_ -motive of a bitterly complaining character, while horns and trumpets -repeat incessantly the chief theme. Grief itself soon loses its voice. -The violins sigh the chief motive thrice _pianissimo_. Only the last -portion of the theme is then heard, and it dies away in the violas. - -II. _Scherzo_, _Allegro moderato_, C minor, 3-4. The chief theme (violas -and violoncellos) has a rough humor, while violins have a contrasting -figure of a whispering and mysterious nature. This figure brings in a -great _crescendo_ in which the theme is blown by horns, later by -trumpets, and at last by the bass tuba. At the end of the section a -rhythm appears (E flat major, bassoons, drums, basses) that is slightly -reminiscent of a rhythm in Beethoven's Symphony No. 8. The whispering -figure is inverted. The first section is repeated. - -The trio begins _langsam_ ("slow"), 2-4, softly and delicately (first -violins). The horn enters. There are pleasant harmonies in E major. "The -whole episode breathes smiling happiness." - -The harp is used here and in the _adagio_, the only instances of the use -of this instrument in a symphony by Bruckner. A second subject brings -the return to A flat major. The beginning of the trio is repeated with -changes in tonality, and the whole first part of the _scherzo_ is -repeated with an ending in C major. - -III. The _adagio_ is said to be probably the longest symphonic _adagio_ -movement in existence, and there are some that put it at the head of all -_adagios_ by reason of its solemnity, nobility, and elevated thought. It -begins, "solemn, slow, but not dragging," D flat major, 4-4. The first -violins sing (on the G string) a long and intimate song to the -accompaniment of the second violins and lower strings. "This theme -contains three moments of mood. For the first four measures the violins -complain softly; then sighing clarinets and bassoons enter in gasps; the -four last measures are only an extension to strengthen the mood." A -strange organ-point puts an end to the mood of doubt and brings in -triumphant certainty. The violins, playing with greater breadth, lead to -a calm close in F. There is a repetition of what has gone before, with -the exception of a few measures of the chief theme. - -The second theme is sung by the violoncellos, and they lead to the -serenely quiet song of the tubas. Some measures based on fragments of -the second theme bring in the "working-out" section. The chief theme -appears. Portions of the long _cantilena_ are combined, and there is -fresh and melodic counterpoint. There is at the same time a _crescendo_. -After the climax the second theme becomes prominent, with interruptions -by the tubas. - -The first theme appears with lively figuration at the beginning of the -second section of development. A portion of this theme is used in -augmentation. "Then appears suddenly and in a decided manner the rhythm -for horns of the 'Siegfried' motive in _The Ring_." The accompaniment -for strings grows livelier; the chief theme is more and more impressive -in the brass. The second theme enters, and there are tranquillizing -episodes, but there is no checking the course of the _crescendo_ or the -acceleration in pace. "_À tempo_ (though in a lively movement)." The -third section of the chief theme is now in powerful augmentation. There -is a return to the prevailing tempo. The mood is milder. The violins -"intimately and softly" remember once more the second theme. The _coda_ -brings in a peaceful close. In the third and fourth measures before the -end the tubas indicate _pianissimo_ the chief rhythm of the _finale_ -that follows. - -IV. _Finale_, C minor, "solemnly, not fast," 2-2. The heavily rhythmed -chief theme contains three important motives. It first appears in F -sharp, as the enharmonically changed subdominant of the preceding -tonality, D flat major (or as the dominant of the dominant of C minor). -Joyful fanfares sound in D flat. The whole is repeated, and there is a -modulation from A flat to E flat. Then appears sonorously the conclusion -of the whole theme in the prevailing tonality, C minor. Out of the -counterpoint arises a lamenting strain for oboes. - -There is a pause. The melodious and religious second theme is sung in -slower tempo. The accompanying voices for horn and violas might well be -reckoned as thematic. The third theme, wood-wind and strings, is -practically a double theme, and the lower voice has much importance -later. The concluding section of this theme is developed in choral -fashion, and it is then combined with the lower voice. After a pause -comes the working-out section. As the introduction indicated, it gives -the impression of a mighty struggle. A blend of the two just preceding -themes leads to a new melody for violins. There is a powerful -_crescendo_ for full orchestra. The rhythm of the chief theme of the -first movement is heard. The first measures of the _finale_ are now -played softly by the horns, then by the flutes. Preceding themes are -again combined. The repetition section opens powerfully. The decisive -rhythm of the chief theme spurs the full orchestra. The _coda_ begins -quietly, but it soon becomes intense. In the triumphant ending in C -major, chief themes of the four movements are heard exulting. - -I am indebted in a measure for the preceding sketch of the contents of -this symphony to the analysis by Werner Wolff, published in the -programme book of the Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin, October 29, 1906; -and to the analysis of Johannes Reichert which has already been -mentioned. They that wish to study the symphony may consult with profit -the analysis by Willibald Kähler (_Musikführer_ No. 262). These analysts -are by no means unanimous in their designation of the chief themes. I -have followed chiefly in the footsteps of Mr. Wolff. - - -It may help to a better understanding of the music of Bruckner if light -be thrown on the personal nature and prejudices not only of the composer -but of his contemporaneous partisans and foes. This simple man, who had -known the cruelest poverty and distress, and in Vienna lived the life of -an ascetic, made enemies by the very writing of music. - -There appeared in Vienna in 1901 a little pamphlet entitled _Meine -Erinnerung an Anton Bruckner_. The writer was Carl Hruby, a pupil of -Bruckner. The pamphlet is violent, malignant. In its rage there is at -times the ridiculous fury of an excited child. There are pages that -provoke laughter and then pity; yet there is much of interest about the -composer himself, who now, away from strife and contention, is still -unfortunate in his friends. We shall pass over Hruby's ideas on music -and the universe, nor are we inclined to dispute his proposition (p. 7) -that Shakespeare, Goethe, Beethoven, Wagner, were truer heroes and -supporters of civilization than Alexander, Cæsar, Napoleon, who, -nevertheless, were, like Hannibal, very pretty fellows in those days. -When Hruby begins to talk about Bruckner and his ways, then it is time -to prick up ears. - -As a teacher, Bruckner was amiable, patient, kind, but easily vexed by -frolicsome pupils who did not know his sensitive nature. He gave each -pupil a nickname, and his favorite phrase of contentment and disapproval -was "_Viechkerl!_"--"You stupid beast!" There was a young fellow whose -name began "Sachsen"; but Bruckner could never remember the rest of it, -so he would go through the list of German princes, -"Sachsen"--"Sachsen"--"Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha, Sachsen"--and at last the -name would come. Another pupil, afterwards a harp virtuoso, was known to -his teacher only as "Old Harp." Bruckner had a rough, at the same time, -sly, peasant humor. One of his pupils came into the class with bleached -and jaded face. Bruckner asked what ailed him. The answer was: "I was at -the Turnverein till two o'clock." "Yes," said Bruckner, "oh, yes, I know -the Turnverein that lasts till 2 A.M." The pupil on whom he built fond -hope was Franz Nott, who died young and in the madhouse. When Bruckner -was disturbed in his work, he was incredibly and gloriously rude. - -Bruckner was furious against all writers who discovered "programmes" in -his music. He was warmly attached to the ill-fated Hugo Wolf, and was -never weary of praising the declamation in his songs: "The fellow does -nothing all day but compose, while I must tire myself out by giving -lessons," for at sixty years Bruckner was teaching for three guldens a -lesson. Beethoven was his idol, and after a performance of one of the -greater symphonies he was as one insane. After a performance of the -_Eroica_, he said to Hruby--would that it were possible to reproduce -Bruckner's dialect--"I think that if Beethoven were alive, and I should -go to him with my Seventh symphony and say, 'Here, Mr. Van Beethoven, -this is not so bad, this Seventh, as certain gentlemen would make out' -... I think he would take me by the hand and say, 'My dear Bruckner, -never mind, I had no better luck; and the same men who hold me up -against you even now do not understand my last quartets, although they -act as if they understood them.' Then I'd say to him, 'Excuse me, Mr. -Van Beethoven, that I have gone beyond you in freedom of form, but I -think a true artist should make his own forms for his own works, and -stick by them.'" He once said of Hanslick, "I guess Hanslick understands -as little about Brahms as about Wagner, me, and others. And the Doctor -Hanslick knows as much about counterpoint as a chimney sweep about -astronomy." - -Hanslick was to Bruckner as a pursuing demon. (We are giving Hruby's -statement, and Hanslick surely showed a strange perseverance and an -unaccountable ferocity in criticism that was abuse.) Hruby likens this -critic to the _Phylloxera vastatrix_ in the vineyard. He really believes -that Hanslick sat up at night to plot Bruckner's destruction. He affirms -that Hanslick tried to undermine him in the Conservatory and the -Imperial Chapel, that he tried to influence conductors against the -performance of his works. And he goes so far as to say that Hans -Richter, thus influenced, had never performed a symphony by Bruckner in -England. As a matter of fact, Richter produced Bruckner's Seventh in -London, May 23, 1887. There is a story that when the Emperor Franz Josef -asked Bruckner if he could honor him in any way, he asked if the Emperor -would not stop Hanslick abusing him in print. - -He was never mean or hostile toward Brahms, as some would have had him. -He once said that Brahms was not an enemy of Wagner, as the Brahmsites -insisted; that down in his heart he had a warm admiration for Wagner, as -was shown by the praise he had bestowed on _Die Meistersinger_. - -Just before his death Bruckner's thoughts were on his Ninth symphony: "I -undertook a stiff task," he said. "I should not have done it at my age -and in my weak condition. If I never finish it, then my '_Te Deum_' may -be used as a _finale_. I have nearly finished three movements. This work -belongs to my Lord God." - -Although he had the religion of a child, he had read the famous book of -David Strauss, and he could talk about it reasonably. Someone asked him -about the future life and prayer. "I'll tell you," he replied. "If the -story is true, so much the better for me. If it is not true, praying -cannot hurt me." - - - - - JOHN ALDEN - CARPENTER - - - (Born at Park Ridge, Ill., February 28, 1876) - - - - - SUITE. "ADVENTURES IN A PERAMBULATOR" - - - I. En Voiture - II. The Policeman - III. The Hurdy-gurdy - IV. The Lake - V. Dogs - VI. Dreams - -Mr. Carpenter has told us in music the outing of a child. One of his -first compositions was a collection of humorous _Improving Songs for -Children_. This fondness for children as subjects for art he shares with -Victor Hugo; with Swinburne, who abandoned the shrine of Venus to sing -of children's beauty and innocence--after Watts-Dunton had docked him of -his rum. In the _Perambulator_ there is no sentimentalism, no -Sunday-school address to "you, little girl with the blue sash"; but his -music is as his child saw and thought, when wheeled about. - - -This suite is not only an ingenious work: it has true fancy, true humor, -pages of truly poetic feeling. Mr. Carpenter displays imagination; -witness his glorification of the lake that supplies Chicago with water. -But even his imagination was dormant at the thought of the Chicago -River. An unflinching realist would have introduced the child's visit to -the stockyards and slaughter houses. - - * * * - -The composition of this suite was begun in July, 1914, and completed in -December of that year. The suite was performed for the first time at the -concerts of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Frederick Stock conductor, -March 19-20, 1915. - -The suite is scored for these instruments: three flutes (and piccolo), -two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, -four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, bass -drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, xylophone, glockenspiel, bells, -harp, celesta, pianoforte, and the usual strings. - -This programme is printed as preface to the score: - -I. _En Voiture._ Every morning--after my second breakfast--if the wind -and the sun are favorable, I go out. I should like to go alone, but my -will is overborne. My nurse is appointed to take me. She is older than -I, and very powerful. While I wait for her, resigned, I hear her -cheerful steps, always the same. I am wrapped in a vacuum of wool, where -there are no drafts. A door opens and shuts. I am placed in my -perambulator, a strap is buckled over my stomach, my nurse stands firmly -behind--and we are off! - -II. _The Policeman._ Out is wonderful! It is always different, though -one seems to have been there before. I cannot fathom it all. Some sounds -seem like smells. Some sights have echoes. It is confusing, but it is -Life! For instance, the Policeman--an Unprecedented Man! Round like a -ball; taller than my Father. Blue--fearful--fascinating! I feel him -before he comes. I see him after he goes. I try to analyze his appeal. -It is not buttons alone, nor belt, nor baton. I suspect it is his eye -and the way he walks. He walks like Doom. My nurse feels it, too. She -becomes less firm, less powerful. My perambulator hurries, hesitates, -and stops. They converse. They ask each other questions--some with -answers, some without. I listen, with discretion. When I feel that they -have gone far enough, I signal to my nurse, a private signal, and the -Policeman resumes his enormous Blue March. He is gone, but I feel him -after he goes. - -III. _The Hurdy-gurdy._ Then suddenly there is something else. I think -it is a sound. We approach it. My ear is tickled to excess. I find that -the absorbing noise comes from a box--something like my music box, only -much larger, and on wheels. A dark man is turning the music out of the -box with a handle, just as I do with mine. A dark lady, richly dressed, -turns when the man gets tired. They both smile. I smile too, with -restraint, for music is the most insidious form of noise. And such -music! So gay! I tug at the strap over my stomach. I have a wild thought -of dancing with my nurse and my perambulator--all three of us together. -Suddenly, at the climax of our excitement, I feel the approach of a -phenomenon that I remember. It is the Policeman. He has stopped the -music. He has frightened away the dark man and the lady with their music -box. He seeks the admiration of my nurse for his act. He walks away, his -buttons shine, but far off I hear again the forbidden music. Delightful -forbidden music! - -IV. _The Lake._ Sated with adventure, my nurse firmly pushes me on, and -before I recover my balance I am face to face with new excitement. The -land comes to an end, and there at my feet is the Lake. All other -sensations are joined in one. I see, I hear, I feel the quiver of the -little waves as they escape from the big ones and come rushing up over -the sand. Their fear is pretended. They know the big waves are amiable, -for they can see a thousand sunbeams dancing with impunity on their very -backs. Waves and sunbeams! Waves and sunbeams! Blue water--white -clouds--dancing, swinging! A white sea gull floating in the air. That is -_My Lake_! - -V. _Dogs._ We pass on. Probably there is nothing more in the World. If -there is, it is superfluous. _There_ IS. It is Dogs! We are coming upon -them without warning. Not _one_ of them--all of them. First, one by one; -then in pairs; then in societies. Little dogs, with sisters; big dogs, -with aged parents. Kind dogs, brigand dogs, sad dogs, and gay. They -laugh, they fight, they run. And at last, in order to hold my interest, -the very littlest brigand starts a game of "Follow the Leader," followed -by all the others. It is tremendous! - -VI. _Dreams._ Those dogs have gone! It is confusing, but it is Life! My -mind grows numb. My cup is too full. I have a sudden conviction that it -is well that I am not alone. That firm step behind reassures me. The -wheels of my perambulator make a sound that quiets my nerves. I lie very -still. I am quite content. In order to think more clearly, I close my -eyes. My thoughts are absorbing. I deliberate upon my mother. Most of -the time my mother and my nurse have but one identity in my mind, but at -night or when I close my eyes, I can easily tell them apart, for my -mother has the greater charm, I hear her voice quite plainly now, and -feel the touch of her hand. It is pleasant to live over again the -adventures of the day--the long blue waves curling in the sun, the -Policeman who is bigger than my father, the music-box and my friends, -the Dogs. It is pleasant to lie quite still and close my eyes, and -listen to the wheels of my perambulator. How very large the world is! -How many things there are! - - - - - CLAUDE ACHILLE - DEBUSSY - - - (Born at Germain [Seine and Oise], August 22, 1862; died at Paris, - March 26, 1918) - -Debussy suffered at the hands of the ultra-orthodox and the snobs in -music. The former could not find either melodic lines or the semblance -of form in his orchestral and chamber works, his songs and pianoforte -pieces. The snobs, secretly bored, thought it the thing to swoon at the -mere mention of his name. In New York and Boston, as in Paris, there -were "_Pelléastres_," to use the contemptuous term coined by Jean -Lorraine. There were some that spoke of Debussy as an ignorant fellow -who, not being able to achieve greatness in the conventional manner, -wrote in an eccentric way to attract attention, to make the bourgeois -sit up. They forgot that Debussy had taken the chief prize at the Paris -Conservatory, where harmony and counterpoint are taught rigorously. -Debussy fashioned his own musical speech. It is easy to say that he -learned much from Moussorgsky's _Boris Godounov_--but no one has yet -pointed out exactly what he borrowed or imitated. That Debussy sojourned -in Russia was enough to excite those who are unwilling to admit that any -innovator has originality, for Debussy was an innovator, not a developer -of what was handed down to him. It is more probable that he learned from -the gypsies in Russia than from Moussorgsky. - -The question arises whether in his compositions of the few last years -Debussy did not merely imitate himself, whether he had anything more to -say. The believer in plenary inspiration of course shouts with joy on -hearing the three sonatas that have been played in this country. -Admiring Debussy greatly as we do, we cannot in this instance shout with -him. Debussy can surely rest his fame on the string quartet; -_L'Après-midi d'un faune_; _Gigues_, _Ibéria_, _Pelléas et Mélisande_, -and some of the songs and the pianoforte pieces. - -As for _Pelléas and Mélisande_, we believe it to be the perfect example -in opera of music wedded to words and situations, an opera more -remarkable in this respect than even _Tristan and Isolde_. - - - - - "PRÉLUDE À L'APRÈS-MIDI D'UN FAUNE" (ECLOGUE DE STÉPHANE MALLARMÉ) - - -Debussy's _Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun_ is a masterpiece of -imaginative poetry in tones; it is a thing of flawless beauty. It -matters not whether the symbolism of Mallarmé be cryptic or -intelligible. It matters not whether the explanation of Gosse or of -another be ingenious and plausible. The title is enough to give a clue -to the hearer, if a clue be needed. Debussy himself has composed nothing -more charming in strictly orchestral music. - -There is the suggestion of sunlight and warmth, forest and meadow dear -to fauns and nymphs. There is the gentle melancholy that is associated -with a perfect afternoon. There is the exquisite melodic line, and there -is harmonic suggestion with inimitable coloring that is still more -exquisite. - - * * * - -_Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune_, completed in 1892, was played for -the first time at a concert of the National Society of Music, Paris, -December 23, 1894. The conductor was Gustave Doret. According to Charles -Koechlin, there had been insufficient rehearsal, so the performance left -much to be desired, and the acoustics of the Salle d'Harcourt were -unfavorable. When the second performance took place at a Colonne -concert, a critic wrote: "This composer seems to dread banality." "And -yet," says Koechlin, "the charm of this music is so simple, so melodic. -But every _new_ melody should be heard several times. Besides, even the -construction--a supple melodic line that is expanded--could be -disconcerting. For certain writers about music, Debussy was a dangerous -artist with a diabolical fascination: the worst possible example. -Diabolical or not, the work has lasted. It has the votes of the élite: -that is enough." - -The second performance was at a Colonne concert, Paris, October 20, -1895. In the _Annales du théâtre_, we find this singular note: "Written -after a poem by Stéphane Mallarmé so sadistic that M. Colonne did not -dare to print the text; young girls attend his concerts." - -To Debussy is attributed a short "explanation of his _Prelude_, a very -free illustration of Mallarmé's poem": The music evokes "the successive -scenes in which the longings and the desire of the Faun pass in the heat -of the afternoon." - -Stéphane Mallarmé formulated his revolutionary ideas concerning style -about 1875, when the _Parnasse contemporain_ rejected his first poem of -true importance, _L'Après-midi d'un faune_. The poem was published in -1876 as a quarto pamphlet, illustrated by Manet. - -Gosse gave this explanation of the poem that suggested music to Debussy: -"It appears in the _florilège_ which he has just published, and I have -now read it again, as I have often read it before. To say that I -understand it bit by bit, phrase by phrase, would be excessive. But, if -I am asked whether this famous miracle of unintelligibility gives me -pleasure, I answer, cordially, Yes. I even fancy that I obtain from it -as definite and as solid an impression as M. Mallarmé desires to -produce. - -"This is what I read in it: A faun--a simple, sensuous, passionate -being--wakens in the forest at daybreak and tries to recall his -experience of the previous afternoon. Was he the fortunate recipient of -an actual visit from nymphs, white and golden goddesses, divinely tender -and indulgent? Or is the memory he seems to retain nothing but the -shadow of a vision, no more substantial than the 'arid rain' of notes -from his own flute? He cannot tell. Yet surely there was, surely there -is, an animal whiteness among the brown reeds of the lake that shines -out yonder. Were they, are they, swans? No! But Naiads plunging? -Perhaps! Vaguer and vaguer grows that impression of this delicious -experience. He would resign his woodland godship to retain it. A garden -of lilies, golden-headed, white-stalked, behind the trellis of red -roses? Ah! the effort is too great for his poor brain. Perhaps if he -selects one lily from the garth of lilies, one benign and beneficent -yielder of her cup to thirsty lips, the memory, the ever receding -memory, may be forced back. So when he has glutted upon a bunch of -grapes, he is wont to toss the empty skins in the air and blow them out -in a visionary greediness. But no, the delicious hour grows vaguer; -experience or dream, he will never know which it was. The sun is warm, -the grasses yielding; and he curls himself up again, after worshiping -the efficacious star of wine, that he may pursue the dubious ecstasy -into the more hopeful boskages of sleep. - -"This, then, is what I read in the so excessively obscure and -unintelligible. _L'Après-midi d'un faune_; and, accompanied as it is -with a perfect suavity of language and melody of rhythm, I know not what -more a poem of eight pages could be expected to give. It supplies a -simple and direct impression of physical beauty, of harmony, of color; -it is exceedingly mellifluous, when once the ear understands that the -poet, instead of being the slave of the Alexandrine, weaves his -variations round it, like a musical composer." - -_The Afternoon of a Faun_ is scored for three flutes, two oboes, English -horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two harps, small antique -cymbals, strings. It is dedicated to Raymond Bonheur. - -The chief theme is announced by the flute, _très modéré_, E major, 9-8. -Louis Laloy gives the reins to his fancy: "One is immediately -transported into a better world; all that is leering and savage in the -snub-nosed face of the faun disappears; desire still speaks, but there -is a veil of tenderness and melancholy. The chord of the wood-wind, the -distant call of the horns, the limpid flood of harp tones, accentuate -this impression. The call is louder, more urgent, but it almost -immediately dies away, to let the flute sing again its song. And now the -theme is developed: the oboe enters in, the clarinet has its say; a -lively dialogue follows, and a clarinet phrase leads to a new theme -which speaks of desire satisfied; or it expresses the rapture of mutual -emotion rather than the ferocity of victory. The first theme returns, -more languorous, and the croaking of muted horns darkens the horizon. -The theme comes and goes, fresh chords unfold themselves; at last a solo -violoncello joins itself to the flute; and then everything vanishes, as -a mist that rises in the air and scatters itself in flakes."[23] - - - - - NOCTURNES - - - a. Nuages - b. Fêtes - c. Sirènes - -Baudelaire's prose poem, "The Stranger," might serve as motto for the -first nocturne, and for a hint to performance. - -"_Enigmatical man, whom do you love best? Tell me--your mother, your -sister, or your brother?_" - -"_I have neither father, mother, sister, nor brother._" - -"_Your friends?_" - -"_You now use a word which to this day has been meaningless to me._" - -"_Your country?_" - -"_I do not know under what latitude it lies._" - -"_Beauty?_" - -"_I would love her gladly; goddess and immortal._" - -"_Well, what do you love, extraordinary stranger?_" - -"_I love the clouds, the clouds that pass, yonder, the marvellous -clouds._" - - -_Festivals_, with its strange processional march, its whirring -capriciousness, makes a more direct appeal. Does the third movement -answer the old question put by Tiberius to the grammarians and repeated -by Sir Thomas Browne, "What song did the sirens sing?" Here is music of -waves and of sea-women: music that never was heard on a casino-lined -coast, but sounds that might go with "The light that never was, on sea -or land." Here is music that is subtly poetic, music of ineffable -beauty. Suppose that Debussy had put words to this song; how he would -have cheapened the nocturne! To each hearer on the ship of Ulysses, or -to each hearer of Debussy's music, the sirens sang of what might well -lure him. - - * * * - -The first two nocturnes, _Nuages_ and _Fêtes_, were produced at a -Lamoureux concert, Camille Chevillard conductor, Paris, December 9, -1900, and they were played by the same orchestra January 6, 1901. The -third, _Sirènes_, was first produced--in company with the other two--at -a Lamoureux concert, October 27, 1901. The third is for orchestra with -chorus of female voices. At this last concert the friends of Debussy -were so exuberant in manifestations of delight that there was sharp -hissing as a corrective. The _Nocturnes_ were composed in 1898, and -published in 1899. - -Debussy furnished a programme for the suite; at least, this programme is -attributed to him. Some who are not wholly in sympathy with what they -loosely call "the modern movement" may think that the programme itself -needs elucidation. Debussy's peculiar forms of expression in prose are -not easily Englished, and it is well-nigh impossible to reproduce -certain shades of meaning. - -"The title _Nocturnes_ is intended to have here a more general and, -above all, a more decorative meaning. We, then, are not concerned with -the form of the Nocturne, but with everything that this word includes in -the way of diversified impression and special lights. - -"_Clouds_: the unchangeable appearance of the sky, with the slow and -solemn march of clouds dissolving in a gray agony tinted with white. - -"_Festivals_: movement, rhythm dancing in the atmosphere, with bursts of -brusque light. There is also the episode of a procession (a dazzling and -wholly idealistic vision) passing through the festival and blended with -it; but the main idea and substance obstinately remain--always the -festival and its blended music--luminous dust participating in the -universal rhythm of all things. - -"_Sirens_: the sea and its innumerable rhythm; then amid the billows -silvered by the moon the mysterious song of the Sirens is heard; it -laughs and passes." - -Alfred Bruneau with regard to the _Nocturnes_: "Here, with the aid of a -magic orchestra, he has lent to clouds traversing the sombre sky the -various forms created by his imagination; he has set to running and -dancing the chimerical beings perceived by him in the silvery dust -scintillating in the moonbeams; he has changed the white foam of the -restless sea into tuneful sirens." - -Questioning the precise nature of the form that shapes these -_Nocturnes_, the reader may well ponder the saying of Plotinus in his -"Essay on the Beautiful": "But the simple beauty of color arises, when -light, which is something incorporeal, and reason and form, entering the -obscure involutions of matter, irradiates and forms its dark and -formless nature. It is on this account that fire surpasses other bodies -in beauty, because, compared with the other elements, it obtains the -order of form: for it is more eminent than the rest, and is the most -subtle of all, bordering as it were on an incorporeal nature." - -The _Nocturnes_ are scored as follows: - -I. Two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, three bassoons, -four horns, kettledrums, harp, strings. The movement begins _modéré_, -6-4. - -II. Three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, three -bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, two -harps, kettledrums, cymbals, and snare drum, strings. _Animé et très -rhythmé_, 4-4. - -III. Three flutes, oboe, English horn, two clarinets, three bassoons, -four horns, three trumpets, two harps, eight soprano voices, eight -mezzo-soprano voices, strings, _modérément animé_, 12-8. - -Debussy before his death made many changes in the instrumentation of -these _Nocturnes_. - - - - - "LA MER," TROIS ESQUISSES SYMPHONIQUES - - - I. De l'aube à midi sur la mer - II. Jeux de vagues - III. Dialogue du vent et de la mer - -As these sketches are frankly impressionistic, the enjoyment of the -hearer depends largely on his own susceptibility and imagination. There -are persons who do not like the ocean. Oscar Wilde was disappointed in -the Atlantic; but there are more normal beings, far from being poseurs, -who cannot exclaim with Jules Laforgue, "the sea, always new, always -respectable!" We know a man who was doomed to spend a vacation in a -summer hotel on a bluff looking down on Nantucket Sound. Whenever he sat -on a bench he turned his back to the ocean and faced pine trees, giving -as an excuse that "the sea got on his nerves." - -Debussy's _Sea_ is not for them, neither is it for those who find -pleasure in Mendelssohn's overture, _Sea Calm and Prosperous Voyage_, -for Debussy knows a wilder ocean, many-faced, now exulting in Æschylean -laughter, now spasmodic, sinister, terrible, and never so terrible as -when calm, or inviting mortals to sport with it, and smiling--as though -it were forgetful of rotting ships and sunken treasure and the drowned -far down that were for a time regarded curiously by monsters of the -deep. - - * * * - -These orchestral pieces (I. _From Dawn till Noon on the Ocean_; II. -_Play of the Waves_; III. _Dialogue of Wind and Sea_) were performed for -the first time at a Lamoureux concert in Paris, October 15, 1905. -Camille Chevillard conducted. - -Debussy wrote in August, 1903, from Bichain to his publisher Jacques -Durand[24] that he was at work on _La Mer_. "If God will be good to me -the work will be in a very advanced state on my return [to Paris]." He -wrote later that the sketches would have three titles: _Mer belle aux -Îles Sanguinaires_; _Jeux de vagues_; _Le Vent fait danser la mer_; and -in September he said the work was intended for Chevillard. In September, -1904, he wrote from Dieppe, "I wanted to finish _La Mer_ here, but I -must still work on the orchestration, which is as tumultuous and varied -as the sea (with all my excuses to the latter)." In January, 1905, he -was not sure that the title, "_De l'Aube à midi sur la mer_" would do: -"So many contradictory things are dancing in my head, and this last -attack of grippe has added its particular dance." He also wrote that he -had remade the end of _Jeux de vagues_. He was disturbed because -Chevillard spoke of the difficulties in the music, but if he gave the -score to Colonne there might be a row. In July and September, 1905, he -complained of "very curious corrections" made by someone in the proofs; -and the idea of a performance at Chevillard's first concert seemed to -him as bad as a performance at the last one of the season. At rehearsal -it was found that the proofs had been badly read. - -The Sketches, dedicated to Jacques Durand, were published at Paris in -1905. Debussy made an arrangement for two pianos; André Caplet made one -in 1908 for three pianos. - -_La Mer_ is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two -clarinets, three bassoons and contra-bassoon, four horns, three -trumpets, two _cornets-à-pistons_, three trombones, bass tuba, -kettledrums, bass drum, cymbals, tam-tam, glockenspiel, two harps, and -strings. - - - Debussy and the Sea - -Debussy loved and respected the ocean. In 1905 he wrote from Eastbourne: -"The sea rolls with a wholly British correctness. There is a lawn combed -and brushed on which little bits of important and imperialistic English -frolic. But what a place to work! No noise, no pianos, except the -delicious mechanical pianos, no musicians talking about painting, no -painters discussing music. In short, a pretty place to cultivate -egoism." - -At Le Puy near Dieppe, August, 1906: "Here I am again with my old friend -the sea, always innumerable and beautiful. It is truly the one thing in -nature that puts you in your place; only one does not sufficiently -respect the sea. To wet in it bodies deformed by the daily life should -not be allowed; truly these arms and legs which move in ridiculous -rhythms--it is enough to make the fish weep. There should be only Sirens -in the sea, and could you wish that these estimable persons would be -willing to return to waters so badly frequented?" - -Houlgate, 1911: "Here life and the sea continue--the first to contradict -our native savagery, the second to accomplish its sonorous going and -coming, which cradles the melancholy of those who are deceived by the -beach." - -Pourville, August, 1915: "Trees are good friends, better than the ocean, -which is in motion, wishing to trespass on the land, bite the rocks, -with the anger of a little girl--singular for a person of its -importance. One would understand it if it sent the vessels about their -business as disturbing vermin." - - - - - "IBÉRIA": "IMAGES" FOR ORCHESTRA, NO. 2 - - - I. Par les rues et par les chemins (In the Streets and By-ways) - II. Les Parfums de la nuit (The Fragrance of the Night) - III. Le Matin d'un jour de fête (The Morning of a Festival Day) - -The _Images_, of which _Ibéria_ is the second movement, are remarkable -in many ways and to be ranked among the first compositions of this -genius. They are impressionistic, but there is a sense of form; there is -also the finest proportion. This music is conspicuous for exquisite -effects of color. There are combinations of timbres and also contrasts -that were hitherto unknown. There are hints of Spanish melodies; -melodies not too openly exposed; there are intoxicating rhythms, sharply -defined, or elusive, and then they are the more madding. - -This music is pleasingly remote from photographic realism. The title -might be "Impressions of Spain." There is the suggestion of street life -and wild strains heard on bleak plains or savage mountains; of the music -of the people; of summer nights, warm and odorous; of the awakening of -life with the break of day; of endless jotas, tangos, seguidillas, -fandangoes; of gypsies with their spells brought from the East; of women -with Moorish blood. _Ibéria_ defies analysis and beggars description. - -What phrase-mongering, however ingenious, would impart the beauty of -_Odors of the Night_ to him that did not hear the music? The music that -haunts should not be lightly or openly talked about. The impression made -by it should be guarded or confided only to the closest friend. - -To speak of Debussy's use of instruments to gain effects, of his ability -to reproduce what had not been heard by others, though they may have -felt it feebly and had the wish to hear it clearly and put it in -notation, would be a classroom task. To write of it for the general -reader would be only to rhapsodize. Now Debussy is a rhapsodist of the -rarest nature, and his musical speech is not to be translated by a -rhapsody in words. - - * * * - -_Ibéria_ is the second in a series of three orchestral compositions by -Debussy entitled _Images_. - -The first, _Gigues_--it was originally entitled _Gigue Triste_--was -published in 1913 and performed for the first time at a Colonne concert, -Paris, January 26, 1913. _Ibéria_ was performed for the first time at a -Colonne concert in Paris on February 20, 1910, Gabriel Pierné, -conductor. - -M. Boutarel wrote after the first performance that the hearers are -supposed to be in Spain. The bells of horses and mules are heard, and -the joyous sounds of wayfarers. The night falls; nature sleeps and is at -rest until bells and _aubades_ announce the dawn, and the world awakens -to life. "Debussy appears in this work to have exaggerated his tendency -to treat music with means of expression analogous to those of the -impressionistic painters. Nevertheless, the rhythm remains well defined -and frank in _Ibéria_. Do not look for any melodic design, nor any -carefully woven harmonic web. The composer of _Images_ attaches -importance only to tonal color. He puts his timbres side by side, -adopting a process like that of the _Tachistes_ or the 'stipplers' in -distributing coloring." The Debussyites and "_Pelléastres_" wished -_Ibéria_ repeated, but, while the majority of the audience was willing -to applaud, it did not long for a repetition. Repeated the next Sunday, -_Ibéria_ aroused "frenetic applause and vehement protestations." - -_Ibéria_ is scored for these instruments: piccolo, three flutes (one -interchangeable with a second piccolo), two oboes, English horn, three -clarinets, three bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, three trumpets, -three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, side drum, tambourine, -castanets, xylophone, celesta, cymbals, three bells (F, G, A), two -harps, and the usual strings. - - -Debussy wrote on May 16, 1905, to Jacques Durand, his publisher, that he -was preparing these compositions for two pianofortes: "I. _Gigues -tristes._ II. _Ibéria._ III. _Valse_ (?)." In September of that year he -hoped to finish them. 1906, August 8: "I have at present three different -ways of finishing _Ibéria_. Shall I toss up a coin or search for a -fourth?" In September, 1907, the _Images_ would be ready as soon as the -_Rondes_ were "_comme je le veux et comme il faut_." In 1908 Debussy was -hard at work on his opera, _The Fall of the House of Usher_, an opera of -which, it is said, no sketches have been found. (Durand received -Debussy's libretto in 1917.) In 1909 he wrote that he had laid the -_Images_ aside "to the advantage of Edgar Allan Poe." He also worked on -an opera, _The Devil in the Belfry_. - -In 1910: "I have seen Pierné. I think he exaggerates the difficulties in -a performance of _Ibéria_." - -Debussy wrote on December 4, 1910, from Budapest, where he gave a -concert of his works, that _Ibéria_ was especially successful. "They -could not play _The Sea_ no more the _Nocturnes_, from want of -rehearsal. I was assured that the orchestra knew _The Sea_, for it had -been played through three times. Ah! my friend, if you had heard it!... -I assure you to put _Ibéria_ right in two rehearsals was, indeed, an -effort.... Don't forget that these players understood me only through an -interpreter--a sort of Doctor of Law--who perhaps transmitted my thought -only by deforming it. I tried every means. I sang, made the gestures of -Italian pantomime, etc.--it was enough to touch the heart of a buffalo. -Well, they at last understood me, and I had the last word. I was -recalled like a ballet girl, and if the idolatrous crowd did not -unharness the horses of my carriage, it was because I had a simple taxi. -The moral of this journey is that I am not made to exercise the -profession of composer of music in a foreign land. The heroism of a -commercial traveler is needed. One must consent to a sort of compromise -which decidedly repels me." - - - - - ANTON - DVORÁK - - - (Born at Mühlhausen [Nelahozeves] near Kralup, Bohemia, September 8, - 1841; died at Prague, May 1, 1904) - -The winning and endearing qualities of childhood were in Dvorák's best -music: artless simplicity, irresistible frankness, delight in nature and -life. His music was best when it smacked of the soil, when he remembered -his early days, the strains of vagabond musicians, the dances dear to -his folk. One of a happily primitive people, he delighted in rhythm and -color. He was not the man to translate pictures, statues, poems, a -system of metaphysics, a gospel of pessimism into music. He was least -successful when he would be heroic, mystical, profound. It was an evil -day for him when England "discovered" him, patronized him, ordered -oratorios from him for her festivals, made him a doctor of music (as -though he were a cathedral organist), and tried to turn this -_Naturmensch_ into a drawing-room and church celebrity. When Dvorák is -dull, he is very dull. His Slavonic Dances and such a song as "Als die -alte Mutter" are worth a wilderness of "St. Ludmilas" and "Heldenlieds." -And his work as a creative musician was no doubt at an end when he left -this country to go back to his beloved Prague. - -Some have been inclined to think lightly of Dvorák because his best and -vital qualities were recognized by the people. This popularity irritated -those who believe that pure art is only for the few--the purists; they -forget Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Verdi, Wagner, Tchaikovsky. -But this popularity was based on the quick recognition of essential -qualities: melody, rhythm, color. Slavonic intensity has a purpose, an -esoteric meaning. Dvorák might have replied to lecturers, essayists, and -the genteel in Whitman's words: - - _Do you guess I have some intricate purpose? Well, I have--for the - Fourth-month showers have, and the mica on the side of a rock has._ - - _Do you take it I would astonish? Does the daylight astonish? Does the - early redstail, twittering through the woods?_ - -Dvorák had his faults, and they were tiresome and exasperating. His -naïveté became a mannerism. Like a child, he delighted in vain -repetitions; he was at times too much pleased with rhythms and colors, -so that he mistook the exterior dress for the substance and forgot that -after all there was little or no substance behind the brilliant -trappings. We believe that he will ultimately be ranked among the minor -poets of music. His complete works may gather dust in libraries; but no -carefully chosen anthology will be without examples of his piquancy, -strength, and beauty in thought and expression. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 5, IN E MINOR, "FROM THE NEW WORLD," OP. 95 - - - I. Adagio; allegro molto - II. Largo - III. Scherzo - IV. Allegro con fuoco - -Dvorák was an Austrian of a sort, and lived his time in Vienna, like the -others. But he had Czech blood in his veins, and had, moreover, pretty -well formed his style before coming to Vienna; besides, he was a peasant -and had not only been brought up in, but had a native affinity for, the -peasant musical atmosphere; Vienna taught him no dancing-master tricks. -It is at once curious and delightful to note how, in this symphony, -Dvorák sticks to his peasant dialect. Once, in the _scherzo_, he rises -to the Schubert pitch of civilization (and Schubert himself was an -incorrigible man of the people), but for the rest remains peasant as he -was born and bred. And as his dialect is really his native lingo, it has -all the charm of reality and does not offend nor bore you--as so-called -dialect novels do. Here in this symphony Dvorák has done, perhaps, the -best work of his life; not the most genuine, for he is hardly ever -anything but genuine, but the most thoroughly poetic and beautiful. -There are parts of the _finale_ that seem clearly intended as a picture -of--or say, rather, clearly inspired by memories of--a peasant's Sunday -afternoon _Keilerei_, or free fight (of the "where you see a head, hit" -sort). - - * * * - -Dvorák in 1892-93 was living in New York as the director of the National -Conservatory of Music. He made many sketches for this symphony. In the -first of the three books used for this purpose, he noted "Morning, -December 19, 1892." Fuller sketches began January 10, 1893. The slow -movement was then entitled "_Legenda_." The _scherzo_ was completed -January 31; the _finale_, May 25, 1893. A large part of the -instrumentation was done at Spillville, Ia., where many Bohemians dwelt. - -This symphony was performed for the first time, in manuscript, by the -Philharmonic Society of New York on Friday afternoon, December 15, 1893. -Anton Seidl conducted. Dvorák was present. - -When this symphony was played at Berlin in 1900, Dvorák wrote to Oskar -Nedbal, who conducted it: "I send you Kretzschmar's analysis of the -symphony, but omit that nonsense about my having made use of 'Indian' -and 'American' themes--that is a lie. I tried to write only in the -spirit of those national American melodies. Take the introduction to the -symphony as slowly as possible." - -The symphony aroused a controversy in which there was shedding of much -ink. The controversy long ago died out, and is probably forgotten even -by those who read the polemical articles at the time and expressed their -own opinions. The symphony remains. It is now without associations that -might prejudice. It is now enjoyed or appreciated, or possibly passed -by, as music, and not as an exhibit in a case on trial. - -Yet it may be good to recall the circumstances of the symphony's origin. -In the feverish days of the discussion excited by the first performance -of this symphony, it was stated that Mr. Krehbiel and others called the -attention of Dvorák, who was then living in New York, to Negro melodies -and rhythms; that the Bohemian composer then wept with joy and rushed -after music paper; that he journeyed to a Western town inhabited chiefly -by Bohemians, a town in Iowa, where he could find the stimulating -atmosphere to write masterpieces of a truly American nature. Some may -also remember that soon after the first performances of the symphony -there was a distressing rumor that portions of it had been composed long -before Dvorák came to New York; long before his eyes were dimmed and his -knees turned to water by hearing Negro tunes. - -The conclusion of the whole matter, according to several Czechs whom -William Ritter (author of a life of Smetana) consulted, is as follows: - -I. The _New World_ symphony expresses the state of soul of an uncultured -Czech in America, the state of a homesick soul remembering his native -land and stupefied by the din and hustle of a new life. - -II. The uncultured Czech is a born musician, a master of his trade. He -is interested in the only traces of music that he finds in America. -Negro airs, not copied, adapted, imitated, tint slightly two or three -passages of the symphony without injury to its Czech character. - -III. The symphony leaped, Minerva-like, from the head of this uncultured -genius. As nearly all his other compositions, except the operas, it was -not stimulated by any foreign assistance, by any consultation of -authors, or by quotations, reading, etc., as was especially the case -with Brahms. - -IV. The national Czech feeling in this work, quickened by homesickness, -is so marked that it is recognized throughout Bohemia, by the learned -and by the humblest. - -These are the conclusions of Mr. Ritter after a painstaking -investigation. That Dvorák was most unhappy and pathetically homesick -during his sojourn in New York is known to many, though Mr. Ritter does -not enter into any long discussion of the composer's mental condition in -this country. - -Yet some will undoubtedly continue to insist that the symphony _From the -New World_ is based, for the most part, on Negro themes, and that the -future of American music rests on the use of Congo, North American -Indian, Creole, Greaser, and Cowboy ditties, whinings, yawps, and -whoopings. - -The symphony is scored for two flutes and piccolo, two oboes (one -interchangeable with English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, four -horns, two trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, cymbals, -triangle, and strings. - - - - - EDWARD WILLIAM - ELGAR - - - (Born at Broadheath, near Worcester, England, June 2, 1857; died at - Worcester, February 23, 1934) - -Nearly one hundred years ago, William Hazlitt wrote a few words -concerning a speech on Indian affairs by the Marquis Wellesley, the -eldest brother of the Duke of Wellington. These words may be justly -applied to Sir Edward Elgar, composer of _The Dream of Gerontius_, two -symphonies, the popular march _Pomp and Circumstance_, and other works -familiar to our concert audiences. - -"Seeming to utter volumes in every word, and yet saying nothing; -retaining the same unabated vehemence of voice and action without -anything to excite it; still keeping alive the promise and the -expectation of genius without once satisfying it--soaring into -mediocrity with adventurous enthusiasm, harrowed up by some plain matter -of fact, writhing with agony under a truism, and launching a commonplace -with all the fury of a thunderbolt." - - - - - VARIATIONS ON AN ORIGINAL THEME, "ENIGMA," OP. 36 - - - Theme: Andante. - Variations: - I. "C.A.E." L'istesso tempo - II. "H.D.S.-P." Allegro - III. "R.B.T." Allegretto - IV. "W.M.B." Allegro di molto - V. "R.P.A." Moderato - VI. "Ysobel" Andantino - VII. "Troyte" Presto - VIII. "W.N." Allegretto - IX. "Nimrod" Moderato - X. "Dorabella--Intermezzo." Allegro - XI. "G.R.S." Allegro di molto - XII. "B.G.N." Andante - XIII. "X.X.X.--Romanza." Moderato - XIV. "E.D.U.--Finale" - -Elgar's Variations were once regarded as a brilliant show-piece for an -orchestra. There was a time when Elgar was held to be a "great" -composer. Time, the Old Man with a Scythe, has a disconcerting way of -handling it. The music with a few exceptions seems at the best -respectable in a middle-class manner; the sort of music that gives the -composer the degree of Mus. Doc. from an English university. In Elgar's -case, his music won him knighthood, and to this day there are "Elgar -Festivals" in England. Was Cecil Gray too severe when he wrote of Elgar: -"He never gets entirely away from the atmosphere of pale, cultured -idealism and the unconsciously hypocritical, self-righteous, Pharisaical -gentlemanliness which is so characteristic of British art in the last -century"? - - * * * - -These Variations, composed at Malvern in 1899, were first performed at -one of Hans Richter's concerts in London, June 19, 1899. Mr. Felix -Borowski, the excellent editor of the Chicago Orchestra's Programme -Books, says: "Richter had never met the English composer when, in -Vienna, he received the score of the Variations from his agent in the -British capital; but the conductor determined to exploit a work which -appeared to him to possess qualities of strength and skill that had not -been made evident in many English compositions. 'The _Enigma_ -Variations,' wrote Robert J. Buckley, 'toured by Richter's band, set the -seal on Elgar's reputation. Richter did for Elgar what he had done for -Wagner thirty years before. England was won for Wagner by Richter and -the _Tannhäuser_ overture. England was won for Elgar by Richter and the -_Enigma_ Variations.'[25] It should, however, be pointed out that the -Variations, as produced by Richter in June, 1899, were not quite the -same composition as that which has been made familiar to every -concert-going audience in the world. After the first performance, Elgar, -at the instigation of Hans Richter, added a _coda_, and he made various -changes in the orchestration throughout the piece. In this revised form -it was produced at the Worcester Festival, the composer conducting his -work, September 13, 1899." The Variations were first played in Germany -at a concert of the Städtische Musikverein, Düsseldorf, February 7, -1901; Julius Buths, conductor. - -The score, which includes a theme and fourteen variations, is dedicated -by the composer to his "friends pictured within." Elgar himself said: -"It is true that I have sketched, for their amusement and mine, the -idiosyncrasies of fourteen of my friends, not necessarily musicians; but -this is a personal matter and need not have been mentioned publicly. The -Variations should stand simply as a 'piece' of music. The Enigma I will -not explain--its 'dark saying' must be left unguessed, and I warn you -that the apparent connection between the Variations and the theme is -often of the slightest texture; further, through and over the whole set -another and larger theme 'goes' but is not played.... So the principal -theme never appears, even as in some late dramas--e.g., Maeterlinck's -_L'Intruse_ and _Les Sept Princesses_: the chief character is never on -the stage." - -Elgar's work is scored for two flutes and piccolo, two oboes, two -clarinets, two bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, three trumpets, -three trombones, bass tuba, snare drum, bass drum, triangle, cymbals, -organ (_ad lib._), and strings. - - - THEME - -The theme, or the "Enigma," is an _andante_, G minor, 4-4, of a -melancholy nature, with a halting and sighing melody. A few measures of -musical notation would show more clearly the nature of the following -variations than any verbal description, however graphic. - -Elgar wrote to the late August Johannes Jaeger that he had composed -thirteen variations, but, yielding to superstition, he had called the -_finale_ the fourteenth. - - - VARIATIONS - -I. "C.A.E." _L'istesso tempo_, G minor, 4-4. The initials are Lady -Elgar's. The theme, changed in rhythm, is given to the second violins -and violas tremolo; flute and clarinet in octaves. The close, -_pianississimo_, is in G major. - -II. "H.D.S.-P." _Allegro_, G minor, 3-8. The theme finally appears in -the violoncellos and basses under a staccato figure for wood-wind, later -violins. - -III. "R.B.T." _Allegretto_, G major, 3-8. Fragments of the theme are -played by oboe and violins (_pizzicato_) against a counter theme for -wood-wind. - -IV. "W.M.B." A spirited, vigorous variation. _Allegro di molto_, G -minor-major 3-4. Strings, wood-wind, and horns proclaim the theme. The -last measures call for the full strength of the orchestra. - -V. "R.P.A." _Moderato_, C minor, 12-8 (4-4). A counter melody is -developed against the theme (bassoons, violoncellos, and double basses), -first above the theme and then below it. - -VI. "Ysobel." _Andantino_, C major 3-2. A lyrical movement with a -cantilena for solo viola, while gentle phrases are given to the woodwind -and horns. - -VII. "Troyte." _Presto_, C major, 4-4. Wood-wind and violins have a bold -figure over a _basso ostinato_ for violoncellos, double basses, -kettledrums. This figure, changed, is afterwards given to the basses. - -VIII. "W.N." _Allegretto_, G major, 6-8. Clarinets vary the theme. - -IX. "Nimrod." _Moderato_, E flat major, 3-4. This and the next -variations are in strong contrast to each other and to those that -precede. "Nimrod" is a tribute to Elgar's friend Jaeger. Elgar's -Variations were performed at a memorial concert to Jaeger in London on -January 24, 1910. Hans Richter conducted. Elgar wrote this note for the -programme: "The Variations are not all 'portraits.'... Something ardent -and mercurial, in addition to the slow movement (No. IX), would have -been needful to portray the character and temperament of A. J. Jaeger. -The variation is a record of a long summer evening talk, when my friend -grew nobly eloquent (as only he could) on the grandeur of Beethoven, and -especially of his slow movements." The strings (2d violins, violas, and -violoncellos divided) sing the theme, _pianississimo_. Later the -wood-wind and brass enlarge it. - -X. "Dorabella--Intermezzo." _Allegretto_, G major, 3-4, a sparkling, -joyous variation, scored lightly for muted strings and wood-wind; a horn -is heard in one measure, and there are a few strokes on the kettledrums. - -XI. "G.R.S." _Allegro di molto_, G minor, 2-2. An English reviewer says -of this variation: "The furious pedaling in the basses seems to confirm -our suspicion that this is the 'picture' of a well-known Cathedral -organist." This organist is probably Dr. George Roberton Sinclair, a -friend and neighbor of Elgar at Hereford. The basses play a staccato -variation of the theme. Later the brass has it _fortissimo_. - -XII. "B.G.N." _Andante_, G minor, 4-4. A song for violoncellos in which -violas join later with first violins for the climax. - -XIII. "X.X.X.--Romanza." _Moderato_, G major, 3-4. The story is that -"X.X.X." was at sea when Elgar wrote this variation. We quote from Mr. -Daniel Gregory Mason's essay on Elgar: "Violas in a quietly undulating -rhythm suggests the ocean expanse; an almost inaudible tremor of the -drum gives the throb of the engines; a quotation from Mendelssohn's -_Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage_ (clarinet) completes the story. Yet -'story' it is not--and there is the subtlety of it. Dim sea and -dreamlike steamer are only accessories, after all. The thought of the -distant friend, the human soul there, is what quietly disengages itself -as the essence of the music."[26] Ernest Newman speaks of the "curious -drum roll, like the faint throb of the engines of a big liner."[27] - -XIV. "E.D.U.--Finale." _Allegro_, G major, with an introduction. There -are various modifications of tempo; the final section is a _presto_. The -organ part was added after the first performance. "The _finale_ is an -elaborate movement, starting _pianissimo_, but soon developing strength -and brilliancy in a richly scored marchlike strain, with which anon the -_ritmo di tre_ of Variation IX, 'Nimrod' (but in augmentation) is -combined in a grandiose and triumphant passage, which virtually forms -the climax of the work." There is also a reminiscence of the opening -strain of Variation I, _pianississimo_. - - - - - MANUEL - DE FALLA - - - (Born at Cadiz, November 23, 1876) - - - - - BALLET-PANTOMIME: "EL AMOR BRUJO" - - -The suite derived from de Falla's "choreographic fantasy," _Love, the -Sorcerer_, does not suffer so much by its separation from the theatrical -situations, action, and stage settings as other suites arranged from -ballets. There are many pages that are enjoyable as pure music without -thought of a plot and the evolutions of a ballet, without the question -of whether this number or that is illustrative of an episode in the -ballet. If de Falla expresses the wildness of Spanish gypsy music in a -fascinating manner, he is equally fortunate in the expression of gentle -emotions. There is little that is sensuous or voluptuous in the suite. -The music for the scene of the appearance of a ghost which cools the -amorous ardor of Candelas when her new lover would approach her--here -one is reminded of the chief theme of Anatole France's amusing and -satirical _Histoire comique_--is, perhaps, imbued with passionate fervor -for performance on the stage. - - * * * - -This _Gitaneria_ (Gypsy Life) in one act and two scenes, a choreographic -fantasy with voice and small orchestra, book by Gregorio Martinez Sierra -(known in this country by the plays _A Romantic Young Lady_, _Cradle -Song_, _The Kingdom of God_), was produced at the Teatro de Lara, -Madrid, April 15, 1915, with the Señora Pastora Imperio assisting. A -concert version was performed at Madrid in 1916, E. Fernandez Arbos -conductor, at a concert of the Sociedad Nacional de Música. According to -G. Jean-Aubry, "De Falla drew from the music certain symphonic excerpts, -in which he suppressed the spoken or sung parts and enlarged the -instrumentation.... But this did not alter the essential character of -the work, which is to be found in its particular color, or the -semi-Arabian style of its idioms." - -This suite was performed for the first time in London on November 23, -1921. - -Sierra based the libretto of de Falla's ballet pantomime on an -Andalusian gypsy story. _Brujo_ means a wizard, a male witch. Mr. Trent, -in his _Manuel de Falla and Spanish Music_, writes: "_L'Amour sorcier_ -has misled both audiences and English translators. _Love the Wizard_ -gives an entirely wrong impression; _Wedded by Witchcraft_, proposed as -an alternative, is a description, more or less, of what happens; and -even that would be better as _Wedded in Spite of Witchcraft_." - -There was a small orchestra when the work was first produced. As finally -revised, the score calls for piccolo, two flutes, oboe, two clarinets, -bassoon, two horns, two trumpets, kettledrums, bells (A, D, C), piano, -and strings. A mezzo-soprano sings "behind"; but in concerts the voice -is replaced by a horn, or in one place an English horn. - -When Mr. Arbos conducted this work in St. Louis, the Programme Book, -edited by Harry R. Burke, contained this synopsis of the story published -as a preface to the piano score: - -"Candelas, a young, very beautiful and passionate woman has loved a -wicked, jealous and dissolute, but fascinating and cajoling Gypsy. -Although having led a very unhappy life with him, she has loved him -intensely and mourned his loss, unable ever to forget him. Her memory of -him is something like a hypnotic dream, a morbid, gruesome, and -maddening spell. She is terrified by the thought that the dead may not -be entirely gone, that he may return, that he continues to love her in -that fierce, shadowy, faithless, and caressing way. She lets herself -become a prey to the past as if under the influence of a specter; yet -she is young, strong, vivacious. Spring returns, and with it love, in -the shape of Carmelo. - -"Carmelo, a handsome youth, enamored and gallant, makes love to her. -Candelas, not unwilling to be won, almost unconsciously returns his -love; but the obsession of her past weighs against her present -inclination. When Carmelo approaches her and endeavors to make her share -his passion, the Specter returns and terrifies Candelas, whom he -separates from her lover. They cannot exchange the kiss of perfect love. - -"Carmelo being gone, Candelas languishes and droops; she feels as if -bewitched, and her past love seems to flutter heavily about her like -malevolent and foreboding bats. But this evil spell has to be broken, -and Carmelo believes he has found a remedy. He has once been the comrade -of the Gypsy whose specter haunts Candelas. He knows that the dead lover -was the typical faithless and jealous Andalusian gallant. Since he -appears to retain, even after his death, his taste for beautiful women, -he must be taken on his weak side and thus diverted from his posthumous -jealousy in order that Carmelo may exchange with Candelas the perfect -kiss against which the sorcery of love cannot prevail. - -"Carmelo persuades Lucia, a young and enchantingly pretty Gypsy girl, -the friend of Candelas, to simulate acceptance of the Specter's -addresses. Lucia, out of love for Candelas and from feminine curiosity, -agrees. The idea of a flirtation with a ghost seems to her attractive -and novel. And then the dead man was so mirthful in life. Lucia takes up -the sentinel's post. Carmelo returns to make love to Candelas, and the -Specter intervenes ... but he finds the charming little Gypsy, and -neither can nor will resist the temptation, not being experienced in -withstanding the allurements of a pretty face. He makes love to Lucia, -coaxing and imploring her, and the coquettish young Gypsy almost brings -him to despair. In the meantime Carmelo succeeds in convincing Candelas -of his love, and life triumphs over death and the past. The lovers at -last exchange the kiss that defeats the evil influence of the Specter, -who perishes, definitely conquered by love." - - - - - THREE DANCES TAKEN FROM THE BALLET "THE THREE-CORNERED HAT" - - - I. The Neighbors - II. The Miller's Dance - III. Final Dance - -The score calls for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two -clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, bass -tuba, kettledrums, side drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, xylophone, -tam-tam, castanets, celesta, harp, piano, and the usual strings. - -When the Russian Ballet visited Spain, Serge de Diaghilev was so much -interested in the work of de Falla that he commissioned him to write a -ballet on the subject of Alarcón's novel, _El Sombrero de Tres Picos_. - -This ballet _The Three-cornered Hat_ was performed for the first time on -any stage by the Russian Ballet at the Alhambra, London. Joaquin Turina -says (_The Chesterian_, May, 1920) that the first version of _The -Three-cornered Hat_ was produced at the Eslava Theater, Madrid, under -the title of _El Corregidor y la Molinera_. Turina was then conducting -this theater's orchestra. The "pantomime" of de Falla was accompanied by -only seventeen players. "The composer was confronted with one great -difficulty, and that was to follow musically the action of the play -without spoiling the unity of his score. The music therefore continually -reflected a certain anxiety on the composer's part, as if he were trying -to disentangle himself, so to speak, from the external network. The -transformation of the 'pantomime' into a ballet at once cleared away all -these difficulties. This is quite natural, for in the new version the -action became reduced to a strictly indispensable minimum, and the -dances became predominant, those already existing being considerably -amplified." - -Turina finds the Miller's Dance the most interesting "because of its -typically Andalusian character, its fascinating rhythm which is like an -affirmation of Southern art, and its Moorish character." In the Final -Dance the _jota_ and the folk theme called _vito_ are introduced. - -The _Daily Telegraph_ (London, July 24, 1919) said of the ballet: - -"Over the whole brisk action is the spirit of frivolous comedy of a kind -by no means common only to Spain of the eighteenth century. A young -miller and his wife are the protagonists, and if their existence be -idyllic in theory, it is extraordinarily strenuous in -practice--choreographically. But that is only another way of saying that -M. Massine and Mme Karsavina, who enact the couple, are hardly ever off -the stage, and that both of them work with an energy and exuberance that -almost leave one breathless at moments. The miller and his wife between -them, however, would scarcely suffice even for a slender ballet plot. So -we have as well an amorous _corregidor_ (or governor), who orders the -miller's arrest so that the way may be cleared for a pleasant little -flirtation--if nothing more serious--with the captivating wife. Behold -the latter fooling him with a seductive dance, and then evading her -admirer with such agility that, in his pursuit of her, he tumbles over a -bridge into the mill stream. But, as this is comedy, and not melodrama, -the would-be lover experiences nothing worse than a wetting, and the -laugh, which is turned against him, is renewed when, having taken off -some of his clothes to dry them and gone to rest on the miller's bed, -his presence is discovered by the miller himself, who, in revenge, goes -off in the intruder's garments after scratching a message on the wall to -the effect that 'Your wife is no less beautiful than mine!' Thereafter a -'gallimaufry of gambols' and--curtain!" - - - - - CÉSAR - FRANCK - - - (Born at Liège, Belgium, December 10, 1822; died at Paris, November 8, - 1890) - -What a characteristic figure is this artist of the nineteenth century, -whose profile stands out so boldly from the surroundings in which he -lived! An artist of another age, whose work makes one think of that of -the great Bach! Franck went through this life as a dreamer, seeing -little or nothing of that which passed about him, thinking only of his -art, and living only for it. True artists are subject to this kind of -hypnotism--the inveterate workers, who find the recompense of their -labor in the accomplished fact, and an incomparable joy in the pure and -simple toil of each day. They have no need to search for the echo in the -crowd. - - -When Ysaye and Lachaume introduced Franck's violin sonata (in Boston) in -1895; when these and others introduced the magnificent piano quintet in -1898, leading musicians of this city shook wise heads and said with an -air of finality: "This will never do." The string quartet was only -tolerated, endured because it was produced at a Kneisel concert, and at -that time the Kneisels could do no wrong. _The Wild Huntsman_, produced -here by Theodore Thomas in 1898, was looked on as the work of an -eccentric and theatrical Frenchman. - -When Mr. Gericke produced the symphony in 1899, the storm broke loose. -There were letters of angry protest. A leading critic characterized the -symphony as "dismal." Several subscribers to the concerts called it -"immoral" and vowed they would not attend any concert at which music by -Franck was to be played. - -Nor did Franck fare better for a time in New York. Even the broad-minded -James Huneker dismissed him as a sort of Abbé Liszt, now in the heavily -scented boudoir, now with self-conscious devotion in the church. Franck -in the boudoir! Poor "_Père_" Franck! - -And so Franck had to make his way here, as in Paris, misunderstood, -abused, regarded by some as an anarchist, by some as a bore. This, men -and brethren, should make us all tolerant, even cautious in passing -judgment on contemporary composers whose idiom is as yet strange to us. -Cocksure opinions are valuable chiefly to the one who expresses them. - -Let us hear what is going on in the musical world, even if it is going -on noisily and queerly in our ears. It is not enough to say: "I don't -like it. Why does ---- put such pieces on the programme?" Inherently bad -music will soon disappear of itself, unless it is so bad, with such -obviously vulgar tunes, that it becomes popular. But music is not -necessarily bad because it is of a strange and irregular nature. For -audiences to have no curiosity about new works, no spur to hot -discussion concerning them, is a sign of stagnation in art. Thus César -Franck, a great teacher, teaches us all indirectly a lesson. - - - - - SYMPHONY IN D MINOR - - - I. Lento; allegro non troppo - II. Allegretto - III. Allegro non troppo - -As the "_Pelléastres_" for a time did Debussy harm, so the "Franckists" -injured the reputation of César Franck. They insisted on his aloofness -from earthly strife, joy, sorrow, passion. They proclaimed him a mystic, -dwelling in the seventh heaven and hearing, if not the celestial choir, -at least the music of the spheres. His compositions were of plenary -inspiration: not a note could be added; not a note could be taken away. - -A reaction was inevitable. Younger composers, escaping his influence, -were tired of his alleged perfection. Older composers, envious no doubt -of his fame, were wearied by the recital of his private and musical -virtues. Was he overestimated soon after his death? For some years it -has been the fashion to underestimate him; to speak of "the false -mysticism of the old Belgian angel." Too frequent repetitions of his -music, even of that masterpiece the violin sonata and of his symphony, -were not of benefit to him. (It was as with Tchaikovsky and his -_Pathetic_ symphony.) - -Today it is only just to recognize Franck's eminence among composers. To -say that his symphony is flawless is not so easy. We believe that in the -first movement the return of the somber introduction, even with a -changed tonality, before the full exposition, development and -continuance of the main body of the movement, was a mistake. It might -reasonably be said that there is in this movement overelaboration, a -surplusage of detail, unnecessary repetitions of thematic fragments -given in turn to various instruments or choirs of instruments, a -favorite device of Tchaikovsky's. There might something be said with -regard to diffuseness in the other movements. - - * * * - -This symphony was produced at the Conservatoire, Paris, February 17, -1889. It was composed in 1888 and completed August 22 of that year. - -Vincent d'Indy[28] in his Life of Franck gives some particulars about -the first performance of the Symphony in D minor. "The performance was -quite against the wish of most members of the famous orchestra, and was -only pushed through thanks to the benevolent obstinacy of the conductor, -Jules Garcin. The subscribers could make neither head nor tail of it, -and the musical authorities were much in the same position. I inquired -of one of them--a professor at the Conservatoire, and a kind of factotum -on the committee--what he thought of the work. 