Making friends with music

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MAKING FRIENDS WITH MUSIC

A thesis Presented to The Faculty of the School of Music University of Southern California

in Partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Music

by William Coleman Hartshorn June, 1942

UMI Number: EP61759

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u n d e r the d i r e c t i o n of h Faculty Com mittee, a n d a p p r o v e d b y a l l its m e m b e r s , h a s b e e n p r e s e n t e d to a n d a c c e p t e d b y the C o u n c i l on G r a d u a t e S t u d y a n d R e s e a r c h in p a r t i a l f u l f i l l ­ m e n t of the r e q u ir e m e n ts f o r the d e g r e e of

MASTER OF MUSIC

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Secretary D a te

F a cu lty C o m m ittee

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M A K IN G FRIENDS W ITH M U SIC

PRELUDE Bi WILLIAM C. H A R T SH O R N A s s is ta n t S u p er v iso r o f M u s ic , P u b lic S c h o o ls , L o s A n g e le s , C a lifo r n ia In stru ctor in M u s ic E d u c a tio n , T h e U n iv e r sity o f S o u th e r n C a lifo r n ia

am

H ELEN S. LEAVITT D ir e c to r o f M u s ic , T h e W h e e lo c k S c h o o l, B o sto n , M a ss a c h u se tts Instructor in M u s ic A p p r e c ia tio n , B o sto n U n iv e r sity

G IN N A N D C O M PA N Y B O S T O N • N E W Y O R K • C H IC A G O • L O N D O N • A T L A N T A • D A L L A S • C O L U M B U S

S A N F R A N C IS C O

C O P Y R IG H T , 1940, B Y G IN N A N D C O M P A N Y A L L R IG H T S R E S E R V E D

340.3

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors wish to thank the group of educators and musicians who, either through research or by constructive suggestions, have contributed to the musical value of this book. Acknowledgment is due for the use of themes from the following com positions: Sir Edward Elgar’s "Pom p and Circumstance N o. 4,” reproduced by special permission of the copyright owners, Boosey & Hawkes Ltd. and their agent, Boosey Hawkes Bel win, Inc. London Suite by Eric Coates, used by permission of th e composer and o f the publishers, Chappell & Co., Ltd., London. "Procession of the Sardar” and " In the Village” by M . Ippolitov-Ivanov and "Marguerite, Album L eaf” by Sergei Rachmaninov, used by permission of the publisher, Carl Fischer, Inc. Der Rosenkavalier, by Richard Strauss, reprinted by permission; copyright 1911 and 1938 by Fiirstner Ltd., London; sole agents for U. S. A., Galaxy Music Corporation, N ew York. "Fugato on a Well-Known Them e,” used by permission of the composer, Robert McBride. Acknowledgment is also due for permission to use the poem "Rom any G old” from Hearts Awake by Amelia Josephine Burr, copyright 1919 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Mr. Vahe Aslanian for provid­ ing the historical background and the words and music of "Zeitun March,” and to Christine Turner Curtis for translations of the poems in A SONG PR O G R A M ; also to the Board of Education of Los Angeles for the photograph on the inside cover page.

t Kft e a t h e n a e u m

-prea*

G IN N A N D C O M P A N Y • P R O ­ P R IE T O R S • B O ST O N • U .S .A .

FOREWORD

H ave you ever stopped to think how m uch m usic there is in the world?

From the beginning nature has given us her share of it w ith bird songs, the noise of insects, the whistling or sighing of the wind, the regular beating or " swish ” of the waves, the numberless other sounds which we can hear in the great out-of-doors. F or m any years also m an has composed music, has cultivated a beautiful singing voice, and has developed musical instrum ents to produce unusual artistic effects beyond the power of the hum an voice. Now m odern invention has stepped into the picture and m ade it possible for us to hear all kinds of music any tim e and anywhere. N o t so long ago, people who wished to hear music of one kind or another h ad to go to public auditorium s where the music would be presented. This m eant buying tickets far ahead. I t also m eant th a t only a lim ited num ber of people could hear these concert program s, for the size of the audience depended upon th e size of the auditorium and the price of the tickets. T oday tickets still are sold some weeks in advance for operas, for sym ­ phony concerts, dr for recitals by well-known artists. B u t these and m any other m usical program s now m ay be heard by alm ost everyone in all p a rts of the world. F or th e nineteenth century w ith its inventions has brought us new privi­ leges, and you and I, by the tu rn of a dial, can bring all kinds of program s right into our homes or even into our automobiles. D istance m akes little difference, and music played in C alifornia can be heard in M assachusetts as easily as though the two states were next door to each other. M usic of all kinds, from the latest song hits to grand opera, from popular dance music to the sym phony, is ours if we care to listen. We can hear catchy tunes and rh y th m s th a t simply m ake us "k e ep tim e ," w hether we intend to or not. W e m ay not realize it, b u t in listening to all these num erous kinds of music we are gaining some ability in discovering different things which m ake cer­ tain compositions more pleasing th an others. For example, one of the popu­ lar orchestras or bands plays a piece of music th a t we like, and all of a sudden we find ourselves m oving either hands or feet, or both. N o one has to tell us w hether th e m usic swings in twos or threes. We ca n feel it w ithout being told. We can recognize the rhythm, even though we m ay not know th e definition for it.

IV

M aking F rien d s w ith M u sic • P relu d e

Or m aybe we go to th e movies, and the next thing we know we are whistling or hum m ing some of the tunes which we heard as we w atched the picture. So we find th a t we can recognize melodies as well as r h y th m ; and these are two very im p o rtan t things in music. Once in a while we hear a fam iliar tune, b u t there seems to be som ething strange about it. In this case, it m ay be the com bination of sounds — the harmony —■th a t a ttra c ts our notice. I t is as though some friend appeared all dressed up in different and ra th e r unusual clothes. T he style of dress m akes quite a change in his appearance, and we probably exclaim, "W h y , I d id n 't recognize you a t first." This is because composers tak e tunes which we have heard over and over again and dress them up w ith new chords and harmonies, and sometimes the music sounds m uch b etter th an it did in the first place. Sometimes it doesn't. A t any rate, our ears let us know th a t these changes have been m ade, and so we develop the ability to recognize different effects in harmony. This all am ounts to one thing. We really know m uch more about music th a n we th in k we do. So it is a very easy m a tte r to use the knowledge which has come to us n atu rally through hearing a great deal of music and apply it to th e different compositions which are presented on th e following pages.

CONTENTS 1. PARADE MUSIC EAST AND W EST Pom p and Circumstance N o. 4 Procession of the Sardar

(Page 3)

S ir Edward Elgar M ichael Ippolitov-Ivanov

2. MUSIC PICTURES OF THREE COUNTRIES Norwegian D ance N o. 2 Espana In the Village

4 8

(Page 13)

Edvard Grieg A lexis Emmanuel Chabrier M ichael Ippolitov-Ivanov

3. STORIES IN MUSIC AND DANCE

14 19 21

(Page 25)

E ntr’acte and Valse from the B allet CoppSlia CUment Leo Delibes B allet M usic from Faust Charles Frangois Gounod

27 29

4. DANCES N E W AN D OLD • (Page 54) Selected W altzes from Der Rosenkavalier Four German D ances

Richard Strauss Wolfgang Am adeus M ozart

5. A MUSIC STORY IN EIGHT CHAPTERS Nutcracker Suite

(Page

34 37

41)

Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky

6. SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY MUSIC THAT STILL LIVES Suite

(Page 50)

H enry Purcell

50

7. MUSIC A N D FA1RV TALES • (Page 55) Overture to H ansel and Gretel Scherzo from A M idsum m er N ight9s Dream

Engelbert H um perdinck Felix M endelssohn-Bartholdy

55 61

8. EXCURSIONS INTO GREAT MUSIC • (Page 66) A llegretto from Sym phony No. 8 M inuet from Sym phony No. 13, in G M ajor

9. London Suite

Ludwig van Beethoven Franz Joseph H aydn

SIGHT-SEEING THROUGH MUSIC E ric Coates

66 71

(Page

76)

M ak in g F rien d s w ith M usic • P relu d e

vi

10. MUSIC THAT IMITATES ITSELF Fugato on a W ell-K now n Them e The C at’s Fugue Organ Fugue in G M inor

11. A SONG PROGRAM

(Page

84)

Robert Guyn M cB ride Domenico Scarlatti Johann Sebastian Bach

(Page

Lullaby T he Vain Suit T o th e N ightingale Lovers of E very D escription

85 88 91

94)

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms Franz Schubert Franz Schubert

12. TW O MUSICAL SKETCHES FROM RUSSIA Humoresque Album Leaf

94 94 99 99

(P a g e 103)

Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky Sergei Rachmaninov

13. RHYTHMIC MELODIES

(Page

Tales from the Vienna W oods Irish W asherwoman Blue D anube W altz

14. MORE OPERA MUSIC

103 105

108)

Johann Strauss Arranged by Leo Sowerby Johann Strauss

(Page

Folk Song from Hansel and Gretel Sandm an’s L ullaby from Hansel and Gretel E vening Prayer from H dnsel and Gretel / Overture to The M arriage of Figaro

M oto Perpetuo Air and G avotte from Orchestral Suite No. 3 , in D M ajor

16. THE CONDUCTOR’S SCORE

117)

Engelbert Engelbert Engelbert Wolfgang

15. MUSIC OF LONG AGO • (Page

108 110 113

H um perdinck H um perdinck H um perdinck Amadeus M ozart

117 118 118 119

123) 123 124

Nicold P aganini Johann Sebastian Bach

(Page

129)

DIAGRAM OF COMPOSERS REPRESENTED IN THIS BOOK (Page 154) 17. MUSICAL W ORDS A N D EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED * (Page

155)

M A K IN G FRIEN D S W IT H M USIC

PRELUDE

n

W h e n you go to the movies do you p ay m uch atten tio n

to the m usic? D o you rem em ber the special phrase of music th a t introduces the news reel? H ave you ever seen people m ake some m otion in tim e to the music ? Alm ost everyone who is asked a question such as "H o w do you listen to m u sic?” will answer, " W ith m y ears.” B u t there is more to it th an ju st hearing. In a m otion picture or an opera the music is closely connected w ith th e action on the screen or stage. So in listening to such music we m ust use our eyes as well as our ears. T o carry this point one step further, m any people, when th ey listen to someone playing the piano or some other in­ strum ent, like to sit near enough so th a t th ey can w atch th e action of the hands of th e person who is playing. D r. Sigmund S paeth (spath), in his book The Common Sense of M usic, says th a t a large num ber of persons "liste n w ith their feet.” H e m eans th a t the accents in th e music are so plain th a t there is a n atu ra l desire to "k e ep tim e ” w ith th em by some m otion of the body. Because the rh y th m arouses this desire for physical action, the music seems to be more in terest­ ing and attractiv e. RHYTHM

PARADE MUSIC EAST AND WEST

Quite likely a t some tim e or other each one of us has listened to music which has suggested som ething we m ight do. We have heard m usic to which we could skip, run, m arch, sway, or even m ake up dance steps. A lthough " I ’ve got rh y th m ” m ay be looked upon as a slang expression, still it is tru e of alm ost everybody. R h y th m is in nearly everything. If th e h eart does not b eat in its proper rh y th m we see a doctor. D ay follows night in rhythm ic order. Success in sports is often due to th e rhythm ic action of the athlete. Slow-motion pictures show us the high degree of rh y th m developed by a tennis player, a track star, or a diver, or reveal th e rhythm ic tim ing of the backfield shift (m ovem ents of the players) of a football team . H istory tells us th a t rh y th m came before m elody (or tune, as some people call it), and th e dance before the song. I t is interesting to read how people who lived in very early tim es hollowed out logs or fastened pieces of wood together and covered them w ith skins. In beating upon these hom em ade instrum ents th ey discovered th a t the beats had various effects on the feelings of the people, as well as on their actions, and th a t even a sound of rhythm ic beats produced a sense of pleasure. 3

M aking F rien d s w ith M u sic • P relu d e

P robably one reason why we enjoy w atching a parade is th a t we like to hear the rhythm ic music of the bands. W hen they come w ithin hearing distance we begin to keep tim e to their music in some visible way, and even hum or whistle th e tune if it is fam iliar or easy to catch. W hen a composer joins a lively rh y th m w ith a pleasing m elody and interesting harm ony, his music is likely to rem ain popular for a long tim e, for people seldom tire of such a com bination. P o m p a n d C irc u m s ta n c e N o . 4

[V. R. g 525 b

S ir E dw ard E lgar (1857-1934), English composer. Living in A m erica at the same tim e: K a t h a r in e L e e B a t e s .

U nder the title of Pom p and Circumstance Sir E dw ard E lgar (el'gar) wrote a set of six m ilitary m arches. Only four of them have become generally known. T hey are all very dignified and suggest the idea of a royal proces­ sion, w ith all th e m ilitary show th a t people like to see in times of peace. I t is said th a t the composer received the idea of the title Pomp and Cir­ cumstance from an English play by W illiam Shakespeare (shak'sper), called Othello (o-thel'o). In A ct I I I the hero, Othello, makes a farewell speech which closes w ith these words : Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump, The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife, The royal banner; and all quality, Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war. W hen we repeat paragraphs from plays or verses from poems we often find words which are unusual and not in our vocabulary. So it m ay be necessary to look up th e m eaning of some of the words in these lines from Othello in order to understand just w hat Shakespeare m eant. T he first in this set of six m ilitary m arches is familiar to everyone. W hen th e composer was asked to w rite an ode (a short poem suited to be set to music) for the crowning of K ing E dw ard V II of England, he used the trio, or m iddle section, of this m arch for the final chorus. I t is an ar­ rangem ent for voices and orchestra, w ith words w ritten especially for the occasion by A rth u r C hristopher Benson. " L a n d of Hope and G lo ry ” is the title of the chorus, and since the tim e of the royal ceremony it has been widely sung both in E ngland and abroad. "P o m p and Circum stance No. 4 ” is similar to the popular "N o . 1 ” in th e strength of its melodies and its brilliant parade of instrum ents. I t was th e last of the four m arches to be given a public performance, and the other m arches, "N o . 5 ” and "N o . 6,” are still unknown.

P arade M u sic E ast a n d W est

As a m o tto for this set of m arches Sir E dw ard E lgar has p u t on his original copy (this is commonly called the score) some lines by Lord de T alby, an English au th o r : I hear the nation march Beneath her ensign as an eagle’s wing; Moving to victory with solemn noise, With worship and with conquest And the voice of myriads. THE MUSIC This m arch is w ritten for full orchestra. A lthough everyone knows w hat an orchestra is, th e term fu ll orchestra is used when the group of players is complete and all the instrum ents belonging to each of the sections, strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion, are present. A description of the instru ­ m ents of the orchestra is given on page 141. I t seems as though the com­ poser enjoyed m aking even a m ilitary m arch an im portant composition, for he used all the instrum ents to express the show, eagerness, and life which belong to a m ilitary parade. He also pointed out the w ay in which he wished his music to be played, for on the score*1 we find certain term s of expression. Among these are allegro marziale (al-la/gro m ar-tsi-a/la). Allegro m eans " quick, lively, and cheerful,” and marziale m eans " m artial,” or " in the style of a m arch.” F is an abbreviation for forte (fbr'ta), m eaning "stro n g and firm .” Nobilmente (no-bil-m en'ta) m eans "n o b ly ,” or " in a grand m anner,” and p is an abbreviation for piano (pe-a'no), m eaning " s o f t.” The tw o principal melodies are easy to follow. F IR S T M E L O D Y

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1 As y o u read ab ou t th e different m usical com positions w hich are included in this book yo u will probably com e across som e words w hich are unfam iliar. T h ese words are m arked w ith a star (*) and on pages 135-144 th e y are defined and explained. Therefore if a t any tim e there is doubt in your m ind as to th e exact m eaning of a word, y o u w ill find it helpfu l to look it up. T h e correct idea as to w h at th ese m usical w ords and term s m ean w ill n o t on ly increase your understanding, b u t will add very m uch to your en joym en t of th e m usic.

M aking F rien d s w ith M usic • P re lu d e

6

SECOND MELODY N obtlm ente

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This second m elody occurs on page 142 of Adventure of T h e W o r ld o f M u sic , and th e instrum ental background in the form of a piano accom pani­ m en t also is given w ith it. HOW THIS COMPOSITION IS BUILT M usic, like a house, is divided into units. In a house these units are called room s; in music th ey are called sections, or divisions. Ju st as each room has its own special furniture, so in music each section has its own special melody. In this w ay it is easy to discover a new section b y a change in the melody, or, as it is usually called, the theme. The word theme m eans a m usical idea or subject. A nother thing which helps us to recognize the way in which composers build th eir music is a sense of the rhythm . In our reading we have different m arks of punctuation, such as th e comm a .and period. In music the meas­ ures are grouped together in a rhythmifc p a tte rn called a phrase, and through th e rh y th m we can feel th e ending of these phrases ju st as clearly as though there were a comma or a period. In the first section of this music, "P o m p and C ircum stance No. 4 ,” the first two m easures of th e first m elody are very im portant. T hey m ay be com pared to a "m u sical m o tto ” * ; and they move about from one pitch to another, now up, now down. As the music moves along, it is easy to hear m an y different effects. T he music is loud, then s o f t; it is in the m ajor* m ode* and changes to th e m inor* mode. Various instrum ents also seem especially im p o rtan t in certain places. In th e second section, when the strings play the sm ooth and stately, melody, th e entire mood of th e composition seems to change from a joyful celebration to som ething m ore thoughtful and earnest. T he music grows in p o w er; the atm osphere becomes more exciting as the brass instrum ents repeat the m elody and are supported b y the full orchestra. I t is as though a royal procession were passing before us w ith slow and stately steps. A retu rn of the first section brings still more changes, for both the rh y th m and the harm ony are brighter and more colorful. T hen the second melody is heard once more. Grandioso (gran-d!-o'so), m eaning " g r a n d ” or "n o b le,”

P arade M usic E ast an d W est

is m arked on the score, and surely there is som ething splendid and regal ab o u t the perform ance. In order th a t the principal them e, or first melody, shall not be forgotten in our eagerness for the second melody, the composer closes this m arch w ith a coda, in which p a rts of the first m elody occur. M any times, after finishing a com position, th e m usician adds a few m easures which, although n o t absolutely necessary, complete and strengthen the ending. These m easures m ake u p th e section which is called th e coda. THE COMPOSER A small English boy swinging his feet from a h ard church pew and sta r­ ing a t th e carvings of little anim als and m en in W orcester C athedral — this is our first glimpse of th e composer, E dw ard Elgar. E ven as a child he would become excited a t th e sight or sound of anything beautiful. Besides owning a music shop, his fath er was also a piano-tuner and an organist, so E lgar had a great deal of experience w ith music from his boy­ hood. N o wonder th a t he became an organist, a leader of orchestras, and a composer. Some of th e qualities to be found in his music are an unaffected beauty and honesty, for E lgar was very hum ble about his musical, ability. He alw ays felt th a t w h at he had done was very small com pared to the composi­ tions w ritten by th e great m asters who came before him. B u t his own music shows his originality and fine feeling in th e expression of his love for beauty. THINGS TO CONSIDER 1. Quite likely you have seen m any parades and heard m any m arches. How does th e music of "P o m p and C ircum stance No. 4 ” compare w ith some com positions which you have heard before ? 2. E xam ine th e first and second melodies and check, in the following list, some words which m ay apply to each of th e m : lively splendid quiet

joyful steady regal

grand tender merry

grave rather slow gay

3. There are m arches w ritten for parades and processions. There are m arches w ritten for concert program s. W ould " P o m p an d C ircum stance No. 4 ” be more effective for one of these events th a n for th e other ? H ow ?

M aking F rien d s w ith M usic • P relu d e

4. One w riter has said th a t this m arch presents in sound the color, sparkle, and rom ance of old m ilitary parades, when the prancing horses, flying banners, busbies (busbies are tall fur h ats worn by some B ritish soldiers: see th e picture opposite page 74), and gay-colored uniform s brightened the procession of pom p and pageantry through London streets. Do you agree? 5. I t m ay help you in answering this question if you know th a t the two words pom/p and pageantry m ean about the same thing : a m arch or parade, which is more like a show or celebration when everything is bright and full of happiness. Do you think th a t the composer has suggested such a m erry affair or th a t he m erely has expressed his feelings about it ? H as th e composer used any one musical feature, such as rhythm , mel­ ody, or harm ony, more th a n another ? If so, w hat is it? 6. L et us suppose th a t you are asked to w rite your opinion about this music, m entioning some of its chief qualities which appeal to you especially. W hat can you say about it?

Procession of the Sardar

[V. R. 11883 a

M ichael I ppolitov -I vanov (1859-1935), Russian composer. Living in Am erica at the same tim e: C h a r l e s E v a n s H u g h e s .

H ave you ever read the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece? If so, you will rem em ber th a t the Golden Fleece was a valuable treasure which hung from a branch of a giant oak tree in Colchis (kol'kis) Strand. Colchis S tran d is n o t a nam e which someone has m ade u p ; it is a real place located on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. I t is in Caucasia (ko-ka'sha), and Caucasia is a region betw een the Black Sea and the C aspian Sea. N ot far from Colchis S trand is a land of high m ountains, plateaus, gla­ ciers, and deep forests, called Georgia. I t is one of the sections, or provinces, of Caucasia, and is right in the m iddle of the Caucasus (ko'ka-sus) M oun­ tains in southeastern Europe. In to this land have come peoples of m any races and civilizations, for it is a n atu ral bridge between E urope and Asia. U ntil th e last p a rt of the nineteenth century th e people had no contact w ith m odern civilization. T hen oil was discovered, and th e changes which resulted in the lives of the

P arad e M usic East an d W est

different peoples of th a t region were very great and came very rapidly. Shepherds learned to drill oil wells. H orsem en becam e miners, for in the m ountains there are quantities of m inerals which are valuable in industry. A lthough th e very simple, rustic n atu re of the country has largely dis­ appeared, th e O riental tra its still rem ain noticeable in the inhabitants, who have descended from th e Slavs and belong to the Slavic race. (Oriental is a word used to describe countries in the E ast.) THE SUITE I t was while he was living am id the colorful scenes of this Caucasian country th a t the composer Ippolitov-Ivanov (ep-po-le'tof e'van-6f) com­ posed a set of pieces called Caucasian Sketches. These Caucasian Sketches contain four m usical tone pictures which are grouped together in a suite* (swet) to be played by a sym phony orchestra.* E v ery suite is divided into parts, and when we consider the suite as one large composition we call these different p a rts movements. We m ay com pare th em to chapters in a story, for while th ey have some connection w ith each other, nevertheless each of th em deals w ith a separate event. In the Caucasian Sketches th e fourth m ovem ent of the suite is called "Procession of th e Sardar*’ (sar'dar), although sometimes it has the title "M a rc h of the C aucasian C hief.” B u t w hether procession or m arch, its rh y th m is m ost outstanding. T he composition pictures the retu rn of the victorious tribes headed b y their chief, the Sardar. In this sketch IppolitovIvanov has used a folk tune which has ah interesting story behind it. THE STORY In w hat was once the state of Cilicia (si-lish'i-a), in years p ast situ ated in the m iddle of Armenia, there was a city called Zeitun (za-toon'). I t was located on the side of one of th e T aurus (td'riis) M ountains. The people who lived in this city were strong and brave, ju st as m ight be expected of people who live in the m ountains, b u t th ey were very poor. T heir principal occupation was farm ing a n d mining, and th ey raised w heat, grain, grapes, and olives. In A rm enian th e word zeitun m eans "o liv e ,” and the city re­ ceived its nam e from the olive groves which were ab u n d a n t in th a t land. The people of Zeitun w anted their liberty, and several tim es they re­ belled against the T u rk s who ruled them and were their b itte r enemies. D uring one of these revolutions an A rm enian composer nam ed Choohajian (choo-ha'jhan) w rote a patrio tic song for the people of Zeitun to sing while they m arched into b attle. T he words were w ritten b y a famous Arm enian poet.

M ak in g F rien d s w ith M usic • P relu d e

10

Zeitun March We have lain quiet enough, brothers; Let us surround them left and right. Many enslaved people have become free ; Should we only remain humble and yielding ? Hail, Zeitun! Long live Zeitun! May it not see slavery While it has us as its sons. Long live Zeitun! Hail, Zeitun! Here is the music ju st as the people of Zeitun sang it.

Song of the People of Zeitun -a--- w—wr.\>m H---------FF =F=! f • - ®... r : .PmLs ~ S iI I kJL.-Si .Ld------jfc -9----•--19---- . w b=i t'- >

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The people liked th e song so m uch th a t everybody sang it, and soon it spread all over th e country, even to the C aucasian M ountains. T hus it seems probable th a t Ippolitov-Ivanov heard the song during his travels in the m ountains, for he used its m elody as the principal them e in th e " Procession of the S ard ar.” THE MUSIC The beating of drum s as though in the distance and the sound of triangle and cym bals in th e introduction fix the m arch rh y th m beyond a doubt. The first m elody is heard softly a t first, b u t it becomes stronger and louder as the different in stru m en ts enter.

A T y p ic a l S c e n e in a C a u c a sia n V illa g e

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T his is m arked allegro. C an you explain w hat allegro m eans? A lthough only a p a rt of each melody is given here, in their com plete form these melodies express two distinct ideas. T he entire m elody m ay be com pared to a sentence, and all the " to n e sentences" which have som ething to do w ith th e first idea are grouped together in one section which m ay be called A. Those tone sentences which belong to the second idea are grouped in another section which m ay be called B. T he first, or A section, is then repeated, b u t this tim e the first or principal m elody occurs only twice. If we use letters to describe th e form of "N orw egian D ance No. 2,” the result will be A B A. T his arrangem ent is called th ree-p art song form. * T hough the tw o principal melodies of this composition are repeated m any tim es, the music has a good deal of variety. F or ju st as we try to keep from using the same words over and over in our w ritten compositions, so th e composer m ay seek to avoid repeating his music exactly by changing the tem po, th e volum e (or q uan tity ) of tone, the pitch, and the in stru ­ m ental tone color.* 1. W hich of these features has Grieg changed in the repetitions of this dance tu n e? 2. W hich of them rem ain the same ?

M usic P ictu res o f T h ree C ountries

17

DISCUSSION This com position is very easy to understand. The songlike m elody is repeated so m any tim es th a t after hearing the selection once it is possible to sing or whistle the tune. Aside from occupational songs and dances, which suggest various kinds of things to do, Norwegian folk music includes also the processionals, or m arches, which are unusually num erous in th a t c o u n try ; so num erous, in fact, th a t nearly every province has its own wedding m arch. The composer called the music we have heard a " Norwegian D ance.” 1. W hy is this a suitable title ? 2. Could this music be used for m arching? 3. If used for dancing, w hat kind of dance does the rh y th m suggest? 4. W hat m akes the first m elody m ore singable th an the second ? 5. D o you th in k the difference in the music of the second section m akes the composition more enjoyable? 6. Is there anything in the music th a t seems especially Norwegian, or could it suggest some other country? 7. Is it w hat you expected a N orw egian folk dance would be? FROM NORTH TO SOUTH In Spain it is h ard to separate the song from the dance, for alm ost all Spanish folk songs are based on dance rhythm s. 1. C an you suggest some ways in which Spanish folk music m ight differ from th a t of N orw ay? 2. W h at could be some reasons for these differences ? GYPSIES I t is n atu ral to th in k of gypsies when we th in k of Spain, and Spanish music often follows the rh y th m of the music of the gypsies. R ussia and H ungary, too, have m any songs and dances in which some of the qualities of the gypsy can be noticed. Because gypsies them selves are free, w andering from place to place and m aking th eir homes in forest, by th e river, or on the hillside, th ey find pleasure in simple things, and music to them is as n atu ral as the air th ey breathe. In Spain th e g uitar* is one of th eir favorite instrum ents and is always a p a rt of th eir perform ance. In all gypsy music there are sudden changes of m ood from low spirits and even sadness to joy and m erri­ m ent ; from slow m ovem ent to rapid, vigorous a c tio n ; from gentleness to wild delight.

18

M aking F rien d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

Am elia Josephine B urr, an A m erican w riter who lives in New Jersey, has given us a very clear word picture of these care-free, happy-go-lucky people in th e following p o e m : Romany Gold There’s a cradle of brown on the leaf’s crisp edge And the goldenrod blooms have begun to feather, We’re two jolly vagabonds under a hedge By the dusty road together. Could an emperor boast such a house as ours, The sky for a roof and for a couch the clover ? Does he sleep as well under silken flowers As we, when the day is over? He sits at ease at his table fine With the richest of meat and drink before him, I eat my crust with your hand in mine, And your eyes are cups of a stronger wine Than any his steward can pour him. What if the autumn days grow cold? Under one cloak we can brave the weather. A comrade’s troth is the Romany gold And we’re taking the road together. F o r m an y of us there seems to be som ething very attrac tiv e in the free life of the gypsy, w hether we see it pictured on the screen or on the stage, or hear it described in a song. C an you nam e th e titles of any songs about gypsies? P ro b ab ly no other people express th eir character so clearly in their m an­ ner of living as do th e gypsies. 1. H ave you read any stories about th em ? 2. C an you tell any interesting things about them as a race, their habits, customs, or even th eir personal tra its ? M an y composers have found the gypsy tunes very a ttrac tiv e and have used th em in th eir compositions. One of these was a French composer nam ed C habrier (sha'brya/). W hen he was traveling through Spain, he found th e music of th a t country so interesting and colorful th a t he wrote down m an y of the Spanish melodies and later used some of them in his compositions.

M usic P ictu res o f T h re e C ountries

Espana1

19 [V. R. 4375 A, B

A l e x i s E m m a n u e l C h a b r ie r (1 8 4 1 -1 8 9 4 ), French composer. Living in Amer­ ica at the same time: J o h n G r e e n l e a f W h i t t i e r .

THE DANCE RHYTHMS T here are two dance rh y th m s which are especially noticeable in this piece of music. One is full of energy and rapid, the other moves more sm oothly and slowly. The quieter one is nam ed " Jo ta ” (h o 'ta ) ; it came from th e M oors. In this Spanish dance the dancers alm ost always sing the tune an d accom pany them selves w ith guitars and castanets, playing as th ey dance. T he nam e of th e other dance is " M a la g u e n a ” (m a-la-gan'ya), and it takes its nam e from th e Spanish city of M alaga (m a'la-ga) on the M editer­ ranean. T his city was dom inated by th e M oors for a great m any years. T he dance has few or none of the characteristics of gypsy dances, b u t is usually danced w ith m antilla (a kind of veil worn by Spanish women) and fan, and is a good deal like th e fandango.* B o th the " J o t a ” and "M a la g u en a” are in triple m easure, each m easure having three beats. T he slight rhythm ic difference between the two dances is easily recognized. THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE MELODIES Espana (es-pa'nya) follows no fixed form. I t is sim ply a series of dance tunes which the composer has arranged in an artistic and skillful way. The introduction,* or group of opening measures, gives a clear idea of th e rh y th m and sets th e tem po for the first m elody. FIR ST M ELODY (MALAGUENA) Con fuocQ

T his m elody is repeated three tim es, and then the second and more lyric m elody is heard. SECOND M ELODY (JOTA) M arca H sstm o

mp

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1 On the Victor record for this selection the title appears as Espana Rapsodie.

I

20

M ak in g F rien d s w ith M u sic • P relu d e T H IR D MELODY

V

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These four melodies follow each other quickly, one after the other, and th en after a short period the trom bones play a them e which is said to be the only one in this composition which was actually invented by the composer. FIFTH MELODY

In repeating these melodies the composer changes the effects b y using different instrum ents in the accom panim ent, as well as in the m elody. N ear th e close of the composition th e first m elody is heard again and answered by the trom bone them e. As the " R a p s o d ie ” (rap-so-de') ends we hear once m ore th e rhythm ic p a tte rn which was heard in the introduction. THE COMPOSER C habrier was one of th e m ost am azing and lovable of composers. H e was small, very fat, and h ad a keen sense of hum or. E verything about him a t­ tracted atten tio n : his coats, queer hats, strange-colored vests (they were called w aistcoats in his tim e), m anner of talking, and elaborate m otions of his hands. Everyw here he w ent he was surrounded b y happiness. He had wonderful skill on the piano, and the things he could do w ith his left hand were amazing. I t is no wonder th a t his compositions are very brilliant and th a t th e harm onies and rh y th m s seem actually to sparkle. C habrier has used th e orchestral instrum ents in such a way as to suggest shining color effects. Strings, bassoons, oboes, F rench horns, and trom bones play th e melodies for the m ost p art, while pizzicato* strings and castanets in the accom panim ent give a real Spanish feeling. T he changes in the in­ strum ental tone color in which the different melodies are played add to our enjoym ent of the gaiety and life of this Spanish music w ritten by a French composer.

M u sic P ictu res o f T h ree C oun tries

21

DISCUSSION T he title of th is com position gives an idea as to the kind of music it is. E spana im m ediately suggests Spain, while th e subtitle Rapsodie suggests the freedom of an instru m en tal fantasia,* a ty p e of composition which often uses n atio n al melodies in its them es. 1. A fter hearing th e music, can you m ention some of the features which suggest th e country from which it comes ? 2. C an any of these dance tunes be sung? 3. If people dance to this music will th ey dance w ith energy? w ith grace? w ith rap id or slow m ovem ents ? 4. How does th e first m elody differ from the others? 5. N am e some of th e things in this music which appeal to you more th an others. In E spana some of the melodies are repeated several times. 1. D o these repeated melodies seem more or less interesting th a n those of the "N orw egian D ance No. 2 ” ? 2. W hy? 3. W hy do you th in k composers repeat melodies ? FROM SPAIN TO THE NEAR EAST W hen we were reading about the "P rocession of the S a rd a r” on page 8, we found some inform ation ab o u t the m ountainous country between the B lack Sea and th e C aspian Sea. In order to understand this next music picture it will be helpful to review this inform ation.

In the Village

[V. r . 11883 b

M i c h a e l I p p o lit o v - I v a n o v (1859-1935), Russian composer. Living in A m er­ ica at the same tim e: C h a r l e s E v a n s H u g h e s .

" I n th e V illage" is one of th e four short compositions known as Caucasian Sketches. T he title of this sketch suggests a scene in one of th e small towns in the province of Georgia, in the Caucasus (page 9). I t was to this province th a t the composer Ippolitov-Ivanov went, a t the tim e of the W orld W ar, to become director of the music school and conductor of the sym phony orchestra* in the city of Tiflis (tye-flyes'). He found Tiflis a delightful city set high up in the hills on the banks of the K u ra (koo'ra) R iver. In th e native d istrict were m arkets and shops, where Georgian workm en carried on their trades and the air was filled w ith cries of Persian m erchants. This gave the city a colorful blending of the O rient and the

22

M aking F rien d s w ith M usic • P relu d e

hardy R ussia of the Czars. " C z a r ” (zar) was the title of the form er rulers of Russia. For ten years Ippolitov-Ivanov explored the m ysteries of Georgian folk music (page 8) ; he became a fam ous au th o rity on it. As a result of his search and stu d y of the n ative music he composed the set of pieces known as Caucasian Sketches. T hrough this work he drew the atten tio n of the entire music world to th e a ttra c tiv e rhythm s and melodies of these regions so far away. THE MUSIC The introduction, which is different from those to which we are accustom ed, im m ediately m akes us th in k of an O riental scene where people are m oving about in strange costumes. These opening m easures are sim ilar to a recita­ tive, which in music m eans a recitation or speech, w hether it is u ttered by voices or suggested by instrum ents. Indeed, it sounds as though the in­ strum ents were talking w ith each other. This is followed by a graceful dance in which the rhythm ic fig u re:

nm

nm

is repeated over and over again. The constant b eat of the O riental drum is heard along w ith it. The dance ends, and once more we hear the music of the m easures of the introduction, followed by some very soft chords which bring this O riental sketch to a close. THE MELODIES In this music th e composer weaves his melodies and rh y th m s so finely into the general p a tte rn of th e whole th a t they seem to lose their own special character and sim ply add to the general effect. I t is interesting, however, to see how these melodies look and perhaps to play or sing them . FIR ST SECTION (FIR ST M ELODY) English horn answered by the muled viola

FIR ST SECTION (SECOND M ELODY) English horn accompanied first by viola, then by cello and bass

M u sic P ictu res o f T h ree C oun tries

23

In th e opening m elody of th e first section it is interesting to notice how th e E nglish h o rn seems to merge into th e viola before we are aw are of the fact th a t th e melodic phrase is being played b y a different instrum ent. T his is all th e m ore unusual because th e E nglish horn belongs to the woodwind choir, * while th e viola is a m em ber of th e string group. DANCE SECTION (FIR ST M ELODY) Oboe accompanied by plucked strings, Oriental drums, and triangle. A llegretto g ra zio so im - 0 -

inf 1

8

6 DANCE SECTION (SECOND M ELODY)

f l w r r |t l* r r r ’Urr i»r i t irUr-riit

p 6

8

P erhaps you have already noticed th a t th e second m elody is only a very little different from the first one. N um bers have been placed under the m easures in order to show in w hat places the second m elody is similar to the first one. B y com paring m easures having th e sam e num bers it is easy to see which ones are repeated. On the score* th e w ord over the first m easure is Cadenza. This word is used to describe an ornam ental passage for one instrum ent, usually played w ithout any accom panim ent. A fter the first m elody of this cadenza section has been repeated, we hear a more songlike b u t ra th e r sad melody, the second in the cadenza section. A fter a tim e it moves into th e first m elody again. Now th e m easure changes from duple,* in which a strong accent is followed b y one weak accent, to triple* m easure, in which a strong accent is followed b y two weak ones. This is the dance section. The rh y th m of th e first few notes of the cadenza section seems to keep right on going, even in th e accom panim ent for th e melodies in the dance section. T he first and second melodies of th e dance follow each other about, and the w ay th ey seem to answer each other m akes the music more interesting. A t th e end of th e dance section the first melody, the recitative,* is heard again. So there is an effect of form, although th is is a m usical picture. F or music, like pictures, m ust have some plan or form , and " I n the V illage'’ seems to be in th ree-p art song form (page 16), even though some melodies, such as th e second in th e cadenza section, m ay n o t be repeated.

24

M aking F rien d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

A SUMMARY These Caucasian Sketches (we have heard two of them ) are like chapters in a story, or sh o rt stories, which we read. E ach one m ay be com plete in itself, even though the scenes and characters m ay be the same for all of them . A fter hearing and talking about the ''P rocession of the S ard a r" there will be no difficulty in finding similar things in this second num ber of the suite. B u t when we com pare th e music of " I n the V illage" w ith th a t of " N o r­ wegian D ance No. 2 " and E spana, probably we shall see m any things which are different. T he influence of the location of the different countries, as well as th a t of th e h abits and m anners of the people, will stan d out more clearly. 1. How do these three com positions differ in rh y th m ? 2. Do these rh y th m s suggest any differences betw een the countries from which th ey com e? 3. D o the rh y th m s of each piece seem to belong to one special country? 4. W hat are the orchestral instrum ents which seem to be the m ost used in each of the selections ? 5. W ould it be possible for you to tell from w hat country each of these selections has come m erely by hearing the music, and w ithout knowing the titles or having any inform ation about it ? 6. W hich do you notice more in the music of " I n the Village," th e mel­ ody or the rh y th m ? 7. Does each of these th ree selections have some special quality th a t is outstanding ? 8. If so, can you find one w ord to describe it?

D ancing is one of the favorite kinds of

am usem ent of people young and old all over the world. N o t only do people en­ joy ordinary dancing, b u t folk dancing also is popular. E v ery year program s of folk music (these are called festivals) are held in m any places, and songs and dances of different nations are presented w ith native costum es and suitable scen­ ery. This m akes the perform ances very effective, and b o th the dancers and the audience have a great deal of pleasure. N o t only do we enjoy dancing ourselves, b u t sometimes we like to w atch other people dance. M an y become expert in the a rt of dancing and travel about giving specialprogram s, or dance recitals. Often these skillful per­ formers organize into groups and present their dances together. This is known as a ballet (bal'a). Because such a large num ber of people enjoy ballet dancing it has become one of the m ost popular forms of entertainm ent*

STORIES IN MUSIC AND DANCE OR MUSIC OF THE BALLET

C an you give the nam e of one im p o rtan t ballet com pany th a t has pre­ sented program s in th e U nited S tates ? There is nothing new about dancing, although there are always new kinds of d an c es; for th e a rt of dancing is as old as the world, and our en­ joym ent of it does n o t differ from th a t of people who lived centuries ago. In very early tim es, however, m uch of the dancing was more serious th an m ost of it is now. In those days people used the dance to express their religious feeling as well as their joy in home celebrations. F requently the dance was included in tragic plays and serious dram a as well as in comedies. Suppose you were going to m ake up a dance to express sorrow or some­ thing quite tragic and th en were to m ake up a dance showing great joy. 1. W h at difference would you m ake in the speed of these tw o dances? 2. How would you change your postures and physical m otions to suggest these two different m oods? Since th e dancing in th e early plays needed music which was suitable to b o th th e dance and the play, a com bination of the music and the story slowly developed th ro u g h a long period of years, centuries in fact, until some plays were set entirely to music. These are know n to d ay as operas,* and opera is ju st an o th er nam e for music drama. 25

26

M ak in g F rie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

M an y of these operas have a ballet, th a t is, special dancing features, and these usually are perform ed by groups of specially trained ballet danc­ ers. N atu rally these operas include th e kind of dancing which was popular a t th e tim e th e operas were w ritten. W h a t is one of th e m ost graceful dances a present-day composer m ight p u t in to an opera? I t is im p o rtan t to rem em ber th a t people enjoy seeing perform ances given by either one dancer alone or a large group, ju st as th ey enjoy hearing con­ certs given b y instru m en tal or vocal perform ers, w hether soloists or large groups. W hen a large group of dancers perform s together, th e organization is know n as a corps de ballet (kor de bal'a), or sim ply as a ballet. W hen a large group of in stru m en tal players perform s together, th e organization is know n as an orchestra. An orchestra usually accom panies th e ballet dancers, and in m an y cases th e music is so pleasing th a t it often is played as a separate concert piece. B allet dances m ay be founded upon a story. Sometimes, however, th e dancers m erely group them selves in to a set of graceful m oving p a tte rn s which it is enjoyable to see. H ave you ever w atched th e band of a school or college m arch on a foot­ ball field? T his m ay be com pared to the second kind of ballet, for some­ tim es th e b an d m erely forms some p attern , such as a cartw heel or a star or perhaps a diam ond. These form ations tell no story, b u t ju st th e same th ey are in te re stin g ; and, of course, p a rt of th e excitem ent is in the rhythm ic m otions w hich are used. B u t when th e form ation of the ban d spells the le tte r of its school or the opponent's school, th a t m eans som ething definite, ju st as th e ballet does when it pictures a sto ry through its dancing. T he letter says m any things to you which are n o t actually w ritten on the football field, ju st as th e danc­ ing m ay suggest m an y ideas th a t are not really acted on th e stage. O ften th e ballet goes fu rth er th a n this, and resem bles a kind of speechless acting in which th e m otions of the actors have been transform ed in to the graceful and rh y th m ic m ovem ents of the dance. I t is n o t necessary for a ballet to be a p a rt of an opera in order to tell a story, for composers often have planned ballets which (w ith or w ithout a story) are com plete in them selves. M an y w riters of music have found suggestions for th e ir com positions in legends and fairy tales for any ideas which quicken th e im agination or appeal to th e fancy seem to be especially appropriate to b allet music. One of the m ost popular of these ballets is Coppelia (ko-pa'lya).

Photo by Leo S. Pavelle

G r a c e fu l M o tio n a n d D a in t y C o stu m e s A r e I m p o r ta n t F e a tu r e s in B a lle t D a n c in g

S tories in M u sic a n d D a n c e or M usic o f th e B a lle t

27

Entr’acte and Valse from the Ballet Coppelia [V.R.G 511 a C le m e n t

Liao

(1836-1891), French composer. Living in America at the same time: Ja m es A. G a r f i e l d .

D e lib e s

T here are things in the title of th is com position which seem to need explanation. E n tr’acte* (aN -trakt'), valse* (vals), and ballet* can be used w ith oth er pieces of music. B u t Coppelia belongs to this music alone, and it m eans " T h e G irl w ith the E nam eled E yes.” M an y years ago, so th e sto ry goes, in a little A ustrian village there lived a m aker of toys, Coppelius b y nam e. H e liked b e tte r th a n everything else to m ake dolls, an d one d ay he decided to play a joke on his neighbors. A fter com pleting his work on one of the dolls, he dressed it carefully and p u t it in th e window. M an y of th e villagers, passing by, w ondered who th e lovely girl m ight be. B y and b y a young fellow, F ranz (frants) b y nam e, came along. Seeing th e p re tty stran g er he stopped, smiled, and bowed to her. B u t she paid no a tte n tio n to him. Sw anhilda (sfan-hll'da), a young girl who was very fond of F ranz, saw his efforts to get th e a tte n tio n of the girl in th e window and was very angry. She m ade u p her m ind to find out who this charm ing creature m ight be. E n terin g th e house secretly, she discovered th a t Coppelia was only a m echanical doll. Q uickly changing into C oppelia’s clothes, th e village m aiden began to dance. F irst she danced a w altz, the music we are going to hear, th en tw o or th ree other dances. Before long the people, and F ran z was am ong them , discovered th a t a joke h ad been played on them and th a t Copp61ia was n othing more th a n a doll. F ranz and Sw anhilda m ade u p th eir quarrel and th e d ay ended happily for everybody. THE MUSIC T he w altz to which Sw anhilda dances opens w ith an introduction.* A lthough it is quite short it deserves some atten tio n , for it is in duple rh y th m , w hich is a b it different from th e triple rh y th m of the waltz. As th e intro d u ctio n comes to a close, the m usic shifts to w altz rh y th m and the first m elody is heard. FIR ST MELODY

Violins] E spressivo

T he second m elody is in a different key.

M aking F rien d s w ith M usic • P relu d e

28

SECOND MELODY Wood winds and strings] - X - V R .....

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V— —

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A short interlude* follows, and leads directly into a repetition of the first melody. I t seems as though the composer considered this m elody more im p o rtan t th a n th e second, for it is heard five tim es, while the second m elody is heard only twice. As though he wished to p u t som ething a t the end to balance the in tro ­ duction a t the beginning, Delibes (d6-leb') has added some m easures in which there is a new m elody th a t is quite different from the two principal melodies. This passage has the effect of a coda, and it brings the " E n t r ’acte and Valse* ’ to a close w ith no slowing up of the tem po or lessening of the stren g th of tone. If we call the first m elody A and th e second m elody B, can you arrange th e letters one after th e other as the melodies are heard ? INSTRUMENTS W ith the exception of a few m easures in the introduction, where the tru m p et plays sm ooth, continuous tones, the string and woodwind choirs* are used alm ost entirely. T his use of delicate instrum ents seems m ost fitting in picturing th e events which Delibes has chosen to p ain t in this ballet music. THE COMPOSER One of the first landm arks b y which the visitor to P aris locates himself is the church of th e M adeleine. As a boy Delibes sang in the choir of this fam ous church. L ater he played the organ in several of the other big churches in the F rench capital, b u t his real in terest was in the theater. H e had a position as accom panist to the Opera (6-pa-ra/) (the famous opera house in P aris), w hich m eant th a t he played for the different re­ hearsals ; so he had a wonderful o p p o rtu n ity to study the music of the stage and ballets. W hen some music for a new ballet was needed he was asked to write it, and his gay rhythm ic melodies in stan tly "c a u g h t on.” In 1870, ju st a t the beginning of the Franco-Prussian war, Delibes was asked to w rite music for an entire ballet. " T h e S andm an,” a story by E. T. A. H offm ann (perhaps some d ay you will hear the music of The Tales of Hoffmann, by Offenbach (of'en-baK)), appealed to him, for it was a clever little story, w ith o p p o rtu n ity for m any charm ing dances. Coppelia is based

S tories in M u sic an d D a n ce or M u sic o f th e B a lle t

29

on this story, and th e "V a lse " is one of the m ost popular w altz melodies in the world. Delibes w rote this ballet music to be danced by trained perform ers to please an audience, and it has all the grace and charm th a t awaken the desire to dance. A fter hearing it you do not wonder th a t his music delighted F rench audiences and still rem ains popular. SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT A lthough this piece of music is one of a group of three com positions we are considering together, you m ay wish to th in k ab o u t this ballet w altz as a separate m usical selection. 1. If you should hear this music w ithout know ing th e title, would you connect it w ith dancing? 2. Is th e m elody easy to sing ? 3. Suggest some ways in which dancers m ight express th e m ood of the music.

Ballet Music from Faust

[V.R.G540B

C h a r l e s F r a n c o is G o u n o d (1818-1893), French composer. Luring in Am erica at the same tim e .*■ Jam es B u s s e l l L o w e l l .

N o t only have the F rench people produced very charm ing ballets, such as Coppelia, b u t the ballet is a m ost im p o rtan t p a rt of the opera in France. T he ballet came in to France from Ita ly ab o u t the m iddle of the six­ teen th century, m ore th a n fifty years before the first English colony was settled on th e A m erican continent. The ballet seems to belong especially to the French, although it has an im p o rtan t place in other countries. Kings like Louis X IV m ade it an im p o rtan t feature in the life a t the court. Later, great composers such as Lully (lii-li') and R am eau (ra-m o') introduced it into the th eater, and a g reat deal of beautiful music has been w ritten for it. ^ A t first th e ballet was danced solely b y m e n ; later, women were allowed to take p a rt. This kind of dancing becam e very popular, an d to d ay m any people in F rance consider th e ballet so necessary in an opera th a t th ey will not a tte n d an operatic perform ance unless it has a ballet. All F rench opera houses have th eir corps de ballet. W hen G ounod (goo'nb') was w riting his music, although the F rench had lost a good deal of th eir enthusiasm for ballet, audiences still liked to see dancing betw een th e acts of th e operas. So in th e opera Faust (foust) Gounod placed a ballet betw een th e fo u rth and fifth acts.

30

M ak in g F rien d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

STORY OF GOUNOD’S BALLET As th is ballet has nothing to do w ith characters or scenes in th e opera itself, it is n o t necessary to review the story of the dram atic poem by the famous G erm an poet G oethe (gu'te), upon which the opera is based. T he ballet, however, has a title of its own. I t is called W alpurgis (val-poor'gls) Night. W alpurgis was a saint of th e eighth century. H er festival was on th e eve of M ay D ay. According to a strange belief of the Germ ans, this was the occasion for a w itches’ celebration on the B rocken (brok'en), a peak in the H arz (harts) M o u n ta in s ; and the entire ballet pictures the wild and m erry actions of these witches, A frican slaves, and m an y weird creatures. T here are seven different dances in the ballet. Gounod took some of the melodies from th e opera and changed them to m ake the ballet a clearer picture of the witches and the things th ey do. We are going to hear only two dances from th e ballet a t this tim e. DANCE OF THE NUBIANS The first dance, in w altz rh y th m , is called " D ance of the N u b ia n s’’ (or African slaves). Following an introduction, which opens fortissim o,* a graceful and songlike m elody, the first one, is heard. Violins]

FIR ST MELODY A lleg retto

1

m

m

The n ext section, in w hich the second m elody is heard, has m ore variety, for the m elody begins in soprano instrum ents and is answered by lower instrum ents. E v en the accom panim ent has a little tune of its own, called a counterm elody.* Violin and clarinet]

f

SECOND MELODY

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S tories in M u sic an d D a n ce or M u sic o f th e B a lle t A

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A FEW DETAILS T he in tro d u ctio n is really a fanfare* of brass and percussion* instru­ m ents. T he principal m elody, played by strings, is repeated and is followed b y the second m elody. T he first m elody returns in a different key from th a t in w hich we heard it a t th e beginning. Also there are some slight changes in th e in stru m en ts which bring a pleasing sense of variety. T hen th e first m elody m akes its way, or m odulates,* back to the original key. A coda, in which there is no outstanding melody, brings th e dance to a close. MUSIC OF THE SECOND DANCE T he second dance has th e title " C leopatra (kle'o-pa'tra) and the Golden C up.” T he expression m ark for th e first dance was allegretto tempo di valse, b u t this one is m arked adagio and it m akes a pleasing contrast. As you listen to th e music, can you suggest some idea as to th e m eaning of these term s of expression? An in tro d u ctio n opens this dance, and th en a songlike m elody in 4 /4 , or "co m m o n ,” tim e is heard. F IR ST MELODY

Strings] A d a g io

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T he second m elody is lighter and is played som ew hat staccato.* SECOND MELODY

Following this m elody th e sm ooth, singable tu n e of th e first m elody is repeated. T he sh o rt section which closes this dance has some bits of tune

32

M ak in g F rien d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

which rem ind us of the first melody. T he strings are more in evidence th a n any other choir, although brass instrum ents are im p o rtan t in the introduc­ tion, and th e lighter percussion instrum ents, such as the triangle, add to the effect. UNITY AND VARIETY Two things in the design of a composition are necessary if the form is to be satisfactory. These are u n ity and variety. G ounod has given u n ity to each of these dances b y repeating the first section before bringing the com position to a close. H e has provided v ariety in the new m aterial in the second section of each dance. We have already learned th a t short com­ positions following this design are said to be in th ree-p art song form.* I t is easy to see, therefore, th a t the form of "C le o p a tra and the Golden C u p ” is sim ilar to th e form of th e "D an ce of the N u b ian s,” and th a t b o th have an introduction and also a coda. DISCUSSION W hen we have an idea to express we use words or draw pictures or even act things out. M usical ideas are expressed through tones, while th e ballet expresses its ideas through m otions of the body. W hen music is w ritten for the ballet it is likely th a t the rh y th m will be its m ost im p o rtan t quality. Since dancing is rhy th m ic m otion, the rhythm ic accents should be easy to catch. This is especially tru e of some very recent ballets, which are accom­ panied rh y th m ically b y percussion instrum ents alone or in which the orchestra a t tim es produces sounds which are m erely rhythm ic, w ithout melody. M an y ballets, an d this one from Faust is one of them , also have tuneful melodies th a t are pleasing and graceful. These tw o dances are n o t sim ilar in all respects. Of these tw o dances of the Faust ballet, which suggests some special m anner of dancing th rough its rh y th m ? W e have already learned th a t a ballet m ay tell a story b y dancing and acting ra th e r th a n b y speaking or singing. 1. W ith your slight knowledge of the story behind this ballet, do you believe th a t th e music offers p len ty of o p p o rtu n ity for the dancers to in­ te rp re t the sto ry ? 2. Of these tw o dances, which has the more interesting m elody? 3. Does G ounod provide in terest and v ariety in rh y th m , in melody, and in his use of in stru m en ts ?