'That a symphony?' he -replied in contemptuous tones. 'But, my dear sir, who ever heard of -writing for the English horn in a symphony? Just mention a single -symphony by Haydn or Beethoven introducing the English horn. There, -well, you see--your Franck's music may be whatever you please, but it -will certainly never be a symphony!'" This was the attitude of the -Conservatoire in the year of grace 1889. - -"At another door of the concert hall, the composer of _Faust_, escorted -by a train of adulators, male and female, fulminated a kind of papal -decree to the effect that this symphony was the affirmation of -incompetence pushed to dogmatic lengths. For sincerity and -disinterestedness we must turn to the composer himself, when, on his -return from the concert, his whole family surrounded him, asking eagerly -for news. 'Well, were you satisfied with the effect on the public? Was -there plenty of applause?' To which 'Father Franck,' thinking only of -his work, replied with a beaming countenance: 'Oh, it sounded well; just -as I thought it would!'" - -D'Indy describes Gounod leaving the concert hall of the Conservatoire -after the first performance of Franck's symphony, surrounded by incense -burners of each sex, and saying particularly that this symphony was "the -affirmation of impotence pushed to dogma." Perhaps Gounod made this -speech; perhaps he didn't; some of Franck's disciples are too busy in -adding to the legend of his martyrdom. D'Indy says little about the -structure of this symphony, although he devotes a chapter to Franck's -string quartet. - -Speaking of Franck's sonata for violin and pianoforte, he calls -attention to the fact that the first of its organic germs is used as the -theme of the four movements of the work. "From this moment cyclical -form, the basis of modern symphonic art, was created and consecrated." -He then adds: - -"The majestic, plastic, and perfectly beautiful Symphony in D minor is -constructed on the same method. I purposely use the word _method_ for -this reason: After having long described Franck as an empiricist and an -improviser--which is radically wrong--his enemies (of whom, in spite of -his incomparable goodness, he made many) and his ignorant detractors -suddenly changed their views and called him a musical mathematician, who -subordinated inspiration and impulse to a conscientious manipulation of -form. This, we may observe in passing, is a common reproach brought by -the ignorant Philistine against the dreamer and the genius. Yet where -can we point to a composer in the second half of the nineteenth century -who could--and did--think as loftily as Franck, or who could have found -in his fervent and enthusiastic heart such vast ideas as those which lie -at the musical basis of the symphony, the quartet, and _The Beatitudes_? - -"It frequently happens in the history of art that a breath passing -through the creative spirits of the day incites them, without any -previous mutual understanding, to create works which are identical in -form, if not in significance. It is easy to find examples of this kind -of artistic telepathy between painters and writers, but the most -striking instances are furnished by the musical art. - -"Without going back upon the period we are now considering, the years -between 1884 and 1889 are remarkable for a curious return to pure -symphonic form. Apart from the younger composers, and one or two -unimportant representatives of the old school, three composers who had -already made their mark--Lalo, Saint-Saëns, and Franck--produced true -symphonies at this time, but widely different as regards external -aspects and ideas. - -"Lalo's Symphony in G minor, which is on very classical lines, is -remarkable for the fascination of its themes, and still more for charm -and elegance of rhythm and harmony, distinctive qualities of the -imaginative composer of _Le Roi d'Ys_. - -"The C minor symphony of Saint-Saëns, displaying undoubted talent, seems -like a challenge to the traditional laws of tonal structure; and -although the composer sustains the combat with cleverness and eloquence, -and in spite of the indisputable interest of the work--founded, like -many others by this composer, upon a prose theme, the _Dies Iræ_--yet -the final impression is that of doubt and sadness. - -"Franck's symphony, on the contrary, is a continual ascent towards pure -gladness and life-giving light because its workmanship is solid, and its -themes are manifestations of ideal beauty. What is there more joyous, -more sanely vital, than the principal subject of the _finale_, around -which all the other themes in the work cluster and crystallize? While in -the higher registers all is dominated by that motive which M. Ropartz -has justly called 'the theme of faith.'" - -The symphony is scored for two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two -clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, two -cornets, three trombones, bass tuba, tympani, harps, and strings. The -score is dedicated to Henri Duparc. - - - - - GEORG FRIDERIC - HANDEL - - - (Born at Halle, February 23, 1685; died at London, April 14, 1759) - -"Mr. Georg Frideric Handel," Mr. Runciman once wrote, "is by far the -most superb personage one meets, in the history of music. He alone, of -all the musicians, lived his life straight through in the grand -manner."[29] When Handel wrote "_pomposo_" on a page, he wrote not idly. -What magnificent simplicity in outlines!... For melodic lines of such -chaste and noble beauty, such Olympian authority, no one has approached -Handel. "Within that circle none durst walk but he." His nearest rival -is the Chevalier Gluck. - -And this giant of a man could express a tenderness known only to him and -Mozart, for Schubert, with all his melodic wealth and sensitiveness, -could fall at times into sentimentalism, and Schumann's intimate -confessions were sometimes whispered. Handel in his tenderness was -always manly. No one has approached him in his sublimely solemn moments! -Few composers, if there is anyone, have been able to produce such -pathetic or sublime effects by simple means, by a few chords even. He -was one of the greatest melodists. His fugal pages seldom seem labored; -they are distinguished by amazing vitality and spontaneity. In his slow -movements, his instrumental airs, there is a peculiar dignity, a -peculiar serenity, and a direct appeal that we find in no other -composer. - -Would that we could hear more of Handel's music! At present he is known -in this country as the composer of _The Messiah_, the variations -entitled _The Harmonious Blacksmith_, and the monstrous perversion of a -simple operatic air dignified, forsooth, by the title "_Handel's -Largo_." - - - - - TWELVE CONCERTI GROSSI, FOR STRING ORCHESTRA - - - No. 1, in G major - No. 2, in F major - No. 3, in E minor - No. 4, in A minor - No. 5, in D major - No. 6, in G minor - No. 7, in B flat major - No. 8, in C minor - No. 9, in F major - No. 10, in D minor - No. 11, in A major - No. 12, in B minor - -Handel apparently took a peculiar pride in his Concerti Grossi. He -published them himself, and by subscription. They would probably be more -popular today if all conductors realized the fact that music in Handel's -time was performed with varied and free inflections; that his players -undoubtedly employed many means of expression. As German organists of -forty years ago insisted that Bach's preludes, fugues, toccatas, should -be played with full organ and rigidity of tempo, although those who -heard Bach play admired his skill in registration, many conductors find -in all of the _allegros_ of Handel's concertos only a thunderous speech -and allow little change in tempo. In the performance of this old music, -old but fresh, the two essential qualities demanded by Handel's music, -suppleness of pace and fluidity of expression, named by Volbach, are -usually disregarded. Unless there be elasticity in performance, hearers -are not to be blamed if they find the music formal, monotonous, dull. - -The twelve concertos were composed within three weeks. Kretzschmar has -described them as impressionistic pictures, probably without strict -reference to the modern use of the word "impressionistic." They are not -of equal worth. Romain Rolland[30] finds the seventh and three last -mediocre. In the tenth he discovers French influences and declares that -the last _allegro_ might be an air for a music box. Yet the music at its -best is aristocratic and noble. - - * * * - -Handel's twelve grand concertos for strings were composed between -September 29 and October 30, 1739. The London _Daily Post_ of October -29, 1739, said: "This day are published proposals for printing by -subscription, with His Majesty's royal license and protection, Twelve -Grand Concertos, in Seven Parts, for four violins, a tenor, a -violoncello, with a thorough-bass for the harpsichord. Composed by Mr. -Handel. Price to subscribers, two guineas. Ready to be delivered by -April next. Subscriptions are taken by the author, at his house in Brook -Street, Hanover Square, and by Walsh." In an advertisement on November -22 the publisher added, "Two of the above concertos will be performed -this evening at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln's Inn." The concertos were -published on April 21, 1740. In an advertisement a few days afterwards -Walsh said, "These concertos were performed at the Theatre Royal in -Lincoln's Inn Fields, and now are played in most public places with the -greatest applause." Victor Schoelcher made this comment in his _Life of -Handel_: "This was the case with all the works of Handel. They were so -frequently performed at contemporaneous concerts and benefits that they -seem, during his lifetime, to have quite become public property. -Moreover, he did nothing which the other theaters did not attempt to -imitate. In the little theater of the Haymarket, evening entertainments -were given in exact imitation of his 'several concertos for different -instruments, with a variety of chosen airs of the best master, and the -famous _Salve Regina_ of Hasse.' The handbills issued by the nobles at -the King's Theatre make mention also of 'several concertos for different -instruments.'"[31] - - -The year 1739, in which these concertos were composed, was the year of -the first performance of Handel's _Saul_ (January 16) and _Israel in -Egypt_ (April 4)--both oratorios were composed in 1738--also of the -music to Dryden's _Ode for St. Cecilia's Day_ (November 22). - -Romain Rolland, discussing the form _concerto grosso_, which consists -essentially of a dialogue between a group of soloists, the _concertino_ -(trio of two solo violins and solo bass with cembalo) and the chorus of -instruments, _concerto grosso_, believes that Handel at Rome in 1708 was -struck by Corelli's works in this field, for several of his concertos of -Opus 3 are dated 1710, 1716, 1722. Geminiani introduced the concerto -into England--three volumes appeared in 1732, 1735, 1748--and he was a -friend of Handel. - -It is stated that the word "concerto," as applied to a piece for a solo -instrument with accompaniment, first appeared in a treatise by Scipio -Bargaglia (Venice, 1587); that Giuseppe Torelli, who died in 1708, was -the first to suggest a larger number of instruments in a concerto, and -to give the name _concerto grosso_ to this species of composition. But -Michelletti, seventeen years before, had published his _Sinfonie e -concerti a quatro_, and in 1698 his _Concerti musicali_, while the word -"concerto" occurs frequently in the musical terminology of the -seventeenth century. It was Torelli who, determining the form of the -grand solo for violin, opened the way to Archangelo Corelli, the father -of modern violinists, composers, or virtuosos. - - -Romain Rolland insisted that the instrumental music of Handel has the -nature of a constant improvisation, music to be served piping hot to an -audience, and should preserve this character in performance. "When you -have studied with minute care each detail, obtained from your orchestra -an irreproachable precision, tonal purity, and finish, you will have -done nothing unless you have made the face of the improvising genius -rise from the work." - - - - - FRANZ JOSEF - HAYDN - - -(Born at Rohrau, Lower Austria, March 31, 1732; died at Vienna, May 31, - 1809) - -Haydn has been sadly misunderstood by present followers of tradition who -have spoken of him as a man of the old school, while Mozart was a -forerunner of Beethoven. Thus they erred. Mozart summed up the school of -his day and wrote imperishable music. There has been only one Mozart, -and there is no probability of another being born for generations to -come; but Haydn was often nearer in spirit to the young Beethoven. It is -customary to speak lightly of Haydn as an honest Austrian who wrote -light-hearted _allegros_, also minuets by which one is not reminded of a -court with noble dames smiling graciously on gallant cavaliers, but sees -peasants thumping the ground with heavy feet and uttering joyful cries. - -It is said carelessly that Haydn was a simple fellow who wrote at ease -many symphonies and quartets that, to quote Berlioz, recall "the -innocent joys of the fireside and the _pot-au-feu_." But Haydn was -shrewd and observing--read his diary, kept in London--and if he was -plagued with a shrewish wife he found favor with other women. Dear Mrs. -Schroeter of London received letters from him breathing love, not manly -complimentary affection. And it is said of Haydn that he was only -sportive in his music, having a fondness for the bassoon. But Haydn -could express tenderness, regret, sorrow in his music. - - - - - LONDON SYMPHONIES - SYMPHONY NO. 104, IN D MAJOR (B. & H. NO. 2) - - - I. Adagio; allegro - II. Andante - III. Menuetto; trio - IV. Allegro spiritoso - -Haydn's symphony is ever fresh, spontaneous, yet contrapuntally worked -in a masterly manner. What a skillful employment of little themes in -themselves of slight significance save for their Blakelike innocence and -gayety! Yet in the introduction there is a deeper note, for, contrary to -current and easy belief, Haydn's music is not all beer, skittles, and -dancing. There are even gloomy pages in some of his quartets; tragic -pages in his _Seven Last Words_, and the prelude to _The Creation_, -depicting chaos, is singularly contemporaneous. - - * * * - -Haydn composed twelve symphonies in England for Salomon. His name began -to be mentioned in England in 1765. Symphonies by him were played in -concerts given by J. C. Bach, Abel, and others in the 'seventies. Lord -Abingdon tried in 1783 to persuade Haydn to take the direction of the -Professional Concerts which had just been founded. Gallini asked him his -terms for an opera. Salomon, violinist, conductor, manager, sent a music -publisher, one Bland--an auspicious name--to coax him to London, but -Haydn was loath to leave Prince Esterhazy. Prince Nicolaus died in 1790, -and his successor, Prince Anton, who did not care for music, dismissed -the orchestra at Esterház and kept only a brass band; but he added 400 -gulden to the annual pension of 1,000 gulden bequeathed to Haydn by -Prince Nicolaus. Haydn then made Vienna his home. And one day, when he -was at work in his house, the "Hamberger" house in which Beethoven also -once lived, a man appeared, and said: "I am Salomon from London, and -come to fetch you with me. We will agree on the job tomorrow." Haydn was -intensely amused by the use of the word "job." The contract for one -season was as follows: Haydn should receive three hundred pounds for an -opera written for the manager Gallini, £300 for six symphonies and £200 -for the copyright, £200 for twenty new compositions to be produced in as -many concerts under Haydn's direction, £200 as guarantee for a benefit -concert, Salomon deposited 5,000 gulden with the bankers, Fries & -Company, as a pledge of good faith. Haydn had 500 gulden ready for -traveling expenses, and he borrowed 450 more from his prince. Haydn -agreed to conduct the symphonies at the piano. - -Salomon about 1786 began to give concerts as a manager, in addition to -fiddling at concerts of others. He had established a series of -subscription concerts at the Hanover Square Rooms, London. He thought of -Haydn as a great drawing card. The violinist W. Cramer, associated with -the Professional Concerts, had also approached Haydn, who would not -leave his prince. The news of Prince Esterhazy's death reached Salomon, -who then happened to be at Bonn. He therefore hastened to Vienna. - -The first of the Salomon-Haydn concerts was given March 11, 1791, at the -Hanover Square Rooms. Haydn, as was the custom, "presided at the -harpsichord"; Salomon stood as leader of the orchestra. The symphony was -in D major, No. 2, of the London list of twelve. The _adagio_ was -repeated, an unusual occurrence, but the critics preferred the first -movement. - -The orchestra was thus composed: twelve to sixteen violins, four violas, -three violoncellos, four double basses, flute, oboe, bassoon, horns, -trumpets, drums--in all about forty players. - -Haydn and Salomon left Vienna on December 15, 1790, and arrived at -Calais by way of Munich and Bonn. They crossed the English Channel on -New Year's Day, 1791. From Dover they traveled to London by stage. The -journey from Vienna took them seventeen days. Haydn was received with -great honor. - -Haydn left London towards the end of June, 1792. Salomon invited him -again to write six new symphonies. Haydn arrived in London, February 4, -1794, and did not leave England until August 15, 1795. The orchestra at -the opera concerts in the grand new concert hall of the King's Theatre -was made up of sixty players. Haydn's engagement was again a profitable -one. He made by concerts, lessons, symphonies, etc., £1,200. He was -honored in many ways by the King, the Queen, and the nobility. He was -twenty-six times at Carlton House, where the Prince of Wales had a -concert room; and, after he had waited long for his pay, he sent a bill -from Vienna for 100 guineas, which Parliament promptly settled. - - - - - LONDON SYMPHONIES - SYMPHONY NO. 94, IN G MAJOR, "SURPRISE" (B. & H. NO. 6) - - - I. Adagio cantabile e vivace assai - II. Andante - III. Menuetto - IV. Allegro di molto - -This symphony, known as the "_Surprise_," and in Germany as the symphony -"with the drumstroke," is the third of the twelve Salomon symphonies as -arranged in the order of their appearance in the catalogue of the -Philharmonic Society (London). - -Composed in 1791, this symphony was performed for the first time on -March 23, 1792, at the sixth Salomon concert in London. It pleased -immediately and greatly. _The Oracle_ characterized the second movement -as one of Haydn's happiest inventions, and likened the "surprise"--which -is occasioned by the sudden orchestral crash in the _andante_--to a -shepherdess, lulled by the sound of a distant waterfall, awakened -suddenly from sleep and frightened by the unexpected discharge of a -musket. - -Griesinger in his Life of Haydn (1810) contradicts the story that Haydn -introduced these crashes to arouse the Englishwomen from sleep. Haydn -also contradicted it; he said it was his intention only to surprise the -audience by something new. "The first _allegro_ of my symphony was -received with countless 'Bravos,' but enthusiasm rose to its highest -pitch after the _andante_ with the drumstroke. '_Ancora! ancora!_' was -cried out on all sides, and Pleyel himself complimented me on my idea." -On the other hand, Gyrowetz, in his Autobiography, page 59 (1848), said -that he visited Haydn just after he had composed the _andante_, and -Haydn was so pleased with it that he played it to him on the piano, and -sure of his success, said with a roguish laugh: "The women will cry out -here!" C. F. Pohl[32] added a footnote, when he quoted this account of -Gyrowetz, and called attention to Haydn's humorous borrowing of a -musical thought of Martini to embellish his setting of music to the -commandment, "Thou shalt not steal," when he had occasion to put music -to the Ten Commandments. The _Surprise_ symphony was long known in -London as "the favorite grand overture." - - - - - PARIS SYMPHONIES - SYMPHONY NO. 88, IN G MAJOR (B. & H. NO. 13) - - - I. Adagio; allegro - II. Largo - III. Menuetto; trio - IV. Finale; allegro con spirito - -The Parisian orchestra, which Haydn undoubtedly had in mind, was a large -one--forty violins, twelve violoncellos, eight double basses--so that -the composer could be sure of strong contrasts in performance by the -string section. Fortunate composer--whose symphonies one can, sitting -back, enjoy without inquiring into psychological intention or noting -attempts at realism in musical seascapes and landscapes--music not -inspired by book or picture--just music; now pompous, now merry, and in -more serious moments, never too sad, but with a constant feeling for -tonal grace and beauty. - - * * * - -Haydn wrote a set of six symphonies for a society in Paris known as the -_Concert de la loge olympique_. They were ordered in 1784, when Haydn -was living at Esterház. Composed in the course of the years 1784-89, -they are in C, G minor, E flat, B flat, D, A. No. 1, in C, has been -entitled the "_Bear_"; No. 2, in G minor, has been entitled the "_Hen_"; -and No. 4, in B flat, is known as the "_Queen of France_." This symphony -is the first of a second set, of which five were composed in 1787, 1788, -1790. If the sixth was written, it cannot now be identified. This one in -G major was written in 1787, and is numbered 88 in the full and -chronological listing of Mandyczewski (given in Grove's Dictionary). - -I. The first movement opens with a short, slow introduction, _adagio_, G -major, 3-4 which consists for the most part of strong _staccato_ chords -which alternate with softer passages. The main body of the movement -_allegro_, G major, begins with the first theme, a dainty one, announced -_piano_ by the strings without double basses and repeated _forte_ by the -full orchestra with a new counter figure in the bass. A subsidiary theme -is but little more than a melodic variation of the first. So, too, the -short conclusion theme--in oboes and bassoon, then in the strings--is -only a variation of the first. The free fantasia is long for the period -and is contrapuntally elaborate. There is a short _coda_ on the first -theme. - -II. _Largo_, D major, 3-4. A serious melody is sung by oboe and -violoncellos to an accompaniment of violas, double basses, bassoon, and -horn. The theme is repeated with a richer accompaniment; while the first -violins have a counter figure. After a transitional passage the theme is -repeated by a fuller orchestra, with the melody in first violins and -flute, then in the oboe and violoncello. The development is carried -along on the same lines. There is a very short _coda_. - -III. The _Menuetto_, _allegretto_, G major, 3-4, with trio, is in the -regular minuet form in its simplest manner. - -IV. The _finale_, _allegro con spirito_, G major, 2-4, is a _rondo_ on -the theme of a peasant country dance, and it is fully developed. Haydn -in his earlier symphonies adopted for the _finale_ the form of his first -movement. Later he preferred the _rondo_ form, with its couplets and -refrains, or repetitions of a short and frank chief theme. "In some -_finales_ of his last symphonies," says Brenet,[33] "he gave freer reins -to his fancy, and modified with greater independence the form of his -first _allegros_; but his fancy, always prudent and moderate, is more -like the clear, precise arguments of a great orator than the headlong -inspiration of a poet. Moderation is one of the characteristics of -Haydn's genius; moderation in the dimensions, in the sonority, in the -melodic shape; the liveliness of his melodic thought never seems -extravagant, its melancholy never induces sadness." - - -The usual orchestration of Haydn's symphonies (including those listed -above) consisted of one (or two) flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two -horns, two trumpets, kettledrums, and strings. In his last years (from -1791) he followed Mozart's lead in introducing two clarinets. The -clarinets accordingly appear in the London symphony in D major, -described in this chapter.--EDITOR. - - - - - PAUL - HINDEMITH - - - (Born at Hanau, on November 16, 1895) - - - - - "KONZERTMUSIK" FOR STRING AND BRASS INSTRUMENTS - - -There was a time in Germany when Hindemith was regarded as the -white-haired boy; the hope for the glorious future; greater even than -Schönberg. In England, they look on Hindemith coolly--an able and -fair-minded critic there has remarked: "The more one hears of the later -Hindemith, the more exasperating his work becomes. From time to time -some little theme is shown at first in sympathetic fashion, then -submitted to the most mechanical processes known to music. Any pleasant -jingle seems to mesmerize the composer, who repeats it much as Bruckner -repeats his themes--Hindemith abuses the liberty shown to a modern." - -But Hindemith is not always mesmerized by a pleasant jingle. Witness his -oratorio, performed with great success. The title is forbidding, _The -Unending_, but the performance takes only two hours. The _Concert -Music_, composed for the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony -Orchestra, is more than interesting. It cannot be called "noble," not -even "grand," but it holds the attention by its strength in structure, -its spirit, festal without blatancy. For once there is no too evident -desire to stun the hearer. It is as if the composer had written for his -own pleasure. It is virile music with relieving passages--few in -number--that have genuine and simple beauty of thought and expression; -exciting at times by the rushing rhythm. - - * * * - -Hindemith, at the age of eleven, played the viola in the theater and in -the moving-picture house; when he was thirteen, he was a viola virtuoso, -and he now plays in public his own concertos for that instrument. When -he was twenty, he was first concert master of the Frankfort opera house. -His teachers in composition were Arnold Mendelssohn and Bernhard Sekles -at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfort. He is the viola player in the -Amar Quartet (Licco Amar, Walter Casper, Paul Hindemith, and Maurits -Frank--in 1926 his brother Rudolf was the violoncellist). - - -Apropos of a performance of one of his works, in Berlin, the late Adolf -Weissmann wrote in a letter to the _Christian Science Monitor_: -"Promising indeed among the young German composers is Paul Hindemith. -More than promising he is not yet. For the viola player Paul Hindemith, -travelling with the Amar Quartet through half Europe, has seldom time -enough to work carefully. The greater part of his compositions were -created in the railway car. Is it, therefore, to be wondered at that -their principal virtue lies in their rhythm? The rhythm of the rolling -car is, apparently, blended with the rhythm springing from within. It is -always threatening to outrun all the other values of what he writes. For -that these values exist cannot be denied." - -A foreign correspondent of the London _Daily Telegraph_, having heard -one of his compositions, wrote: "It was all rather an exhilarating -nightmare, as if Hindemith had been attempting to prove the theorem of -Pythagoras in terms of parallelograms, which is amusing, but utterly -absurd." - -It has been said by A. Machabey that Hindemith has been influenced in -turn by Wagner, Brahms--"an influence still felt"; Richard Strauss; Max -Reger, who attracted him by his ingenuity and freedom from elementary -technic; Stravinsky, who made himself felt after the war; and finally by -the theatrical surroundings in which he lives. "He is opposed to -post-romanticism. Not being able to escape from romanticism in his -youth, today he seems to be completely stripped of it. Freed from the -despotism of a text, from the preëstablished plan of programme music, -from obedience to the caprices and emphasis of sentiment, music in -itself suffices.... The reaction against romanticism is doubled by a -democratic spirit which was general in Germany after the war." Therefore -he has had many supporters, who welcomed, "besides this new spirit, an -unexpected technic, unusual polyphony and instrumentation, in which one -found a profound synthesis of primordial rhythms, tonalities enriched -and extended by Schönberg and Hauer, economical and rational groupings -of jazz." Then his compositions are so varied: chamber music for the -ultra-fastidious; melodies for amateurs; dramatic works for opera-goers; -orchestral pieces for frequenters of concerts; he has written for -débutantes and children; for the cinema, marionettes, mechanical pianos, -brass bands. Work has followed work with an amazing rapidity. - - - - - ARTHUR - HONNEGER - - - (Born at Havre, France, on March 10, 1892) - - - - - "PACIFIC 231," ORCHESTRAL MOVEMENT - - -Some say that Honegger had no business to summon a locomotive engine for -inspiration. No doubt this music of Honegger's is "clever," but -cleverness in music quickly palls. Louis Antoine Jullien years ago in -this country excited wild enthusiasm by his _Firemen's Quadrille_, in -which a conflagration, the bells, the rush of the firemen, the squirting -and the shout of the foreman, "Wash her, Thirteen!" were graphically -portrayed. - -But there is majestic poetry in great machines, even in railway engines. -One of Turner's most striking pictures is the one depicting a hare -running madly across a viaduct with a pursuing locomotive in rain and -mist. What was the most poetic thing of the Philadelphia exposition of -1876? The superb Corliss engine, epic in strength and grandeur. Walt -Whitman, Kipling, and others have found inspiration in a locomotive; why -reproach a composer for attempting to express "the visual impression and -the physical sensation" of it? One may like or dislike _Pacific 231_, -but it is something more than a musical joke; it was not merely devised -for sensational effect. - - * * * - -When _Pacific 231_ was first performed in Paris at Koussevitzky's -concerts, May 8 and 15, 1924, Honegger made this commentary: - -"I have always had a passionate love for locomotives. To me they--and I -love them passionately as others are passionate in their love for horses -or women--are like living creatures. - -"What I wanted to express in the _Pacific_ is not the noise of an -engine, but the visual impression and the physical sensation of it. -These I strove to express by means of a musical composition. Its point -of departure is an objective contemplation: quiet respiration of an -engine in state of immobility; effort for moving; progressive increase -of speed, in order to pass from the 'lyric' to the pathetic state of an -engine of three hundred tons driven in the night at a speed of one -hundred and twenty per hour. - -"As a subject I have taken an engine of the 'Pacific' type, known as -'231,' an engine for heavy trains of high speed." - -Other locomotive engines are classified as "Atlantic," "Mogul." The -number 231 here refers to the number of the "Pacific's" wheels 2--3--1. - -"On a sort of rhythmic pedal sustained by the violins is built the -impressive image of an intelligent monster, a joyous giant." - -_Pacific 231_ is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English -horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, double bassoon, four -horns, three trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, snare drum, bass -drum, cymbals, tam-tam, strings. - -The locomotive engine has been the theme of strange tales by Dickens, -Marcel Schwob, Kipling, and of Zola's novel, _La Bête humaine_. It is -the hero of Abel Gance's film, _Roué_ for which it is said Honegger -adapted music, and the American film, _The Iron Horse_. - - - - - PAUL MARIE THÉODORE - VINCENT d'INDY - - - (Born at Paris, March 27, 1852;[34] died at Paris on December 2, 1931) - -Vincent d'Indy's music has often been charged with the atrocious crimes -of austerity and aloofness; it has been called cerebral. It is true that -d'Indy uses his head, not loses it, in composition; that his music will -never be popular with the multitude; it lacks an obvious appeal to those -who say, with an air of finality: "I know what I like." It is not -sugary; it is not theatrical. To say that it is cold is to say that it -is not effusive. D'Indy does not gush. Nor does he permit himself to run -with a mighty stir and din to a blatant climax, dearly loved by those -who think that noise shows strength. He respects his art and himself, -and does not trim his sails to catch the breeze of popular favor. There -is a nobility in his music; there is to those who do not wear their -heart on their sleeve true warmth. There is a soaring of the spirit, not -a drooping to court favor. And no one has ever questioned his -constructive skill. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 2, IN B FLAT MAJOR, OP. 57 - - - I. Extrêmement lent; très vif - II. Modérément lent - III. Modéré; très animé - IV. Introduction, fugue et finale - -The majority of the pages in d'Indy's symphony contain music lofty and -noble. Only the _finale_ sinks below the prevailing high level, and -there are fine moments in the introduction to this _finale_. It is -natural that the influence of César Franck is shown especially in the -two middle movements. So great was d'Indy's devotion to his master that -he proudly admitted the influence; but d'Indy was no mere copyist; the -greatest pages of the symphony are his own. - - * * * - -The Symphony in B flat major, composed in 1903-04, was produced at a -Lamoureux concert, Paris, February 28, 1904. The score is dedicated to -Paul Dukas. The symphony is scored for three flutes (and piccolo), two -oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, four -horns, small trumpet in E flat, two trumpets in C, three trombones, bass -trombone, chromatic kettledrums, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, two -harps, strings. - -This symphony is without a programme of any sort. D'Indy wrote in an -article published in the first number of _Musica_ (Paris): "Symphonic -music, unlike dramatic music, is developing toward complexity: the -dramatic element is more and more introduced into absolute music, in -such a way that form is here, as a rule, absolutely submissive to the -incidents of a veritable action." Mr. Calvocoressi supplies a note to -this remark: "To search for an action that is not purely musical in -absolute music would be madness. There is, indeed, an action in this -symphony, but it is wholly in the music: the putting into play of two -principal themes, which present themselves at the beginning side by -side, follow each other, war against each other, or, on the contrary, -are each developed separately, associate with themselves new ideas which -complete or serve as commentary, and at the end of the work are blended -in an immense triumphal chant."[35] It would be idle, then, to attempt -to characterize these themes as though they were dramatic motives. One -can say, however, that two decided elements of musical expression are -strongly opposed to each other. - -The first movement is made up of two distinct parts: a slow -introduction, in which the themes appear at first in the state of simple -cells, and a lively movement. - -I. _Extrêmement lent. Très vif._ B flat major, 4-2. Violoncellos and -double basses, doubled by harps, announce an initial and somber theme of -almost sluggish rhythm. The flute replies with a phrase whose chief -characteristic is an ascending leap of a seventh, a progression dear to -the composer. This phrase is the second principal theme of the symphony. -The phrase may be resolved in this instance into two distinct elements: -the descending fourth--B flat to F sharp--which, with its own peculiar -rhythm, is a cell that later on will assume great importance; the -ascending seventh, which will play a dominating part and appear again -throughout the work as a song of despair, a burst of the determined -will. The second theme may then be considered as a sort of embryonic -form which contains the chief elements of the symphony. The initial -theme, on the contrary, will almost always keep a closer resemblance to -itself; there will be numberless changes, melodic or rhythmic -transformations, but its particular physiognomy will not be lost. - -A _tutti_ of some measures leads by a rapid _crescendo_ to the main -body, _très vif_, 3-4. A horn, accompanied by second violins and violas, -announces a new theme, which belongs exclusively to this movement. The -first two notes of this motive are the descending fourth, the first cell -of the second chief theme. The second section of the new theme furnishes -material for an abrupt and jerky figure, given soon afterwards to the -wood-wind. - -II. _Modérément lent._ D flat major, 6-4. The second movement begins -with an announcement by the first violins of the second principal theme -(descending fourth). The bass clarinet sings the rest of the motive, -which is taken up by the strings. These first measures prepare the -reëntrance of the same theme under a form (6-4) already used in the -first movement. A new figure appears, which will be found in the -_finale_. The development brings a modulation to E major, and harps give -out a strongly rhythmed motive in that tonality. This motive will be -employed in the _scherzo_. The dotted, characteristic rhythm is now kept -up, while the oboe, then the clarinet, and also other instruments, sing -in turn an expressive theme; on the conclusion of it is the first new -theme of this movement, which in turn is a prolongation of the theme -(6-4) of the first movement. - -III. _Modéré_, D minor, 2-4. A solo viola chants a theme of archaic -character, which reminds one of some old legend's air. The flute hints -at the strongly rhythmed theme of the preceding movement, but the -archaic tune is developed and interrupted suddenly by the horns -proclaiming the initial theme, sadly changed and of greatly diminished -importance. There is a fantastic whirlwind in the strings, and above it -a bold theme is given out by the wood-wind. The strongly rhythmed theme -appears almost immediately afterwards, and is added to the whirling -triplets. There is a comparative lull, and the bold theme is now given -out at length by the small trumpet, after which there is an orchestral -explosion. Then the archaic tune appears, rhythmed curiously in 3-8, -"after the manner of a pantomimic dance," and played by flutes and then -bassoons; harp harmonics and the triangle give additional color to this -episode. - -IV. _Introduction, fugue, et finale._ The general form of this last -movement is that of a rondo preceded by an introduction in two parts -(introduction and fugue). In the introduction to the fugue all the chief -thematic ideas of the preceding movements are recalled one by one, -either by solo instruments or by groups of instruments. - -The subject of the fugue is the expressive theme first sung by the oboe -in the second movement, but now the theme is lengthened by an ascending -arabesque. The final association of the two themes, already hinted at -the beginning of the second movement by the appearance of a figure -common to them both, is now frankly declared. This subject, persisting -to the end of the fugue, brings in a lively movement, 5-4, the true -_finale_. The oboe sings the first new theme of the second movement. The -instrumental complications become more elaborate. The strongly rhythmed -theme presents itself, and then a brand-new motive appears, interrupted -by echoes of the archaic melody. This new theme prepares the return of -the initial motive, which strengthens itself in canon form. The fugue -subject creeps about the whole orchestra, while a more aggressive form -of the often used theme of the second movement soars above. The -brand-new theme returns, and once more ushers in the initial theme in -the bass, while the second chief or cyclic theme is announced above. -This is the final struggle of the two. The fugue subject soon reappears, -and leads to a brilliant burst of the whole orchestra. The second chief -or cyclic theme is then used as a broadly proportioned chorale, whose -bass is the initial theme, now subdued and definitely associated with -the triumph of the second theme. This triumph is thrice proclaimed in -the peroration, and, between the proclamations, the archaic theme, with -its characteristic initial fifth, is heard in the wood-wind. - - - - - SYMPHONIC VARIATIONS, "ISTAR," OP. 42 - - -_Istar_, the _Symphony on a Mountain Air_, and _A Summer Day on the -Mountain_ were composed in the period of d'Indy's life when he was -concerned chiefly with making music, and not telling young composers how -it should be made. Those three compositions, with the Symphony in B flat -major, will represent him honorably in the years to come. One should not -underrate his work as a teacher, his high ideals. His technic did not -leave him in his later works, but his brain was more in evidence than -any source of emotion. Maurice Boucher, speaking of Debussy being drawn -instinctively toward the French poets contemporaneous with him (the -poems of Rossetti and the dramas of Maeterlinck also attracted him) said -that d'Indy "by his temperament was borne toward doctrinal discussions." -In _Istar_, though his technical skill is brilliantly in evidence, there -is pure music from the beginning to the end. It is true that the -withholding of the theme in its full glory to the end might be called a -"stunt," as Ravel's _Bolero_ is a stunt, but d'Indy's is the legitimate, -inevitable crowning of the work; Ravel's was designed chiefly to create -curiosity with a final surprise, and the _Bolero_ once known does not -bear repeated hearings, for the effect, once known, is afterward -discounted if not wholly lost. - - * * * - -This composition was first brought out in Brussels, and led by Eugène -Ysaye, on January 10, 1897; it was performed in Chicago and led by -Theodore Thomas on April 23, 1898. The variations--the work is -practically a symphonic poem--are scored for piccolo, two flutes, two -oboes, English horn, two clarinets and bass clarinet, three bassoons, -four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, -cymbals, triangle, two harps, and strings. They are dedicated to the -Orchestral Society of the Ysaye Concerts. - -William Foster Apthorp translated the verses on the title-page as -follows: - - _Toward the immutable land Istar, daughter of Sin, bent her steps, - toward the abode of the dead, toward the seven-gated abode where He - entered, toward the abode whence there is no return._ - - . . . . . . - - _At the first gate, the warder stripped her; he took the high tiara - from her head._ - - _At the second gate, the warder stripped her; he took the pendants - from her ears._ - - _At the third gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the precious - stones that adorn her neck._ - - _At the fourth gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the jewels - that adorn her breast._ - - _At the fifth gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the girdle - that encompasses her waist._ - - _At the sixth gate, the warder stripped her; he took rings from her - feet, the rings from her hands._ - - _At the seventh gate, the warder stripped her; he took off the last - veil that covers her body._ - - . . . . . . - - _Istar daughter of Sin went into the immutable land, she took and - received the Waters of Life. She gave the sublime Waters, and thus, in - the presence of all, delivered the Son of Life, her young lover._ - -The variations begin _très lent_, F minor, 4-4, with a somber motive -(first horn). The violas and clarinets, accompanied by wood-wind -instruments in syncopated rhythm, answer with a second motive, and there -is a modulation to F major. The variations, as Mr. Apthorp says, have -one wholly original peculiarity: "The theme is not given out simply at -the beginning, neither is it heard in its entirety until the last -variation, in which it is sung by various groups of instruments in -unison and octaves, and worked up later in full harmony. Each one of the -variations represents one of the seven stages of Istar's being disrobed -at the gates of the 'immutable land,' until in the last she stands forth -in the full splendor of nudity. The composition is so free as to resent -technical analysis; but by following the poem, and noting the garment or -ornament taken off, the listener can appreciate the composer's poetic or -picturesque suggestiveness in his music." - -M. Lambinet, a professor at a Bordeaux public school, chose in 1905 the -text "Pro Musica" for his prize-day speech. He told the boys that the -first thing the study of music would teach them would be logic. "In -symphonic development logic plays as great a part as sentiment. The -theme is a species of axiom, full of musical truth, whence proceed -deductions. The musician deals with sounds as the geometrician with -lines and the dialectician with arguments." The master went on to -remark: "A great modern composer, M. Vincent d'Indy, has reversed the -customary process in his symphonic poem _Istar_. He by degrees unfolds -from initial complexity the simple idea which was wrapped up therein, -and appears only at the close, like Isis unveiled, like a scientific law -discovered and formulated." The speaker found this happy definition for -such a musical work--"an inductive symphony." - - - - - FRANZ - LISZT - - - (Born at Raiding, near Oedenburg, Hungary, October 22, 1811; died at - Bayreuth, July 31, 1886) - -Liszt suffered as a composer from foolish adulation and still more -absurd denunciation. It was not so many years ago that otherwise -fair-minded musicians, professors in conservatories, composers of smug, -respectable music, pianists and violinists of nimble fingers and -lukewarm blood, would leave the concert hall with an air whenever one of -Liszt's works was about to be performed. Liszt also suffered from -admiring friends who helped themselves to his musical thoughts, to his -new forms of musical expression, and using them for their own advantage, -were applauded by the crowd, while Liszt himself was ignored or flouted. -How much of Liszt there is in Richard Wagner's best! - -Programme music has existed from the early days of the art. No doubt -David's performance before Saul had some definite programme; but the -symphonic poem as it is now known was invented and shaped by Liszt, and -he has influenced in this respect composers of every nation. The modern -Russians all hark back to Berlioz and Liszt. The more recent Germans and -even the modern French were made possible by this Hungarian, who, in -Paris, Weimar, or Rome, was first of all a citizen of the world. In the -mass of his compositions there is mysticism that is vague and -insignificant; there is affected simplicity that is as childish prattle; -there is pathos that is bathos; eloquence sometimes degenerates into -bombast; there is frequently the odor of tanbark, the vision of the -ringmaster cracking his whip and the man in tights and spangles leaping -through paper hoops or kissing his hand from the trapeze. Liszt was -first famous as a virtuoso, and as Edward MacDowell once said, in every -virtuoso there is the possibility of the rope dancer; it is in his -blood. - -The faults of Liszt as a composer are open to everyone. When they lie in -the music for the piano they have been too often exaggerated by the -"Liszt pupil." Nor have orchestral conductors always been fortunate in -the interpretation of the greater works; they have been intoxicated by -the pomp or fury and were unable to draw the line between sonority and -vulgarity. - -We are inclined to judge a master of years gone by as though he were a -contemporary, and forgetting that he in his day was a daring innovator, -a revolutionary, we cry out against his music as trite and moribund. -Certain forms of Liszt's expression, forms that recall the reign of -Rossini or Meyerbeer, are now distasteful to us, as are certain formulas -of Wagner. Excessive modernity contains the seeds of early death. But -the architecture that Liszt devised is still strong and beautiful, and -is today a model for others who delight in strange ornamentation. The -world of music owes Liszt a debt that it will be long in paying, and, as -other debtors, it often forgets what it owes and abuses the creditor. - -The years go by and the generosity, the loving-kindness, the nobility of -Liszt, the man, are more and more clearly revealed. His purse, advice, -assistance were ever ready. He would not cringe or flatter. His art was -a religion. He was one of the very few composers that stood at ease in -the presence of the mighty and were not snobbish toward the unfortunate, -the misunderstood, the unappreciated. As a man in the world of his art -he is therefore to be ranked with Handel and Hector Berlioz. - - - - - A "FAUST" SYMPHONY IN THREE CHARACTER PICTURES (AFTER GOETHE) - - - I. Faust - II. Gretchen - III. Mephistopheles - -Perhaps in the first movement there are a few passages that might be cut -out or condensed, but no one would wish the movement "Gretchen" to be -changed in any way; of all the music that is associated with the -innocent maiden of Goethe's poem, this is surely the most expressive, -the most beautiful. The remorseful, crazed Gretchen is not in Liszt's -picture. We find her in the prison music of Boïto. And how paltry does -the music of Mephistopheles conceived by Gounod seem in comparison with -the ironical fiend of Liszt, mocking the doubts and the aspirations of -the disillusionized philosopher! - - * * * - -Liszt told his biographer, Lina Ramann,[36] that the idea of this -symphony came to him in Paris in the 'forties, and was suggested by -Berlioz's _Damnation of Faust_. (Berlioz's work was produced at the -Opéra-Comique, December 6, 1846.) Lina Ramann's biography is eminently -unsatisfactory, and in some respects untrustworthy, but there is no -reason to doubt her word in this instance. Some have said that Liszt was -inspired by Ary Scheffer's pictures to illustrate Goethe's _Faust_. -Peter Cornelius stated that Liszt was incited to his work by seeing the -pictures "in which Scheffer had succeeded in giving a bodily form to the -three leading characters in Goethe's poem." As a matter of fact, we -believe, Scheffer did not portray Mephistopheles. Scheffer (1795-1858) -was a warm friend of Liszt, and made a portrait of him in 1837, which is -in the Liszt Museum at Weimar. - -But Liszt made in the 'forties no sketches of his symphony. The music -was composed in 1853-54; it was revised in 1857, when the final chorus -was added. The _Faust_ symphony is scored for three flutes (and -piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three -trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, cymbals, triangle, -harp, strings, and male chorus with tenor solo. In the revised and -unpublished version the bass clarinet is used, but only for a few -measures. - -Miss Ramann admits frankly that the symphony is, without the final -chorus, merely a series of musical "Faust pictures," as the pictures by -Kaulbach, Kreling, and others, are in art; but without the chorus it -does not reproduce the lyrical contents of the main idea of the poem -itself. - -I. "Faust." Some find in this movement five leading motives, each one of -which portrays a characteristic of Faust or one of his fixed moods. The -more conservative speak of first and second themes, subsidiary themes, -and conclusion themes. However the motives are ticketed or numbered, -they appear later in various metamorphoses. - -The movement begins with a long introduction, _lento assai_, 4-4. "A -chain of dissonances," with free use of augmented fifths (muted violas -and violoncellos), has been described as the "Inquiry" theme, and the -bold greater seventh (oboe) is also supposed to portray Faust, the -disappointed philosopher. "These motives have here the expression of -perplexed musing and painful regret at the vanity of the efforts made -for the realization of cherished aspirations." - -An _allegro impetuoso_, 4-4. Violins attack, and, after the interruption -of reeds and horns, rush along and are joined by wind instruments. The -"Inquiry" motive is sounded. The music grows more and more intense. A -bassoon, _lento assai_, gives out the "Faust" motive and introduces the -main body of the movement: - -_Allegro agitato ed appassionato assai_, C minor, 4-4. The first theme, -a violently agitated motive, is of kin in character to a leading theme -of the composer's symphonic poem, _Prometheus_, which was composed in -1850 and revised in 1855. This theme comes here for the first time, -except for one figure, a rising inflection at the end of the first -phrase, which has been heard in the introduction. It is developed at -length, and is repeated in a changed form by the whole orchestra. A new -theme enters in passionate appeal (oboes and clarinets in dialogue with -bassoons, violoncellos, and double basses), while the first violins -bring back the sixteenth note figure of the first theme of the main -section. This second theme with subsidiary passage-work leads to an -episode, _meno mosso, misterioso e molto tranquillo_, 6-4. The "Inquiry" -theme in the introduction is developed in modulating sequence by -clarinet and some of the strings, while there are sustained harmonies in -wind instruments and ascending passages in muted violins and violas. But -the "Inquiry" theme has not its original and gnarled form: it is calmer -in line and it is more remote. Another theme comes in, _affettuoso poco -andante_, E major, 7-4 (3-4, 4-4), which has been called the "Love" -theme, as typical of Faust with Gretchen. This theme is based on the -"Faust" motive heard near the beginning of the introduction from wind -instruments. In this movement it is said to portray Gretchen, while in -the "Gretchen" movement it portrays Faust; and this theme is burlesqued -continually in the third movement, "Mephistopheles." The short theme -given to wind instruments is interrupted by a figure for solo viola, -which later in the symphony becomes a part of the theme itself. The -"Faust-Gretchen" motive is developed in wood-wind and horns, with -figures for violins and violas. Passage-work follows, and parts of the -first theme appear, _allegro con fuoco_, 4-4. The music grows more and -more passionate, and the rhythm of the wind instruments more pronounced. -There is a transition section, and the basses allude to the last of the -themes, the fifth according to some, the conclusion theme as others -prefer, _grandioso, poco meno mosso_, which is given out _fortissimo_ by -the full orchestra. It is based on the initial figure of the violas and -violoncellos in the introduction. The exposition section of the movement -is now complete. The free fantasia, if the following section may be so -called, begins with the return of "_tempo primo--allegro agitato -assai_," and the working out of thematic material is elaborate. There is -a repetition section, or rather a recapitulation of the first, third, -and fourth themes. The _coda_ ends sadly with the "Faust" motive in -augmentation. - -II. "Gretchen." _Andante soave_, A flat major, 3-4. The movement has an -introduction (flutes and clarinets), which establishes a mood. The chief -theme, "characteristic of the innocence, simplicity, and contented -happiness of Gretchen," may be called the "Gretchen" theme. It is sung -(_dolce semplice_) by the oboe with only a solo viola accompaniment. The -theme is then given to other instruments and with another accompaniment. -The repeated phrase of flutes and clarinet, answered by violins, is -supposed by some commentators to have reference to Gretchen's plucking -the flower, with the words, "He loves me--loves me not," and at last, -"He loves me!" The chief theme enters after this passage, and it now has -a fuller expression and deeper significance. A second theme, typical of -Gretchen, is sung by first violins, _dolce amoroso_; it is more -emotional, more sensuous. Here there is a suggestion of a figure in the -introduction. This theme brings the end to the first section, which is -devoted exclusively to Gretchen. - -Faust now enters, and his typical motive is heard (horn with agitated -viola and violoncello accompaniment). The "Faust-Gretchen" motive of the -first movement is used, but in a very different form. The restless theme -of the opening movement is now one of enthusiastic love. The striking -modulations that followed the first "Gretchen" theme occur again, but in -different keys, and Faust soon leaves the scene. The third section of -the movement is a much modified repetition of the first section. -Gretchen now has memories of her love. A tender violin figure now winds -about her theme. Naturally, the "He loves me--loves me not" music is -omitted, but there is a reminiscence of the "Faust" motive. - -III. "Mephistopheles." Mephistopheles is here the spirit of demoniacal -irony. Mr. Apthorp, after saying that the prevalence of triple rhythms -in the movement might lead one, but in vain, to look for something of -the _scherzo_ form in it, adds: "One may suspect the composer of taking -Mephisto's '_Ich bin der Geist der stets verneint_' ('I am the spirit -that denies') for the motto of this movement; somewhat in the sense of -A. W. Ambros when he said of Jacques Offenbach in speaking of his -opera-bouffes: 'All the subjects which artists have hitherto turned to -account, and in which they have sought their ideals, must here be pushed -_ad absurdum_; we feel as if Mephisto were ironically smiling at us in -the elegant mask of "a man of the times," and asking us whether the -whole baggage of the Antique and the Romantic were worth a rap.'" - - -It is not at all improbable that Liszt took the idea of Mephistopheles -parodying the themes of Faust and Gretchen from the caricature of the -motive of the fixed idea and from the mockery of the once loved one in -the _finale_ of Berlioz's _Episode in the Life of an Artist_, or -_Fantastic_ symphony. - -There are no new themes introduced in the "Mephistopheles" movement. - -As Miss Ramann says, Mephistopheles' character in this music is to be -without character. His sport is to mock Faust as typified by his themes; -but he has no power over the "Gretchen" themes, and they are left -undisturbed. - -Ernest Newman[37] finds the "Mephistopheles" section particularly -ingenious. "It consists, for the most part, of a kind of burlesque upon -the subjects of the _Faust_ which are here passed, as it were, through a -continuous fire of irony and ridicule. This is a far more effective way -of depicting 'the spirit of denial' than making him mouth a farrago of -pantomime bombast, in the manner of Boïto. The being who exists, for the -purpose of the drama, only in endeavoring to frustrate every good -impulse of Faust's soul, is really best dealt with, in music, not as a -positive individuality, but as the embodiment of negation--a malicious, -saturnine parody of all the good that has gone to the making of Faust. -The 'Mephistopheles' is not only a piece of diabolically clever music, -but the best picture we have of a character that in the hands of the -average musician becomes either stupid, or vulgar, or both. As we listen -to Liszt's music, we feel that we really have the Mephistopheles of -Goethe's drama." - -_Allegro vivace ironico_, C major, 2-4. There is a short pictorial -introduction, an ascending chromatic run (violoncellos and double -basses, chords for wood-wind, strings, with cymbals and triangle). There -are ironical forms of the "Faust" and "Inquiry" motives, and the _sempre -allegro_ in which these themes appear leads to the main body of the -movement, _allegro vivace_, 6-8, 2-4. The theme is the first of the -first movement, and it now appears in a wildly excited form. Interrupted -by the "Faust" motive, it goes on with still greater stress and fury. -Transitional passages in the movement return in strange disguise. An -episode _un poco animato_ follows with an abrupt use of the "Faust" -motive, and the "Inquiry" motive, reappearing, is greeted with jeers and -fiendish laughter. The violas have a theme evolved from the "Faust" -motive, which is then given to the violins and becomes the subject of -fugal treatment. _Allegro animato_; the grandiose fifth, or conclusion, -theme of the first movement is now handled most flippantly. There is a -tempestuous _crescendo_, and then silence; muted horns sustain the chord -of C minor, while strings _pizzicati_ give out the "Inquiry" motive. -"The passage is as a warning apparition." The hellish mockery breaks out -again. Some find the music now inspired by an episode in Goethe's -Walpurgis scene. In the midst of the din, wood-wind instruments utter a -cry, as when Faust exclaimed, "Mephistopheles, do you see yonder a pale, -beautiful child, standing alone?... I must confess it seems to me that -she looks like the good Gretchen." The music ascends in the violins, -grows softer and softer. _Andante_; the oboe sings the "Gretchen" theme. -The vision quickly fades. Again an outbreak of despair, and there is a -recapitulation of preceding musical matter. In the _allegro non troppo_ -the "Faust" theme is chiefly used. "And then things grow more and more -desperate, till we come to what we may call the transformation scene. It -is like the rolling and shifting of clouds, and, indeed, transports us -from the abode of mortal man to more ethereal spheres." The wild -dissonances disappear; there is a wonderful succession of sustained -chords. _Poco andante, ma sempre alla breve_: the "Gretchen" theme is -colored mysteriously; trombones make solemn declaration. Gretchen is now -Faust's redeemer. The male chorus, _Chorus mysticus_, accompanied by -organ and strings, sings to the strain announced by the trombones, -_andante mistico_, the lines of Goethe: - - _Alles Vergängliche - Ist nur ein Gleichniss; - Das Unzulängliche, - Hier wird's Erreigniss; - Das Unbeschreibliche, - Hier ist's gethan; - Das Ewig-Weibliche - Zieht uns hinan._ - -The solo tenor and chorus sing: "_Das Ewig-Weibliche zieht uns hinan_" -(with the "Gretchen" motive rhythmically altered and with harp added to -the accompaniment), and the work ends radiantly calm. - -These lines have been Englished in prose: "All that is transitory is -only a simile; the insufficient here becomes event; the indescribable is -here done; the Ever feminine draws us onward." It was Liszt's intention, -Brendel tells us, to have this chorus invisible at the first -performance, but, inasmuch as it would have been necessary at Weimar to -have it sung behind the lowered curtain, he feared the volume would be -too weak. - - - - - SYMPHONIC POEM, NO. 3, "LES PRÉLUDES" (AFTER LAMARTINE) - - -According to statements of Richard Pohl, this symphonic poem was begun -at Marseilles in 1834 and completed at Weimar in 1850, According to L. -Ramann's chronological catalogue of Liszt's works, _The Preludes_ was -composed in 1854 and published in 1856. - -Theodor Müller-Reuter says that the poem was composed at Weimar in -1849-50 from sketches made in earlier years, and this statement seems to -be the correct one. - -Ramann tells the following story about the origin of _The Preludes_. -Liszt, it seems, began to compose at Paris, about 1844, choral music for -a poem by Aubray, and the work was entitled _Les 4 Éléments_ (_la -Terre_, _les Aquilons_, _les Flots_, _les Astres_). The cold stupidity -of the poem discouraged him, and he did not complete the cantata. He -told his troubles to Victor Hugo, in the hope that the poet would take -the hint and write for him; but Hugo did not or would not understand his -meaning, so Liszt put the music aside. Early in 1854 he thought of using -the abandoned work for a Pension Fund concert of the Court Orchestra at -Weimar, and it then occurred to make the music, changed and enlarged, -illustrative of a passage in Lamartine's _Nouvelles Méditations -poétiques, XVme Méditation: "Les Préludes,"_ dedicated to Victor Hugo. - -The symphonic poem _Les Préludes_ was performed for the first time in -the Grand Ducal Court Theater, Weimar, at a concert for the Pension Fund -of the widows and orphans of deceased members of the Court Orchestra on -February 23, 1854. Liszt conducted from manuscript. - -Liszt revised _Les Préludes_ in 1853 or 1854. The score was published in -May, 1856; the orchestral parts, in January, 1865. - -The alleged passage from Lamartine that serves as a motto has thus been -Englished: - -"What is our life but a series of preludes to that unknown song, the -first solemn note of which is sounded by death? Love forms the enchanted -daybreak of every life; but what is the destiny where the first delights -of happiness are not interrupted by some storm, whose fatal breath -dissipates its fair illusions, whose fell lightning consumes its altar? -and what wounded spirit, when one of its tempests is over, does not seek -to rest its memories in the sweet calm of country life? Yet man does not -resign himself long to enjoy the beneficent tepidity which first charmed -him on Nature's bosom; and when 'the trumpet's loud clangor has called -him to arms,' he rushes to the post of danger, whatever may be the war -that calls him to the ranks, to find in battle the full consciousness of -himself and the complete possession of his strength." There is little in -Lamartine's poem that suggests this preface. The quoted passage -beginning "The trumpet's loud clangor" is Lamartine's "_La trompette a -jeté le signal des alarmes_." - -_The Preludes_ is scored for three flutes (and piccolo), two oboes, two -clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, bass -tuba, kettledrums, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, harp, and strings. - - - - - PIANOFORTE CONCERTO, NO. 1, IN E FLAT - - -Liszt's E flat concerto, long the subject of scurrilous criticism -because forsooth a triangle was indicated in the score, has long been -the virtuoso concerto _par excellence_. But its virtuosity is of an -unusual order. It does not display its innate quality to the precise and -composed technician; it cannot be played complacently or casually. It -demands an audacious, unhesitating bravura, large rhetorical phrases, -bold accents, and a careless contempt for its difficulties. Its octave -_cadenzas_ suggest the remorseless dash of an eagle upon its prey. - - * * * - -This concerto was completed probably in 1848 or 1849, from sketches made -in the early 'forties. According to a letter of Hans von Bülow's, the -concerto was completed in June, 1849. Revised in 1853, it was published -in 1857. The first performance was at Weimar, at a Court concert in the -hall of the Grand Duke's palace (during the Berlioz week), on February -17, 1855; Liszt, pianist; Bülow, conductor. The concerto is dedicated to -Henri Litolff. The orchestral part is scored for piccolo, two flutes, -two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, three -trombones, kettledrums, cymbals, triangle, and the usual strings. - -The form is free. A few important themes are exposed, developed; they -undergo many transformations in rhythm and tempo. The first and leading -theme is at once given out imperatively by the strings, with -interrupting chords of wood-wind and brass. This is the theme to which -Liszt used to sing: "_Das versteht ihr alle nicht!