S tories in M u sic an d D a n ce or M u sic o f th e B a lle t

33

GOUNOD HIMSELF W hile studying in Italy , G ounod becam e seriously interested in m uch of th e religious music of th e old com posers; and for a tim e he th o u g h t of becoming a priest. W hen, therefore, he retu rn ed to France he k e p t on studying w ith th a t end in m ind. A lthough he never did become a priest, th e refinem ent and knowledge he gained in his years of stu d y were of great value to him later in his chosen line of work. H is music is very melodic. M ost people know some of th e tunes from his opera Faust, or ' ' Lovely A p p ea r” from his oratorio* The Redemption, even though th ey m ay never have heard a perform ance of either of these works. THE PRIX DE ROME G ounod was one of those talen ted young F renchm en who won the Prix de Rom e (pre' de r6m ') a t the P aris C onservatory. T his prize was first offered by Louis X I V ; it m ean t th a t the winner was given four years of stu d y a t the French A cadem y of Fine A rts in Rome, w ith a certain am ount of m oney for each year, and also excused from m ilitary service. E dw ard M acDowell, the g reat A m erican composer, later organized an Am erican A cadem y in Rom e, which provides th e same opportunities for Am erican students. SOME COMPARISONS In com paring the three com positions,— the ''E n t r ’acte and V alse” from Coppelia, b y Delibes, and th e two selections from th e ballet m usic from Faust, b y .Gounod,— it m ay be interesting to note 1. T he differences in th e rh y th m . 2. T he compositions which suggest dancing and those which seem more songlike. 3. W hether there are an y tw o com positions so sim ilar th a t one m ight be su b stitu ted for th e other. 4. W hether any of these pieces of music sound as though th e y came from some p articu lar p a rt of th e world. 5. In w h at ways th e m usic for these dances differs from th a t which we are accustom ed to hear today. 6. W hether you like one selection b e tte r th a n the others, and why. In considering these com positions you have learned a good m an y new words. If you m ake a list of them and opposite each give some idea of the m eaning, you will find it v ery helpful when you listen to o ther m usical compositions.

41 music has been w ritten b y alm ost every im por­ ta n t composer. George Gershwin, the m odern Am eri­ DANCES can, and Jo h an n Strauss (yo'han shtrous'), th e " W altz K ing,” w rote no more dance m usic th a n did B ach (bax) NEW and M o zart (m o 'tsart), who lived in the eighteenth AND century. In fact, these older composers w rote such attra c tiv e OLD dance music th a t people still like to hear it, even when there is no chance to dance to it. Ju s t as radio orches­ tra s p lay concert arrangem ents* of popular tunes, so some of these com­ posers have tak en dance music and fixed or arranged it so th a t it pleases an audience when played on a concert program . Some w riters of music tak e dance rh y th m s and use them in their compositions, while still others have used th e ballet music from th eir own or others' operas and m ade their concert pieces out of th a t. R ich ard Strauss (not a relative of Johann) did this w ith the waltzes th a t occur in his opera Der RosenJcavalier (dar ro'zen-ka-va-ler'). These are so beautiful, and people enjoy them so m uch when th ey hear th em in the perform ance of th e opera, th a t th e composer has m ade a concert arrange­ m en t of them . D ance

S e le c te d W a ltze s from D e r R o sen J ca va lier R ic h a r d S t r a u s s

(1864-

tv. R.G 505B

), German composer.

Der RosenJcavalier m eans " T h e K n ig h t of the R o se" an d is the title of a comic opera* in three acts. T he opera takes its nam e from a custom a t the Viennese court of choos­ ing a " K n ig h t of th e R ose,” who is to serve as a messenger and present a silver rose to a lady in th e in terest of the noble lover who wishes to m arry her. In this opera story a certain baron is in love w ith the young and beautiful Sophie, d aughter of a w ealthy b u t ra th e r ordinary fam ily. T he young count, O ctavian, is selected to bear the rose, b u t it is another case of Jo h n Alden and Priscilla. O ctavian falls in love w ith the girl, and m any funny situ atio n s arise. T he dances we are to hear are only a few of those which occur in various places in th e opera.

34

D a n ces N e w an d O ld

35

THE COMPOSER R ichard S trauss’s favorite composer is M ozart, and in composing Der Rosenkavalier Strauss used M o za rt’s music as his p a tte rn . H is success is plain to see, for th e graceful, expressive, and singable q uality of th e music and th e liveliness of th e story rem ind us of M o za rt’s opera The Marriage of Figaro (fig'a-ro) (page 119). I t is interesting to discover th a t b o th Strauss and M ozart w rote m ost of their music in or near Vienna. L a te r on we shall be able to com pare the music of these two composers. As a m a tte r of fact V ienna was a center of m usical in terest an d a c tiv ity for a g re at m an y years. People who have w ritten ab o u t R ichard Strauss describe him as a m ost easygoing person, enjoying especially his fam ily life in his vacatio n hom e in th e B av arian Alps, n o t far from M unich (m u'm k). H e is tall and slender and has kindly blue eyes. H e is very fond of games, b u t his ta ste in all things is simple. I t is n o t easy to u n d erstan d this, because m an y people th in k th a t his music is difficult and h ard to com prehend. W hen he is composing he p u ts down different ideas on loose sheets and places th em in a closet, so he tells us, " ju s t as people p u t th eir savings in a bank. W ith th e passing of tim e, th e in terest or profit accum ulates. In th e sam e w ay tim e flies, th e ideas p u t down on paper develop w ithin me. One fine d ay I tak e all th e sheets out of th e closet, and an opera grows o ut of it.” THE MUSIC T he waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier are very tu n e fu l; th eir rh y th m s are graceful and happy, an d th e orchestration sparkles. Strange and unusual in stru m en tal effects are often found in the music of R ichard Strauss, for n o t only has he added new instrum ents to his orchestra b u t he has developed some new effects w ith th e older ones. H e is generally considered as one of the greatest m asters of th e orchestra because of th e w ay he uses it. I t is said th a t he loves to have " th e trom bone play like a piccolo,” for he has w ritten music th a t calls for the greatest lim its of the pitch range* of m any instrum ents. In places Strauss has used in his orchestra some sounds th a t are n o t tru ly musical. This is a common h a b it w ith w riters who have in m ind th e m odern orchestra. In one com position he calls for a wind m achine as a p a rt of th e orchestra, while in another he uses cowbells as a percussion* in stru ­ m ent. In his opera Electra (e-lek'tra) he w anted a scream so terrible th a t no hum an voice could produce it, so he invented an in stru m en t to m ake th is fearful sound in th e orchestra.

36

M ak in g F rien d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

These waltzes, however, do n o t have any such unpleasant effects. In fact th ey show us how beautifully Strauss can use th e instrum ents of the orchestra when he chooses. As we listen to the music th e following m elody is heard im m e d ia tely : FIR ST MELODY Dolce_______________ _____ ._________ _________

ir p

[fl r i r f r i f l ? g

M rr 'r i f * J | r ‘j

Because th e music m oves rapidly and th e volum e of tone is full we feel a t once th a t th e music is happy and full of life. T he swaying rh y th m of th e w altz is recognized a t once. A nother m elody in the same key provides a hap p y change, w ith staccato * effects in th e strings. SECOND M ELODY '

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T he key changes as th e th ird section brings in new melodies. V ery lively a t first, th is section moves into a passage of quiet beauty. There is a short interlude in which th e following melodic p a tte rn occurs six times.

9 uk a Q) b b 4-

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This melodic p a tte rn , or m otive,* is repeated and gives us an idea th a t th e com position is about to end, b u t the entire orchestra now joins in a tu n e even more beautiful th a n th e others. M an y people consider this the m ost beautiful of th e waltzes of R ichard Strauss. FO URTH M ELODY D olcissim o

1. W hich of these waltzes seems to be the m ost spirited? 2. W hich is th e m ost graceful? 3. D o you th in k these waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier could be used for dancing a t a p a rty ?

D a n ces N ew an d O ld

37

THE MINUET W hile the w altz has long been one of the favorite dances, it has never been m ore popular th a n th e m inuet* was, a century an d a half ago. J u s t as we find th a t th e w altz is a popular dance b o th in th e ballet and out of it, so th e m inuet was danced b o th in the early ballet and in the gay social affairs of court life in th e eighteenth century. T oday, if we wish music for dancing we only have to tu rn the dial of our radio and get it. W hen our country was very young and there were no radios or phonographs, an y people who wished to have orchestras to play for the dancing a t th eir p arties had to hire them . In E urope people h ad n o t only to hire orchestras b u t also to engage composers to w rite th eir dance music especially for them . In fact, music was ordered for these social affairs in m uch the sam e w ay th a t refreshm ents are ordered now adays. U nder these circum stances it is not strange th a t som e of th e com positions were m uch b e tte r th a n others. One com poser who received such orders for music was the fam ous M ozart (m o 'tsart). T h a t is one reason w hy we have these "G e rm a n D ances,” which really are m inuets. F o u r G erm a n D a n c e s

[ v . r . 1723 a , b

(1756-1791), A ustrian composer. Living in Am er­ ica at the same tim e: A l e x a n d e r H a m i l t o n .

W o lfg a n g A m ad eu s M o z a r t

A LITTLE ABOUT THE COMPOSER A lthough M o zart was one of the w orld's greatest composers, who w rote m an y serious and im p o rtan t works, including sym phonies and operas,* he was called upon very often to compose dance music for th e special social affairs given b y w ealthy people in Vienna, where he lived. I t came ab o u t in this m a n n e r: T he court of A ustria was located in Vienna, and E m peror Joseph, who ruled th e country during M o zart's lifetime, was one of the best custom ers of th is gifted m usician. B u t he was a strange person, this E m peror Joseph, and often w ent back on his word. A t one tim e he m ight allow M o zart to live in luxury, while a t another the poor com poser m ight n o t be able to p ay his ren t. So M o zart m ade up his m ind to try his luck in E ngland and was ju st ab o u t to leave A ustria when, in 1787, the E m peror Joseph m ade him "D a n c e Com poser to the C o u rt” a t a salary of about $400 a year — a sum which w ent m uch fu rth er in those days th a n it would today.

38

M ak in g F rien d s w ith M u sic • P re lu d e

In his new position M o zart w rote m any dances for th e court balls. Vienna was fam ous for these gay occasions, where visiting royal persons were en tertain ed and the ladies of th e court wore their latest wigs, ruffles, fans, and buckled slippers. Among th e m any sets of dances which M o zart composed a t this tim e are the Eight German Dances, of which we are to hear four. T hey express the h ap p y n atu re of the composer, while their rh y th m s are those of the oldfashioned stately dances of th e Viennese court of th e 1700’s. A lthough we soon grow tired of m uch of the dance music which we hear now adays (some of it lives only a few weeks), this dance music by M ozart still delights those who hear it, even though it is as old as our country, for it was composed in 1790, th e year following th e inauguration of George W ashington as our first P resident. P erhaps it is n ot strange th a t the com positions of m en who lived m any years ago continue to be perform ed and are popular. In m any cases, as w ith the music of M ozart, th ey express feelings and ideas th a t are clear, simple, and n atu ral. E verybody likes to hear them . Some of these m aster composers began w riting when th ey were quite young. W hen M o zart was only a little child his fath er discovered th a t he h ad unusual m usical talen ts and so began to tra in him to play a t public concerts. T he boy developed unusual skill, and on his concert tours the audiences were astonished because th e child composed as well as played m uch of th e music on his program . As tim e w ent along he did things th a t one could h ardly expect and becam e the great m usician th a t such a talented child ought to be. B u t m an y tim es children who can do some things especi­ ally well do n o t am ount to m uch when th ey grow up. T his certain ly was no t tru e of M o zart for, although his life was short, he still rem ains one of the greatest of all composers. THE MUSIC M ozart w rote these dances as a group to be played b y a small orchestra, so it says on the score.* T h ey are all in 3 /4 m easure, b u t although there is no change in th e m eter,* still there is no lack of in terest as one dance follows another. M ost of these dances are divided into three parts, and th e design, or p attern , is sim ilar to th e th ree -p art song form described on page 16. M usical designs do n o t have to follow a fixed rule, however, and great composers such as M o zart do n o t hesitate to change th eir musical forms to suit their purposes. As you listen to the music you will notice th a t M ozart has n o t used th e sam e form in each dance. T h a t is one reason w hy these dances are interesting an d pleasing to hear.

D a n ces N ew an d O ld

39

W hen M o zart w rote these dances he h ad some other ideas in sim ply com posing a set of rh ythm ic pieces. In each num ber m iddle section, or trio section, as it is c a lle d ; and to some of he has given titles w hich suggest his special th o u g h t. These are

m ind th a n there is a these trios :

In No. 5, "The Canaries” In No. 6, "The Organ-Grinder” In No. 8, "The Sleigh Ride” I t will be easier for you to follow the m usic of these dances as th ey are played if you can recognize th e melodies as th ey appear and as th ey are repeated. W hen you can discover th e p a tte rn which is m ade as these melodies follow one another, you will have discovered the form of this music. Therefore, a few m easures of the principal m elody (left) and th e trio m elody (right) of each dance are given here. Som etim es th e y appear an octave* lower th a n th e y actu ally sound. A lle g r o

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In " G e rm a n D a n c e ” No. 8, M o zart's m usic calls for real sleigh bells and post horns. T he post horn was originally used as a signal for stage­ coaches carrying th e m ail, and is a small brass in stru m en t on which only a few tones can be played. SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT 1. In com paring these four dances w hat differences do you discover in a. tem p o ? b. form ? c. in stru m en ts? d. m ood? 2. H ow do these dances differ from those we hear now adays? 3. D o you prefer an y one dance in th is group?

40

M ak in g F rie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

4. S tate your reasons. 5. C an you suggest an y kind of school program in which these four dances by M ozart could be used w ith good effect? 6. How does M o z a rt’s m usic suggest the m eaning of his titles ? 7. Do these sections w ith special titles appeal to you m ore th a n those which have none? A COMPARISON M an y tim es we find it helpful to com pare tw o pieces of music and our ideas about them . In listening to the four " G erm an D an ces” b y M ozart we have noticed th e differences betw een th em as well as th e points in which th ey are alike. The waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier were w ritten m ore th a n one hundred years later th a n th e " G erm an D ances.” W hile to d ay R ichard Strauss uses a very large orchestra, som etim es as m any as 110 players, the small or­ chestra of M o za rt’s d ay h ad only violins, violas, cellos, double basses, flutes, oboes, English horn, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trum pets, and tym pani. In addition to th e b e tte r kind of wind in strum ents and greater skill in playing, R ichard Strauss has h ad the advantage of new ideas in freedom of form and richness of harm ony. In com paring th e music by Strauss w ith th e compositions b y M o zart it is well to keep these things in m ind. 1. Is there an y difference betw een the kinds of dancing suggested b y the waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier and the four " G erm an D an ces” ? 2. D o you prefer th e orchestra as M ozart used it to th a t used b y Strauss ? 3. W ould th e Strauss orchestra be suited to th e M ozart m usic? 4. W ould th e M o zart orchestra be suited to th e Strauss m usic? T he answ er to this question m ay show w hether Strauss was successful in try in g to w rite music which would be sim ilar in style to M o za rt’s. W h at do you th in k are th e m ost outstanding differences betw een these tw o com positions? I t m ay be interesting to find m ore inform ation concerning the changes which have tak en place in the progress of music from M o za rt’s tim e to th a t of R ichard Strauss, especially in the m a tte r of a. O rc h e stra s: their size and the v ariety of instrum ents. b. Freedom from following certain set forms. c. H arm onies which are m ore interesting because th ey are unusual.

T he experience w hich you h a v e had in listen in g to m usic in w hich th e sto ry is told b y dancing and a ctin g has m ade clear th e m eaning of th e w ord ballet.

A MUSIC STORY IN EIGHT CHAPTERS

You know too th a t ballet m usic is often played as a concert num ber. H ere is a set of pieces, called the Nutcracker Suite, which is really th e music of a ballet. T he composer, T chaikovsky (chl-kof'ski), has grouped his selections in to a suite,* which has such a delightful and n atu ra l appeal th a t you will find it difficult to believe th a t this music was w ritten to order. Y et such was the case, for in 1891 this popular R ussian m usician received an in v itatio n to w rite b o th an opera and a ballet for perform ance a t the St. P etersb urg (now Leningrad) opera house. H e found th e sto ry for his ballet in a tale b y H offm ann, th e sam e m an who wrote th e sto ry for Coppelia (page 27). N u tcr a ck er S u ite

[v.R.8662,8663,8664

(1840-1893), R ussian composer. L iving in A m er­ ica at the same tim e: P h i l l i p s B r o o k s .

P e t e r I ly it c h T c h a ik o v s k y

THE STORY Once upon a tim e th ere was a little girl who had a w onderful dream on C hristm as night in w hich all of her dolls and toys came to life. T he hero of these is her favorite toy, a plain, ordinary nutcracker. Strange things can happen in a fairy tale, an d in this one the nutcracker is changed into a handsom e prince. H e leads th e to y soldiers in b attle w ith th e M ouse K ing, who has come w ith his troops to e a t up all th e goodies on th e C hristm as tree. Prince N utcracker, victorious, th en carries th e little girl aw ay to a won­ derful spot, J a m M ou n tain , w hich is ruled b y the Sugar P lu m F airy. B y this tim e our little girl has become a princess, and the Sugar P lu m F airy gives an en tertain m en t for her visitors, in which dances b y Chinese, A rabian, and R ussian dolls, to y flutes, and th e Sugar P lum F airy tak e place. A t the close all th e guests join in a graceful waltz. RUSSIAN BALLET T he success of th is ballet was great, for the music is g ay and full of charm . T he ballet in R ussia was a very popular a rt. People gave th eir lives to it, spending long hours in exercises to m ake th em relaxed and grace­

M ak in g F rien d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

42

ful. L ittle children a tten d ed schools of the ballet, in which th e y learned to m ake th eir m otions graceful and combine them w ith artistic costum es and suitable background, or scenery. M uch of th e music w ritten for the R ussian ballet was so lovely th a t it still lives and is perform ed as concert music. MUSIC OF THE SUITE E ig h t m usical com positions are gathered together in this suite, each separate from th e other, y et all held together b y th e in terest of th e story. T hey suggest th e scenes an d happenings of the tale. T he titles of th e different num bers in th e suite are : 1. 2. 3. 4.

Overture Miniature Marche Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy Trepak (Russian Dance)

5. 6. 7. 8.

Arab Dance Chinese Dance Dance of the Flutes W alt 25 of the Flowers

T he m ood of th is music is particularly happy. Its melodies, harm onies, and rh y th m s are charm ing and varied, and T chaikovsky has m ade novel b u t ap p ro p riate use of th e different orchestral instrum ents all th e w ay through. These things add interest to th e music, quite a p a rt from its asso­ ciation w ith th e story. OVERTURE MINIATURE T he word overture has tw o meanings. I t m ay m ean a prelude, or in tro ­ duction to som ething w hich follows, such as a ballet, an opera, or a suite, or it m ay be used as a nam e for a separate form used by composers, in which there are tw o them es, which are tre a te d or developed according to certain rules. T his overture n o t only serves as an introduction to th e other num bers of th e suite b u t also follows th e plan of th e classic overture.* This is ju st such an overture as one m ight expect to introduce a m usical fairy tale. T he m usic opens w ith this m e lo d y : FIR ST M ELODY Allesrro eriusto S

• i p

rr ir

m

T his is followed b y a passage in which the flute and clarinet seem to be h u rry in g along on wings. Suddenly a little p a rt of th e first m elody is heard, a fte r which th e violins play a tune m arked dolce cantabile,* which begins like t h i s :

Stokowski and the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, Who Play the Nutcracker Suite

A M u sic S tory in E ig h t C hapters

43

SECOND M ELODY ™;Br m.p J

- J ------| » ’ L w ir

mf

e^|---------p

ir

j p i

pq-=——m 1

All of th is is repeated, w ith wood w inds* and strings playing melodies, as well as some rap id scale passages, u n til pizzicato * chords and a soft tone of th e celesta* bring th e overture to a close. MARCHE Some people have divided th is suite into tw o p a rts and begin P a r t I I w ith th e "M a rc h e .” B u t in th e score, and on th e record, th e order given here is followed. T he " M a rc h e ” opens w ith a them e, played b y the brasses, which seems to s tru t ab o u t as though it were very im p o rtan t. F IR ST M ELODY Tempo d i M arcia v ivo if-^n F iF lF~\m w Wi S -2 p

—

V

w----rJ wr — w p mf

ff w p l *-1 ^ —

m ...

w i

p

w---V Jf -17V F ~ y 1fj

.

mf

T his m elody is heard over and over again, b u t the repetitions are sepa­ ra te d b y different them es, or interludes,* in which th e music m oves back and fo rth am ong th e different choirs : strings, wood winds, and th en brass, adding m ore and m ore force and life till th e first section of this m ovem ent ends. Some b rig h t running passages for flutes, answered b y strings, m ake up th e m iddle (or second) section, which is m uch lighter th a n th e first and provides a pleasing co n trast. T here is an im m ediate re tu rn to th e first m elody of the " M a rc h e ,” and th e repetition of th e first section is decorated w ith bright scale passages which seem to d a rt across th e principal m elody as th e com position closes in a gay and lively m anner. DANCE OF THE SUGAR PLUM FAIRY I t is easy to im agine th a t m usic w ith such a title would be d ain ty and delicate. I t is in this num ber th a t T chaikovsky uses the celesta w ith best effect. T he difference betw een its light, clear tone and the reedy sound of th e bass .clarinet, and th e suggestion of liveliness in th e plucked, or pizzicato * strings, illu strate T chaikovsky’s ability in using the orchestral in stru m en ts to carry o u t his ideas.

44

M ak in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

T h e " D ance of th e Sugar P lu m F a iry ” has one m elody which is heard four tim es in all an d begins as follow s: A n dan te m a non----troppo £t

3 *---J i f LJ

■Q

——

§

E3■3

•E m

—

L"tn

m —

[I

—

‘^

9

T his dance m ay n o t be so lively as some, b u t it has a b ea u ty all its own. THE CELESTA W hile w orking on th e Nutcracker Suite T chaikovsky left R ussia for a to u r of E u ro p e an d th e U nited S tates. A fter appearing in a series of con­ certs in some A m erican cities, he becam e hom esick for R ussia. As he has­ ten ed on his w ay he heard in P aris a new in stru m en t called th e celeste, or celesta. I ts tone so delighted him th a t he ordered one to be sent im m edi­ ately to his hom e in R ussia. H e used this in stru m en t in th e Nutcracker Suite an d it was played for th e first tim e in an y orchestra a t th e premibre, or first perform ance, of this com position. T h e celesta is a sm all keyboard in stru m en t looking som ething like a parlo r organ. I t has a keyboard of five octaves, th e notes sounding an octave higher th a n th ey are w ritten. T he ham m ers strike steel plates which are placed over wooden boxes which resound, or re-echo, giving th e in stru ­ m en t a p u re an d lovely tone. TRfiPAK T his is th e m ost R ussian m usic in th e suite, since th e T rep ak was a popu­ lar R ussian folk dance. Tw o things w hich are found in m ost R ussian folk dances* are th e accom panim ent of hand-clapping and foot-stam ping, and a general increase in speed as th e dance nears th e end. O pening w ith a loud chord, th e first m elody suggests a scene th a t is gay a n d full of fun. F IR ST M ELODY M olto vivace > . . p r ’I m w w

^ B

U |c rr;i

%| d i —

rz 31

—

m

—

—

1 31 —

^ A....-r A ^ fl i SiI — —

lM—

T h is m elody occurs four tim es, w ith m an y instrum ents seeming to com­ p ete w ith each other for first place.

45

A M u sic S tory in E ig h t C hapters

T h en a second section follows, in w hich th e rhythm ic p a tte rn s seem m ore im p o rtan t th a n th e melodic p a tte rn s. T he kettledrum s an d tam b o u ­ rine tak e tu rn s in beating a rh y th m which seems determ ined to be heard, no m a tte r w hether we get tired of it or not. T h e first m elody retu rn s w ith renew ed force and speed, and th e entire orchestra u nites in firm ly em phasizing th e rh y th m ic p a tte rn .

J“33.T J3l.n3JT 3l O nly th e horns ap p ear to be responsible for expressing a melodic idea. T his dance ends in a w hirl of excitem ent. ARAB DANCE T his piece of m usic is full of O riental (page 9) feeling. T he m y stery an d strange a ttra c tio n of th e land of A rabia are suggested in th e reedy tone color* of oboes, clarinets, an d bassoons, while th e u n in te rru p te d droning* in th e accom panim ent suggests a picture of an A rabian stree t where shopkeepers w ith th eir queer tu rb a n s m ove quietly ab o u t as though th e y were guarding a secret. T chaikovsky has used m u ted * strings and wood winds to p a in t this m usical picture. N o brasses are p erm itted. T here is a sh o rt introduction, in w hich a stead y hum m ing in th e accom ­ p an im en t suggests a m ood of m ystery. T here is a weird call from th e clari­ nets, an d th e n th e opening m elody is heard. T here is som ething dreary an d ra th e r m ournful ab o u t it. T he m usic is m arked molto espressivo. F IR ST M ELODY C antabile

1 i

‘

i ■£ 1m F i N ;

,J L?