_"--according to Bülow -and Ramann, "_Ihr Könnt alle nichts_." This theme may be taken as the -motto of the concerto. _Allegro maestoso, tempo giusto_, 4-4. The second -theme, B major, _quasi adagio_, 12-8, is first announced by muted -violoncellos and double basses and then developed elaborately by the -pianoforte. There are hints of this theme in the preceding section. The -third theme, E flat minor, _allegretto vivace_, 3-4, in the nature of a -_scherzo_, is first given to the strings, with preliminary warning and -answers of the triangle, which, the composer says, should be struck with -delicately rhythmic precision. The fourth theme is rather an answer to -the chief phrase of the second than an individual motive. The _scherzo_ -tempo changes to _allegro animato_, 4-4, in which use is made chiefly of -the motto theme. The final section is an _allegro marziale animato_, -which quickens to a final _presto_. - -The introduction of the triangle in the score caused great offense in -Vienna. Hanslick damned the work by characterizing it as a "'Triangle' -concerto," when Pruckner played it there in the season of 1856-57. It -was not heard again in that city until 1869, when Sophie Menter insisted -on playing it. Liszt wrote a letter in 1857 describing the concerto and -defending his use of the triangle. - - - - - CHARLES MARTIN - LOEFFLER - - - (Born at Mühlhausen [Alsace], January 30, 1861; died at Medfield, - Mass., May 19, 1935) - - - - - "A PAGAN POEM" (AFTER VIRGIL), OP. 14, FOR ORCHESTRA, PIANOFORTE, - ENGLISH HORN, AND THREE TRUMPETS OBBLIGATI - - -The music of the _Pagan Poem_ is highly imaginative. Its pages are pages -of beauty and passion. The strangeness of the opening is not forced or -experimental. The composer himself first saw in his mind's eye the scene -and heard the sorcerer's chant. And here is no love song of familiar -type given to caterwauling 'cellos. There is no conventional lament of -approved crape and tears. A dolorous theme, broadly and nobly thought, -is sung by the English horn. The spell works. Daphnis now hastens toward -the long empty and expectant arms. There is frantic and amorous -exultation. - -In this instance a rich and rare orchestral dress covers a well shaped -and vigorous body. - - * * * - -This tone poem was suggested to Mr. Loeffler by certain verses in the -eighth Eclogue of Virgil, which is sometimes known as "Pharmaceutria" -(the Sorceress). The Eclogue, dedicated to Pollio, was written probably -in 39 B.C. It consists of two love songs, that of Damon and that of -Alphesiboeus. Each song has ten parts, and these parts are divided by a -recurring burden or refrain. Alphesiboeus tells of the love incantation -of a Thessalian girl, who by the aid of magical spells endeavors to -bring back to her cottage her truant lover Daphnis. Virgil helped -himself freely here from the second Idyll of Theocritus, "The -Sorceress," in which Simaetha, a Syracuse maiden of middle rank, weaves -spells to regain the love of Delphis. - -Mr. Loeffler does not intend to present in this music a literal -translation of Virgil's verse into tones. The poem is a fantasy, -inspired by the verses. - -The poem opens, _adagio_, 2-2, with a short motive, which, with an -inversion of it, is much used throughout the work. The first chief theme -is announced dolce, _mezzo-forte_, by viola solo and three flutes. It -may be called the theme of invocation. The latter half of it may be -divided into two motives, the first a phrase descending in whole tones, -the second a rising and falling wail. These two motives are used -separately and frequently in all sorts of ways. After the exposition of -this theme the pianoforte enters _fortissimo_ with a harmonized -inversion of the introductory motive; a _crescendo_ follows with use of -the foregoing thematic material, and a _glissando_ for the pianoforte -leads to an _allegro_, in which now familiar thematic material is used -until the second theme appears (first violins, harp, pianoforte). This -theme is developed. A pianoforte _cadenza_ built on thematic material -leads to a _lento assai_, 6-4, with a dolorous theme (No. 3) for the -English horn. The trumpets behind the scenes give out the burden of the -sorceress. The _più vivo_ section may suggest to some a chase of wolves -("I have often seen Moeris become a wolf and plunge into the forest"). -_Tranquillo_: a fourth theme, 4-4, is given to the pianoforte. -_Calando_: the refrain is heard again from behind the scenes. -_Moderato_: the second chief theme, 6-4, now appears, and it is used -extensively. _Largamente_: the trumpets, now on the stage, announce the -coming of Daphnis, and there is the suggestion of the barking Hylax. The -ending is a fanfare of frantic exultation. - -This poem, dedicated to the memory of Gustave Schirmer, was written -originally in 1901 for performance as chamber music. - -In 1905 and 1906 the work was remoulded and treated much more -symphonically. The first public performance was by the Boston Symphony -Orchestra in Boston on November 23, 1927, Mr. Gebhard pianist. - -The poem is scored for three flutes (and piccolo), two oboes, English -horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, four horns, three -trumpets (and three trumpets off-stage), three trombones, bass tuba, -kettledrums, glockenspiel, tam-tam, harp, pianoforte, strings. - - - - - EDWARD - MacDOWELL - - - (Born in New York, December 18, 1861; died there, January 23, 1908) - - - - - ORCHESTRAL SUITE NO. 2, IN E MINOR, "INDIAN," OP. 48 - - - I. Legend - II. Love Song - III. In War Time - IV. Dirge - V. Village Festival - -The music has the characteristic force and tenderness of this composer -when he was writing for himself and not directly for the general public. -It is not necessary to lug in any question of whether this be -distinctively American music, for the best pages of the suite are not -parochial--they are not national. - -They are universal in their appeal to sensitive hearers of any land. The -movements that are the most poetically imaginative, that have the -greatest distinction, are the "Legend," "In War Time," and above all the -"Dirge." Music like this would honor any composer of whatever race he -might be. - -This lamentation might be that of the dying race. There is nothing of -the luxury of woe; there is no conventional music for "threadbare crape -and tears." There is the dignity of man who has been familiar with -nature, who has known the voices of the day and of the night on lonely -prairie and in somber forest. There is serene yielding to fate. - - * * * - -This suite was composed in 1891-92. The first performance in public was -by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the Metropolitan Opera House, New -York, January 23, 1896. - -The Indian themes used in the suite are as follows: - -1. First theme, Iroquois. There is also a small Chippewa theme. - -2. Iowa love song. - -3. A well-known song among tribes of the Atlantic coast. There is a -Dacota theme, and there are characteristic features of the Iroquois -scalp dance. - -4. Kiowa (woman's song of mourning for her absent son). - -5. Women's dance, war song, both Iroquois. - -The suite is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, -two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, a -set of three kettledrums, bass drum, cymbals, and strings. - -I. "Legend": Not fast; with much dignity and character, E minor, 2-2. It -has been said that this movement was suggested to the composer by Thomas -Bailey Aldrich's Indian legend, "Miantowona"; but MacDowell took no -pains to follow Aldrich's poem incident by incident, nor to tell any -particular story; "the poem merely suggested to him to write something -of a similar character in music." - -II. "Love Song": Not fast; tenderly, A major, 6-8. One chief theme, -which is announced immediately by the wood-wind, is developed, with the -use of two subsidiary phrases, one a sort of response from the strings, -the other a more assertive melody, first given out in D minor by -wood-wind instruments. - -III. "In War Time": With rough vigor, almost savagely, D minor, 2-4. The -chief theme is played by two flutes, in unison, unaccompanied. Two -clarinets, in unison and without accompaniment, answer in a subsidiary -theme. This material is worked out elaborately in a form that has the -characteristics of the _rondo_. The rhythm changes frequently towards -the end from 2-4 to 6-8 and back again. - -IV. "Dirge": Dirge-like, mournfully, in G minor, 4-4. The mournful chief -theme is given out by muted violins in unison, which are soon -strengthened by the violas, against repetitions of the tonic note G by -piccolo, flutes, and two muted horns, one on the stage, the other behind -the scenes, with occasional full harmony in groups of wind instruments. -"The intimate relation between this theme and that of the first movement -is not to be overlooked. It is answered by the horn behind the scenes -over full harmony in the lower strings, the passage closing with a -quaint concluding phrase of the oboe." The development of this theme -fills the short movement. - -V. "Village Festival": Swift and light, in E major, 2-4. Several related -themes are developed. All of them are more or less derived from that of -the first movement. There are lively dance rhythms. "But here also the -composer has been at no pains to suggest any of the specific -concomitants of Indian festivities; he has only written a movement in -which merrymakings of the sort are musically suggested." - - - - - GUSTAV - MAHLER - - - (Born at Kalischt in Bohemia, on July 7, 1860; died at Vienna on May - 18, 1911) - -Those who without undue prejudice discuss Mahler the composer, admitting -his faults, discussing them at length, dwelling on undeniable fine -qualities, assert that his artistic life was greater than his own -musical works, which, greatly planned, did not attain fulfillment and -were often imitative. The sincerity of the composer was never doubted; -the failure to secure that for which he strove is therefore the more -pathetic. - -He was of an intensely nervous nature. His life as a conductor--and he -was a great conductor--the feverish atmosphere of the opera house, his -going from city to city until his ability was recognized in Vienna and -later at the Metropolitan, the death of a dearly loved child, the fact -that he was a Jew, who had turned Catholic: these, with musical -intrigues and controversies from which he suffered, gave him no mental -or esthetic poise. It was his ambition to continue the work of men he -revered, Beethoven and Wagner. In spite of his indisputable talent he -was not the man to do this. In the nearer approaches to the ideal that -was in his mind he was simply an imitator; not a convincing, not even a -plausible one. - -One has found through his symphonies restlessness that at times becomes -hysterical; reminders of Wagner, Berlioz, Strauss; melodies in folk-song -vein, often naïve, at times beautiful, but introduced as at random and -quickly thrown aside; an overemployment of the wood-winds, used too -often as solo instruments; passages for the brass which recall the fact -that as a child Mahler delighted in military bands. Sudden changes from -screaming outbursts to thin and inconsequential instrumentation; trivial -moments when the hearer anticipates the movement of a country dance; -diffuseness, prolixity that becomes boresome; an unwillingness to bring -speech to an end; seldom genuine power or eloquence; yet here and there -measures that linger in the memory. - - - - - THE SYMPHONIES - - -No. 1. D major. Begun in December, 1883; completed at Budapest in 1888; -produced at Budapest, Mahler, conductor, on November 20, 1889; published -in 1898. The Budapest programme described it as a "symphonic poem in two -parts." When it was performed at the Tonkünstler Fest at Weimar on June -3, 1894, through the insistence of Richard Strauss and Dr. Kretzschmar, -it was known as "_Titan_" (after Jean Paul Richter's romance). - -No. 2. C minor. Begun and completed in 1894. First performed at a -Philharmonic Concert in Berlin, Richard Strauss, conductor, on March 4, -1895. Only the three instrumental movements were then performed. The -second and third met with great favor; Mahler was called out five times -after the _scherzo_. The majority of the Berlin critics distorted or -suppressed this fact and represented the performance as a fiasco. The -whole of the symphony was performed for the first time at Mahler's -concert at Berlin on December 13, 1895. According to Ernst Otto -Nodnagel, the critics again behaved "indecently"; took the purely -orchestral movements for granted, and heard only the _finale_ with the -tenor and contralto solos. One of them spoke of "the cynical impudence -of this brutal and very latest music maker." Nikisch and Weingartner -were deeply impressed, and the greater part of the audience was wildly -enthusiastic. - -No. 3. F major, known as the "_Summer Morning's Dream_," or -"_Programme_" symphony. Sketched in 1895, completed in 1896. Produced -piecemeal in 1896 at Berlin and Hamburg; in 1897 at Berlin. First -performance of the whole symphony at a concert of the Allgemeiner -Deutscher Musikverein at Krefeld in June, 1902. Published in 1898. - -No. 4. G major. Composed in 1899-1900. First performance at Munich by -the Kaim Orchestra on November 28, 1901. Mahler conducted. Published in -1900. - -No. 5. C-sharp minor, known as "_The Giant_" Symphony. Completed in -1902. First performance at a Gürzenich concert in Cologne, October 18, -1904. - -No. 6. A minor. Composed in 1903-04. Performed under Mahler's direction -at the Tonkünstler Fest at Essen on May 27, 1906. Published in 1905. - -No. 7. E minor. Composed in 1904-06. Produced at Prague on September 19, -1908. Mahler conducted. Published in 1908. - -No. 8. In two parts, with soli and double chorus; first part, hymn, -"Veni, Creator Spiritus," as a sonata first movement, with double fugue; -second part, the last scenes of _Faust_, in form of an _adagio_, -_scherzo_, and _finale_. Composition begun in 1906. First performance at -Munich as "_Symphony of the Thousand_" on September 12, 1908, the year -of publication. - -No. 9. Begun in 1906. Produced at Vienna late in June, 1912, Bruno -Walter, conductor. The last movement is an _adagio_. - -No. 10. Composed in 1909-10; left unfinished by Mahler. First -performance at Prague on June 6, 1924, Alex von Zemlinsky, conductor. - -"_Das Lied von der Erde_" (Song of the Earth), a symphony in six parts -for tenor and contralto soli with orchestra, the text taken from _The -Chinese Flute_, a collection of Chinese lyrics by Hans Bethge. Composed -in 1908, first produced at Munich November 10, 1911, Bruno Walter, -conductor. - - -Some of Mahler's symphonies are described as programme music, but he was -no friend of realism as it is understood by Richard Strauss. Mahler was -reported as saying: "When I conceive a great musical picture, I always -arrive at the point where I must employ the 'word' as the bearer of my -musical idea.... My experience with the last movement of my second -symphony was such that I ransacked the literature of the world, up to -the Bible, to find the expository word." Though he differed with Strauss -in the matter of realistic music, he valued him highly: "No one should -think I hold myself to be his rival. Aside from the fact that, if his -success had not opened a path for me, I should now be looked on as a -sort of monster on account of my works, I consider it one of my greatest -joys that my colleagues and I have found such a comrade in fighting and -creating." - -One reason why Mahler's symphonies were looked at askance by conductors -was the enormous orchestra demanded. No. 2 called for as many strings as -possible, two harps, four flutes (interchangeable with four piccolos), -four oboes (two interchangeable with two English horns), five clarinets -(one interchangeable with bass clarinet--and when it is possible the two -in E flat should be doubled in _fortissimo_ passages), four bassoons -(one interchangeable with double bassoon), six horns (and four in the -distance to be added in certain passages to the six), six trumpets (four -in the distance, which may be taken from the six), four trombones, tuba, -two sets of kettledrums, bass drum, snare drum (when possible several of -them), cymbals, tam-tam of high pitch and one of low pitch, triangle, -glockenspiel, three bells, a Ruthe (a bundle of rods to switch a -drumhead), organ, two harps. In the distance a pair of kettledrums, bass -drum, cymbals, triangle. Soprano solo, contralto solo, mixed chorus. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 5, IN C SHARP MINOR IN THREE PARTS - - - I. 1. Dead March--with measured step--like a funeral train. - Suddenly faster, passionately, wildly. À tempo - 2. With stormy emotion. With utmost vehemence - II. 3. Scherzo. With force, but not too fast - III. 4. Adagietto, very slow - 5. Rondo finale: allegro - -The symphony is like unto the great image that stood before -Nebuchadnezzar in a vision. "And the form thereof was terrible. The -image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his -belly and his thighs of brass; his legs of iron, his feet part of iron -and part of clay." - -There are musical thoughts that are lovely and noble. By their side are -themes of a vulgarity that is masked only by adroit contrapuntal -treatment or by the blare of instrumentation which gives a plausible and -momentary importance. There is excessive reiteration of subjects and -devices, and the skill displayed in embellishment and variation of -orchestral color, color rather than nuance, does not relieve the -monotony. The opening is imposing, but the chief theme of the Dead March -disappoints. The first pages of the second section, "stormily restless," -are a stroke of genius, the free expression of wild imagination. There -are charming ideas in the _scherzo_, and there is also much that is only -whimsical, as though Mahler had then written solely for his own -amusement, and said to himself, "Let us try it this way. I wonder how it -will sound." The _adagietto_ is the most emotional portion of the work, -and here Mahler employed simple means. Here the thought and the -expression are happily wedded, nor does the ghost of Wagner, seen for a -moment smiling, forbid this union. It may be that in the _finale_ the -composer could not help remembering the wondrous theme, D major, in the -_adagio_ of Beethoven's Ninth symphony; but the resemblance is after all -only a suggestion, and this _finale_ in _rondo_ form, with the majestic -peroration, is worked so that there is a steady _crescendo_ of interest. -As a whole Mahler's symphony, with its mixture of the grand and the -common, with its spontaneity and its laborious artifice, is like unto -the great image referred to above. - - * * * - -This symphony, known to some as "_The Giant_" symphony, was performed -for the first time at a Gürzenich concert at Cologne, October 18, 1904. -The composer conducted. There was a difference of opinion concerning the -merits of the work. A visiting critic from Munich wrote that there was -breathless silence after the first movement, "which proved more -effectively than tremendous applause that the public was conscious of -the presence of genius." It is stated that after the _finale_ there was -much applause; there was also hissing. - -When the symphony was performed in certain German cities, as at Dresden, -January 27, 1905, at a symphony concert of the Royal Orchestra, and at -Berlin, February 20, 1905, at a Philharmonic concert, the programme -books contained no analytical notes and no argument of any sort. The -compilers thus obeyed the wish of the composer. Mr. Ludwig Schiedermair -tells us, in his _Gustav Mahler: eine biographisch-kritische Würdigung_, -of Mahler's abhorrence of all programme books for concert use, and he -relates this anecdote. Mahler conducted a performance of his Symphony in -C minor at a concert of the Munich Hugo Wolf Society. After the concert -there was a supper, and in the course of the conversation someone -mentioned programme books. "Then was it as though lightning flashed in a -joyous, sunny landscape. Mahler's eyes were more brilliant than ever, -his forehead wrinkled, he sprang in excitement from the table and -exclaimed in passionate tones: 'Away with programme books, which breed -false ideas! The audience should be left to its own thoughts over the -work that is performing: it should not be forced to read during the -performance; it should not be prejudiced in any manner. If a composer by -his music forces on his hearers the sensations which streamed through -his mind, then he reaches his goal. The speech of tones has then -approached the language of words, but it is far more capable of -expression and declaration.' And Mahler raised his glass and emptied it -with '_Pereat den Programmen!_'" - -Yet Mr. Mahler's enthusiastic admirer and partisan, Ernst Otto Nodnagel, -of Darmstadt, contributed to "Die Musik" (second November number and -first December number of 1904) a technical analysis of the Fifth -symphony, an analysis of twenty-three large octavo pages, with a -beautiful motto from Schiller. This analysis, published by Peters, and -sold for the sum of thirty pfennig, is within reach of the humblest. - -The symphony was completed in the spring of 1903. It was written in -1901-02 at his little country house near Maiernigg on Lake Wörther. -Other works of this date are the _Kindertotenlieder_ and other songs -with Rückert's verses. The symphony is scored for four flutes (and -piccolo), three oboes, three clarinets (and bass clarinet), two -bassoons, one double bassoon, six horns (in third movement a horn -obbligato), four trumpets, three trombones, tuba, kettledrums, snare -drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, Glockenspiel, gong, harp, and -strings. - -Let us respect the wishes of the composer who looked on analytical or -explanatory programmes as the abomination of desolation. Yet it may be -said that in the _rondo finale_, after the second chief motive enters as -the subject of a fugal section, one of the lesser themes used in the -development is derived from Mahler's song, "Lob des hohen Verstands" -(relating to the trial of skill between the nightingale and the cuckoo -with the ass as judge). - - - - - FELIX - MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY - - - (Born at Hamburg, February 3, 1809; died at Leipsic, November 4, 1847) - -Mendelssohn in his maturity wrote his music as he looks in his picture, -smiling and with a stickpin in his ruffled shirt. When at seventeen he -wrote his overture to _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, he was a romanticist. -What might he not have accomplished if he had been poor and less -respectable! He wrote this overture before he had been spoiled by -flattery; before he became a composer of priggish formulas. Aubrey -Beardsley pictured the later Mendelssohn in that forgotten magazine, the -_Savoy_. There you see the man that was shocked by the resurrection of -the nuns in _Robert the Devil_, by Terlina undressing in _Fra Diavolo_, -by Hugo's _Ruy Blas_, although he condescended to write an overture for -it. The spotless Mendelssohn who delighted Queen Victoria and her spouse -by playing the organ to them. But the overture to Shakespeare's comedy -is from another Mendelssohn, the composer of _The Hebrides_, portions of -the _Walpurgis Night_, not the man of the oratorios and the sentimental -_Songs without Words_. - - - - - SYMPHONY IN A MAJOR, "ITALIAN," OP. 90 - - - I. Allegro vivace - II. Andante con moto - III. Con moto moderato - IV. Saltarello: presto - -How much of Italy is there in this symphony of Mendelssohn? Suppose -there were no title. The last movement might easily be recognized as a -_saltarello_; but how about the other movements? The first is light and -gay, but there is no geographical or national mood at once established, -there is no authoritative characterization. I doubt whether even a -tambourine would be of material assistance. It was not necessary for the -composer to go to Naples to write the _andante_. As for the _scherzo_, -the horns with their pleasant sentimentalism might represent today -Germans in Rome, armed with red guide books, and now and then bursting -out in songs of the Fatherland, something about the forest, or spring, -or the blissfulness of sorrow and longing. The _saltarello_ part was -done much better by Berlioz. Compare this symphony, so far as local -color is concerned, with a page of Bizet painting in tones a Southern -scene, or with Richard Strauss' Italian suite, or with the suite of -Charpentier, and Mendelssohn's music seems without marked distinction, -rather tame and drab. Yet the first movement and the _finale_ are -amiable music, pages that may awaken a gentlemanlike joy, and there is -no denying the clearness of the musical thought, the purity of -expression, the sure and polished workmanship. - - * * * - -The symphony was completed in Berlin. Mendelssohn wrote to Pastor Bauer, -"My work about which I recently had many misgivings is completed, and, -looking it over, I now find that, contrary to my expectations, it -satisfies me. I believe it has become a good piece. Be that as it may, I -feel it shows progress, and that is the main point." The score bears the -date, Berlin, March 13, 1833. - -The first performance from manuscript and under the direction of the -composer was at the sixth concert of the Philharmonic Society that -season, May 13, 1833. "The concerts of the Society were this year, and -onward, given in the Hanover Square Rooms, which had just been -remodeled. The symphony made a great impression, and Felix electrified -the audience by his wonderful performance of Mozart's Concerto in D -minor, his _cadenzas_ being marvels in design and execution. His new -overture in C was produced at the last concert of the season." - -Mendelssohn began to revise the symphony in June, 1834. On February 16, -1835, he wrote to Klingemann that he was biting his nails over the first -movement and could not yet master it, but that in any event it should be -something different--perhaps wholly new--and he had this doubt about -every one of the movements. Towards the end of 1837 the revision was -completed. Whether the symphony in its new form was played at a -Philharmonic Society Concert in London, June 18, 1838, conducted by -Moscheles, is doubtful, although Moscheles asked him for it. The first -performance of the revised version on the European continent was at a -Gewandhaus concert, Leipsic, November 1, 1849, when Julius Rietz -conducted. The score and orchestral parts were not published until -March, 1851. - -Grove remarked of this work: "The music itself is better than any -commentary. Let that be marked, learned, and inwardly digested." - -Reismann found the first movement, _allegro vivace_, A major, 6-8, to be -a paraphrase of the so-called "Hunting Song" in the first group of -_Songs without Words_. The tonality is the same, and this is often -enough to fire the imagination of a commentator. The chief subject -begins with the violins in the second measure and is developed at -length. The second subject, E major, is for clarinets. The development -section begins with a new figure treated in imitation by the strings. -The chief theme is then used, with the second introduced contrapuntally. -In the recapitulation section the second theme is given to the strings. - -The second movement, _andante con moto_, D minor, 4-4, sometimes called -the "Pilgrims' March," but without any authority, is said "to have been -a processional hymn, which probably gave the name of '"_Italian_" -symphony' to the whole (!)." Lampadius remarks in connection with this: -"I cannot discover that the piece bears any mark of a decided Catholic -character, for, if I recollect rightly, I once heard Moscheles say that -Mendelssohn had in his mind as the source of this second movement an old -Bohemian folk song."[38] The two introductory measures suggested to -Grove "the cry of a muezzin from his minaret," but, pray, what has this -to do with Italy? The chief theme is given out by oboe, clarinet, and -violas. The violins take it up with counterpoint for the flutes. There -is a new musical idea for the clarinets. The first theme returns. The -two introductory measures are used with this material in the remainder -of the movement. - -The third movement is marked simply "_con moto moderato_" (A major, -3-4). "There is a tradition (said to originate with Mendelssohn's -brother-in-law, Hensel, but still of uncertain authority) that it was -transferred to its present place from some earlier composition. It is -not, however, to be found in either of the twelve unpublished juvenile -symphonies; and in the first rough draft of this symphony there is no -sign of its having been interpolated. In style the movement is, no -doubt, earlier than the rest of the work." The movement opens with a -theme for first violins; the trio with a passage for bassoons and horns. -The third part is a repetition of the first. In the _coda_ there is at -the end a suggestion of the trio. - -The _finale_ is a _saltarello, presto_, 4-4. There are three themes. The -flutes, after six introductory measures, play the first. In the second, -somewhat similar in character, the first and second violins answer each -other. The third is also given to the first and second violins -alternately, but now in the form of a continuously moving, not a jumping -figure. - -This _saltarello_ was undoubtedly inspired by the Carnival at Rome, of -which Mendelssohn gave a description in his letter of February 8, 1831. -"On Saturday all the world went to the Capitol, to witness the form of -the Jews' supplications to be suffered to remain in the Sacred City for -another year, a request which is refused at the foot of the hill, but, -after repeated entreaties, granted on the summit, and the Ghetto is -assigned to them. It was a tiresome affair; we waited two hours, and -after all, understood the oration of the Jews as little as the answer of -the Christians. I came down again in very bad humor, and thought that -the Carnival had begun rather unpropitiously. So I arrived in the Corso -and was driving along, thinking no evil, when I was suddenly assailed by -a shower of sugar comfits. I looked up; they had been flung by some -young ladies whom I had seen occasionally at balls, but scarcely knew, -and when in my embarrassment I took off my hat to bow to them, the -pelting began in right earnest. Their carriage drove on, and in the next -was Miss T----, a delicate young Englishwoman. I tried to bow to her, -but she pelted me, too; so I became quite desperate, and clutching the -confetti, I flung them back bravely. There were swarms of my -acquaintances and my blue coat was soon as white as that of a miller. -The B----s were standing on a balcony, flinging confetti like hail at my -head; and thus pelting and pelted, amid a thousand jests and jeers and -the most extravagant masks, the day ended with races." - -It is a singular reflection on "local color" in music that Schumann -mistook the "_Scotch_" symphony for the "_Italian_" and wrote of the -former: "It can, like the Italian scenes in _Titan_, cause you for a -moment to forget the sorrow of not having seen that heavenly country." -The best explanation of this Symphony No. 4, if there be need of any -explanation, is found in the letters of Mendelssohn from Italy. - - - - -OVERTURE AND INCIDENTAL MUSIC TO SHAKESPEARE'S LAY, "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S - DREAM" - - -Translations by Schlegel and Tieck of Shakespeare's plays were read by -Mendelssohn and his sister Fanny in 1826. The overture, _A Midsummer -Night's Dream_, was written in July and August of that year. - -Klingemann tells us that part of the score was written "in the summer, -in the open air, in the Mendelssohns' garden at Berlin, for I was -present." This garden belonged to a house in the Leipziger Strasse (No. -3). It was near the Potsdam gate, and when Abraham Mendelssohn, the -father, bought it, his friends complained that he was moving out of the -world. There was an estate of about ten acres. In the house was a room -for theatrical performances; and the center of the garden house formed a -hall which held several hundred, and it was here that Sunday music was -performed. In the time of Frederick the Great this garden was part of -the Thiergarten. In the summer-houses were writing materials, and Felix -edited a newspaper, called in summer _The Garden Times_, and in the -winter _The Snow and Tea Times_. - -Mendelssohn told Hiller that he had worked long and eagerly on the -overture: "How in his spare time between the lectures at the Berlin -University he had gone on extemporizing at it on the piano of a -beautiful woman who lived close by; 'for a whole year, I hardly did -anything else,' he said; and certainly he had not wasted his time." - -It is said that Mendelssohn made two drafts of the overture, and -discarded the earlier after he completed the first half. This earlier -draft began with the four chords and the fairy figure; then followed a -regular overture, in which use was made of a theme typical of the loves -of Lysander and Hermia, and of kin to the "love melody" of the present -version. - -The overture was first written as a pianoforte duet, and it was first -played to Moscheles in that form by the composer and his sister, -November 19, 1826. It was performed afterwards by an orchestra in the -garden house. The first public performance was at Stettin in February, -1827, from manuscript, when Karl Löwe conducted. The critic was not -hurried in those days, for an account of the concert appeared in the -_Harmonicon_ for December of that year. The critic had had time to think -the matter over, and his conclusion was that the overture was of little -importance. - -The overture was performed in England for the first time on June 24 -(Midsummer Day), 1829, at a concert given by Louis Drouet in the Argyll -Rooms. Sir George Smart, who returned from the concert with Mendelssohn, -left the score of the overture in a hackney coach. So the story is told; -but is it not possible that the blameless Mendelssohn left it? The score -was never found, and Mendelssohn rewrote it. The overture was played in -England for the first time in connection with Shakespeare's comedy at -London, in 1840, when Mme Vestris appeared in the performance at Covent -Garden. - -The orchestral parts were published in 1832; the score in April, 1835. -The overture is dedicated to His Royal Majesty the Crown Prince of -Prussia. - -The overture opens _allegro di molto_, E major, 2-2, with four prolonged -chords in the wood-wind. On the last of these follows immediately a -_pianissimo_ chord of E minor in violins and violas. This is followed by -the "fairy music" in E minor, given out and developed by divided violins -with some _pizzicati_ in the violas. A subsidiary theme is given out -_fortissimo_ by full orchestra. The melodious second theme, in B major, -begun by the wood-wind, is then continued by the strings and fuller and -fuller orchestra. Several picturesque features are then introduced: the -Bergomask dance from the fifth act of the play; a curious imitation of -the bray of an ass in allusion to Bottom, who is, according to Maginn's -paradox, "the blockhead, _the_ lucky man on whom Fortune showers her -favors beyond measure"; and the quickly descending scale passage for -violoncellos, which was suggested to the composer by the buzzing of a -big fly in the Schoenhauser Garten. The free fantasia is wholly on the -first theme. The third part of the overture is regular, and there is a -short _coda_. The overture ends with the four sustained chords with -which it opened. - - -In 1843 King Frederick William the Fourth of Prussia wished Mendelssohn -to compose music for the plays _Antigone_, _A Midsummer_ _Night's -Dream_, _Athalie_, which should be produced in September. During March -and April of that year Mendelssohn, who had written the overture in -1826, composed the additional music for Shakespeare's play. Tieck had -divided the play into three acts and had said nothing to the composer -about the change. Mendelssohn had composed with reference to the -original division. The first performance was in the Royal Theater in the -New Palace, Potsdam, October 14, 1843, on the eve of the festival of the -King's birthday. Mendelssohn conducted. - -The score was published in June, 1848; the orchestral parts in August of -that year. The first edition for pianoforte was published in September, -1844. - -Mendelssohn's music to the play consists of thirteen numbers: - - I. Overture; - II. _Scherzo_ (Entr'acte after Act I); - III. Fairy March (in Act II); - IV. "You spotted snakes," for two sopranos and chorus (in Act II); - V. Melodrama (in Act II); - VI. Intermezzo (Entr'acte after Act II); - VII. Melodrama (in Act III); - VIII. Notturno (Entr'acte after Act III); - IX. _Andante_ (in Act IV); - X. Wedding March (after the close of Act IV); - XI. _Allegro commodo_ and _Marcia funebre_ (in Act V); - XII. Bergomask Dance (in Act V); - XIII. _Finale_ to Act V. - -Many of the themes in these numbers were taken from the overture. - -The _scherzo_ (entr'acte between Acts I and II) is an _allegro vivace_ -in G minor, 3-8. "Presumably Mendelssohn intended it as a purely musical -reflection of the scene in Quince's house--the first meeting to discuss -the play to be given by the workmen at the wedding--with which the first -act ends. Indeed, there is a passing allusion to Nick Bottom's bray in -it. But the general character of the music is bright and fairy-like, -with nothing of the grotesque about it." The _scherzo_ presents an -elaborate development of two themes that are not sharply contrasted; the -first theme has a subsidiary. The score is dedicated to Heinrich Conrad -Schleinitz. - - - - - CONCERT OVERTURE, "THE HEBRIDES," OR "FINGAL'S CAVE," OP. 26 - - -In the _Hebrides_ overture, Mendelssohn shook off his priggish -formalism. He had been deeply affected by the sight of Staffa and -Fingal's Cave; he was not ashamed to translate his emotions into music -without obsequious obedience to the old pedagogic traditions. Here he is -poetic, picturing the wildness of the far-off scene without too -deliberate attempt at realism. Here is the suggestion--and with the -small orchestra of the period!--as Mr. Apthorp put it, of screaming sea -birds, whistling winds, the salty smell of the seaweed on the rocks. For -once Mendelssohn showed himself more than a careful manufacturer of -music when he revised his score, saying that the middle section smelt -more of counterpoint than of train oil, sea gulls, and salt fish. - - * * * - -Mendelssohn saw Staffa and Fingal's Cave on August 7, 1829. He at once -determined to picture the scenes in music. He wrote to his sister on -that day: "That you may understand how extraordinarily the Hebrides -affected me, the following came into my mind"; and he then noted down -twenty-one measures in _alla breve_, which coincide for the first ten -and a half measures with the later measures in 4-4. Ferdinand Hiller, -who lived with Mendelssohn in Paris during the winter of 1831-32, tells -how Mendelssohn brought to him the sketched score. "He told me how the -thing came to him in its full form and color when he saw Fingal's Cave; -he also informed me how the first measures, which contain the chief -theme, had come into his mind. In the evening he was making a visit with -his friend Klingemann on a Scottish family. There was a pianoforte in -the room; but it was Sunday, and there was no possibility of music. He -employed all his diplomacy to get at the pianoforte for a moment; when -he had succeeded, he dashed off the theme out of which the great work -grew. It was finished at Düsseldorf, but only after an interval of -years." Hiller was mistaken about the place and time of completion. - -The overture was first performed on May 14, 1832, from manuscript, in -London, at the sixth concert of the Philharmonic Society at Covent -Garden. Thomas Attwood conducted. The composer wrote: "It went -splendidly, and sounded so droll amongst all the Rossini things." The -_Athenæum_ said that the overture as descriptive music was a failure. -George Hogarth wrote in his History of the Philharmonic Society (1862): -"It at once created a great sensation--a sensation, we need scarcely -add, that has not been diminished by numberless repetitions. At a -general meeting of the Society on the 7th of June, 1832, Sir George -Smart read a letter from Mendelssohn requesting the Society's acceptance -of the score of this overture; and it was resolved to present him with a -piece of plate in token of the Society's thanks, which was forthwith -done." The _Harmonicon_ praised the overture highly, and found the key -of B minor well suited to the purpose. - - - - - CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN, IN E MINOR, OP. 64 - - - I. Allegro molto appassionato - II. Andante - III. Allegretto non troppo; allegro molto vivace - -The concerto does not call for any true depth of emotional display. The -sentiment is amiable and genteel, with a dash of becoming melancholy, -and the strength is the conventional strength of a man who in music had -little virility. Beautifully made, a polished piece of mechanism, the -concerto always, under favorable circumstances, interests and promotes -contagious good feeling. - - * * * - -Mendelssohn in his youth composed a violin concerto with accompaniment -of stringed instruments, also a concerto for violin and pianoforte -(1823) with the same sort of accompaniment. These works were left in -manuscript. It was at the time that he was put into jackets and -trousers. Probably these works were played at the musical parties at the -Mendelssohn house in Berlin on alternate Sunday mornings. Mendelssohn -took violin lessons first with Carl Wilhelm Henning and afterwards with -Eduard Rietz, for whom he wrote this early violin concerto. When -Mendelssohn played any stringed instrument, he preferred the viola. - -As early as 1838 Mendelssohn conceived the plan of composing a violin -concerto in the manner of the one in E minor, for on July 30 he wrote to -Ferdinand David: "I should like to write a violin concerto for you next -winter. One in E minor is running in my head, and the beginning does not -leave me in peace." On July 24 of the next year he wrote from Hochheim -to David, who had pressed him to compose the concerto: "It is nice of -you to urge me for a violin concerto! I have the liveliest desire to -write one for you, and if I have a few propitious days here, I'll bring -you something. But the task is not an easy one. You demand that it -should be brilliant, and how is such a one as I to do this? The whole of -the first solo is to be for the E string!" - -The concerto was composed in 1844 and completed on September 16 of that -year at Bad Soden, near Frankfort-on-the-Main. David received the -manuscript in November. Many letters passed between the composer and the -violinist. David gave advice freely. Mendelssohn took time in revising -and polishing. Even after the score was sent to the publishers in -December, there were more changes. David is largely responsible for the -_cadenza_ as it now stands. - -Mendelssohn played parts of the concerto on the pianoforte to his -friends; the whole of it to Moscheles at Bad Soden. - -The first performance was from manuscript at the twentieth Gewandhaus -concert in Leipsic, March 13, 1845. Ferdinand David was the violinist. -Niels W. Gade conducted. - -The concerto is in three connected movements. The first, _allegro molto -appassionato_, E minor, 2-2, begins immediately after an introductory -measure with the first theme given out by the solo violin. This theme is -developed at length by the solo instrument, which then goes on with -_cadenza_-like passage-work, after which the theme is repeated and -developed as a _tutti_ by the full orchestra. The second theme is first -given out _pianissimo_ in harmony by clarinets and flutes over a -sustained organ-point in the solo instrument. The chief theme is used in -the development which begins in the solo violin. The brilliant solo -_cadenza_ ends with a series of _arpeggios_, which continue on through -the whole announcement of the first theme by orchestral strings and -wind. The conclusion section is in regular form. There is no pause -between this movement and the _andante_. - -The first section of the _andante_, C major, is a development of the -first theme sung by the solo violin. The middle part is taken up with -the development of the second theme, a somewhat agitated melody. The -third part is a repetition of the first, with the melody in the solo -violin, but with a different accompaniment. Mendelssohn originally -intended the accompaniment (strings) to the first theme to be played -_pizzicato_. He wrote to David, "I intended to write in this way, but -something or other--I don't know what--prevented me." - -The _finale_ opens with a short introduction, _allegretto non troppo_, E -minor, 4-4. The main body of the _finale, allegro molto vivace_, E -major, 4-4, begins with calls on horns, trumpets, bassoons, drums, -answered by _arpeggios_ of the solo violin and tremolos in the strings. -The chief theme of the _rondo_ is announced by the solo instruments. The -orchestra has a second theme, B major; the violin one in G major. In the -recapitulation section the _fortissimo_ second theme appears again, this -time in E major. There is a brilliant _coda_. - - Mendelssohn used the following orchestration for the works discussed - in this chapter (save for the addition of an ophicleide in the - overture to _A Midsummer Night's Dream_): two flutes, two oboes, two - clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, kettledrums, and - strings.--EDITOR. - - - - - MODESTE PETROVITCH - MOUSSORGSKY - - - (Born at Karevo, district of Toropeta, in the government of Pskov, on - March 28, 1835; died at St. Petersburg on March 28, 1881) - - - - -"A NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN" ("UNE NUIT SUR LE MONT-CHAUVE"); FANTASY FOR - ORCHESTRA - Posthumous Work Completed and Orchestrated by Rimsky-Korsakov - - -Moussorgsky's fantasy was composed in 1867 and was thus one of the few -early Russian orchestral compositions of a fantastically picturesque -nature. In the original form it was no doubt crude, for Moussorgsky had -little technic for the larger forms of music; he despised "style," and -believed that much knowledge would prevent him from attaining the -realism that was his goal. That he himself was not satisfied with this -symphonic poem is shown by the fact that he revised it two or three -times. He died; Rimsky-Korsakov edited it and orchestrated it. The music -was finally heard after Moussorgsky's death. Rimsky-Korsakov was a -fastidious musician, a learned harmonist, a master of orchestrations. It -is said that he sandpapered and polished _Boris Godounov_ to the great -detriment of Moussorgsky's opera; he chastened the wild spirit; he tamed -the native savageness, so it is said. What did he do to this musical -picture of a Witches' Sabbath on Bald Mountain? - -Having heard several musical descriptions of these unholy Sabbaths, -where reverence was paid Satan, exultantly ruling in the form of a -he-goat, where there was horrid, obscene revelry, if we may believe -well-instructed ancient and modern writers on Satanism and witchcraft, -we wonder why any woman, young or old, straddled a broomstick and made -her way hopefully and joyfully to a lonely mountain or barren plain. If -we can put faith in the musical descriptions given by Berlioz, Boïto, -Gounod, Satan's evening receptions were comparatively tame affairs, with -dancing of a nature that would not have offended the selectmen and their -wives and sisters of our little village in the sixties, when the waltz -was frowned on as a sensual and ungodly diversion. Liszt's _Mephisto -Waltz_ is, indeed, sensuous, fleshly, but Satan in this instance only -plays the fiddle; he is not master of sabbatic revels. In Moussorgsky's -symphonic poem the _allegro_ devoted to the worshipers of the devil is -rather commonplace; its laborious wildness becomes monotonous in spite -of the editor's instrumentation. Far more original and effective is the -second section, in which a church bell puts the blasphemous revelers to -flight. - - * * * - -In September, 1860, Moussorgsky wrote to Balakirev: "I have also been -given a most interesting piece of work to do, which must be ready by -next summer: a whole act of _The Bald Mountain_ (after Megden's drama -_The Witch_). The assembly of the witches, various episodes of -witchcraft, the pageant of all the sorcerers, and a _finale_, the witch -dance and homage to Satan. The libretto is very fine. I have already a -few materials for the music, and it may be possible to turn out -something very good." In September, 1862, he wrote to Balakirev, saying -that his friend's attitude towards _The Witches_ [_sic_] had embittered -him. "I considered, still consider, and shall consider forever that the -thing is satisfactory.... I come forth with a first big work.... I shall -alter neither plan nor working-out; for both are in close relationship -with the contents of the scene, and are carried out in a spirit of -genuineness, without tricks or make-believes.... I have fulfilled my -task as best I could. The one thing I shall alter is the percussion, -which I have misused." A letter to Rimsky-Korsakov dated July, 1867, -shows that he did rewrite _A Night on Bald Mountain_, but remained -unwilling to make further alterations. - -During the winter of 1871-72 the director of the opera at St. Petersburg -planned that Moussorgsky, Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Cui should each -write a portion of a fairy opera, _Mlada_. Moussorgsky was to write -music for some folk scenes, a march for the procession of Slav princes -and a great fantastical scene, "The Sacrifice to the Black Goat on Bald -Mountain." This would give him the opportunity of using his symphonic -poem. The project fell through on account of pecuniary reasons. -Rimsky-Korsakov's _Mlada_ was produced at St. Petersburg in 1892. - -In 1877 Moussorgsky undertook to write an opera _The Fair at -Sorotchinsi_, based on a tale by Gogol. He purposed to introduce in it -_A Night on Bald Mountain_, and he revised the score. - -It is said that the original version of the symphonic poem was for -pianoforte and orchestra; that the revision for _Mlada_ was for -orchestra and chorus; that the work was to serve as a scenic interlude -in the unfinished opera, _The Fair at Sorotchinsi_. - -Rimsky-Korsakov as Moussorgsky's musical executor revised the score of -the poem. He retained the composer's argument: - -"Subterranean din of supernatural voices. Appearance of Spirits of -Darkness, followed by that of the god Tchernobog. Glorification of -Tchernobog. Black mass. Witches' Sabbath. At the height of the Sabbath -there sounds far off the bell of the little church in a village which -scatters the Spirits of Darkness. Daybreak." - -The form is simple: a symphonic _allegro_ is joined to a short -_andante_; _allegro feroce_; _poco meno mosso_. - -_A Night on Bald Mountain_, dedicated to Vladimir Stassov, is scored for -piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, -two trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, bass drum, -cymbals, tam-tam, bell in D, and strings. - -The first performance was at a concert of the Russian Symphony Society -at St. Petersburg on October 27, 1886. Rimsky-Korsakov conducted. The -piece met with such success that it was played later in that season. - - - - - WOLFGANG AMADEUS - MOZART - - - (Born at Salzburg, January 27, 1756; died at Vienna, December 5, 1791) - -In this life that is "so daily," as Jules Laforgue complained, a life of -tomorrow rather than of today, we are inclined to patronize the ancient -worthies who in their own period were very modern, or to speak jauntily -of them as bores, with their works of "only historical interest." Mozart -has not escaped. Many concertgoers yawn at his name and wonder why such -men as Richard Strauss or Vincent d'Indy could praise him with glowing -cheeks. They suspect this attribute of worship to be a pose. Remind them -of the fact that to such widely different characters as Rossini, Chopin, -Tchaikovsky, Brahms, the musician of musicians was Mozart, and they say -lightly, "There's no accounting for tastes; surely you do not pretend to -maintain that Mozart is a man of this generation." - -No, Mozart was neither a symbolist nor a pessimist. He was not a -translator of literature, sculpture, or painting into music His -imagination was not fired by a metaphysical treatise. He simply wrote -music that came into his head and disquieted him until it was jotted -down on paper. He did not go about nervously seeking for ideas. His -music is never the passionate cry, never the wild shriek of a racked -soul. His music is never hysterical, it is never morbid. It is seldom -emotional as we necessarily and unhappily understand that word today. -Perhaps for these reasons it is still modern, immortal, and not merely -on account of the long and exquisite melodic line, fitting, inevitable -background, delicate coloring. Music that is only the true voice of a -particular generation is moribund as soon as it is born. - -His music, whether it vitalizes stage characters or is absolute, as in -the three famous symphonies, and in the chamber works, is as the music -on Prospero's isle: "Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt -not." The analyst may find pleasure in praising the unsurpassable -workmanship, which is akin to the spontaneity of natural phenomena; he -may marvel at the simplicity of plan and expression; the simplicity that -is the despair of interpreters, for it is the touchstone of their own -art or artificiality--and Mozart himself, when he told his emperor that -his opera had just the right number of notes, anticipated the judgment -of time--but he is still far from explaining the peculiar and ineffable -tenderness of this music that soothes and caresses and comforts. - -The serenity, the classic suggestion of emotion without the distortion -that accompanies passion, would grace a tragedy of Sophocles or a comedy -by Congreve. Mozart's music is essentially Grecian, yet now and then it -reminds one of Watteau. - -Hazlitt said of art that it should seem to come from the air and return -to it. But he characterized it with finer appreciation when he said, -without mention of Mozart's name, "Music is color without form; a soul -without a body; a mistress whose face is veiled; an invisible goddess." -And for this reason Debussy is the spiritual brother of Mozart, moderns -both, yet classics. - - - _Symphonies in E flat (Koechel No. 543), G minor (Koechel No. 550), C - major ("Jupiter"), (Koechel No. 551)_ - - - - - SYMPHONY IN E FLAT MAJOR (KOECHEL NO. 543) - - - I. Adagio; allegro - II. Andante - III. Minuetto; trio - IV. Finale: allegro - -Mozart wrote his symphony when in a condition of distress, but who would -know from the music of the composer's poverty and gloom? The iteration -of the chief theme of the second movement soon frets the nerves, not -from any poignancy of emotion, but from its very placidity. And how -seldom in Mozart's music is there any emotional burst as we understand -emotion today! There are a few passages in the first movement of the G -minor symphony, pages in certain chamber works, and in the _Requiem_, -and there are the two great scenes in _Don Giovanni_, the trio between -the Don, the Commander, and Leporello after the duel, and the scene -between the blaspheming rake and the Stone Man. As a rule the emotion of -Mozart is that of the classic frieze or urn. Beauty with him is calm and -serene, and emotion, he believed, should always be beautiful. - - * * * - -The symphony in E flat induced A. Apel to attempt a translation of the -music into poetry that should express the character of each movement. It -excited the fantastical E. T. A. Hoffmann to an extraordinary rhapsody: -"Love and melancholy are breathed forth in purest spirit tones; we feel -ourselves drawn with inexpressible longing toward the forms which beckon -us to join them in their move with the spheres in the eternal circles of -the solemn dance." So explained Johannes Kreisler in the -_Phantasiestücke in Callots Manier_. - - - - - SYMPHONY IN G MINOR (KOECHEL NO. 550) - - - I. Allegro molto - II. Andante - III. Minuetto; trio - IV. Finale: allegro assai - -It seems as if Mozart lost his classic serenity whenever he chose the -key of G minor. In the immortal symphony there is, except in the -beautiful, characteristically Mozartian _andante_, a feverishness, an -intensity not to be found in his other symphonies; and so in the perfect -flower of his chamber music there is a direct, passionate appeal of one -theme (G minor again) that reminds one of the terribly earnest Verdi of -the 'fifties. - - -Some years ago, a prominent writer about music, a wild-eyed worshiper of -Liszt and Wagner, published the statement that this symphony is -interesting only in a historical sense. His idols would have been the -first to laugh at him. There are few things in art that are perfect. The -G minor symphony is one of them. Its apparent simplicity is an adorable -triumph of supreme art. - - - - - SYMPHONY IN C MAJOR, "JUPITER" (KOECHEL NO. 551) - - - I. Allegro vivace - II. Andante cantabile - III. Minuetto: allegretto; trio - IV. Finale: allegro molto - -Hearing the _andante_, the _minuet_, and the wonderful _finale_, one no -longer questions the famous and subtle saying of Rossini. When asked who -was the greatest composer, he answered "Beethoven"; he then said, "But -Mozart is the only one." - -Let the first movement pass with its second theme that reminds one of -charming music in _The Marriage of Figaro_. The _andante_ could have -been written only by Mozart. There is spiritualized sensuousness; there -is perfect form, exquisite proportion, and euphony. - -Has there not too much been said about the marvelous display of science -in the construction of the _finale_? The wonder of it is that the -display does not impress the hearer unduly. To him it is merely gay and -charming music. It ravishes his ear without his taking interest in the -technical devices, even if he could recognize and understand them. If -the title should be "Symphony in C major with the Fugue," the word -"fugue" would not fill his soul with dismal foreboding. There has been -only one Mozart, as there has been only one Handel. - -It is not known who gave the title "Jupiter" to the symphony. There is -nothing in the music that reminds one of Jupiter Tonans, Jupiter -Fulgurator, Jupiter Pluvius; or of the god who, assuming various -disguises, came down to earth, where by his adventures with women -semi-divine or mortals of common clay he excited the jealous rage of -Juno. The music is not of an Olympian mood. It is intensely human in its -loveliness and its gayety. - - * * * - -It is possible that the "_Jupiter_" symphony was performed at the -concert given by Mozart in Leipsic. The two that preceded the great -three were composed in 1783 and 1786. The latter of the two (D major) -was performed at Prague with extraordinary success. Publishers were not -slow in publishing Mozart's compositions, even if they were as -conspicuous niggards as Joseph II himself. The two symphonies played at -Leipsic were probably of the three composed in 1788, but this is only a -conjecture. - -Some say the title "Jupiter" was applied to the symphony by J. B. -Cramer, to express his admiration for the loftiness of ideas and -nobility of treatment. Some maintain that the triplets in the first -measure suggest the thunderbolts of Jove. Some think that the "calm, -godlike beauty" of the music compelled the title. Others are satisfied -with the belief that the title was given to the symphony as it might be -to any masterpiece or any impressively beautiful or strong or big thing. -To them "Jupiter" expresses the power and brilliance of the work. - -The eulogies pronounced on this symphony are familiar to all--from -Schumann's "There are things in the world about which nothing can be -said, as Mozart's C major symphony with the fugue, much of Shakespeare, -and pages of Beethoven," to Bülow's "I call Brahms' First symphony the -Tenth, not because it should be placed after the Ninth: I should put it -between the Second and the _Eroica_, just as I think the first not the -symphony of Beethoven but the one composed by Mozart and known by the -name of 'Jupiter.'" But there were decriers early in the nineteenth -century. Thus Hans Georg Nägeli (1773-1836) attacked this symphony -bitterly on account of its well-defined and long-lined melody, "which -Mozart mingled and confounded with a free instrumental play of ideas, -and his very wealth of fancy and emotional gifts led to a sort of -fermentation in the whole province of art, and caused it to retrograde -rather than to advance." He found fault with certain harmonic -progressions which he characterized as trivial. He allowed the composer -originality and a certain power of combination, but he found him without -style, often shallow and confused. He ascribed these qualities to the -personal qualities of the man himself: "He was too hasty, when not too -frivolous, and he wrote as he himself was." Nägeli was not the last to -judge a work according to the alleged morality or immorality of the -maker. - - -Mozart wrote his three greatest symphonies in 1788. The one in E flat is -dated June 26; the one in G minor, July 25; the one in C major with the -_fugue-finale_, August 10. - -His other works of that year are of little importance with the exception -of a piano concerto in D major which he played at the coronation -festivities of Leopold II at Frankfort in 1790. Why is this? 1787 was -the year of _Don Giovanni_; 1790, the year of _Cosi fan tutte_. Was -Mozart, as some say, exhausted by the feat of producing three symphonies -in such a short time? Or was there some reason for discouragement and -consequent idleness? - -The Ritter Gluck, composer to the Emperor Joseph II, died November 15, -1787, and thus resigned his position with a salary of 2,000 florins. -Mozart was appointed his successor, but the thrifty Joseph cut down the -salary to 800 florins. And Mozart at this time was sadly in need of -money, as his letters show. In a letter of June, 1788, he tells of his -new lodgings, where he could have better air, a garden, quiet. In -another, dated June 27, he says: "I have done more work in the ten days -that I have lived here than in two months in my other lodgings, and I -should be much better here, were it not for dismal thoughts that often -come to me. I must drive them resolutely away; for I am living -comfortably, pleasantly, and cheaply." We know that he borrowed from -Puchberg, a merchant with whom he became acquainted at a Masonic lodge, -for the letter with Puchberg's memorandum of the amount is in the -collection edited by Nohl. - -Mozart could not reasonably expect help from the Emperor. The composer -of _Don Giovanni_ and the "_Jupiter_" symphony was unfortunate in his -emperors. - -The Emperor Joseph was in the habit of getting up at five o'clock; he -dined on boiled bacon at 3.15 P.M.; he preferred water as a beverage, -but would drink a glass of Tokay; he was continually putting chocolate -drops from his waistcoat pocket into his mouth; he gave gold coins to -the poor; he was unwilling to sit for his portrait; he had remarkably -fine teeth; he disliked sycophantic fuss; he patronized the English, who -introduced horse-racing; and Michael Kelly, who tells us many things, -says that Joseph was "passionately fond of music and a most excellent -and accurate judge of it." We know that he did not like the music of -Mozart. - -Joseph commanded from his composer Mozart no opera, cantata, symphony, -or piece of chamber music, although he was paying him 800 florins a -year. He did order dances, for the dwellers in Vienna were dancing mad. -Kelly, who knew Mozart and sang in the first performance of _Le Nozze di -Figaro_ in 1786, says in his memoirs (written by Theodore Hook): "The -ridotto rooms, where the masquerade took place, were in the palace; and, -spacious and commodious as they were, they were actually crammed with -masqueraders. I never saw or indeed heard of any suite of rooms where -elegance and convenience were more considered, for the propensity of the -Vienna ladies for dancing and going to carnival masquerades was so -determined that nothing was permitted to interfere with their enjoyment -of their favorite amusement.... The ladies of Vienna are particularly -celebrated for their grace and movements in waltzing, of which they -never tire. For my own part, I thought waltzing from ten at night until -seven in the morning a continual whirligig, most tiresome to the eye and -ear, to say nothing of any worse consequences."[39] Mozart wrote for -these dances, as did Haydn, Hummel, Beethoven. - -We know little or nothing concerning the first years of the three -symphonies. Gerber's "_Lexicon der Tonkünstler_" (1790) speaks -appreciatively of him: the erroneous statement is made that the Emperor -fixed his salary in 1788 at 6,000 florins; the varied ariettas for piano -are praised especially; but there is no mention whatever of any -symphony. - -The enlarged edition of Gerber's work (1813) contains an extended notice -of Mozart's last years, and we find in the summing up of his career: "If -one knew only one of his noble symphonies, as the overpoweringly great, -fiery, perfect, pathetic, sublime symphony in C." And this reference is -undoubtedly to the "_Jupiter_" the one in C major. - -Mozart gave a concert at Leipsic in May, 1789. The programme was made up -wholly of pieces by him, and among them were two symphonies in -manuscript. At a rehearsal for this concert Mozart took the first -_allegro_ of a symphony at a very fast pace, so that the orchestra soon -was unable to keep up with him. He stopped the players and began again -at the same speed, and he stamped the time so furiously that his steel -shoe buckle flew into pieces. He laughed, and, as the players still -dragged, he began the _allegro_ a third time. The musicians, by this -time exasperated, played to suit him. Mozart afterwards said to some who -wondered at his conduct, because he had on other occasions protested -against undue speed: "It was not caprice on my part. I saw that the -majority of the players were well along in years. They would have -dragged everything beyond endurance if I had not set fire to them and -made them angry, so that out of sheer spite they did their best." Later -in the rehearsal he praised the orchestra, and said that it was -unnecessary for it to rehearse the accompaniment to the pianoforte -concerto: "The parts are correct, you play well, and so do I." This -concert, by the way, was poorly attended, and half of those who were -present had received free tickets from Mozart, who was generous in such -matters. - -Mozart also gave a concert of his own works at Frankfort, October 14, -1790. Symphonies were played in Vienna in 1788, but they were by Haydn; -and one by Mozart was played in 1791. In 1792 a symphony by Mozart was -played at Hamburg. - -The early programmes, even when they have been preserved, seldom -determine the date of a first performance. It was the custom to print: -"_Symphonie von Wranitsky_," "_Sinfonie von Mozart_," "_Sinfonia di -Haydn_." Furthermore, it should be remembered that _Sinfonie_ was then a -term often applied to any work in three or more movements written for -strings, or strings and wind instruments. - - - - - OVERTURE TO THE OPERA, "THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO" - - -_Le Nozze di Figaro: dramma giocoso in quadro atti; poesia di Lorenzo Da -Ponte, aggiustata dalla commedia del Beaumarchais, "Le Mariage de -Figaro"; musica di W. A. Mozart_, was composed at Vienna in 1786 and -produced there on May 1 of the same year. - -The overture opens (_presto_, D major, 4-4) immediately with the first -theme; the first part of it is a running passage of seven measures in -eighth notes (strings and bassoons in octaves), and the second part is -given for four measures to wind instruments, with a joyous response of -seven measures by full orchestra. This theme is repeated. A subsidiary -theme follows, and the second theme appears in A major, a gay figure in -the violins, with bassoon, afterward flute. There is no free fantasia. -There is a long _coda_. - -Mozart saw in the play of Beaumarchais an excellent libretto for an -opera. Da Ponte tells the story in his amusing _Memoirs_: "Talking one -day with him [Mozart], he asked me if I could turn Beaumarchais's _Noces -de Figaro_ into an opera. The proposition was to my taste, and the -success was immediate and universal. A little before, this piece had -been forbidden by the Emperor's command, on account of its immorality. -How then to propose it anew? Baron Vetzlar [Wezlar] offered me with his -customary generosity a reasonable price for my libretto and assured me -that he would see to its production at London or in France, if it were -refused in Vienna. I did not accept the offer, and I secretly began -work. I waited the opportune moment to propose the poem either to the -Intendant or, if I had the courage, to the Emperor himself. Martin alone -was in my confidence, and he was so generous, out of deference to -Mozart, to give me time to finish my piece before I began work on one -for him. As fast as I wrote the words, Mozart wrote the music, and it -was all finished in six weeks. The lucky star of Mozart willed an -opportune moment and permitted me to carry my manuscript directly to the -Emperor. - -"'How's this?' said Joseph to me. 'You know that Mozart, remarkable for -his instrumental music, has with one exception never written for song, -and the exception is not good for much.' - -"I answered timidly, 'Without the kindness of the Emperor, I should have -written only one drama in Vienna.' - -"'True: but I have already forbidden the German company to play this -piece _Figaro_.' - -"'I know it; but, in turning it into an opera, I have cut out whole -scenes, shortened others, and been careful everywhere to omit anything -that might shock the conventionalities and good taste; in a word, I have -made a work worthy of the theater honored by His Majesty's protection. -As for the music, as far as I can judge, it seems to me a masterpiece.' - -"'All right; I trust to your taste and prudence. Send the score to the -copyists.' - -"A moment afterward I was at Mozart's. I had not yet told him the good -news, when he was ordered to go to the palace with his score. He obeyed, -and the Emperor thus heard several _morceaux_ which delighted him. -Joseph II had a very correct taste in music, and in general for -everything that is included in the fine arts. The prodigious success of -this work throughout the whole world is a proof of it. The music, -incredible to relate, did not obtain a unanimous vote of praise. The -Viennese composers crushed by it, Rosenberg and Casti especially, never -failed to run it down."[40] - -Did Da Ponte show himself the courtier when he spoke of the Emperor's -"very correct taste in music"? - -There was a cabal from the start against the production of Mozart's -opera. Kelly says in his _Reminiscences_: "Every one of the opera -company took part in the contest. I alone was a stickler for Mozart, and -naturally enough, for he had a claim on my warmest wishes.... Of all the -performers in this opera at that time, but one survives--myself. [This -was written in 1826.] It was allowed that never was opera stronger cast. -I have seen it performed at different periods in other countries, and -well too, but no more to compare with its original performance than -light is to darkness. All the original performers had the advantage of -the instruction of the composer, who transfused into their minds his -inspired meaning. I never shall forget his little animated countenance, -when lighted up with the glowing rays of genius; it is as impossible to -describe as it would be to paint sunbeams." - - - - - OVERTURE TO THE OPERA "THE MAGIC FLUTE" - - -Emanuel Johann Schikaneder, the author of the libretto of _Die -Zauberflöte_ (The Magic Flute), was a wandering theater director, poet, -composer, and play actor. Vain, improvident, shrewd, a bore, he -nevertheless had good qualities that won for him the friendship of -Mozart. In 1791 Schikaneder was the director of the Auf der Wieden, a -little theater where comic operas were performed. He no doubt would have -made a success of his venture, had he curbed his ambition. On the verge -of failure, he made a fairy drama out of _Lulu, or the Enchanted Flute_, -Liebeskind's story in a collection of fairy tales published by Wieland. -He asked Mozart to write the music for it. Mozart, pleased with the -scenario, accepted the offer and said: "If I do not bring you out of -your trouble, and if the work is not successful, you must not blame me; -for I have never written magic music." Schikaneder had followed closely -Wieland's text; but he learned that Marinelli, a rival manager, the -director of the Leopoldstadt Theater, thought of putting upon the stage -a piece with the same subject; so he hurriedly, and with the assistance -of an actor named Gieseke, modified the plot, and substituted for the -evil genius of the play the high priest Sarastro, who appears to be the -custodian of the secrets and the executor of the wishes of the Masonic -order. - -Schikaneder knew the ease with which Mozart wrote. He also knew that it -was necessary to keep watch over him, that he might be ready at the -appointed time. Mozart's wife was then in Baden. Schikaneder therefore -put Mozart in a little pavilion which was in the midst of a garden near -his theater. The music of _The Magic Flute_ was written in this pavilion -and in a room of the casino of Josephdorf. Mozart was deep in doleful -dumps when he began his task, so Schikaneder surrounded him with members -of his company. It was long believed that the composer was then inspired -by the beautiful eyes of the singing woman, Gerl, but the story may rest -on no better foundation than the one of the Mme Hofdaemmel tragedy, -which even Otto Jahn thought worthy of his investigation. - -Schikaneder made his proposal early in March, 1791. The overture, with -the Priests' March, was composed September 28, 1791. On September 30 of -that year _Die Zauberflöte_, a grand opera in two acts, was produced at -the Auf der Wieden Theater. - -Schikaneder's name was in large type on the bill; Mozart's name was in -small type underneath the cast. Johann Schenk (1753-1836), who made -money and won fame by the popularity of his operas--_Der Dorfbarbier_ -(1796) was long a favorite--Schenk gave Beethoven lessons in -counterpoint at Vienna in 1793-94--sat in one of the orchestra seats. At -the end of the overture, he went to Mozart and kissed his hand. Mozart -stroked his admirer's cheek. But the first act was not well received. -Mozart went behind the scenes and saw Schikaneder in his costume of a -bird. He reassured Mozart, but the opera disappointed the Viennese at -first, and Mozart was cut to the quick. The cool reception was not due -to the character of the subject; for "magic plays" with music of -Viennese composers, as Wenzel Müller, were very popular, and _The Magic -Flute_ was regarded as a _Singspiel_, a "magic farce," with unusually -elaborate music. The report from Vienna that was published in Kunzen and -Reichardt's music journal, _Studien fur Tonkünstler und Musikfreunde_ -(Berlin, 1793, p. 79), tells the story: "The new machine comedy, _The -Magic Flute_, with music by our _Kapellmeister_ Mozard [_sic_], which -was given at great expense and with such sumptuousness, did not meet -with the expected success, for the contents and dialogue of the piece -are utterly worthless." Schikaneder was obstinate in his faith; the -opera soon became the fashion. The two hundredth representation was -celebrated at Vienna in October, 1795. _The Magic Flute_ made its way -over the continent. The libretto was translated into Dutch, Swedish, -Danish, Polish, Italian. Paris knew the opera in 1801 (August 23) as -_Les Mystères d'Isis_. The first performance in London was on May 25, -1819, in Italian. - -Mozart died shortly after the production of _The Magic Flute_, in deep -distress. This opera, with the music of his _Requiem_, was in his mind -until the final delirium. While the opera was performing he would take -his watch from under his pillow and follow the performance in -imagination: "We are now at the end of the act," or "Now comes the grand -aria for the Queen of Night." The day before he died, he sang with his -weak voice the opening measures of "Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja," and -endeavored to beat the time with his hands. The frivolous and audacious -Schikaneder, "sensualist, parasite, spendthrift," filled his purse by -this opera: in 1798 he built the Theater an der Wien. On the roof he put -his own statue, clothed in the feather costume of Papageno. His luck was -not constant; in 1812 he died in poverty. - - - - - CONCERTOS FOR VIOLIN - - - No. 1, in B flat major (Koechel No. 207) - No. 2, in D major (Koechel No. 212) - No. 3, in G major (Koechel No. 216) - No. 4, in D major (Koechel No. 218) - No. 5, in A major (Koechel No. 219) - No. 6, in E flat major (Koechel No. 268) - -Mozart composed five violin concertos at Salzburg in 1775. The -accompaniment of the five concertos is scored for the same instruments: -two oboes, two horns, strings. In 1776 Mozart wrote a sixth concerto--E -flat major--with an accompaniment scored for flute, two oboes, two -bassoons, two horns, and strings. A seventh was discovered by Dr. -Kopfermann in 1907. There is some doubt as to its genuineness. - -These concertos were undoubtedly written for Mozart's own use. As a -child, he played the violin as well as the forerunners of the -pianoforte, and on his tour in 1763 he played the violin in public. His -first published composition was a sonata in C major for pianoforte and -violin (K. No. 6). This, and one in D major, were composed in 1763 at -Paris. They are dedicated to the Princess Victoire of France. In 1775 -Mozart was practicing diligently the violin to please his father. It was -one of Wolfgang's duties at the Court to play the violin. He disliked to -do it. His father, an excellent violinist, encouraged his son: "You have -no idea how well you play the violin; if you would only do yourself -justice, and play with boldness, spirit, and fire, you would be the -first violinist in Europe." This was in answer to a letter from Munich -in which Mozart had written: "I played as though I were the greatest -fiddler in Europe." In 1777 the father reproached him for neglecting the -violin (in Vienna Wolfgang preferred to play the viola in quartets). And -it was in 1777 that Mozart wrote of one Franzl whom he heard playing a -violin concerto at Mannheim: "You know I am no great lover of -difficulties. He plays difficult things, but one does not recognize the -difficulties and imagines that one could do the same thing at once: that -is true art. He also has a beautiful round tone--not a note is missing, -one hears everything; everything is well marked. He has a fine -_staccato_ bow, up as well as down; and I have never heard so good a -double shake as his. In a word, though he is no wizard, he is a solid -violinist." - -The characteristics of the Salzburg violin concertos are the same. They -are in three movements, _allegro_, _andante_ or _adagio_, and _rondo_. -The first movement is the one most developed, although it might be -considered as in aria form rather than the form befitting a first -movement of a symphony. There is the customary alternation between -_tutti_ and solo passages. The structure is more compact than that of -the aria; it has more life. The "passage" measures grow out of the -themes, play about them, or are closely related to them. The second -movement requires expressive playing of sustained melody and is of a -cheerful character. The _finale_ is in rondo form and joyful mood. - - - - - MOZART AS PIANIST - - -From Mozart's letters, one learns something about his own manner of -playing the piano: - -"Herr Stein sees and hears that I am more of a player than Beecke--that -without making grimaces of any kind I play so expressively that, -according to his own confession, no one shows off his pianoforte as well -as I. That I always remain strictly in time surprises everyone; they -cannot understand that the left hand should not in the least be -concerned in a _tempo rubato_. When they play, the left hand always -follows" (1777). - -About Nannette Stein's playing: "She sits opposite the treble instead of -in the middle of the instrument, so that there may be greater -opportunities for swaying about and making grimaces. Then she rolls up -her eyes and smirks. If a passage occurs twice, it is played slower the -second time; if three times, still slower. When a passage comes, up goes -the arm, and, if there is to be an emphasis it must come from the arm, -heavily and clumsily, not from the fingers. But the best of all is that -when there comes a passage (which ought to flow like oil) in which there -necessarily occurs a change of fingers, there is no need of taking care: -when the time comes you stop, lift the hand and nonchalantly begin -again. This helps one the better to catch a false note, and the effect -is frequently curious" (1777). Nannette was then eight years old. - -At Aurnhammer's: "The young woman is a fright, but she plays -ravishingly, though she lacks the true singing style in her _cantabile_; -she is too jerky" (1781). - -"Whenever I played for him [Richter, a pianist], he looked immovably at -my fingers, and one day he said, 'My God! how I am obliged to torment -myself and sweat, and yet without obtaining applause; and for you, my -friend, it is mere play!' 'Yes,' said I, 'I had to labor once in order -not to show labor now'" (1784). - -"It is much easier to play rapidly than slowly; you can drop a few notes -in passages without anyone noticing it. But is it beautiful? At such -speed you can use the hands indiscriminately; but is that beautiful?" -(1778.) - -"Give me the best clavier in Europe and at the same time hearers who -understand nothing or want to understand nothing, and who do not feel -what I play with me, and all my joy is gone" (1778). - -"The _andante_ is going to give us the most trouble, for it is full of -expression and must be played with taste.... If I were her [Rose -Cannabich's] regular teacher, I would lock up all her music, cover the -keyboard with a handkerchief, and make her practice on nothing but -passages, trills, mordents, etc., until the difficulty with the left -hand was remedied." - -Saint-Saëns, lover of irony and paradox, wrote a preface to his edition -of Mozart's pianoforte sonatas, published at Paris in 1915, in which, -after a discussion of the ornaments, he has this to say: - -"One is accustomed in modern editions to be prodigal with _liaisons_, to -indicate constantly _legato_, _molto legato_, _sempre legato_. There is -nothing of this in the manuscripts and the old editions. Everything -leads us to believe that this music should be performed lightly, that -the figures should produce an effect analogous to that obtained on the -violin by giving a stroke to each note without leaving the string. When -Mozart wished the _legato_, he indicated it. In the middle of the last -century, pianists were still found whose playing was singularly leaping -(as one may say). The old non-_legato_, being exaggerated, became a -_staccato_. This exaggeration brought a reaction in the contrary sense, -and this was pushed too far.... - -"This music of Mozart during his early years is destitute of nuances; -occasionally a _piano_ or a _forte_; nothing more. The reason for this -abstinence is because these pieces were written for the clavecin, and -its sonority could not be modified by a pressure of the finger. -Clavecins with two keyboards could alternate with _forte_ and _piano_, -but nuances, properly speaking, were unknown to them. - -"In the 18th century, one lived more quietly than today, nor were there -in music our modern habits of speed, which is often inflicted on ancient -compositions to their great injury. It is necessary to shun in the case -of Mozart this tendency to hurry the movements, as too often happens. -His _presto_ corresponds to our _allegro_; his _allegro_ to our _allegro -moderato_. His _adagios_ are extremely slow, as is shown by the -multiplicity of notes sometimes contained in a single beat. The -_andante_ is not very slow. - -"It was the rule, in his time, not to put the thumb on a black key -except from absolute necessity. This method of fingering gives to the -hand great restfulness, precious for the performance of old music that -demands perfect equality of the fingers. - -"The first pianofortes were far from having the powerful sonority of the -great modern instruments. Therefore, it is not always necessary to take -Mozart's _forte_ literally; it is often the equivalent of our _mezzo -forte_." - - - - - SERGE SERGIEVICH - PROKOFIEFF - - - (Born at Sontsovka, Russia, April 24, 1891) - - - - - SCYTHIAN SUITE, "ALA AND LOLLI," OP. 20 - - - I. The Adoration of Veles and Ala - II. The Enemy God and the Dance of the Black Spirits - III. Night - IV. The Glorious Departure of Lolli and the Procession of the Sun - -The ancient Scythians, wildly savage, had horrid manners and customs. -Herodotus tells us at pleasing length how they sacrificed one in a -hundred of their enemies to Mars; how in battle they scalped their foes -and drank their blood; how they burned false prophets among their many -soothsayers; how they strangled servants of their dead king and seated -them upon horses stuffed with chaff to place about the monument. Truly a -splendidly barbarous folk. - -And in his Scythian suite, Prokofieff has written superbly barbaric -music. - -This music is something more than roaring, blaring dissonance; something -more than eccentric experimentation in harmonic schemes and daring -orchestration. The suite is deftly planned; broadly conceived; carried -out with rare dramatic intensity. - -No matter how wild this music is, there is admirable method in the -madness; there is a refreshing mastery in the development of the -composer's purpose. He knew what he wanted; he gained his effects. They -are not episodic, spasmodic, but skillfully continuous. The third -movement, "Night," is perhaps the most remarkable in the revelation of -poetically dramatic feeling. There is "the blackness of darkness"--a -night in which Nature herself shudders and is afraid; a night when the -Demon is master, and strange, sinister deeds are wrought. Compare this -movement with the magnificent _finale_ with its amazing climax. - - * * * - -This suite was composed in 1914. The first performance was at the -Imperial Maryinski Theater, Petrograd, on January 29, 1916. The composer -conducted. - -The suite is scored for piccolo, three flutes, three oboes, English -horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, double bassoon, -eight horns, four trumpets, four trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, bass -drum, side drum, tambourine, cymbals, triangle, celesta, xylophone, -bells, two harps, pianoforte, and strings. - -The four movements have this programme: - -I. Invocation to Veles and Ala. _Allegro feroce_, 4-4 time. The music -describes an invocation to the sun, worshiped by the Scythians as their -highest deity, named Veles. This invocation is followed by the sacrifice -to the beloved idol, Ala, the daughter of Veles. - -II. The Evil-God and dance of the pagan monsters. _Allegro sostenuto_, -4-4 time. The Evil-God summons the seven pagan monsters from their -subterranean realms and, surrounded by them, dances a delirious dance. - -III. Night. _Andantino_, 4-4 time. The Evil-God comes to Ala in the -darkness. Great harm befalls her. The moon rays fall upon Ala, and the -moon-maidens descend to bring her consolation. - -IV. Lolli's pursuit of the Evil-God and the sunrise. _Tempestuoso_, 4-4 -time. Lolli, a Scythian hero, went forth to save Ala. He fights the -Evil-God. In the uneven battle with the latter, Lolli would have -perished, but the Sun-God rises with the passing of night and smites the -evil deity. With the description of the sunrise the suite comes to an -end. - -Scythia is a name that has been applied to different countries at -different times. The Scythia described by Herodotus comprised the -southeastern parts of Europe between the Carpathian Mountains and the -river Tanaïs (now Don). Herodotus gives a graphic and singularly -interesting account of these wild, barbaric nomads in the fourth book of -his history. We are interested here only with what he has to say about -their religion: - -"They propitiate the following gods only: Vesta, most of all; then -Jupiter, deeming the Earth to be the wife of Jupiter; after these, -Apollo, and Venus Urania, and Hercules and Mars. All the Scythians -acknowledge these, but those who are called Royal Scythians sacrifice -also to Neptune. Vesta in the Scythian language is named Tabiti; Jupiter -is, in my opinion, very rightly called Papæus; the Earth, Apia; Apollo, -Oetosyrus; Venus Urania, Artimposa; and Neptune, Thamimasadas. They are -not accustomed to erect images, altars, and temples, except to Mars; to -him they are accustomed." Then follows a minute description of the -manner in which they sacrificed cattle and enemies taken prisoners, the -latter to Mars. "Swine they never use, nor suffer them to be reared in -their country." - - - - - CLASSICAL SYMPHONY, OP. 25 - - - I. Allegro - II. Larghetto - III. Gavotte - IV. Finale - -Prokofieff's symphony is a delightful little work, fresh, melodious, -vivacious, with significant themes; masterly, not pedantic treatment of -them; charming orchestration achieved by apparently simple means, but -showing consummate skill. The first movement and the _finale_ are in -many measures truly Mozartean in mood, the _larghetto_ and the gavotte -are more modern but in no way agressively contradictory. - - * * * - -This symphony, begun in 1916, was completed in 1917. The first -performance was at Leningrad by the orchestra now known as the State -Orchestra. The first performance in the United States was at a concert -of the Russian Symphony Orchestra in New York, in December, 1918. - -The symphony, scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two -bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, kettledrums, and strings, is -dedicated to Boris Assafieff, who, as Igor Gleboff, has written much -about music. "The composer's idea in writing this work was to catch the -spirit of Mozart and to put down that which, if he were living now, -Mozart might put into his scores."[41] - -I. _Allegro_, D major, 4-4 time. The chief theme is given to the first -violins. A transitional passage has material for the flutes. Development -follows. The second theme is for first violins. The development begins -with use of the first subject. The transitional measures are taken up, -later the second theme. The recapitulation opens in C major (strings). -Then follows the transitional passage (D major) for the flute. The -second theme is again for the strings. There is a short _coda_. - -II. _Larghetto_, A major, 2-2 time. First violins announce the chief -theme. There are episodes. - -III. _Gavotta_: _Non troppo allegro_, D major, 4-4 time. The subject is -given at once to strings and wood-wind. The trio is in G major (flutes -and clarinets above an organ point for violoncellos and double basses). -This subject is repeated by the strings. - -IV. _Finale_: _Molto vivace_, D major, 2-2 time. The first theme is for -the strings; the second, A major, for wood-wind. - - - - - SERGEI VASSILIEVICH - RACHMANINOFF - - - (Born at Onega in the government of Novgorod, April 1, 1873) - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 2, IN E MINOR, OP. 27 - - - I. Largo; allegro moderato - II. Allegro molto - III. Adagio - IV. Allegro vivace - -The composition is a long one; it lasts about an hour. The first two -movements seem by far the strongest, architecturally and emotionally. -The third movement seems insufferably long drawn out and sentimental. -The fourth movement gains on a second hearing--has a more decided -profile, and seems less episodic. - -The reasons for the popularity of this symphony are not far to seek. The -themes are eminently melodious, and some of them are of singular beauty; -there is rich coloring; there are beautiful nuances in color; there is -impressive sonority; there are frequent and sharp contrasts in -sentiment, rhythm, expression; there is stirring vitality. Mr. -Rachmaninoff in this symphony is romantic in the old and accustomed -forms. He does not surprise or perplex by experiments in harmony; his -form is essentially academic and traditional. Here is another case of -new wine in old leather bottles, but first of all the bottles were put -in thorough order, patched, strengthened, cleaned. - -Instantaneous popularity often indicates some weakness in a composition. -It will be interesting to watch the life of this symphony. There was a -time when Raff's _Lenore_ was as rapturously applauded. The most -extravagant things were said about it. Raff too had uncommon -contrapuntal skill; he too was a fecund melodist; he too had a pretty -sense of color in his day. And what, pray, has become of Raff's -_Lenore_? It is in the great cemetery of orchestral compositions buried -snugly with its heroine and her Wilhelm. - -Let us enjoy, however, the gifts the gods give us and not indulge -ourselves in gloomy thoughts. Mr. Rachmaninoff has written beautiful and -eloquent music in this symphony. He has shown technical skill and -revealed an emotional side that he has concealed in other compositions. -Whether he would show inspiration outside of traditional forms; whether -he has imagination in sufficient degree to shape wondrous thoughts in a -freer form and be a law not only to himself but to his hearers--these -questions we shall call unnecessary. - - * * * - -This symphony, composed at Dresden, was played at Moscow at a concert of -the Imperial Russian Music Society in the course of the season of -1908-09. The composer conducted. - -The symphony, dedicated to S. Tanéïev, is scored for three flutes (and -piccolo), three oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two -bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, -kettledrums, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, glockenspiel, and the usual -strings. - -There is an introduction, _largo_, 4-4, to the first movement. -Violoncellos and double basses give an indication of the chief motive. -Sustained chords of wind instruments follow, and over them appears the -leading thought of the symphony (violins). The solo for the basses is -repeated a third lower, and again chords for wind instruments follow. -(These passages for wind instruments are used reminiscently in the -second movement.) The violin theme is now more broadly developed, and -after a short _crescendo_ a phrase for the English horn leads to the -main portion of the first movement, _allegro moderato_, E minor, 2-2. - -The first theme, _molto espressivo_, of the first movement, enters after -four measures of prelude and is given to the violins. A motive in -triplets for basses, _poco a poco più vivo_, is added. This leads to a -section, _moderato_, in which, after preluding, a theme in G major is -sung by violins. This becomes more passionate, and leads to a close in G -major with a melody for violoncellos. The chief theme of the symphony is -developed in the working out, by solo violin, by the rest of the strings -and by wood-wind instruments. There is a noticeable rhythmic figure for -violas, and this slackening of the pace brings the return of the chief -theme of the movement with an elaborate _crescendo_. There are fanfares -for the brass, and a horn-call is freely used. There is an agitated -_coda_. - -Second movement, _allegro molto_, A minor, 2-2. The theme begins with -horns and is carried out by violins, while there are characteristic -figures for wood-wind instruments. The first section is constructed -simply and clearly from portions of this theme. There is a melodious -section, _moderato_ (violins in octaves, violas, and violoncellos -_cantabile_), and then the energetic rhythmic figure brings in the -repetition of the first portion of the movement. The trio, _meno mosso_, -begins with a design for second violins, and its development includes -march-like harmonies for the brass. There is a free repetition of the -_scherzo_ portion, and at the end a reminiscence of the theme for brass -in the introduction. - -The third movement, _adagio_, A major, 4-4, is in song form, and there -are three leading melodies in succession. The chief one is given to the -first violins; the clarinet has an expressive air; the third melody is -for oboes and violins. In the middle section there is a return to the -chief theme of the symphony. It occurs in dialogue form, and it also -appears at the end of the repetition of the first section. - -The _finale_, _allegro vivace_, begins with a lively introduction which -is rhythmically developed out of the first jubilant motive for full -orchestra. There is a march theme for wind instruments. The second theme -is for strings, D major, and is in lyric mood. Many of the melodic -figures heard before enter in the _finale_. The climax of passion is -reached when the brass sounds forth the bass motive of the introductory -_largo_, and at the end the _adagio_ theme is sung against the dance -motive of the _finale_. - - - - - CONCERTO NO. 2, IN C MINOR, FOR PIANOFORTE WITH ORCHESTRA, OP. 18 - - - I. Moderato - II. Adagio sostenuto - III. Allegro scherzando - -The concerto is of uneven worth. The first movement is labored and has -little marked character. It might have been written by any German, -technically well-trained, who was acquainted with the music of -Tchaikovsky. The _adagio_ and the _finale_ have more racial spirit and -are well designed to win the favor of the crowd; the _adagio_ by its -agreeable sentiment, the _finale_ by the sharply defined themes, the -hustle and rush, the _crescendo_ of excitement, with the apotheosis, -full vigor of the orchestra with a long, sweeping _cantilena_, an -obvious tune--truly an _ad captandum finale_. - - * * * - -This concerto was performed for the first time at a concert of the -Philharmonic Society of Moscow, October 14, 1901, when the composer was -the pianist. The concerto gained for the composer, in 1904, the Glinka -prize of 500 roubles, founded by the publisher Belaïev. Published in -1901, it is dedicated to N. Dahl. - -The orchestral portion of the concerto is scored for two flutes, two -oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three -trombones and bass tuba, kettledrums, bass drum, cymbals, and the usual -strings. - -Rachmaninoff has composed four pianoforte concertos: No. 1, F sharp -minor, Op. 1, was written in 1890-91 and revised in 1917; No. 2, in C -minor, 1900; No. 3, in D minor, 1909; No. 4, in G minor, 1927. - -There follows a description of the Second concerto: - -I. _Moderato_, C minor, 2-2. Introductory chords for the pianoforte lead -to the exposition of the first theme, which is given to the strings -while the pianoforte has an _arpeggio_ figure in accompaniment. There is -a short orchestral interlude, and the second theme, E flat major, is -announced by the pianoforte. The presentation of this subject ends with -a _coda_ in which there is passage-work for the pianoforte while there -is a suggestion of the first theme in the brass choir. The section of -development begins with a working out of the first motive, at first in -the orchestra. In the recapitulation, _maestoso, alla marcia_, the chief -theme is given to the strings, while there are chords for the brass and -a counter theme for the solo instrument. The horns take the second theme -in augmentation, _moderato_, A flat major. The material for the _coda, -meno mosso_, is taken from the chief theme, and the pianoforte has -passage-work. - -II. _Adagio sostenuto_, E major, 4-4. There is a short introduction with -sustained harmonies for strings. These harmonies are soon reinforced by -wind instruments. The pianoforte enters with a figure over which the -flute and then the clarinet announce the theme on which the movement is -built. The opening phrase for the clarinet has much significance in this -respect. The pianoforte now has the theme, and the accompaniment of a -broken chord figure is given to violins (_pizzicato_) and clarinets. The -pace is quickened for the working out of the subject and for episodic -material. There is a _cadenza_ for the pianoforte, after which there is -a repetition in part of the opening section. The _coda_ contains a new -musical thought for the pianoforte: a progression of chords in the upper -part is accompanied by a broken chord figure in the left, and wood-wind -instruments play against this in triplets. - -III. _Allegro scherzando_, C minor, 4-4. There are introductory -measures, and the first motive is for the pianoforte. This motive is -developed. The second motive is for oboe and violoncellos, and is taken -up later by the pianoforte and leads to figuration in triplets, _meno -mosso_, for the same instrument. Then comes a section _allegro -scherzando_, _moto primo_, in which the chief theme is further -developed. There is a _fugato_: the first violins are answered by -pianoforte and lower strings. In the recapitulation section there is a -suggestion of the chief theme, but the second motive is in the -orchestra, this time for violins and flute, and it is taken up later, as -it was before, by the solo instrument. The triplet figuration returns. -_Allegro scherzando_: the chief theme is treated in imitation by the -orchestra. There is an increase in speed with a _crescendo_, and, when -the climax is reached, there is a _cadenza_ for the pianoforte. The -second theme is announced by the full orchestra _maestoso_, with chords -for the solo instrument. There is a brilliant _coda_. - - - - - JOSEPH MAURICE - RAVEL - - - (Born at Ciboure, Basses Pyrénées, March 7, 1875) - - - - - "MA MÈRE L'OYE" (MOTHER GOOSE), FIVE CHILDREN'S PIECES - - - I. Pavane de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Pavane of Sleeping Beauty) - II. Petit Poucet (Hop o' my Thumb) - III. Laideronnette, Impératrice des Pagodes (Laideronnette, Empress - of the Pagodas) - IV. Les Entretiens de la Belle et de la Bête (Conversations of - Beauty and the Beast) - V. Le Jardin Féerique (The Fairy Garden) - -Ravel's music is of the most delicate texture, lacework with exquisite -thoughts orchestrated as for the little orchestra of ivory instruments -imagined by Jules Laforgue. Although to the eye the structure of the -score is simple, the performance demands the utmost skill on the part of -the players and the finest taste of an imaginative conductor. It would -be hard to say which of the five movements is the most beautiful in -fancy. The "Pavane" has a subtle, melancholy charm. "Hop o' my Thumb" is -curiously rhythmed and strangely effective by means of orchestration. -"Laideronnette" in the movement of a march is delightful, and with the -movement that follows, in the time of a slow waltz and with a solo for -the double bassoon representing the Beast, wins immediate popularity. In -the ballet the Apotheosis was the "Fairy Garden," and this movement, -too, is most poetic. - - * * * - -These pieces were originally composed in 1908 for pianoforte (four -hands), and for the pleasure of the children, Mimie and Jean Godebski, -to whom they were dedicated when the pieces were published in 1910. They -were first performed at a concert of the Société Musicale Indépendante, -Salle Gaveau, Paris, on April 20, 1910. The pianists were Christine -Verger, six years old, and Germaine Duramy, ten years old. - -I. "Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty." _Lent_, A minor, 4-4. This movement -is only twenty measures long. It is based on the opening phrase for -flute, horns, and violas. - -II. "Hop o' my Thumb." Ravel has quoted in the score this passage from -Perrault's tale: "He believed that he would easily find his path by -means of his bread crumbs which he had scattered wherever he had passed; -but he was very much surprised when he could not find a single crumb: -the birds had come and eaten everything up." - -III. "Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas." The French give the name -_pagode_ to a little grotesque figure with a movable head, and thus -extend the meaning, which was also found in English for pagoda, "an idol -or image." This latter use of the word is now obsolete in the English -language. A _laideron_ is any ugly young girl or young woman. There is -this quotation from "Serpentin Vert" by the Countess Marie Catherine -d'Aulnoy (about 1655-1705) who wrote romances and also fairy tales in -imitation of Perrault. "She undressed herself and went into the bath. -The pagodes and pagodines began to sing and play on instruments; some -had theorbos made of walnut shells; some had viols made of almond -shells; for they were obliged to proportion the instruments to their -figure." Laideronnette, in the story, the daughter of a king and queen, -was cursed in her cradle by Magotine, a wicked fairy, with the curse of -the most horrible ugliness. When the princess grew up, she asked that -she might dwell far away in a castle where no one could see her. In the -forest near by she met a huge green serpent, who told her that he was -once handsomer than she was. Laideronnette had many adventures. In a -little boat, guarded by the serpent, she went out to sea and was wrecked -on the coast of a land inhabited by pagodes, a little folk whose bodies -were formed from porcelain, crystal, diamonds, emeralds, etc. The ruler -was an unseen monarch--the green snake who also had been enchanted by -Magotine. Finally, he was changed into human shape, and he married -Laideronnette, whose beauty was restored. - -IV. "The Conversations of Beauty and the Beast." Quotations from Mme -Leprince de Beaumont are given: - -"'When I think how good-hearted you are, you do not seem to me so ugly.' - -"'Yes, I have, indeed, a kind heart; but I am a monster.' - -"'There are many men more monstrous than you.' - -"'If I had wit, I would invent a fine compliment to thank you, but I am -only a beast.' - - . . . . . . . - -"'Beauty, will you be my wife?' - -"'No, Beast!' - -"'I die content since I have the pleasure of seeing you again.' - -"'No, my dear Beast, you shall not die; you shall live to be my -husband!'" - -The Beast had disappeared, and she saw at her feet only a prince more -beautiful than Love, who thanked her for having broken his enchantment. - -"_Mouvement de valse très modéré_," F major, 3-4. This movement is based -chiefly on a melody for the clarinet, which begins in the second -measure. There is a middle section with a subject suggesting the Beast -and given to the double bassoon. The two subjects are combined. At the -end, a solo violin plays the theme of the middle section. - -V. "The Fairy Garden." _Lent et grave_, C major, 3-4. The movement is -based on the opening theme for strings. - -The orchestration is as follows: two flutes (and piccolo), two oboes -(and English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, double bassoon, two -horns, kettledrums, triangle, cymbals, bass drum, tam-tam, xylophone, -glockenspiel, celesta, harp and strings. - - - - - "DAPHNIS ET CHLOÉ," BALLET IN ONE ACT, ORCHESTRAL FRAGMENTS, SECOND - SERIES "DAYBREAK," "PANTOMIME," "GENERAL DANCE" - - -Ravel's cunningly and gorgeously orchestrated ballet bears separation -from the stage and stage effects, the dancers and the mimes. Nor is it -necessary for one's enjoyment to be concerned with the adventures of -Daphnis and Chloe. Here is something more than purple patches of -instrumental color and dexterous juggling with surprising combinations -of timbres. There is form, there is melody, there are ravishing harmonic -devices; there is, above all, poetic imagination. - - * * * - -Ravel composed his ballet, _Daphnis and Chloe_, expecting that it would -be performed by the Russian Ballet at Paris in 1911. Jacques Durand, the -publisher, says that Ravel was asked by Diaghilev in 1911 to write this -ballet. Others give the year 1910. Durand also says Diaghilev was not at -first satisfied with the ballet and hesitated to produce it, but Durand -finally persuaded him; that Diaghilev's first unfavorable impression was -due to his knowing the music only by the arrangement for piano. At the -rehearsals there were violent scenes between Fokine and Diaghilev, which -led to the rupture which became "official" after that season of the -Ballet Russe. It was not performed until June 5, 1912. The performances -were at the Châtelet. Nijinsky mimed Daphnis; Mme Karsavina, Chloe. -Messrs. Bolm and Cechetti also took leading parts. The conductor was Mr. -Monteux. The score, however, was published in 1911. Two concert suites -were drawn from it. The first--"Nocturne," "Interlude," "Danse -Guerrière"--was performed at a Châtelet concert conducted by Gabriel -Pierné on April 2, 1911. - -The second suite is scored for two flutes (and piccolo), a flute in G, -two oboes, English horn, a clarinet in E flat, two clarinets in B flat, -bass clarinet in B flat, three bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, -four trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, bass drum, -cymbals, triangle, tambourine, two side drums, castanets, celesta, -glockenspiel, two harps, strings (double basses with the low C), chorus -of mixed voices. This chorus, which sings without words, can be replaced -by variants inserted for this purpose in the orchestral parts. - -The following argument is printed in the score of the suite to -illustrate the significance of the sections in succession: - -"No sound but the murmur of rivulets fed by the dew that trickles from -the rocks. Daphnis lies stretched before the grotto of the nymphs. -Little by little the day dawns. The songs of birds are heard. Afar off a -shepherd leads his flock. Another shepherd crosses the back of the -stage. Herdsmen enter, seeking Daphnis and Chloe. They find Daphnis and -awaken him. In anguish he looks about for Chloe. She at last appears, -encircled by shepherdesses. The two rush into each other's arms. Daphnis -observes Chloe's crown. His dream was a prophetic vision: the -intervention of Pan is manifest. The old shepherd Lammon explains that -Pan saved Chloe, in remembrance of the nymph Syrinx, whom the god loved. - -"Daphnis and Chloe mime the story of Pan and Syrinx. Chloe impersonates -the young nymph wandering over the meadow. Daphnis as Pan appears and -declares his love for her. The nymph repulses him; the god becomes more -insistent. She disappears among the reeds. In desperation he plucks some -stalks, fashions a flute, and on it plays a melancholy tune. Chloe comes -out and imitates by her dance the accents of the flute. - -"The dance grows more and more animated. In mad whirlings, Chloe falls -into the arms of Daphnis. Before the altar of the nymphs he swears on -two sheep his fidelity. Young girls enter; they are dressed as -Bacchantes and shake their tambourines. Daphnis and Chloe embrace -tenderly. A group of young men come on the stage. - -"Joyous tumult. A general dance. Daphnis and Chloe." - -The scenario of the ballet was derived by Michel Fokine from the -charming romance of Longus. There are stage pictures of Chloe carried -away by robbers, rescued by Pan at the prayer of Daphnis, and of the -lovers miming together the story of Pan and Syrinx. There are scenes in -the grove of Pan and in the pirate camp, besides those mentioned above. -The scenery and costumes were designed by Leon Bakst. - - - - - BOLERO - - -_Bolero_ does not fare the better by repetition. It is the clever trick -of a super-refined composer. The trick is amazingly well performed, but -it is only a trick. The surprise of a first performance does not affect -one a second time. Still, there is the expectation of something going to -happen, of a final, thunderous proclamation of the inherently negligible -tune. According to the old saw, surprise is the chief element of wit. -Perhaps--but honest laughter follows the first cracking of a joke. After -that, the laughter is only courteous. - - * * * - -This _Bolero_, dedicated to Ida Rubinstein, was brought out by her and -danced by her at Paris in November, 1928. Alexandre Benois designed the -settings and the costumes to represent a scene that Goya might have -painted: a Spanish inn, with the dancer on a trestle table, men -surrounding it. At first calm, the actors on the Parisian stage were -little by little excited to frenzy as the dancer became more and more -animated. Knives were drawn--the woman was tossed from arms to arms, -until her partner intervened; they danced until quiet was restored. So -was the scene described by French and English reporters. - -The first performance in the United States of this Bolero as a concert -piece was by the Philharmonic Society of New York, Mr. Toscanini -conductor, on November 14, 1929. - -_Tempo di ballo, moderato assai_, 3-4. A drum gives the dance rhythm, -which is maintained throughout; a flute announces the theme, which is -taken up by the wind instruments in turn; then by groups of instruments. -There is a _crescendo_ for about twenty minutes, until there is an -explosive modulation--brass and percussion instruments swell the din -until at last there is what has been described as a "tornado of sound." - -M. Prunières called attention to the fact that Ravel was not the first -to repeat a simple, common theme until by the monotony of tune and -rhythm the hearer was excited (as are Oriental hearers by the same -method). Padilla, the composer of _Valencia_, had worked this obsession -by the repetition of a tune for at least twenty times. - -Ravel's _Bolero_ calls for these instruments: two flutes (and piccolo), -two oboes, oboe d'amour, English horn, two clarinets, one E flat -clarinet, two bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, four trumpets, three -trombones, bass tuba, high saxophone in F, soprano and tenor saxophones -in B flat, kettledrums, side drums, cymbal, tam-tam, celesta, harp, and -the usual strings. - - - - - OTTERINO - RESPIGHI - - - (Born on July 9, 1879, at Bologna, Italy) - - - - - SYMPHONIC POEM, "PINES OF ROME" - - - I. The Pines of the Villa Borghese - II. The Pines near a Catacomb - III. The Pines of the Janiculum - IV. The Pines of the Appian Way - -Respighi wrote _Pines of Rome_ as a companion piece to his _Fountains of -Rome_. He may yet write "_Hills of Rome_," but it would have to be in -seven movements. In the _Fountains of Rome_ he set no bird a-singing. In -the third section [of the Pines of Rome] "Pines of the Janiculum," he -introduces a nightingale. Perhaps he had in mind the reply of the good -King Agesilaus, who, when a man was recommended to him as a skillful -imitator of that justly famous bird, replied: "I have heard the -nightingale itself." So Respighi obtained a gramophone record of a -nightingale which he heard singing. The movement would not suffer if -there were no nightingale in the orchestra. - -In the "Pines of the Villa Borghese," where children are supposed to be -playing games, darting to and fro, shrieking, emitting loud squeals of -joy, the instrumentation is unusually brilliant, effective, original. -One finds more poetic feeling, more imagination in "Pines near a -Catacomb," with the somber opening, the solemnity of the double basses, -the mysterious song which swells and dies away. Yes, there is more -poetic feeling in this movement than in "Pines of the Janiculum," with -the moon full and the gramophone turned on for the faint voice of the -nightingale. At first in the _finale_ there is the rhythm of innumerable -steps that De Quincey might have heard at the beginning of his "Dream -Fugue" in "The Vision of Sudden Death." There is the vision of past -glories, of soldiers victorious making their clashing and blaring way to -the Capitol; with the huzzaing crowd "to see Great Pompey pass the -streets of Rome." This march is exciting by reason of its rhythmic and -dynamic increasing intensity and its overpowering climax. - -But if one takes the work poem as a whole, the composer is revealed as a -supreme master of orchestral color rather than a man of fine, -entrancing, impressive ideas. - - * * * - -This symphonic poem was composed in 1924. It was performed at a concert -in the Augusteum, Rome, in the season of 1924-25. The score calls for 3 -flutes (and piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, -2 bassoons, double bassoon, 4 horns, 1 trumpet off stage, 3 trumpets, 3 -trombones and bass tuba, 6 buccine (the bucina was the war trumpet of -ancient Rome): 2 flicorni (Fluegelhorn) soprani, 2 flicorni tenori, 2 -flicorni bassi--replaced if necessary by horns; kettledrums, bass drum, -cymbals, 2 small cymbals, tambourine, rattle, triangle, tam-tam, harp, -bells, celesta, gramophone (No. R. 6105 of the Concert Record -Gramophone--the "Song of the Nightingale"), pianoforte, organ, and -strings. - -The piece is in four connected sections. They are based upon this -programme, printed as preface to the score: - -"1. The Pines of the Villa Borghese. _Allegretto vivace_, 2-8. Children -are at play in the pine grove of the Villa Borghese, dancing the Italian -equivalent of 'Ring Around a-Rosy'; mimicking marching soldiers and -battles; twittering and shrieking like swallows at evening; and they -disappear. Suddenly the scene changes to-- - -"2. The Pines near a Catacomb. _Lento_, 4-4; beginning with muted and -divided strings, muted horns, _piano_. We see the shadows of the pines -which overhang the entrance to a catacomb. From the depths rises a chant -which reëchoes solemnly, sonorously, like a hymn, and is then -mysteriously silenced. - -"3. The Pines of the Janiculum. _Lento_ 4-4; _piano cadenza_; clarinet -solo. There is a thrill in the air. The full moon reveals the profile of -the pines of Gianicolo's Hill. A nightingale sings (represented by a -gramophone record of a nightingale's song heard from the orchestra). - -"4. The Pines of the Appian Way. _Tempo di marcia._ Misty dawn on the -Appian Way. The tragic country is guarded by solitary pines. -Indistinctly, incessantly, the rhythm of innumerable steps. To the -poet's phantasy appears a vision of past glories; trumpets blare, and -the army of the consul advances brilliantly in the grandeur of a newly -risen sun toward the sacred way, mounting in triumph the Capitoline -Hill." - -Mr. Ernest Newman was facetious, hearing the symphonic poem at a concert -of the London Symphony Orchestra in October, 1925: "The tame nightingale -in the last movement (a gramophone record, 'kindly lent,' as the -programme informed us, 'by the Gramophone Company, Hayes') did not -communicate the expected thrill. Perhaps the captive bird does not sing -with the rapture of the free one. Perhaps the proper romantic -associations were lacking; it might have been better had the lights been -put out and we had all held hands. But I fancy the explanation is that -realism of this sort is a trifle too crude to blend with music. We all -remember Mr. Arnold Bennett's 'Card,' who, having bought in the days of -his prosperity a painting of a Swiss scene with a church tower in it, -and still having enough of the Five Towns left in him to want to fortify -the beautiful with the useful, had a real clock face inserted in the -tower to tell him and the world the time. Since then we have read of Mr. -Harry Leon Wilson's little boy, who used to gaze with a blend of -fascination and terror on a picture of a lion in a cage, the bars of the -cage being real, inserted in the frame; the great thing was to put your -fingers behind the bars and half hope, half fear that the lion would go -for them. Musical realism of the Respighi type has the same queer -attractiveness and the same drawbacks. Of course, if the public likes -it, it can be extended indefinitely. We may yet live to see the evening -when the _Pastoral_ symphony will be given with real running water in -the slow movement, nightingale by the Gramophone Company, quail by -Messrs. Fortnum and Mason." - - - - - NICOLAS ANDREJEVITCH - RIMSKY-KORSAKOV - - -(Born at Tikhvin, in the government of Novgorod, March 18, 1844; died at - St. Petersburg, June 21, 1908) - - - - - SYMPHONIC SUITE, "SCHEHERAZADE" (AFTER "THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A - NIGHT"), OP. 35 - - - I. The Sea and Sindbad's Ship - II. The Story of the Kalandar Prince - III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess - IV. Festival at Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Goes to Pieces against a - Rock Surmounted by a Bronze Warrior. Conclusion - -Rimsky-Korsakov wrote an argument for his score. The music is in -illustration of _Sindbad the Sailor_, the storm at sea, the shipwreck, -the tale of one of the three Kalandars, a tale of a prince and a -princess. The argument is not wholly clear, and probably this was the -composer's intention. What prince and what princess? There are so many -in _The Thousand Nights and a Night_. Who will be so rash as to name the -one of the three Kalandars? In the last movement there is a festival at -Baghdad, and lo, suddenly Sindbad's ship sails to its fate. - -In the ballet all this music is wedded to the story that is the prelude -to the wondrous tales: the story of the two rulers, their wanton wives, -and the resolve of one of the Kings to kill a spouse every morning, -until Scheherazade by her charm as a narrator softens his heart. What -then becomes of the graphic sea music; or that illustrative of Kalandar, -prince and princess? It is not necessary to insist on the incongruity. - -Unless a conductor can feel in this music the spirit of _The Thousand -Nights and a Night_, unless he is himself a rhapsodist with admiration -for the wild fancy, the humor now grotesque, now cruel, now Rabelaisian, -for the sensuousness that is at times sensuality; unless there is -understanding, with appreciation of the imagination that peopled the air -with slaves of King Solomon's ring, hideous afreets and -space-annihilating genii, his interpretation will be that of a man who -complains of endless repetitions without contrapuntal development. The -music is not for the academic. - -Grant that _Scheherazade_ reeks at times of benzoin and the pastils of -the harem; that it suggests: - - _Lucent syrops, tinct with cinnamon; - Manna and dates in argosy transferred - From Fez; and spiced dainties, every one - From silken Samarcand to cedared Lebanon_-- - -grant all this: there remains the superb sea music with the rolling -billows, the tossing, laboring vessel, the final crash and wild -farewell. There is more than a constant display of fancy or imagination. -The wonder is, as a matter of technic, how Rimsky-Korsakov succeeds in -casting his spell with analogous themes constantly varied. Nor is this -due solely to the surprising, masterly, and entrancing instrumentation. - - * * * - -_Scheherazade_, with the _Easter Overture_, was composed in the summer -of 1881 at Neyzhgovitsy on the shore of Lake Cheryemenyetskoye. It was -produced at St. Petersburg in the course of the following concert -season. - -The suite, dedicated to Vladimir Stassov, is scored for piccolo, two -flutes, two oboes (and English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, four -horns, two trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, snare -drum, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, triangle, tam-tam, harp, and -strings. - -The following programme is printed in Russian and French on a fly-leaf -of the score: - -"The Sultan Schahriar, persuaded of the falseness and the faithlessness -of women, has sworn to put to death each one of his wives after the -first night. But the Sultana Scheherazade saved her life by interesting -him in tales which she told him during one thousand and one nights. -Pricked by curiosity, the Sultan put off his wife's execution from day -to day, and at last gave up entirely his bloody plan. - -"Many marvels were told Schahriar by the Sultana Scheherazade. For her -stories the Sultana borrowed from poets their verses, from folk songs -their words; and she strung together tales and adventures." - -Rimsky-Korsakov has this to say about _Scheherazade_ in _My Musical -Life_, translated into English by J. A. Joffe: - -"The programme I had been guided by in composing _Scheherazade_ -consisted of separate, unconnected episodes and pictures from _The -Arabian Nights_: the fantastic narrative of the Prince Kalandar, the -Prince and the Princess, the Baghdad festival, and the ship dashing -against the rock with the bronze rider upon it. The unifying thread -consisted of the brief introductions to Movements I, II, and IV, and the -_intermezzo_ in Movement III, written for violin solo, and delineating -Scheherazade herself as telling her wondrous tales to the stern Sultan. -The conclusion of Movement IV serves the same artistic purpose. - -"In vain do people seek in my suite leading motives linked always and -unvaryingly with the same poetic ideas and conceptions. On the contrary, -in the majority of cases, all these seeming leitmotives are nothing but -purely musical material, or the given motives for symphonic development. -These given motives thread and spread over all the movements of the -suite, alternating and intertwining each with the other. Appearing as -they do each time under different moods, the self-same motives and -themes correspond each time to different images, actions and pictures. - -"Thus, for instance, the sharply outlined fanfare motive of the muted -trombone and trumpet, which first appears in the Kalandar's Narrative -(Movement II) appears afresh in Movement IV, in the delineation of the -doomed ship, though this episode has no connection with the Kalandar's -Narrative. The principal theme of the Kalandar's Narrative (B minor, -3-4) and the theme of the Princess in Movement III (B flat major, 6-8, -clarinet) in altered guise and quick tempo appear as the secondary -themes of the Baghdad festival; yet nothing is said in _The Arabian -Nights_ about these persons taking part in the festivities. The unison -phrase, as though depicting Scheherazade's stern spouse, at the -beginning of the suite, appears in the Kalandar's Narrative, where there -cannot, however, be any thought of Sultan Schahriar. - -"In this manner, developing quite freely the musical data taken as a -basis of the composition, I had in view the creation of an orchestral -suite in four movements, closely knit by the community of its themes and -motives, yet presenting, as it were, a kaleidoscope of fairy-tale images -and designs of Oriental character--a method that I had to a certain -degree made use of in my _Skazka_ (Fairy Tale), the musical data of -which are as little distinguishable from the poetic as they are in -_Scheherazade_. - -"In composing _Scheherazade_ I meant these hints to direct but slightly -the hearer's fancy on the path which my own fancy had traveled, and to -leave more minute and particular conceptions to the will and mood of -each listener. All I had desired was that the hearer, if he liked my -piece _as symphonic music_, should carry away the impression that it is -beyond doubt an Oriental narrative of some numerous and varied -fairy-tale wonders, and not merely four pieces played one after the -other and composed on the basis of themes common to all the four -movements. Why, then, if that be the case, does this name and the -subtitle ('After _The Thousand and One Nights_') connote in everybody's -mind the East and fairy-tale wonders; besides, certain details of the -musical exposition hint at the fact that all of these are various tales -of some one person (which happens to be Scheherazade) entertaining -therewith her stern husband." - -A characteristic theme, the typical theme of _Scheherazade_, keeps -appearing in the four movements. This theme, that of the Narrator, is a -florid melodic phrase in triplets, and it ends generally in a free -_cadenza_. It is played, for the most part, by a solo violin; sometimes -by a wood-wind instrument. "The presence in the minor cadence of the -characteristic seventh, G, and the major sixth, F sharp--after the -manner of the Phrygian mode of the Greeks or the Doric church -tone--might illustrate the familiar beginning of all folk tales, 'Once -upon a time.'" - -I. The Sea and Sindbad's Ship. _Largo e maestoso_, E minor, 2-2. The -chief theme of this movement, proclaimed frequently and in many -transformations, has been called by some the "Sea" motive, by others the -"Sindbad" motive. It is proclaimed immediately and heavily in fortissimo -unison and octaves. Soft chords of wind instruments--chords not unlike -the first chords of Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream" overture in -character--lead to the "Scheherazade" motive, lento, 4-4, played by solo -violin against chords of the harp. Then follows the main body of the -movement, allegro non troppo, E major, 6-4, which begins with a -combination of the chief theme, the "sea" motive, with a rising and -falling arpeggio figure, the "wave" motive. There is a crescendo. A -modulation leads to C major. Wood-wind instruments and violoncellos -pizzicato introduce a motive that has been called the "ship," at first -for solo flute, then oboe, lastly, clarinet. A reminiscence of the "sea" -motive is heard from the horn between the phrases. A solo violoncello -continues the "wave" motive, which in one form or another persists -almost throughout the whole movement. The "Scheherazade" motive soon -enters (solo violin). There is a long period that at last reëstablishes -the chief tonality, E major. The "sea" motive is sounded by full -orchestra. The development is easily followed. There is an avoidance of -contrapuntal use of thematic material. The style of the composer in this -suite is homophonous, not polyphonic. He prefers to produce his effects -by melodic, harmonic, rhythmic transformations and by most ingenious and -highly colored orchestration. The movement ends tranquilly. - -II. The Story of the Kalandar Prince. The second movement opens with a -recitative-like passage, _lento_, B minor, 4-4. A solo violin -accompanied by the harp gives out the "Scheherazade" motive, with a -different _cadenza_. There is a change to a species of _scherzo_ -movement, _andantino_, 3-8. The bassoon begins the wondrous tale, -_capriccioso quasi recitando_, accompanied by the sustained chords of -four double basses. The beginning of the second part of this theme -occurs later and transformed. The accompaniment has the bagpipe drone. -The oboe then takes up the melody, then the strings with quickened pace, -and at last the wind instruments, _un poco piu animato_. The chief -motive of the first movement is heard in the basses. A trombone sounds a -fanfare, which is answered by the trumpet; the first fundamental theme -is heard, and an _allegro moto_ follows, derived from the preceding -fanfare, and leads to an orientally colored _intermezzo_. "There are -curious episodes in which all the strings repeat the same chord over and -over again in rapid succession--very like the responses of a -congregation in church--as an accompaniment to the 'Scheherazade' -motive, now in the clarinet, now in the bassoon." The last interruption -leads to a return of the Kalandar's tale, _con moto_, 3-8, which is -developed, with a few interruptions from the "Scheherazade" motive. The -whole ends gayly. - -III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess. Some think from a -similarity of the two themes typical of prince and princess that the -composer had in mind the adventures of Kamar al-Zaman (Moon of the Age) -and the Princess Budur (Full Moons). "They were the likest of all folk, -each to other, as they were twins or an only brother and sister," and -over the question which was the more beautiful, Maymunah, the Jinniyah, -and Dabnash, the Ifrit, disputed violently. - -This movement is in simple _romanza_ form. It consists in the long but -simple development of two themes of folk-song character. The first is -sung by the violins, _andantino quasi allegretto_, G major, 6-8. There -is a constant recurrence of songlike melody between phrases in this -movement, of quickly rising and falling scale passages, as a rule in the -clarinet, but also in the flute or first violins. The second theme, -_pochissimo piu mosso_, B flat major and G minor, 6-8, introduces a -section characterized by highly original and daringly effective -orchestration. There are piquant rhythmic effects from a combination of -triangle, tambourine, snare drum, and cymbals, while violoncellos (later -the bassoon) have a sentimental counter phrase. - -IV. Festival at Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Goes to Pieces Against a Rock -Surmounted by a Bronze Warrior. Conclusion. _Allegro molto_, E minor, -6-8. The _finale_ opens with a reminiscence of the "sea" motive of the -first movement, proclaimed in unisons and octaves. Then follows the -"Scheherazade" motive (solo violin), which leads to the fête in Baghdad, -_Allegro molto e frenetico_, E minor, 6-8. The musical portraiture, -somewhat after the fashion of a tarantelle, is based on a version of the -"sea" motive, and it is soon interrupted by Scheherazade and her violin. -In the movement _vivo_, E minor, there is a combination of 2-8, 6-16, -3-8 times, and two or three new themes, besides those heard in the -preceding movements, are worked up elaborately. The festival is at its -height--"This is indeed life; O sad that 'tis fleeting"--when there -seems to be a change of festivities, and the jollification to be on -shipboard. In the midst of the wild hurrah the ship strikes the magnetic -rock. - -The trombones roar out the "sea" motive against the billowy "wave" -motive in the strings, _Allegro non troppo e maestoso_, C major, 6-4; -and there is a modulation to the tonic, E major, as the tempest rages. -The storm dies. Clarinets and trumpets scream one more cry on the march -theme of the second movement. There is a quiet ending with development -of the "sea" and "wave" motives. The tales are told. Scheherazade, the -narrator, who lives with Shahryar "in all pleasance and solace of life -and its delights till there took them the Destroyer of delights and the -Severer of societies, the Desolator of dwelling places and Garnerer of -graveyards, and they were translated to the ruth of Almighty Allah," -fades with the vision and the final note of her violin. - - - - - CAPRICE ON SPANISH THEMES, OP. 34 - - - I. Alborada - II. Variations - III. Alborada - IV. Scene and Gypsy Song - V. Fandango of the Asturias - (Played without pause) - -Rimsky-Korsakov's _Capriccio Espagnol_ was performed for the first time -in St. Petersburg at a Russian Symphony concert, October 31, 1887. The -composer conducted. The caprice was published in 1887, yet we find -Tchaikovsky writing to Rimsky-Korsakov in 1886 (November 11): "I must -add that your _Spanish Caprice_ is a colossal masterpiece of -instrumentation, and you may regard yourself as the greatest master of -the present day." Rimsky-Korsakov wrote in his _Autobiography_: "The -opinion formed by both critics and public, that the _capriccio_ is a -magnificently orchestrated piece, is wrong. The _capriccio_ is a -brilliant composition for the orchestra. The change of timbres, the -felicitous choice of melodic designs and figuration patterns, exactly -suiting each instrument, brief virtuoso _cadenzas_ for instrument solo, -the rhythm of the percussion instruments, etc., constitute here the very -essence of the composition and not its garb or orchestration. All in -all, the _capriccio_ is a purely external piece, but vividly brilliant -for all that." - -The caprice is dedicated to the artists of the orchestra of the Imperial -Russian Opera House of St. Petersburg. The names, beginning with M. -Koehler and R. Kaminsky, are given, sixty-seven in all, on the -title-page of the score. The caprice is scored for piccolo, two flutes, -two oboes (and English horn), two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, -two trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, side drum, bass -drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, castanets, harp, and strings. - -It was in the summer of 1887 that Rimsky-Korsakov, purposing at first to -use Spanish dance themes for a virtuoso violin piece, sketched instead -this caprice. He thought the third section, the "Alborada" in B flat -major, to be a little less successful than the other sections, on -account of the brass somewhat drowning the melodic designs of the -wood-wind, but this fault could be remedied by a careful conductor. -Rimsky-Korsakov tells how, at the rehearsal in St. Petersburg, the -orchestra applauded vigorously after the first movement, and in fact -after those succeeding, and the composer was so pleased that he -dedicated the _capriccio_ to the players. He also says that the first -performance was extraordinarily brilliant, more so than when it was -later led by others, even by Arthur Nikisch. - -The movements, according to the direction of the composer, are to be -played without intervening pauses. - -I. Alborada. _Vivo e strepitoso._ This serenade opens with the wild, -tempestuous chief theme, which is given to the full orchestra. There is -a subsidiary theme for the wood-wind instruments. Both themes are -repeated twice by solo clarinet, accompanied by horns and bassoons, and -strings _pizzicato_. A delicate _cadenza_ for solo violin brings the -close, _pianissimo_. - -II. Variations. _Andante con moto_, F major, 3-8. The horns give out the -theme with a rocking accompaniment for strings. Before this theme is -ended, the strings have the first variation. The second variation, _poco -meno mosso_, is a dialogue between English horn and horn. The third -variation is for full orchestra. The fourth, _tempo primo_, E major, -organ-point on B, is for wood-wind, two horns, and two violoncellos, -accompanied by sixteenth notes for clarinet and violins. The fifth, F -major, is for full orchestra. A _cadenza_ for solo flute brings the end. - -III. Alborada. _Vivo e strepitoso_, B flat major, 2-4. This movement is -a repetition of the first, transposed to B flat major and with different -orchestration. Clarinets and violins have now exchanged their parts. The -solo that was originally for clarinet is now for solo violin; the -_cadenza_ that was originally for the solo violin is now for the solo -clarinet. - -IV. Scene and Gypsy Song. _Allegro_, D minor, 6-8. This dramatic scene -is a succession of five _cadenzas_. The movement begins abruptly with a -roll of side drum, with a fanfare, quasi-_cadenza_, in syncopated -rhythm, gypsy fashion, for horns and trumpets. The drum roll continues, -now _pianississimo_. The second _cadenza_, which is for solo violin, -introduces the chief theme. This is repeated by flute and clarinet. The -third _cadenza_, freer in form, is for flute over a kettledrum roll; the -fourth, also free, for clarinet over a roll of cymbals. The fifth -_cadenza_ is for harp with triangle. - -The gypsy song begins after a harp _glissando_. - -The song is attacked savagely by the violins and is punctuated by -trombone and tuba chords and cymbal strokes. The _cadenza_ theme enters, -full orchestra, with a characteristic figure for accompaniment. The two -themes are alternated. There is a side theme for solo violoncello. Then -the strings, in guitar fashion, hint at the fandango rhythm of the -_finale_, and accompany the gypsy song, which is now blown _staccato_ by -wood-wind instruments. The _cadenza_ theme is enwrapped in triplets for -strings alternating with harmonics _pizzicato_. The pace grows more and -more furious, _animato_, and leads into the _finale_. - -V. Fandango of the Asturias. A major, 3-4. - -The chief theme of the fandango in this _Spanish Caprice_ is announced -immediately by the trombones, and a related theme for wood-wind -instruments follows. Both themes are repeated by oboes and violins, -while flutes and clarinets have figured in accompaniment. There is a -variation in dance form for solo violin. The chief theme in a modified -version is given to bassoons and violoncellos. The clarinet has a solo -with fandango accompaniment, and the dance grows more and more furious -until the chief theme is heard again from the trombones. The _fandango_ -suddenly is changed into the "Alborada" of the first movement, _Coda, -vivo_. There is a short closing _presto_. - - - - - CHARLES CAMILLE - SAINT-SAËNS - - - (Born at Paris, October 9, 1835; died at Algiers, December 16, 1921) - -An enemy of Saint-Saëns--and Saint-Saëns made enemies by his barbed -words--might have applied to him the lines of Juvenal: - - _Grammaticus, rhetor, geometres, pictor, aliptes, - Augur, Schoenobates, medicus, magus, omnia novit. - Graeculus esuriens in coelum, jusseris, ibit_--[42] - -for Saint-Saëns was not satisfied with the making of music or the career -of a virtuoso. Organist, pianist, caricaturist, dabbler in science, -enamored of mathematics and astronomy, amateur comedian, feuilletonist, -critic, traveler, archæologist--he was a restless man. - -He was of less than average height, thin, nervous, sick-faced; with -great and exposed forehead, hair habitually short, beard frosted. His -eyes were almost level with his face. His eagle-beak would have excited -the admiration of Sir Charles Napier, who once exclaimed: "Give me a man -with plenty of nose." Irritable, whimsical, ironical, paradoxical, -indulging in sudden changes of opinion, he was faithful to friends, -appreciative of certain rivals, kindly disposed toward young composers, -zealous in practical assistance as well as in verbal encouragement. A -man that knew the world and sparkled in conversation; fond of society; -at ease and on equal terms with leaders in art, literature, fashion. A -man whose Monday receptions were long famous in Paris, eagerly -anticipated by _Tout Paris_; yet never so happy as when acting Calchas -to Bizet's or Regnault's Helen in Offenbach's delightful _La Belle -Hélène_, or impersonating in an extraordinary costume Gounod's -Marguerite surprised by the casket of jewels. An indefatigable student -of Bach, he parodied the Italian opera of the 'thirties, 'forties, -'fifties in _Gabriella di Vergi_. - -Then there is his amusing _Carnival des Animaux_, which was written, as -his _Gabriella di Vergi_, without intention of publication. A Parisian -from crown of head to sole of foot; yet a nomad. - -In 1867 Berlioz called Saint-Saëns "one of the greatest musicians of our -epoch." In 1878 Bülow lamented in a letter to Hans von Bronsart that -there was no musician in Germany like Saint-Saëns "except you and me." -Liszt's admiration for Saint-Saëns is well known. In 1918 there were -some, even in this country, who applauded him as the greatest living -composer. On the other hand, there have been critics who said that he -was too much of a musician to be a great composer or creator. The praise -of Gounod--"Saint-Saëns will write at will a work _à la Rossini_, _à la -Verdi_, _à la Schumann_, _à la Wagner_"--was counted by them a reproach; -it was regarded as a courteous manner of saying, "Saint-Saëns has the -unfortunate faculty of assimilation." Hugues Imbert, discussing him, -admitted that there is no graver censure than to say of an artist, "He -is incapable of being himself." - -So far as an intimate knowledge of music as a science is concerned, so -far as fluency and ease of expression are concerned, Saint-Saëns was -beyond a doubt a remarkable musician. - -An extraordinary man and musician. Possessing an uncommon technical -equipment as composer, pianist, organist; French in clearness of -expression, logic, exquisite taste; a master of rhythm, with a clear -appreciation of tonal color and the value of simplicity in -orchestration, he is seldom warm and tender; seldom does he indulge -himself in sentiment, passion, imagination. With him orthodox form must -always be kept in mind. Hence perhaps the reactionary attitude of his -later years; his sharp criticism of the more modern school of French -composers, including César Franck. His wit and brilliancy are -indisputable. He seldom touches the heart or sweeps away the judgment. -He was not a great creator, yet his name is ever to be mentioned with -respect. Without consideration of his many admirable compositions, one -should bear this in mind: In the face of difficulties, discouragement, -misunderstanding, sneers, he worked steadily from his youth up, and -always to the best of his ability, for righteousness in absolute music; -he endeavored to introduce into French music thoughtfulness and -sincerity for the advantage and the glory of the country that he dearly -loved. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 3, IN C MINOR (WITH ORGAN), OP. 78 - - - I. Adagio; allegro moderato; poco adagio - II. Allegro moderato; presto; maestoso; allegro - -Saint-Saëns' Symphony in C minor has the finest and most characteristic -qualities of the best French music: logical construction, lucidity, -frankness, euphony. The workmanship is masterly. There is no hesitation. -The composer knew exactly what he wanted and how to express himself. A -few of the themes that when first exposed might seem to some -insignificant assume importance and even grandeur in the development. -The chief theme of the _adagio_, the theme for strings, is very French -in its sustained suavity, in a gentle, emotional quality that never -loses elegance, and the preparation for the entrance of this _adagio_ is -worthy of the greatest masters. It is not necessary to speak of the many -beautiful or stirring pages; of the consummate skill of the technician; -of the unerring instrumentation. - - * * * - -This symphony was composed for the London Philharmonic Society and first -performed at a concert of that society in London, May 19, 1886, when the -composer conducted. It was performed at Aix-la-Chapelle in September of -that year under the direction of the composer. - -For the first performance in London, Saint-Saëns prepared the following -analysis, which was translated into English: - -"This symphony is divided into two parts, after the manner of -Saint-Saëns' Fourth concerto for piano and orchestra and Sonata for -piano and violin. Nevertheless, it includes practically the traditional -four movements: the first, checked in development, serves as an -introduction to the _adagio_, and the _scherzo_ is connected, after the -same manner, with the _finale_. The composer has thus sought to shun in -a certain measure the interminable repetitions which are more and more -disappearing from instrumental music. - -"The composer thinks that the time has come for the symphony to benefit -by the progress of modern instrumentation, and he therefore establishes -his orchestra as follows: three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two -clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, -three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, three kettledrums, organ, -pianoforte (now for two hands and now for four), triangle, a pair of -cymbals, bass drum, and the usual strings. - -"After an introduction _adagio_ of a few plaintive measures the string -quartet exposes the initial theme, which is somber and agitated -(_allegro moderato_). The first transformation of this theme leads to a -second motive, which is distinguished by greater tranquillity; after a -short development, in which the two themes are presented simultaneously, -the motive appears in a characteristic form, for full orchestra, but -only for a short time. A second transformation of the initial theme -includes now and then the plaintive notes of the introduction. Varied -episodes bring gradually calm, and thus prepare the _adagio_ in D flat. -The extremely peaceful and contemplative theme is given to the violins, -violas, and violoncellos, which are supported by organ chords. This -theme is then taken by clarinet, horn, and trombone, accompanied by -strings divided into several parts. After a variation (in arabesques) -performed by the violins, the second transformation of the initial theme -of the _allegro_ appears again, and brings with it a vague feeling of -unrest, which is enlarged by dissonant harmonies. These soon give way to -the theme of the _adagio_, performed this time by some of the violins, -violas, and violoncellos, with organ accompaniment and with a persistent -rhythm of triplets presented by the preceding episode. This first -movement ends in a _coda_ of mystical character, in which are heard -alternately the chords of D flat major and E minor. - -"The second movement begins with an energetic phrase (_allegro -moderato_), which is followed immediately by a third transformation of -the initial theme in the first movement, more agitated than it was -before, and into which enters a fantastic spirit that is frankly -disclosed in the _presto_. Here arpeggios and scales, swift as -lightning, on the pianoforte, are accompanied by the syncopated rhythm -of the orchestra, and each time they are in a different tonality (F, E, -E flat, G). This tricky gayety is interrupted by an expressive phrase -(strings). The repetition of the _allegro moderato_ is followed by a -second _presto_, which at first is apparently a repetition of the first -_presto_; but scarcely has it begun before a new theme is heard, grave, -austere (trombone, tuba, double basses), strongly contrasted with the -fantastic music. There is a struggle for the mastery, and this struggle -ends in the defeat of the restless, diabolical element. The phrase rises -to orchestral heights, and rests there as in the blue of a clear sky. -After a vague reminiscence of the initial theme of the first movement, a -_maestoso_ in C major announces the approaching triumph of the calm and -lofty thought. The initial theme of the first movement, wholly -transformed, is now exposed by divided strings and the pianoforte (four -hands), and repeated by the organ with the full strength of the -orchestra. Then follows a development built in a rhythm of three -measures. An episode of a tranquil and pastoral character (oboe, flute, -English horn, clarinet) is twice repeated. A brilliant _coda_, in which -the initial theme by a last transformation takes the form of a violin -figure, ends the work; the rhythm of three measures becomes naturally -and logically a huge measure of three beats; each beat is represented by -a whole note, and twelve quarters form the complete measure." - -This symphony is dedicated to the memory of Franz Liszt. - -Liszt died at Bayreuth, July 31, 1886. The symphony was performed at -London before his death. When Liszt was in Paris in March of 1886 to -hear the performance of his _Graner Messe_ at St. Eustache, the symphony -was nearly completed, and Saint-Saëns gave Liszt an idea of it by -playing it on the pianoforte. The statement that Saint-Saëns intended -the symphony to be "a funereal memorial and an apotheosis of the -glorious master" is nonsensical. The dedication was a posthumous -tribute. - - - - - ARNOLD - SCHOENBERG - - - (Born at Vienna, September 13, 1874) - - - - -"VERKLÄRTE NACHT" (RADIANT NIGHT), ARRANGED FOR STRING ORCHESTRA, OP. 4 - - -Schoenberg's music, to be enjoyed, does not need either the original -verse or the paraphrase. Indeed, it would be better if the argument were -not printed for the concertgoer. As it is, he may be too anxious to -discover the emancipated woman and the good, easy-going, complaisant man -in the music, and be oblivious of the strains of beauty and passion. For -this music, on the whole prolix, has beautiful and passionate pages of -compelling eloquence. Other pages are a sandy, dreary waste. The -impression would be still stronger, the music still more significant, if -the composition were much shorter. Whether the music itself gains by the -revision and enlargement, is a question that admits of discussion. - - * * * - -This piece, originally a sextet, was published in 1905; the arrangement -for string orchestra was published in 1917. The sextet was composed in -1899. - -An excerpt from Richard Dehmel's poem, "Weib und die Welt," is printed -on a flyleaf of the score. When the sextet was first performed in New -York by the Kneisel Quartet, Mr. Krehbiel paraphrased this poetic -fragment as follows: - -"Two mortals walk through a cold, barren grove. The moon sails over the -tall oaks, which send their scrawny branches up through the unclouded -moonlight. A woman speaks. She confesses a sin to the man at her side: -she is with child, and he is not its father. She had lost belief in -happiness, and, longing for life's fullness, for motherhood and mother's -duty, she had surrendered herself, shuddering, to the embraces of a man -she knew not. She had thought herself blessed, but now life had avenged -itself upon her, by giving her the love of him she walked with. She -staggers onward, gazing with lack-lustre eye at the moon which follows -her. A man speaks. Let her not burden her soul with thoughts of guilt. -See, the moon's sheen enwraps the universe. Together they are driving -over chill waters, but a flame from each warms the other. It, too, will -transfigure the little stranger, and she will bear the child to him. For -she has inspired the brilliant glow within him and made him too a child. -They sink into each other's arms. Their breaths meet in kisses in the -air. Two mortals wander through the wondrous moonlight." - - - - - FRANZ PETER - SCHUBERT - - - (Born at Lichtenthal, near Vienna, January 31, 1797; died at Vienna, - November 19, 1828) - -Schubert was a clumsy man, short, round-shouldered, tallow-faced, with a -great shock of black hair, with penetrating though spectacled eyes, -strong-jawed, stubby-fingered. He shuffled in his walk, and he expressed -himself in speech with difficulty. He described himself as unhappy, -miserable; but his practical jokes delighted tavern companions, and he -was proud of his performance of _The Erlking_ on a comb. He kept a diary -and jotted down platitudes. He had little taste for literature, -painting, sculpture, travels; he was not interested in politics or in -questions of sociology. He went with his own kind. Unlike Beethoven, he -could not impose on the aristocracy of Vienna. He loved the freedom of -the tavern, the dance in the open air or late at night, when he would -play pretty tunes for the dancers. Handel was the superb personage of -music. Gluck was a distinguished person at the Court of Marie -Antoinette; Sarti pleased the mighty Catherine of Russia; Rossini, the -son of a strolling horn player, was at ease with royalty and worshiped -by women. There is little in the plain life of Schubert to fire the zeal -of the anecdotical or romantic biographer. No Grimm, no Diderot, -relished his conversation. There is no gossip of noble and perfumed -dames looking on him favorably. There is a legend that he was -passionately in love with Caroline of the House of Esterhazy; but his -passion followed a spell of interest in a pretty housemaid. He sang love -in immortal strains; but women were not drawn towards him as they were -towards Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven--the list is a long one. He was not a -spectacularly heroic figure. His morbidness has not the inviting charm -of Schumann's torturing introspection. We sympathize more deeply with -the sufferings of Mozart, and yet the last years of Schubert were -perhaps as cruel. Dittersdorf is close to us by his autobiography. Smug -Blangini amuses by his vanity and by his indiscreet defence of Pauline -Bonaparte, his pupil. No one can imagine Schubert philosophizing in -books after the fashion of Wagner, Gounod, Saint-Saëns. It would have -been easier for him to write a dozen symphonies than a feuilleton in the -manner of Hector Berlioz. Schubert was a simple, kindly, loving, honest -man, whose trade, whose life, was music. - -Schubert thought in song even when he wrote for the pianoforte, string -quartet, or orchestra. The songs which he wrote in too great number were -composed under all sorts of conditions, almost always hurriedly, in the -fields, in the tavern, in bed. There were German songs before -Schubert--folk songs, songs of the church, set songs for home and -concert; but Schubert created a new lyric--the emotional song. Plod your -weary way through the ballads of Zumsteeg, the songs of J. A. Hiller, -Reichardt, Zelter, and the others: how cold, formal, precise they are! -They are like unto the cameo brooches that adorn the simpering women in -old tokens or keepsakes; as remote and out of fashion as the hair -jewelry of the early 'sixties. Take away "The Violet," and what interest -is there in Mozart's book of songs? There is Haydn's famous _Canzonet_; -there is perhaps Beethoven's "In Questa Tomba" with a few of the songs -addressed to the "_Ferne Geliebte_"; but Beethoven knew the voice best -as an orchestral instrument. The modern song was invented by Franz -Schubert. - -The striking characteristics of Schubert's songs, spontaneity, haunting -melody, a birthright mastery over modulation, a singular good fortune in -finding the one inevitable phrase for the prevailing sentiment of the -poem and in finding the fitting descriptive figure for salient detail, -are also found in the best of his instrumental works. - -There is the spontaneous simplicity, the simplicity praised by Walt -Whitman: "The art of art, the glory of expression is simplicity. To -speak with the perfect rectitude and insouciance of the movements of -animals and the unimpeachableness of the sentiment of trees in the woods -and grass by the roadside is the flawless triumph of art. The greatest -poet swears to his art: 'I will not be meddlesome. I will not have in my -writing any elegance or effect or originality to hang in the way between -me and the rest like curtains. What I tell, I tell for precisely what it -is. Let who may exalt or startle or fascinate or soothe, I will have -purposes as health or heat or snow has, and be as regardless of -observation. What I experience or portray shall go from my composition -without a shred of my composition. You shall stand by my side and look -in the mirror with me.'" - -Then there is the ineffable melancholy that is the dominating note. -There is gayety such as was piped naïvely by William Blake in his _Songs -of Innocence_; there is the innocence that even Mozart hardly reached in -his frank gayety; yet in the gayety and innocence is a -melancholy--despairing, as in certain songs of "The Winter Journey," -when Schubert smelled the mould and knew the earth was impatiently -looking for him--a melancholy that is not the titanic despair of -Beethoven, not the whining or shrieking pessimism of certain German and -Russian composers; it is the melancholy of an autumnal sunset, of the -ironical depression due to a burgeoning noon in spring, the melancholy -that comes between the lips of lovers. - - _The sunniest things throw sternest shade, - And there is even a happiness - That makes the heart afraid! - There is no music in the life - That sounds with idiot laughter solely; - There's not a string, attuned to mirth, - But has its chord in melancholy._ - -No one has treated the passion of love more purely. Love with the modern -French composer is too often merely a pronounced phase of eroticism, or -it is purely, or impurely, cerebral. With Wagner it is as a rule -heroically sensuous if not sensual. Is there one page of Schubert's -music that is characterized first of all by sensuousness? A few measures -are played or sung; the music may be unknown to the hearer, but he says -to himself "Schubert," and not merely because he recognizes restless -changes from major to minor and from minor to major, tremulous -tonalities, surprising ease in modulation, naïve, direct melody. The -sedulous ape may sweat in vain; there is no thought of Schubert, whose -mannerisms are his whole individuality. - -This individuality defies analysis. It was finely said by Walt Whitman -that all music is "what awakens from you when you are reminded by the -instruments"; the hearer's thoughts are sweeter and purer, his soul is -cheered or soothed, when he is reminded by the music of Schubert. - -Pompous eulogies have been paid this homely, human, inspired man, who -knew poverty and distress, who was ignored by the mob while he lived his -short life, who never heard some of his most important works, whose -works were scattered. - -"Schubert, turning round, clutched at the wall with his poor, tired -hands, and said in a slow voice, 'Here, here is my end.' At three in the -afternoon of Wednesday, November 19, 1828, he breathed his last, and his -simple, earnest soul took its flight from the world. There never has -been one like him, and there will never be another." When you read these -words of Sir George Grove, something chokes you; they outweigh the -purple phrases and dexterously juggled sentences of the rhetorician. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 8, IN B MINOR ("UNFINISHED") - - - I. Allegro moderato - II. Andante con moto - -Let us be thankful that Schubert never finished the work. Possibly the -lost arms of the Venus of Milo might disappoint if they were found and -restored. The few measures of the _scherzo_ that are in the manuscript -furnish but slight hope that here at last Schubert would not, as in so -many of his works of long breath, maintain a steady _decrescendo_ of -interest. - - -Surely, no one would deny the melancholy beauty of the first movement of -Schubert's symphony, with its lyricism that is appealingly feminine, -with its melancholy that is without touch of peevishness and without -taint of pessimism; and the second movement has the serenity--that is, -Schubert's romantic serenity, which is another thing than the classic -serenity of Mozart. - - -The symphony is eminently Schubertian in its beauty and in its weakness. -In the first movement there are measures of a grandeur that is seldom -found in Schubert's compositions. In these measures we recognize the -Schubert that conceived the "Doppelgänger," the "Gruppe aus dem -Tartarus," and a few other songs in which dramatic force comes before -charming lyricism. - - * * * - -Two brothers, Anselm and Joseph Hüttenbrenner, were fond of Schubert. -Their home was in Graz, Styria, but they were living at Vienna. Anselm -was a musician; Joseph was in a government office. Anselm took Schubert -to call on Beethoven, and there is a story that the sick man said, "You, -Anselm, have my mind; but Franz has my soul." Anselm closed the eyes of -Beethoven in death. These brothers were constant in endeavor to make -Schubert known. Anselm went so far as to publish a set of _Erlking -Waltzes_, and assisted in putting Schubert's opera, _Alfonso and -Estrella_ (1822), in rehearsal at Graz, where it would have been -performed if the score had not been too difficult for the orchestra. In -1822 Schubert was elected an honorary member of musical societies of -Linz and Graz. In return for the compliment from Graz, he began the -Symphony in B minor, No. 8 (October 30, 1822). He finished the _allegro_ -and the _andante_, and he wrote nine measures of the _scherzo_. Schubert -visited Graz in 1827, but neither there nor elsewhere did he ever hear -his unfinished work. - -Anselm Hüttenbrenner went back to his home about 1820. It was during a -visit to Vienna that he saw Beethoven dying. Joseph remained at Vienna. -In 1860 he wrote from the office of the Minister of the Interior a -singular letter to Johann Herbeck, who then conducted the concerts of -the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde. He begged permission to sing in -concerts as a member of the society, and urged him to look over -symphonies, overtures, songs, quartets, choruses by Anselm. He added -towards the end of the letter, "He [Anselm] has a treasure in Schubert's -B minor symphony, which we put on a level with the great Symphony in C, -his instrumental swan song, and any one of the symphonies by Beethoven." - -Herbeck was inactive and silent for five years, although he visited Graz -several times. Perhaps he was afraid that if the manuscript came to -light he could not gain possession of it, and the symphony, like the one -in C, would be produced elsewhere than in Vienna. Perhaps he thought the -price of producing one of Anselm Hüttenbrenner's works in Vienna too -dear. There is reason to believe that Joseph insisted on this -condition.[43] - -In 1865 Herbeck was obliged to journey with his sister-in-law, who -sought health. They stopped in Graz. On May 1 he went to Ober-Andritz, -where the old and tired Anselm, in a hidden little one-story cottage, -was awaiting death. Herbeck sat down in a humble inn. He talked with the -landlord, who told him that Anselm was in the habit of breakfasting -there. While they were talking, Anselm appeared. After a few words, -Herbeck said, "I am here to ask permission to produce one of your works -at Vienna." The old man brightened, he shed his indifference, and after -breakfast took him to his home. The work-room was stuffed with yellow -and dusty papers, all in confusion. Anselm showed his own manuscripts, -and finally Herbeck chose one of the ten overtures for performance. "It -is my purpose," he said, "to bring forward three contemporaries, -Schubert, Hüttenbrenner, and Lachner, in one concert before the Viennese -public. It would naturally be very appropriate to represent Schubert by -a new work." "Oh, I have still a lot of things by Schubert," answered -the old man; and he pulled a mass of papers out of an old-fashioned -chest. Herbeck immediately saw on the cover of a manuscript "_Symphonie -in H moll_," in Schubert's handwriting. Herbeck looked the symphony -over. "This would do. Will you let me have it copied immediately at my -cost?" "There is no hurry," answered Anselm. "Take it with you." - -The symphony was first played at a Gesellschaft concert, Vienna, -December 17, 1865, under Herbeck's direction. It was played at the -Crystal Palace, Sydenham, in 1867. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 7, IN C MAJOR - - - I. Andante; allegro non troppo - II. Andante con moto - III. Scherzo: allegro vivace; trio - IV. Finale: allegro vivace - -There are some who are not persuaded by Schumann and Weingartner into -enjoying the extreme length of the symphony. They would fain have the -work undergo some process of condensation, and yet it would be difficult -for them to indicate the measures or sections that should be omitted. - -It is still a marvelous work in certain respects. The Hungarian dash in -the second theme of the first movement; the wonderful trombone passage; -the melodic charm of the _andante_ and the infinite beauty of the -detail--but when one begins to speak of this movement he might vie with -Schubert in length; the expressive trio of the _scherzo_; the rush of -the _finale_--these place the symphony high on the list; and yet, and -yet--but Schubert was not a severe critic of his own compositions. He -wrote at full speed, and he had not the time to revise, to condense. - - * * * - -The manuscript of this symphony, numbered 7 in the Breitkopf & Härtel -list and sometimes known as No. 10, bears the date March, 1828. In 1828 -Schubert composed besides this symphony the songs "Die Sterne" and "Der -Winterabend"; the oratorio, _Mirims Siegesgesang_; the song "Auf dem -Strom"; the _Schwanengesang_ cycle; the string quintet, Op. 163, and the -Mass in E flat. On November 14 he took to his bed. It is said that -Schubert gave the work to the Musikverein of Vienna for performance; -that the parts were distributed; that it was even tried in rehearsal; -that its length and difficulty were against it, and it was withdrawn on -Schubert's own advice in favor of his earlier Symphony in C, No. 6 -(written in 1817). All this has been doubted; but the symphony is -entered in the catalogue of the society under the year 1828, and the -statements just quoted have been fully substantiated. Schubert said, -when he gave the work to the Musikverein, that he was through with songs -and should henceforth confine himself to opera and symphony. - -It has been said that the first performance of the symphony was at -Leipsic in 1839. This statement is not true. Schubert himself never -heard the work; but it was performed at a concert of the Gesellschaft -der Musikfreunde, Vienna, December 14, 1828, and repeated March 12, -1829. It was then forgotten until Schumann visited Vienna in 1838 and -looked over the mass of manuscripts then in the possession of Schubert's -brother Ferdinand. Schumann sent a transcript of the symphony to -Mendelssohn for the Gewandhaus concerts, Leipsic. It was produced at the -concert of March 21, 1839, under Mendelssohn's direction, and repeated -three times during the following season--December 12, 1839, March 12 and -April 3, 1840. Mendelssohn made some cuts in the work for these -performances. The score and parts were published in January, 1850. - -The manuscript is full of alterations. As a rule Schubert made few -changes or corrections in his score. In this symphony, alterations are -found at the very beginning. The subject of the introduction and that of -the _allegro_ were materially changed; the tempo of the opening movement -was altered from _allegro vivace_ to _allegro ma non troppo_. Only the -_finale_ seems to have satisfied him as originally conceived, and this -_finale_ is written as though at headlong speed. - -The symphony[44] is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two -bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, three trombones, kettledrums, -strings. There is a story that Schubert was afraid he had made too free -use of trombones and asked advice of Franz Lachner. - -The second theme of the first movement has a decidedly Slav-Hungarian -character, and this character colors other portions of the symphony both -in melody and general mood. The rhythm of the _scherzo_ theme had been -used by Schubert as early as 1814 in his Quartet in B flat. It may also -be remarked that the _scherzo_ is not based on the old minuet form, and -that there is more thematic development than was customary in such -movements at that period. - -There is a curious tradition--a foolish invention is perhaps the better -phrase--that the _finale_ illustrates the story of Phaëton and his -justly celebrated experience as driver of Apollo's chariot. Others find -in the _finale_ a reminiscence of the terrible approach of the Statue -towards the supper table of Don Giovanni. - - - - - ROBERT ALEXANDER - SCHUMANN - - - (Born at Zwickau, Saxony, June 8, 1810; died at Endenich, near Bonn, - July 29, 1856) - -It has been urged against Schumann that his symphonies were thought for -the pianoforte and then orchestrated crudely, as by an amateur. This, -however, is not the fatal objection. He had his own orchestral speech. -Good, bad, or indifferent, it was his own. He could not have otherwise -expressed himself through the orchestral instruments. His speech is to -be accepted or rejected as the hearer is impressed chiefly by ideas, or -by the manner of expression. - -A more serious objection is this: the genius of Schumann was purely -lyrical, although occasionally there is the impressive expression of a -wild or melancholy mood, as in the chords of unearthly beauty soon after -the beginning of the overture to _Manfred_. Whether the music be -symphonic, chamber, a pianoforte piece or a song, the beauty, the -expressive force lies in the lyric passages. When Schumann endeavored to -build a musical monument, to quote Vincent d'Indy's phrase, he failed; -for he had not architectonic imagination or skill. - -His themes in symphonies, charming as they often are, give one the -impression of fragments, of music heard in sleep-chasings. Never a -master of contrapuntal technique, he repeated these phrases over and -over again instead of broadly developing them, and his filling in is -generally amateurish and perfunctory. - -The best of Schumann's music is an expression of states and conditions -of soul. This music is never spectacular; it is never objective. Take, -for instance, his music to Goethe's _Faust_. The episodes that attracted -the attention of Berlioz, Liszt, Gounod, were not to Schumann a source -of inspiration. It was the mysticism in the poem that led him to musical -interpretation. His music, whether for voice or instruments, is first of -all _innig_, and this German word is not easily translated into English. -Heartfelt, deep, ardent, fervent, intimate; no one of these words -conveys exactly the idea contained in _innig_. There is the intimacy of -personal and shy confession. - -Schumann in his life was a reticent man. He dreamed dreams. He was lost -in thought when others, in the beerhouse or at his home, were chattering -about art. He put into his music what he would with difficulty have said -aloud to his Clara. As a critic he was bold in praise and blame. As a -composer he was often not assertive as one on a platform. He told his -dreams, he wove his romantic fabric for a few sympathetic souls. It is -true that in his days of wooing he was orchestrally jubilant, as in the -first movement of the Symphony in B flat, but in this movement the -anticipation aroused by the first measures is not realized. The thoughts -soared above the control of the thinker; there was not the mastery over -them that allowed no waste material, that gives golden expression -without alloy. - -In his own field, Schumann is lonely, incomparable. No composer has -whispered such secrets of subtle and ravishing beauty to a receptive -listener. The hearer of Schumann's music must in turn be imaginative and -a dreamer. He must often anticipate the composer's thought. This music -is not for a garish concert hall; it shrinks from boisterous applause. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 1, IN B FLAT MAJOR, OP. 38 - - - I. Andante un poco maestoso; allegro molto vivace - II. Larghetto - III. Scherzo: molto vivace. Trio (1): molto più vivace; Trio (2) - IV. Allegro animato e grazioso - -The opening is imposing with need of re-orchestration. Charming is the -lyric passage in the _scherzo_ that puts one in mind of Schubert's -"Hark, Hark, the Lark"; but for the most part there is rhythmic -uniformity and boresome repetition that no change in the instrumentation -could redeem. As the thick orchestration stands, if the music is played -according to Schumann's directions, Weingartner says, it is impossible -to produce a true _forte_ or an expressive _pianissimo_. - - * * * - -Schumann was married to Clara Wieck, September 12, 1840, after doubts, -anxieties, and opposition on the part of her father; after a nervous -strain of three or four years. His happiness was great, but to say with -some that this joy was the direct inspiration of the First symphony -would be to go against the direct evidence submitted by the composer. He -wrote Ferdinand Wenzel: "It is not possible for me to think of the -journal" (the _Neue Zeitschrift für Musik_, founded by Schumann, Wieck, -Schunke, and Knorr in 1834, and edited in 1841 by Schumann alone). "I -have during the last days finished a task (at least in sketches) which -filled me with happiness, and almost exhausted me. Think of it, a whole -symphony--and, what is more, a Spring symphony; I myself can hardly -believe that it is finished." And he said in a letter (November 23, -1842) to Spohr: "I wrote the symphony toward the end of the winter of -1841, and, if I may say so, in the vernal passion that sways men until -they are very old, and surprises them again with each year. I do not -wish to portray, to paint; but I believe firmly that the period in which -the symphony was produced influenced its form and character, and shaped -it as it is." He wrote to Wilhelm Taubert, who was to conduct the work -in Berlin: "Could you infuse into your orchestra in the performance a -sort of longing for the Spring, which I had chiefly in mind when I wrote -in February, 1841? The first entrance of trumpets, this I should like to -have sounded as though it were from high above, like unto a call to -awakening; and then I should like reading between the lines, in the rest -of the introduction, how everywhere it begins to grow green, how a -butterfly takes wing; and, in the _allegro_, how little by little all -things come, that in any way belong to Spring. True, these are fantastic -thoughts, which came to me after my work was finished; only I tell you -this about the _finale_, that I thought it as the good-bye of Spring." - -(It may here be noted that the symphony was fully sketched in four days, -and that Schumann now speaks of composing the work in February, 1841, -and now of writing it towards the end of that year.) - -Berthold Litzmann, in the second volume of his _Clara Schumann_ -(Leipsic, 1906), gives interesting extracts from the common diary of -Schumann and his wife, notes written while Schumann was composing this -symphony. - -Towards the end of December, 1840, she complained that Robert had been -for some days "very cold toward her, yet the reason for it is a -delightful one." On January 17-23, 1841, she wrote that it was not her -week to keep the diary, "but, if a man is composing a symphony, it is -not to be expected that he will do anything else.... The symphony is -nearly finished. I have not yet heard a note of it, but I am exceedingly -glad that Robert at last has started out in the field where, on account -of his great imagination, he belongs." January 25: "Today, Monday, -Robert has nearly finished his symphony; it was composed chiefly at -night--for some nights my poor Robert has not slept on account of it. He -calls it 'Spring symphony.'... A spring poem by [Boettger] gave him the -first impulse toward composition." - -According to the diary Schumann completed the symphony on Tuesday, -January 26. "Begun and finished in four days.... If there were only an -orchestra for it right away. I must confess, my dear husband, I did not -give you credit for such dexterity." Schumann began to work on the -instrumentation January 27; Clara impatiently waited to hear a note of -the symphony. The instrumentation of the first movement was completed -February 4, that of the second and third movements on February 13, that -of the fourth on February 20, in the year 1841. Not till February 14 did -Schumann play the symphony to her. E. F. Wenzel, later a teacher at the -Leipsic Conservatory, and E. Pfundt, a kettledrum player of the -Gewandhaus orchestra, were present. "I should like," she wrote in her -diary, "to say a little something about the symphony, yet I should not -be able to speak of the little buds, the perfume of the violets, the -fresh green leaves, the birds in the air.... Do not laugh at me, my dear -husband! If I cannot express myself poetically, nevertheless the poetic -breath of this work has stirred my very soul." The instrumentation was -completed on February 20. - -Clara wrote to Emilie Liszt after the performance: "My husband's -symphony achieved a triumph over all cabals and intrigues.... I never -heard a symphony received with such applause." - -Robert wrote in the diary some days before that his next symphony should -be entitled "Clara; and I shall paint her therein with flutes, oboes, -and harps." - -The first movement opens with an introduction, _andante un poco -maestoso_, B flat major, 4-4, which begins with a virile phrase in the -horns and trumpets, answered by the full orchestra _fortissimo_. There -are stormy accents in the basses, with full chords in the brass and -other strings, and each chord is echoed by the wood-wind. Flute and -clarinet notes over a figure in the violas lead to a gradual _crescendo -ed accelerando_, which introduces the _allegro molto vivace_, B flat -major, 2-4. This begins at once with a brilliant first theme. The chief -figure is taken from the initial horn and trumpet call as Schumann -originally wrote it. The development of the theme leads finally to a -modulation to the key of C major, and there is the thought, naturally, -of F major as the tonality of the second theme, but this motive given -out by the clarinets and bassoons is in no definite tonality; it is in a -mode which suggests A minor and also D minor; the second section ends, -however, in F major, and the further development adheres to this key. -The first part of the movement is repeated. The free fantasia is long -and elaborately worked out. The first movement does not return in the -shape it has at the beginning of the _allegro_, but in the broader -version heard at the opening of the introduction. The long _coda_ begins -_animato, poco a poco stringendo_, on a new theme in full harmony in the -strings, and it is developed until horns and trumpets sound the familiar -call. - -The second movement, _larghetto_, E flat major, 3-8, opens with a -_romanza_ developed by the violins. The second theme, C major, is of a -more restless nature, and its phrases are given out alternately by the -wood-wind and violins. The melodious first theme is repeated, B flat -major, by the violoncellos against an accompaniment in second violins -and violas and syncopated chords in the first violins and the wood-wind. -There is a new episodic theme. The first motive appears for the third -time, now in E flat major. It is sung by the oboe and horn, accompanied -by clarinets and bassoons, with passages in the strings. Near the close -of the short _coda_ are solemn harmonies in bassoons and trombones. This -movement is enchained with the _scherzo_. - -The _scherzo, molto vivace_, D minor, 3-4, begins in G minor. The first -trio, _molto più vivace_, D major, 2-4, includes harmonic interplay -between strings and wind instruments. It is developed at some length, -and the _scherzo_ is repeated. There is a second trio, B flat major, -3-4, with imitative contrapuntal work, and it is followed by a second -repetition of the _scherzo_. A short _coda_ has the rhythm of the first -trio and brings the end. - -_Finale_: _allegro animato e grazioso_, B flat major, 2-2. It begins -with a _fortissimo_ figure which is used hereafter. The first theme, a -cheerful, tripping dance melody, enters and is developed by strings and -wood-wind. The second theme, equally blithe, is in G major, and the -impressive initial figure of the full orchestra at the beginning of the -movement, now given out by the strings, is in the second phrase. The two -motives are worked up alternately. The free fantasia opens quietly. -Trombones sound the rhythm of the first theme of the first movement. -There is a long series of imitations on the first theme of the _finale_. -This series leads to some horn calls and a _cadenza_ for the flute. The -third section of the movement is regular, and there is a brilliant -_coda_. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 2, IN C MAJOR, OP. 61 - - - I. Sostenuto assai; allegro ma non troppo - II. Scherzo: allegro vivace. Trio (1); Trio (2) - III. Adagio espressivo - IV. Allegro molto vivace - -With the exception of the introduction to the first movement and the -_adagio_, in which the romantic dreamer Schumann is revealed, the -symphony has aged. And in this symphony, more than the other three, the -orchestration seems hopelessly crude, ineffective, distressing to the -ear, while the musical contents are seldom worthy of a more tasteful -dress. - -Yet there are few _adagios_ to be compared with this dramatic song of -Schumann. If he had only had the courage to cut out that meaningless and -incongruous little episode, too deliberately contrapuntal. - - * * * - -In October, 1844, Schumann left Leipsic, where he had lived for about -fourteen years. He had in July given up the editorship of the _Neue -Zeitschrift_; he had been a teacher of pianoforte playing and -composition at the Leipsic Conservatory from April, 1843. A singularly -reserved man, hardly fitted for the duties of a teacher and without -pupils, he was in a highly nervous state, so that a physician -recommended a change of scene and told him he should not hear too much -music. Schumann therefore moved back to Dresden. "Here," he wrote in -1844, "one can recover the old lost longing for music, there is so -little to hear. This suits my condition, for I still suffer very much -from my nerves, and everything affects and exhausts me immediately." He -saw few people; he talked little. In the early 'eighties they still -showed in Dresden a restaurant frequented by him, where, seated in a -room with his head against a wall, he would sit for hours at a time, -dreaming daydreams. In 1846 he was very sick, mentally and bodily. "He -observed that he was unable to remember the melodies that occurred to -him when he was composing; the effort of invention fatigued his mind to -such an extent that it impaired his memory." When he did work, he -applied himself to contrapuntal problems. - -The Symphony in C major, known as No. 2, but really the third--for the -one in D minor, written first, was withdrawn after performance, -remodeled, and finally published as No. 4--was composed in the years -1845 and 1846. The symphony was published, score and parts, in November, -1847. The symphony was first played at the Gewandhaus, Leipsic, under -Mendelssohn's direction, on November 5, 1846. - -Schumann wrote from Dresden on April 2, 1849, to Otten, a writer and -conductor at Hamburg, who had brought about the performance of the -symphony in that city: "I wrote the symphony in December, 1845, when I -was still half sick. It seems to me one must hear this in the music. In -the _finale_ I first began to feel myself; and indeed I was much better -after I had finished the work. Yet, as I have said, it recalls to me a -dark period of my life. That, in spite of all, such tones of pain can -awaken interest, shows me your sympathetic interest. Everything you say -about the work also shows me how thoroughly you know music; and that my -melancholy bassoon in the _adagio_, which I introduced in that spot with -especial fondness, has not escaped your notice, gives me the greatest -pleasure." In the same letter he expressed the opinion that Bach's -Passion according to John was a more powerful and poetic work than his -Passion according to Matthew. - -And yet, when Jean J. H. Verhulst of The Hague (1816-91) visited -Schumann in 1845 and asked him what he had written that was new and -beautiful, Schumann answered he had just finished a new symphony. -Verhulst asked him if he thought he had fully succeeded. Schumann then -said, "Yes, indeed, I think it's a regular Jupiter." - - -There is a dominating motive, or motto, which appears more or less -prominently in three of the movements. This motto is proclaimed at the -very beginning, _sostenuto assai_, 6-4, by horns, trumpets, alto -trombone, _pianissimo_, against flowing counterpoint in the strings. -This motto is heard again in the _finale_ of the following _allegro_, -near the end of the _scherzo_, and in the concluding section of the -_finale_. (It may also be said here that relationship of the several -movements is further founded by a later use of other fragments of the -introduction and by the appearance of the theme of the _adagio_ in the -_finale_.) This motto is not developed: its appearance is episodic. It -is said by one of Schumann's biographers that the introduction was -composed before the symphony was written, and that it was originally -designed for another work. The string figure is soon given to the -wood-wind instruments. There is a _crescendo_ of emotion and an -acceleration of the pace until a _cadenza_ for the first violins brings -in the _allegro, ma non troppo_, 3-4. The first theme of this _allegro_ -is exposed frankly and _piano_ by full orchestra with the exception of -trumpets and trombones. The rhythm is nervous, and accentuation gives -the idea of constant syncopation. The second theme, if it may be called -a theme, is not long in entering. The exposition of this movement, in -fact, is uncommonly short. Then follows a long and elaborate -development. In the climax the motto is sounded by the trumpets. - -The _scherzo, allegro vivace_, C major, 2-4, has two trios. The -_scherzo_ proper consists of first violin figures in sixteenth notes, -rather simply accompanied. The first trio, in G major, 2-4, is in marked -contrast. The first theme, in lively triplet rhythm, is given chiefly to -wood-wind and horns; it alternates with a quieter, flowing phrase for -strings. This trio is followed by a return of the _scherzo_. The second -trio, in A minor, 2-4, is calm and melodious. The simple theme is sung -at first in full harmony by strings (without double basses) and then -developed against a running contrapuntal figure. The _scherzo_ is -repeated, and, towards the close, trumpets and horns loudly sound the -motto. - -The third movement, _adagio espressivo_, 2-4, is the development of an -extended _cantilena_ that begins in C minor and ends in E flat major. -Violins first sing it; then the oboe takes it, and the song is more and -more passionate in melancholy until it ends in the wood-wind against -violin trills. This is followed by a contrapuntal episode, which to some -is incongruous in this extremely romantic movement. The melodic -development returns, and ends in C major. - -The _finale, allegro molto vivace_, C major, 2-2, opens after two or -three measures of prelude with the first theme of vigorous character -(full orchestra except trombones). This is lustily developed until it -reaches a transitional passage, in which the violins have prominent -figures. All this is in _rondo_ form. The second theme is scored for -violas, violoncellos, clarinets, and bassoons, while violins accompany -with the figures mentioned. This theme recalls the opening song of the -_adagio_. A new theme, formed from development of the recollection, long -hinted at, finally appears in the wood-wind and is itself developed into -a _coda_ of extraordinary length. Figures from the first theme of the -_finale_ are occasionally heard, but the theme itself does not appear in -the _coda_, although there is a reminiscence of a portion of the first -theme of the first movement. The motto is sounded by the brass. There is -a second exultant climax, in which the introductory motive is of great -importance. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 3, IN E FLAT MAJOR, "RHENISH," OP. 97 - - - I. Vivace - II. Moderato assai - III. Allegro non troppo - IV. Maestoso - V. Vivace - -This music has not the buoyancy and exciting rush of the First symphony, -or the romantic spirit of the one in D minor. Nor are there pages equal -in sheer beauty to those of the _adagio_ in the Second symphony. One -wishes that the first movement was not in so continuously heroic, -exultant vein; that there was at least a breathing spell. The second -movement expresses a sort of clumsy joviality. The third might be a -pretty piano piece that had been orchestrated. The fourth movement, the -"cathedral scene," is the most impressive portion of the symphony. Here -we have lofty ideas and a solemn, ecstatical mood befitting a gorgeous -ceremony of the holy church. - - -Schumann's symphony was intended by him to be a glorification of Rhenish -scenes and Rhenish life. It was composed first of all for Düsseldorf, -the city where he met with many disappointments, many vexations. He was -temperamentally unfitted for the position of city conductor. He did not -have a firm control over the players--in a word he was a composer--a man -of dreams and visions--not an interpreter of works by others, not even -of his own works. It was received coldly when it was first heard. The -compositions that followed showed his failing powers. There were -intrigues that vexed him. Little by little his mind gave way. There was -the attempt at suicide; then madness. But the Schumann of this symphony -was still the composer to be reckoned with. - - * * * - -The symphony was sketched and orchestrated at Düsseldorf between -November 2 and December 9, 1850. Clara Schumann wrote in her diary, -November 16, 1850: "Robert is now at work on something, I do not know -what; for he has said nothing to me about it." It was on December 9 that -he surprised her with the symphony. Sir George Grove, for some reason or -other, thought Schumann began to work on it before he left Dresden to -accept the position of City Conductor at Düsseldorf; that he wished to -compose an important work for production at the Lower Rhine Festival. - -The first performance of this symphony was in Geisler Hall, Düsseldorf, -at the sixth concert of Der Allgemeine Musikverein, February 6, 1851. -Schumann conducted from manuscript. The reception was cold. Mme Schumann -wrote after the performance that the "creative power of Robert was again -ever new in melody, harmony, and form.... I cannot say which one of the -five movements is my favorite. The fourth is the one that at present is -the least clear to me; that it is most artistically made--that I -hear--but I cannot follow it so well, while there is scarcely a measure -in the other movements that remains unclear to me; and indeed to the -layman is this symphony, especially in its second and third movements, -easily intelligible." - -Schumann wrote (March 19, 1851) to the publisher, Simrock, at Bonn: "I -should have been glad to see a greater work published here on the Rhine, -and I mean this symphony, which perhaps mirrors here and there something -of Rhenish life." It is known that the solemn fourth movement was -inspired by the recollection of the ceremony at Cologne Cathedral at the -installation of the Archbishop of Geissel as Cardinal, at which Schumann -was present (November 12, 1850). Wasielewski quotes the composer as -saying that his intention was to portray in the symphony as a whole the -joyful folk life along the Rhine, "and I think," said Schumann, "I have -succeeded." Yet he refrained from writing even explanatory mottoes for -the movements. The fourth movement originally bore the inscription, "In -the character of the accompaniment to a solemn ceremony"; but Schumann -struck this out and said: "One should not show his heart to people; for -a general impression of an art work is more effective; the hearers then, -at least, do not institute any absurd comparison." The symphony was very -dear to him. He wrote (July 1, 1851) to Carl Reinecke, who made a -four-handed arrangement at Schumann's wish and to his satisfaction: "It -is always important that a work which cost so much time and labor should -be reproduced in the best possible manner." - -The first movement, _lebhaft_ (lively, animated), E flat major, 3-4, -begins immediately with a strong theme, announced by full orchestra. The -basses take the theme, and violins play a contrasting theme, which is of -importance in the development. The complete statement is repeated; and -the second theme, which is of an elegiac nature, is introduced by oboe -and clarinet and answered by violins and wood-wind. The key is G minor, -with a subsequent modulation to B flat. The fresh rhythm of the first -theme returns. The second portion of the movement begins with the second -theme in the basses, and the two chief themes are developed with more -impartiality than in the first section, where Schumann is loath to lose -sight of the first and more heroic motive. After he introduces towards -the end of the development the first theme in the prevailing tonality, -so that the hearer anticipates the beginning of the reprise, he makes -unexpected modulations, and finally the horns break out with the first -theme in augmentation in E flat major. Impressive passages in -syncopation follow, and trumpets answer, until in an ascending chromatic -climax the orchestra with full force rushes to the first theme. There is -a short _coda_. - -The second movement is a _scherzo_ in C major, _sehr mässig_ (very -moderately), in 3-4. William Foster Apthorp found the theme to be "a -modified version of the so-called 'Rheinweinlied,'" and this theme of "a -rather ponderous joviality" well expresses "the drinkers' '_Uns ist ganz -cannibalisch wohl, als wie fünf hundert Säuen!_' (As 'twere five hundred -hogs, we feel so cannibalic jolly!) in the scene in Auerbach's cellar in -Goethe's _Faust_." This theme is given out by the violoncellos and is -followed by a livelier contrapuntal counter theme, which is developed -elaborately. In the trio horns and other wind instruments sing a -_cantilena_ in A minor over a long organ-point on C. There is a pompous -repetition of the first and jovial theme in A major; and then the other -two themes are used in combination in their original form. Horns are -answered by strings and wood-wind, but the ending is quiet. - -The third movement, _nicht schnell_ (not fast), in A flat major, 4-4, is -really the slow movement of the symphony, the first theme, clarinets and -bassoons over a viola accompaniment, reminding some of Mendelssohn; -others of "_Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali_," in _Lucia di Lammermoor_. -The second theme is a tender melody, not unlike a refrain heard now and -then. On these themes the _romanza_ is constructed. - -The fourth movement, _feierlich_, E flat minor, 4-4, is often described -as the "Cathedral scene." Three trombones are added. The chief motive is -a short figure rather than a theme, which is announced by trombones and -horns. This appears augmented, diminished, and afterwards in 3-2 and -4-2. There is a departure for a short time to B major, but the tonality -of E flat minor prevails to the end. - -_Finale_: _lebhaft_, E flat major, 2-2. This movement is said to portray -a Rhenish festival. The themes are of a gay character. Towards the end -the themes of the "Cathedral scene" are introduced, followed by a -brilliant _stretto_. The _finale_ is lively and energetic. The music, as -a rule, the free development of thematic material of the same unvaried -character. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 4, IN D MINOR, OP. 120 - - - I. Andante; allegro - II. Romanza - III. Scherzo - IV. Largo; finale - (Played without pause.) - -Weingartner regards the D minor symphony of Schumann as inferior to the -first and second of the same composer. I fail to see why. Surely this -symphony does not fall behind its companions; it is the one of -Schumann's four that can be heard with full enjoyment. The middle -movements breathe a romantic spirit that Schumann himself never -surpassed as expressions of gentle, dreamy melancholy. I know of few -more haunting pages in orchestral music than those of the trio in the -_scherzo_. - - * * * - -This symphony was composed in 1841, immediately after the Symphony in B -flat major, No. 1. According to the composer's notes it was "sketched at -Leipsic in June, 1841, newly orchestrated at Düsseldorf in 1851. The -first performance of the original version was at the Gewandhaus, -Leipsic, under David's direction. December 6, 1841." Clara Schumann -wrote in her diary on May 31 of that year: "Robert began yesterday -another symphony, which will be in one movement, and yet contain an -_adagio_ and a _finale_. I have heard nothing about it, yet I see -Robert's bustle, and I hear the D minor sounding wildly from a distance, -so that I know in advance that another work will be fashioned in the -depths of his soul. Heaven is kindly disposed toward us: Robert cannot -be happier in the composition than I am when he shows me such a work." A -few days later she wrote: "Robert composes steadily; he has already -completed three movements, and I hope the symphony will be ready by his -birthday." - -Their first child, Marie, was born on September 1, 1841. On the -thirteenth of the month, his wife's birthday, Marie was baptized and the -mother received from her husband the D minor symphony: "which I have -quietly finished," he said. - -Schumann was not satisfied with the symphony, and he did not publish it. -In December, 1851, he revised the manuscript. During the years between -1841 and 1853 Schumann had composed and published the Symphony in C (No. -2) and the Symphony in E flat (No. 3); the one in D minor was published -therefore as No. 4. In its first form the one in D minor was entitled -"_Symphonische Phantasie_." - -The symphony in the revised and present form was played for the first -time at the seventh concert of the Allgemeine Musikverein at Düsseldorf -on March 3, 1853, in Geisler Hall. Schumann conducted from manuscript. -At this concert selections from the Mass were performed for the first -time. - -The concert master, Ruppert Becker, made these entries in his diary -concerning the rehearsals and the first performance of this symphony in -Düsseldorf: - -"Tuesday, evening of March 1. Rehearsal for 7th Concert. Symphony by -Schumann for the first time; a somewhat short but thoroughly fresh and -vital piece of music. Wednesday, 2. 9 o'clock in the morning, 2 -rehearsal for concert. Thursday, 3. 7th concert: Program. - -"Of Schumann compositions these were new: Symphony D minor, which he had -already composed 12 years ago, but had left lying till now. 2 excerpts -from a Mass: both full of the most wonderful harmonies, only possible -with Schumann. I liked the symphony especially on account of its swing." - -The symphony was dedicated to Joseph Joachim. On the title-page of the -manuscript was this inscription: "When the first tones of this symphony -were awakened, Joseph Joachim was still a little fellow; since then the -symphony and still more the boy have grown bigger, wherefore I dedicate -it to him, although only in private. Düsseldorf, December 23, 1853. -Robert Schumann." - -The parts were published in November, 1853. The score was published the -next month. - -It was stated for many years that the only changes made by Schumann in -this symphony were in the matter of instrumentation, especially in the -wood-wind. Some time after the death of Schumann the first manuscript -passed into the possession of Johannes Brahms, who finally allowed the -score to be published, edited by Franz Wüllner. It was then found that -the composer had made important alterations in thematic development. He -had cut out elaborate contrapuntal work to gain a broader, simpler, more -rhythmically effective treatment, especially in the last movement. He -had introduced the opening theme of the first movement "as a completion -of the melody begun by the three exclamatory chords which make the -fundamental rhythm at the beginning of the last movement." And, on the -other hand, some thought the instrumentation of the first version -occasionally preferable on account of clearness to that of the second. - - -It was Schumann's wish that the symphony should be played without pauses -between the movements. Mendelssohn expressed the same wish for the -performance of his "_Scotch_" symphony, which was produced nearly four -months after the first performance of this Symphony in D minor. - -The first movement begins with an introduction, _ziemlich langsam_ (_un -poco lento_), D minor, 3-4. The first motive is used later in the -"Romanze." The orchestra gives out an A which serves as background for -this motive in sixths in the second violins, violas, and bassoons. This -figure is worked up contrapuntally. A dominant organ-point appears in -the basses, over which the first violins play an ascending figure; the -time changes from 3-4 to 2-4. - -The main body of this movement, _lebhaft_ (_vivace_), in D minor, 2-4, -begins _forte_ with the development of the violin figure just mentioned. -This theme prevails, so that in the first section there is no true -second theme. The characteristic trombone figure reminds one of a -passage in Schumann's piano Quartet in E flat, Op. 47. There is a heroic -figure in the wood-wind instruments. After the repetition comes a long -free fantasia. The true second theme, sung in F major by first violins, -appears. The development is now perfectly free. There is no third part. - -The "Romanze," _ziemlich langsam_ (_un poco lento_), in D minor--or, -rather, A minor plagal--opens with a mournful melody said to be familiar -in Provence. Schumann intended originally to accompany the song of oboe -and first violoncellos with a guitar. This theme is followed by the -dreamy motive of the introduction. Then the first phrases of the -"Romanze" are sung again by oboe and violoncellos, and there is a second -return of the contrapuntal work--now in D major--with embroidery by a -solo violin. The chief theme brings the movement to a close on the chord -of A major. - -The _scherzo, lebhaft_ (_vivace_), in D minor, 3-4, presents the -development of a rising and falling scale-passage of a few notes. The -trio, in B flat major, is of a peculiar and beautiful rhythmic -character. The first beat of the phrase falls constantly on a rest in -all the parts. The melody is almost always in the wood-wind, and the -first violins are used in embroidery. The _scherzo_ is repeated after -the trio, which returns once more as a sort of _coda_. - -The _finale_ begins with a short introduction, _langsam_ (_lento_), in B -flat major, and it modulates to D minor, 4-4. The chief theme of the -first movement is worked up against a counter figure in the trombones to -a climax. The main body of the movement _lebhaft_ (_vivace_), in D -major, 4-4, begins with the brilliant first theme, which has the -character of a march, and it is not unlike the theme of the first -movement with its two members transposed. The figure of the trombones in -the introduction enters. The _cantabile_ second theme begins in B minor, -but it constantly modulates in the development. The free fantasia begins -in B minor, with a G (strings, bassoons, trombones), which is answered -by a curious ejaculation by the whole orchestra. There is an elaborate -contrapuntal working out of one of the figures in the first theme. The -third part of the movement begins irregularly with the return of the -second theme in F sharp minor. The second theme enters in the tonic. The -_coda_ begins in the manner of the free fantasia, but in E minor; but -the ejaculations are now followed by the exposition and development of a -passionate fourth theme. There is a free closing passage, _schneller_ -(_più moto_), in D major, 2-2. - - - - - CONCERTO IN A MINOR, FOR PIANOFORTE AND ORCHESTRA, OP. 54 - - - I. Allegro - II. Adagio - III. Allegro non troppo - -After Schumann heard for the first time Mendelssohn play his own -Concerto in G minor, he wrote that he would never dream of composing a -concerto in three movements, each one complete in itself. It is said -that he began to write a pianoforte concerto when he was only seventeen -and ignorant of musical form; that in 1836 he sketched a concerto in F -major when he was living at Heidelberg. In January, 1839, he wrote from -Vienna to Clara Wieck, his betrothed: "My concerto is a compromise -between a symphony, a concerto, and a huge sonata. I see I cannot write -a concerto for the virtuosos: I must plan something else." The key was -not mentioned. - -The first movement of the Concerto in A minor was written at Leipsic in -the summer of 1841--it was begun in May. It was then called -"_Phantasie_" in A minor, and was not intended for the movement of a -concerto. It was played for the first time by Clara Schumann, on August -13, 1841, at a private rehearsal in the Gewandhaus, Leipsic. This -rehearsal was for the changes made in Schumann's First symphony. -Schumann wished in 1843 or 1844 to publish the work as an _allegro -affettuoso_, also as _Concert Allegro_, for pianoforte with orchestral -accompaniment, "Op. 48," but he could not find a publisher. The -_intermezzo_ and _finale_ were composed at Dresden, May-July, 1845. -Clara wrote in her diary on July 31, 1845: "Robert has finished his -concerto and given it to the copyists." - -The whole concerto was played for the first time by Clara Schumann at -her concert, December 4, 1845, in the Hall of the Hôtel de Saxe, -Dresden, from manuscript. The second performance was at Leipsic, January -1, 1846, when Clara Schumann was the pianist and Mendelssohn conducted. -Verhulst attended a rehearsal, and said that the performance was rather -poor; the passage in the _finale_ with the puzzling rhythms "did not go -at all." - -I. _Allegro affettuoso_, A minor, 4-4. After a short pianoforte prelude, -the first period of the first theme is announced by wind instruments. -The antithesis, which is almost an exact repetition of the thesis, is -for the pianoforte. The second theme is practically a new version of the -first and may be considered as a new development of it. The free -fantasia begins _andante espressivo_, A flat major, 6-4. The -recapitulation section is almost a repetition of the first. There is an -elaborate _cadenza_ for the pianoforte before the _coda_, which is an -_allegro molto_, A minor, 2-4. - -II. _Intermezzo_: _andante grazioso_, F major, 2-4. The movement is in -simple _romanza_ form. Dialogue between solo instrument and orchestra; -then more emotional phrases for violoncellos, violins, etc. (accompanied -by pianoforte _arpeggios_). At the close there are hints at the first -theme of the first movement, which lead directly to the _finale_. - -III. _Allegro vivace_, A major, 3-4. The movement is in sonata form. The -pianoforte gives out the chief theme. After a modulation to E major, the -second theme is for the pianoforte. This theme is distinguished by -constantly syncopated rhythm. A contrasting theme is developed in florid -fashion by the pianoforte. The free fantasia begins with a short -orchestral _fugato_ on the first theme. The third part begins -irregularly in D major, with the first theme as an orchestral _tutti_. -There is a long _coda_. - - In each of his four symphonies Schumann used two flutes, two oboes, - two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns (two horns sufficed for the - Second symphony), two trumpets, three trombones, kettledrums, and - strings. For the piano concerto, he used the same orchestration, with - two horns, and omitting the trombones.--EDITOR. - - - - - ALEXANDER NICOLAIEVITCH - SCRIABIN - - - (Born at Moscow on Christmas Day, 1871; died there on April 14, 1915) - - - - - "THE POEM OF ECSTASY" (LE POÈME DE L'EXTASE), OP. 54 - - -A singular and at times interesting composition. Victor Hugo has said -that agony when at its height is mute. Some, on hearing Scriabin's -score, have wished, no doubt, that this were true of ecstasy. Is the -music really ecstatic? There are anthropological sociologists who find -extreme voluptuousness in physical pain. Mantegazza has a chapter on -this subject, a chapter that is not for the _jeune fille_. We are told -that Scriabin in this music wished to express the ecstasy of untrammeled -action, the joy in creative activity. Let the poem he wrote, and the -title, be put aside; there are fine and original passages in the -composition, and there is certainly untrammeled action. The themes -themselves are not important, not expressive, not significant enough to -warrant the extravagant development and the polyphonic complexity. There -is also irritating repetition. - - * * * - -"_Le Poème de l'Extase_" was performed for the first time by the Russian -Symphony Society of New York in New York, December 10, 1908. Modeste -Altschuler conducted. We were indebted to Mr. Altschuler in 1910 for the -following information about _The Poem of Ecstasy_: - -"While I was in Switzerland during the summer of 1907 at Scriabin's -villa, he was all taken up with the work, and I watched its progress -with keen interest. The composer of the _Poème de l'Extase_ has sought -to express therein something of the emotional (and therefore musically -communicable) side of his philosophy of life. Scriabin is neither a -pantheist nor a theosophist, yet his creed includes ideas somewhat -related to each of these schools of thought. There are three divisions -in his poem: 1. His soul in the orgy of love; 2. The realization of a -fantastical dream; 3. The glory of his own art." - -Mr. Modeste Altschuler has interesting letters written by Scriabin -covering the period of his sojourn in the United States and Mr. -Altschuler's journey to Russia in 1907, the aim of which was to secure a -subsidy from the Russian government for the Russian Symphony Orchestra -in New York. Scriabin was very anxious to assist Mr. Altschuler in his -mission. The letters plainly indicate his anxiety. Those letters will -appear in Mr. Altschuler's _Memoirs_, which a Russian historian was -taking down in November, 1930, when Mr. Altschuler was conductor of the -Hollywood Symphony Orchestra. - -Scriabin wrote from Paris in the spring of 1907 that he had finished The -Poem of Ecstasy. The revised instrumentation now in use was made that -summer (1907) by the composer and Modeste Altschuler together, in -Switzerland, where they spent two weeks together. - -It has been said that the subject of _Le Poème de l'Extase_ begins where -that of _Le divin Poème_ leaves off. The three divisions of the latter -symphony, movements joined together without a pause, are "Luttes," -"Voluptés," "Jeu divin" (creative force consciously exercised). - -_Le Poème de l'Extase_ was completed in January, 1908, in Switzerland, -the month of the Fifth sonata, which, it is said, was written in three -or four days. It is scored for these instruments: piccolo, three flutes, -three oboes, English horn, three clarinets, bass clarinet, three -bassoons, double bassoon, eight horns, five trumpets, three trombones, -bass tuba, kettledrums, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tam-tam, bells, -deep chime in C, celesta, two harps, organ, and the usual strings. - -Scriabin wrote a poem in Russian for this orchestral composition. The -poem was published at Geneva, Switzerland, 1906. Mr. Altschuler kindly -lent his copy of it. A literal translation into English was made by Mrs. -Lydia L. Pimenov-Noble of Boston expressly for the Boston Symphony -Programme Book of October 22, 1910. The poem is very long, too long for -reprinting. There are verses that recur like a refrain, especially the -first lines: - - _The Spirit, - Winged by the thirst for life, - Takes flight - On the heights of negation. - There in the rays of his dream - Arises a magic world - Of marvelous images and feelings. - The Spirit playing, - The Spirit longing, - The Spirit with fancy creating all, - Surrenders himself to the bliss of love._ - -The poem ends with a rhapsodic invocation of the poet to the world he -has created: - - _"O pure aspirations, - I create thee, - A complex entity. - A feeling of bliss - Embracing all of you. - I am a moment illuminating eternity. - I am affirmation, - I am ecstasy." - By a general conflagration - The universe is embraced. - The Spirit is at the height of being. - And he feels - The tide unending - Of the divine power, - Of free will. - He is all-daring, - What menaced-- - Now is excitement, - What terrified - Is now delight; - And the bites of panthers and hyenas have become - But a new caress, - A new pang, - And the sting of the serpent - But a burning kiss. - And the universe resounded - With a joyful cry, - "I am."_ - - - - - JEAN JULIUS CHRISTIAN - SIBELIUS - - - (Born at Tavastehus, Finland, December 8, 1865) - -Some, judging the music of Sibelius or rhapsodizing over it, have laid -great stress on the fact that Finland is a wild and desolate country. -They therefore argue that the music of Sibelius must be bleak and grim. -They are also convinced that Sibelius himself must be a stern-visaged -man, something of a Berserk, savage and unapproachable, to write as he -does. But travelers assure us that in Finland there are smiling -landscapes, and we know from personal acquaintance that Mr. Sibelius, -like Baptista Minola in the comedy, is "an affable and courteous -gentleman." We doubt if climatic conditions, the constitutional -qualities or the passive mood of a man necessarily affect his music. -Beethoven was in doleful dumps when he wrote one of his most cheerful -symphonies. We have heard music by contemporaneous Italian composers -that is more barbaric, gloomier than the great majority of that by -Scandinavian or Russian musicians. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 1, IN E MINOR, OP. 39 - - - I. Andante ma non troppo; allegro energico - II. Andante ma non troppo lento - III. Allegro - IV. Finale (quasi una fantasia): andante; allegro molto - -There is a marked difference between the mood and the orchestral -expression of this First symphony and those of the composer's Fifth and -Seventh. Sibelius was not young in years when he wrote the First--he was -thirty-four--but this symphony was the work of one musically young. It -is seldom that a first symphony rests on firm foundations -architectonically planned, logically continuous in flow of musical -thought, as is the First symphony of Brahms, who had written much -chamber music before he ventured into the symphonic field. - -The musical thoughts of a symphonic composer meditating his first work -of long breath are many; they are often yeasty in their exuberance. -There is not yet in the joy of composing the ability to eliminate. There -is so much to say; all of it is thought important, essential. - -Yet this exuberance when it expresses itself in a fantastical manner is -not displeasing. Better wild irregularity, barbaric force than the smug -aping of orthodox and approved predecessors. In the first symphony he -did not escape the influence of Tchaikovsky, an influence shown -particularly in the second movement. But the voice of Sibelius himself -speaks in no uncertain tones: a virile voice that has new things to say; -is not ashamed of screaming outbursts, sudden contrasts; not a whining -egoist, not a despairing pessimist; a strong soul not disturbed by the -sensuous charm of woman. - -And so this symphony is more than conventionally interesting. It is -dramatic, as if Sibelius had had a drama in his mind, perhaps one of his -own life. The music is free, outspoken. It is without fear of the -learned professor at the conservatory. One might say of the symphony, -one hears this music and is in the mighty presence of a man. - - * * * - -The First symphony was composed in 1899 and published in 1902. The first -performance was at Helsingfors on April 26, 1899. The symphony was -played in Berlin at a concert of Finnish music, led by Robert Kajanus, -in July, 1900. - -I. Introduction: _andante ma non troppo_, E minor, 2-2. Over a drum roll -that rises and falls in intensity a clarinet sings a mournful melody, -which is of much importance in the _finale_ of the symphony. - -The first violins, after the short introduction, give out the first -theme with imitative passages for violas and violoncellos, _allegro -energico_, E minor, 6-4. There are two subsidiary motives: one for wind -instruments, and one, derived from this last, for strings. A _crescendo_ -leads to a climax, with the proclamation of the first chief theme by -full orchestra with a furious drum roll. The second and contrasting -chief motive is given to the flutes, _piano ma marcato_, against -tremulous violins and violas and delicate harp chords. The conclusion of -this theme is developed and given to the flutes with syncopated rhythm -for the strings. The pace is quickened, and there is a _crescendo_, -which ends in B minor. The free fantasia is of a passionate nature with -passages that suggest mystery; heavy chords for wind instruments are -bound together with chromatic figures for the strings; wood-wind -instruments shriek out cries with the interval of a fourth; cries that -are taken from one in the introduction; the final section of the second -theme is sung by two violins with strange figures for the strings, -_pianissimo_, and with rhythms taken from the second chief theme. These -rhythms in the course of a powerful _crescendo_ dominate at last. The -first chief theme endeavors to assert itself, but it is lost in -descending chromatic figures. Again there is a _crescendo_, and the -strings have the second subsidiary theme, which is developed until the -wild entrance of the first chief motive. The orchestra rages until, -after a great outburst and with clash of cymbals, a diminuendo leads to -gentle echoes of the conclusion of the second theme. Now the second -theme tries to enter, but without the harp chords that first accompanied -it. Rhythms that are derived from it lead to defiant blasts of the brass -instruments. The movement ends in this mood. - -II. _Andante, ma non troppo lento_, E flat major, 2-2. - -"The _adagio_ (_andante_) is steeped in his proper pathos, the pathos of -brief, bland summers, of light that falls for a moment, gentle and -mellow, and then dies away. Something like a memory of a girl sitting -amid the simple flowers in the white Northern sunshine haunts the last -few measures."[45] - -"The _andante_ is purest folk melody; and it is strange how we know -this, though we do not know the special tune."[46] - -III. _Allegro_, C major, 3-4. The chief theme of the _scherzo_ may be -said to have the characteristically national humor, which seems to -Southern nations wild and heavily fantastical. The second theme is of a -lighter and more graceful nature. The trio, E major, is of a somewhat -more tranquil nature. - -IV. _Finale_ (_quasi una fantasia_), E minor. The _finale_ begins with -the melody of the introduction of the first movement. It is now of an -epic, tragic nature, and not merely melancholy. There are hints in the -lower strings at the chief theme, which at last appears, 2-4, in the -wood-wind. This theme has a continuation which later has much -importance. The prevailing mood of the _finale_ is one of wild and -passionate restlessness, but the second chief theme, _andante assai_, is -a broad, dignified, melodious motive for violins. - -"The substratum [of the symphony] is national; in fact, one may say that -if the principal subjects are predominantly Slavonic in character, the -subsidiary ones are often distinctly Finnish, and the atmosphere of -storm and conflict which pervades the entire work is largely the outcome -of a kind of revolt on the part of this thematic rank and file against -their lords and masters. In this way the symphony presents a symbolical -picture of Finnish insurrection against Russian tyranny and oppression. -Not that I would suggest for a moment that the composer had any such -purpose in mind while writing it, but there would be nothing surprising -if there were an unconscious correspondence between the state of mind of -the composer and the position of his unhappy country at the time when -the symphony was conceived, at the very height of the Tsarist -persecution. On the contrary, it would be surprising if there were -not."[47] - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 2, IN D MAJOR, OP. 43 - - - I. Allegretto - II. Tempo andante ma rubato - III. Vivacissimo; lento e suave - IV. Finale: allegro moderato - -Mr. Paul Rosenfeld, who writes about certain modern composers as if he -had summered and wintered with them and been through them with a dark -lantern, finds this symphony of a "pastoral" nature, full of "home -sounds, of cattle." The music reveals a "pale, evanescent sunlight," and -through the music sounds "the burden of a lowly tragedy." This is -entertaining reading, to be sure, but to be charged with these -impressions Mr. Rosenfeld must have heard a tea-table performance of the -symphony. There is almost continually the tragic note in the music, but -the tragedy is hardly "lowly." - -This music is extremely Northern, at times bleak and windswept. -Arresting and impressive music; and lo, suddenly Sibelius drops into -Tchaikovskian mood, and even speaks the self-torturing Russian's speech. -Yet Sibelius is generally in the foreground, and his speech is generally -his own. It is when he would touch the heart of the public that -Tchaikovsky pushes him aside. There is much of interest in the symphony -besides the peculiar esthetic and racial quality: there are qualities of -the orchestration that hold the attention and excite admiration, as the -long _pizzicato_ figure for the double basses. - - * * * - -This symphony, composed in 1901-02, was produced at Helsingfors, March -8, 1902, at a concert given by the composer. - -According to Georg Schneevoight, an intimate friend of Sibelius, the -composer's intention was to depict in the first movement the quiet, -pastoral life of the Finns undisturbed by thought of oppression. The -second movement is charged with patriotic feeling, but the thought of a -brutal rule over the people brings with it timidity of soul. The third, -in the nature of a _scherzo_, portrays the awakening of national -feeling, the desire to organize in defense of their rights, while in the -_finale_ hope enters their breasts and there is comfort in the -anticipated coming of a deliverer. - -I. _Allegretto_, D major, with various rhythms, that of 6-4 -predominating. The movement begins with an accompaniment figure for -strings, which reappears in the course of the development. The quaint -first theme is announced by oboes and clarinets. This theme is worked, -and secondary motives are introduced, to be used again later. A passage -for strings _pizzicato_ leads to a theme given out by flutes, oboes, and -clarinets in octaves; bassoons and brass instruments sustain, and the -strings have the characteristic strumming heard at the beginning. After -the free fantasia a prolonged tremolo of strings leads to the -recapitulation. The quaint first theme appears again in the wood-wind, -but the accompaniment is more elaborate. The second theme is again -announced by wind instruments, and at the end there is the initial -figure of accompaniment. - -II. _Tempo andante ma rubato_, D minor, 4-4, 3-8, 4-4. On a roll of -kettledrums, double basses begin _pizzicato_, a figure which is finally -taken up by violoncellos, and serves as an accompaniment for a mournful -theme sung by the bassoons in octaves. The movement becomes more -animated and more dramatic. After a climax _fortississimo, molto -largamente_, the second and expressive theme is sung by some of the -first violins, violas, violoncellos (F sharp major, _andante -sostenuto_), accompanied at first by strings and then by running -passages in flutes and bassoons. This theme, now in wood-wind -instruments, is accompanied by running passages for violins. The first -theme returns in F sharp minor, and is developed to another climax, -after which the second theme enters in D minor, and toward the close -there are hints at the first motive. - -III. _Vivacissimo_, B flat major, 6-8. The movement begins with a nimble -theme for violins. There is a short development, and flute and bassoon -announce the second theme, against the rhythm of the first, which -returns against a _tremolo_ of wood-wind instruments supported by brass -and kettledrums. _Lento e suave_, G flat major, 12-4. The oboe has the -theme over sustained chords for bassoons and horns. This section, which -serves here as a trio to a _scherzo_, is short. There is a repetition, -with changes of the opening section. The oboe sounds again the theme of -the trio, and there is a free transition to the _finale_ without any -pause. - -IV. _Finale_: _allegro moderato_, D major, 3-2. The movement is -fashioned after the general style of a _rondo_ on a short and simple -theme announced immediately by violins, violas, and violoncellos. There -are less important motives which serve as thematic material, and there -are modifications of tonality and tempo. The movement ends in a sonorous -apotheosis, _molto largamente_. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 4, IN A MINOR, OP. 63 - - - I. Tempo molto moderato quasi adagio - II. Allegro molto vivace - III. Il tempo largo - IV. Allegro - -The fourth symphony is strangely different in character from those that -precede and follow it. Was Sibelius experimenting, endeavoring to strike -out a new path? Was he dissatisfied with the result? When it was -performed in New York as a new piece, Mr. Henderson, the most -sympathetic of those reviewing the symphony, thought that Sibelius had -"parted company with himself and joined the futurists." One of the -critics went so far as to describe the work as "inconsequential as the -ravings of a drunken man." This was an absurd opinion, for, whatever may -be said of the symphony, it is not "inconsequential"; it was planned -deliberately; one might say, from the lack of emotional quality, planned -in cold blood. - -Perhaps there was an argument in his mind. Perhaps he had been hearing -_Parsifal_, for there are times in the symphony when one is reminded of -Amfortas with his complaining voice. Not that Sibelius was obliged to -borrow phrases; but the mood of the composer and that of the wounded -knight are at times alike. There is also the suggestion of similar -harmonic and orchestral, but not melodic expression. - -The thematic material is for the most part cool, contemplative, often -fragmentary, or purposely incomplete. The melancholy that drips from the -pages is almost without relief. Nor does one find the symphony of -"baffling simplicity" as a London reviewer found it a few years ago. The -"simplicity" was carefully contrived. There is little real beauty, frank -or subtle--there is little that impresses by loftiness of thought, or -nobility of expression. There is prevailing sobriety. Sibelius might -say, "That is the way I felt when I wrote it. I could not write -otherwise any more than I could then feel differently." Is it not a -significant fact that Sibelius soon left this path that he had found? - - * * * - -This symphony, dated 1911, was performed at Helsingfors in that year. -The score is dedicated to Eero Järnefelt. - -The reviewer for the London _Times_ noted (February 28, 1921) that there -was moderate applause after a performance, and added: "After all, what -was there to make a fuss about? No accumulation of energy, no building -to a climax, no display of rhetoric; just a number of ideas, each dwelt -on as long as it showed capacity for growth, each left as soon as it had -generated another; there is just enough relevance to defeat the charge -of inconsequence, not enough arrangement to suggest a moment's -tautology. The fineness of this symphony is of the ascetic type which -refuses the luxuries of sound and finds a miracle in the simplest -relations of notes. From these relations the tunes grow naturally as -folk tunes grow. From the intonation of two notes at the outset comes -the whole of the first movement; a perfect fifth is the source of the -most expansive melody which crowns the third movement. There is nothing -abstruse about it; people only fail to understand it because they cannot -believe that any man could be so simple and so real as Sibelius shows -himself to be." - -Mr. Fox Strangways wrote (February 21, 1932): "Sibelius has, what only -the best composers have, the flair for the phrase that will repay -investigation. His phrase on paper impresses no one; when you hear it, -spaced out, set in relief, debated upon, it grows life size. He seems to -go on for minutes together in an ordinary tone of voice, and then -suddenly an idea stings him, and he is afire, and the whole room hanging -on his lips." - -"The complete absence of sensuous appeal in this work," writes Cecil -Gray, "coupled with the exacting demands it makes upon the intelligence -of audiences, will always prevent it from being popular. For the few, -however, it probably constitutes Sibelius's greatest achievement; he has -certainly never written anything to surpass it." - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 5, IN E FLAT MAJOR, OP. 82 - - - I. Tempo molto moderato; allegro moderato - II. Andante mosso, quasi allegretto - III. Allegro molto: un pochettino largamente - -There is not a sensuous note, not a single bid for immediate popularity; -but there is something in the symphony that will be permanent. It is -skillfully constructed in a new manner; skillfully scored with most -ingenious effects not too laboriously contrived, and with a -comparatively small orchestra. The young composer of today, looking at -the score, will rub his eyes in wonder and exclaim: "What! No English -horn, no bass clarinet, only four horns, no celesta, xylophone, harp, -tam-tam? What's the man thinking about?" - -But Sibelius has ideas. He feels deeply; he pours out his emotions; he -snaps his fingers at decorations, at sensational effects, at sugared -pages sure to please. When he is in lighter mood it is only for a -moment; the eternal questions asked since the beginning of time are ever -in his mind; yet serious, he is not dull, he does not sermonize. He -writes music first of all to free himself of what is in his heart and -brain and must out. - -This man of the North knows the exciting effect of oriental repetition -in phrase and rhythm, and on these repetitions he rears imposing musical -structures. There are measures to which dervishes might whirl, rays of -the sun break through the clouds, yet we prefer Sibelius when the sky is -leaden. - - * * * - -This symphony was composed before the World War. It was performed at -Helsingfors as early as the spring of 1914. It is said that the symphony -was revised before performances in other cities, among them Stockholm. - -The first two movements are here played as one. - -When the symphony was performed in London the _Daily Telegraph_ had this -to say: "It is true that this symphony is designed on broader lines than -its predecessor; it contains more positive statement of its ideas, many -of which are of the simplest melodic kind, that the coloring is richer -and fuller, with more use of the effects of orchestral masses.... - -"The first two movements are closely linked together by a four-note -motto theme which pervades the greater part of the subject matter of -both; they are distinguished by contrast of mood. The first is a -dreaming fantasy in which many motives and forces contend; the second -unifies them in a more closely knit _scherzo_ rhythm. Through both of -them the strings supply in an uneasy background of shimmering sound, -while the voices of the wind instruments are more closely articulated. - -"The third movement is _andante quasi allegretto_. The rather dry -rhythmic pattern of the chief theme is discussed among the instruments -in a way which is strangely Mozart-like, and marks more definitely -Sibelius's abstracted devotion to pure beauty of design. The _finale_ -launches out into a franker expression of feeling. Its second subject -makes an almost passionate appeal on its first revival, and this appeal -is intensified in the long development of it which leads to the _coda_. -Yet somehow this ending left the feeling that the composer had not -allowed himself to say all that he meant, or the thing which he meant -most of all. This may have been partly in the playing, for Sibelius is a -difficult conductor to follow. - -"Sibelius, both as composer and conductor, stands apart, a lonely figure -seeking with difficulty to bring the ideals which are intensely real to -him into touch with other minds. Possibly it is his struggle for -expression which sometimes recalls Beethoven as one listens to him." - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 7, OP. 105 - (_In one movement_) - - -Mr. Lawrence Gilman was right in characterizing Sibelius' Seventh -symphony as "enigmatic, puissant." Is it also, as he says, "strangely -moving"? It is not a symphony for an afternoon's careless pleasure. - -The music of Sibelius seldom accepts the canons of obvious beauty. His -musical soul is proud, regardless of popular applause. In his latest -works he seems to be writing for himself; to be absorbed in -introspection and the expression of what he finds that is dear and -important to himself alone. There are noble ideas, fleeting and haunting -passages, in this symphony, but the plan and the conclusion of the whole -are not easily grasped. - - * * * - -It has been said that this symphony, published in 1925, was composed -with the view of producing it under the direction of the composer at an -English music festival. Sickness prevented his going to England. The -symphony was performed in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Orchestra, -Mr. Stokowski conductor, on April 3, 1926. - -There is no designation of key. The opening measures are in A minor; the -ending is in C major. - -The first section is a somber _adagio_. It opens with an ascending -scale, 3-2 time for the strings. This is the basic theme of the -symphony, appearing as a whole, in fragments, or inverted. A lyric theme -follows, C major, for violas (divided) and violoncellos. The violins -join later. There is a melody, somewhat like a chant for a solo -trombone. This later assumes marked importance. The pace grows faster, -until it is _vivacissimo_, C minor. Mr. Gilman, in his lucid notes for -the Philadelphia Programme Book, finds that the subject now announced by -the strings "recalls the mood of the _scherzo_ of Beethoven's -'_Eroica_.'" The _adagio_ tempo recurs, as does the trombone theme, -which the brass section enlarges. Change in tempo: _allegro molto -moderato_. There is a new motive, C major, 6-4, simple, in folk manner; -still another motive with wood-wind "doubled in pairs, playing in -thirds, fifths and sixths." The development is for strings and wind. -_Vivace_, E flat major. Antiphonal measures for strings and wood-wind. -"The tempo becomes _presto_, the key C major. The strings, divided in -eight parts, begin a mysteriously portentous passage, at first -_pianississimo_, with the violas and violoncellos defining an urgent -figure against a reiterated pedal G of the violins, basses, and tympani. -A _crescendo_, _rallentando_, is accompanied by a fragment of the basic -scale passage, in augmentation, for the horns. The tempo is again -_adagio_; and now the chant-like C major theme is heard once more from -the brass choir, against mounting figurations of the strings. There is a -climax _fortissimo_, for the whole orchestra. The strings are heard -alone, _largamente molto_, in an _affettuoso_ of intense expression. -Flute and bassoon in octaves, supported by soft string tremolos, sing a -plaint. The strings, _dolce_, in syncopated rhythm, modulate through -seventh chords in A flat and G to a powerful suspension, _fortissimo_, -on the tonic chord of C major; and this brings to a close the enigmatic, -puissant, and strangely moving work."[48] - - The instrumentation which Sibelius calls for in his Seventh symphony - is typical of the severely "classical" orchestration which was the - basis of his symphonies in general: two flutes, two oboes, two - clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, - kettledrums, and strings. This was also the instrumentation of the - Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth (although, for episodic purposes, a - glockenspiel was added to the Fourth, and a bass clarinet and harp to - the Sixth). The First symphony had a richer bass and percussion--bass - tuba, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, and harp were used (compare the - orchestration of _Finlandia_ and _The Swan of Tuonela_ of the same - early period). When he wrote his Second symphony, Sibelius dropped all - these instruments of percussion. The tuba he kept for the Second, but - he did not use it again in his symphonies.--EDITOR. - - - - - "FINLANDIA," SYMPHONIC POEM FOR ORCHESTRA, OP. 26, NO. 7 - - -It is said that _Finlandia_, although it was composed as far back as -1894, evokes such enthusiasm in the composer's native land that -performance of it was forbidden by the oppressing Russian. The question -is, does _Finlandia_ evoke enthusiasm in Madrid, Dresden, Boston? For -after all it is something more than a national document. It is -picturesque, with suggestions of prayers and hymns, revolts and -revolutions. - - -There is more of Finland in the symphonies, the violin concerto, and _A -Saga_ of Sibelius than in his _Finlandia_, which is hot with the spirit -of revolt. No doubt he wrote this music with a patriotic heart, but -patriotism is not an essential quality in a musical work of art. - - * * * - -_Finlandia: Tondight for orkester_, Op. 26, No. 7, was composed in 1894. -It is not a fantasia on genuine folk tunes. The composer is the -authority for this statement. Mrs. Newmarch says: "Like Glinka, Sibelius -avoids the crude material of the folk song; but like this great national -poet, he is so penetrated by the spirit of his race that he can evolve a -national melody calculated to deceive the elect. On this point the -composer is emphatic, 'There is a mistaken impression among the press -abroad,' he has assured me, 'that my themes are often folk melodies. So -far I have never used a theme that was not of my own invention. Thus the -thematic material of _Finlandia_ and _En Saga_ is entirely my own.'" - -The following note is from a programme of the Russian Symphony Society: - -"_Finlandia_, though without explanatory subtitle, seems to set forth an -impression of the national spirit and life.... The work records the -impressions of an exile's return home after a long absence. An agitated, -almost angry theme for the brass choir, short and trenchant, begins the -introduction, _andante sostenuto_ (_alla breve_). This theme is answered -by an organ-like response in the wood-wind, and then a prayerful passage -for strings, as though to reveal the essential earnestness and -reasonableness of the Finnish people, even under the stress of national -sorrow. This leads to an _allegro moderato_ episode, in which the -restless opening theme is proclaimed by the strings against a very -characteristic rhythmic figure, a succession of eight beats, the first -strongly accented.... With a change to _allegro_ the movement, looked at -as an example of the sonata form, may be said to begin. A broad, -cheerful theme by the strings in A flat, against the persistent rhythm -in the brass, is followed by a second subject, introduced by the -wood-wind and taken up by the strings, then by the 'cello and first -violin. This is peaceful and elevated in character, and might be looked -upon as prophetic of ultimate rest and happiness. The development of -these musical ideas carries the tone poem to an eloquent conclusion." - -_Finlandia_ is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two -bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, -kettledrums, bass drum, cymbals, triangle and strings. - - - - - "THE SWAN OF TUONELA" ("TUONELAN JOUTSEN"), LEGEND FROM THE FINNISH - FOLK EPIC "KALEVALA" - - -Here is no swan, singing before death, a fable that suggested to -Villiers de l'Isle-Adam one of his cruelest tales, and served Anna -Pavlowa for an entrancing, memorable dance-pantomime to Saint-Saëns' -familiar music. This is the swan that glides and sings on the river of -black water around Tuonela, the Kingdom of Death. Sibelius, to whom the -Finnish epic _Kalevala_ furnished subjects for several of his earlier -compositions, by economic means, by an unerring choice of his -instruments, portrays the scene and gives the song--after the hearer is -acquainted with the explanatory note in the score. Suppose that the -hearer had no knowledge of the legend, had never read of Lemminkainen's -adventures; how, to win the maid Pohjola, he set out to accomplish -certain tasks, among them to shoot a swan on this River of Death. How -would the hearer then be impressed? Surely he would be moved by the -strangeness of the music, by the mysterious first measures, by the -unearthly melancholy of the song, by the quiet intensity of it all. He -would find in the music a tragic mood, simply but unmistakably -expressed. To us this legend of Sibelius, for itself, is commanding -music. - - * * * - -_The Swan of Tuonela_ is the third section of a symphonic poem -_Lemminkainen_, in four parts, Op. 22, 1. "Lemminkainen and the -Maidens"; 2. "His Sojourn in Tuonela"; 3. "The Swan of Tuonela"; 4. -"Lemminkainen Homefaring." These pieces are drawn from the Finnish epic -_Kalevala_. A note on the score of _The Swan of Tuonela_ runs thus: -"Tuonela, the Kingdom of Death, the Hades of Finnish mythology, is -surrounded by a broad river of black water and rapid current, in which -the Swan of Tuonela glides in majestic fashion and sings." - -Lemminkainen is one of the four principal heroes of the _Kalevala_. Mr. -W. F. Kirby, in his translation of the epic, describes him as a "jovial, -reckless personage, always getting into serious scrapes, from which he -escapes either by his own skill in magic or by his mother's. His love -for his mother is the redeeming feature in his character. One of his -names is Kaukomieli, and he is, in part, the original of Longfellow's -'Pau-Puk-Keewis.'" - -In the thirteenth and fourteenth Runos, it is told how Lemminkainen asks -the old woman of Pohja for her daughter Pohjola. She demands that he -should first accomplish certain tasks: to capture on snowshoes the elk -of Hiisi; to bridle fire-breathing steeds. Succeeding in these -adventures, he is asked to shoot a swan on the river of Tuonela. - - _I will only give my daughter, - Give the youthful bride you seek for, - If the river swan you shoot me, - Shoot the great bird on the river; - There on Tuoni's murky river, - In the sacred river's whirlpool, - Only at a single trial, - Using but a single arrow._ - -Lemminkainen came to the river. A cowherd, Märkähattu, old and -sightless, who had long waited for him, slew him there by sending a -serpent "like a reed from out the billows" through the hero's heart, and -cast the body into the stream. Lemminkainen floated on to Tuonela's -dread dwelling. The son of Tuoni cut the body into pieces. The hero's -mother, learning of his fate, raked the water under the cataract till -she found all the fragments. She joined them together and restored her -son to life by charms and magic salves, so that he could return home -with her. - -The piece is written in A minor, _andante molto sostenuto_ 9-4 time. -Mrs. Rosa Newmarch (_Jean Sibelius_) says of it: - -"The majestic but intensely sad, swan-like melody is heard as a solo for -_cor-anglais_, accompanied at first by muted strings and the soft roll -of drums. Now and then this melody is answered by a phrase given to -first violoncello or viola, which might be interpreted as the farewell -sigh of some soul passing to Tuonela. For many bars the brass is silent, -until suddenly the first horn (muted) echoes a few notes of the swan -melody with the most poignant effect. Gradually the music works up to a -great climax, indicated _con gran suono_, followed by a treble -_pianissimo_, the strings playing with the back of the bow. To this -accompaniment, which suggests the faint flapping of pinions, the swan's -final phrases are sung. The strings return to the natural bowing and the -work ends in one of the characteristic, sighing phrases for -violoncello." - -The second theme is given out by the strings to a slow but rhythmed -accompaniment of wood-wind, brass, and drums. - -The score calls for oboe, English horn (solo), bass clarinet, two -bassoons, four horns, three trombones, kettledrums, bass drum, harp, and -the usual strings. - - - - - RICHARD - STRAUSS - - - (Born at Munich, June 11, 1864) - - - - - "DON JUAN," TONE POEM (AFTER NICOLAUS LENAU), OP. 20 - - -Some of Strauss's wild-eyed worshipers, not content with the quotations -that serve as mottoes, have invented ingenious analyses in which we are -told the precise meaning of each theme in _Don Juan_, and how this -section represents his passion for a widow and that for a maiden. But -did not Strauss himself say that the theme which represents, according -to an analyst, Don Juan rushing off to new triumphs was intended as his -drunken entrance into a ballroom? And is it not possible that when -Strauss wrote down this theme he attached no specific and minute -significance to it? No, there is no need of the showman with blackboard -and rod while this music is playing. "Don Juan--after Lenau's poem" is -enough; and merely _Don Juan_ might serve. - -A daring, brilliant composition: one that paints the hero as might a -master's brush on canvas. How expressive the themes! How daring the -treatment of them! What fascinating, irresistible insolence, glowing -passion, and then the taste of Dead Sea fruit! - - * * * - -_Don Juan_, composed at Munich 1887-88, is known as the first of -Strauss's symphonic or tone poems, but _Macbeth_, Op. 23, was composed -at Munich, 1886-87 (revised in 1890 at Weimar), and published later -(1891). _Don Juan_ was published in 1890. The first performance of _Don -Juan_ was at the second subscription concert of the Grand Ducal Court -Orchestra of Weimar in the fall of 1889. - -The work is scored for three flutes (and piccolo), two oboes, English -horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, three -trumpets, three trombones, tuba, kettledrums, triangle, cymbals, -glockenspiel, harp, strings. The score is dedicated "To my dear friend, -Ludwig Thuille," a composer and teacher, born at Bozen in 1861, who was -a fellow student at Munich. Thuille died in 1907. - - -Strauss's hero is Lenau's, in search of the ideal woman. Not finding one -reaching his standard, disgusted with life, he practically commits -suicide by dropping his sword when fighting a duel with a man whose -father he had killed. Before this Don Juan dies, he provides in his will -for the women he had seduced and forsaken. - -Lenau wrote his poem in 1844. It is said that his third revision was -made in August and September of that year at Vienna and Stuttgart. After -September he wrote no more, for he went mad, and he was mad until he -died in 1850. The poem, "Eitel nichts," dedicated in the asylum at -Winnenthal, was intended originally for _Don Juan_. _Don Juan_ is of a -somewhat fragmentary nature. The quotations made by Strauss paint well -the hero's character. - -L. A. Frankl, a biographer of the morbid poet, says that Lenau once -spoke as follows concerning his purpose in this dramatic poem: "Goethe's -great poem has not hurt me in the matter of _Faust_ and Byron's 'Don -Juan' will here do me no harm. Each poet, as every human being, is an -individual ego. My Don Juan is no hot-blooded man eternally pursuing -woman. It is the longing in him to find a woman who is to him incarnate -womanhood, and to enjoy in the one, all the women on earth, whom he -cannot as individuals possess. Because he does not find her, although he -reels from one to another, at last Disgust seizes hold of him, and this -Disgust is the Devil that fetches him." - -It has been said that the "emotional phases of the story" appealed to -Strauss: - -1. The fiery ardor with which Don Juan pursues his ideal; - -2. The charm of woman; and - -3. The selfish idealist's disappointment and partial atonement by death. - -There are two ways of considering this tone poem: to say that it is a -fantasia, free in form and development--the quotations from the poem are -enough to show the mood and the purposes of the composer; or to discuss -the character of Lenau's hero, and then follow foreign commentators who -give significance to every melodic phrase and find deep, esoteric -meaning in every modulation. No doubt Strauss himself would be content -with the verses of Lenau and his own music, for he is a man not without -humor, and on more than one occasion has slyly smiled at his prying or -pontifical interpreters. - -Strauss has particularized his hero among the many that bear the name of -Don Juan, from the old drama of Gabriel Tellez, the cloistered monk who -wrote, under the name of "Tirso de Molina," _El Burlador de Sevilla y el -Convidado de Piedra_ (first printed in 1634). Strauss's hero is -specifically the Don Juan of Lenau, not the rakehelly hero of legend and -so many plays, who at the last is undone by the Statue invited by Juan -to supper. - - - - - "TOD UND VERKLÄRUNG" (DEATH AND TRANSFIGURATION) TONE POEM, OP. 24 - - -"Death and Transfiguration" is now more old-fashioned than the G minor -symphony of Mozart. The anguish of the dying man, who does not make the -graceful and gracious apology of Charles II on his deathbed, no longer -moves us. His recollections seem sentimental and vapid, while the -trombone passages once considered as terrific, awe-inspiring, are not so -significant as the single horn of Charon in Gluck's _Alceste_. _Don -Juan_, on the other hand, holds its own by its defiant spirit, -expressing the arrogance of the Don on his triumphant way--by its -dramatic translation into music of the words put by Lenau into his -mouth: - - _Exhausted is the fuel; - And on the hearth, the cold is fiercely cruel._ - -The superb horn phrase should have accompanied the entrance of Lovelace -into the ballroom, one of the most powerful scenes in Richardson's -long-winded romance. - - * * * - -This tone poem was composed at Munich in 1888-89. - -Hans von Bülow wrote to his wife from Weimar, November 13, 1889: -"Strauss is enormously beloved here. His _Don Juan_ evening before last -had a wholly unheard-of success. Yesterday morning Spitzweg and I were -at his house to hear his new symphonic poem _Tod und Verklärung_--which -has again inspired me with great confidence in his development. It is a -very important work in spite of sundry poor passages, and it is also -refreshing." - -The first performance was from manuscript, under the direction of the -composer, at the fifth concert of the 27th Musicians' Convention of the -Allgemeine Deutscher Musikverein in the City Theater of Eisenach, June -21, 1890. - -The poem is dedicated to Friedrich Rösch, and is scored for three -flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two -bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, -tuba, a set of three kettledrums, two harps, gong, and strings. - -On the flyleaf of the score is a poem in German. - -The following literal translation is by William Foster Apthorp: - -"In the necessitous little room, dimly lighted by only a candle end, -lies the sick man on his bed. But just now he has wrestled despairingly -with Death. Now he has sunk exhausted into sleep, and one hears only the -soft ticking of the clock on the wall in the room, whose awful silence -gives a foreboding of the nearness of death. Over the sick man's pale -features plays a sad smile. Dreams he, on the boundary of life, of the -golden time of childhood? - -"But death does not long grant sleep and dreams to his victim. Cruelly -he shakes him awake, and the fight begins afresh. Will to live and power -of Death! What frightful wrestling! Neither bears off the victory, and -all is silent once more! - -"Sunk back tired of battle, sleepless, as in fever-frenzy the sick man -now sees his life pass before his inner eye, trait by trait and scene by -scene. First the morning red of childhood, shining bright in pure -innocence! Then the youth's saucier play--exerting and trying his -strength--till he ripens to the man's fight, and now burns with hot lust -after the higher prizes of life. The one high purpose that has led him -through life was to shape all he saw transfigured into a still more -transfigured form. Cold and sneering, the world sets barrier upon -barrier in the way of his achievement. If he thinks himself near his -goal, a 'Halt!' thunders in his ear. 'Make the barrier thy stirrup! Ever -higher and onward go!' And so he pushes forward, so he climbs, desists -not from his sacred purpose. What he has ever sought with his heart's -deepest yearning, he still seeks in his death sweat. Seeks--alas! and -finds it never. Whether he comprehends it more clearly or it grows upon -him gradually, he can yet never exhaust it, cannot complete it in his -spirit. Then clangs the last stroke of Death's iron hammer, breaks the -earthly body in twain, covers the eye with the night of death. - -"But from the heavenly spaces sounds mightily to greet him what he -yearningly sought for here: deliverance from the world, transfiguration -of the world." - - -The poem by Ritter is, after all, the most satisfactory explanation of -the music to those that seek eagerly a clew and are not content with the -title. The analysts have been busy with this tone poem as well as the -others of Strauss. Wilhelm Mauke wrote a pamphlet of twenty pages with -twenty-one musical illustrations, and made a delicate distinction -between "Fever" theme No. 1 and "Fever" theme No. 2. Reimann and Brandes -have been more moderate. _Death and Transfiguration_ may be divided into -sections, closely joined, and for each one a portion of the poem may -serve as a motto. - -I. _Largo_, C minor, D flat major, 4-4. The chief "Death" motive is a -syncopated figure, _pianissimo_, given to the second violins and violas. -A sad smile steals over the sick man's face (wood-wind accompanied by -horns and harps), and he thinks of his youth (a simple melody, the -childhood motive, announced by the oboe). These three motives establish -the mood of the introduction. - -II. _Allegro molto agitato_, C minor. Death attacks the sick man. There -are harsh double blows in quick succession. What Mauke characterizes as -the "Fever" motive begins in the basses, and wildly dissonant chords -shriek at the end of the climbing motive. There is a mighty _crescendo_, -the chief "Death" motive is heard, the struggle begins (full orchestra, -_fortississimo_). There is a second chromatic and feverish motive, which -appears first in sixteenths, which is bound to a contrasting and -ascending theme that recalls the motive of the struggle. This second -feverish theme goes canonically through the instrument groups. The sick -man sinks exhausted (_ritenuto_). Trombones, violoncellos, and violas -intone even now the beginning of the "Transfiguration" theme, just as -Death is about to triumph. "And again all is still!" The mysterious -"Death" motive knocks. - -III. And now the dying man dreams dreams and sees visions (_meno mosso, -ma sempre alla breve_). The "Childhood" motive returns (G major) in -freer form. There is again the joy of youth (oboes, harp, and, bound to -this motive of "Hope" that made him smile before the struggle, the -motive now played by solo viola). The fight of manhood with the world's -prizes is waged again (B major, full orchestra, _fortissimo_), waged -fiercely. "Halt!" thunders in his ears, and trombones and kettledrums -sound the dread and strangely rhythmed motive of "Death" (drums beaten -with wooden drumsticks). There is contrapuntal elaboration of the "Life -Struggle" and "Childhood" motives. The "Transfiguration" motive is heard -in broader form. The chief "Death" motive and the feverish attack are -again dominating features. Storm and fury of orchestra. There is a wild -series of ascending fifths. Tam-tam and harp knell the soul's departure. - -IV. The "Transfiguration" theme is heard from the horns; strings repeat -the "Childhood" motive. A _crescendo_ leads to the full development of -the "Transfiguration" theme (_moderato_, C major), "World deliverance, -world transfiguration." - -The scoring is as follows: three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two -clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, -three trumpets, three trombones and bass tuba, kettledrums, tam-tam, two -harps, and strings. - - - - - "TILL EULENSPIEGEL'S MERRY PRANKS, AFTER THE OLD-FASHIONED ROGUISH - MANNER--IN RONDO FORM," OP. 28 - - -_Till Eulenspiegel_ disputes with _Don Juan_ the first position among -the symphonic poems of Strauss. The opening of _Thus Spake Zarathustra_ -is colossal in its elemental grandeur; the death music in _Don Quixote_ -is incomparably beautiful; there are a few pages in _A Hero's Life_ that -remind one of Beethoven at his best; the love music in the _Domestic -symphony_ is memorable; but _Till Eulenspiegel_ and _Don Juan_ are -continuously impressive, each in its way, and are free from the -suspicion of effects made for the sake of effect, designed deliberately -to make the bourgeois stare. - - -The story is medieval and Rabelaisian, and the music is quite as broad -as the tale. Clear motives typify Till, who can be traced from beginning -to end. He "bobs up" (no other term can describe it) through every kind -of repression and persecution; he is saucy and insouciant; he is -comically repentant when at the last he is hanged, and his last faint -squeak is very mock-pathetic. - -This hanging is a deviant from the old story in which Till evades his -doom and cheats the executioner. For some time the reviewers were in -doubt as to whether Strauss had given warrant for the execution--which -shows the weak point of "programme music," for no one ought to have had -any doubts upon the subject after hearing the change of style from -glibness to utter dejection at the end. - - * * * - -_Till Eulenspiegel's lustige Streiche, nach alter Schelmenweise--in -Rondoform, für grosses Orchester gesetzt, von Richard Strauss_, was -produced at a Gürznich concert at Cologne, November 5, 1895. It was -composed in 1894-95 at Munich, and the score was completed there, May 6, -1895. The score and parts were published in September, 1895. - -There has been dispute concerning the proper translation of the phrase, -_nach alter Schelmenweise_, in the title. Some, and Apthorp was one of -them, translate it "after an old rogue's tune." Others will not have -this at all, and prefer "after the old--or old-fashioned--roguish -manner," or, as Krehbiel suggested, "in the style of old-time waggery," -and this view is in all probability the sounder. It is hard to twist -_Schelmenweise_ into "rogue's tune." _Schelmenstück_, for instance, is -"a knavish trick," a "piece of roguery." As Krehbiel well said: "The -reference [_Schelmenweise_] goes, not to the thematic form of the -phrase, but to its structure. This is indicated, not only by the -grammatical form of the phrase but also by the parenthetical -explanation: '_in Rondoform_.' What connection exists between -roguishness, or waggishness, and the rondo form it might be difficult to -explain. The roguish wag in this case is Richard Strauss himself, who, -besides putting the puzzle into his title, refused to provide the -composition with even the smallest explanatory note which might have -given a clue to its contents." It seems to us that the puzzle in the -title is largely imaginary. There is no need of attributing any intimate -connection between "roguish manner" and "_rondo_ form." - -Till (or Tyll) Eulenspiegel is the hero of an old _Volksbuch_ of the -fifteenth century attributed to Dr. Thomas Murner (1475-1530). Till is -supposed to be a wandering mechanic of Brunswick, who plays all sorts of -tricks, practical jokes--some of them exceedingly coarse--on everybody, -and he always comes out ahead. In the book, Till (or Till Owlglass, as -he is known in the English translation) goes to the gallows, but he -escapes through an exercise of his ready wit and dies peacefully in bed, -playing a sad joke on his heirs, and refusing to lie still and snug in -his grave. Strauss kills him on the scaffold. The German name is said to -find its derivation in an old proverb: "Man sees his own faults as -little as a monkey or an owl recognizes his ugliness in looking into a -mirror." - -When Dr. Franz Wüllner, who conducted the first performance at Cologne, -asked the composer for an explanatory programme of the "poetical intent" -of the piece, Strauss replied: "It is impossible for me to furnish a -programme to _Eulenspiegel_; were I to put into words the thoughts which -its several incidents suggest to me, they would seldom suffice, and -might give rise to offense. Let me leave it, therefore, to my hearers to -crack the hard nut which the Rogue has prepared for them. By way of -helping them to a better understanding, it seems sufficient to point out -the two 'Eulenspiegel' motives, which, in the most manifold disguises, -moods, and situations, pervade the whole up to the catastrophe, when, -after he has been condemned to death, Till is strung up to the gibbet. -For the rest, let them guess at the musical joke which a Rogue has -offered them." Strauss indicated in notation three motives--the opening -theme of the introduction, the horn theme that follows almost -immediately, and the descending interval expressive of condemnation and -the scaffold. - -The rondo, dedicated to Dr. Arthur Seidl, is scored for piccolo, three -flutes, three oboes, English horn, small clarinet in E flat, two -clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, double bassoon, four horns -(with the addition of four horns _ad lib._), three trumpets (with three -additional trumpets _ad lib._), three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, -snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, a watchman's rattle, strings. - - - - -"THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA," TONE POEM (FREELY AFTER FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE), - OP. 30 - - -Strauss's huge "machine" has aged. The opening measures are still -stupendous. The "Grave Song" and "Night Song" are not without compelling -beauty, but on the whole, Nietzschian philosophy and music do not dwell -together in harmony. Dismiss the thought of Nietzsche; consider the -music as absolute music, and there is much that is boresome and -inherently cheap, if not vulgar, in spite, or by reason of the bombast -and pretentiousness. - - * * * - -The full title of this composition is _Also sprach Zarathustra, -Tondichtung_ (_frei nach Friedrich Nietzsche_) _für grosses Orchester_. -Composition was begun at Munich, February 4, 1896, and completed there -August 24, 1896. The first performance was at Frankfort-on-the-Main, -November 27 of the same year. The composer conducted, and also at -Cologne, December 1. - -Friedrich Nietzsche conceived the plan to his _Thus Spake Zarathustra: A -Book for All and None_, in August, 1881, as he was walking through the -woods near the Silvaplana Lake in the Engadine and saw a huge tower-like -crag. He completed the first part in February, 1883, at Rapallo, near -Genoa; he wrote the second part in Sils Maria in June and July, the -third part in the following winter at Nice, and the fourth part, not -then intended to be the last, but to serve as an interlude, from -November, 1884, till February, 1885, at Mentone. Nietzsche never -published this fourth part; it was printed for private circulation and -not publicly issued till after he became insane. The whole of -_Zarathustra_ was published in 1892. - -Nietzsche's Zarathustra is by no means the historical or legendary -Zoroaster, mage, leader, warrior, king. The Zarathustra of Nietzsche is -Nietzsche himself, with his views on life and death. Strauss's opera -_Guntram_ (1894) showed the composer's interest in the book. Before the -tone poem was performed, this programme was published: "First movement: -Sunrise, Man feels the power of God. _Andante religioso._ But man still -longs. He plunges into passion (second movement) and finds no peace. He -turns towards science, and tries in vain to solve life's problem in a -fugue (third movement). Then agreeable dance tunes sound and he becomes -an individual, and his soul soars upward while the world sinks far -beneath him." But Strauss gave this explanation to Otto Florsheim: "I -did not intend to write philosophical music or to portray in music -Nietzsche's great work. I meant to convey by means of music an idea of -the development of the human race from its origin, through the various -phases of its development, religious and scientific, up to Nietzsche's -idea of the Superman. The whole symphonic poem is intended as my homage -to Nietzsche's genius, which found its greatest exemplification in his -book, _Thus Spake Zarathustra_." - -_Thus Spake Zarathustra_ is scored for piccolo, three flutes (one -interchangeable with a second piccolo), three oboes, English horn, two -clarinets in B flat, clarinet in E flat, bass clarinet, three bassoons, -double bassoon, six horns, four trumpets, three trombones, two bass -tubas, kettledrums, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, glockenspiel, a low -bell in E, two harps, organ, sixteen second violins, twelve violas, -twelve violoncellos, eight double basses. - -On a flyleaf of a score is printed the following excerpts from -Nietzsche's book, the first section of "Zarathustra's Introductory -Speech": - -"Having attained the age of thirty, Zarathustra left his home and the -lake of his home and went into the mountains. There he rejoiced in his -spirit and his loneliness, and for ten years did not grow weary of it. -But at last his heart turned--one morning he got up with the dawn, -stepped into the presence of the Sun and thus spake unto him: 'Thou -great star! What would be thy happiness, were it not for those on whom -thou shinest? For ten years thou hast come up here to my cave. Thou -wouldst have got sick of thy light and thy journey but for me, mine -eagle and my serpent. But we waited for thee every morning and receiving -from thee thine abundance, blessed thee for it. Lo! I am weary of my -wisdom, like the bee that hath collected too much honey; I need hands -reaching out for it. I would fain grant and distribute until the wise -among men could once more enjoy their folly, and the poor once more -their riches. For that end I must descend to the depth; as thou dost at -even, when sinking behind the sea, thou givest light to the lower -regions, thou resplendent star! I must, like thee, go down, as men -say--men to whom I would descend. Then bless me, thou impassive eye, -that canst look without envy even upon overmuch happiness. Bless the cup -which is about to overflow, so that the water golden-flowing out of it -may carry everywhere the reflection of thy rapture. Lo! this cup is -about to empty itself again, and Zarathustra will once more become a -man.'--Thus Zarathustra's going down began." - -This prefatory note in Strauss's tone poem is not a "programme" of the -composition itself. It is merely an introduction. The sub-captions of -the composer in the score indicate that the music after the short -musical introduction begins where the quotation ends. - -"The scene of _Thus Spake Zarathustra_," says Dr. Tille, "is laid, as it -were, outside of time and space, and certainly outside of countries and -nations, outside of this age, and outside of the main condition of all -that lives--the struggle for existence.... There appear cities and mobs, -kings and scholars, poets and cripples, but outside of their realm there -is a province which is Zarathustra's own, where he lives in his cave -amid the rocks, and whence he thrice goes to men to teach them his -wisdom. This Nowhere and Nowhen, over which Nietzsche's imagination is -supreme, is a province of boundless individualism, in which a man of -mark has free play, unfettered by the tastes and inclinations of the -multitude.... _Thus Spake Zarathustra_ is a kind of summary of the -intellectual life of the nineteenth century, and it is on this fact that -its principal significance rests. It unites in itself a number of mental -movements which, in literature as well as in various sciences, have made -themselves felt separately during the last hundred years, without going -far beyond them. By bringing them into contact, although not always into -uncontradictory relation, Nietzsche transfers them from mere existence -in philosophy, or scientific literature in general, into the sphere or -the creed of _Weltanschauung_ of the educated classes, and thus his book -becomes capable of influencing the views and strivings of a whole age." - -Zarathustra teaches men the deification of Life. He offers not joy of -life, for to him there is no such thing, but fullness of life, in the -joy of the senses, "in the triumphant exuberance of vitality, in the -pure, lofty naturalness of the antique, in short, in the fusion of God, -world, and ego." - - -There is a simple but impressive introduction, in which there is a -solemn trumpet motive, which leads to a great climax for full orchestra -and organ on the chord of C major. There is this heading, "Von den -Hinterweltlern" (Of the Dwellers in the Rear World). These are they who -sought the solution in religion. Zarathustra too had once dwelt in this -rear world. (Horns intone a solemn Gregorian _Credo_.) - -The next heading is "Von der grossen Sehnsucht" (Of the Great Yearning). -This stands over an ascending passage in B minor in violoncellos and -bassoons, answered by wood-wind instruments in chromatic thirds. - -The next section begins with a pathetic _cantilena_ in C minor (second -violins, oboes, horn), and the heading is: "Von den Freuden und -Leidenschaften" (Of Joys and Passions). - -"Grablied" (Grave Song). The oboe has a tender _cantilena_ over the -Yearning motive in violoncellos and bassoons. - -"Von der Wissenschaft" (Of Science). The fugued passage begins with -violoncellos and double basses (divided). The subject of this _fugato_ -contains all the diatonic and chromatic degrees of the scale, and the -real responses to this subject come in successively a fifth higher. - -Much farther on a passage in the strings, beginning in the violoncellos -and violas, arises from B minor. "Der Genesende" (The Convalescent). - -"Tanzlied." The dance song begins with laughter in the wood-wind. - -"Nachtlied" (Night Song). - -"Nachtwanderlied" (The Song of the Night Wanderer, though Nietzsche in -later editions changed the title to "The Drunken Song"). The song comes -after a _fortissimo_ stroke of the bell, and the bell, sounding twelve -times, dies away softly. - -The mystical conclusion has excited much discussion. The ending is in -two keys--in B major in the high wood-wind and violins, in C major in -the basses, _pizzicato_. "The theme of the Ideal sways aloft in the -higher regions in B major; the trombones insist on the unresolved chord -of C, E, F sharp; and in the double basses is repeated C, G, C, the -World Riddle." This riddle is unsolved by Nietzsche, by Strauss, and -even by Strauss's commentators. - - - - - "DON QUIXOTE," FANTASTIC VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF KNIGHTLY CHARACTER, - OP. 35 - INTRODUCTION, THEME WITH VARIATIONS, AND FINALE - - -Don Quixote, a virtuoso tone poem, shows Strauss at his best and at his -worst. Composers have laid violent hands on the world-famous novel of -Cervantes. The Knight has figured in both serious and comic operas. It -occurred to Strauss that Don Quixote might be portrayed by one -instrument, Sancho Panza by another. Strauss undoubtedly rubbed his -hands with glee at the thought of the musical representation of -ba-a-a-ing sheep and the opportunity of introducing a wind machine with -a man turning a crank for the variation, "The Ride through the Air." But -there are fine passages in the work. When Don Quixote speaks nobly of -the ideal, Strauss gives him noble music, and Strauss has seldom written -more charming music than for the last speech of Sancho Panza. One might -ask, however, if this music is in Sancho Panza's character as Cervantes -describes it. And in the final music--the disillusionment of Don Quixote -and his death--Strauss attains, without straining and exaggeration, an -emotional height that is seldom found in his instrumental compositions -that follow. Hearing these emotional sections one almost forgets the -imitative and pictorial passages of the work, which seem too long, with -much music that is of little worth and interest. - - * * * - -_Don Quixote_ (_Introduzione, Tema con Variazioni, e Finale_): -_Fantastische Variationen uber ein Thema ritterlichen Charakters_, was -composed at Munich in 1897 (the score was completed on December 29th of -that year). It was played for the first time at a Gürzenich Concert, -Cologne, from manuscript, Franz Wüllner conductor, March 8, 1898. -Friedrich Grützmacher was the solo violoncellist. Strauss conducted his -composition on March 18, 1898, at a concert of the Frankfort -Museumgesellschaft, when Hugo Becker was the violoncellist. It is said -that Becker composed an exceedingly piquant _cadenza_ for violoncello on -the "Quixote" motive for his own enjoyment at home. - -The work is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two -clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, double bassoon, six horns, -three trumpets, three trombones, tenor tuba, bass tuba, kettledrums, -snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, wind machine, -harp, sixteen first violins, sixteen second violins, twelve violas, ten -violoncellos, eight double basses. It is dedicated to Joseph Dupont. - -Much has been written in explanation of this work, which followed _Also -sprach Zarathustra_, Op. 30 (1896), and preceded _Ein Heldenleben_, Op. -40 (1898). As the story goes, at a music festival in Düsseldorf in 1899 -an acquaintance of Strauss complained bitterly before the rehearsal that -he had no printed "guide" to _Don Quixote_, with which he was -unfamiliar. Strauss laughed, and said for his consolation, "Get out! you -do not need any." Arthur Hahn wrote a pamphlet of twenty-seven pages in -elucidation. In this pamphlet are many wondrous things. We are told that -certain queer harmonies introduced in an otherwise simple passage of the -introduction "characterize admirably the well-known tendency of Don -Quixote toward false conclusions." - -There is no programme attached to the score of this work. The -arrangement for pianoforte gives certain information concerning the -composer's purposes. - -Max Steinitzer declares in his _Richard Strauss_ (Berlin and Leipsic, -1911) that with the exception of some details, as the "Windmill" -episode, the music is intelligible and effective as absolute music; that -the title is sufficiently explanatory. "The introduction begins -immediately with the hero's motive and pictures with constantly -increasing liveliness by other themes of knightly and gallant character -life as it is mirrored in writings from the beginning of the seventeenth -century. 'Don Quixote, busied in reading romances of chivalry, loses his -reason--and determines to go through the world as a wandering knight.'" -It is easy to recognize the hero's theme in its variations, because the -knight is always represented by the solo violoncello. The character of -Sancho Panza is expressed by a theme first given to bass clarinet and -tenor tuba; but afterward and to the end by a solo viola. _Don Quixote_ -is divided into an introduction, a theme with variations, and a -_finale_. The sections are connected without a break. Each variation -portrays an incident in the novel. - - - Introduction - -_Mässiges Zeitmass_ (_moderato_), D major, 4-4. Don Quixote plunged -himself deeply in his reading of books of knighthood, "and in the end, -through his little sleep and much reading, he dried up his brains in -such sort, as he lost wholly his judgment. His fantasy was filled with -those things that he read, of enchantments, quarrels, battles, -challenges, wounds, wooings, loves, tempests, and other impossible -follies."[49] The first theme (wind instruments) foreshadows the typical -Don Quixote motive, and is here typical of knight-errantry in general. -The next section (strings) represents the idea of knightly gallantry, -and the whole theme ends with the passages that include the strange -harmonies and portray his madness. These strange progressions recur -frequently throughout the work. "He does not dream," says Mr. H. W. -Harris, "that his reasoning is at fault or that he is the victim of -self-delusion; on the contrary, he ascribes all such discrepancies to -magic, by which he believes himself to be persecuted, which is clearly -being employed to make things appear otherwise than his judgment assures -him they really should be." - -The first section of the first theme is ornamented (violas). Don Quixote -grows more and more romantic and chivalric. He sees the Ideal Woman, his -lady-love (oboe). The trumpets tell of a giant attacking her and her -rescue by a knight. "In this part of the Introduction, the use of mutes -on all the instruments--including the tuba, here so treated for the -first time--creates an indescribable effect of vagueness and confusion, -indicating that they are mere phantasms with which the Knight is -concerned, which cloud his brain." A Penitent enters (muted violas -_fortissimo_). Don Quixote's brain grows more and more confused. The -orchestral themes grow wilder. An augmented version of the first section -of the theme (brass), followed by a harp _glissando_, leads to shrill -discord--the Knight is mad. "The repeated use of the various sections of -the first theme shows that his madness has something to do with -chivalry." Don Quixote has decided to be a knight-errant. - - - Theme - -"Don Quixote, the knight of the sorrowful countenance; Sancho Panza." -_Moderato_, D minor, 4-4. The Don Quixote theme is announced by solo -violoncello. It is of close kin to the theme of the introduction. Sancho -Panza is typified by a theme given first to bass clarinet and tenor -tuba; but afterward the solo viola is the characteristic instrument of -Sancho. - - - Variation I - -The Knight and the Squire set out on their journey. "In a leisurely -manner," D minor, 12-8. The beautiful Dulcinea of Toboso inspires the -Knight (a version of the "Ideal Woman" theme), who soon sees some -windmills (brass) and prepares to attack. A breeze arises (wood-wind and -strings), and the Knight, angry at the challenge, attacks, and is -knocked down by the sails (run in wood-wind, harp _glissando_, heavy -drum-beats). - - - Variation II - -The Victorious Battle against the Host of the Great Emperor Alifanfaron. -"Warlike," D major, 4-4. There is a cloud of dust; surely a great army -approaches; the Knight rushes to fight, in spite of the warnings of -Sancho, who sees the sheep. There is a pastoral figure (wood-wind), and -out of the dust cloud (strings) comes a chorus of "Ba-a-a-a" (muted -brass). Don Quixote charges and puts the foes to confusion. - - - Variation III - -The Dialogues of the Knight and the Squire. _Moderato_, 4-4. Sancho -questions the worth of such a life. Don Quixote speaks of honor and -glory (first theme), but Sancho sees nothing in them. The dispute waxes -hot. Don Quixote speaks nobly of the ideal. Sancho prefers the easy, -comfortable realities of life. At last his master is angry and bids him -hold his tongue. - - - Variation IV - -The Adventure with the Penitents. "Somewhat broader," D minor, 4-4. A -church theme (wind instruments) announces the approach of a band of -pilgrims. Don Quixote sees in them shameless robbers, desperate -villains. He attacks them. They knock him senseless and go on their -prayerful way. Sancho, sorely disturbed, rejoices when his master shows -signs of life, and after he has helped him, lies down by his side and -goes to sleep (bass tuba, double bassoon). - - - Variation V - -The Knight's Vigil. "Very slow," 4-4. Don Quixote, ashamed to sleep, -holds watch by his armor. Dulcinea, answering his prayers, appears in a -vision (the "Ideal Woman" theme, horn). A _cadenza_ for harp and violins -leads to a passage portraying his rapture. - - - Variation VI - -The Meeting with Dulcinea. G major, 2-4, 3-4. A common country wench -comes along (wood-wind, tambourine), and Sancho by way of jest points -her out to his master as Dulcinea. The Knight cannot believe it. Sancho -swears it is so. The Knight suddenly knows that some magic has worked -this transformation, and he vows vengeance. - - - Variation VII - -The Ride through the Air. D minor, 8-4. Knight and Squire sit, -blindfolded, on a wooden horse, which, they have been made to believe, -will bear them through the air. Their respective themes soar skyward. -The wind whistles about them (chromatic flute passages, harp, drum roll, -wind machine). They stop suddenly (long-held bassoon note), and, looking -about them, they think themselves still on the ground. "The persistent -_tremolo_ of the double basses on one note may be taken to mean that the -two did not really leave the solid earth." - - - Variation VIII - -The Journey in the Enchanted Bark. Don Quixote sees an empty boat, and -he is sure it is sent by some mysterious power, that he may do a -glorious deed. He and Sancho embark. His typical theme is changed into a -barcarolle. The boat upsets, but they succeed in gaining the shore; and -they give thanks for their safety (wind instruments _religioso_). - - - Variation IX - -The Combat with Two Magicians. "Quickly and stormily," D minor, 4-4. Don -Quixote is again on his famous horse, eager for adventure. Two peaceable -monks are jogging along on their mules, and the Knight sees in them the -base magicians who have worked him harm. He charges them and puts them -to flight. The two themes are a version of the Don Quixote motive and an -ecclesiastical phrase for the bassoons. - - - Variation X - -Don Quixote, defeated by the Knight of the White Moon, returns home and -resolves to be a shepherd. "Know, sir," said the Knight of the White -Moon, "that I am styled the Bachelor Samson Carrasco, and am one of Don -Quixote's town; whose wild madness hath moved as many of us as know him -to compassion, and me amongst the rest most; and believing that the best -means to procure his health is to keep him quiet, and so to have him in -his own house, I thought upon this device." So said this knight after -the furious battle which is thus described: - -"They both of them set spurs to their horses, and the Knight of the -White Moon's being the swifter, met Don Quixote ere he had run a quarter -of his career so forcibly (without touching him with his lance, for it -seemed he carried it aloft on purpose) that he tumbled horse and man -both to the ground, and Don Quixote had a terrible fall; so he got -straight on the top of him; and, clapping his lance's point upon his -visor, said, 'You are vanquished, Knight, and a dead man, if you confess -not, according to the conditions of our combat.' Don Quixote, all -bruised and amazed, without heaving up his visor, as if he had spoken -out of a tomb, with a faint and weak voice, said, 'Dulcinea del Toboso -is the fairest woman in the world, and I the unfortunatest Knight on -earth; and it is not fit that my weakness defraud this truth; thrust -your lance into me, Knight, and kill me, since you have bereaved me of -my honor.' 'Not so truly,' quoth he of the White Moon, 'let the fame of -my Lady Dulcinea's beauty live in her entireness; I am only contented -that the grand Don Quixote retire home for a year, or till such time as -I please, as we agreed, before we began the battle.' And Don Quixote -answered that, so nothing were required of him in prejudice of his Lady -Dulcinea, he would accomplish all the rest, like a true and punctual -knight." The variation portrays the fight. The pastoral theme heard in -the second variation--the battle with the sheep--reappears. Don Quixote -loses one by one his illusions. - - - Finale - -The Death of Don Quixote. "Very peacefully," D major, 4-4. The typical -theme of the Knight takes a new form. The queer harmonies in a section -of this theme are now conventional, commonplace. "They stood all gazing -one upon another, wondering at Don Quixote's sound reasons, although -they made some doubt to believe them. One of the signs which induced -them to conjecture that he was near unto death's door was that with such -facility he was from a stark fool become a wise man. For, to the words -already alleged, he added many more so significant, so Christian-like, -and so well couched, that without doubt they confidently believed that -Don Quixote was become a right wise man.... These heavy news opened the -sluices of the tears-ful and swollen-blubbering eyes of the maid, of the -niece, and of his good Squire Sancho Panza; so that they showered forth -whole fountains of tears and fetched from the very bottom of their -aggrieved hearts a thousand groaning sighs. For in effect (as we have -already declared elsewhere) whilst Don Quixote was simply the good -Alonso Quixano, and likewise when he was Don Quixote de la Mancha, he -was ever of a mild and affable disposition and of a kind and pleasing -conversation: and therefore was he not only beloved of all his -household, but also of all those that knew him.... He had no sooner -ended his discourse and signed and sealed his will and testament, but a -swooning and faintness surprising him, he stretched himself the full -length of his bed. All the company were much distracted and moved -thereat, and ran presently to help him; and during the space of three -days, that he lived after he had made his will, he did swoon and fall -into trances almost every hour. All the house was in a confusion and -uproar; all which notwithstanding the niece ceased not to feed very -devoutly: the maidservant to drink profoundly, and Sancho to live -merrily. For, when a man is in hope to inherit anything, that hope doth -deface or at least moderate in the mind of the inheritor the remembrance -or feeling of the sorrow and grief which of reason he should have a -feeling of the testator's death. To conclude, the last day of Don -Quixote came, after he had received all the sacraments; and had by many -and godly reasons made demonstration to abhor all the books of errant -chivalry. The notary was present at his death and reporteth how he had -never read or found in any book of chivalry that any errant knight died -in his bed so mildly, so quietly, and so Christianly as did Don Quixote. -Amidst the wailful plaints and blubbering tears of the bystanders, he -yielded up the ghost, that is to say, he died." - -"Tremolos in the strings indicate the first shiver of a deadly fever." -The Knight feels his end is near. Through the violoncello he speaks his -last words. He remembers his fancies; he recalls the dreams and the -ambitions; he realizes that they were all as smoke and vanity; he is, -indeed, ready to die. - - - - - "EIN HELDENLEBEN" (A HERO'S LIFE), TONE POEM, OP. 40 - - -We doubt if _Ein Heldenleben_ will be ranked among Strauss's important -works, though some of the sections, notably "The Hero's Escape from the -World, and Conclusion" are impressive, having emotional depth, being the -baring of a soul. No man is perhaps a hero to his valet; but Strauss is -evidently a hero to himself. He is autobiographical in this tone poem, -as in his _Domestic_ symphony. There is a certain presumption in asking -one to hear musical descriptions of a composer's struggles, his feelings -at being adversely criticized by wretched Philistines, who do not -appreciate him, his sulking and withdrawal, like Achilles to his tent. -And why drag Frau Strauss into the musical story and typify her, -capricious, coquettish, by whimsical measures for the violin? This tone -poem, in spite of the sections just referred to, might be justly -entitled "A Poseur's Life," and a blustering poseur at that. - -Still, in _Ein Heldenleben_ there is the peaceful, contemplative ending, -pages that Strauss has seldom surpassed, only in the recognition scene -of _Elektra_ and the presentation of the rose by the cavalier. - - * * * - -_Ein Heldenleben_, a _Tondichtung_, was first performed at the eleventh -concert of the Museumsgesellschaft, Frankfort-on-the-Main, March 3, -1899, when Strauss conducted from manuscript and Alfred Hess played the -violin solo. - -Strauss began the composition of this tone poem at Munich, August 2, -1898; he completed the score December 27, 1898, at Charlottenburg. The -score and parts were published at Leipsic in March, 1899. - -The score calls for these instruments: sixteen first and second violins, -twelve violas, twelve violoncellos, eight double basses, two harps, a -piccolo, three flutes, three or four oboes, an English horn, clarinet in -E flat, two clarinets in B flat, bass clarinet, three bassoons, double -bassoon, eight horns, five trumpets, three trombones, a tenor tuba, a -bass tuba, kettledrums, bass drum, snare drum, side drum, cymbals. It is -dedicated to Willem Mengelberg and his orchestra in Amsterdam. Strauss -has said that he wrote _A Hero's Life_ as a companion work to his _Don -Quixote_, Op. 35: "Having in this later work sketched the tragi-comic -figure of the Spanish Knight whose vain search after heroism leads to -insanity, he presents in _A Hero's Life_ not a single poetical or -historical figure, but rather a more general and free ideal of great and -manly heroism--not the heroism to which one can apply an everyday -standard of valor, with its material and exterior rewards, but that -heroism which describes the inward battle of life, and which aspires -through effort and renouncement towards the elevation of the soul." - -There are many descriptions and explanations of _Ein Heldenleben_. One -of the longest and deepest--and thickest--is by Friedrich Rösch. This -pamphlet contains seventy thematical illustrations, as well as a -descriptive poem by Eberhard König. Romain Rolland quotes Strauss as -saying: "There is no need of a programme. It is enough to know there is -a hero fighting his enemies." - -The work is in six sections: - - - The Hero - -The chief theme, which is typical of the hero, the whole and noble man, -is announced at once by horn, violas and violoncellos, and the violins -soon enter. This theme, E flat major, 4-4, is said to contain within -itself four distinct motives, which collectively illustrate the will -power and self-confidence of the hero, and their characteristic features -are used throughout the work in this sense. Further themes closely -related follow. They portray various sides of the hero's character--his -pride, emotional nature, iron will, richness of imagination, "inflexible -and well-directed determination instead of low-spirited and sullen -obstinacy," etc. This section closes with pomp and brilliance, with the -motive thundered out by the brass; and it is the most symphonic section -of the tone poem. "A pause is made on a dominant seventh: 'What has the -world in store for the young dreamer?'" - - - The Hero's Antagonists - -They are jealous, they envy him, they sneer at his aims and endeavors, -they are suspicious of his sincerity, they see nothing except for their -own gain; and through flute and oboe they mock and snarl. They are -represented by about a half-a-dozen themes, of which one is most -important. Diminutions of the preceding heroic themes show their -belittlement of his greatness. (It has been said that Strauss thus -wished to paint the critics who had not been prudent enough to proclaim -him great.) "Fifths in the tubas show their earthly, sluggish nature." -The hero's theme appears in the minor; and his amazement, indignation, -and momentary confusion are expressed by "a timid, writhing figure." -Finally the foes are shaken off. - - - The Hero's Helpmate - -This is an amorous episode. The hero is shy. The solo violin represents -the loved one, who at first is coy, coquettish, and disdains his humble -suit. There is a love theme, and there are also two "thematic -illustrations of feminine caprice" much used later on. At last she -rewards him. The themes given to the solo violin, and basses, -violoncellos, and bassoon, are developed in the love duet. A new theme -is given to the oboe, and a theme played by the violins is typical of -the crowning of happiness. The clamorous voices of the world do not mar -the peacefulness of the lovers. - - - The Hero's Battlefield - -There is a flourish of trumpets without. The hero rushes joyfully to -arms. The enemy sends out his challenge. The battle rages. The typical -heroic theme is brought into sharp contrast with that of the challenger, -and the theme of the beloved one shines forth amid the din and the shock -of the fight. The foe is slain. The themes lead into a song of victory. -And now what is there for the hero? The world does not rejoice in his -triumph. It looks on him with indifferent eyes. - - - The Hero's Mission of Peace - -This section describes the growth of the hero's soul. The composer uses -thematic material from _Don Juan_, _Also sprach Zarathustra_, _Tod und -Verklärung_, _Don Quixote_, _Till Eulenspiegel's lustige Streiche_, -_Guntram_, _Macbeth_, and his song, "Traum durch die Dämmerung." Jean -Marnold claims that there are twenty-three of these reminiscences, -quotations, which Strauss introduces suddenly, or successively, or -simultaneously, "and the hearer that has not been warned cannot at the -time notice the slightest disturbance in the development. He would not -think that all these themes are foreign to the work he hears, and are -only souvenirs." - - - The Hero's Escape from the World, and Conclusion - -The world is still cold. At first the hero rages, but resignation and -content soon take possession of his soul. The bluster of nature reminds -him of his old days of war. Again he sees the beloved one, and in peace -and contemplation his soul takes flight. For the last time the hero's -theme is heard as it rises to a sonorous, impressive climax. And then is -solemn music, such as might serve funeral rites. - - - - - IGOR FEDOROVITCH - STRAVINSKY - - - (Born at Oranienbaum, near St. Petersburg, on June 5, 1882) - -As for Stravinsky, we personally prefer the Stravinsky of the _Sacre du -Printemps_ to the Stravinsky who of late has been attempting to compose -in the manner of Bach. To begin with, we do not hear music now with the -ears of the earlier centuries, and the old idiom today has no pertinence -except when it has been handed down to us by a master of it, who broke -through the idiom and made a universal language of it for many years to -come. Stravinsky's feeble echo is simply dull, boresome. His "Muscovism" -is greatly to be preferred. - - - - - SUITE FROM "L'OISEAU DE FEU" (THE FIRE-BIRD) - A Danced Legend - - - I. Introduction: Kastcheï's Enchanted Garden and Dance of the - Fire-Bird - II. Supplication of the Fire-Bird - III. The Princesses Play with the Golden Apples - IV. Dance of the Princess - IVa. Berceuse - V. Infernal Dance of All the Subjects of Kastcheï - VI. Finale - -In the summer of 1909 Diaghilev asked Stravinsky to write a ballet -founded on the old Russian legend of the Fire-Bird. The score was ready -in May, 1910. The scenario was the work of Fokine. - -The first performance of _L'Oiseau de Feu_, a _Conte dansé_, in two -scenes, was at the Paris _Opéra_ on June 25, 1910. The Fire-Bird, Tamara -Karsavina; The Beautiful Tsarevna, Mme Fokina; Ivan Tsarevitch, Fokine; -Kastcheï, Boulgakov. Gabriel Pierné conducted. The stage settings were -by Golovine and Bakst. Balakirev had sketched an opera in which the -Fire-Bird was the central figure, but nothing came of it. Kastcheï (or -Kostcheï) is the hero of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera _Kastcheï the Immortal: -an Autumn Legend_, produced at the Private Opera, Moscow, in 1902. He -also figures as "the man-skeleton" in Rimsky-Korsakov's _Mlada_, a fairy -opera-ballet (St. Petersburg, 1893) and, by implication, Moussorgsky's -symphonic poem, _A Night on Bald Mountain_. - -Mr. Montagu-Nathan[50] says in his sketch of Stravinsky: "In identifying -the literary basis of _The Fire-Bird_ with that of Korsakov's -_Kastcheï_, it should be pointed out that the latter work is but a -_pastiche_ of episodes derived from legendary lore, with the monster as -a central figure. In Stravinsky's ballet, the ogre is an accessory -character, so far as concerns the dramatic action, but his presence in -the scheme is nevertheless vital to it." - -"Ivan Tsarevich, the hero of many tales, wandering in the night, espies -the Fire-Bird attempting to pluck the golden fruit from a silver tree, -and, after a chase, succeeds in capturing her. But receiving the gift of -a glowing feather he consents to forego his prize. As the darkness of -night lifts, Ivan discovers that he is in the grounds of an old castle, -from which thirteen maidens presently emerge. They are observed by the -concealed youth to make play with the tree and its fruit. Disclosing -himself, he obtains possession of a golden apple. With the approaching -dawn the maidens withdraw into the castle, which Ivan now recognizes as -that of the fearsome Kastcheï, captor of decoyed travelers, over whom he -tyrannously wields his magic power. Ivan resolves upon entering -Kastcheï's abode, but on opening the gate he is confronted first by a -motley horde of freakish monsters and then by the ogre himself, to whose -court they belong. Kastcheï seeks to bewitch the young adventurer and to -turn him to stone, but Ivan is protected by the glowing feather. -Presently the bird comes to his aid and nullifies Kastcheï's threatened -spell, and, after demonstrating its power by causing the frightful -company of courtiers to break into a frenzied dance, reveals the casket -in which Kastcheï's 'death' is hidden. From the casket Ivan takes an -egg, which he dashes to the ground; the death it contains unites itself -with its owner, and the dread wizard dies. His castle vanishes, his -victims are liberated, and Ivan receives the hand of the most beautiful -of the maidens." - -The score, which was later revised with a smaller orchestration, calls -for piccolo, three flutes (one interchangeable with a second piccolo), -three oboes, English horn, three clarinets in A (one interchangeable -with a small clarinet in D), bass clarinet, three bassoons (one -interchangeable with a second double bassoon), double bassoon, four -horns, three trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, bass -drum, cymbals, triangle, bells, tambourine, xylophone, celesta, -pianoforte, three harps, sixteen first violins, sixteen second violins, -fourteen violas, eight violoncellos, six double basses. - - - - - SUITE FROM THE BALLET, "PETROUCHKA" - - - _Carnival--The Magician--Russian Dance--Petrouchka--The Arab--Dance of - the Ballerina--Carnival--Nurses' Dance--The Bear and the Peasant - Playing a Hand-Organ--The Merchant and the Gypsies--The Dance of the - Coachmen