« l p jJ

II 232 Eh

f= ih

■ r. m ~

—

' ------- 0 —

w

T he effective use of th e tam bourine, th e w istful appeal of oboe and English horn, th e strange shifting from m inor to m ajor and back again, which give th e m usic its O riental feeling, are devices th a t com posers often use w hen th e y w ish to im itate th e m usic of th e E ast, or to suggest an E astern scene. CHINESE DANCE T his dance is only th irty -tw o m easures long, b u t it is full of im agination an d has a certain charm th a t a ttra c ts us. A fter the rh y th m is fixed in a figure th a t is co n stan tly repeated b y th e bassoons and double basses (pizzi­

46

M ak in g F rie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

cato), an odd little tu n e is played b y th e flutes, and a t once th ere is an im pression of a dance th a t is unusual and ra th e r curious. T he sound of little bells takes tu rn s w ith a string pizzicato. T he low tones of the bassoon and th e high tones of the flutes and piccolo suggest the hum or of little dancing Chinese dolls. T hough it is short, th e dance brings th e F a r E a st before our im a g in a tio n ; C hina, w ith its golden dragons, its high-piled pagodas (Chinese tem ples), and its queer music. T he dance ends suddenly w ith an a b ru p t chord. DANCE OF THE FLUTES T his title is the E nglish for " D anse des M irlito n s” (daNs da m er'le-toN). A m irliton is a to y pipe, som ething like our kazoo, and produces a sound m uch like th a t m ade b y singing against a comb w rapped in tissue paper. W hen th e ballet was perform ed originally, m irlitons were used, b u t flutes tak e th eir place in th e concert arrangem ent of the suite. W ith this title it is to be expected th a t th ey are heard m ore often th a n an y other in stru ­ m ents in this num ber of th e suite. A brief introduction gives us an idea of the rh y th m , and th e n three flutes p lay th e first m elody of this m ovem ent. FIR ST M ELODY M odcrato ass a i

-m-

T his m elody is repeated after an interlude in which a songlike them e* is played b y the English horn. The m usic is d a in ty and gay, although once in a while there is a suggestion of dream iness. Q uite different from this first section, which is full of delicate b eau ty in rh y th m and tone color, is the second section, where th e brasses seem to lead th e dancers in to more lively m otion. B u t the flutes re tu rn w ith the first m elody, an d this dance ends as happily as it began. WALTZ OF THE FLOWERS T he intro d u ctio n to th e " W a ltz of the Flow ers,” or "V alse des F le u rs” (vals d a flhr), as it is called in F rench, is im p o rtan t because of the h arp cadenza,* which follows a group of chords th a t are played by wood winds. N o t only is this passage for the h arp very bright, b u t it leads gracefully to th e first them e of th e w altz, which is played b y th e horns and is one of T ch aikovsky's loveliest and m ost fam ous melodies.

A M usic S tory in E ig h t C h ap ters

47

FIR ST M ELODY rV -ft

l *>

i

a _

m

r-----aJ-----J _ ■ — i-ysJ-----■s------.*■

—’

m— “

—

-m -------•

&

* =3 =—

m

p A fter this m elody b y th e F rench horns has been repeated, the violins p lay a new m e lo d y : SECOND M ELODY Dolce

^

M r. m-

m

Ig> 11\ H±=M

----- - —

-------m —

(2 N

a

V

Y

____

---------m —

'■M-

- ■

~m —

.

z

A t the end of this section th e wood winds introduce an o th er melodic idea : T H IR D M ELODY Cantabile

ha * l » ! f

i r-1 ^

£

mf

A m elody played b y the viola and cello offers a pleasing c o n tra s t: FO UR TH M ELODY Con a m m a

*

s f

zz

32

OH

J

s

u

p

?

T he design is com pleted b y a re tu rn to th e th ird m elody, which is played b y th e strings, and th is leads directly into the first and second melodies. A brilliant coda finishes the final num ber of the Nutcracker Suite. T he graceful rh y th m , th e v arie ty of m elody and harm ony, and the unusual w ay in which th e in stru m en ts are com bined in this w altz prove th a t as a com­ poser of w altzes T chaikovsky is in the fro n t rank. WHO WAS TCHAIKOVSKY? T chaikovsky's fath er was a governm ent engineer in charge of a rich m ine. H is m other was a F rench wom an. T hey lived in a sm all and n o t v ery a ttra c tiv e town, b u t th e T chaikovsky home was like a palace, w ith expensive surroundings and m an y servants. Y oung P e te r was ta u g h t b y a F rench governess and was very bright. W hen six years old he could read F rench and G erm an easily, and a t seven

48

M ak in g F rien d s w ith M u sic • P re lu d e

was w riting verses in French. B u t he was unusually sensitive. H is gov­ erness called him a "p o rc e la in ” child. I t was impossible to scold him, for he becam e alarm ingly up set a t the slightest reproof. H e carried this sensi­ tive feeling th ro u g h his whole life, and it caused him a great deal of suffer­ ing over sm all things which ordinary people would never notice. H e began m usic lessons early, b u t m usic had a strange effect upon him, an d his fam ily th o u g h t it h ad an u n h ealth y effect a ls o ; and so he was sent to a law school in St. P etersburg. T he sole thing for which he was noted a t this school was a very poor record in m athem atics. H e w ent to w ork as a clerk in th e M in istry of Justice, one of the govern­ m en t offices, and had an absent-m inded h a b it of tearing off pieces of paper and chewing them . A t one tim e he ate up alm ost th e whole of a very im p o rtan t official paper. In his spare tim e T chaikovsky began to stu d y harm ony, and it was not long before he discovered th e line of in terest for which he was best fitted. Such a sensitive m an needed to be alone when he was a t work, and he spent long m onths in th e country. H e loved R ussia w ith a deep and sincere affection, and p u t in to his music th e joys and sorrows, the very spirit of his n ativ e people. CONCLUSIONS T here are different ways to consider this music. You m ay th in k of each num ber as a separate selection, and m ay form your opinions as to th e title and w hether it is suitable or n o t ; the melodies and w hether th e y can be sung e a s ily ; th e v ariety in th e rh y th m s and h arm o n ies; the tone quality of th e instrum ents, heard alone and w ith others ; and your response to each m ovem ent and w h at it m eans to you. Also you m ay wish to com pare th e different dances, b o th for the m usical differences and for the things w hich are common to all of them . Or you m ay wish to know ab o u t the circum stances w hich gave to the composer th e idea of w riting this music, and read the H offm ann fairy tale. T here are m any books which tell th is sto ry in full. B u t in m aking up your m ind and deciding ju st how you feel ab o u t the num bers or dances of this m odern suite, you m ay find some help in consider­ ing and answering some of th e following q u e stio n s: 1. C an you form a p icture in your m ind of th e ballet w ith which this music m ight be used ? 2. How has T chaikovsky used orchestral in stru m en ts to suggest the different nationalities m entioned in th e titles? 3. C an you describe an y R ussian dance ?

A M u sic Story in E ig h t C hapters

49

4. Is th e " T r 6 p a k ” an y th in g like the one you have in m ind? 5. W ould you call th e " A rabian D an c e” beautiful m usic? 6. W h at appeal does it m ake to you? 7. Does an y num ber in th is suite suggest hum or ? 8. In w h at w ay ? * 9. Are there an y num bers in this suite which do n o t seem to belong to an y special co u n try ? 10. How do th ey differ from the others? 11. Are there any dances which, through th eir rh y th m ic p attern s, seem to suggest an y special steps and m otions? 12. C an you disregard th e title of this suite,— Nutcracker,— and, w ith the music clearly in m ind, p lan some kind of perform ance th a t will fit the music and y e t be u p -to -d ate b o th in plot and action?

word suite is n o t an uncom m on one. I t can be used in different w ays : a suite of SEV EN TEEN TH ro o m s; a suite of fu rn itu re ; or th e suite of some im p o rtan t person, m eaning his a tte n d ­ CENTURY ants. In each one of these situations the M U S IC word suggests a group of different things or persons th a t are connected w ith or related to THAT each other. S T IL L L IV E S In music th e word describes a certain kind of instrum ental form. Y ears ago it m eant a set of dances in different rh y th m s b u t in th e same key* or related keys. The choice and num ber of dances in a suite depended on th e com poser’s knowledge of the different dances and his artistic judgm ent. N ow adays we give the w ord to an in stru m en tal form which is free as to th e kind and num ber of its m ovem ents. W h at suite do you know, and how are its m ovem ents related to each other ? T he

Suite H enry P urcell

[V.R. 1664 B

(1658-1695), E nglish composer. Living in A m erica at the same tim e: C o t t o n M a t h e r .

THE MUSIC T here are four num bers in this suite, each very short, b u t each bearing a title. 1. Country Dance 2. Jig 3. Song Tune 4. Canaries These dances b y Purcell (pur'sel) have all the freshness of the English countryside. T h ey are sim ple and n atu ral, tw o qualities th a t are often found in E nglish music. You will p robably enjoy th e music m uch more if you know som ething about the opening m elody of each dance. 1. Country Dance

S ev en teen th -C en tu ry M u sic T h a t S till L iv es

51

2. Jig ti-m —

X

_

*- » ..-prjj ---

j 0 -•

m m—

c |0 - J

m —P— J----- S -

J

>1

---- 4»— »---- P-*----- P-----

3. Son g Tune ■Lm (• *' 1*0 —F~ll~"P~--P—* - 0-< 5 ^ ------i f * r J r.

'T m JT0-a --- P“ H

A

M

=

^ |0 ^-- (P ■■—

i r L r r i r

-=

4. Canaries 0

—P^—Pi3*—rf sb

cc

w-._NJ p... 0 0-

XK-

C>&

0 ’— 9 jp— 0

j

r

r

.

f

r

ip

—

0-^0—(f some w ords you have added to your vocab u lary in connection w ith these tw o com positions. T h ey will prove useful la te r on. MENDELSSOHN THE MAN A large num ber of com posers have to m ake th eir w ay under g reat difficulties, b u t M endelssohn grew up in a very h ap p y hom e. H is fam ily was w ealth y an d th eir hom e was large and quite elaborate. H is nam e " F e lix ,” w hich m eans " h a p p y ,” well describes his life. T he big laughterloving fam ily w as v ery fond of m usic, and th e hom e in B erlin was th e center for m an y social affairs an d artistic activities. Y oung and clever people were com ing in all th e tim e for supper an d staying on for gay evenings filled w ith m usic or inform al plays. Felix an d his sister were b o th v ery gifted an d were encouraged b y th eir m other, who sat beside th em as th e y practiced or played on th e piano. T he rules, how ever, were v ery strict, and th e children began th eir studies a t five o’clock in th e m orning. B u t all was n o t hardship for these children, since m uch pleasure was m ixed w ith th eir work. M an y people th in k th a t anyone as fond of m usic as M endelssohn could n o t be a real boy, b u t young Felix was. H e was alw ays eager for an y kind

M u sic a n d F a ir y T a les

65

of sport, he ad o red th e w ater, h ad a keen liking for ath letic games, and was an un u su ally good dancer. O n ev ery o th er S u n d ay m orning th ere were m usical p arties in th e M en­ delssohn dining-room , an d a sm all orchestra furnished th e program . I t was n o t long before some of F elix’s com positions were perform ed, an d every fam ous m usician who came th rough B erlin appeared sooner or la te r a t th e M endelssohn " S u n d ay M ornings.” N eedless to say, th is experience helped young Felix in playing before audiences an d in leading orchestras. In la te r years, w hen he w ent ab o u t on concert to u rs all th e w orld welcomed him . In fa c t his whole life was full of joy, an d his m usic reflects his sunny an d h ap p y disposition. H is favorite m o tto was " W h atev er is w orth doing a t all is w o rth doing well.” H e h ad a g reat fondness for n atu re . One day, w hen he was en tertain in g some visitors, he said, " N o w we will go to an open-air concert.” T h ey w ent o u t in to th e garden, w here a nightingale was singing. " H e sings here every evening,” said M endelssohn, " a n d I often come to listen and I sit in th is corner if I wish to com pose.” Y ou m ay w onder w hy on page 61 his nam e is given as "M endelssohnB arth o ld y .” H is fa th e r ad d ed th e nam e B a rth o ld y w hen he a n d his wife, like some o th er m em bers of th eir families, ad o p ted C h ristia n ity . PROGRAM MUSIC M endelssohn h a d a special fondness for " p ro g ra m m u sic ” — m usic th a t a tte m p ts to p a in t a scene or tell a story. (H e was, b y th e w ay, an excellent am ateu r p a in te r of la n d sc a p e s; and his le tte rs show a decided lite ra ry gift.) T he clue to th e scene or action m ay usually be found in th e title of a piece of p rogram m usic. T h e ev en t or picture m ay be real or im aginary. T he m usic does n o t describe th e ac t or sc e n e ; m usic can n o t do th a t. B u t it can express sim ilar m oods or surround us w ith th e sam e kinds of th o u g h t an d feeling th a t th e com poser experienced w hen he im agined or w itnessed th e scenes th a t inspired th e music. T h e g reat R ussian w riter T olstoi (tol-stoi') said th a t th e a rtis t expresses " a feeling he has lived th ro u g h .” In th is "S cherzo” M endelssohn does n o t describe th e different details of th e play, b u t he has com posed m usic th ro u g h w hich we m ay im agine som ething of th e feeling w hich was his w hen he read th e play .

A f t e r listening to su ch com positions as th e

Nutcracker Suite or th e scherzo from A M id ­ summer N ig h t’s Dream it seems unnecessary to have an y fu rth e r explanation of program m usic, IN T O such as is given on page 65. B u t since a large GREAT num ber of com positions belong to th e group know n as absolute m usic, a sim ple ex p lan a tio n of M U S IC th e expression will prove useful. I t is perfectly n a tu ra l th a t, hearing as m uch m usic as we do, we should now and th en come upon w ords whose m eaning is n o t alto g eth er clear. One of these w ords is sym phony. E X C U R S IO N S

ABSOLUTE MUSIC T h e sym phony belongs to th e ty p e of com positions w hich are described as absolute music.* A lread y we have discovered th a t a com position based on a sto ry h as m ore m eaning for us and gives us m ore pleasure w hen we know th e story. In such cases th is inform ation has served as a clue to aid our u n d erstan d in g of th e m usic. In absolute m usic in m ost instances th ere is no description in th e title to help th e listener. C om positions in th is group need no sto ry to explain them . T h ey n eith er im itate nor rep resen t an y th in g b u t m usic. A bsolute music is m usic w hich depends solely on its own b ea u ty . As someone has cleverly described it, " I t is m usic for m usic's sake." T his does n o t m ean th a t th e m usic needs to be h ea v y or difficult. In fact, m an y m ovem ents of sym phonies are as m erry and in terestin g as com­ positions w hich belong to th e group called program m usic. A lle g r e tto fr o m S y m p h o n y N o . 8 L u d w ig v a n B e e t h o v e n

[V. R. G 5 4 1 A

(1770-1827), German composer. Living in America

at the same time:

Jam es M onroe.

T h is m usic is th e second m ovem ent of Sym phony N o. 8 b y B eethoven (b a'to -v en ). B eethoven h ad a h a b it of composing his sym phonies in pairs, a serious w ork followed b y one in lighter mood. In 1812, ju s t before th e U n ited S tates h a d decided to declare w ar on E ngland, he finished his seventh sym phony. T h is w ork is serious and full of deep m eaning. So it seemed n a tu ra l for him to tu rn his th o u g h t to som ething lighter an d m ore playful. 66

67

E x c u r sio n s in to G reat M u sic

A fter finishing his sev en th sym phony, B eethoven w as n o t v ery well, and his doctor ordered him to go aw ay for a rest. J u s t before he left, his friends gave him a farewell dinner, and am ong the guests was Jo h a n n M alzel (m elt'zel), th e in v en to r of th e m etronom e.* B eethoven, who was fond of fun, com posed a little round,* or canon,* in honor of M alzel, and all th e group sang it. B eethoven joined in w ith them , singing soprano. W e can im agine him in a lig h t blue coat an d w hite w aistcoat, his face and eyes shining as he sang " T a ta , M alzel, farewell, farew ell.” T his m elodic phrase later was to be used in a comical take-off on th e rh y th m ic, stead y b e a t of th e m etronom e, an d th e jolly little tu n e of th e ro u n d becam e th e m ain them e for th e second m ovem ent of his S ym phony No. 8. THE MUSIC T his is th e sh o rtest m ovem ent in all th e sym phonies b y B eethoven, and one of th e m ost charm ing an d graceful. T h e m usic is m erry an d playful, an d th ere is also a good share of energy and action. In fact, th e entire sym phony is in a light m ood an d has som ething of th e carefree, jolly q u ality we find in th e m erry tu n es of H a y d n (h i'd ’n). H a y d n (page 70) w as B eetho­ v en ’s teacher a t one tim e, an d m ay have h a d an influence on th e serious, th o u g h tfu l young m an. T he expression m ark a t th e beginning is Allegretto seherzando * an d as we listen to th e m usic it is easy to see w hy B eethoven used it. T h e m ovem ent opens w ith th e them e of th e ro u n d * w hich was sung b y th e group a t th e farewell dinner. F IR ST THEM E A lleg retto seherzando •

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U n d ern eath this m elody (w hich is played b y strings) th ere is an accom ­ pan im en t b y wood winds, playing in sem istaccato* style some chords w hich suggest th e ticking of th e m etronom e. I t is in terestin g th a t th e appearance on paper of th e th em e in sixteenth an d thirty -seco n d notes n a tu ra lly m akes one th in k th a t th e m usic m oves v ery rapidly. B u t th e tem p o indication is m erely Allegretto,* an d conductors of orchestras realize th a t if th e m usic is played too fast, th e effect which B eethoven in ten d ed will be com pletely destroyed. So th e speed is n o t as g re at as m ig h t be expected. T h e second them e seems stronger and a little heavier th a n th e first.

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

68

SECOND TH EM E

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T he accom panim ent keeps repeating th e chords, as if unable to stop. F or v a rie ty B eethoven brings in th e low strings w ith a sm ooth m elody, and the m ovem ent ends w ith a quickening of th e tem po th a t gives a feeling of m erry hum or an d leaves us in good spirits. THE DESIGN W e u n d e rsta n d th e m eaning of design w hen it refers to th e p a tte rn of some fabric or th e decoration of some fam iliar object of a rt. In m usic, too, th e selection of th e figure* an d p a tte rn is im p o rta n t, for th e y m u st be capable of being used in m an y w ays if th e design as a whole is to be interesting. Q uite often th e design is m ade u p of m an y rep etitio n s of some special figure, an d often com posers in th eir w riting introduce such a figure, which ru n s th ro u g h th e en tire com position like a sm all rep eated p a tte rn in a ta p e s try or an O riental rug. W hen we were learning ab o u t " P o m p an d C ir­ cum stance N o. 4 ,” we found th a t such a figure was som etim es called a m usical m otto.* I n th e second m ovem ent of his S ym phony N o. 8, B eethoven uses a three-n o te figure w hich comes a t th e beginning of th e first th e m e : F IG U R E A

T h is tin y p a tte rn is h eard first a t one pitch, th e n a t a n o th e r; played now b y one in stru m en t, now b y another. I t seems as if it were skipping ab o u t all th e tim e. I t is easy to recognize b y its rh y th m , if n o t b y its tune. I n th e m iddle section it seems to disappear for a m om ent, th e n back it comes w ith all th e cheery confidence of th e greeting " H e re I am again.” THE SYMPHONY W hen people p lan a concert program th e y usually choose some m usic th a t is lively, some th a t is q u ie t; perhaps som ething jolly an d som ething ra th e r sad. I n looking over program s we find th a t often th e y are divided in to

E x c u r sio n s in to G reat M u sic

69

sections. One section will be m erry an d full of life, th e next one peaceful and so on. T he reason for using these different kinds of m usic is to in ­ crease, th ro u g h v ariety , th e in terest an d pleasure of th e audience. D o you rem em ber how th e suite was planned ? Sym phonies are p u t to g eth er in th e sam e way. I t m ay be a good idea to know w h at a sym phony is an d to u n d ersta n d a few things ab o u t it. 1. A sym phony is a large m usical com position usually divided in to p a rts, which m ay be com pared to ch ap ters in a book. These are called movements. Sym phonies m ay have an y n u m b er of m ovem ents, b u t m ost sym phonies have four. 2. A ny one of th e m ovem ents m ay be played b y itself, b u t all th e m ove­ m en ts are necessary to com plete th e p lan of an entire sym phony. 3. A lthough th e form m ay require m an y different groups of in stru m en tal players, a sym phony is u su ally p layed b y a large orchestra fully provided w ith strings, wood wind, brass, an d percussion. Such an organization is therefore usually know n as a sym phony orchestra. 4. Some com posers use num bers as titles of th eir sym phonies, some use nam es of keys, an d still others select a special nam e, such as " F ro m th e N ew W o rld ” (by D v o rak (d v o r'zhak)), " I t a l i a n ” (by M endelssohn), or " C la s s ic a l” (by Prokofieff (pro-ko'fe-ef)). DISCUSSION 1. A fter listening to th e m usic, do you feel th a t a m ovem ent from a sym phony can be as enjoyable as a piece of program m usic? 2. W ith y o u r knowledge of th e incidents which have to do w ith th is com­ position, do you th in k B eethoven has used th e orchestra w ith good effect ? 3. Is a knowledge of th e form (page 74) necessary to in terest in th is m usic ? 4. W h y n o t m ake a list of th e things in this m usic which in te re st you especially ? BEETHOVEN THE MAN P ro b ab ly th e nam e of no o th er com poser is so well know n to people everyw here as B eethoven's. H is childhood was sim ilar to th a t of m an y of our great m en. H is fam ily w as v ery p o o r ; and w hen B eethoven w as still quite young, his fath er, know ing of th e g reat success of M o zart, saw in his son's m usical ab ility a p ro b ab le source of support. So the child was forced to go th ro u g h long hours of p ractice in order to develop skill as ra p id ly as possible.

70

M ak in g F rie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

H e p lay ed th e violin, organ, clavichord,* and harpsichord,* an d even as a child show ed th e thoughtfulness which is found in m ost of his com posi­ tions. W hile he was still a y o uthful m usician th e new ly in v en ted pianoforte* took th e place of th e harpsichord and th e clavichord. I t was a fine in stru ­ m en t for B eethoven, because, as its nam e indicates, it could be played very loudly or v ery softly, as well as w ith m an y different shades of dynam ics* betw een those tw o extrem es. H e was n o t a v ery good businessm an. I n fact, he was alw ays having difficulty w ith his landlords and som etim es m oved so often th a t he d id n 't even b o th er to have his piano set u p on legs b u t sat on th e floor w hen he p lay ed it. D eafness overtook him in early m anhood an d was a g reat source of unhappiness to him . P ictu re for yourself th e trag e d y of n o t being able to hear, an d w h a t i t m u st have m ean t to B eethoven, th e m usical genius, who h ad alw ays been able to hear m uch b e tte r th a n th e average person. H e w rote to some of his close friends th a t th e h ard sh ip caused him th e least trouble in playing and composing, and th e m ost trouble in his association w ith people, as he co u ld n 't tell w h a t th e y were saying. H ow ever, th e m isfortune of B eethoven's deafness resulted in a real gain for m usic. B ecause he could no longer h ear him self play, he gave all of his tim e an d in terest to com position and, for th e m ost p a rt, w rote for th e full orchestra. H is m usic expressed his own inner stren g th of character, his disposition, an d his original ability, and he was free from an y desire to show off w ith a display of skill in a b rillian t perform ance. H e gave us some of th e m ost w onderful m usic th a t has ever been w ritten , an d because of it th e nam e and works of B eethoven will alw ays be a pow erful and living influence in th e w orld of m usic. BEETHOVEN’S TEACHER T h irty -eig h t years before B eethoven was born, a little boy who was to hav e a g re at influence on th e developm ent and progress of m usic was born in a sm all C ro atian (kro-a'shl-an) village so u th east of Vienna. H is nam e was F ran z Jo seph H ay d n . H is fa th e r was a carriage-m aker and his m other a cook in th e household of a count. She used to sing th e folk songs of the C ro atian s while his fa th e r accom panied her on th e harp. H a y d n would sit n ear by, p reten d in g to p lay th e violin w ith tw o pieces of wood. One d a y a cousin saw him doing this and offered to ta k e th e boy hom e w ith h im an d teach him m usic. So, w hen only six years old, H a y d n began to p ractice an d stu d y , learning som ething of th e in stru m en ts m o st com ­ m only used, an d also receiving some voice training. He was w orried,

E x cu rsio n s in to G rea t M u sic

71

though, because he could n o t keep him self n e a t and spotless, an d so took to w earing a wig " f o r cleanliness." One d a y th e organist an d choirm aster of St. S tephen's C ath ed ra l in V ienna m ade a visit to th e sm all village an d heard H a y d n 's voice. H e was so pleased w ith th e sw eet tone q u a lity of it th a t he took th e boy back w ith him to sing in th e g reat cath edral. Soon he began to cover every piece of m usic p ap er he could lay h ands on w ith his com positions. Y oung F ran z lived in a house w ith th e o th er choirboys and was full of m ischief and pran k s. One d ay he cu t th e pigtail off a schoolfellow. F or this he was w hipped an d sent aw ay. A gain we see him , in an a ttic room , playing on a little "w o rm -eaten clavier,*" w riting m usic, practising his violin, teaching, an d tu rn in g his h an d to a n y m usical experience th a t offered itself. B u t his luck was to change. A n A u strian noblem an nam ed E sterh a zy (es'ter-ha-ze) in v ited H a y d n to his hom e to w rite m usic for his p riv ate orchestra. T his was a com m on practice in those days. M o zart, Purcell, an d m an y o th er com posers were hired b y noblem en to compose m usic for th em an d for th eir friends. A lm ost all th e large estates and co u n try houses h a d b ands or orchestras to e n te rta in th e fam ily and friends of th e owner. F ro m now on this was to be H a y d n 's life, and a h ap p y one it was. F or th irty years he lived a t th e b eau tifu l castle of P rince E sterh azy , where th ere were w onderful th eaters, sum m erhouses, deep parks, an d a fine b an d of singers an d players. M o st of H a y d n 's com positions for voice an d orchestra were w ritten a t E sterh a z. I t is in terestin g to rem em ber th a t H a y d n was the teacher n o t only of B eethoven b u t also of M o zart. M in u e t fr o m S y m p h o n y N o . 1 3 , i n G M a jo r [V. R .G 560 A (1732-1809), A ustrian com poser. L iving in A m erica at the same tim e: G e o r g e W a s h i n g t o n .

F ranz J o seph H a y d n

MINUET O n page 37 we found, in reading a b o u t th e "G e rm a n D a n c e s " b y M o zart, th a t th e m in u et was a fav o rite dance of th e court in V ienna in th e eig h teen th century. I t came from F rance, an d because th e m anners an d h a b its of those tim es were full of pom p an d cerem ony it is n o t surprising to find d ig n ity reflected in th e m usic of th e dance. A lthough th e m in u et is like a w altz, it is m uch slower, for th e leisurely steps of th e dancers were m ixed w ith graceful bows an d curtsies.

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72

L a te r th e w ord m inuet was used as th e title of a m usical form know n as th re e -p a rt song form w ith trio.* I t was com m on practice for th e early w riters to use th is form as th e th ird m ovem ent of th eir sym phonies. Al­ th o u g h in early tim es th e m inuets in th e sym phonies awere p layed ju s t as ra p id ly as to d ay , dance m in u ets were play ed m ore slowly and were quite dignified a n d stately . THE MUSIC W ith o u t an y in tro d u ctio n , th e flutes an d violins give o u t th e rh y th m ic a n d cheerful m usic of th e first them e. F IR ST TH EM E *A lle g re tto

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T his them e is divided in to tw o phrases,* th e second phrase being tw o m easures longer th a n th e first. T h e first them e is repeated, and th e n we hear an o th er them e w hich re­ sem bles th e first v ery closely. SECOND TH EM E

. P T h e second them e continues w ith th e sam e energy w hich is h eard in th e first them e an d leads in to a re sta te m e n t of th e opening phrase from th e first them e. T h en all th e m usic, beginning w ith th e entrance of th e second them e, is rep eated . U p to th is p o in t th e m usic seems to be divided in to tw o fairly large and w ell-m arked sections. T h e first centers around th e opening, or first, them e, while th e second section contains m usic from b o th them es. T hese tw o sections m ake up th e first division, or P a r t A, of th e " M in u e t.” THE TRIO T h e second division of a m inuet, P a r t B, is com m only called th e trio. A lm ost everyone who has h eard a brass b an d p lay a m arch know s w h at a trio is. T h e reason for th e nam e is th a t long ago, in w riting in stru m en tal pieces such as th e m arch, g av o tte, m inuet, an d o th er dances, com posers

E x cu rsio n s in to G rea t M u sic

73

w ished th is second division, or P a r t B , to be different from P a r t A, for th e sake of c o n tra st. If P a r t B was lyric or q u iet like a song, th e n P a r t A m ig h t be m ore lively an d d ram atic. So th e y w rote th e second division in th re e -p a rt h arm o n y for perform ance b y an in stru m e n ta l trio.* A lthough th e th re e -p a rt h arm o n y has been set aside, th e nam e trio still is used. T he T rio opens w ith th e following th e m e : T H IR D THEM E V ff r r - m

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I t is q u ite sim ilar to th e th ird them e — th e first them e of th e Trio. 1. W h a t is th e m ost noticeable difference betw een these tw o m elodies? 2. Is th e difference one of style ? A re p etitio n of th e fo u rth them e brings th e T rio, or P a r t B, to a close. I n th e T rio th e accom panying in stru m en ts su p p o rt th e m elodies w ith sm ooth harm onies w hich are quite simple. T h e low strings do n o t m ove ab o u t as in P a r t A, b u t m ain tain a single in terv al (tw o tones a certain distance a p a rt) for each phrase of four m easures. T his produces an effect w hich is called a drone bass.* I n " G e rm a n D ance ” N o. 6, th e one called " T h e O rgan-G rinder,’’ b y M o zart, th ere was an illu stratio n of pedal point,* w hich gives a sim ilar effect. A fter th e trio section, th e first division, P a r t A, re tu rn s, b u t th is tim e n eith er of its sections is rep eated . C an you m ake a diagram w hich will serve as a p lan of th e form of th is m in u et ? If you answ er these questions it will help you to m ake such a diagram . 1. H ow m an y sections are there in th is m o v em en t? 2. Are an y of these sections sim ilar in feeling? 3. H ow m a n y th em es are th ere in each section ?

74

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

THE FORM H ow ever b eau tifu l tones m a y be in them selves, th e y ca n n o t give pleasure if th e y are sounded a t ran d o m . T h ey m u st proceed in gracefully ordered fashion. T h e s tu d y of th e form of a com position is valuable only w hen i t aids us in u n d erstan d in g th e m usic b e tte r in order th a t we m ay receive a greater am o u n t of en jo y m en t w hen we hear it. F o rm in m usic is very m uch like form in an y th in g else. A ny com poser who intends to express a m usical idea arranges his m aterials— rh y th m , m elody, a n d h arm o n y — in such a w ay th a t th e y m ay express his idea clearly and th a t th e listeners m ay u n d er­ stan d his m eaning. If we are able to recognize some of th e p a rts of this organized plan, such as rep etitio n s and contrasts, we will discover some features of b e a u ty in th e m usic w hich otherw ise m ight rem ain unnoticed. 1. As you listen to th e m usic, do you th in k th e T rio provides enough co n trast, b o th in m usical feeling an d in th e style of perform ance? 2. W ould th is " M in u et ” be good for dancing? 3. A re th ere an y im p o rta n t features of th is m usic th a t hav e n o t been presen t in som e o th er selections to w hich you have listened? THE ORCHESTRA OF HAYDN’S TIME O rchestras in th e tim e of H a y d n were sim ilar in size to m ost of th e orchestras w hich we have now, although th e y did n o t have all of th e w ind in stru m en ts w hich are fo und in th e orchestras of to d ay . I n P aris m an y rich an d fashionable people in society su p p o rted a series of concerts. H a y d n com posed th is sym phony for one of these program s. T he audience a t these concerts included lords an d ladies of th e court, as well as o th er leaders of society. M arie A n to in ette is know n to have a t­ ten d ed m an y of them . T h e b rillian t dress of th e audience was m atch ed b y th a t of th e m em bers of th e orchestra, who wore satin coats w ith gold and silver em broidery, h a ts w ith plum es, swords, an d lace ruffles on th eir sleeves. T hese often in terfered w ith th e skill of th eir perform ance, especially in th e case of th e players of stringed instrum ents. T hese concerts were th e m ore rem arkable w hen we realize th a t a t this tim e th e people of our co u n try h ad n o t elected th eir first P resident. In fa ct th e sym phony in w hich th is m inuet occurs was com posed in 1787, th e v ery y ea r th a t th e constitutional convention was try in g to form th e governm ent of our country. T h e fashionable concerts for w hich th is m usic was w ritten did n o t con­ tin u e for long, how ever, for afte r tw o years th e F rench people h a d th eir great R evolution, w ith th e fall of th e B astille (bas-tel') an d th e ru in of th e w ealthy nobility, who h a d been th e chief p atro n s of m usic.

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N o V isiL or to L o n d o n E v e r W a n ts t o M iss t h e C o lo r f u l " C h a n g in g o f t h e G u a r d 55 a t B u c k in g h a m P a la c e

E x c u r sio n s in to G reat M u sic

75

B ecause th is m usic was com posed in th e sam e y ear as th e " G e rm a n D a n c e s" b y M o zart (page 37), it m ay be in terestin g to h e a r these dances again an d to com pare th e m w ith th is m in u et b y H ay d n . 1. D o you th in k th a t H a y d n 's m usic is like M o za rt's " G e rm a n D a n c e s " ? 2. If so, in w h at respects ? 3. C an you, in a few words, p o in t o u t a n y w ay in w hich th e m usic of H a y d n an d B eethoven is alike, as you have noticed it in these tw o m ove­ m ents of th eir sym phonies? 4. D oes th e stu d y of th e form of one com position help you to u n d ersta n d form in o th er m usic ? 5. H ow ?

A lth o ug h he was n o t born in L ondon, E ric

C oates w ent th ere as a young stu d e n t. H e has w ritten of those early days of struggle, w hen he was so poor th a t he h a d to tru d g e THROUGH th ro u g h city streets w ith o u t a n y m oney eith er M U S IC for bus rides or for a h o t m eal. As a y o u th he learned all th e in terestin g spots in th is g reat city of th e old world. Now, as a m an, he w rites, " I love L ondon and n early everything in it. As I w rite this, I am sittin g in th e living room of m y flat, w hich is on th e to p floor of one of th e highest blocks of flats in London. " T h e room islight an d airy and th e sun pours in all day. I h ear th e d ista n t sounds of traffic on one side of me, an d see th e green open spaces of th e p a rk on th e o th er side. I am so near th e h u rry and bustle of busy life,y e t so far aw ay from it. In fact, all is v ery peaceful and quiet w ithin m y hom e.,, S IG H T S E E IN G

L o n d o n S u ite E r ic C o a t e s (1 8 8 6 —

[V.R.36129a,b ;G 525 a

), E n g lis h c o m p o se r .

MUSIC OF THE SUITE E v id e n tly he w an ted o th er people to visit th is E nglish city and share his love an d en th u siasm for it, for he com posed th e London S u ite, in th ree m ovem ents, to describe it in sound and rh y th m . T o each num ber he has given a title w hich rep resen ts some spot th a t all visitors should see. These titles are : 1. Covent Garden 2. Westminster 3. Knightsbridge A lthough each of these num bers is a com plete selection, it is quite neces­ sary th a t we h ear th em all, one a fte r th e other, so th a t th e im pression of L ondon w hich we receive from th e m usic m ay n o t be one-sided. 1. COVENT GARDEN C ovent G ard en is th e nam e n o t only of a fam ous old London opera house b u t also of th e g reat vegetable an d fru it m ark e t in w hich it stands. In his m usic E ric C oates tak es us on an early m orning excursion to th e m ark et. T h ere is th e usual c la tte r and th e h u rry an d scurry th a t seem as m uch a p a r t of a g reat m ark e t as th e produce itself. Some b rig h t chords inform us th a t our trip has begun. T he com poser

76

S ig h t-S eein g th r o u g h M u sic

77

says th a t th is m usic is a tarantella, w hich is a lively and exciting dance of T a ra n to (ta 'ra n -to ), in th e so u th of I ta ly ; th e first m elody has all the sp irit an d life of such a dance. F IR S T M ELODY A lle g r o m o llo ^ 77J . U

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T h e second m elody also is im p o rta n t. I t is m ore singable th a n th e first, b u t none th e less energetic. SECOND M ELODY

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All th e in stru m en ts in th e o rch estra have a share in playing these tw o melodies, an d a feeling of g aiety is added b y some counterm elodies* play ed b y th e wood winds. T h e first m elody altern ates, or tak es tu rn s, w ith th e second. I t is h eard first in th e high register,* th e n in th e low. T h e tw o them es m ove th ro u g h different tonalities,* or keys,* u n til finally a new m elody is heard. T here are certain custom s th a t began years ago th a t have been passed on from one generation to an o th er, a n d such an im p o rta n t th in g as th e m ark e t h as m an y trad itio n s a n d custom s. T o rem ind us of these practices w hich continue strong th ro u g h th e years, th e com poser has used th e fam iliar m elody of an old E nglish song, ''C h e rry R ip e.” T his is th e first p a r t of th e tu n e of th is song as th e people have sung it for m an y y e a r s : Cherry Ripe R

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M ak in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

78

In th e London Suite this m elody is ta k e n b y th e horns an d low wood winds, w ith an accom panim ent b y th e h arp . T H IR D M ELODY 1

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A t last th e violins are h eard playing th is fam iliar tune. B u t only for a sh o rt tim e. S uddenly th e first m elody breaks in on this E nglish m elody, w hich is a rem inder of days gone by. Once m ore we are in th e bustle and hu stle of th e m ark et. " C h e rry R ip e,,, as th o u g h unw illing to go, retu rn s, an d th is tim e it is livelier an d b rig h ter th a n before. T h e d ru m s b e a t o u t in stead y rh y th m

j ij. i j j i j n u j>j j>u. j /i T h en ev ery th in g seems to slow down, an d w ith heavy accents th e first m easures of th e first m elody are h eard again. B u t th e com poser seems to say, " P re s to , c h a n g e !” an d our v isit to Co v e n t G arden ends in a w hirl of ra p id no tes an d rousing chords. 2. WESTMINSTER " M e d ita tio n ” is used as a second title for this m ovem ent. T he calm of W estm in ster A bbey, a spot w hich has occupied a prom inent place in E n g ­ lish h isto ry , is felt im m ediately, for th e in tro d u ctio n begins w ith slowm oving chords played b y strings and h arp . T h e com poser leads us on a leisurely to u r of th is ancient cath ed ral b y th e river, an d th e cellos play th e opening m elody w ith sm ooth tones against an accom panim ent w hich sounds like chords on th e organ. F IR ST M ELODY A n d a n te

S ig h t-S eein g th r o u g h M u sic

79

T h e tim e* changes, an d th e violins an d oboes p lay a new m elody th a t m oves m ore rapidly. I t seems as th ough th e spell of the dream were in ter­ ru p te d w ith m em ories of som e h ap p y an d even gay experience. SECOND M ELODY t

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T h e m elody m oves on to a strong climax, and th e n th e first m elody w ith w hich th e m ovem ent opened is b ro u g h t back b y th e strings. As th is com­ position closes, th e w orld-fam ous chim es of " B ig B e n ” are h eard . 3. KNIGHTSBRIDGE K nightsbridge is th e nam e of a stre e t th a t runs along th e so u th ern edge of H y d e P a rk , n ear B uckingham Palace. I t has also come to m ean a section of L ondon betw een th a t th o roughfare an d th e Palace. One of th e special attra c tio n s of th is section w hich draw s th e a tte n tio n of visitors is th e soldiers of th e P alace guard, w ith th e ir tall black busbies (page 8) a n d red coats. E ric C oates has given us a p ictu re of these stalw art E nglishm en as th e y parad e or ta k e p a r t in th e "c h a n g in g of th e g u ard ,” while m oving an d re st­ less crowds of adm irers w atch th e spectacle. T here is an in terestin g incident connected w ith th e m usic of th is th ird m ovem ent. T h e Suite h ad been published a b o u t a year an d was selling in a quiet, ste a d y w ay w hen, quite b y chance, th e th ird m ovem ent, th e " K n ig h ts b rid g e ” m arch, w as chosen as th e " s ig n a tu re ” for " I n T ow n T o­ n ig h t,” one of th e p o p u lar radio program s of th e B ritish B roadcasting C om pany. T his sp irited m usic to o k th e E nglish w orld b y storm . T he curiosity of th e public was im m ediately aroused, an d w ithin a v ery few weeks thousands of letters p oured in to th e rad io studio asking for th e nam e of th e p o pular " s ig n a tu r e ” tune. T h e com poser was sw am ped w ith requests to " a p p e a r in person ” a t every k in d of e n te rta in m e n t an d in all m anner of places. T he in tro d u ctio n to th e th ird num ber of th e S uite n o t only shows us th a t th is is a m arch b u t also contains th e m elodic figure w hich occurs in th e first tw o m easures of th e first m elody. P ro b ab ly one reason for th e p o p u larity of th e m ovem ent can be found in th e first m elody, w hich is full of energy.

80

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e F IR S T M ELODY Q uick m a rch tim e

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D oes th is tu n e seem to be a n y th in g like th e first m elody in " P o m p and C ircum stance N o. 4 ” ? T h is m elody is played b y first violins an d oboe against a w ell-accented, b u t n o t too loud, accom panim ent played b y th e full orchestra. A second m elody follows. T his is sh o rter th a n th e first, and leads rig h t back to th e opening m easures of th e first m elody. SECOND M ELO DY

T hese tw o m elodies m ake u p one division or section of th is th ird m ove­ m en t of th e London S u ite. T h e tru m p e ts an d horns m ake th e ir appearance w ith a fam iliar m usical figure w hich m oves like t h i s :

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5

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T h ey are answ ered b y th e strings w ith th is th e m e :

T his m usical conversation continues, th e h arm o n y changing and th e volum e increasing, u n til we h ear a new tu n e played b y th e violin and cello. T H IR D M ELO DY

S ig h t-S eein g th r o u g h M u sic

81

T h is is rep eated , an d in th e re p etitio n th ere are slight changes in th e closing m easures. T h e first a n d Second m elodies are h ea rd again an d are ju s t th e sam e as in th e beginning. T h e conversation betw een th e brasses an d strings is also rep eated an d once m ore th e th ird m elody is heard, th is tim e in a different key. T he presence of all th e strings an d th e higher p itch * of th e new k ey m ake th e effect v ery m uch b rig h ter th a n w hen th is m elody was heard a t first. A fter a rousing clim ax th e first m elody re tu rn s and m oves in to a coda. A t a slower tem p o an d as if in triu m p h th e th ird m elody is heard once m ore, an d th e m ovem ent an d th e suite close w ith pom p an d dignity. T o anyone w ho h as ever h a d an o p p o rtu n ity to v isit K nightsbridge this m usic ex­ presses th e thrill, th e m ovem ents of th e crowd, an d even th e p a g e a n try of th e soldiers. The Rondo W h a t a b o u t th e form of th e m usic of th is m o v em en t? I t can be easily explained. W e have alread y noticed th a t th e first division h a d tw o m elodies an d th a t th e first m elody was repeated. T h e form of th is division m ay be rep resen ted b y A B A . T h e th ird , or C, m elody is introduced b y th e brasses in a b rillian t series of chords an d it is h eard twice. T he le tte r m ark in g of th is second division of th e m usic, therefore, is Introduction C C. T h e first division now retu rn s, and th e n th e second division is repeated. T h e opening m elody, followed b y a coda, com pletes th is " K n ig h ts­ bridge 99 m arch. U sing letters only, we find th a t th e order of m elodies is as follows (it is n o t necessary to m ention th e re p etitio n of C) : A

B

A

C

A

B

A

C

A

T h e nam e given to such an arran g em en t of m elodies is rondo, for th e m usic of th e first section keeps " com ing around ” afte r each new section. T he tw o o u tstan d in g qualities of th e rondo, as of every o th er effective form , are u n ity an d variety (page 32). T h e u n ity is b ro u g h t ab o u t b y th e co n stan t rep etitio n of th e first, or A, m e lo d y ; v a rie ty is provided b y th e in tro d u ctio n of new m elodies. I t is n o t necessary th a t th e first m elody should alw ays rem ain ex actly th e sam e in its repetitions. I t m ay be changed slightly eith er in rh y th m , in harm ony, in key, or in p itch , or some form of decoration m ay be added. B u t th e rondo itself (this does n o t include th e coda) m u st end w ith th e sam e m elody w ith w hich it began, a n d th ere m u st be m ore th a n tw o m elodies.

82

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic - P r e lu d e

DISCUSSION 1. A fter hearing th e m usic an d reading this explanation, can y o u m ak e up y o u r own definition of rondo ? 2. C an you tell w h at th e difference is betw een rondo form an d song fo rm ? 3. C an you draw a design for th is piece of m usic, using curves, crosses, straig h t fines, or an y o th er p a tte rn w hich will illu strate th e differences betw een th e different m elodies? 4. Are th ere an y tw o m ovem ents of th e London Suite th a t are alike in an y w ay ? P ro b ab ly y o u hav e never h eard a n y m usic b y E ric C oates before. 1. A fter hearing th is Suite, can you fist an y qualities in his m usic which m ake his com positions p o p u lar? 2. H ow does th is Suite differ from those you have h ea rd alread y ? 3. H ow does it com pare w ith th e m in (a) th e appeal of th e m usic? (6) th e in terest of th e sto ry ? (c) th e use of in stru m e n ts? 4. C ould th is Suite have th e title of some o th er city th a n London and still be su itab le? (Please be definite in y o u r answers.) 5. Is th e title necessary to en jo y m en t of th is m usic? SOMETHING ABOUT THE COMPOSER Q uite often it is easier to learn ab o u t th e fife an d w ork of a m an w ho lived long ago th a n it is a b o u t one who is alive to d ay . E ric C oates, who h as given us these to n al p ictures of ev ery d ay life in London, is th e son of a co u n try doctor. H e w as b o rn in th e co u n ty of N o ttin g h am sh ire, w hich, you m ay rem em ber, was R o b in H o o d ’s country. H e says of him self, "M u sic seems to hav e been in m y fife from th e begin­ ning, an d m y earliest m em ories are of lying aw ake in bed, listening to m y m o th er as she played an d sang in th e parlor below .” As these were th e days before radio, everyone w ho could p lay an in stru ­ m en t or sing w as pressed in to service, an d tw ice a week th e fam ily orchestra (anyone who w ished m ig h t join) m e t for rehearsals. Y oung E ric played b o th violin a n d viola, an d he believes th a t it w as in th is group th a t he received his first desire to be a com poser. I t to o k a good deal of arguing an d pleading before his fa th e r consented to le t h im tr y his h an d a t m usic as an occupation. B u t finally it was decided th a t he should stu d y a t th e R oyal A cadem y of M usic, in L ondon, for a year. So "o ff I w en t,” he w rites, " a n d how glad an d p roud I was to be a stu d e n t a t th a t g reat train in g college.”

S ig h t-S eein g th r o u g h M u sic

83

A fter th e first y ear it was agreed th a t he should ''k e e p him self” an d this m ean t h a rd e r w ork, as well as going w ith o u t m a n y things. Sm all jobs, such as p lay in g in th e a te r orchestras, a n d now a n d th e n perform ances and pub licatio n of his own com positions, helped him to increase his incom e. H is p resen t success is due to his d eterm in atio n as well as to his m usical ab ility . A nd th en , a fte r he h a d left his stu d e n t days behind, a seem ingly chance m eeting changed th e p lan of his life. H e describes it in th is w a y : I decided to go to a concert by the Academy students. The concert was dull and I was bored — so bored, I was thinking of getting up and going hom e; when suddenly my whole attention became fastened on a student who had walked on to the platform to recite. She was very young, — sixteen to be exact, — and slim and fair. I t is curious how quickly we change. I forgot about going home. I forgot th at I was bored. I forgot everything but the girl on the platform. So th a t is how I first saw the lady who later did me the honor of becoming my wife, and who has helped me so much in all my work. E ric C oates has som etim es been called th e " M e lo d y M a n ” an d th e free a n d singable sty le of his w riting shows how g re at a p a r t m elody plays in his w ork. Also, he h as been determ ined to keep u p w ith th e tim es. H e is v ery fond of dancing an d so has m ade him self fam iliar w ith all kinds of dances. H e does n o t h esitate to use these dance rh y th m s in his com positions a n d his w ork h as aroused m uch in terest on th is account also. T o d a y he is th e leader am ong E nglish com posers of light m usic. H e says, " B e sincere in all th a t y o u d o ; and w h eth er y o u are a com poser of sym p h o n ies'o r a w riter of th e lig h ter kind of m usic, alw ays give of y o u r highest a n d best. O nly w ork th a t is refined an d finished well lasts th ro u g h th e years, a n d good w orkm anship alw ays finds its rew ard in th e long r u n .”

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M ost people who can sing a t all, an d m aybe some

who cannot, pro b ab ly have joined w ith a group a t som e tim e or o th er in singing a round. I t m ay have been " T h re e B lind M ice,” " L ittle T om T in k e r,” or " F r e r e Jacq u es.” T here is a lot of fu n in w atching for our tu rn to begin th e tu n e an d th e n carrying it on u n til only one voice rem ains to finish th e perform ance. N o t every m elody is m ade in such a w ay th a t it will sound well w ith itself w hen a second voice begins singing it afte r th e first voice is well sta rte d . H ere is a fam iliar m elody, how ever, th a t w orks o u t p re tty well. In a ro u n d th e second voice sings exactly th e sam e m elody as th e first voice, an d so on w ith th e o th er voices ; b u t in th is illu stratio n th e second voice, afte r th e first tw o m easures, does n o t im itate ex actly th e m elody w hich th e first voice sings.

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One th in g w hich m akes it easy for us to u n d e rsta n d th is un u su al arrange­ m en t of " D ix ie " is th a t th e tu n e is fam iliar. I t is like som e friend who surprises us one d a y b y appearing in a new su it a n d h a t. A lthough we recognize th e person because th e well-know n featu res are there, still th e appearance is different. R o b e rt M cB ride, an A m erican composer, rem em bered a little tu n e which he, as well as m an y o th er boys, w histled w hen he was a lad. T h en he decided on a w ay to fix it u p so as to p resen t it in a m usical com position. I t is refreshing to find a com poser who is n o t afraid to p u t ho n est w ork into a hum orous or w itty idea. E v en th e g reatest com posers have som etim es am used them selves an d us in th is way. F u g a to

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Well-Known Theme

R o b e r t G u y n M cB r id e (1 9 1 1 -

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THE TITLE T he title in d icates th a t R o b e rt M cB ride chose th e fugato (foo-ga'to) as th e best form in w hich to develop his m erry notion. A fugato is som ething like a round. T h e sam e m elody enters in different voices. T he rules governing these voices and th eir various en tran ces (page 91) are n o t as stric t as in a fugue,* w hich is really th e p a re n t of th e fugato. In fact th e fugato form allows th e com poser quite a good deal of freedom . E v en th o u g h th e m elody ap p ears in different voices, it is n o t necessary to follow a fixed plan. I t is no w onder, therefore, th a t th e fu g ato appealed to R o b ert M cB ride because of th e lib erty th is form offers. THE TUNE AND WHAT IS DONE W ITH IT F IR S T TH EM E

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T his fu g ato suggests th a t R o b e rt M cB ride is a m odern m usical hum orist. T h a t is, he tells his jokes w ith tones an d rh y th m s ju s t as o th er people use words. I t is am using m usic, for th ere is a n a tu ra l desire to smile as we recognize a fam iliar an d lively them e in an u n usual settin g , a n d follow its various ad v en tu res.