and Grooms--The Masqueraders--The Quarrel of the Arab and - Petrouchka, and the Death of Petrouchka._ - -The ballet _Petrouchka: Scènes burlesques en 4 Tableaux_, scenario by -Alexandre Benois, was completed by Stravinsky at Rome in May (13-26), -1911. It was produced by Diaghilev at the Châtelet, Paris, on June 13, -1911. The chief dancers were Mme Tamar Karsavina, La Ballerine; -Nijinsky, Petrouchka. Mr. Monteux conducted; Mr. Fokine was the ballet -master. The scenery and costumes were designed by Benois; the scenery -was painted by Anisfeld. - -"This ballet depicts the life of the lower classes in Russia, with all -its dissoluteness, barbarity, tragedy, and misery. Petrouchka is a sort -of Polichinello, a poor hero always suffering from the cruelty of the -police and every kind of wrong and unjust persecution. This represents -symbolically the whole tragedy in the existence of the Russian people, a -suffering from despotism and injustice. The scene is laid in the midst -of the Russian carnival, and the streets are lined with booths in one of -which Petrouchka plays a kind of humorous rôle. He is killed, but he -appears again and again as a ghost on the roof of the booth to frighten -his enemy, his old employer, an allusion to the despotic rules in -Russia." - -The following description of the ballet is taken from _Contemporary -Russian Composers_, by Mr. Montagu-Nathan: - -"The 'plot' of _Petrouchka_ owes nothing to folklore, but retains the -quality of the fantastic. Its chief protagonist is a lovelorn doll; but -we have still a villain in the person of the _focusnik_, a showman who -for his own ends prefers to consider that a puppet has no soul. The -scene is the Admiralty Square, St. Petersburg; the time 'Butter-Week,' -somewhere about the eighteen-thirties.... Prior to the raising of the -first curtain the music has an expectant character and the varied -rhythmic treatment of a melodic figure which has a distinct folk-tune -flavor has all the air of inviting conjecture as to what is about to -happen. Once the curtain goes up we are immediately aware that we are in -the midst of a carnival, and are prepared for some strange sights. The -music describes the nature of the crowd magnificently, and in his -orchestral reproduction of a hurdy-gurdy, whose player mingles with the -throng, Stravinsky has taken pains that his orchestral medium shall not -lend any undue dignity to the instrument.... Presently the showman -begins to attract his audience, and, preparatory to opening his curtain, -plays a few mildly florid passages on his flute. With his final flourish -he animates his puppets. They have been endowed by the showman with -human feelings and passions. Petrouchka is ugly and consequently the -most sensitive. He endeavors to console himself for his master's cruelty -by exciting the sympathy and winning the love of his fellow doll, the -Ballerina, but in this he is less successful than the callous and brutal -Moor, the remaining unit in the trio of puppets. Jealousy between -Petrouchka and the Moor is the cause of the tragedy which ends in the -pursuit and slaughter of the former. The Russian Dance which the three -puppets perform at the bidding of their task-master recalls vividly the -passage of a crowd in Rimsky-Korsakov's _Kitezh_. - -"When at the end of the dance the light fails and the inner curtain -falls, we are reminded by the roll of the side drum which does duty as -entr'acte music that we have to do with a realist, with a composer who -is no more inclined than was his precursor Dargomijsky to make -concessions; he prefers to preserve illusions, and so long as the drum -continues its slow fusillade the audience's mind is kept fixed upon the -doll it has been contemplating. The unsuccessful courtship is now -enacted and then the scene is again changed to the Moor's apartment, -where, after a monotonous droning dance, the captivation of the -Ballerina takes place. There are from time to time musical figures -recalling the showman's flute flourishes, apparently referring to his -dominion over the doll.... The scene ends with the summary ejection of -that unfortunate (Petrouchka), and the drum once more bridges the change -of scene. - -"In the last tableau the Carnival, with its consecutive common chords, -is resumed. The nurses' dance, which is of folk origin, is one of -several items of decorative music, some of them, like the episode of the -man with the bear, and the merchant's accordion, being fragmentary. With -the combined dance of the nurses, coachmen, and grooms, we have again a -wonderful counterpoint of the melodic elements. - -"When the fun is at its height, it is suddenly interrupted by -Petrouchka's frenzied flight from the little theater. He is pursued by -the Moor, whom the cause of their jealousy tries vainly to hold in -check. To the consternation of the spectators, Petrouchka is slain by a -stroke of the cruel Moor's sword, and a tap on the _tambour de Basque_. - -"The showman, having demonstrated to the satisfaction of the gay crowd -that Petrouchka is only a doll, is left alone with the corpse, but is -not allowed to depart in absolute peace of mind. To the accompaniment of -a ghastly distortion of the showman's flute music the wraith of -Petrouchka appears above the little booth. There is a brief reference to -the carnival figure, then four concluding _pizzicato_ notes, and the -drama is finished. From his part in outlining it we conclude that -Stravinsky is an artist whose lightness of touch equals that of Ravel, -whose humanity is as deep as Moussorgsky's." - -The ballet calls for these instruments: four flutes (two interchangeable -with piccolo), four oboes (one interchangeable with English horn), four -clarinets (one interchangeable with bass clarinet), four bassoons (one -interchangeable with double bassoon), four horns, two trumpets (one -interchangeable with little trumpet, in D), two _cornets-à-pistons_, -three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, snare drum, _tambour de -Provence_, bass drum, tambourine, cymbals, triangle, glockenspiel, -xylophones, tam-tam, celesta (two and four hands), pianoforte, two -harps, strings. The score, dedicated to Alexandre Benois, was published -in 1912. - - - - -"LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS" ("THE RITE OF SPRING"), PICTURES OF PAGAN RUSSIA - - - I. The Adoration of the Earth - - _Introduction--Harbingers of Spring--Dance of the - Adolescents--Abduction--Spring - Rounds--Games of the Rival - Cities--The Procession of the Wise Men--The Adoration - of the Earth (The Wise Man)--Dance of the Earth._ - - - II. The Sacrifice - - _Introduction--Mysterious Circles of the Adolescents--Glorification - of the Chosen One--Evocation of the Ancestors--Ritual - of the Ancestors--The Sacrificial Dance of the - Chosen One._ - -_The Rite of Spring_, or more literally according to the Russian _Spring -Consecration_, scenery and costumes designed by Nicolas Roerich, -choreography by W. Nijinsky, was produced at the Théâtre des Champs -Élysées on May 29, 1913, by the Diaghilev Ballet Russe. Mr. Monteux -conducted. The chief dancers were M. Nijinsky and Mlle Piltz. The -performance, while it delighted some, incited howls of protest. The -hissing was violent, mingled with counter cheers, so that M. Astruc -ordered the lights turned up. The late Alfred Capu wrote a bitter -article published in _Le Figaro_, in which he said: - -"Bluffing the idle rich of Paris through appeals to their snobbery is a -delightfully simple matter.... The process works out as follows: Take -the best society possible, composed of rich, simple-minded, idle people. -Then submit them to an intense régime of publicity. By pamphlets, -newspaper articles, lectures, personal visits and all other appeals to -their snobbery, persuade them that hitherto they have seen only vulgar -spectacles, and are at last to know what is art and beauty. Impress them -with cabalistic formulæ. They have not the slightest notion of music, -literature, painting, and dancing; still, they have heretofore seen -under these names only a rude imitation of the real thing. Finally -assure them that they are about to see real dancing and hear real music. -It will then be necessary to double the prices at the theater, so great -will be the rush of shallow worshipers at this false shrine." - -Mr. Carl Van Vechten describes the scene in his book: _Music after the -Great War_: - -"I attended the first performance in Paris of Stravinsky's anarchistic -(against the canons of academic art) ballet, _The Rite of Spring_, in -which primitive emotions are both depicted and aroused by a dependence -on barbarous rhythm in which melody and harmony, as even so late a -composer as Richard Strauss understands them, do not enter. A certain -part of the audience, thrilled by what it considered to be a blasphemous -attempt to destroy music as an art, and swept away with wrath, began -very soon after the rise of the curtain to whistle, to make cat-calls, -and to offer audible suggestions as to how the performance should -proceed. Others of us, who liked the music and felt that the principles -of free speech were at stake, bellowed defiance. It was war over art for -the rest of the evening, and the orchestra played on unheard, except -occasionally when a slight lull occurred. The figures on the stage -danced in time to music that they had to imagine they heard, and -beautifully out of rhythm with the uproar in the auditorium. I was -sitting in a box, in which I had rented one seat. Three ladies sat in -front of me, and a young man occupied the place behind me. He stood up -during the course of the ballet to enable himself to see more clearly. -The intense excitement under which he was laboring, thanks to the potent -force of the music, betrayed itself presently when he began to beat -rhythmically on the top of my head with his fists. My emotion was so -great that I did not feel the blows for some time. They were perfectly -synchronized with the beat of the music. When I did, I turned around. -His apology was sincere. We had both been carried beyond ourselves." - -There were five performances in Paris that season. - -When this ballet was brought out at Drury Lane, London, on July 11, -1913, with Mr. Monteux conductor, it was thought advisable to send a -lecturer, Mr. Edwin Evans, in front of the curtain, to explain the ideas -underlying the ballet. At the end of the performance there was greater -applause than hissing. - -The music of this ballet was performed for the first time in concert -form by an orchestra conducted by Mr. Monteux at one of his concerts at -the Casino de Paris in Paris on April 5, 1914, when it was -enthusiastically applauded. - -And now _The Rite of Spring_ is acclaimed by many as Stravinsky's -"greatest work." - -The orchestration is as follows: piccolo, 3 flutes (the third -interchangeable with a second piccolo), bass flute; five oboes (the -fourth interchangeable with English horn); small clarinet in E flat, -three clarinets and bass clarinet; three bassoons, two double bassoons; -eight horns (two interchangeable with tenor tubas); small trumpet in D, -three trumpets in C, bass trumpet; three trombones; two bass tubas; -kettledrums, bass drum, two antique cymbals, tam-tam, scratcher, and -strings. - - - - - JOSEPH DEEMS - TAYLOR - - - (Born at New York, December 22, 1885) - - - - - "THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS," SUITE, FIVE PICTURES FROM LEWIS CARROLL, - OP. 12 - - - Ia. Dedication - Ib. The Garden of Live Flowers - II. Jabberwocky - III. Looking-Glass Insects - IV. The White Knight - -It is a pleasure to find an American composer of talent who is willing -to write music that is cheerful, not portentous; whose fancy is -delicate; who uses a large orchestra discreetly, not chiefly to make a -thunderous noise. Mr. Taylor for his inspiration went to a book that for -years has pleased children from the tender age to that of white hair; he -did not ransack the Grecian or the Scandinavian mythology; he had no -thesis, no exposition of colors; he did not attempt to portray in music -cave life and the rude rites of primitive man. Nor did he strive -painfully to be ultra-modern in the French, Italian, or German manner. -He remembered Lewis Carroll's story. Pleasant and amusing musical -thoughts came into his head, and he expressed them musically, without -laboring after transliteration. Even his narration of the Jabberwock's -fate is not too realistic, and in this movement the measures that may be -taken to picture the peaceful scene while the hero waited "with vorpal -sword" in hand by the Tumtum tree the approach of the fearful monster -are charged with poetic beauty. Charming also is the "Dedication." The -whole work shows genuine fancy, a gift of expression in an individual -manner. Whether without titles the music would identify this or that -episode is not to the point. The suite is frankly programme music, but -of the better kind; natural, not pretentious; amusing, but as a man of -talent amuses first himself, then those who are privileged to be with -him. - - * * * - -This suite, inspired by _Through the Looking-Glass_, by Lewis Carroll -(Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, 1832-98), was written in 1917-19 for flute, -oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, pianoforte, and strings. It was produced -in this form at a concert of the New York Chamber Music Society in New -York on February 18, 1919. The suite was then in three movements. In -September, 1921, Mr. Taylor began to revise the suite for full -orchestra. He added "The Garden of Live Flowers." The first performance -of the revised work was by the New York Symphony Orchestra in Brooklyn, -March 10, 1923. The performance was repeated in New York the following -afternoon. - -The score, dedicated "To Katharine Moore Taylor from a difficult son," -calls for these instruments: three flutes (and piccolo), two oboes, -English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, double -bassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, a set of -three kettledrums, snare drum, tambourine, cymbals, triangle, -glockenspiel, xylophone, pianoforte, and strings. - -When the suite was produced by the Symphony Society of New York, the -programme contained a description by Mr. Taylor: - -"The suite needs no extended analysis. It is based on Lewis Carroll's -immortal nonsense fairy tale, _Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice -Found There_, and the five pictures it presents will, if all goes well, -be readily recognizable to lovers of the book. There are four movements, -the first being subdivided into two connected parts." - - - Ia. Dedication - -Carroll precedes the tale with a charming poetical foreword, the first -stanza of which the music aims to express. It runs: - - _Child of the pure, unclouded brow - And dreaming eyes of wonder! - Though time be fleet, and I and thou - Are half a life asunder, - Thy loving smile will surely hail - The love gift of a fairy tale._ - -A simple song theme, briefly developed, leads to - - - Ib. The Garden of Live Flowers - -(The score contains this extract from the book: - - "'O Tiger Lily,' said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving - gracefully about in the wind, 'I wish you could talk.' - - "'We can talk,' said the Tiger-Lily, 'when there's anybody worth - talking to.' - - "'And can the flowers talk?' - - "'As well as you can,' said the Tiger-Lily, 'and a great deal - louder.'") - -Shortly after Alice had entered the looking-glass country she came to a -lovely garden in which the flowers were talking--in the words of the -Tiger-Lily, "as well as you can, and a great deal louder." The music, -therefore, reflects the brisk chatter of the swaying, bright-colored -denizens of the garden. - - - II. Jabberwocky - -This is the poem that so puzzled Alice, and which Humpty-Dumpty finally -explained to her. The theme of that frightful beast, the Jabberwock, is -first announced by the full orchestra. The clarinet then begins the -tale, recounting how on a "brillig" afternoon, the "slithy toves did -gyre and gimble in the wabe." Muttered imprecations by the bassoon warn -us to "beware the Jabberwock, my son." A miniature march signalizes the -approach of our hero, taking "his vorpal sword in hand." Trouble starts -among the trombones--the Jabberwock is upon us. The battle with the -monster is recounted in a short and rather repellent fugue, the double -basses bringing up the subject and the hero fighting back in the -interludes. Finally his vorpal blade (really a xylophone) goes -"snicker-snack" and the monster, impersonated by the solo bassoon, dies -a lingering and convulsive death. The hero returns to the victorious -strains of his own theme--"O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" The whole -orchestra rejoices--the church bells are rung--alarums and excursions. - -Conclusion. Once more the "slithy toves" perform their pleasing -evolutions, undisturbed by the uneasy ghost of the late Jabberwock. - - - III. Looking-Glass Insects - -(The score contains extracts from the dialogue of Alice and the gnat -"about the size of a chicken" about various insects, among them the -bread-and-butter-fly. - - "'And what does it live on?' - - "'Weak tea with cream in it.' - - "'Supposing it couldn't find any?' - - "'Then it would die, of course.' - - "'But that must happen very often,' said Alice thoughtfully. - - "'It always happens,' said the gnat.") - -Here we find the vociferous diptera that made such an impression upon -Alice--the Bee-elephant, the Gnat, the Rocking-horse-fly, the -Snap-dragon-fly, and the Bread-and-butter-fly. There are several themes, -but there is no use trying to decide which insect any one of them stands -for. - - - IV. The White Knight - -(The score contains extracts from the conversation of the White Knight, -and an account of his leave-taking.) - - He was a toy Don Quixote, mild, chivalrous, ridiculous, and rather - touching. He carried a mouse-trap on his saddle-bow, "because, if they - do come, I don't choose to have them running about." He couldn't ride - very well, but he was a gentle soul, with good intentions. There are - two themes: the first, a sort of instrumental prance, being the - Knight's own conception of himself as a slashing, dare-devil fellow. - The second is bland, mellifluous, a little sentimental--much more like - the Knight as he really was. The first theme starts off bravely, but - falls out of the saddle before very long, and has to give way to the - second. The two alternate, in various guises, until the end, when the - Knight rides off, with Alice waving her handkerchief--he thought it - would encourage him if she did. - - - - - PETER ILITCH - TCHAIKOVSKY - - - (Born at Votkinsk, in the government of Viatka, Russia, May 7, 1840; - died at St. Petersburg, November 6, 1893) - -It is true that in more than one page of his symphonies Tchaikovsky -narrowly escapes the reproach of vulgarity; but the earnestness, the -sincerity of the speech makes its way even before the development and -the amplification make them seem inevitable. The heart of Tchaikovsky -was that of a little child; the brain was that of a man weary of the -world and all its vanities. And so we have the singular phenomenon of -naïveté, accompanied by a super-refined skill--and all this in the body -and mind of a man fundamentally oriental in his tastes and especially in -his love of surprising or monotonous rhythms and gorgeous colors. The -very modernity of Tchaikovsky, his closeness to us as the spokesman of -the things we think and dare not say--these qualities may war against -his lasting fame; but in our day and generation he is the supreme -interpreter by music of elemental and emotional thought. The emptiness -of life obsessed him, and in the expression of his thought he is again -the man of his period. When faith returns again to the world, his music -may be studied with interest and curiosity as an important document in -sociology. But in the present we are under his mighty spell. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 4, IN F MINOR, OP. 36 - - - I. Andante sostenuto; moderato con anima in movimento di valse - II. Andantino in modo di canzona - III. Scherzo: "pizzicato ostinato"; allegro - IV. Finale: allegro con fuoco - -If Tchaikovsky had a programme in mind when he composed his Fifth and -Sixth symphonies, he never published it to the world; but for the Fourth -he wrote an elaborate one. Does the music gain by it? To us the Fourth -symphony is interesting because it seems nearer to the Russian spirit -and life as portrayed by Dostoivsky than the later ones. Even the -ornamentation, the arabesques, that in another's music would seem as so -many excrescences, perhaps frivolous, are here in place. The neurotic, -self-torturing Tchaikovsky was for years obsessed by the thought of -death and the charnel house. Fate was to him not a word to be associated -only with the story of Oedipus or Pelop's line. The Fourth symphony is a -personal document, revealing the man, as his letters revealed him. It is -easy to pick flaws in it; to dismiss it as a suite, not a symphony; to -complain of this or that; but the music with its deep-rooted melancholy, -its noisy attempt to forget the inevitable end, its drunken hilarity, -its dark and sinister sadness, is not easily to be put aside, not easily -to be forgotten. - - * * * - -Tchaikovsky composed this symphony during the winter of 1877-78. He had -lost interest in an opera, _Othello_, for which a libretto at his own -wish had been drafted by Stassov. The first draft was finished in May, -1877. He began the instrumentation on August 23 of that year, and -finished the first movement September 24. He began work again towards -the end of November. The _andantino_ was finished on December 27, the -_scherzo_ on January 1, 1878, and the _finale_ on January 7, 1878. - -The first performance was at a symphony concert of the Russian Musical -Society, Moscow, February 22, 1878. Nicholas Rubinstein conducted. - -The dedication of this symphony is as follows: "_À mon meilleur ami_" -(To my best friend), and thereby hangs a tale. - -This best friend was the widow Nadejda Filaretovna von Meck. Her maiden -name was Frolovsky. Born in the village Snamensk, government of -Smolensk, February 10, 1831, she married in 1848 an engineer, and for -some years knew poverty. Her courage did not give way; she was a -helpmeet for her husband, who finally became famous and successful. In -1876 her husband died. She was left with eleven children and a fortune -of "many millions of rubles." Dwelling at Moscow, fond of music, she -admired beyond measure certain works by Tchaikovsky. Inquiring curiously -concerning his character as a man and about his worldly circumstances, -she became acquainted with Kotek, a pupil of Tchaikovsky in composition. -Through him she gave Tchaikovsky commissions for transcriptions for -violin and pianoforte of some of his works. There was an interchange of -letters. In the early summer of 1877 she learned that he was in debt. -She sent him 3,000 rubles; in the fall of the same year she determined -to give him yearly the sum of 6,000 rubles, that he might compose free -from pecuniary care and vexation; but she insisted that they should -never meet. They never spoke together; their letters were frequent and -intimate. Tchaikovsky poured out his soul to this woman, described by -his brother Modeste as proud and energetic, with deep-rooted principles, -with the independence of a man; a woman that held in disdain all that -was petty and conventional; pure in thought and action; a woman that was -compassionate, not sentimental. - -The composer wrote to her on May 13, 1877, that he purposed to dedicate -this symphony to her. "I believe that you will find in it echoes of your -deepest thoughts and feelings. At this moment any other work would be -odious to me; I speak only of work that presupposes the existence of a -determined mood. Added to this I am in a very nervous, worried, and -irritable state, highly unfavorable to composition, and even my symphony -suffers in consequence." In August, 1877, writing to her, he referred to -the symphony as "yours." "I hope it will please you, for that is the -main thing." He wrote in August from Kamenka: "The first movement has -cost me much trouble in scoring it. It is very complicated and long; but -it seems to me it is also the most important. The other movements are -simple, and it will be fun to score them. There will be a new effect of -sound in the _scherzo_, and I expect much from it. At first the strings -play alone and _pizzicato_ throughout. In the trio the wood-wind -instruments enter and play alone. At the end all three choirs toss short -phrases to each other. I believe that the effects of sound and color -will be most interesting." He wrote to her in December from Venice that -he was hard at work on the instrumentation: "No one of my orchestral -pieces has cost me so much labor, but on no one have I worked with so -much love and with such devotion. At first I was led on only by the wish -to bring the symphony to an end, and then I grew more and more fond of -the task, and now I cannot bear to leave it. My dear Nadejda -Filaretovna, perhaps I am mistaken, but it seems to me that this -symphony is no mediocre piece; that it is the best I have yet made. How -glad I am that it is our work, and that you will know when you hear it -how much I thought about you in every measure! If you were not, would it -ever have been finished? When I was in Moscow and thought that my end -was about to come [There is a reference here to the crazed condition of -Tchaikovsky after his amazing marriage to Antonina Ivanovna Milioukov. -The wedding was on July 18, 1877. He left his wife at Moscow, October 6, -of that year.] I wrote on the first draft: 'If I should die, please send -this manuscript to N. F. von Meck.' I wished the manuscript of my last -composition to be in your possession. Now I am not only well, but, -thanks to you, in the position to give myself wholly to work, and I -believe that I have written music which cannot fall into oblivion. Yet -it is possible that I am wrong; it is the peculiar habit of all artists -to wax enthusiastic over the youngest of their productions." Later he -had chills as well as fever over the worth of the symphony. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 5, IN E MINOR, OP. 64 - - - I. Andante; Allegro con anima - II. Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza - III. Valse (Allegro moderato) - IV. Finale (Andante maestoso; allegro vivace) - -Tchaikovsky was singularly reticent in his letters concerning the Fifth -symphony, but who can refrain from thinking with Ernest Newman that this -symphony was written to a programme; that the work "embodies an -emotional sequence of some kind"? There is the tread of inexorable fate; -this tread disturbs the beauty of the _andante_; it checks the forced -gayety of the dancers in the waltz, and is the triumphant spirit in the -_finale_ something more than a heroic defiance of the inevitable, a -brave stand before the approach of death? - -We are interested in the woe of Canio or of the Navarraise; we are moved -by the infinite sadness of Mélisande; we understand the tragedy in the -humble home on Montmartre and the agony of Rigoletto. We endure the -spectacle of the anguish of these men and women on the stage, applaud -and go comfortably to bed. Tchaikovsky's music awakens in the breast the -haunting, unanswerable questions of life and death that concern us -directly and personally. - - * * * - -About the end of April, 1888, Tchaikovsky took possession of his country -house at Frolovskoe, which had been made ready for him, when he was at -Paris and London, by his servant Alexis. Frolovskoe is a picturesque -place on a wooded hill on the way from Moscow to Klin. The house was -simple. "Here he [Tchaikovsky] could be alone,"--we quote from Mrs. -Newmarch's translation into English of Modeste Tchaikovsky's life of -Peter,--"free from summer excursionists, to enjoy the little garden -(with its charming pool and tiny islet) fringed by the forest, behind -which the view opened out upon a distant stretch of country--upon that -homely, unassuming landscape of Central Russia which Tchaikovsky -preferred to all the sublimities of Switzerland, the Caucasus, and -Italy. Had not the forest been gradually exterminated, he would never -have quitted Frolovskoe, for, although he only lived there for three -years, he became greatly attached to the place. A month before his -death, traveling from Klin to Moscow, he said, looking out at the -churchyard of Frolovskoe: 'I should like to be buried there.'" - -On June 22 he wrote to Mme von Meck: "Now I shall work my hardest. I am -exceedingly anxious to prove to myself, as to others, that I am not -played out as a composer.... Have I told you that I intend to write a -symphony? The beginning was difficult; but now inspiration seems to have -come. However, we shall see." - -In July, Tchaikovsky received a letter from an American manager who -offered him 25,000 dollars for a concert tour of three months. The sum -seemed incredible to the composer: "Should this tour really take place, -I could realize my long-cherished wish to become a landowner." On August -6 he wrote to Mme von Meck: "When I am old and past composing, I shall -spend the whole of my time in growing flowers. I have been working with -good results. I have orchestrated half the symphony. My age--although I -am not very old [he was then forty-eight]--begins to tell on me. I -become very tired, and I can no longer play the pianoforte or read at -night as I used to do." On August 26 he wrote to her: "I am not feeling -well, ... but I am so glad that I have finished the symphony that I -forget my physical troubles.... In November I shall conduct a whole -series of my works in St. Petersburg, at the Philharmonic, and the new -symphony will be one of them." - -The Fifth symphony was performed for the first time at St. Petersburg, -November 17, 1888. The composer conducted. The audience was pleased, but -the reviews in the newspapers were not very favorable. On November 24 of -the same year, Tchaikovsky conducted the symphony again at a concert of -the Musical Society. - -In December, 1888, he wrote to Mme von Meck: "After two performances of -my new symphony in St. Petersburg and one in Prague, I have come to the -conclusion that it is a failure. There is something repellent, something -superfluous, patchy, and insincere, which the public instinctively -recognizes. It was obvious to me that the ovations I received were -prompted more by my earlier work, and that the symphony itself did not -really please the audience. The consciousness of this brings me a sharp -twinge of self-dissatisfaction. Am I really played out, as they say? Can -I merely repeat and ring the changes on my earlier idiom? Last night I -looked through _our_ symphony No. 4. What a difference! How immeasurably -superior it is! It is very, very sad!" He was cheered by news of the -success of the symphony in Moscow. - -At the public rehearsal in Hamburg, the symphony pleased the musicians; -there was real enthusiasm. - -Tchaikovsky wrote after the concert to Davidov: "The Fifth symphony was -magnificently played and I like it far better now, after having held a -bad opinion of it for some time. Unfortunately, the Russian press -continues to ignore me. With the exception of my nearest and dearest, no -one will ever hear of my successes." - -Modeste Tchaikovsky is of the opinion that the Fifth symphony was a long -time in making its way chiefly on account of his brother's inefficiency -as a conductor. - -The _andante_, E minor, 4-4 theme of the symphony, which occurs in the -four movements, typical of fate, "the eternal note of sadness," of what -you will, is given at the very beginning to the clarinets, and the -development serves as an approach to the _allegro_. The principal theme -of the first movement, _allegro con anima_, 6-8, is announced by -clarinet and bassoon. It is developed elaborately and at great length. -This theme is said to have been derived from a Polish folk song. The -second theme in B minor is given to the strings. The recapitulation -begins with the restatement of the principal theme by the bassoon. There -is a long _coda_, which finally sinks to a _pianissimo_ and passes to -the original key. - -The second movement has been characterized as a romance, firmly knit -together in form, and admitting great freedom of interpretation, as the -qualification, "_con alcuna licenza_," of the _andante cantabile_ -indicates. After a short introduction in the deeper strings, the horn -sings the principal melody. The oboe gives out a new theme, which is -answered by the horn, and this theme is taken up by violins and violas. -The principal theme is heard from the violoncellos, after which the -clarinet sings still another melody, which is developed to a climax, in -which the full orchestra thunders out the chief theme of the symphony, -the theme of bodement. The second part of the movement follows in a -general way along the lines already established. There is another -climax, and again is heard the impressive theme of the symphony. - -The third movement is a waltz _allegro moderato_, A major, 3-4. The -structure is simple, and the development of the first theme, _dolce con -grazia_, given to violins against horns, bassoons, and string -instruments, is natural. Toward the very end clarinets and bassoons -sound, as afar off, the theme of the symphony: the gayety is over. - -There is a long introduction, _andante maestoso_, E major, 4-4, to the -_finale_, a development of the somber and dominating theme. This -_andante_ is followed by an _allegro vivace_, E minor, with the first -theme given to the strings, and a more tuneful theme assigned first to -the wood-wind and afterward to the violins. The development of the -second theme contains illusions to the chief theme of the symphony. -Storm and fury; the movement comes to a halt; the _coda_ begins in E -major, the _allegro vivace_ increases to a _presto_. The second theme of -the _finale_ is heard, and the final climax contains a reminiscence of -the first theme of the first movement. - -Some find pleasure in characterizing Tchaikovsky's symphonies as suites; -Dvorák is said to have made this criticism. But the Fifth symphony -escapes this charge, for objectors admit that in this work the composer -made his nearest approach to true symphonic form--in spite of the fact -that there is no repetition of the first part of the first _allegro_, -and a waltz movement takes the place of the _scherzo_. - - - - - SYMPHONY NO. 6, IN B MINOR, "PATHETIC," OP. 74 - - - I. Adagio; allegro non troppo - II. Allegro con grazia - III. Allegro molto vivace - IV. Finale: adagio lamentoso - -We well remember the sensation the Sixth symphony made in Boston when -Mr. Paur brought it out. When the late William Foster Apthorp described -the music as "obscene," a singular word to apply to it, indignant -denunciatory letters were sent to the _Evening Transcript_, written by -persons who, as Charles Reade once said of letter writers to newspapers, -had no other waste-pipe for their intellect. - - -This symphony was at the first so popular that some predicted its life -would be short. It is still an amazing human document. The Fifth may for -some reasons be preferred as a purely musical composition; the Fourth -has more of the Russian folk-spirit; but the somber eloquence of the -_Pathetic_, its pages of recollected joys fled forever, its wild gayety -quenched by the thought of the inevitable end, its mighty -lamentation--these are overwhelming and shake the soul. - - * * * - -The first mention of the _Pathetic_ symphony is in a letter from -Tchaikovsky to his brother Anatol, dated Klin, February 22, 1893: "I am -now wholly occupied with the new work (a symphony) and it is hard for me -to tear myself away from it. I believe it comes into being as the best -of my works. I must finish it as soon as possible, for I have to wind up -a lot of affairs and I must also soon go to London. I told you that I -had completed a symphony which suddenly displeased me, and I tore it up. -Now I have composed a new symphony _which I certainly shall not tear -up_." - -Returning in August from a trip to London, Peter wrote to Modeste that -he was up to his neck in his symphony. "The orchestration is the more -difficult, the farther I go. Twenty years ago I let myself write at ease -without much thought, and it was all right. Now I have become cowardly -and uncertain. I have sat the whole day over two pages; that which I -wished came constantly to naught. In spite of this, I make progress." He -wrote to Davidov, August 15: "The symphony which I intended to dedicate -to you--I shall reconsider this on account of your long silence--is -progressing. I am very well satisfied with the contents, but not wholly -with the orchestration. I do not succeed in my intentions. It will not -surprise me in the least if the symphony is cursed or judged -unfavorably; 'twill not be for the first time. I myself consider it the -best, especially the most open-hearted of all my works. I love it as I -never have loved any other of my musical creations. My life is without -the charm of variety; evenings I am often bored; but I do not complain, -for the symphony is now the main thing, and I cannot work anywhere so -well as at home." He wrote Jurgenson, his publisher, on August 24, that -he had finished the orchestration: "I give you my word of honor that -never in my life have I been so contented, so proud, so happy, in the -knowledge that I have written a good piece." It was at this time that he -thought seriously of writing an opera with a text founded on _The Sad -Fortunes of the Reverend Mr. Barton_, by George Eliot, of whose best -works he was an enthusiastic admirer. - -Tchaikovsky left Klin forever on October 19. He stopped at Moscow to -attend a funeral, and there with Kashkin he talked freely after supper. -Friends had died; who would be the next to go? "I told Peter," said -Kashkin, "that he would outlive us all. He disputed the likelihood, yet -added that never had he felt so well and happy." Peter told him that he -had no doubt about the first three movements of his new symphony, but -that the last was still doubtful in his mind; after the performance he -might destroy it and write another _finale_. He arrived at St. -Petersburg in good spirits, but he was depressed because the symphony -made no impression on the orchestra at the rehearsals. He valued highly -the opinion of players, and he conducted well only when he knew that the -orchestra liked the work. He was dependent on them for the finesse of -interpretation. "A cool facial expression, an indifferent glance, a -yawn--these tied his hands; he lost his readiness of mind, he went over -the work carelessly, and cut short the rehearsal, that the players might -be freed from their boresome work." Yet he insisted that he never had -written and never would write a better composition than this symphony. - -The Sixth symphony was performed for the first time at St. Petersburg, -October 28, 1893. Tchaikovsky conducted. The symphony failed. "There was -applause," says Modeste, "and the composer was recalled, but with no -more enthusiasm than on previous occasions. There was not the mighty, -overpowering impression made by the work when it was conducted by -Napravnik, November 18, 1893, and later, wherever it was played." The -critics were decidedly cool. - -The morning after, Modeste found Peter at the tea-table with the score -of the symphony in his hand. He regretted that, inasmuch as he had to -send it that day to the publisher, he had not yet given it a title. He -wished something more than "No. 6," and did not like "Programme -symphony." "What does Programme symphony mean when I will give it no -programme?" Modeste suggested "Tragic," but Peter said that would not -do. "I left the room before he had come to a decision. Suddenly I -thought, 'Pathetic.' I went back to the room,--I remember it as though -it were yesterday,--and I said the word to Peter. 'Splendid, Modi, -bravo, "Pathetic"!' and he wrote in my presence the title that will -forever remain." - -On November 1, Tchaikovsky was in perfect health. He dined with an old -friend and went to the theater. In the cloakroom there was talk about -spiritualism. Varlamov objected to all talk about ghosts and anything -that reminded one of death. Tchaikovsky laughed at Varlamov's manner of -expression and said: "There is still time enough to become acquainted -with this detestable snub-nosed one. At any rate, he will not have us -soon. I know that I shall live for a long time." He then went with -friends to a restaurant, where he ate macaroni and drank white wine with -mineral water. When he walked home about 2 A.M., Peter was well in body -and in mind. - -There are some who find pleasure in the thought that the death of a -great man was in some way mysterious or melodramatic. For years some -insisted that Salieri caused Mozart to be poisoned. There was a rumor -after Tchaikovsky's death that he took poison or sought deliberately the -cholera. When Mr. Alexander Siloti, a pupil of Tchaikovsky, first -visited Boston, in 1898, he did not hesitate to say that there might be -truth in the report, and, asked as to his own belief, he shook his head -with a portentous gravity that Burleigh might have envied. We have been -assured by other Russians who knew Tchaikovsky that he killed himself, -nor was the reason for his so doing withheld. Peter's brother Modeste -gives a circumstantial account of Peter's death from natural causes. -Peter awoke November 2 after a restless night, but he went out about -noon to make a call; he returned to luncheon, ate nothing, and drank a -glass of water that had not been boiled. Modeste and others were -alarmed, but Peter was not disturbed, for he was less afraid of the -cholera than of other diseases. Not until night was there any thought of -serious illness, and then Peter said to his brother: "I think this is -death. Good-bye, Modi." At eleven o'clock that night it was determined -that his sickness was cholera. - -Modeste tells at length the story of Peter's ending. Their mother had -died of cholera in 1854, at the very moment that she was put into a -bath. The physicians recommended as a last resort a warm bath for Peter, -who, when asked if he would take one, answered: "I shall be glad to have -a bath, but I shall probably die as soon as I am in the tub--as my -mother died." The bath was not given that night, the second night after -the disease had been determined, for Peter was too weak. He was at times -delirious, and he often repeated the name of Mme von Meck in reproach or -in anger, for he had been sorely hurt by her sudden and capricious -neglect after her years of interest and devotion. The next day the bath -was given. A priest was called, but it was not possible to administer -the Communion, and he spoke words that the dying man could no longer -understand. "Peter Ilitch suddenly opened his eyes. There was an -indescribable expression of unclouded consciousness. Passing over the -others standing in the room, he looked at the three nearest him, and -then toward heaven. There was a certain light for a moment in his eyes, -which was soon extinguished, at the same time with his breath. It was -about three o'clock in the morning." - -What was the programme in Tchaikovsky's mind? Kashkin says that, if the -composer had disclosed it to the public, the world would not have -regarded the symphony as a kind of legacy from one filled with a -presentiment of his own approaching end; that it seems more reasonable -"to interpret the overwhelming energy of the third movement and the -abysmal sorrow of the _finale_ in the broader light of a national or -historical significance rather than to narrow them to the expression of -an individual experience. If the last movement is intended to be -predictive, it is surely of things vaster and issues more fatal than are -contained in a mere personal apprehension of death. It speaks rather of -a '_lamentation large et souffrance inconnue_,' and seems to set the -seal of finality on all human hopes. Even if we eliminate the purely -subjective interest, this autumnal inspiration of Tchaikovsky, in which -we hear 'the ground whirl of the perished leaves of hope, still remains -the most profoundly stirring of his works.' ..." - - - - - "ROMEO AND JULIET," OVERTURE FANTASIA (AFTER SHAKESPEARE) - - -The _Romeo and Juliet_ overture would be worth a journey if only to hear -Tchaikovsky's love music. Here is the incomparable expression in tones -of the Southern passion of Juliet, and it is strangely Shakespearean. -The remainder of the overture is rather rank Russian, with the exception -of the music of Friar Laurence and the noble requiem at the end. - - * * * - -This overture fantasia was begun and completed in 1869. The first -performance was at a concert of the Musical Society, Moscow, on March -16, 1870; Nicholas Rubinstein conducted. The work was revised in the -summer of 1870 during a sojourn in Switzerland; it was published in -1871. Tchaikovsky, not satisfied with it, made other changes, and, it is -said, shortened the overture. The second edition, published in 1881, -contains these alterations. - -The first performance in the United States was in New York, by the -Philharmonic Society, George Matzka, conductor, on April 22, 1876. - -The overture begins _andante non tanto, quasi moderato_, F sharp minor, -4-4. Clarinets and bassoons sound the solemn harmonies, which, according -to Kashkin, characterize Friar Laurence; and yet Hermann Teibler finds -this introduction symbolical of "the burden of fate." A short theme -creeps among the strings. There is an organ-point on D flat, with -modulation to F minor (flutes, horns, harp, lower strings). The Friar -Laurence theme is repeated (flutes, oboes, clarinets, English horn, with -_pizzicato_ bass). The ascending cry of the flutes is heard in E minor -instead of F minor, as before. - -_Allegro giusto_, B minor, 4-4. The two households from "ancient grudge -break to new mutiny." Wood-wind, horn, and strings picture the hatred -and fury that find vent in street brawls. A brilliant passage for -strings is followed by a repetition of the strife music. Then comes the -first love theme, D flat major (muted violas and English horn, horns in -syncopated accompaniment, with strings _pizzicato_). This motive is not -unlike in mood, and at times in melodic structure, Tchaikovsky's famous -melody, _Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt_ (Op. 6, No. 6), which was composed -in December, 1869. In the "Duo from Romeo and Juliet," found among -Tchaikovsky's sketches and orchestrated by S. Taneiev, this theme is the -climax, the melodic phrase which Romeo sings to "_O nuit d'extase, -arrête-toi! O nuit d'amour, étends ton voile noir sur nous!_" (O tarry, -night of ecstasy! O night of love, stretch thy dark veil over us!). -Divided and muted violins, with violas _pizzicato_, play delicate, -mysterious chords (D flat major), which in the duet above mentioned -serve as accompaniment to the amorous dialogue of Romeo and Juliet in -the chamber scene. Flutes and oboes take up the first love theme. - -There is a return to tumult and strife. The theme of dissension is -developed at length; the horns intone the Friar Laurence motive. The -strife theme at last dominates _fortissimo_, until there is a return to -the mysterious music of the chamber scene (oboes and clarinets, with -murmurings of violins and horns). The song grows more and more -passionate, until Romeo's love theme breaks out, this time in D major, -and is combined with the strife theme and the motive of Friar Laurence -in development. A burst of orchestral fury; there is a descent to the -depths; violoncellos, basses, bassoons, alone are heard; they die on low -F sharp, with roll of kettledrums. Then silence. - -_Moderato assai_, B minor. Drum beats, double basses _pizzicato_. -Romeo's song in lamentation. Soft chords (wood-wind and horns) bring the -end. - - - - - CONCERTO FOR PIANOFORTE NO. 1, IN B FLAT MINOR, OP. 23 - - - I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso; allegro con spirito - II. Andantino semplice; allegro vivace assai - III. Allegro con fuoco - -There was an old Grecian gentleman who apologized for the sumptuous -funeral provided for his little child. There are men who have built a -lordly portico for a dwelling place, and then, for some reason or other, -lack of funds or through caprice, contented themselves with a tasteless, -shabbily furnished mansion. The opening section of Tchaikovsky's piano -concerto has a compelling melodic sentence, treated gorgeously, and with -magnificent breadth and sweep. What follows is a curious mixture of -engrossing measures and wild vulgarity. - -Perhaps Nicholas Rubinstein was right; after all, in his bitter, almost -venomous tirade when Tchaikovsky played it to him in private. When the -concerto was brought out in Boston by Bülow, in October, 1875--it was -the very first performance--a critic of this city shrewdly discovered -that the first movement was "not in the classical concerto spirit." -Tchaikovsky himself was amused by American reviews sent to him by Bülow. -Peter wrote: "The Americans think that the first movement of my concerto -'suffers in consequence of the absence of a central idea'--and in the -_finale_ this reviewer has found 'syncopation in trills, spasmodic -pauses in the theme, and disturbing octave passages!' Think what healthy -appetites these Americans must have: each time Bülow was obliged to -repeat the whole _finale_ of my concerto! Nothing like this happens in -our country!" - - * * * - -In 1874 Tchaikovsky was a teacher of theory at the Moscow Conservatory. -(He began his duties at that institution in 1866 at a salary of thirty -dollars a month.) On December 13, 1874, he wrote to his brother Anatol: -"I am wholly absorbed in the composition of a pianoforte concerto, and I -am very anxious that Rubinstein [Nicholas] should play it in his -concert. I make slow progress with the work, and without real success; -but I stick fast to my principles, and cudgel my brain to subtilize -pianoforte passages: as a result I am somewhat nervous, so that I should -much like to make a trip to Kiev for the purpose of diversion." - -The orchestration of the concerto was finished on February 21, 1875, but -before that date he played the work to Nicholas Rubinstein. The episode -is one of the most singular in the history of this strangely sensitive -composer. He described it in a letter written to Nadeshda Filaretovna -von Meck. This letter is dated San Remo, February 2, 1878. It has been -published in Modeste Tchaikovsky's Life of his famous brother. - -"In December, 1874, I had written a pianoforte concerto. As I am not a -pianist, I thought it necessary to ask a virtuoso what was technically -unplayable in the work, thankless, or ineffective. I needed the advice -of a severe critic who at the same time was friendly disposed toward me. -Without going too much into detail, I must frankly say that an interior -voice protested against the choice of Nicholas Rubinstein as a judge -over the mechanical side of my work. But he was the best pianist in -Moscow, and also a most excellent musician. I was told that he would -take it ill from me if he should learn that I had passed him by and -shown the concerto to another; so I determined to ask him to hear it and -criticize the pianoforte part. - -"On Christmas Eve, 1874, we were all invited to Albrecht's, and Nicholas -asked me, before we should go there, to play the concerto in a classroom -of the Conservatory. We agreed to it. I took my manuscript, and Nicholas -and Hubert came. Hubert is a mighty good and shrewd fellow, but he is -not a bit independent; he is garrulous and verbose; he must always make -a long preface to 'yes' or 'no'; he is not capable of expressing an -opinion in decisive, unmistakable form; and he is always on the side of -the stronger, whoever he may chance to be. I must add that this does not -come from cowardice, but only from natural instability. - -"I played through the first movement. Not a criticism, not a word. You -know how foolish you feel, if you invite one to partake of a meal -provided by your own hands, and the friend eats and--is silent! 'At -least say something, scold me good-naturedly, but for God's sake speak, -only speak, whatever you may say.' Rubinstein said nothing. He was -preparing his thunderstorm; and Hubert was waiting to see how things -would go before he should jump to one side or the other. The matter was -right here: I did not need any judgment on the artistic form of my work: -there was question only about mechanical details. This silence of -Rubinstein said much. It said to me at once: 'Dear friend, how can I -talk about details when I dislike your composition as a whole?' But I -kept my temper and played the concerto through. Again silence. - -"'Well?' I said, and stood up. Then burst forth from Rubinstein's mouth -a mighty torrent of words. He spoke quietly at first; then he waxed hot, -and at last he resembled Zeus hurling thunderbolts. It appeared that my -concerto was utterly worthless, absolutely unplayable; passages were so -commonplace and awkward that they could not be improved; the piece as a -whole was bad, trivial, vulgar. I had stolen this from that one and that -from this one; so only two or three pages were good for anything, while -the others should be wiped out or radically rewritten. 'For instance, -that! What is it, anyhow?' (And then he caricatured the passage on the -pianoforte.) 'And this? Is it possible?' and so on, and so on. I cannot -reproduce for you the main thing, the tones in which he said all this. -An impartial bystander would necessarily have believed that I was a -stupid, ignorant, conceited note-scratcher, who was so impudent as to -show his scribble to a celebrated man. - -"Hubert was staggered by my silence, and he probably wondered how a man -who had already written so many works and was a teacher of composition -at the Moscow Conservatory could keep still during such a moral lecture -or refrain from contradiction--a moral lecture that no one should have -delivered to a student without first examining carefully his work. And -then Hubert began to annotate Rubinstein; that is, he incorporated -Rubinstein's opinions, but sought to clothe in milder words what -Nicholas had harshly said." - -Tchaikovsky erased the name of Nicholas Rubinstein from the score and -inserted in the dedication the name of Hans von Bülow, whom he had not -yet seen; but Klindworth had told him of Bülow's interest in his works -and his efforts to make them known in Germany. Bülow acknowledged the -compliment, and in a warm letter of thanks praised the concerto, which -he called the "fullest" work by Tchaikovsky yet known to him: "The ideas -are so original, so noble, so powerful; the details are so interesting, -and though there are many of them they do not impair the clearness and -the unity of the work. The form is so mature, ripe, distinguished for -style, for intention and labor are everywhere concealed. I should weary -you if I were to enumerate all the characteristics of your -work--characteristics which compel me to congratulate equally the -composer as well as all those who shall enjoy actively or passively -(respectively) the work." - -For a long time Tchaikovsky was sore in heart, wounded by his friend. In -1878 Nicholas had the manliness to confess his error; as a proof of his -good-will he studied the concerto and played it often and brilliantly in -Russia and beyond the boundaries, as at the Paris Exhibition of 1878. - - - - - CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN, IN D MAJOR OP. 35 - - - I. Allegro moderato - II. Canzonetta: andante - III. Finale: allegro vivacissimo - -Hanslick's volumes of collected reviews and essays are many. It is -possible that in the days to come he will be remembered only by the fact -that he said, apropos of Tchaikovsky's violin concerto, that it stank in -the ear. In spite of Hanslick's dictum, the concerto still lives, -whatever its obvious faults: its endless repetitions, its measures of -sheer padding. Why cannot someone arrange _Gems from Tchaikovsky's -Concerto_ after the manner of various anthologies (including _Crumbs of -Comfort_)? Long-winded, tedious at times as it is, the concerto, by -reason of melodic charm and demoniacal spirit, is still heard by the -people gladly. - - * * * - -The concerto, dedicated at first to Leopold Auer, but afterwards to -Adolf Brodsky--and thereby hangs a tale--was performed for the first -time at a Philharmonic concert, Vienna, December 4, 1881. Brodsky was -the solo violinist. An interesting letter from him to Tchaikovsky after -the first performance, is published in Modeste's Life of his brother -(Vol. II, p. 177): "I had the wish to play the concerto in public ever -since I first looked it through. That was two years ago. I often took it -up and often put it down, because my laziness was stronger than my wish -to reach the goal. You have, indeed, crammed too many difficulties into -it. I played it last year in Paris to Laroche, but so badly that he -could gain no true idea of the work; nevertheless, he was pleased with -it. That journey to Paris which turned out unluckily for me--I had to -bear many rude things from Colonne and Pasdeloup--fired my energy -(misfortune always does this to me, but when I am fortunate then am I -weak) so that, back in Russia, I took up the concerto with burning zeal. -It is wonderfully beautiful. One can play it again and again and never -be bored; and this is a most important circumstance for the conquering -of its difficulties. When I felt myself sure of it, I determined to try -my luck in Vienna. Now I come to the point where I must say to you that -you should not thank me: I should thank you; for it was only the wish to -know the new concerto that induced Hans Richter and later the -Philharmonic Orchestra to hear me play and grant my participation in one -of these concerts. The concerto was not liked at the rehearsal of the -new pieces, although I came out successfully on its shoulders. It would -have been most unthankful on my part, had I not strained every nerve to -pull my benefactor through behind me. Finally we were admitted to the -Philharmonic concert. I had to be satisfied with one rehearsal, and much -time was lost there in the correction of the parts, that swarmed with -errors. The players determined to accompany everything _pianissimo_, not -to go to smash; naturally, the work, which demands many nuances, even in -the accompaniment, suffered thereby. Richter wished to make some cuts, -but I did not allow it." - -The concerto came immediately after a _divertimento_ by Mozart. -According to the account of the Viennese critics and of Brodsky there -was a furious mixture of applause and hissing after the performance. The -applause prevailed, and Brodsky was thrice recalled, which showed that -the hissing was directed against the work, not the interpreter. Out of -ten critics only two, and they were the least important, reviewed the -concerto favorably. The review by Eduard Hanslick, who was born hating -programme music and the Russian school, was extravagant in its -bitterness, and caused Tchaikovsky long-continued distress, although -Brodsky, Carl Halir, and other violinists soon made his concerto -popular. Tchaikovsky wrote from Rome, December 27, 1881, to Jurgenson: -"My dear, I saw lately in a café a number of the _Neue Freie Presse_ in -which Hanslick speaks so curiously about my violin concerto that I beg -you to read it. Besides other reproaches he censures Brodsky for having -chosen it. If you know Brodsky's address, please write to him that I am -moved deeply by the courage shown by him in playing so difficult and -ungrateful a piece before a most prejudiced audience. If Kotek, my best -friend, were so cowardly and pusillanimous as to change his intention of -acquainting the St. Petersburg public with this concerto, although it -was his pressing duty to play it, for he is responsible in the matter of -ease of execution of the piece; if Auer, to whom the work is dedicated, -intrigued against me, so am I doubly thankful to dear Brodsky, in that -for my sake he must stand the curses of the Viennese journals." - -The review of Hanslick is preserved in the volume of his collected -_feuilletons_ entitled, _Concerte, Componisten, und Virtuosen der -Letzten fünfzehn Jahre, 1870-1885_, pp. 295, 296 (Berlin, 1886). The -criticism in its fierce extravagance now seems amusing. Here are -extracts: "For a while the concerto has proportion, is musical, and is -not without genius, but soon savagery gains the upper hand and lords it -to the end of the first movement. The violin is no longer played: it is -yanked about, it is torn asunder, it is beaten black and blue. I do not -know whether it is possible for anyone to conquer these hair-raising -difficulties, but I do know that Mr. Brodsky martyrized his hearers as -well as himself. The _adagio_, with its tender national melody, almost -conciliates, almost wins us. But it breaks off abruptly to make way for -a _finale_ that puts us in the midst of the brutal and wretched jollity -of a Russian _kermess_. We see wild and vulgar faces, we hear curses, we -smell bad brandy. Friedrich Vischer once asserted in reference to -lascivious painting that there are pictures which 'stink in the eye.' -Tchaikovsky's violin concerto brings to us for the first time the horrid -idea that there may be music that stinks in the ear." Modeste -Tchaikovsky tells us that this article disquieted Peter till he died; -that he knew it by heart, as he did an adverse criticism written by -César Cui in 1866. - -The concerto was dedicated first to Leopold Auer. Tchaikovsky, in the -Diary of his tour in 1888, wrote: "I do not know whether my dedication -was flattering to Mr. Auer, but in spite of his genuine friendship he -never tried to conquer the difficulties of this concerto. He pronounced -it impossible to play, and this verdict, coming from such an authority -as the St. Petersburg virtuoso, had the effect of casting this -unfortunate child of my imagination for many years to come into the -limbo of hopelessly forgotten things." The composer about seven years -before this wrote to Jurgenson from Rome (January 16, 1882) that Auer -had been "intriguing against him." Peter's brother Modeste explains this -by saying: "It had been reported to Peter that Auer had dissuaded Emile -Sauret from playing the concerto in St. Petersburg;" but Modeste also -adds that Auer changed his opinion many years later, and became one of -the most brilliant interpreters of the concerto. - - The following orchestration was used by Tchaikovsky in his last three - symphonies (with no percussion but timpani in the Fifth): piccolo, two - flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two - trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, bass drum, cymbals, - triangle, and strings. In the _Romeo and Juliet_ overture, the English - horn and harp were added for color, and the bass drum (with the - customary kettledrums) sufficed for percussion. In the piano and - violin concertos there was the same scheme of orchestration (without - the additional percussion).--EDITOR. - - - - - RICHARD - WAGNER - - - (Born at Leipsic, May 22, 1813; died at Venice, February 13, 1883) - -It is not easy for anyone who did not live through the period of the -Wagnerian excitement to understand the fierceness of the controversy. -The younger generation reads at its ease accounts of protests against -compositions by Strauss, Reger, Schönberg; how this or that piece was -hissed by some in a concert hall and applauded by others; it reads and -is amused, but it regards the discussion as academic. The Wagner -question, like the Beecher trial, like the Ibsen controversy in Norway, -divided households. - -The world has moved since 1876. Much water has flowed under the bridge. -Wagner is still one of the most commanding figures in the temple, but it -is no longer an act of irreverence to discuss him as Verdi, Gluck, -Richard Strauss are discussed. It is now generally agreed that this -towering genius was after all a mortal; that he was often verbose, that -he could be dull in his musical speech, as other geniuses were before -him. - -The great public today cares nothing about Wagner's philosophy, or the -"metaphysics" of his _Ring_. Wotan, Mime, Siegfried, and the rest of -them, heroic or shabby characters, are as Radames, Salome, Mélisande, -Edgardo, Leonora, Manrico in the tower; they are persons in a drama who -sing, and do not speak the dialogue. We have the heartiest admiration -for the great scenes in the _Ring_, and yet find Wotan long-winded and -tiresome in his reminiscences and narrations. Mime is like Artemus -Ward's kangaroo, "an amoozin' little cuss." Alberich with his gibbering -and his jumping about is also amusing. The Dragon and the Bird do not -excite our ridicule. We accept them and find their singing no more -surprising than the vocal endurance of Tristan on his deathbed or the -moving scenery in the first act of _Parsifal_. The dragon is a familiar -figure in art, and we should not rub our eyes more than once if we -should see one in the wilds of New Jersey. We enjoy seeing him in his -proper place in _Siegfried_ and do not wish to be told what he -represents or typifies. - -Enemies of Wagner, esthetic enemies, used to reproach him for the -"immorality" of his librettos. In _Tannhäuser_ there is the Venusberg. -In _Die Walküre_ there is the incestuous and adulterous pair whose -amorous shoutings shocked Arthur Schopenhauer. Reading the story of -_Tristan_, these rigid moralists held the nose and called for civet. Fie -on Kundry's case! - -We now hear little about the "immorality" of the music dramas. King -Mark's long harangue is more immoral than the rapturous duet of the -lovers; the Landgrave is more immoral than Venus; for Mark and the -Landgrave, by reason of their long-winded platitudes, make Virtue -boresome and Respectability a monster. - -And in the expression of certain emotions and passions, in the -expression of amorous ecstasy and the mystery of death, Wagner reached a -height of eloquence that has seldom been attained by makers of music. -Hearing the announcement by Brünnhilde of Siegmund's fate, the love song -of Tristan and Isolde under the cloak of the conniving night, the rustle -and murmur of Siegfried's forest, we marvel at the genius of the man who -first heard these things and had the ability to let the world hear them -with him. - - - - - OVERTURE TO "RIENZI, THE LAST OF THE TRIBUNES" - - -The overture to _Rienzi_ is at the best mere circus music. It is a good -thing to hear it once in a while, for it shows that Wagner, on occasion, -could be more vulgar than Meyerbeer, whom he so cordially disliked. - - * * * - -Wagner left Königsberg in the early summer of 1837 to visit Dresden, and -there he read Bärmann's translation into German of Bulwer's _Rienzi_. -And thus was revived his long-cherished idea of making the last of the -Tribunes the hero of a grand opera. "My impatience with a degrading -plight now amounted to a passionate craving to begin something grand and -elevating, no matter if it involved the temporary abandonment of any -practical goal. This mood was fed and strengthened by a reading of -Bulwer's _Rienzi_. From the misery of modern private life, whence I -could nohow glean the scantiest material for artistic treatment, I was -wafted by the image of a great historico-political event in the -enjoyment whereof I needs must find a distraction lifting me above cares -and conditions that to me appeared nothing less than absolutely fatal to -art." The overture to _Rienzi_ was completed October 23, 1840. The opera -was produced at the Royal Saxon Court Theater, Dresden, October 20, -1842. - -The overture is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two -clarinets, two bassoons, serpent (third bassoon), two valve horns, two -plain horns, two valve trumpets, two plain trumpets, three trombones, -one ophicleide, kettledrums, two snare drums, bass drum, triangle, -cymbals, and strings. The serpent mentioned in the score is replaced by -the double bassoon, and the ophicleide by the bass tuba. - -All the themes of the overture are taken from the opera itself. The -overture begins with a slow introduction, _molto sostenuto e maestoso_, -D major, 4-4. It opens with "a long-sustained, swelled and diminished A -on the trumpet," in the opera, the agreed signal for the uprising of the -people to throw off the tyrannical yoke of the nobles. The majestic -_cantilena_ of the violins and the violoncellos is the theme of Rienzi's -prayer in the fifth act. The last prolonged A leads to the main body of -the overture. This begins _allegro energico_, D major, 2-2, in the full -orchestra on the first theme, that of the chorus, "_Gegrüsst sei hoher -Tag!_" at the beginning of the first _finale_ of the opera. The first -subsidiary theme enters in the brass, and it is the theme of the battle -hymn ("Santo spirito cavaliere") of the revolutionary faction in the -third act. A transitional passage in the violoncellos leads to the -entrance of the second theme--Rienzi's prayer, already heard in the -introduction of the overture--which is now given, _allegro_, in A major, -to the violins. The "Santo spirito cavaliere" theme returns in the -brass, and leads to another and joyful theme, that of the _stretto_ of -the second _finale_, "Rienzi, dir sei Preis," which is developed with -increasing force. In the _coda, molto più stretto_, the "Santo spirito -cavaliere" is developed in a most robust manner. - - - - - OVERTURE TO "DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER" ("THE FLYING DUTCHMAN") - - -The overture to _The Flying Dutchman_ gives the condensed and essential -drama. We are relieved of the avaricious father who is delighted at the -thought of handing his daughter to the mysterious stranger; nor does one -have to hear the bleatings of the saphead lover. No wonder Senta -preferred the Dutchman. - -Wagner's overture is a stormy seascape. The Dutchman knew no calm seas. -The music that typifies him is one of Wagner's happiest inventions. Poor -Vanderdecken sings nothing so compelling, not even in his monologue. One -hears enough of Senta's ballad in the overture; one is not tempted to -laugh at the operatic spinning wheels that stick when they should -revolve; one does not find Wagner trying to write with Italian -melodiousness. - - * * * - -The overture was sketched at Meudon near Paris in September, 1841, and -completed and scored at Paris in November of that year. In 1852, Wagner -changed the ending. In 1860 he wrote another ending for the Paris -concerts. - -It opens _allegro con brio_ in D minor, 6-4, with an empty fifth, -against which horns and bassoons give out the "Flying Dutchman" motive. -There is a stormy development, through which this motive is kept -sounding in the brass. There is a hint at the first theme of the main -body of the overture, an _arpeggio_ figure in the strings, taken from -the accompaniment of one of the movements in the Dutchman's first air in -Act I. The storm section over, there is an episodic _andante_ in F major -in which wind instruments give out phrases from Senta's ballad of the -Flying Dutchman (Act II). The episode leads directly to the main body of -the overture, _allegro con brio_ in D minor, 6-4, which begins with the -first theme. This theme is developed at great length with chromatic -passages taken from Senta's ballad. The "Flying Dutchman" theme comes in -episodically in the brass from time to time. The subsidiary theme in F -major is taken from the sailors' chorus, "Steuermann, lass' die Wacht!" -(Act III). The second theme, the phrase from Senta's ballad already -heard in the _andante_ episode, enters _fortissimo_ in the full -orchestra, F major, and is worked up brilliantly with fragments of the -first theme. The "Flying Dutchman" motive reappears _fortissimo_ in the -trombones. The _coda_ begins in D major, 2-2. A few rising _arpeggio_ -measures in the violins lead to the second theme, proclaimed with the -full force of the orchestra. The theme is now in the shape found in the -_allegro_ peroration of Senta's ballad. It is worked up energetically. - -The overture is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, -two clarinets, four horns, two bassoons, two trumpets, three trombones, -bass tuba, kettledrums, harp, strings. - - - - - OVERTURE TO TANNHÄUSER - - -_Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg_, Romantic Opera in three -acts, book and music by Wagner, was produced at the Royal Opera House in -Dresden, under the direction of the composer, on October 19, 1845. - -The overture was written in Dresden, probably in March-April, 1845. The -first performance of it as a concert piece was at a concert at Leipsic -for the benefit of the Gewandhaus Orchestra Pension Fund, February 12, -1846. Mendelssohn conducted it from manuscript. - -Wagner's own programme of the overture was published in the _Neue -Zeitschrift_ of January 14, 1853. It was written at the request of -orchestral players who were rehearsing the overture for performance at -Zurich. The translation into English is by William Ashton Ellis. - -"To begin with, the orchestra leads before us the Pilgrims' Chant alone; -it draws near, then swells into a mighty outpour, and passes finally -away.