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

86

I t is a cleverly w ritte n piece, and while it tak es only th ree m inutes to play, in th is sh o rt tim e it shows a startlin g v a rie ty of in stru m en tal and m elodic effects. One new spaper says of i t : " M r . M cB rid e’s m usic, th a t took some th ree m in u tes to play, h ad so m uch life, so m uch honest skill in in stru m en tatio n , so m uch contagious fun, th a t th e audience w an ted to h ear th e piece a second tim e .” W hen th e first them e or principal m elody is repeated, it is in a different key an d th e second them e is heard below it. SECOND THEM E

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T h en th e second th em e appears on top, while th e first them e is played in th e low strings. I t is easier to follow th e second them e in th is passage. T h e in stru m en ts are v ery m uch like voices singing a " r o u n d ,” for th e high wood w inds p lay th e first them e once m ore, an d th e n we hear th e second them e. I t is played b y th e F rench horns th is tim e, an d th e first them e is heard below it, p lay ed b y th e bassoon. F ro m now on th e second them e seems to disappear, an d th e com poser concentrates his a tte n tio n on th e first them e. B rasses, strings, oboe, clarinet, and piccolo are heard tossing th is fam iliar tu n e (first them e) ab o u t. Som etim es it is in th e original rh y th m ic p a tte rn , an d som etim es th e tim e values of th e notes are lengthened, giving an im ­ pression of b o astfu l dignity. In th e m idst of all th is excitem ent th e rh y th m ic p a tte rn of th e first th e m e :

J J>J. IJ J>J. IJ J4JT3 IJ J»J- I is h eard in th e strings an d th e n in th e percussion. Before anyone has a chance to th in k th a t th e com poser is continuing his m usical fun too long, th e brasses give o u t a strongly syncopated* rh y th m , an d th e m usic vanishes. DISCUSSION W hen we are singing a song it is a sim ple m a tte r to follow th e m ove­ m ents of th e p rin cip al m elody. I t is easy to listen to th is f u g a to ; an d we have no difficulty in recognizing th e en tran ces of th e first them e, now high, now low, alone or in com pany w ith o th er in stru m en ts, because th e tu n e is fam iliar to us. E v en th e first note, w ith its th ree grace notes,*

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M u sic T h a t Im ita tes I ts e lf

87

can find m uch am u sem en t in th e m ovem ents of th is fu n n y little m elody. I t is easy also to com pare it w ith th e second them e an d to notice th e con­ tra sts, as well as to discover th e things w hich are alike in th e tw o them es. 1. A fter listening to M cB rid e's " F u g a to ," can you tell w h eth er you have heard an y o th er m usic like th is before? 2. If it is tru e th a t th e com poser is a m usical h u m o rist, w h at m usical m eans does he use to express his h u m o r? 3. H ow does th is m usic prove th a t M r. M cB ride uses th e o rch estral in ­ stru m en ts in a skillful m an n er? 4. W h a t places in th e m usic b est ju stify th e nam e " F u g a to ? " 5. D escribe in y o u r own w ay your ideas ab o u t th is " F u g a to on a W ellK now n T h em e," referring to th e features w hich seem to you ou tstan d in g . TH E COMPOSER A rizona, w ith its m o u n tain s an d desert, p alm trees an d cacti, its skies of clear blue, an d bright-colored rocks, these were th e surroundings of R o b ert M cB rid e's childhood. H e was born in T ucson an d ed u cated th ere from p rim ary school th ro u g h college. W hile he w as stu d y in g a t th e u n i­ versity , th ere w as in th e m usic d e p a rtm e n t a sm all group of stu d en ts who trie d to express in original com positions th e ir im pressions of th is W estern sta te , an d M cB ride was am ong th eir num ber. H e h ad been b ro u g h t u p am ong m usical people, as his fa th e r was th e organist of one of th e T ucson churches. N am e some o th er com posers who grew u p in a m usical fam ily. R o b e rt p lay ed in dance orchestras in an d ab o u t so u th ern A rizona, sh ift­ ing from saxophone to oboe, clarinet, piano, an d o th er in stru m en ts. T his practical experience p rovided him w ith an inside know ledge of th e orchestra an d its possibilities. A t p resen t he is teaching m usic a t B ennington College, V erm ont, and his com positions prove his g re at skill in in stru m e n ta tio n an d his originality in m elodic in v en tio n . FORM IN MUSIC W hen we read a book or see a play, it is n o t necessary to know " w h a t is going to h ap p en n e x t " ev ery m inute. O ur in terest depends u p o n w hether th ere is a good p lo t or n o t. D aniel G regory M ason sa y s: " F o rm is to m usic w h at a p lo t is to a sto ry . I t is th e order in w hich things h ap p e n ." In m an y w ays a person w ho w rites m usic does n o t w ork differently from th e au th o r of a sto ry . T h e com poser finds in terestin g a n d a ttra c tiv e m el­

88

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P r e lu d e

odies a n d th ese help h im to decide on his p lo t or fo rm ; or he m a y s ta r t w ith th e desire to w rite in a given form an d find m elodies to su it it. In fact, if th e form is th e p lot, we m ay com pare th e m elodies to ch aracters in th e story. R ealizing th a t no one enjoys a sto ry whose m eaning is n o t clear, b u t gets a g re at deal of pleasure w hen he is able to u n d e rsta n d w h a t is tak in g place, th e com poser tries to jo in his m usic m aterials in some design, or form , th a t n o t only has b e a u ty , b u t is easy to com prehend. F o r th is reason i t is desirable th a t everyone who listens to m usic should tr y to fix th e m ost im p o rta n t m elodies in his m em ory, so th a t he can recog­ nize th em w hen th e y re ap p ear u n d er different conditions. T he satisfaction w hich com es from being able to recognize these m elodies ad d s a g re at deal to th e en jo y m en t of th e m usic. A FUGUE M a n y people believe th a t in order to u n d e rsta n d a fugue* a person m u st have a v ery keen m ind. In fa ct it is considered b y som e as th e m ost in tel­ lectual form of com position th a t th ere is. B u t it is n o t difficult to u n d er­ stan d afte r we have h a d some experience w ith it. Also, w hen it is well played, m usic w ritte n in th e style of a fugue can provide one of th e m ost exciting of all m usical experiences. In th e " F u g a t o ” b y M cB ride we have discovered th e relatio n sh ip be­ tw een a fugue an d a ro u n d . W e have also found th a t it is m ost im p o rta n t to be able to recognize th e principal them e, for this know ledge is a g re at help in following w h a t is going on in m usic w ritte n in th e style of a fugue. T h e C a t’s F u g u e D o m e n ic o S c a r l a t t i

[V. R. 1664 A

(1685-1757), Italian composer. Living in America at the same time:

I s r a e l P u tn a m .

THE TITLE T here is a ra th e r in terestin g sto ry a b o u t th is m usic. B iographies tell us th a t D om enico S ca rla tti (do-m a'ne-ko sk a r-la t'te ) w as v ery fond of his large b lack cat. In fa c t th e ca t is p resen t in m a n y p ictu res of th e com poser. A G erm an com poser, Jo h a n n H asse (y o 'h an has'e) b y nam e, w as a pupil of S carla tti in N aples. A sm all dog belonging to H asse h a d a h a b it of teasing S c a rla tti's cat, a n d once in frig h t th e cat ju m p ed onto th e keys of th e h arp sich o rd * an d raced u p an d dow n. R e p o rt has it th a t S c arla tti w rote dow n th e tones p layed b y th e cat in his wild scram ble an d used th em as th e m ain id ea for th e th em e of th is fugue.

M u sic T h a t Im ita tes I ts e lf

89

THE MUSIC I t is im p o rta n t to see an d sing, if possible, th e m elodic subject,* or p rin ­ cipal them e, of th is fugue. PR IN C IP A L TH EM E

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T h is is an u n u su al p a tte rn for a them e. F irst th e m elody goes u p as th o u g h leaping over tw o or th ree stairs a t a tim e. T h en it tu rn s an d comes ru n n in g down. T h e difference in th e rh y th m of th e first th re e m easures an d th e rh y th m of th e re st of th e m elody m akes it easier to discover th e en tran ces of th e them e. I f you will ta p th e rh y th m of th e th em e you will discover how tru e th is is. A lthough th e k ey sig n atu re* is th a t of F m ajo r or D m inor, th e to n a lity * of th e m elody seem s stran g e because of th e chrom atics* in th e second an d th ird m easures. If th e " C a t ’s F u g u e ” w ere play ed b y an orchestra, an d different in stru ­ m en ts played th e m elody w hen it ap p eared a t one tim e or an o th er, it m ig h t be easier to follow th e m ovem ents of th e th em e th a n in th is perform ­ ance w here th ere is b u t a single in stru m e n t an d therefore m uch less v a rie ty in in stru m en tal tone. T his fugue is one of S c a rla tti’s m an y com positions for th e harpsichord, so it is only rig h t th a t th e " C a t’s F ugue ” should be p layed b y F lo ra S tad (page 52) on th e h arp sich o rd in stead of on th e m odern pianoforte, w hich is q u ite different in tone. MATTERS TO THIN K ABOUT S ca rla tti chose som ething q u ite difficult w hen he set o u t to w rite a fugue w ith such an u n u su al th em e as this. I t is n o t singable, an d it has strange, aw kw ard intervals.* Y et th e com poser has succeeded in producing n o t only a com plete fugue, b u t one th a t is a ttra c tiv e a n d in terestin g as well. If you are able to recognize th e various en tran ces of th e m elodic su b ject of th is fugue, you will find it easy to discover w h at else is h ap p en in g w hen th e them e is n o t h ea rd so clearly. 1. As you listen to th e m usic, can you tell w hen th is th em e en ters an d how m an y tim es you h ear i t? 2. D oes it seem as th o u g h th ere were different voices, such as soprano, alto, tenor, a n d bass, w hich ta k e tu rn s in singing th e th em e?

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

M cB rid e's " F u g a t o " was w ritte n v ery re c e n tly ; th e " C a t 's F u g u e " w as com posed a b o u t tw o h u n d red years ago. C an you find an y differences betw een these tw o com positions an d describe th e m ? (Y ou should h av e m usical reasons for y o u r opinion.) Some jo k er once described a fugue as " a com position in w hich th ere are several voices, an d as th e different voices come in one b y one, th e different people in th e audience go o u t one b y one." A fter h earin g th e " F u g a to on a W ell-K now n T h e m e " an d th e " C a t's F ugue " w h a t w ould be y o u r idea a b o u t th is sta te m e n t, an d how w ould you explain a fugue ? SCARLATTI D om enico S ca rla tti lived a t th e sam e tim e as th e g re at m aster com poser of G erm any, Jo h a n n S ebastian B ach, an d G eorge F rederick H andel (h&n'del), th e g re at Saxon m usician who settled in E n g lan d a n d whose " M e s s ia h " is th e best-loved oratorio all over th e world. S c a rla tti w as a tru e son of N aples, an d th e ch atterin g , m erry life of th e stree ts of th a t city seems to speak in his m usic. D ifferent rh y th m s, leaps, a n d ru n s, a n d all so rts of surprises are found in it. I n 1729 (th e y ea r B altim ore was settled , in M ary la n d ) S c a rla tti left N aples for M ad rid , w here he sp en t tw enty-five years. Soon S panish ideas found th e ir w ay in to his com positions, ju s t as th e y did w ith C h ab rier long years la te r (page 19). In his ears was th e sound of S panish g u itars and clanging strings. As th e harpsichord, w ith its plucked strings an d light, tin k lin g tones, could produce g u itar-like effects, S c a rla tti often im ita te d these Spanish in stru m en ts. H is influence is seen in th e w orks of m a n y com posers w ho followed him . H e w as th e first to em ploy th e p ractice of crossing h an d s w hen playing on k ey b o ard in stru m en ts. I n th is w ay he produced en tirely new effects. COUNTERPOINT M u sicians use th e w ord counterpoint to describe t h a t k in d of m usic w here one m elody is used to accom pany a n o th e r m elody, or else itself. T h e exact m eaning of co u n terp o in t is " p o in t ag ain st p o in t" or " n o te against n o te ." I t is well to th in k of co u n terp o in t as " m e lo d y ag ain st m elody," or m elodies ru n n in g co u n ter to each other. I n th e " F u g a to on a W ell-K now n T h e m e " an d th e " C a t 's F u g u e " we have illu stra tio n s of co u n terp o in t, or " c o n ­ tra p u n ta l w ritin g ," as it is som etim es called.

Sawders

i l e R o b e r t M c B r id e C r e a te s M o d e r n M u s ic , O th e r A r tis ts A r e C r e a tin g M o d e r n C itie s

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M u sic T h a t Im ita te s I ts e lf

91

Som e people feel th a t a fugue is such a n involved k in d of m usic th a t only v ery few can ap p reciate it. In fact th e y look on it as a so rt of crossw ord puzzle for w hich th e y do n o t know th e answ ers. T h is is a false n otion of fugue. M usic w ritte n in th is form m a y be as beautiful, as m oving, or as e n te rta in in g as th a t w ritte n in a n y o th er f o r m ; b u t it is tru e th a t too m uch a tte n tio n to th e d etails m ay d estro y our en jo y m en t of th e m usic. If we know th e p rin cip al them e an d th in k of th e fugue as being sung b y a group of voices, we can recognize th e en tran ces of th e subject, now in a high voice, th e n in a low, u n til all voices join in a grand perform ance w hich comes to a glorious climax. O rg a n F u g u e in G M in o r (1685-1750), G erm an com poser. L ivin g at the same tim e: B e n j a m i n F r a n k l i n .

J o h a n n S e b a s t ia n B a c h

[V. r . g 540 a in A m erica

B ach (baK) w rote th is fugue for th e organ, on w hich he was an expert perform er. B u t on th is record Olga S am ar off (61'g a sa-m a'roff), an A m erican m usician, play s it on th e piano. Such an arran g em en t for th e piano of m usic originally w ritte n for o th e r in stru m e n ts is often called a piano transcription* (page 105). B ach w rote several organ fugues in G m inor. T his one is know n as th e " L ittle F u g u e .” One other, know n as th e " G r e a t F u g u e,” will be p re­ sen ted la te r in th is course. THE MUSIC One voice, th e soprano, gives o u t th e p rin cip al them e, or s u b je c t: PR IN C IPA L TH EM E OR SU BJEC T I lifarcato

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T h is is followed b y th ree o th er sta te m e n ts, a t v arying pitches, of th e them e. T h e alto begins th is w ay, one fo u rth (th a t is, four n o tes of the d iato n ic * scale) lower :

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92

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

T h en th e te n o r voice is h eard, ju s t an o ctave* low er th a n th e soprano, a n d finally th e th em e is h ea rd in th e bass, one octave lower th a n th e alto. As th e bass finishes th is th em e we h ear a m ore singable tu n e . T h is m elody is im p o rta n t because it too occurs, eith er as a whole or in sm all p a rts , all th ro u g h th e com position. CO UNTERM ELO DY

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As th e m usic continues B ach changes b o th th e m ode,* from m inor to m ajor, a n d th e key, a n d we h ea r th e principal them e in B flat m ajor. A fter a passage in w hich b o th th e prin cip al them e and th e counterm elody are heard , w eaving in an d out, th e com position w orks u p to a stro n g clim ax, th e bass giving o u t th e p rin cip al them e w ith a g reat deal of energy, as if to m ake sure we do n o t forget it. I t is in terestin g to notice th a t th e final cadence * of th is organ fugue is in th e m ajo r k ey of G. I t w as an old custom to le t a m usical com position in th e m inor m ode end w ith a m ajo r c h o r d ; an d th is exchange of a m inor th ird for a m ajo r th ird in th e final chord was called th e Tierce de Picardie, or th e " P ic a r d y T h ird .” M a n y exam ples of it are found in B ach 's m usic. T h e exact reason for th e nam e is n o t k n o w n ; b u t p ro b a b ly th e custom w as followed first in P icard y , in n o rth e rn F rance. DISCUSSION I n singing th is p rincipal th em e y o u will notice th a t it begins w ith oneb e a t notes, b u t as th e m easures follow each o th er th e rh y th m ic p a tte rn becom es m ore elab o rate, u n til in th e final m easure of th e them e each b e a t h as four notes. A lthough th e tem p o rem ains stead y , th e re is a n effect of m ore ra p id m ovem ent. 1. D o y o u find it easy to discover th e en tran ces of th e su b ject th em e in th e different voices? 2. D o y o u th in k B ach h as a d irect a n d clear style of w ritin g ? 3. D o th e m elodic p a tte rn s an d rh y th m ic phrases w hich m ove in coun­ te rp o in t to th e principal su b ject dim or b lu r th e outline of th e th em e as it m oves ab o u t in th e v ario u s voices? 4. Of th e th ree com positions " F u g a to on a W ell-K now n T h em e,” " T h e C a t's F u g u e,” an d th is O rgan F ugue in G m inor, w hich is th e easiest to follow ? (Give m usical reasons for y o u r answ er.)

M u sic T h a t Im ita te s I t s e lf

5. 6. 7. to ry

93

W hich do y o u like th e b e s t? W hy? D o y o u th in k th a t th e orchestra, harpsichord, an d piano are satisfac­ for th e com positions w hich are perform ed b y th e m ? JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

T h e B ach fam ily h a d been m usicians for over tw o h u n d re d an d fifty years. I t w as one of those large G erm an fam ilies w ith au n ts, uncles, an d cousins. All of th e m could sing or p lay th e harpsichord, organ, or violin. F am ily g ath erin g s w here original songs an d in stru m e n ta l pieces were p er­ form ed w ere e v e ry d a y m a tte rs for th e B achs. Jo h a n n S eb astian , b o rn in th e y e a r th a t th e first fo rt was b u ilt on th e site of th e p re se n t city of Chicago, was even m ore gifted th a n others of his fam ily in im ag in atio n , in th o ughtfulness, a n d in a k in d of inner joy. L ike so m a n y of his fam ily, he tu rn e d to th e organ as his favorite in­ stru m e n t. W hen b u t a y o u th of fifteen he o b tain ed a position in a choir, an d a t eig h teen he to o k his first position as organist a n d began to w rite pieces for his fav o rite in stru m e n t. B ach is alw ays rem em b ered in connection w ith th e c ity of Leipsic (llp's!k), w here for m a n y y ears he was can to r, or choir leader, of th e T hom as School an d o rg an ist of S ain t T h o m as's C hurch. T h is G erm an city was th e cen ter for th e g re a t M essen, or fairs, w hich b ro u g h t crow ds of people to th e city. In th is w ay th e fam e of B ach as organist a n d com poser was spread all th ro u g h G erm any. D u rin g all th e y ears w hen his d u ties of singing-teacher a t th e T hom as School secured h im a living, B ach was busily w ritin g chorales (a kind of hy m n ), a n d chorale preludes (elaborate organ pieces w oven around th e tu n es of chorales) ; preludes, fugues, an d suites for organ, clavichord, an d h a rp sic h o rd ; a n d anthem s. H is w orks h a d a w onderful singing q u ality . H e w ould w eave th e voices in an d o u t as a n o th e r person w ould weave a b ask et. E a c h voice h a d a song of its own, a n d to g eth er th e y m ade harm ony. T h e a b ility to w rite co u n terp o in t expressively w as B ach 's g reatest gift. N o o th er m usician who h as ever lived has been able to equal him in th is kin d of expression, an d now in th e tw e n tie th ce n tu ry he is hailed as one of th e g re atest com posers of all tim e.

mi THE ART SONG

T h e te rm fo lk song is u su ally associated w ith some co u n try or race of people, while th e te rm art song is connected w ith th e nam e of some com poser. All th ro u g h our m usic experience in school we have been PROGRAM singing folk songs an d a rt songs, even th o u g h th e real difference betw een th em m ay never have been ex­ plained. M a n y folk songs m ay be looked upo n as a rt songs, because th e y have a ch arm an d b e a u ty w hich is sim ilar to th a t found in th e a rt song. On page 13 u n d er th e h eading " M u sic P ictu res of T hree C o u n tries,” a good deal was said ab o u t th e value an d im portance of folk tunes, w hether th e y are p lay ed or sung. A r t song is a te rm used w ith a song in w hich a com poser has given a desirable m usical settin g to a poem . In fa ct th e poet an d com poser share th e honors equally. An expression com m only used in connection w ith th e a rt song is " th o ro u g h ly c o m p o sed /7 because the m eaning of each w ord or each phrase of th e poem is reflected in th e music. In som e a r t songs th ere is different m usic for each stanza. In others th e sam e m elody an d accom panim ent are used for all th e s ta n z a s ; w hen th is happens th e a rt song is said to be strophic* in style. I n w ritin g a r t songs th e com poser wishes above ev ery th in g else to have th e m elody express th e m eaning of th e te x t an d be as b eau tifu l as possible. T he accom panim ent also m u st ad d to th e a rtistic effect. A lways th ere m u st be com plete ag reem ent betw een th e te x t a n d th e m usic. A SO N G

[V. R. g 510 b

L u lla b y ” a n d 99T h e V a in S u it ” J o h a n n es B rahm s

(1833-1897), German composer. Living in America at the sa m e tim e :

John H ay.

LULLABY N ea rly everyone is fam iliar w ith th is cradle song, w hich begins as fo llo w s: -9 ib » - S—^-J t± J S-'S-

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T he poem was w ritte n b y K a rl Sim rock an d has been tra n s la te d in m any different w ays. H ere is one tra n sla tio n : 1 Lullaby and good n ig h t! to cheeks rosy bright, To fingers safe hid 'neath coverlet w hite; And again, if God will, shalt thou wake with the m o m ; And again, if God will, shalt thou wake with the morn. 2

Lullaby and good n ig h t! till glad morning light, While fairest of forms in dreams fill the sight ; And again, if God will, shalt thou wake with the m o rn ; And again, if God will, shalt thou wake with the morn. Jo h an n es B rah m s (yo-han'es bram s) was a g reat lover of folk songs an d collected th e m d u rin g his en tire life. O n some of his w alks in th e co u n try he w ould sto p along th e w ay to listen to a m o th er singing to her child or p erh ap s to join a m e rry group on th e village green. A t one tim e he w as th e leader of th e H am b u rg L ad ies' C hoir, and he m ade a p ractice of using m a n y folk songs in its program s. T h is " L u lla b y ," or " W iegenlied " (ve'gen-let), as it is called in G erm an, is said to have its origin in one of th e songs of th is group. B u t w h atev er its source, it p ro b ab ly is th e b est know n an d m o st generally loved of all B ra h m s's songs. T h e sim ple grace of th e folk tu n e is found in th is b eau tifu l song w hich rev eals B rah m s's deep affection for children. THE SONG T h e rh y th m of th e cradle song is established in a tw o-m easure in tro d u c­ tion, an d th e n th e voice of E lisa b e th S chum ann is h e a rd singing th e fam iliar y e t alw ays ap pealing m elody. T h e accom panim ent is fu rn ish ed b y th e piano. E a c h sta n z a of th e song is sung to th e sam e m elody. I t m a y never have occurred to y o u w hen singing th is song th a t th ere is little of v a rie ty in it. If th e m elody is div id ed in to phrases,* each one h av in g four m easures, you m ay discover t h a t B rah m s used im itatio n s a n d re p etitio n s w ith o u t being tiresom e, a n d th a t th e te rm art song is ju s t as su itab le to a sim ple com position like th is as to som ething m ore elaborate. 1. A fter h earin g th is song can you suggest a n y special w ays in w hich th is song belongs to th e group called a r t songs? 2. D oes th e in te rp re ta tio n b y E lisab eth S chum ann b rin g o u t these points m ore stro n g ly th a n w hen you sing th e song in a group p erform ance? 3. C an you nam e a n y o th er songs th a t you have sung w hich are sim ilar to " L u lla b y " a n d m a y be called a r t songs?

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

THE VAIN SUIT A n o th er tra n sla tio n of th is song gives it th e title of " T h e D isap p o in ted S erenader.” T hese w ords " s u i t ” an d " s e re n a d e r” are n o t v ery com m on; th e first m eans a re q u est, or plea ; th e second (as you w ould expect) m eans " o n e w ho is singing a seren ad e.” In th is song th e y refer to a love scene in which th e serenader sta n d s an d shivers b e n e a th th e w indow of his sw eet­ h eart, b u t does n o t succeed in arousing h er p ity . In th is com position B rah m s seems to be in q u ite a different m ood from th a t in w hich he w ro te th e " L u lla b y .” H ere th e re is a feeling of lightness an d fun, an d even a suggestion of teasing. T h e song opens w ith th is m elodic p h ra s e : W ith life a n d g o o d h u m o r

T h e m usic seem s to be h av in g a good tim e w ith itself as it tells th e troubles of th e yo u n g seren ad er a n d advises him to go hom e an d forget his difficul­ ties, for tim e heals ev ery th in g . P erh a p s B rah m s w as laughing a t him self as he com posed th e song, recalling som e of his ea rly ro m a n tic experi­ ences. E lisa b e th S chum ann sings th e song in G erm an, so you will need th is tra n sla tio n to explain th e h u m o r w hich is found in th e poem . The Disappointed Serenader 1 H e . Fair maiden, good evening, good evening to you, Right good evening to you. For old acquaintance sake, an ounce of pity take, Open wide your door, Turn the key, slip the bolt, Open wide your door! 2 S h e . Bolted fast is my door; I can let no one in,

I let no one in. If I should open wide, mother would sharply chide, She would chide me well. She would frown, she would scold, She would chide me well.

A S o n g P ro g ra m

97

3 H e . S o frosty the night and so cold is the wind,

So cold is the wind, M y heart will surely freeze ; open, fair maiden, please! Come and let me in. Turn the key, slip the bolt, Open wide your door. 4 Sh e . Freeze, if you will, th a t poor, silly heart of yours! T h at poor, silly heart of yours! Come, hasten home to bed. Pillow your drowsy h ea d ! Hasten home to b e d ! Foolish boy, hasten home. Good night, good n ig h t!