--Evenfall; last echo of the chant. As night breaks, magic sights -and sounds appear, a rosy mist floats up, exultant shouts assail our -ears, the whirlings of a fearsomely voluptuous dance are seen. These are -the Venusberg's seductive spells, that show themselves at dead of night -to those whose breast is fired by daring of the senses. Attracted by the -tempting show, a shapely human form draws nigh; 'tis Tannhäuser, Love's -minstrel.... Venus, herself, appears to him.... As the Pilgrims' Chant -draws closer, yet closer, as the day drives farther back the night, that -whir and soughing of the air--which had erewhile sounded like the eerie -cries of souls condemned--now rises, too, to ever gladder waves; so that -when the sun ascends at last in splendor, and the Pilgrims' Chant -proclaims in ecstasy to all the world, to all that lives and moves -thereon, Salvation won, this wave itself swells out the tidings of -sublimest joy. 'Tis the carol of the Venusberg itself, redeemed from -curse of impiousness, this cry we hear amid the hymn of God. So wells -and leaps each pulse of Life in chorus of Redemption; and both -dissevered elements, both soul and senses, God and Nature, unite in the -atoning kiss of hallowed Love." - -The overture is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two -clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, -bass tuba, kettledrums, cymbals, triangle, tambourine, and strings. - - - - - PRELUDE TO "LOHENGRIN" - - -We remember how at one of Theodore Thomas's concerts at Central Park -Garden in New York--it was in the 'seventies--when this prelude was -played we heard strong hissing from many who would not have "the music -of the future." And so today there are "lovers of music" who cannot -endure the music of the present and swear it cannot be the music of -future, for they have ears but they do not and will not hear. - -"Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone." - - * * * - -_Lohengrin_, an opera in three acts, was performed for the first time at -the Court Theater, Weimar, August 28, 1850. Liszt conducted. - -Liszt described the prelude as "a sort of magic formula which, like a -mysterious initiation, prepares our souls for the sight of unaccustomed -things, and of a higher signification than that of our terrestrial -life." - -Wagner's own explanation has been translated into English as follows: - -"Love seemed to have vanished from a world of hatred and quarreling; as -a lawgiver she was no longer to be found among the communities of men. -Emancipating itself from barren care for gain and possession, the sole -arbiter of all worldly intercourse, the human heart's unquenchable -love-longing again at length craved to appease a want, which, the more -warmly and intensely it made itself felt under the pressure of reality, -was the less easy to satisfy, on account of this very reality. It was -beyond the confines of the actual world that man's ecstatic imaginative -power fixed the source as well as the outflow of this incomprehensible -impulse of love, and from the desire of a comforting sensuous conception -of this supersensuous idea invested it with a wonderful form, which, -under the name of the 'Holy Grail,' though conceived as actually -existing, yet unapproachably far off, was believed in, longed for, and -sought for. The Holy Grail was the costly vessel out of which, at the -Last Supper, our Saviour drank with His disciples, and in which His -blood was received when out of love for His brethren He suffered upon a -cross, and which till this day has been preserved with lively zeal as -the source of undying love; albeit, at one time this cup of salvation -was taken away from unworthy mankind, but at length was brought back -again from the heights of heaven by a band of angels, and delivered into -the keeping of fervently loving, solitary men, who, wondrously -strengthened and blessed by its presence, and purified in heart, were -consecrated as the earthly champions of eternal love. - -"This miraculous delivery of the Holy Grail, escorted by an angelic -host, and the handing of it over into the custody of highly favored men, -was selected by the author of _Lohengrin_, a knight of the Grail, for -the introduction of his drama, as the subject to be musically portrayed; -just as here, for the sake of explanation, he may be allowed to bring it -forward as an object for the mental receptive power of his hearers. - -"The prelude is scored for three flutes, two oboes, English horn, two -clarinets, bass clarinet, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, -bass tuba, kettledrums, cymbals, and strings." - - - - - PRELUDE AND LIEBESTOD FROM "TRISTAN UND ISOLDE" - - -The subject of _Tristan und Isolde_ was first mentioned by Wagner in a -letter to Liszt in the latter part of 1854; the poem was written at -Zürich in the summer of 1857, and finished in September of that year. -The composition of the first act was completed at Zürich, December 31, -1857 (some say, but only in the sketch); the second act was completed at -Venice in March, 1859; the third act at Lucerne in August, 1859. - -Wagner himself frequently conducted the prelude and Love-Death, arranged -by him for orchestra alone, in the concerts given by him in 1863. At -those given in Carlsruhe and Löwenberg the programme characterized the -prelude as _Liebestod_ and the latter section, now known as _Liebestod_, -as _Verklärung_ (Transfiguration). - -The prelude, _langsam und schmachtend_ (slow and languishingly), in A -minor, 6-8, is a gradual and long-continued _crescendo_ to a most -sonorous _fortissimo_; a shorter _decrescendo_ leads back to -_pianissimo_. It is free in form and of continuous development. There -are two chief themes: the first phrase, sung by violoncellos, is -combined in the third measure with a phrase ascending chromatically and -given to the oboes. - -These phrases form a theme known as the "Love Potion" motive, or the -motive of "Longing"; for passionate commentators are not yet agreed -about the terminology. The second theme, again sung by the violoncellos, -a voluptuous theme, is entitled "Tristan's Love Glance." - -The prelude is scored for three flutes (and piccolo), two oboes, English -horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, four horns, three -trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, harp, and the usual -strings. - -Wagner wrote this explanatory programme: - -"A primitive old love poem, which, far from having become extinct, is -constantly fashioning itself anew, and has been adopted by every -European language of the Middle Ages, tells us of Tristan and Isolde. -Tristan, the faithful vassal, woos for his king her for whom he dares -not avow his own love, Isolde. Isolde, powerless to do otherwise than -obey the wooer, follows him as bride to his lord. Jealous of this -infringement of her rights, the Goddess of Love takes her revenge. As -the result of a happy mistake, she allows the couple to taste of the -love potion which, in accordance with the custom of the times, and by -way of precaution, the mother had prepared for the husband who should -marry her daughter from political motives, and which, by the burning -desire which suddenly inflames them after tasting it, opens their eyes -to the truth and leads to the avowal that for the future they belong -only to each other. Henceforth, there is no end to the longings, the -demands, the joys and woes of love. The world, power, fame, splendor, -honor, knighthood, fidelity, friendship, all are dissipated like an -empty dream. One thing only remains: longing, longing, insatiable -longing, forever springing up anew, pining and thirsting. Death, which -means passing away, perishing, never awakening, their only -deliverance.... Powerless, the heart sinks back to languish in longing, -in longing without attaining; for each attainment only begets new -longing, until in the last stage of weariness the foreboding of the -highest joy of dying, of no longer existing, of the last escape into -that wonderful kingdom from which we are furthest off when we are most -strenuously striving to enter therein. Shall we call it death? Or is it -the hidden wonder-world from out of which an ivy and vine, entwined with -each other, grew up upon Tristan's and Isolde's grave, as the legend -tells us?" - - - - - PRELUDE TO "DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG" - - -The idea of the opera occurred to Wagner at Marienbad in 1845. He then -sketched a scenario which differed widely from the one finally adopted. -It is possible that certain scenes were written while he was at work on -_Lohengrin_; there is a legend that the quintet was finished in 1845. -Some add to this quintet the songs of Sachs and Walther. Wagner wrote to -a friend on March 12, 1862: "Tomorrow I hope at least to begin the -composition of _Die Meistersinger_"--the libretto was completed at Paris -in 1861. He worked at Biebrich on the Rhine in 1862 on the music. The -prelude was sketched in February of that year. The instrumentation was -completed in the following June. - -He wrote to his friend Dr. Anton Pusinelli from Penzing near Vienna on -March 14, 1864: "I have tried with the greatest care to ensure myself -the proper leisure for completing the _Meistersinger_ by next winter. -Unfortunately, everything has been very difficult for me because my -continual indisposition and my sad frame of mind have kept company with -my other trials, so as to make it more difficult for me to have any -desire for work." He wrote again to Pusinelli in a long letter about his -"poor wife" Minna, questioning whether he should return to her: "Under -favorable conditions I finally _can_ complete my _Meistersinger_. Very -probably this work will quickly become popular, and it _can_ bring in -good returns for me. But one can't _count_ on this, and my life from -month to month must not depend on such possibilities; for if I have no -'good inspirations,' then I have nothing to write down, and with -continual worries I no longer have very good inspirations now." - -At Lucerne on May 10, 1866, he wrote that he had won for a little time -the quiet for creating "a great and joyful work. Wish me this success -and--perhaps I dare to say it--wish it to the world!" He had already -completed Act I and was progressing well with Act II, which was finished -in December. - -In 1868 he wrote from Lucerne: "In Dresden I had in mind an attempt to -procure some guarantee for the _Meistersinger_ against abominable -incompetence of the _Kapellmeisters_ there, and with what a nice -reception was I met there!" The principal _Kapellmeister_ was Julius -Rietz, who was hostile to Wagner, as he had been at Leipsic. - -The prelude is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, -two bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, -kettledrums, triangle, cymbals, harp, and the usual strings. - -Wagner in his Autobiography tells how the idea of _Die Meistersinger_ -formed itself; how he began to elaborate it in the hope that it might -free him from the thrall of the idea of _Lohengrin_; but he was impelled -to go back to the latter opera. The melody for the fragment of Sachs' -poem on the Reformation occurred to him while going through the -galleries of the Palais Royal on his way to the Taverne Anglaise. "There -I found Truinet already waiting for me and asked him to give me a scrap -of paper and a pencil to jot down my melody, which I quietly hummed over -to him at the time." "As from the balcony of my flat, in a sunset of -great splendor, I gazed upon the magnificent spectacle of 'Golden' -Mayence, with the majestic Rhine pouring along its outskirts in a glory -of light, the prelude to my _Meistersinger_ again suddenly made its -presence closely and distinctly felt in my soul. Once before had I seen -it rise before me out of a lake of sorrow, like some distant mirage. I -proceeded to write down the prelude exactly as it appears today in the -score, that is, containing the clear outlines of the leading themes of -the whole drama." - -Wagner conducted the two overtures. The hall was nearly empty; there was -a pecuniary loss. This was a sore disappointment to Wagner, who had -written to Weissheimer on October 12, 1862: "Good: _Tannhäuser_ -overture, then. That's all right for me. For what I now have in mind is -to make an out-and-out sensation, so as to make money." He had proposed -to add the prelude and _finale_ of _Tristan_ to the Prelude to "_Die -Meistersinger_"; but his friends in Leipsic advised the substitution of -the overture to _Tannhäuser_. There was not the faintest applause when -Wagner came on the platform; but the prelude to _Die Meistersinger_ was -received with such favor that it was immediately played a second time. - -One critic wrote of the _Meistersinger_ prelude, "The overture, a long -movement in moderate march tempo, with predominating brass, without any -chief thoughts and without noticeable and recurring points of rest, went -along and soon awakened a feeling of monotony." The critic of the -_Mitteldeutsche Volkzeitung_ wrote in terms of enthusiasm. The -_Signal's_ critic was bitter in opposition. He wrote at length and -finally characterized the prelude as "chaos," a "tohu-wabohu and nothing -more." - - - - - A SIEGFRIED IDYL - - -Cosima Liszt, daughter of Franz Liszt and the Countess d'Agoult, was -born at Bellagio, Italy, on Christmas Day, 1837. She was married to Hans -von Bülow at Berlin, August 18, 1857. They were divorced in the fall of -1869. - -Richard Wagner married Minna Planer on November 24, 1836, at Königsberg. -They separated in August, 1861. She died at Dresden, January 25, 1866. - -Wagner and Cosima were married at Lucerne, August 25, 1870. Their son, -Siegfried Wagner, was born at Triebschen, near Lucerne, on June 6, 1869. - -In a letter to Frau Wille, June 25, 1870, Wagner wrote of Cosima: "She -has defied every disapprobation and taken upon herself every -condemnation. She has borne to me a wonderfully beautiful boy, whom I -can boldly call 'Siegfried'; he is now growing, together with my work; -he gives me a new long life, which at last has attained a meaning. Thus -we get along without the world, from which we have wholly withdrawn." - -The _Siegfried Idyl_ was a birthday gift to Cosima. It was composed in -November, 1870, at Triebschen. Hans Richter received the manuscript -score on December 4, 1870. Wagner gave a fine copy of it to Cosima. -Musicians of Zürich were engaged for the performance. The first -rehearsal was on December 21, 1870, in the foyer of Zürich's old -theater. The Wesendocks were present. Wagner conducted a rehearsal at -the Hôtel du Lac, Lucerne, on December 24. Christmas fell on a Sunday. -Early in the morning the musicians assembled at Wagner's villa in -Triebschen. In order to surprise Cosima, the desks were put on the -stairs and the tuning was in the kitchen. The orchestra took its place -on the stairs, Wagner, who conducted, at the top; then the violins, -violas, wood-wind instruments, horns, and at the bottom the violoncello -and the double bass. Wagner could not see the violoncello and the double -bass; but the performance, according to Richter, was faultless. The -orchestra was thus composed: two first violins, two second violins, two -violas (one played by Richter, who also played the few measures for a -trumpet), one violoncello, one double bass, one flute, one oboe, two -clarinets, one bassoon, two horns. Richter, in order not to excite -Cosima's suspicions, practised for some days the trumpet part in the -empty barracks. "These daily excursions and several trips to Zürich -awakened the attention of Mme Wagner, who thought I was not so -industrious as formerly." The performance began at 7.30 A. M. The _Idyl_ -was repeated several times in the course of the day, and in the -afternoon Beethoven's Sextet was performed without the variations. - -The _Idyl_ was performed at Mannheim on December 20, 1871, in private -and under Wagner's direction. There was a performance on March 10, 1877, -in the Ducal Palace at Meiningen. Wagner conducted. The score and parts -were published in February, 1878. The first performance after -publication was at a Bilse concert in Berlin toward the end of February, -1878. The music drama _Siegfried_ was then so little known that a Berlin -critic said the _Idyl_ was taken from the second act. And Mr. Henry -Knight, a passionate Wagnerite, wrote verses in 1889 in which he showed -a similar confusion in mental operation. - -This composition first bore the title _Triebschener Idyll_. The score -calls for flute, oboe, two clarinets, bassoon, trumpet, two horns, and -strings. - -Siegfried was born while Wagner was at work on his music drama -_Siegfried_. The themes in the _Idyl_ were taken from this music drama, -all save one: a folk-song, "Schlaf', mein Kind, schlaf'ein"; but the -development of the themes was new. - - - - - "THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES," FROM "DIE WALKÜRE" - - -After an instrumental introduction to Act III of _The Valkyrie_, the -curtain rises. - -"On the summit of a rocky mountain. On the right a pine wood encloses -the stage. On the left is the entrance to a cave; above this the rock -rises to its highest point. At the back the view is entirely open; rocks -of various heights form a parapet to the precipice. Occasionally clouds -fly past the mountain peak as if driven by storm. Gerhilde, Ortlinde, -Waltraute, and Schwertleite have ensconced themselves on the rocky peak -above the cave; they are in full armor. - -"Flashes of lightning break through the clouds, and from time to time a -Valkyrie is seen on horseback with a slain warrior hanging from the -saddle. We quote John F. Runciman's description of the Valkyries' -Ride:[51] - -"The drama here is of the most poignant kind; the scenic surroundings -are of the sort Wagner so greatly loved--tempest amidst black pine woods -with wild, flying clouds, the dying down of the storm, the saffron -evening light melting into shadowy night, the calm, deep blue sky with -the stars peeping out, then the bright flames shooting up; and the two -elements, the dramatic and the pictorial, drew out of him some pages as -splendid as any even he ever wrote. The opening, 'The Ride of the -Valkyries,' is a piece of storm music without a parallel. There is no -need here for Donner with his hammer; the All-Father himself is abroad -in wrath and majesty, and his daughters laugh and rejoice in the riot. -There is nothing uncanny in the music: we have that delight in the sheer -force of the elements which we inherit from our earliest ancestors: the -joy of nature fiercely at work which is echoed in our hearts from time -immemorial. The shrilling of the wind, the hubbub, the calls of the -Valkyries to one another, the galloping of the horses, form a picture -which for splendor, wild energy, and wilder beauty can never be matched. - -"Technically, this Ride is a miracle built up of conventional -figurations of the older music. There is the continuous shake, handed on -from instrument to instrument, the slashing figure of the upper strings, -the kind of _basso ostinato_, conventionally indicating the galloping of -horses, and the chief melody, a mere bugle call, altered by a change of -rhythm into a thing of superb strength. The only part of the music that -ever so remotely suggests extravagance is the Valkyries' call; and it, -after all, is only a jodel put to sublime uses. Out of these commonplace -elements, elements that one might almost call prosaic, Wagner wrought -his picture of storm, with its terror, power, joyous laughter of the -storm's daughters--storm as it must have seemed to the first poets of -our race.... - -"It is worth looking at the plan of this Ride--which is, be it -remembered, only the prelude to the gigantic drama which is to follow. -After the _ritornello_ the main theme is announced, with a long break -between the first and second strains; and again a break before it is -continued. Then it sounds out all its glory, terse, closely gripped -section to section, until the Valkyries' call is heard; purely pictorial -passages follow; the theme is played with, even as Mozart and Beethoven -played with their themes, and at the last the whole force of the -orchestra is employed, and Wagner's object is attained--he has given us -a picture of storm such as was never done before, and he has done what -was necessary for the subsequent drama--made us feel the tremendous -might of the god of storms." - -The arrangement for concert use calls for these instruments: two -piccolos, two flutes, three oboes, English horn, three clarinets, bass -clarinet, three bassoons, eight horns, three trumpets, four trombones, -bass tuba, kettledrums, side drum, cymbals, triangle, and the usual -strings. - - - - - PRELUDE TO "PARSIFAL" - - -Wagner, with his theatrical sense, was right: this music is not so -impressive when it is performed, no matter how well, outside of the -Bayreuth theater consecrated to the music dramas. We heard _Parsifal_ -the year it was produced at Bayreuth. No performance of the prelude has -since awakened the same emotions. There was the silence of deep -devotion; the presence of the worshipers, fanatics in the great -majority; the expectation of marvelous scenes to come as the wailing -first phrase rose from the unseen orchestra. Put this prelude in the -conventional opera house, or in the concert hall, and it cannot be -ranked with Wagner's greatest works. - - * * * - -The prelude to _Parsifal_ was composed at Bayreuth in September, 1877. -The first performance was a private one in the hall of the Villa -Wahnfried at Bayreuth, on December 25, 1878, to celebrate the birthday -of Cosima Wagner. The prelude was performed as a morning serenade by the -Meiningen Court Orchestra, led by Wagner. The performance was repeated -the evening of the same day, when guests were invited. - -The score and orchestral parts were published in October, 1882. -_Parsifal_, "a stage-consecration-festival play" in three acts, book and -music by Richard Wagner, was first performed at Bayreuth for the -patrons, July 26, 1882. The first public performance was on July 30, -1882. Hermann Levi conducted. - -Wagner's version of the story of Percival, or, as he prefers, Parsifal, -is familiar to all. There is no need in a description of the prelude to -this music drama of telling the simple tale or pondering its symbolism. -The ethical idea of the drama is that enlightenment coming through -conscious pity brings salvation. The clearest and the sanest exposition -of the prelude is that included by Maurice Kufferath in his elaborate -essay, _Parsifal_ (Paris: Fischbacher, 1890). We give portions of this -exposition in a greatly condensed form: - -Without preparation the prelude opens with a broad melodic phrase, which -is sung later in the great religious scene of the first act, during the -mystic feast, the Lord's Supper. - -The phrase is sung, at first without accompaniment, in unison by -violins, violoncello, English horn, clarinet, bassoon, _sehr langsam_ -(_lento assai_), A flat major, 4-4. This motive is repeated by trumpet, -oboes, and half the first and second violins in unison against rising -and falling _arpeggios_ in the violas and remaining violins, repeated -chords for flutes, clarinets, and English horn, and sustained harmonies -in bassoons and horns. This theme is known as the motive of the "Last -Supper." The second phrase of the motive is given out and repeated as -before. - -Without any other transition than a series of broken chords, the -trombones and the trumpets give out the second theme, the "Grail" -motive, because it serves throughout the music drama to characterize the -worship of the holy relic. It is a very short theme, which afterwards -will enter constantly, sometimes alone, sometimes in company with other -themes, often modified in rhythm, but preserving always its -characteristic harmonies. As William J. Henderson says: "The second -theme of the prelude is that of the Grail itself, which is here -presented to us in a different musical aspect from that of the -_Lohengrin_ score. There the Grail was celebrated as a potency by which -the world was aided, while here it is brought before us as the visible -embodiment of a faith, the memento of a crucified Saviour."[52] This -theme is not original with Wagner. The ascending progression of sixths, -which forms the conclusion of the theme, is found in the Saxon liturgy -and is in use today in the "Court" Church at Dresden. Mendelssohn -employed it in the _Reformation_ symphony; therefore, zealous admirers -of Mendelssohn have accused Wagner of plagiarism. The two masters, who -knew Dresden well, probably were struck by the harmonic structure of -this conclusion, and they used it, each in his own way. Anyone has a -personal right to this simple formula. The true inventor of the "Amen" -is unknown; the formula has been attributed to Silvani. Its harmonic -nature would indicate that it belongs to the seventeenth century, but -there are analogous progressions in Palestrina's Masses. The "Grail" -motive is repeated twice. - -Then, and again without transition, but with a change of tempo to 6-4, -comes the third motive, that of "Belief." The brass first proclaims it. - -The strings take up the "Grail" theme. The "Belief" motive reappears -four times in succession, in different tonalities. - -A roll of drums on A flat is accompanied by a tremolo of double basses, -giving the contra F. The first motive, the "Lord's Supper," enters first -(wood-wind, afterwards in the violoncellos). This time the motive is not -completed. Wagner stops at the third measure and takes a new subject, -which is repeated several times with increasing expression of sorrow. -There is, then, a fourth theme derived from the "Lord's Supper" motive. -The first two measures, which are found in simpler form and without the -appoggiatura in the "Supper" theme, will serve hereafter to characterize -more particularly the "Holy Lance" that pierced the side of Christ and -also caused the wound of Amfortas, the lance that drew the sacred blood -which was turned into the communion wine; the lance that fell into the -hands of Klingsor, the Magician. - -At the moment when this fourth theme, which suggests the sufferings of -Christ and Amfortas, bursts forth from the whole orchestra, the Prelude -has its climax. This prelude, like unto that of _Lohengrin_, is -developed by successive degrees until it reaches a maximum of -expression, and there is a _diminuendo_ to _pianissimo_. - -Thus the synthesis of the whole drama has been clearly exposed. That -which remains is only a peroration, a logical, necessary conclusion, -brought about by the ideas expressed by the different themes. It is by -the sight of suffering that Parsifal learns pity and saves Amfortas. It -is the motive of the "Lord's Supper" that signifies both devotion and -sacrifice; that is to say Love, and Love is the conclusion. The last -chords of the expiring lament lead back gently to the first two measures -of the "Lord's Supper" motive, which, repeated from octave to octave on -a pedal (E flat), end in a series of ascending chords, a prayer, or a -supplication. Is there hope? The drama gives the answer to this question -full of anguish. - -The prelude is scored for three flutes, three oboes, English horn, three -clarinets, bass clarinet, three bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, -three trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, kettledrums, and strings. - - - - - "GOOD FRIDAY SPELL," FROM "PARSIFAL" - - -When Parsifal turns slowly towards the meadow, a hymn of tender -thanksgiving arises from the orchestra. The melody is played by flute -and oboe, which muted strings sustain. In the development of this theme -occur several figures--"Kundry's Sigh," the "Holy Supper," the "Spear," -the "Grail" harmonies, the "Complaint of the Flower Girls," which are -all finally absorbed in the "Good Friday" melody. This pastoral is -suddenly interrupted by the sound of distant bells, sounding mournfully -from afar. - -Gurnemanz and Kundry robe Parsifal. They set out for Montsalvat. - -When Gurnemanz blesses Parsifal and salutes him king, horns, trumpets, -and trombones play the "Parsifal" motive, which is developed imposingly -and ends with the "Grail" theme, intoned by the whole orchestra -_fortissimo_. A series of chords leads to the motives of "Baptism" and -"Faith." - - - - - CARL MARIA - VON WEBER - - - (Born at Eutin, Oldenburg, December 18, 1786; died at London, June 5, - 1826) - -Mr. William Apthorp frequently spoke of the "Weberian flourish," of the -chivalric spirit shown, not only in Weber's overtures to _Euryanthe_ and -_Oberon_, but in much of his music for the piano. Weber's operas are -wholly unknown as stage works to the younger generation. _Oberon_ is a -dull opera, with some beautiful music. _Euryanthe_, too, is dull, dull -beyond redemption, although at Dresden years ago we saw a most carefully -prepared performance, for the cult of Weber in that city was then firmly -established, and nowhere else was Der Freischütz so admirably performed. -Yet Weber was a mighty man in his day, influencing composers of other -countries than his own, praised to the skies by Berlioz and Wagner. The -latter had good reason for his enthusiasm; the influence of _Euryanthe_ -is observed in his early operas. Weber was a romanticist of the E. T. A. -Hoffmann order. The music for the scene of the Wolf's Glen in _Der -Freischütz_ is in no need of fireworks and ghostly apparitions for its -terrifying effects. There is charming fairy music in _Oberon_. Then -there is the mysterious _largo_ in the _Euryanthe_ overture. The grand -arias, the set pieces for a soprano, with the final _allegro_ section -better suited to an orchestral instrument than the human voice, are now -singularly out of fashion, but what could be better as music for a -particular text than that for the opening scenes of _Der Freischütz_? -The three overtures will long preserve the composer's name. - - - - - OVERTURE TO THE OPERA "OBERON" - - -_Oberon; or, the Elf-King's Oath_, a romantic opera in three acts, book -by James Robinson Planché, who founded it on Villeneuve's story "Huon de -Bordeaux" and Sotheby's English translation of Wieland's German poem, -"Oberon," was first performed at Covent Garden, London, on April 12, -1826. Weber conducted. The first performance in New York was at the Park -Theatre on October 9, 1828. - -Weber was asked by Charles Kemble in 1824 to write an opera for the -Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. Weber chose "Oberon" for the subject. -Planché was selected to furnish the libretto. In a letter to him, Weber -wrote that the fashion of it was foreign to his ideas: "The intermixing -of so many principal actors who do not sing--the omission of the music -in the most important moments--all these things deprive our _Oberon_ of -the title of an opera, and will make him [_sic_] unfit for all other -theaters in Europe, which is a very bad thing for me, but--_passons -là-dessous_." - -Weber, a sick and discouraged man, buckled himself to the task of -learning English, that he might know the exact meaning of the text. He -therefore took one hundred and fifty-three lessons of an Englishman -named Carey and studied diligently, anxiously. Planché sent the libretto -to Dresden an act at a time. Weber made his first sketch on January 23, -1825. The autograph score contains this note at the end of the overture: -"Finished April 9, 1826, in the morning, at a quarter of twelve, and -with it the whole opera. _Soli Deo Gloria!!!_ C. M. V. Weber." This -entry was made at London. Weber received for the opera £500. He was so -feeble that he could scarcely stand without support, but he rehearsed -and directed the performance seated at the piano. He died of consumption -about two months after the production. - -Planché gives a lively account of the genesis and production of -_Oberon_. He describes the London public as unmusical. "A dramatic -situation in music was 'caviare to the general,' and inevitably received -with cries of 'Cut it short!' from the gallery, and obstinate coughing -or other significant signs of impatience from the pit. Nothing but the -'Huntsmen's Chorus' and the _diablerie_ in _Der Freischütz_ saved that -fine work from immediate condemnation in England; and I remember -perfectly well the exquisite melodies in it being compared by English -musical critics to 'wind through a keyhole.' ... None of our actors -could sing, and but one singer could act, Madame Vestris, who made a -charming Fatima.... My great object was to land Weber safe amidst an -unmusical public, and I therefore wrote a melodrama with songs, instead -of an opera such as would be required at the present day." - -The first performance in Germany of _Oberon_ was at Leipsic, December -23, 1826. - -The overture begins with an introduction (_adagio sostenuto ed il tutto -pianissimo possibile_, D major, 4-4). The horn of Oberon is answered by -muted strings. The figure for flutes and clarinets is taken from the -first scene of the opera (Oberon's palace; introduction and chorus of -elfs). After a _pianissimo_ little march, there is a short dreamy -passage for strings, which ends in the violas. There is a full -orchestral crashing chord, and the main body of the overture begins -(_allegro con fuoco_ in D major, 4-4). The brilliant opening measures -are taken from the accompaniment figure of the quartet, "Over the Dark -Blue Waters," sung by Rezia, Fatima, Huon, Scherasmin (Act II, Scene x). -The horn of Oberon is heard again; it is answered by the skipping fairy -figure. The second theme (A major, sung first by the clarinet, then by -the first violins) is taken from the first measures of the second part -of Huon's air (Act I, No. 5). And then a theme is taken from the -peroration, _presto con fuoco_, of Rezia's air "Ocean! Thou mighty -monster" (Act II, No. 13), and given as a conclusion to the violins. -This theme ends the first part of the overture. The free fantasia begins -with soft repeated chords in bassoons, horns, drums, basses. The first -theme is worked out in short periods; a new theme is introduced and -treated in _fugato_ against a running contrapuntal counter theme in the -strings. The second theme is treated, but not elaborately; and then the -Rezia motive brings the spirited end. - - - - - OVERTURE TO THE OPERA "DER FREISCHÜTZ" - - -What would conductors do without these three overtures of Weber? They -are to them in time of perplexity what _Cavalleria Rusticana_ and -_Pagliacci_ are to opera managers. And yet, in spite of countless -performances, the overture to _Der Freischütz_ is not stale. The part -song for the horns still charms the ear, although it is now associated -with "when the sun glorious" and other sacred words for service in the -meeting house. The Samiel motive is still dramatically sinister and -brings back memories of the red-cloaked fiend as we have seen him on the -German stage. And the clarinet theme, typical of Max, is still worthy of -the famous praise of Berlioz. When there is talk of this overture there -is frequently a reference to an article about it written by Douglas -Jerrold. Was this article ever republished in an edition of Jerrold's -works? Has anyone now living ever read it? - - * * * - -_Der Freischütz_, a romantic opera in three acts, book by Friedrich -Kind, music by Weber, was performed at Berlin, June 18, 1821. Weber -wrote in his diary that the opera was received with "incredible -enthusiasm; Overture and Folksong were encored; fourteen out of -seventeen music pieces were stormily applauded. Everything went -exceedingly well, and was sung _con amore_. I was called before the -curtain and took Mad. [_sic_] Seidler and Mlle. [_sic_] Eunike with me -as I could not get hold of the others. Verses and wreaths came flying. -'_Soli Deo Gloria_.'" Some of these verses were malicious, and reflected -on Spontini, much to Weber's distress. - -Weber began work on the overture on February 22, 1820. On May 13 he -noted in his diary: "Overture of _Die Jägersbraut_ finished, and with it -the whole opera. God be praised, and to Him alone be the glory" (_Die -Jägersbraut_ was the original title of the opera; it was kept until into -the year 1820, when Weber changed it to _Der Freischütz_ at the advice -of Count Bruhl, Intendant of the Berlin Court theaters). Weber heard the -music for the first time at a rehearsal of the Dresden Orchestra, June -10, 1820. This was the first music of the opera that he heard. - -We have mentioned the success of this overture at Berlin, when it was -played as the prelude to the opera and under Weber's direction; a -success that dumfounded the followers of Spontini and settled the future -of German opera in the capital. And so, wherever the overture was -played, the effect was overwhelming--as in London, where the opera was -first performed in English, July 22 (?), 1824, at the English opera -house. W. T. Parke wrote: "The music of this opera is such a continued -display of science, taste, and melody as to justify any praises bestowed -on it. The overture embraces most of the subjects of the airs in the -opera, ingeniously interwoven with each other, and is quite original. -The grandeur of some passages and the finely contrasted simplicity of -others produced an effect which was irresistible. It was vehemently -encored." - -Much has been written about the overture, from the rhapsody of Douglas -Jerrold to Wagner's critical remarks concerning the true reading. The -enthusiasm of Berlioz is well known: "The overture is crowned Queen; -today no one dreams of disputing it. It is cited as the model of the -kind. The theme of the slow movement and that of the _allegro_ are sung -everywhere. There is one theme that I must mention, because it is less -noticed, and also because it moves me incomparably more than all the -rest. It is that long, groaning melody, thrown by the clarinet over the -tremolo of the orchestra, like unto a far-off lamentation scattered by -the winds in the depths of the forest. It strikes home to the heart; and -for me, at least, this virginal song, which seems to breathe skyward a -timid reproach, while a somber harmony shudders and threatens, is one of -the most novel, poetic, and beautiful contrasts that modern art has -produced in music. In this instrumental inspiration one can already -recognize easily a reflection of the character of Agathe, which is soon -to develop in all its passionate purity. The theme is borrowed, however, -from the part of Max. It is the cry of the young hunter at the moment -when, from his rocky height, he sounds with his eyes the abysses of the -infernal glen. Changed a little in outline, and orchestrated in this -manner, the phrase is different both in aspect and accent." Compare with -this the remarks of Berlioz in the section on the clarinet in his -"Treatise on Instrumentation." The clarinet, he says, has the precious -faculty of producing "distance, echo, an echo of echo, and a twilight -sound.... What more admirable example could I quote of the application -of some of these shadowings than the dreamy phrase of the clarinet, -accompanied by a tremolo of stringed instruments in the midst of the -_allegro_ of the overture to _Freischütz_? Does it not depict the lonely -maiden, the forester's fair betrothed, who, raising her eyes to heaven, -mingles her tender lament with the noise of the dark woods agitated by -the storm? O Weber!!" - -The overture begins _adagio_, C major, 4-4. After eight measures of -introduction there is a part song for four horns. This section of the -overture is not connected in any way with subsequent stage action. After -the quarter the Samiel motive appears, and there is the thought of Max -and his temptation. The main body of the overture is _molto_ _vivace_, C -minor, 2-2. The sinister music rises to a climax, which is repeated -during the casting of the seventh bullet in the Wolf's Glen. In the next -episode, E flat major, themes associated with Max (clarinet) and Agathe -(first violins and clarinet) appear. The climax of the first section -reappears, now in major, and there is use of Agathe's theme. There is -repetition of the demoniac music that introduces the _allegro_, and -Samiel's motive dominates the modulation to the _coda_, C major, -_fortissimo_, which is the apotheosis of Agathe. - - - - - OVERTURE TO THE OPERA "EURYANTHE" - - -The overture is not without a certain old-fashioned but veritable pomp; -it has the spirit of ceremony which the admirers of Weber call "the -chivalric spirit." It would be perhaps an idle task for an ultra-modern -to insist that the only music in this overture that appeals to the men -and women of the younger generation is that of the short episode which -was originally intended to accompany a pantomimic scene on the stage, a -scene of old-fashioned romantic melodrama, with tomb, kneeling heroine, -gliding ghost, and an eavesdropping, intriguing woman. In these few -mysterious measures Weber thought far beyond his period. The -ultra-modern might say that the rest of the music is decorative and that -the decorations are substantial till they are cumbrous; that the -melodies are like unto a cameo brooch worn by a woman who remembers -nights of coquetry and dances long out of fashion; that the few measures -of counterpoint show Weber as a plodding amateur. Nevertheless, the -conventionally jubilant swing and the impetuous pace still make their -way in a concert hall. - - * * * - -_Euryanthe_, grand heroic-romantic opera in three acts, book founded by -Helmina von Chezy on an old French tale of the thirteenth century, -"Histoire de Gérard de Nevers et de la belle et vertueuse Euryant de -Savoye, sa mie"--a tale used by Boccaccio (_Decameron_, second day, -ninth novel) and Shakespeare (_Cymbeline_)--music by Weber, was produced -at the Kärnthnerthor Court Opera Theater, Vienna, October 25, 1823. The -composer conducted. Domineco Barbaja, manager of the Kärnthnerthor and -the An der Wien theaters, had commissioned Weber to write for the former -opera house an opera in the style of _Der Freischütz_. Weber had several -librettos in mind before he chose that of _Euryanthe_; he was impressed -by one concerning the Cid, by Friedrich Kind. The two quarreled. Then he -thought of the story of Dido, Queen of Carthage, as told by Ludwig -Rellstab, but this subject had tempted many composers before him. -Helmina von Chezy, living in Dresden when Weber was there, had written -the text of "Rosamunde" to which Schubert set music. The failure of this -work apparently did not frighten Weber from accepting a libretto from -her. She had translated a version of the old French tale mentioned above -for a collection of medieval poems (_Sammlung romantischer Dichtungen -des Mittelalters_), edited by Fr. Schlegel, which was published at -Leipsic in 1804. She entitled her version, "Die Geschichte der -Tugendsamen Euryanthe von Savoyen" (The Story of the Innocent Euryanthe -of Savoy). The original version is in the _Roman de la Violette_, by -Gilbert de Montreuil. - -As soon as the text of the first act was ready (December 15, 1821), -Weber began to compose the music. He wrote a large portion of the opera -at Hosterwitz. The opera was completed without the overture on August -29, 1823. Weber began to compose the overture on September 1, 1823, and -completed it at Vienna on October 19 of that year. He scored the -overture at Vienna, October 16-19, 1823. - -Weber wrote to his wife on the day after the first performance, "My -reception, when I appeared in the orchestra, was the most enthusiastic -and brilliant that one could imagine. There was no end to it. At last I -gave the signal for the beginning. Stillness of death. The overture was -applauded madly; there was a demand for a repetition; but I went ahead, -so that the performance might not be too long drawn out." - -Max Maria von Weber, in the life of his father, gives a somewhat -different account. A grotesque incident occurred immediately before the -performance. There was a tumult in the parterre of the opera house. -There was laughing, screaming, cursing. A fat, carelessly dressed woman, -with a crushed hat and a shawl hanging from her shoulders, was going -from seat to seat, screaming out: "Make room for me! I am the poetess!" -It was Mme von Chezy, who had forgotten to bring her ticket and was thus -heroically attempting to find her seat. The laughter turned into -applause when Weber appeared in the orchestra, and the applause -continued until the signal for the beginning was given. "The performance -of the overture," says Max von Weber, "was not worthy of the usually -excellent orchestra; indeed, it was far inferior to that at the dress -rehearsal. Perhaps the players were too anxious to do well, or, and this -is more probable, perhaps the fault was in the lack of sufficient -rehearsal. The ensemble was faulty--in some places the violins actually -played false--and, although a repetition was demanded by some, the -impression made by the poetic composition was not to be compared with -that made later in Berlin, Dresden, and the Gewandhaus concert in -Leipsic." Yet Max von Weber says later that Count Brühl wrote the -composer, January 18, 1824, that the overture played for the first time -in Berlin in a concert by F. L. Seidel hardly made any impression at -all. To this Weber answered, January 23: "That the overture failed is -naturally very unpleasant for me. It must have been wholly misplayed, -which I am led to believe from the remarks about its difficulty. The -Vienna orchestra, which is in no way as good as that of Berlin, -performed it _prima vista_ without any jar to my satisfaction, and, as -it seemed, with effect." - -The overture begins E flat, _allegro marcato, con molto fuoco_, 4-4, -though the half note is the metronomic standard indicated by Weber. -After eight measures of an impetuous and brilliant exordium the first -theme is announced by wind instruments in full harmony, and it is -derived from Adolar's phrase: "_Ich bau' auf Gott und meine Euryanth'_" -(Act I, No. 4). The original tonality is preserved. This theme is -developed brilliantly until, after a crashing chord, B flat, of full -orchestra and vigorous drumbeats, a transitional phrase for violoncellos -leads to the second theme, which is of a tender nature. Sung by the -first violins over sustained harmony in the other strings, this theme is -associated in the opera with the words, "_O Seligkeit, dich fass' ich -kaum!_" from Adolar's air, "_Wehen mir Lüfte Ruh'_" (Act II, No. 12). -The measures of the exordium return, there is a strong climax, and then -after a long organ-point there is silence. - -The succeeding short _largo_, charged with mystery, refers to -Eglantine's vision of Emma's ghost and to the fatal ring. Eglantine has -taken refuge in the castle of Nevers and won the affection of Euryanthe, -who tells her the tragic story of Emma and her betrothed, Udo; for the -ghost of Emma, sister of Adolar, had appeared to Euryanthe and told her -that Udo had been her faithful lover. He fell in battle. As life was to -her then worthless, she took poison from a ring, and was thereby -separated from Udo; a wretched ghost, she was doomed to wander by night -until the ring should be wet with the tears shed by an innocent maiden -in her time of danger and extreme need (Act I, No. 6). Eglantine steals -the ring from the sepulcher. She gives it to Lysiart, who shows it to -the Court, swearing that he had received it from Euryanthe, false to -Adolar. The music is also heard in part in Act III (No. 23), where -Eglantine, about to marry Lysiart, sees in the madness of sudden remorse -the ghost of Emma, and soon after reveals the treachery. - -In _Euryanthe_, as in the old story of Gérard de Nevers, in the tale -told by Boccaccio, and in _Cymbeline_, a wager is made over a woman's -chastity. In each story the boasting lover or husband is easily -persuaded to jealousy and revenge by the villain bragging of favors -granted to him. - - For these three overtures, Weber used the customary orchestration of - wood-winds in twos, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, - kettledrums, and strings.--EDITOR. - - - - - RALPH VAUGHAN - WILLIAMS - - - (Born at Down Ampney on the Borders of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, - England, on October 12, 1872) - - - - - A LONDON SYMPHONY - - - I. Lento; Allegro risoluto - II. Lento - III. Scherzo (Nocturne): Allegro vivace - IV. Andante con moto; Maestoso alla marcia - Epilogue: Andante sostenuto - -It is doubtful whether without the title and descriptive programme a -hearer, as the music was playing, would say, "Aha! London--I hear the -Thames, the roar and bustle of the streets. Now we are in foggy, dismal -Bloomsbury. Let's go to the Thames Embankment. And now we see the march -of the unemployed." No. The austere, remote Delius wrote a symphonic -poem _Paris_, which is anything but the Paris of _Louise_, and might be -Rouen, Belfast, or Terre Haute. - -A critic in London reproached Williams for introducing in this symphony -a theme too much like the notes of "Have a banana!" from a song. "We'll -All Go Down the Strand," a popular music-hall ditty in the London of -1897. Perhaps Williams did this deliberately for the sake of "local -color." - -The symphony contains pages of great worth. The first two movements are -the richest in musical thought and in powerful expression. The idea of -sleeping London is admirably brought out, and the contrast with London -awake is symphonically, not merely theatrically, dramatic. The second -movement is an excellent example of tonal painting. It seems to us that -the succeeding movements lack varied and contrasting coloring. The -"Hunger March" of the unemployed is disappointing. The subject called -for a Hector Berlioz. The epilogue is of a higher flight of imagination. -On the whole, the symphony is an important contribution to orchestral -literature, one of the most important--and they have not been many--in a -dozen years. - - * * * - -This symphony was composed in 1912-13. The first performance was at one -of F. B. Ellis's concerts in Queen's Hall, London, on March 27, 1914. -Geoffrey Toye was the conductor. On May 4, 1920, the revised version of -the symphony was brought out at Queen's Hall, London, at a concert of -the British Music Society. Albert Coates conducted. This performance was -said to be the fourth. It was also said that the symphony had been -"shortened a good deal, particularly at the closes of the movements, on -the way." - -The following description by Mr. Coates of the symphony was published in -the bulletin of the society: - -"The first movement opens at daybreak by the river. Old Father Thames -flows calm and silent under the heavy gray dawn, deep and thoughtful, -shrouded in mystery. London sleeps, and in the hushed stillness of early -morning one hears Big Ben (the Westminster chimes) solemnly strike the -half-hour. - -"Suddenly the scene changes (_allegro_); one is on the Strand in the -midst of the bustle and turmoil of morning traffic. This is London -street life of the early hours--a steady stream of foot passengers -hurrying, newspaper boys shouting, messengers whistling, and that most -typical sight of London streets, the costermonger (Coster 'Arry), -resplendent in pearl buttons, and shouting some coster song refrain at -the top of a raucous voice, returning from Covent Garden Market, seated -on his vegetable barrow drawn by the inevitable little donkey. - -"Then for a few moments one turns off the Strand into one of the quiet -little streets that lead down to the river and suddenly the noise -ceases, shut off as though by magic. We are in the part of London known -as the Adelphi. Formerly the haunt of fashionable bucks and dandies -about town, now merely old-fashioned houses and shabby old streets, -haunted principally by beggars and ragged street urchins. - -"We return to the Strand and are once again caught up by the bustle and -life of London--gay, careless, noisy, with every now and then a touch of -something fiercer, something inexorable--as though one felt for a moment -the iron hand of the great city--yet, nevertheless, full of that mixture -of good-humor, animal spirits, and sentimentality that is so -characteristic of London. - - - "Second Movement - -"In the second movement the composer paints us a picture of that region -of London which lies between Holborn and the Euston Road, known as -Bloomsbury. Dusk is falling. It is the damp and foggy twilight of a late -November day. Those who know their London know this region of melancholy -streets over which seems to brood an air of shabby gentility--a sad -dignity of having seen better days. In the gathering gloom there is -something ghostlike. A silence hangs over the neighborhood broken only -by the policeman on his beat. - -"There is tragedy, too, in Bloomsbury, for among the many streets -between Holborn and Euston there are alleys of acute poverty and worse. - -"In front of a 'pub' whose lights flare through the murky twilight -stands an old musician playing the fiddle. His tune is played in the -orchestra by the viola. In the distance the 'lavender cry' is heard: -'Sweet lavender; who'll buy sweet lavender?' Up and down the street the -cry goes, now nearer, now farther away. - -"The gloom deepens and the movement ends with the old musician still -playing his pathetic little tune. - - - "Third Movement - -"In this movement one must imagine one's self sitting late on a Saturday -night on one of the benches of the Temple Embankment (that part of the -Thames Embankment lying between the Houses of Parliament and Waterloo -Bridge). On our side of the river all is quiet, and in the silence one -hears from a distance coming from the other side of the river all the -noises of Saturday night in the slums. (The 'other' side, the south side -of the river Thames, is a vast network of very poor quarters and slums.) -On a Saturday night these slums resemble a fair; the streets are lined -with barrows, lit up by flaming torches, selling cheap fruit, -vegetables, produce of all kinds; the streets and alleys are crowded -with people. At street corners coster girls in large feather hats dance -their beloved 'double-shuffle jig' to the accompaniment of a mouth -organ. We seem to hear distant laughter; also every now and then what -sounds like cries of suffering. Suddenly a concertina breaks out above -the rest; then we hear a few bars on a hurdy-gurdy organ. All this -softened by distance, melted into one vast hum, floats across the river -to us as we sit meditating on the Temple Embankment. - -"The music changes suddenly, and one feels the Thames flowing silent, -mysterious, with a touch of tragedy. One of London's sudden fogs comes -down, making Slumland and its noises seem remote. Again, for a few bars, -we feel the Thames flowing through the night, and the picture fades into -fog and silence. - - - "Fourth Movement - -"The last movement deals almost entirely with the cruder aspect of -London, the London of the unemployed and unfortunate. After the opening -bars we hear the 'Hunger March'--a ghostly march past of those whom the -city grinds and crushes, the great army of those who are cold and hungry -and unable to get work. - -"We hear again the noise and bustle of the streets (reminiscences of the -first movement), but these now also take on the cruder aspect. There are -sharp discords in the music. This is London as seen by the man who is -'out and under.' The man 'out of a job' who watches the other man go -whistling to his work, the man who is starving, watching the other man -eat--and the cheerful, bustling picture of gay street life becomes -distorted, a nightmare seen by the eyes of suffering. - -"The music ends abruptly, and in the short silence that follows one -again hears Big Ben chiming from Westminster Tower. - -"There follows the epilogue, in which we seem to feel the great, deep -soul of London--London as a whole, vast and unfathomable--and the -symphony ends as it began, with the river, old Father Thames flowing -calm and silent, as he has flowed through the ages, the keeper of many -secrets, shrouded in mystery." - -And yet the composer has been quoted as saying: - -"The title might run _A Symphony by a Londoner_--that is to say, various -sights and sounds of London may have influenced the composer, but it -would not be helpful to describe these. The work must succeed or fail as -music, and in no other way. Therefore, if the hearers recognize a few -suggestions of such things as the Westminster chimes, or the lavender -cry, these must be treated as accidents and not essentials of the -music." - -The symphony is dedicated "to the memory of George Butterworth," a young -composer of great promise, Lieutenant of the Durham Light Infantry, who -was killed on August 5, 1916, "after successfully taking an enemy trench -at the head of a bombing party." It is scored for these instruments: -three flutes (and piccolo), two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass -clarinet, two bassoons, double bassoon, four horns, two trumpets, two -_cornets-à-pistons_, three trombones, bass tuba, a set of three -kettledrums, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, jingles (the -little cymbals, or plates, fixed in the wooden hoop of a tambourine), -tam-tam, glockenspiel, two harps, and strings. - - - - - FOOTNOTES - - -[1]Translation into English by Charles Sanford Terry: _Bach: A - Biography_, London, 1928. - -[2]C. H. H. Parry: _Johann Sebastian Bach_, 1909. - -[3]Hector Berlioz: _À travers champs_, 1862. - -[4]Michel Brenet (Marie Bobillier): _Histoire de la Symphonie à - l'orchestre_. - -[5]Alexander von Ulibichev: _Beethoven, ses critiques, et ses - glossateurs_, 1857. - -[6]Heinrich Reimann: _Musikalische Rückblicke_. - -[7]English translation by Ignatz Moscheles, 1841. - -[8]Paul Bekker: _Beethoven_, translated by M. M. Bozman, 1925. - -[9]Vincent d'Indy: _Beethoven, a Critical Biography_, 1911; translated - by Dr. Theodore Baker, 1913. - -[10]J. G. Prod'homme _Les Symphonies de Beethoven_, 1906. - -[11]A. W. Thayer: "_Ludwig van Beethoven's Leben_," 1866-79; revision in - English by H. E. Krehbiel. - -[12]William Foster Apthorp. - -[13]Adolf Boschot: _La jeunesse d'un romantique_, 1906. - -[14]Julien Tiersot: _Hector Berlioz et la société de son temps_, 1904. - -[15]Ernest Legouvé: _Soixante Ans de Souvenirs_, 1886. - -[16]The year 1834 has been generally accepted as the year of Borodin's - birth. M. D. Calvocoressi (in the _London Musical Times_, June, - 1934) reported that Serge Dianin had examined the church registers - in Leningrad, and other documents which proved the date to have been - October 31 (November 12), 1833, not 1834. "Borodin himself knew this - quite well until October 31, 1873, when he wrote to his wife: 'Today - is my fortieth birthday.' But on that very day an old servant of his - mother, Catherine Beltzman by name, assured him that he was - thirty-nine years old, not forty. Borodin was delighted, and never - troubled to verify the information."--EDITOR. - -[17]Walter Niemann: _Brahms_, 1920; translated by C. A. Phillips, 1929. - -[18]Richard Specht: _Johannes Brahms_, translated by Eric Blom, 1930. - -[19]See Kalbeck's _Brahms_, Vol. III, Part II, pp. 384-85, Berlin, 1912. - -[20]Heinrich Reimann: _Johannes Brahms_, 1930. - -[21]Dr. Hermann Dieters: _Johannes Brahms_, a biographical sketch, - translated by Rosa Newmarch, 1888. - -[22]_Programme Book_ of the Symphony Concert of the Royal Orchestra of - Dresden, December 13, 1907. - -[23]Louis Laloy: _Claude Debussy_, 1909. - -[24]_Lettres de Claude Debussy à son éditeur_; published by Jacques - Durand, 1927. - -[25]Robert J. Buckley: _Sir Edward Elgar_, 1904. - -[26]D. G. Mason: _Contemporary Composers_, 1918. - -[27]Ernest Newman: _Elgar_, 1906. - -[28]Vincent d'Indy: _César Franck_, 1906; translated by Rosa Newmarch, - 1929. - -[29]John F. Runciman: _Old Scores and New Readings_, 1899. - -[30]Romain Rolland: _Handel_, 1910; translated by A. E. Hull, 1916. - -[31]Victor Schoelcher: _The Life of Handel_, 1857. - -[32]C. F. Pohl: _Josef Haydn_, 1875, 1882. - -[33]Michel Brenet (Marie Bobillier): _Haydn_, 1909; English translation, - 1926. - -[34]This year was given by the composer. The Catalogue of the Paris - Conservatory gives 1851, the year also given by Adolphe Jullien.--P. - H. - -[35]_Le Guide musical_, May, 1904. - -[36]Lina Ramann: _Franz Liszt als Künstler und Mensch_, 1880; translated - by E. Cowdrey, 1882. - -[37]Ernest Newman: "Faust in Music," in _Musical Studies_. - -[38]Wilhelm Adolf Lampadius: _Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy_, 1848; - translated by W. L. Gage, 1866. - -[39]Michael Kelly: _Reminiscences_, 1826; written by Theodore Hook, from - material furnished by Kelly. - -[40]Lorenzo da Ponte: _Memoirs_, translated by Elizabeth Abbott, 1929. - -[41]Felix Borowski, Chicago Orchestra Programme. - -[42] - - "_Grammarian, painter, augur, rhetorician, - Rope-dancer, conjuror, fiddler, and physician, - All trades his own, your hungry Greekling counts; - And bid him mount the sky--the sky he mounts!_" - Gifford's Translation. - - Compare Dr. Johnson's lines: - - _All sciences the hungry Monsieur knows, - And bid him go to hell--to hell he goes!_ - -[43]See _Johann Herbeck_, by L. Herbeck, Vienna, 1885, page 165. - -[44]The _Unfinished_ symphony has the same orchestration.--EDITOR. - -[45]Paul Rosenfeld: _Musical Portraits_, 1920. - -[46]Philip H. Goepp. - -[47]_Sibelius_, by Cecil Gray, London, 1931. - -[48]Lawrence Gilman, Philadelphia Orchestra Programme Notes. - -[49]Quotations from the novel itself are here taken from the translation - into English by Thos. Shelton (1612-20.) - -[50]M. Montagu-Nathan: _Contemporary Russian Composers_, 1917. - -[51]John F. Runciman: _Richard Wagner, Composer of Operas_, 1913. - -[52]William J. Henderson: _Richard Wagner, His Life and His Works_, - 1901. - - - - - INDEX - - - A - _Afternoon of a Faun_ (Debussy), 119-22. - _Also Sprach Zarathustra_ (Strauss), 313, 316-19, 330. - Altschuler, Modeste, 288-89. - _Amor Brujo, El_ (_Love, the Sorcerer_), de Falla, 140-42. - Apthorp, William F., 52, 77, 78-79, 171, 178, 281, 311, 350, 380. - - - B - Bach, Johann Sebastian, 2-6, 151. - The Brandenburg Concertos, 2-3. - The Concertos for Pianoforte, 4-5. - The Orchestral Suites, 5-6. - Balakirev, M., 207. - Baudelaire, P. C., 122. - Beaumarchais, P. A., 217. - Beethoven, Ludwig van, 7-55, 102, 112-13, 154. - Symphony No. 1, 7-10. - Symphony No. 2, 10-13. - Symphony No. 3, 13-17. - Symphony No. 4, 18-22. - Symphony No. 5, 19-20, 22-26. - Symphony No. 6, 26-29. - Symphony No. 7, 29-33, 36. - Symphony No. 8, 34-37, 109. - Symphony No. 9, 38-44. - Overture to _Leonore No. 3_, 44-47. - Overture to _Egmont_, 47-49. - Overture to _Coriolanus_, 49-57. - Piano Concerto No. 4, 51-52. - Piano Concerto No. 5, 52-54. - Violin Concerto, 54-55. - _Fidelio_, 19, 45. - _Wellington's Victory_, 30, 32. - Bekker, Paul, 15. - Berlioz, Hector, 8, 12-13, 20-22, 23-26, 56-65, 175, 254, 390. - _Symphonie Fantastique_, 56, 57-64, 92. - Overture, _The Roman Carnival_, 64-65. - Blake, William, 263. - Bloch, Ernest (_Schelomo_), 66-69. - Blom, Eric, 71. - Boito, Arrigo, 175. - _Bolero_ (Ravel), 170, 239-40. - Borodin, Alexander (Symphony No. 2), 70-74. - Borowski, Felix, 136. - Boschot, Adolphe, 60. - Boucher, Maurice, 170. - Brahms, Johannes, 75-99, 100, 113. - Symphony No. 1, 77-80. - Symphony No. 2, 80-83. - Symphony No. 3, 83-85. - Symphony No. 4, 86-88. - Haydn Variations, 88-90. - Tragic overture, 90-91. - Academic overture, 91-94. - Piano Concerto No. 1, 94-95. - Piano Concerto No. 2, 95-97. - Violin Concerto, 97-99. - Brenet, Michel (Marie Bobillier), 9, 159. - Bruckner, Anton, 100-13. - Symphony No. 7, 102-06. - Symphony No. 8, 106-11. - Bruneau, Alfred, 123. - Buckley, R. J., 137. - Bülow, Hans von, 81, 182, 254, 311, 356. - Burke, Harry R., 141. - - - C - Calvocoressi, M. D., 167. - Canudo, Ricciotto, 38-39. - _Caprice on Spanish Themes_ (Rimsky-Korsakov), 250-52. - Carpenter, J. A. (_Adventures in a Perambulator_), 114-17. - Cervantes, Miguel de, 320-27. - Cherubini, Luigi, 63. - _Clouds_ (Debussy), 122-24. - Coates, Albert, 390. - Cocteau, Jean, 27. - - - D - _Daphnis et Chloe_, Suite No. 2 (Ravel), 237-38. - David, Ferdinand, 203. - _Death and Transfiguration_ (Strauss), 310-13. - Debussy, Claude, 34, 118-29. - _Afternoon of a Faun_, 119-22. - _Nocturnes_, 122-24. - _La Mer_, 124-26. - _Iberia_, 127-29. - De Quincey, Thomas, 22, 35, 242. - Diaghilev, Serge de, 143, 237, 331-33. - Dieters, Dr. Hermann, 91. - _Don Juan_ (Strauss), 308-10, 313. - _Don Quixote_ (Strauss), 313, 320-27, 330. - Dvorák, Anton, 130-34. - Symphony No. 5 (_From the New World_), 130-34. - Dwight, John S., 1, 79-80. - - - E - Elgar, Edward (_Enigma_ Variations), 135-39. - _Euryanthe_ overture (Weber), 385-88. - Evans, Edwin, 337. - - - F - Falla, Manuel de, 140-44. - _El Amor Brujo_ (_Love the Sorcerer_), 140-42. - _El Sombrero de Tres Picos_ (_The Three-cornered Hat_), - 142-44. - _Faust_ (Goethe), 25. - _Faust_ symphony (Liszt), 175-80. - _Festivals_ (Debussy), 122-24. - _Fidelio_ (Beethoven), 19, 45. - _Figaro_ overture (Mozart), 217-19. - _Fingal's Cave_ (_Hebrides_) overture (Mendelssohn), 201-03. - _Finlandia_ (Sibelius), 302-04. - _Fire-Bird_ (Stravinsky), 331-33. - _Fliegende Holländer_ overture (Wagner), 366-67. - Fokine, Michel, 237. - Franck, César (Symphony), 102, 145-49, 167. - _Freischütz, Der_, overture (Weber), 382-85. - - - G - Gatti, Guido M., 68. - Gilman, Lawrence, 301-02. - Gluck, C. W. von, 150, 214, 310. - Goepp, Philip H., 294. - Goethe, J. W. von, 25, 48, 175-80, 309. - Goldmark, Carl, 96. - Gray, Cecil, 136, 295, 299. - Grove, Sir George, 197, 264. - - - H - Habeneck, F. A., 65. - Handel, G. F. (Twelve Concerti Grossi), 150-53. - Hanslick, Edouard, 84-5, 100-01, 108, 113, 183, 359-60. - Haydn, F. J., 154-60. - Symphony No. 88, 158-60. - Symphony No. 94, 157-58. - Symphony No. 104, 155-57. - Hazlitt, William, 210. - _Hebrides_ (_Fingal's Cave_) overture (Mendelssohn), 201-03. - _Heldenleben, Ein_ (Strauss), 13, 313, 327-30. - Henderson, W. J., 298, 378. - Herodotus, 227. - Hindemith, Paul (_Konzertmusik_), 161-63. - Hoffmann, E. T. A., 211. - Honegger, Arthur (_Pacific 231_), 164-65. - Hugo, Victor, 181, 287. - Huneker, James, 146. - - - I - _Iberia_ (Debussy), 127-29. - _Images_ (Debussy), 127-29. - _Indian Suite_ (MacDowell), 186-88. - d'Indy, Vincent, 17, 27-8, 34, 102, 147-49, 166-72. - Symphony No. 2, 166-69. - _Istar_ variations, 170-72. - - - J - Jean-Aubry, G., 141. - Joachim, J., 84, 94, 97. - "_Jupiter_" symphony (Mozart), 277. - - - K - Kalbeck, Max, 85, 93, 98. - Kelly, Michael, 215-16, 218-19. - Koechlin, Charles, 120. - Krehbiel, Henry E., 259-60, 314. - Kretzschmar, A. F. H., 151. - - - L - Laforgue, Jules, 209, 234. - Lalo, Édouard, 149. - Laloy, Louis, 121. - Lamartine, A. M. L., 181. - Landowska, Wanda, 1. - Lampadius, W. A., 197. - Legouvé, Ernest, 64. - Lenau, Nicolaus, 308-10. - Liszt, Franz, 173-83, 207, 254, 258, 271, 368-69, 370. - _Faust_ symphony, 175-80. - _Les Préludes_, symphonic poem, 181-82. - Piano Concerto No. 1, 182-83. - Loeffler, C. M. (_A Pagan Poem_), 184-85. - _Lohengrin_ prelude (Wagner), 368-69. - _London Symphony_ (Vaughan Williams), 389-93. - _Love the Sorcerer_ (_El Amor Brujo_) (de Falla), 140-42. - - - M - MacDowell, Edward (_Indian Suite_), 186-88. - Machabey, A., 162. - _Magic Flute, The_, overture (Mozart), 219-21. - Mahler, Gustav, 189-94. - The Symphonies, 190-92. - Symphony No. 5, 192-94. - _Ma Mère l'Oye_ (_Mother Goose_) suite (Ravel), 234-36. - Mason, D. G., 139. - May, Florence, 86, 97-98. - _Meistersinger, Die_, prelude (Wagner), 113, 371-73. - Mendelssohn, Felix, 80, 195-205, 268, 285, 378. - "_Italian_" symphony, 195-99. - Incidental music, _Midsummer Night's Dream_, 199-201. - _Hebrides_ overture, 201-03. - Violin concerto, 203-05. - _Mer, La_ (Debussy), 124-26. - Montagu-Nathan, 332, 334. - _Mother Goose_ (_Ma Mère l'Oye_) Suite (Ravel), 234-36. - Moussorgsky, Modeste, 118, 206-08. - _Night on Bald Mountain_, 206-08. - Mozart, W. A., 154, 209-24, 263. - Symphonies (E flat, G minor, C major--"_Jupiter_"), 211-17. - Overture to _Figaro_, 217-19. - Overture to _The Magic Flute_, 219-21. - Violin concertos, 221-22. - - - N - Napoleon Bonaparte, 14. - Newman, Ernest, 139, 179, 243, 346. - Newmarch, Rosa, 304, 306-07, 347. - Niemann, Walter, 75, 78, 80. - Nietzsche, Friedrich, 316-19. - _Night on Bald Mountain_ (Moussorgsky), 206-08. - Nijinsky, Vaslav, 237, 333, 336. - Nikisch, Arthur, 47. - Nocturnes (Debussy), 122-24. - - - O - _Oberon_ overture (Weber), 381-82. - _Oiseau de Feu, L'_ (Stravinsky), 331-33. - - - P - _Pagan Poem_ (Loeffler), 184-85. - Parry, C. H. H., 4. - _Parsifal_ (Wagner), 298, 376-79. - Péladan, Joséphin, 76. - _Pelléas et Mélisande_ (Debussy), 119. - _Petrouchka_ (Stravinsky), 333-35. - _Pines of Rome_ (Respighi), 241-43. - Plotinus, 124. - Poe, Edgar Allan, 129. - _Poème de l'Extase, Le_ (Scriabin), 287-91. - Pohl, C. F., 88, 158. - Ponte, Lorenzo da, 218. - _Preludes, The_ (Liszt), 181-82. - Prod'homme, J. G., 33. - Prokofieff, Serge, 225-28. - Scythian suite, 225-27. - _Classical_ symphony, 227-28. - - - R - Rachmaninoff, Sergei, 229-33. - Symphony No. 2, 229-31. - Piano Concerto No. 2, 232-33. - _Radiant Night_ (_Verklärte Nacht_) (Schoenberg), 259-60. - Raff, J. J., 230. - Ramann, Lina, 175, 178, 181. - Ravel, Maurice, 234-40. - _Ma Mère l'Oye_, Suite, 234-36. - _Daphnis et Chloe_, Suite No. 2, 237-38. - _Bolero_, 170, 239-40. - Reichert, Johannes, 106. - Reimann, Heinrich, 9, 87, 91. - Respighi, Otterino (_Pines of Rome_), 241-43. - Richter, Hans, 84, 113, 136. - _Rienzi_, overture (Wagner), 365-66. - Ries, Ferdinand, 15. - Rimsky-Korsakov, N., 206, 244-52. - _Scheherazade_ suite, 244-50. - _Caprice on Spanish Themes_, 250-52. - _Rite of Spring, The_ (Stravinsky), 336-38. - Ritter, William, 133. - Rolland, Romain, 56, 151, 152-53, 328. - _Romeo and Juliet_ overture-fantasia (Tchaikovsky), 354-55. - Rosenfeld, Paul, 294, 295. - Rossini, Giacomo, 34, 41. - Rubinstein, Nicholas, 356-58. - Runciman, J. F., 150. - - - S - _Sacre du Printemps, Le_ (Stravinsky), 336-38. - Saint-Saëns, C., 149, 223-24. - Symphony No. 3, 253-58. - Salomon, J., 154-55. - _Scheherazade_ suite (Rimsky-Korsakov), 244-50. - Schindler, Anton, 14, 42. - Schoelcher, Victor, 152. - Schoenberg, Arnold (_Verklärte Nacht_), 259-60. - Schubert, Franz, 132, 261-69. - Symphony No. 8 ("_Unfinished_"), 264-67. - Symphony No. 7, 267-69. - Schumann, Clara, 78, 81, 88, 95, 272, 273, 274, 279, 282, 286. - Schumann, Robert, 78, 94, 268, 270-87. - Symphony No. 1, 272-75. - Symphony No. 2, 275-78. - Symphony No. 3, 278-81. - Symphony No. 4, 282-85. - Piano Concerto, 285-87. - Schweitzer, Dr. Albert, 5. - Scriabin, Alexander (_Le Poème de l'Extase_), 287-91. - Scythian suite (Prokofieff), 225-27. - Shakespeare, William, 22, 24, 49, 60, 199, 354. - Sibelius, Jean, 292-307. - Symphony No. 1, 292-95. - Symphony No. 2, 295-97. - Symphony No. 4, 298-99. - Symphony No. 5, 300-01. - Symphony No. 7, 301-03. - _Finlandia_, 302-04. - _Swan of Tuonela_, 305-07. - _Siegfried Idyl_ (Wagner), 373-75. - Sierra, Martinez, 140. - Siloti, Alexander, 353. - _Sirens_ (Debussy), 122-24. - _Sombrero de Tres Picos, El_ (_The Three-cornered Hat_), (de - Falla), 142-44. - Specht, Richard, 79, 82-83, 97. - Stassov, Vladimir, 73, 208, 246, 344. - Steinitzer, Max, 321. - Strangways, Fox, 299. - Strauss, Richard, 190-91, 308-30. - _Don Juan_, 308-10, 313, 330. - _Tod und Verklärung_, 310-13, 330. - _Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks_, 313-15, 330. - _Also Sprach Zarathustra_, 313, 316-19, 330. - _Don Quixote_, 313, 320-27, 330. - _Ein Heldenleben_, 13, 313, 327-30. - Stravinsky, Igor, 331-38. - _L'Oiseau de Feu_, 331-33. - _Petrouchka_, 333-35. - _Sacre du Printemps_, Le, 336-38. - _Swan of Tuonela_ (Sibelius), 305-07. - - - T - _Tannhäuser_ Overture (Wagner), 85 137, 367-68. - Taylor, Deems (_Through the Looking Glass_ suite), 339-42. - Tchaikovsky, Peter, 71, 250, 343-62. - Symphony No. 4, 344-46. - Symphony No. 5, 346-50. - Symphony No. 6, 92, 147, 350-54. - _Romeo and Juliet_ overture-fantasia, 354-55. - Concerto for Piano No. 1, 356-59. - Concerto for Violin, 359-62. - Thayer, A. W., 14, 37, 42. - Thomas, Theodore, 368. - _Three-cornered Hat, The_ (_El Sombrero de Tres Picos_) (de - Falla), 142-44. - _Through the Looking Glass_ suite (Taylor), 339-42. - _Thus Spake Zarathustra_ (Strauss), 313, 316-19, 330. - Tiersot, Julien, 63. - _Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks_ (Strauss), 313-15, 330. - _Tod und Verklärung_ (Strauss), 310-13. - _Tristan und Isolde_ prelude and _Liebestod_ (Wagner), 370-71. - Turina, Joaquin, 143. - - - U - Ulibichev, Alexander von, 9. - - - V - Vechten, Carl Van, 337. - _Verklärte Nacht_ (_Radiant Night_) (Schoenberg), 259-60. - Virgil, 184. - - - W - Wagner, Richard, 85, 100, 103, 110, 113, 137, 173, 298, 363-79. - _Rienzi_ overture, 365-66. - _Fliegende Holländer_ overture, 366-67. - _Tannhäuser_ overture, 85, 137, 367-68. - _Lohengrin_ prelude, 368-69. - _Tristan und Isolde_ prelude and _Liebestod_, 370-71. - _Die Meistersinger_ prelude, 113, 371-73. - _A Siegfried Idyl_, 373-75. - _Ride of the Valkyries_, 375-76. - _Parsifal_ prelude, 376-79. - _Parsifal_, Good Friday Spell, 379. - Weber, Carl Maria von, 380-88. - _Oberon_ overture, 381-82. - _Der Freischütz_ overture, 382-85. - _Euryanthe_ overture, 385-88. - Weingartner, Felix, 42, 56, 81, 272, 282. - Weissmann, Adolf, 162. - _Wellington's Victory_ (Beethoven), 30, 32. - Whitman, Walt, 262-63. - Williams, Ralph Vaughan (_A London Symphony_), 389-93. - Wolf, Hugo, 112. - Wolff, Werner, 111. - Wüllner, Franz, 47, 84, 315. - - [Illustration: Endpapers] - - - - - Transcriber's Notes - - ---Retained copyright information from the printed edition: this eBook is - public-domain in the country of publication. - ---Silently corrected a few palpable typos. - ---In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by - _underscores_. - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Philip Hale's Boston Symphony -Programme Notes, by Philip Hale - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HALE'S BOSTON SYMPHONY NOTES *** - -***** This file should be named 56208-8.txt or 56208-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/6/2/0/56208/ - -Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Dave Morgan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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