THE SONG T h is song is like a con v ersation carried on b y tw o people, an d even w ith o u t an accu rate know ledge of th e m eaning of th e te x t th e changes in m ood are easily discovered in th e m usic. N otice, for exam ple, how th e m ode changes from m ajo r to m inor w hen th e d esperate lover begins to tell how cold th e n ig h t is. L isten to th e p ian o fo rte accom panim ent, w hich seems to im ita te th e sound of a w in try w ind. A lthough B rahm s never w rote an opera, his songs pro v e th a t he h a d ra re a b ility in w riting expressive and even d ra m a tic m usic for voices. B ra h m s's fondness for folk m elody ru n s like a th re a d th ro u g h all his com positions, for th is song is said to come from th e Low er R hine. B u t th e a r t a n d skill of th e com poser are v ery clear in its changes from th e m ajo r to m inor m ode a n d in th e im p o rta n t co n trib u tio n of th e in stru m en tal accom panim ent. 1. Is th e accom panim ent m ore necessary to th e artistic effect of th is song th a n in th e ''L u lla b y " ? 2. C an y o u give a n y sa tisfa c to ry reasons for y o u r opinion? T h ere are certain th in g s in m usic w hich we th in k of as th e m aterials w ith w hich a com poser w orks in o rd er to express his ideas in th e b est w ay pos­ sible. T h e m o st im p o rta n t of these m aterials are m ovem ent of th e m elodies, rh y th m ic p a tte rn s, an d h arm onic com binations. H e organizes these according to som e p a tte rn , or f o r m ; chooses th e suitable keys an d th e

98

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

m ode, e ith e r m ajo r or m inor or (m ost often) b o th ; a n d th e re su lt is a com ­ position w hich shows th e skill a n d a b ility of th e m an who w rote it. 1. D oes B rah m s seem to prefer one m usical facto r to a n o th e r? 2. C an y o u suggest an y special w ays in w hich he deserves th e n am e of a com poser of a r t songs? BRAHMS TH E MAN P ictu res of B rah m s show th a t he w as a shaggy, bearlike m an w ith a long b e a rd an d sea-blue eyes. Sim ple a n d unaffected, he h a d a g re a t dislike for th in g s th a t w ere false, b u t he loved ev ery th in g fresh and tru e . H is fa th e r p lay ed th e co n trab ass* in th e th e a te r o rch estra in H am b u rg , a n d th e re is a ru m o r th a t once, w hen a con d u cto r to ld him th a t he was playing to o loudly, th e elder B rah m s replied, " I t is m y own contrabass an d I'll p la y it as loudly as I please.” I t w as v e ry n a tu ra l t h a t Jo h an n es B rah m s should stu d y m usic. H e becam e an excellent p ian ist. W hen only tw e n ty years old he w en t on a concert to u r w ith a b rillia n t H u n g arian violinist, an d in th is w ay cam e to know an d love th e gypsy rh y th m s an d melodies. R o b e rt S chum ann (shoo'm an), who a t th e tim e was a successful com poser, as well as founder an d ed ito r of a fam ous m usical m agazine, an d was tw e n ty -th re e years older th a n B rah m s, was th e first to becom e en th u siastic over th e ta le n ts of th e young m usician. H e an d his wife, C lara Schum ann, took B rahm s in to th e ir own group of friends, an d he becam e fam ous overnight. T h e yo u n g com poser knew , how ever, th a t th is was n o t real success. W iser th a n his years, he chose to w ith d raw from th e society of these eager m usicians a n d give him self to years of stu d y . H e realized th a t th e easy, ro m an tic m usic suggested b y a person's changeable feelings is n o t th e h ig h est k in d of m usic. Feeling an d th o u g h t m u st go to g eth er to produce a r t t h a t is p u re a n d noble. W h en his sym phonies finally ap p eared th e y were com positions over which th e g re a te st p ain s a n d care h a d been tak en . E v e ry m elody, as well as th e form a n d in stru m e n ta tio n , h a d been w orked over u n til each of these great w orks w as expressive in its sm allest d etail a n d im pressive a n d well rounded as a n a rtistic whole. B rah m s is like th e scu lp tor who, w ith high ideals an d b ro ad vision, m olds an d chisels u n til his w ork comes fo rth clear an d beautiful.

A S o n g P ro g ra m

99

" T o th e N ig h t in g a le ” a n d " L o v e r s o£ E v e r y D e s c r ip t io n ” [V. R. G 510 A F ranz S ch u b ert

(1797-1828), Austrian c o m p o s e r . Living in America at the same time: E u W h i t n e y .

Some w riters reg ard F ran z S ch u b ert as th e fa th e r of th e a r t song. E v ery o n e recognizes th a t th e m usic of m a n y of his songs expresses th e m eaning of th e ir poem s q u ite as clearly as th e w ords them selves. I t seem s as th o u g h he considered th e poem s for his songs as little lib retto s* a n d was c o n sta n tly changing th e m usic to fit th e m ood of th e w ords. C an y o u nam e a n y songs b y S ch u b ert w hich you know an d en jo y ? T h e tw o songs b y F ra n z S ch u b ert in th is p ro g ram are n o t so fam iliar as som e others. T h e y are q u ite sh o rt an d y e t com plete. T he original title s an d poem s are in G e rm a n ; so it is desirable t h a t th e E nglish tra n sla tio n be given. T h e poem for ''T o th e N ig h tin g a le /' b y th e G erm an p o et M a tth ia s C laudius (klou'dl-oos), is tra n s la te d as follows : To the Nightingale Now love within my breast lies sleeping, By guardian angels lulled to rest, By guardian angels lulled to rest. With careless joy my heart is leaping, And every leaf and blossom A happy tryst with me is keeping. Nightingale, pray, nightingale, pray, Wake not his slumber today. THE SONG A sh o rt p relu d e* p rep ares th e w ay for th e song. H ere are th e first few m easures of th e m elody : M oderato

■» + i j f t l a r I1V -1---- -R4—-

**

1----- [ d

F r* i

.0

m

m

p ] v 1

I t is n o t possible to listen to th is song w ith o u t noticing th e im p o rtan ce of th e accom panim ent. S ch u b ert believed t h a t th e re were th re e v ery es­ sen tial th in g s to be considered in th e com position of an a r t s o n g : 1. A poem possessing real beauty. 2. A melody which follows the meaning and accent of the words without sacri­ ficing musical feeling. 3. A harmonic background, or accompaniment, which will increase the artistic effect of the composition.

100

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

I n th is song, " T o th e N ig h tin g ale," he carries o u t his convictions. T h e sh o rt in tro d u ctio n p repares th e h earer for th e m elody, w hich m oves grace­ fully from th e opening m easures in th e m inor m ode to a com plete pause in th e m ajo r key. T h ere is a m easure of interlude,* an d th e song continues w ith d a in ty m elodic p a tte rn s an d su itab le harm onies. T h e la st tw o lines of verse m ig h t, to th e o rd in ary com poser, seem to provide a satisfacto ry ending to th e song, b u t n o t to S chubert. A fter th e voice has stopped singing he adds a little postlude,* as th o u g h to call a tte n tio n to th e req u est expressed in th e la st line, " W a k e n o t his slum ber to d a y ." 1. D oes th e m usic alone give you a n y idea of th e m eaning of th e te x t? 2. D o y o u th in k th is m elody is easy to u n d e rsta n d ? LOVERS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION Q uite different is th e second song on th e record. T h e title gives th e im ­ pression th a t th e poem is n o t v ery serious, a n d th e tra n sla tio n proves once again t h a t all g reat com posers an d poets like to w rite ab o u t fu n n y things once in a while. S ch u b ert was v ery fond of th e poem s of G oethe (gti'te), one of G erm an y ’s g reatest poets, an d chose m an y of th e m to set to m usic. T h is one, tra n sla te d , read s as fo llo w s: 1 Were I a fish today, So nimble and gay, And you should come angling, You’d soon find me dangling; Were I a fish today, So nimble and gay. 2

Were I a coin of gold Your hand should enfold, And you sought to spend me, Away I would wend m e! Were I a coin of gold Your hand should enfold. 3 But I am simply one To take or to shun. If better you’re wishing, You’re free to go fishing ; For I am simply one To take or to shun.

A S o n g P ro g ra m

101

T h e poem suggests th a t S ch u b ert m ig h t choose to set it in strophic style. A nd so he did. T h e m elody is v ery sim ple a n d begins as fo llo w s:

g ,¥ iT ; ij W i r r r ir pup ir mf

1. A fter h earin g th is song can you describe th e effect w hich is m ade b y th e little in tro d u c tio n ? 2. W h y do you suppose th is in tro d u c tio n is used before each sta n z a ? 3. A re th e re an y o th er evidences of re p e titio n besides th e use of th e sam e m usic for all stan za s? 4. Is th ere a n y th in g in th e w ords t h a t suggests th a t th e m elody ought to be sim ple ? 5. D oes th e acco m p an im en t ad d to th e b e a u ty of th is song as it did to t h a t of " T o th e N ig h tin g a le ” ? A LITTLE ABOUT SCHUBERT Im ag in e yourself en terin g a caf6 in V ienna, som e sum m er evening in th e early ISOO's. Y ou have surprised a group of young m en sittin g a b o u t a tab le, singing noisily. O r p erh ap s th e y are shouting w ith lau g h ter a t some joke th e y h av e ju s t p lay ed on one of th e ir n um ber. I n th e ir m id st you see a sh o rt, p lu m p young m an w ith curly h air an d w earing spectacles. H is stock (a k in d of neckw ear) is crum pled and tw is te d ; his co at is sh ab b y . W hile his com panions are having a m erry tim e, he is looking th ro u g h a book of p o etry , p erh ap s one b y his fellow citizen, G oethe. H is lips m ove as he says th e lovely lines over to him self. S u d d en ly he begins scribbling on his c u ff; or, seizing a m enu card, draw s a staff on th e b ack an d w rites dow n a m elody. Of course th is is S ch u b ert occupied in song-w riting. H e was a g reat re ad er of p o etry , a n d if a poem pleased h im it set u p m usical echoes in his head. E v en th o u g h he was v ery poor, his p o v e rty did n o t stop him from m ak in g u p b ea u tifu l m elodies. S ch u b ert w as tu rn e d o u t in to th e w orld to w ork a n d s tu d y w hen m ost o th er boys are p ro te c te d a t hom e. I t w as n a tu ra l in those days for boys who w ere gifted m usically to a tte n d a school w here choir singers were tra in e d for th e co u rt chapel an d w here th e y received also a general education in m usic. T o g eth er w ith m a n y others S ch u b ert w en t u p to V ienna for a try o u t. T h e group am used them selves over his queer g ra y su it, calling him a " m ille r,” m ak in g fu n of him , a n d telling all kin d s of jokes. B u t w hen th e

102

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

exam ination to o k place, th e joke was on them . Y oung S ch u b ert outshone th em all in his know ledge of m usic, an d he soon changed th e g ray su it for th e gold-laced uniform of a ro y al chorister, or choir singer, as he was called. Almost th e only tim e d u rin g his life w hen S chubert w as sure of good food an d com fort was w hen he becam e a m usic teach er in th e household of C o u n t E sterh azy . Y ou will recall th a t you m et his nam e w hen reading ab o u t H a y d n (page 71). In th e sum m er th e E ste rh a z y fam ily w en t to th eir e sta te in H u n g ary . F ro m th ere S ch u b ert w rote in his jolly w a y : The cook is a pleasant fellow; the ladies’ maid is thirty; the housemaid is pretty; the nurse is somewhat ancient; the butler is my rival; the two grooms get on better with the horses than with us. The count is a little rough; the count­ ess proud, but not without heart; the young ladies good children. I need not tell you, who know me so well, that with my natural frankness I am good friends with everybody. T o w ard th e end of his life S ch u b ert becam e so poor th a t he once sold half a dozen of his b eau tifu l songs for a b o u t te n cents apiece. I t is easy to im agine th a t th is h an d -to -m o u th existence, while he was b u rn in g up his energy in com position, d id h im m u ch harm . H e was only th irty -o n e y ears old w hen he died, leaving over six h u n d re d songs, besides com positions for orchestra, chorus, strin g q u a rte ts, and piano. DISCUSSION I n th e Song P ro g ram th ere h av e been tw o a r t songs b y B rahm s an d tw o b y S chubert. 1. H av e you n o ticed a n y w ays in w hich these com posers seem to w rite alike ? 2. D o you like one song b e tte r th a n a n y o th er ? T h e singer of a r t songs has an im p o rta n t responsibility. 1. D o you th in k th a t E lisa b e th S chum ann has sung these songs in a pleasing m an n er ? 2. I n w h at w ay ? 3. C an soft tones give as m u ch pleasure as lo u d ? 4. D o you th in k th a t these songs are b e tte r for th e soprano voice th a n for an y o th e r? 5. W h a t are th e different w ays in w hich th e m usic of th e songs in th is pro g ram has m ade th e m eaning of th e w ords m ore in terestin g ?

we were listening to th e Nutcracker Suite an d talk in g a b o u t it, we learned th a t an A m erican TW O citizen of th e sam e period as T chaikovsky was P hillips B rooks, who earn ed th e friendship of young M U S IC A L an d old alike th ro u g h th e w ords of th e C hristm as SK ETCH ES carol " O L ittle T ow n of B eth leh em .” T chaikovsky h ad th e sam e a b ility to reach th e h e a rts of people FRO M th ro u g h his m elodies as P hillips B rooks h ad th ro u g h R U S S IA his words. E a c h m a n shows his love for those who lived around him in a sim ple y e t b eau tifu l expres­ sion th a t will nev er be forgotten. T h e w ord " sk etch ” m eans th e sam e th in g in m usic as in a r t an d lite ratu re — a sh o rt com position, sim ply constructed. C an y o u nam e an y m usical selections w ith w hich th e te rm " s k e tc h ” m ig h t be u sed ? W hen

I n th e title T ch aik o v sk y gives us an idea a b o u t th e m ood of this com position. W hen com posers do this, w h at k in d of m usic do we call it ? H u m oresq u e

[V. R. 1170 b

P e t e r I l y i t c h T c h a i k o v s k y (1 8 4 0 -1 8 9 3 ), R u ssia n co m p o ser. Living in Amer­

ica at the same time:

P h illip s B ro o k s.

THE TITLE T h e w ord " H u m o re sq u e " (hu'm er-esk') has been used b y m an y com­ posers as a title for a n y in stru m e n ta l piece w hich is jolly an d full of fun. One of th e m o st fam iliar selections w ith th is title w as w ritte n b y D v o ra k (d v 6 r'zhak), a g re at B ohem ian com poser. D o y o u rem em ber th is com position, an d can you w histle or sing th e opening m easu res? P ossibly it was because he h ad som e F re n c h blood in his veins th a t T ch aik o v sk y alw ays h a d a ta s te for F ren ch m usic. H e w as fond of th e m usic of D elibes (page 27), a n d th e opera Carmen, b y B izet (be-ze'), was a g reat fav o rite of his. H e v isited P aris as often as possible for e n te rta in m e n t and recreatio n . C an y o u suggest a n y p a rtic u la r th in g s a b o u t D elibes an d his m usic w hich m ig h t h av e app ealed to th is g re at R u ssian com poser ? 103

104

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

THE MUSIC T he m elodies in th is com position are m ore R u ssian th a n F rench, a n d th e effect we get is of villagers h av in g some kind of a local celebration. T he m elodies, an d th ere are five of th em , are odd an d comic, an d th e m usic is full of brig h tn ess an d good hum or. T here is no in tro d u c tio n ; th e piece opens im m ed iately w ith a sh o rt tu n e th a t is alm ost querulous, or w hining. F IR S T M ELO DY j. A lle g r e tto s c h e rza n d o

I

P

mf

T his m elody h as been used in a m otion p ictu re to indicate a scolding b u sy b o d y or village gossip. I t is followed b y th is jolly little t u n e : SECOND M ELODY

-- 0 ——|--]--r—|—| -—/ - :--:--:--:-- k =

m m 1* •

•

•

•

—

^ =

T he progress of th is m elodic passage seems to be in te rru p te d , how ever, for a th ird m elody is h ea rd betw een th e second m elody an d its rep etitio n . T H IR D M ELODY

JT

S uddenly th e feeling of th e m usic changes. T he new section is quieter. T here is a gentleness a b o u t it th a t suggests green m eadow s or c o u n try hill­ sides. T here are tw o different them es. FO U R T H M ELODY S em p lice , tn a e s p r e s s iv o

frii\rt ic r r r ir erc-r ic F IF T H M ELO DY

I Mr

c r i e T G J H e r c J I c r c r

T w o M u sic a l S k e tc h e s fr o m R u ssia

105

T h en th e dance re tu rn s, w ith th e first th re e m elo d ies; an d th e com posi­ tio n ends in w h a t sounds like a scuffle an d shuffle of feet as th e dancers stop. C an you m a rk th e form of th is com position b y le tte rs a n d give it a de­ scriptive n am e? T h e accom p an im en t for th e m ost p a r t is of no special in te re st an d sim ply provides a harm o n ic b ack g ro u n d for th e m elody. B u t in th e m iddle section th e h arm o n y h as a little m ore v a rie ty , a n d little tu n es a n d ru n n in g passages ad d v ery m u ch to th e pleasing effect of th e m usic. THE PERFORMERS N o violinist h as been m ore loved b y A m erican audiences th a n F ritz K reisler (k ris'ler). H e is alm ost as well know n as a com poser as he is as a perform er. A lth o u g h a n a tiv e of A u stria (he was b o rn in V ienna), since he m ade his first to u r of th e U n ited S ta te s (in 1889) he has been given a w arm welcome w henever he re tu rn s. H e has visited ev ery civilized c o u n try in th e w orld, m aking one triu m p h a fte r an o th er. In th is recording, as in his concert perform ances in th is co u n try , he is accom panied b y C arl L am son of B oston, M assach u setts. H is a b ility as an accom panist is recognized everyw here, an d he c o n trib u tes v e ry m u ch to th e en jo y m en t of M r. K reisler’s perform ance.

Album Leaf S e r g e i R a c h m a n in o v

(1873-

[V. R. m o a

), Russian composer.

A lth o u g h th e re was th ir ty y e a rs’ difference in th e ir ages, th e re w as a v ery stro n g friendship b etw een T ch aik o v sk y an d R ach m an in o v (rax-m an'I-nof). I t h ap p en ed like th is : w hen he w as only th irte e n years old, R ach m an in o v m ade a p ian o arran g em en t of one of T ch aik o v sk y ’s com positions a n d showed it to th e g re at com poser. F ro m th a t tim e on th e older m a n displayed a m ark ed in te re st in th e dev elo pm ent of th e young m usician a n d helped him in m a n y w ays. TRANSCRIPTIONS On th e p rin te d score th e title given is " M a rg u e rite ,” w ith " A lb u m L e a f” u n d ern eath . T h e title "A lb u m L e a f” is som etim es given b y com posers to a little piece sh o rt an d sim ple enough to have been w ritte n in a y o u n g la d y ’s au to g ra p h album , as a p o et m ig h t w rite a few lines of verse. I t also says " T ra n s c rib e d b y F ritz K re is le r/’

106

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

F ritz K reisler h as m ad e tran sc rip tio n s of m an y pieces b y o th e r com ­ posers. F o r exam ple, th e " H u m o re s q u e ” was originally w ritte n for piano, b u t th e m usic a ttra c te d K reisler so m uch th a t he arran g ed it for violin solo w ith pian o accom panim ent. W e have alread y found th a t th e w ord " t r a n ­ sc rip tio n ” in m usic m eans a new arran g em en t of a com position for p er­ form ance b y a different in stru m e n t or group of in stru m e n ts fro m th a t originally in ten d ed . I n som e cases certain changes are necessary in order th a t th e m usic in its new surro u n d in g s m ay sound as a ttra c tiv e a n d as lovely as in th e original one. T h u s a tra n sc rip tio n in m usic m ay be com pared to a tra n sla tio n in lite ra tu re . K reisler, in his tran scrip tio n s, often enriches th e h arm o n y an d elab o rates th e accom panim ent. H e h as even confessed recen tly to h av in g published as tra n sc rip tio n s a g re at n u m b er of pieces w hich were in re a lity original com positions of his own. THE MUSIC I t is n o t difficult to follow a m elody w hen i t is p lay ed b y a solo in stru m e n t w ith p ian o accom panim ent, even th o u g h th ere m ay be m a n y changes of key, little d eco rations m ay be added, an d th e re m ay be no pauses to show w hen one tu n e ends a n d a new one begins. T h e reason for th is is th e difference in to n e q u a lity betw een th e solo in stru m e n t a n d th e one w hich accom panies it. T h e opening p h rase of th is m elody of " A lb u m L e a f” is like a question. F IR S T M ELO DY A n d a n te con m o to

_

flujLLT ^ J- r^r -f>^ p = T h e tu n e m oves along w ith o u t in te rru p tio n . T h ere is a passage w here it seem s to w an d er th ro u g h various keys w ith o u t com ing to an y real stop, u n til th e fam iliar n o tes of th e in tro d u c tio n tell us th a t th e opening phrase has re tu rn e d . T h is tim e, how ever, it is an octave higher th a n it was in th e beginning. N ow all th e m a te ria l w hich we have h ea rd before is re p eated w ith b o th m elody an d acco m p an im en t in a n u p p er register.* Of course th is gives it a new m eaning. T h e effect is ten d er a n d delicate, an d p ro b a b ly th is is one of th e effects w hich K reisler in tro d u ced in his tra n sc rip tio n from th e original. T h ere is a rem in d er of th e opening phrase as th e closing section begins. T h is section has a g re at m an y m ore ru n s a n d trills, as well as som e d a in ty arpeggios* (a r-p ed 'jo ). T h e sk etch comes to an end w ith soft chords.

T w o M u sic a l S k etch es fr o m R u ssia

107

I n th e Song P ro g ra m we discovered t h a t th e singer h a d a resp o n sib ility w hen singing an a r t song, th a t of m ak in g th e m eaning of th e song as clear as possible to th e listen er. T h e violinist has a sim ilar responsibility. 1. As you recall th e Song P ro g ram a n d listen to these M usical Sketches, do you th in k th a t th e v io lin ist's perform ance is as successful as th e singer's? 2. D o these M usical S ketches sound to you like "so n g s w ith o u t w o rd s" ? 3. C an y o u suggest an idea for a poem th a t m ig h t be suitable for th is com position b y R ach m an in o v ? 4. W h a t seem s to y o u to be th e chief a ttra c tio n of th is m usic ? 5. D o you th in k it w ould sound well if it were played b y an o rch estra? 6. In y o u r opinion, w h a t is th e reason for th e violin's being such a favorite solo in stru m e n t ? 7. D oes eith er of these com positions have qualities th a t you th in k belong to R u ssian m usic ? SERGEI RACHMANINOV T h is com poser is k now n also as a rem ark ab le pianist. F o r m a n y y ears he has lived in th e U n ited S tates an d m akes concert to u rs p lay in g his ow n works, as well as those of o th er com posers. R a ch m an in o v 's fam ily w as w ealth y an d ow ned an e sta te in th e province of N ovgorod (n o v 'g o -ro t). B ecause his fam ily w as w ell-to-do, he never h ad to experience th e p o v e rty an d h ard sh ip th a t su rro u n d ed som e com posers in th e ir childhood. N ovgorod w as in a v e ry old p a r t of R u ssia an d w as full of an cien t tra d i­ tions. I n th e ea rly d ay s th is province w as governed b y its own princes, an d it h a d its churches a n d m o n asteries w hen th e re st of R ussia w as all u p set. R ach m an in o v grew u p in th e m id st of th is stro n g R ussian feeling a n d his m usic is alive w ith it. W hen he w en t to S t. P e te rsb u rg (now L eningrad) he was a fam ous m usi­ cian. L a te r he w en t to M oscow an d fell u n d er th e influence of T chaikovsky. W e have re ad ab o u t th is association an d friendship on page 105. In 1909 R ach m an in o v cam e to th is country. H e w as am used to find th a t th e fam e of his C -sh arp -m in o r P relude h ad come before him . Y ou rem em ber th a t is th e pian o fo rte piece w hich begins w ith th ree solem n, descending chords, p lay ed slowly an d w ith a good deal of force. H e is a serious com poser, and a little th re a d of sorrow seem s to ru n all th ro u g h several of his com positions. T h is is n a tu ra l, for in h a b ita n ts of th e n o rth co u n try have a vein of te n d e r sadness. H is fam e as a p ia n ist is g re at an d he can m ake th e p ian o sound like a full organ.

W e h a v e alread y discovered th a t dance rh y th m s have alw ays been favorites w ith com posers, an d RHYTHMIC th a t th e w altz has been especially p opular. I n th e program " D ances N ew an d Old ” (page 34) we MELODIES found th a t th e com poser R ic h a rd S trau ss used w altz rh y th m in com posing som e v ery a ttra c tiv e m usic. C an you recall a n y special m usical qualities in th e W altzes from Der Rosenkavalier ? In com paring th e m usic of an y tw o com posers it is helpful to know som e­ th in g ab o u t th e circum stances u n d er w hich th e com positions were w ritten , as well as an y o th er in terestin g facts ab o u t th e w riters w hich m ay help us to u n d e rsta n d th e m usic b e tte r. P ro b a b ly y o u rem em ber th a t M o za rt was dance com poser to th e V iennese co u rt an d w rote m a n y dances for different ro y al occasions. THE WALTZ N ea rly one h u n d re d y ears later, life w as still gay in V ienna an d as long as he lived Jo h a n n S trauss, otherw ise know n as th e " W a ltz K in g ,” produced his new w altzes a t th e Viennese co u rt balls. T hese w altzes were eagerly aw aited an d received w ith g reat enthusiasm , th e dancers sto p p in g to ap ­ p lau d an d th e ladies th ro w ing b o u q u ets. T hese w altz tu n es spread from th e ballroom s to th e gardens an d th e a te rs u n til th e y were w histled an d sung b y boys on th e streets. I t w as in V ienna th a t th e w altz really becam e settled in th e form in w hich we know it. T h ere is an in tro d u ctio n , generally ra th e r slow, w hich prepares us for th e p rin cip al m elody of th e com position. T h en several different w altzes, som etim es five or six, fo llo w ; an d a t th e end th ere is a coda,* in w hich p a rts of th e p rincipal them es of th e w altzes occur.

Tales from the Vienna Woods Johann

S tr a u ss

[V. R.

15425

B

(1825-1899), Austrian composer. Living in America at the same time:

R u th e r fo r d B . H a y es.

T h e S trau ss fam ily used to spend th e ir sum m ers outside th e city, in th e freshness of w oods an d fields. W ith th e ir friends th e y enjoyed listening to m usic o u t u n d e r th e trees, eith er sittin g a t tab les or w alking h ap p ily ab o u t. All th a t w as needed to com pose these w altzes, said S trauss, was a " h a p p y th o u g h t. W e often announced for a certain evening a new w altz of w hich, 108

109

R h y th m ic M e lo d ie s

in th e m orning of th e sam e d ay, n o t a single n o te h ad been w ritten . In such a case th e o rch estra p lay ers w en t to th e com poser's hom e. As soon as th e com poser finished a p a rt, it was copied an d he dashed on to th e n e x t." T his m a y acco u n t for th e sim ple an d delightful m elodies w hich hav e m ad e S trau ss w altzes so p o pular. THE MUSIC T h ere are five w altzes u n d er th e single title " T a le s from th e V ienna W o o d s." Some of th e m have tw o different m elodies. In th is arran g em en t th e in tro d u c tio n co n tains th e first m elody of th e second w altz.

'i^ m m A lth o u g h it is n o t difficult to recognize th e en tran ce of th e different m elodies as th e m usic m oves along, it m a y be helpful to follow these tu n e s in th is book while th e record is being played. W ALTZ N O . 1

T h is w altz has only one m elody. **

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T h e first m elody of th is w altz has alre ad y been given, m elody fo llo w s:

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1. D o you th in k th a t th is w altz b y J o h a n n S trauss can be used for dancing, or is it m ore satisfacto ry for concert perform ance? 2. H av e you noticed a n y things in th e styles of w riting of Jo h a n n S trau ss an d R ich ard S trau ss w hich are alike? I r is h W a s h e r w o m a n

tv. R. G 511B

Irish Folk Dance, arranged by Leo Sowerby. T h e m usic of th is Irish dance is p ro b a b ly as well know n in A m erica as in Ire lan d . I t is som etim es called an Irish jig, w hich m eans th a t it is a brisk dance in 6 /8 m easure a n d is v ery m e rry an d jolly. In d eed p ro b a b ly no o th er dance m usic is m ore g ay th a n th e Irish jig. T h e nam e " W ash erw o m an ” in d icates th a t it is a dance of occupation. On page 13, u n d er " F o lk Song,” we learned th a t m uch of th e folk m usic in a n y c o u n try centers aro u n d th e in terests, h ab its, an d custom s of th e people. T he definite rh y th m of th is dance a n d its h a p p y carefree sp irit describe a v ery lively w asherw om an. T h e jig too k its nam e from an in stru m e n t som ething like a violin called th e Geige (gi'ge). I t is easy to im agine th e dancers as th e y swing in an d out, change p artn e rs, an d alto g eth er hav e a rollicking tim e.

R h y th m ic M e lo d ie s

111

THE MUSIC A lth o u g h n ea rly everyone has h ea rd th is tu n e , i t is given here so th a t it will be easier to follow th e m usical arran g em en t. The Irish Washerwoman

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T h is m elody consists of tw o sep arate p h ra s e s ; a n d each phrase is h ea rd six tim es, w ith m a n y changes in in stru m en ts, tem po, an d h arm ony. H ere is a d escrip tio n of th e changes in these p h rases a t th e ir different appearances : F irst Appearance. T h e first-phrase m elody is p lay ed b y th e E nglish h o rn w ith a stacc ato effect. T h e accom panim ent b y pizzicato strings, w ith re­ sponses fro m th e w ood winds, gives a v iv id p ictu re of th e jerk y steps of th e jig. T h e second p h rase is p lay ed b y th e violin, a n d th e pizzicato accom ­ p an im en t continues. Second Appearance. P izzicato strings a n d xylophone p lay th e m elody of th e first p h rase while th e horns p lay a sm ooth accom panim ent w ith sustained chords. T h e second p h rase is played b y th e full orchestra, an d th e piccolo ad d s to th e fun w ith little flourishes. T h ird Appearance. T h e m elody of th e first p h rase is h eard in a lower reg ister as th e b rass in stru m e n ts p lay it w ith full chords. T here is a re ta rd a t th e en d of th e p hrase, b u t th e wood w inds e n te r w ith th e second phrase in th e original tem po. N ew harm onies are h e a rd as th e m usic grad u ally comes to a com plete sto p a t th e end of th e ph rase. Fourth Appearance. T h e m usic now has lost its jolly an d lively feeling. I t is m ore like a sen tim en tal w altz an d is p lay ed b y th e strings. A n arpeggio * play ed b y th e piano leads to th e second ph rase, in w hich th e clarinet plays th e m elody. F ifth Appearance. T h e bassoon plays th e m elody of th e first phrase, an d wood w inds are h e a rd in th e second phrase. H ere, as in o th er appearances of th e Irish folk dance, th ere are v aria tio n s a n d decorations w hich m ake th e arran g em en t v ery in terestin g . T h e accom panim ent in th is passage suggests

112

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

th e bagpipes. * A lth o u g h th e h a rp is generally th o u g h t of as th e in stru m e n t of Irelan d , th e bagpipe is alm ost as p o p u lar th ere as in S cotland w hen used as an accom panim ent for dancing. S ix th Appearance. T he b rass in stru m e n ts boldly p lay th e first phrase an d th e full o rch estra tak es control of th e second. T he speed increases, an d th is arran g em en t of a fam iliar Irish folk dance ends w ith full, positive chords. R o b ert M cB ride m ade an arran g em en t of an old tu n e in his " F u g a to on a W ell-K now n T hem e ” (page 85). 1. D o you rem em ber th a t sufficiently well to p o in t out some w ays in w hich Leo S ow erby's arran g em en t is like it ? 2. A lthough " Iris h W asherw om an,” w hen play ed for a dance, m u st keep stric tly to tim e, do you th in k it w ould be possible to m ake u p a n y k in d of dance for th is arra n g e m e n t? THE ARRANGER A single hearin g of th is m usic shows th a t th e arran g er is a m odern th in k er an d tre a ts his th em es in a m odern w ay. Leo Sow erby, alth o u g h of B ritish p aren tag e, w as b o rn in M ichigan. H is m usic ed u catio n began w hen he was still a little l a d ; in ad d itio n to his in te re st in th e piano, he o b tain ed a te x t­ book an d learned th e ru d im en ts of m usic. A lthough m ost of his m usical ed u catio n has been received in th e U n ited S tates, he stu d ied in E u ro p e for th ree years an d is one of th e A m erican m usicians who w on th e P rix de R om e. H e enlisted in th e A m erican A rm y in th e W orld W ar, an d n o t only becam e a b an d m aster b u t w as p ro m o ted to second lieu ten an t. H e is ex p ert in using m odern devices. H e has a certain liking for folk tu n e s an d enjoys dressing th e m u p in colorful harm onizations. H e tells an in te re stin g sto ry of how th is com position cam e to be w r itte n : Many years ago, when I was quite a young man, I lived with a family in Chicago in whose household there was an Irish maid. She constantly heard me practicing on the piano the music of Beethoven, Bach, and the other masters, but apparently did not enjoy this sort of music. One day she said to me, "Why don’t you ever play something that is really music?” I asked her, what she had to suggest, and she replied, "Oh, some good old tune like the 'Irish Washerwoman.’” I told her that if she would buy a copy of it for me I would play it to her to her heart’s content. This she did, and after I had become interested in the tune I made a transcription of it for piano which is the basis of the orchestral arrangement which Mr. Ormandy has recorded. I made the orchestral version of the piece shortly after I had written it for piano.

R h y th m ic M e lo d ies

113

A t th e p resen t tim e he is engaged in m a n y m usical activ ities. H e is an organist of n atio n al re p u ta tio n , a w ell-know n com poser, a teac h er in th e A m erican C o n serv a to ry of M usic in C hicago, a n d a lectu rer. A nd he th o ro u g h ly enjoys it all.

B lu e D a n u b e W a ltz J o h a n n S t r a u ss (1 8 2 5 -1 8 9 9 ),

[V. r . 15425 A

A ustrian c o m p o s e r .

T his is one of th e b est know n of all th e w altzes b y Jo h a n n S trauss. I t is said th a t he com posed anyw here an d everyw here. As soon as a m usical idea cam e in to his h ead, dow n it w en t on a pad, th e b ack of a n envelope, or even on his cuff. C an you nam e a n o th e r com poser who h a d a sim ilar h a b it ? T here are tw o stories a b o u t th is m usic. One of th e m is th a t th e principal m elody of th is set of w altzes cam e to th e com poser w hen he was p re p arin g for a concert. H e w rote th e th em e on his cuff. B y th e end of th e concert he h a d for­ g o tten all a b o u t it. T h e sh irt was sen t to th e lau n d ry , b u t luckily his wife discovered before it w as too late th a t a m usical idea h a d been w ritte n on th e cuff. She copied it, as w as h er custom , an d th e n allow ed th e sh irt to be w ashed. T he second sto ry tells u s th a t th e B lue Danube becam e a k in d of m usical w atchw ord in V ienna a n d w as play ed on all social occasions. B rah m s, th e g reat com poser, o ften used to a tte n d th e out-of-door concerts w hich S trauss conducted. O n one occasion M rs. S trau ss asked th e fam ous old com poser to w rite his nam e on h er fan. H e w rote a few m easures of th e B lue Danube and added, " U n fo rtu n a te ly n o t b y one Jo h an n es B ra h m s.”

THE MUSIC T h is set of w altzes w as first w ritte n as a n u m b er for a chorus, b u t it was n o t successful an d was th erefo re arran g ed for orchestra. T h is seem s strange, perh ap s, as th e chorus arra n g e m e n t has been used so m u ch in th e schools in th e U n ited S tates. T h e opening w ords are " R iv er so blue, so blue an d b rig h t.” As in th e Tales fro m the V ienna W oods, th e B lue Danube also is a series of five w altzes. A h a p p y in tro d u c tio n ushers in th e first w altz.

114

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e W ALTZ N O . 1 (F IR S T M ELO D Y )

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W ALTZ N O . 5 (SECO ND M ELO DY)

A coda b rin g s th is com position to a close. JOHANN STRAUSS THE MAN T h e first J o h a n n S trau ss, fa th e r of th e com poser of th e B lue D anube, w as a g re a t fav o rite w ith th e people of V ienna. H e it w as w ho first received th e title of " W a ltz K in g ." H e o b jected to le ttin g an y of his children go in to th e m usical profession, b u t his son J o h a n n w as n o t to be tu rn e d aside. W hen only six y ears old he w rote his first w altz, a n d he h a d to keep his m usic lessons a secret because of his fa th e r’s objections. A fter a tim e Jo h a n n , Ju n io r, organized a sm all o rc h estra a n d drilled i t in his ow n com positions. W h en all w as read y , he arran g ed to m ake his bow to th e public in a large hall n ea r V ienna. T h e city was filled w ith gossip, a n d th e evening of th e p erfo rm ance fo u n d th e room crow ded. T h e younger S trau ss play ed , besides his own, som e of his fa th e r’s w altzes as a delicate honor to him , a n d th e affair was a g re a t success. A fter his fa th e r died, th e J o h a n n S trau ss who com posed th e m usic we h av e h e a rd in th is p ro g ram of R h y th m ic M elodies com bined his ow n an d his 1 T his m elody is presented an octave lower than it appears in the score.

116

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

fa th e r’s o rch estras a n d w en t on a concert to u r. H e h a d o th e r d uties, b u t m ost of his a tte n tio n w as given to original com position. H is m usic has m ade its w ay in to all countries. I n all he w rote a b o u t four h u n d re d w altzes. DISCUSSION M a n y pieces of m usic belong in th e class " W h e n you first h ear it you like it, an d th e m ore y o u h ear it th e b e tte r you like i t . ” B u t it is n o t alw ays possible to give th e ex act reason w hy we like a certain com position. T h e w ord " w a l tz ” suggests th a t each one of these S trau ss com positions has n a tu ra lly a stro n g rh y th m ic feeling. 1. W h y does rh y th m ic m usic usually m ake a quicker appeal th a n some o th er k in d s? 2. D o th e m elodies of th e tw o S trau ss w altzes seem alike in a n y w ay ? 3. D o th e m elodies in each of th e com positions hold in te re st? 4. D o a n y of th ese m elodies seem especially a ttra c tiv e ? Jo h a n n S trau ss h as n am ed in his title s som e fav o rite spots of his own c o u n try : th e V ienna W oods ; th e D an u b e R iver. D oes th e m usic seem to h av e a n y close relatio n to th e title ? O r could you suggest som e o th er titles w hich w ould be ju s t as good? Of course y o u h av e h ea rd a g re at m an y w altzes, some for dancing and som e for concert perform ance. 1. H ow do th ese w altzes b y Jo h a n n S trau ss com pare w ith o th ers th a t you k no w ? 2. C an y o u give an y reason as to w hy th e B lue D anube is b e tte r know n th a n Tales fro m the V ienna Woods ? 3. W h y do y o u th in k it continues to be so p o p u lar ? 4. H av e you a n y ideas as to w hy th e w altz rh y th m is such a fav o rite w ith com posers ? I t m ay be in te re stin g to list th e title s of all th e w altzes w hich you know an d like, an d in a few w ords s ta te w hy th e y are a ttra c tiv e to you.

1141 sto ry of H ansel and Gretel has been given in connection w ith th e p rogram " M u s ic and F a iry T a le s ” (page 55). A t th a t tim e we listened to th e o v ertu re to th e opera an d h eard m an y of th e songs play ed b y th e orchestra. T he

M ORE O P E R A M U S IC

T h r e e S o n g s fr o m H a n s e l a n d G r e t e l

[V. R. 1948 a , b

(18 5 4 -1 9 2 1 ), G erm an com poser. L ivin g in A m erica at the same tim e: W i l l i a m H o w a r d T a f t .

E n g e l b e r t H u m p e r d in c k

E lisa b e th S chum ann, who sang th e songs b y B rah m s and S chubert (page 94), h as m ade a record of th ree songs from th is delightful opera. T h ey are : Folk Song Sandman’s Lullaby Evening Prayer T hese songs all occur in th e second a c t an d follow each o th er in th e order given. T h e children are in th e forest, an d H an sel is m aking a w reath of flowers while G retel is looking for straw berries. She sings a sim ple folk tu n e th a t begins like th is : j . J 'J * ^

p ir

C j

J

4

m i

As M ad a m e S chum ann sings these songs in G erm an (which, b y th e w ay, w as th e original language of th e opera), th e E nglish tra n sla tio n is given here : I. Folk Song. In the Forest A tiny little man from the woodland stares; A coat of purple cloth he wears. Say, who could th at fellow be, Standing so still beneath the tree W ith a purple jacket to his knee? He stands on one leg, th at queer chap, And on his head is a little black cap. Say, who could th at fellow be, Standing on one leg under the tree, W ith a little cap as black as tea? 117

118

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

T h e solo s ta rts im m ediately, w ith o u t a n y in tro d u ctio n . T h e in stru m e n ta l in terlu d e betw een th e tw o stan za s suggests b ird songs in th e forest. A fter th e song, H an sel a n d G retel keep on playing u n til n ig h t comes on. T h e d arkness frig h ten s th em . I n th e beginning of th e second scene some high soft n o tes p rep are th e w ay for th e " S a n d m a n 's L u lla b y ." T his is a v ery lovely tu n e, an d th e w ords explain how th e san d m an p u ts children to sleep. II. Sandman’s Lullaby I am the Sandman, small and kind. S h ! I have no wicked thought in mind. S h ! I wrap the children in my spell, s h ! For I love little children well. S h ! I enter at the nursery door, Two tiny grains of sand I pour Into each drowsy, drooping e y e ; Then fast asleep the children lie. And if they’re good and hasten to obey, On Heaven’s dark heights The stars will kindle lights; And angel hosts will downward stream, Bringing each child a happy dream. Dream on, my children, dream aw ay; Dream holy dreams until the day. T H E M ELODY y fff d - t TO —

•-=— m —\» .....' ...

_

1= 4=1

m

1 ■~m " 1

M ■"m........

■r ■ !*-=----- *I- K-----------M

m --------1 -----^----.......- - X -

= l

T h e m elody m oves along q u ietly a n d sm oothly, an d it seem s as th o u g h th e pian o were singing to o ; for E rn e st L ush, who plays th e accom panim ent, u n d ersta n d s how m u ch th e p ian o p a r t adds to th is song. A fter a little we h ear th is phrase, w hich som e people th in k is as lovely a b it of m elody as H u m p erd in ck ever w rote.

is

721

So th e m usic g rad u ally dies aw ay. B u t before th e children go to sleep th e y rem em b er to say th e ir p ray ers. T h e m usic an d w ords for th e " E v e ­ ning P r a y e r " are given on pages 56—57. T h is m usic is sung as a d u et, a n d b y one person, E lisa b e th S chum ann. T h is does n o t seem possible. B u t she first sang one p a r t an d it was recorded ;

M o re O p era M u sic

119

an d th e n she sang th e second p a r t ag ain st h er ow n voice. T his is m ore th a n a s tu n t. T o som e people th e fa ct t h a t a person can sing a d u e t w ith herself is q u ite a m a z in g ; b u t th e re su lt is pleasing, a n d th e singer has m ade a v ery a ttra c tiv e record. 1. D o these songs from H ansel and Gretel hav e a n y qualities w hich we look for in an a r t song? 2. If you did n o t know th e titles, w ould you be able to tell w hich of these songs is th e folk song? 3. D o all th ese th re e m elodies occur in th e o v ertu re ?

O v e r tu r e to T h e M a r r i a g e o f F ig a r o W olfgang

(1756—1791), A ustrian c o m p o s e r . A m erica at the sam e tim e: A l e x a n d e r H a m i l t o n .

A m adeus

M ozart

£y *R*14325 A L ivin g in

SCENES IN THE HOME OF A GENIUS S h o rtly before o ur c o u n try was celeb ratin g th e te n th b irth d a y of its D ec laratio n of In d ependence, one of th e v e ry gifted a n d g re atest m en in th e w orld of m usic w as en jo y in g some of th e m o st exciting experiences of his life in th e city of V ienna. P a r t of his ex citem en t m a y have been due to th e fa c t th a t he w as v ery h a p p y in his hom e life a n d th a t he an d his wife w ere h av in g a g ran d tim e. B u t M o z a rt w as especially h a p p y because of his opera The M arriage o f Figaro (fig'a-rd), u p o n w hich he was w orking w ith all possible speed an d en th u siasm . M o z a rt h a d p lay ed some of th e m usic from The M arriage o f Figaro to th e E m p ero r (page 37), w ho liked it v ery m uch. T h is m e a n t th a t th e opera m ig h t be p ro d u ced as soon as it could be finished. N ow M o za rt alw ays com posed v ery rap id ly , an d som e of th e stories of th e speed w ith w hich he w rote m usic are alm ost unbelievable. B u t few of these stories are m ore surp risin g th a n th e one to ld a b o u t th is opera. I t is said th a t M o za rt com ­ posed th e m usic for The M arriage of Figaro in only six weeks and, believe it or n o t, th a t he com posed th e o v ertu re only th e evening before th e first perform ance of th e opera. N o w adays it w ould ta k e an average com poser several evenings m erely to copy th e m an u scrip t, to say n o th in g of creating th e m usic. H ow ever, M o z a rt w as a g e n iu s ; a n d a genius is alw ays doing som eth in g w hich we can n o t u n d e rsta n d or explain. B u t th is w as n o t all th e ex citem ent in th e M o z a rt household. I n fa c t th e house w as alm ost like a club, for singers w ere c o n sta n tly dashing in to re­

120

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

hearse th e ir p a rts for th e new opera a n d to h ear new m usic w hich M o z a rt w ould h av e re a d y for th em . H e w as n o t only tra in in g th e m so th a t th e y could p u t on a good perform ance of his m usic, b u t he was a c tu a lly com posing it faster th a n th e y could learn it. A SINGER TELLS OF A COMPOSER All th e people who describe those b u sy days in th e M o z a rt hom e also tell th a t th e singers w ere m ost e n th u sia stic over M o z a rt's m usic. T his m u st have helped h im v ery m u ch in finishing his opera, for th e ir pleasure in w h at he h a d w ritte n gave h im new m usical ideas. One of th e singers, an Irish te n o r n am ed M ichael K elly, has w ritte n an in terestin g acco u n t of these ev ents, in w hich he says, All the original performers had the benefit of the instruction of the composer, who poured into their minds his inspired meaning. I shall never forget his little expressive face when lighted up with the shining rays of genius. It is as impossible to describe as it would be to paint a sunbeam. At the first rehearsal with the orchestra Mozart was on the stage with his crimson coat and gold-laced cocked hat, giving the time of the music to the orchestra. After one of the arias* the effect was like electricity itself, for all of the performers on the stage and those in the orchestra shouted, "Bravo, bravo, bravo Maestro! Viva, viva Grande Mozart!” THE OVERTURE PREPARES FOR THE OPERA W e h av e alread y learn ed th a t com posers often use th e o v ertu re, or in stru ­ m en tal prelude, as a m eans of in tro d u cin g some of th e m elodies w hich ap p ear la te r in th e opera. I n fact, some com posers hav e used these them es in th e o v ertu re in such a w ay as to suggest th e actio n w ith w hich th e y are asso­ ciated in th e opera. B y arran g in g these them es in th e o v ertu re in a certain order or b y com bining th e m in special w ays com posers can show th e order of th e im p o rta n t h ap p en in g s in th e opera itself. C an y o u give th e nam e of an opera in w hich th e o v ertu re gives an idea of w h at goes on in th e o p era? THE MUSIC A lth o u g h th is o v ertu re does n o t co n tain an y of th e songs of th e opera, it is a good id ea to see an d p erh ap s sing some of its im p o rta n t m elodies. T h e com position opens w ith m easures of sw irling notes w hich lead u p to th e first m elody.

M o re O p e ra M usic

12 1

F IR S T M ELO D Y

Wood winds and horns] P r e s to

i

p

T h ere is a su d d en change in th e volum e of th e m usic as th e en tire o rch estra seem s to jo in in com pleting th is tune. T h e m usic m oves m errily on u n til we h e a r th e low in stru m e n ts playing th is figure :

as

r» r

p

T h is figure is re p e a te d m a n y tim es b y different in stru m e n ts, u n til a t la st we h ea r th e strin g s p lay in g th e second m e lo d y : SECOND M EL O D Y

4-— j rJ.

z.'L. r

—- A

I**#

* T h is m elody is re p eated , a n d th e n all th e m usic w hich we h ea rd in th e beginning re tu rn s. T h e m usic is n o t only m e r r y ; it re ally sparkles w ith ra p id ru n s a n d m a n y sforzando* chords. DISCUSSION

A good o p era m u st h av e m ark ed co n tra sts b o th in th e actio n an d th e m usic. 1. A fter h earin g th e o v ertu re to The M arriage o f Figaro do you hav e a n y idea of w h a t ta k e s place in th e o p era? 2. D o you find t h a t th e re are changes in th e tem p o a n d in th e ch a racter of th e m elodies? 3. I f so, how w ould y o u describe th e m ? 4. A re th ese changes so clear th a t th e y can suggest different people an d scenes in th e o p era? 5. I f so, how w ould y o u describe th e m ? 6. If n o t, th e n w ould y o u say th a t th is o v ertu re does n o t give a n y idea of w h a t goes on in th e o p era?

122

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

A com poser is n o t obliged to use tu n e s from his opera in th e o v ertu re. Som etim es he m erely w ishes th e o v ertu re to p rep are th e audience for th e kind of opera w hich is to follow, w ith o u t using an y of its m usic. In o th er words, he desires to " s e t th e m o o d ." I n such a case he com poses m usic for th e o v ertu re w hich expresses som e of th e sam e feelings an d th o u g h ts w hich are m ost p ro m in en t th ro u g h o u t th e opera. T his enables th e listener to get in to th e sp irit of th e opera an d p rep ares him for w h atev er m a y happen. One person w rote a b o u t th is o v ertu re, " T h is is th e m erriest of all o peratic overtures, for it laughs an d ro m ps itself aw ay in less th a n five m in u te s." 1. W h a t do you th in k a b o u t th is descrip tio n ? 2. F o r w h at k in d of opera do you th in k th is w ould be a desirable in tro d u c ­ tio n ? 3. C an you m ake a n y suggestions for a p la y th a t m ig h t follow such an in tro d u ctio n ? TH E STORY OF THE OPERA A lthough a know ledge of th e sto ry of The M arriage of Figaro is n o t neces­ sary to an en jo y m en t of th e m usic of th e o v ertu re, a little of it m a y be interesting. T h e sto ry com es from a F re n c h com edy. T h e hero is a S panish co u n t whose wife is th e b eau tifu l countess R osina, b u t th is does n o t p re v e n t him from n o ticing o th er b ea u tifu l m aidens. T he se rv a n t of th e count is none o th er th a n Figaro, an d he is to m a rry S usanna, th e m aid of R osina. T h ere are all k in d s of secrets, p lo ts an d suspicions. M en disguise th e m ­ selves as w om en, an d w om en as m en. T his all tak es tim e, a n d th e m arriage of F igaro an d S u san n a w hich w as to have ta k e n place a t th e opening of th e opera, is p o stp o n ed again an d again. B u t it is b ro u g h t ab o u t, fo rtu n a te ly , before th e opera ends. A lth o u g h m ore th a n a c e n tu ry an d a half h as passed since M o za rt w rote th is m usic, The M arriage of Figaro still holds a v ery high place am ong th e operas. I ts grace, lightness, b e a u ty , an d m erry fu n prove th a t cheerfulness is an o u tsta n d in g q u a lity in M o z a rt’s m usic an d th a t his love for lau g h ter found its w ay in to m u ch of his w riting.

D u r in g our exp erien ces in liste n in g t o m u sic w e h a v e fo u n d th a t a lth o u g h m a n y n ew in stru m e n ts h a v e b een in ­ v e n te d an d m ade in th e course of th e years, th e v io lin w as on e of th e earliest on es and o v er a lo n g p erio d of tim e h as b een a fa v o rite w ith m a n y g rea t com p osers as w ell as w ith a large n u m b er of p erform ers, w h e th er p ro fessio n a l or am ateu r.

M U S IC OF LONG AGO

One of th e g re atest violinists of all tim e w as N icolo P ag an in i (p a-g a-n e'n e), w ho began to p la y in public w hen he w as only n ine y ears old. H e com posed m usic as well, a n d th e com po­ sition we are going to h ea r illu stra te s his skill as a perform er. M o to P e r p e tu o N ic o l o

P a g a n in i

(1 782-1840), Italian com poser. sa m e tim e :

[V. R. 14325 B L ivin g in A m erica a t the

H e n r y C la y .

T h e E n g lish tra n sla tio n of th e title of th is m usic is " P e r p e tu a l M o tio n ,” w hich suggests t h a t th e m usic keeps on going a n d going w ith g re a t speed as th o u g h i t n ev er w ould end. A lth o u g h P a g a n in i w rote th is piece to be p lay ed on th e violin, it is p er­ form ed here b y th e M in neapolis S ym phony O rch estra, u n d e r th e direction of E ugene O rm a n d y (o r'm an -d i), who also m ade th e arran g em en t. As m ig h t be expected, he h as given th e sw ift-m oving m elody to th e violins, while th e o th er in stru m e n ts p la y th e accom panim ent. THE MUSIC I t is b ey o n d th e a b ility of a n y h u m an being to sing th is m elody. T h e p rin cip al id ea in th is com position is ra p id m otion, a n d th e re is n o t a songlike passage in it. T h e acco m p an im ent, too, seem s to be n o th in g m ore th a n a b ack g ro u n d ag a in st w hich th e speed of these no tes sta n d s o u t m ore clearly. A single chord is play ed , a n d th e n th e violins begin th e ir m e rry chase in th is fa s h io n : A llegro vivace

dolce

I n sp ite of th e fa c t t h a t th e m usic m oves so quickly th a t we are alm ost o u t of b re a th try in g to keep u p w ith it, we can recognize th e passage w hich 123

124

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

begins w ith th ese m easu res each tim e t h a t i t re tu rn s. T h e re are m a n y changes in volum e fro m soft to loud an d b ac k again, an d in som e places th e accents are m u ch stro n g er th a n in others. TH E COMPOSER P ag an in i w as k n o w n as a virtuoso. T h a t m eans t h a t he excelled in skill as a perform er. H e w as a n am azing person a n d fa irly dazzled his audiences w ith his re m a rk ab le ab ility . I n o th er w ays to o he w as ra th e r odd, an d he g re atly en jo y ed th e w idespread a tte n tio n he received all over E u ro p e . H e w as so fa r in ad v an ce of o th e r violinists of his tim e th a t he w as obliged to com pose his ow n m usic to show off his ab ility . N o one else could w rite m usic th a t w as difficult enough to please him . H e w as m a ste r of his in stru ­ m en t, an d th o se w ho h av e come a fte r him h av e received g re a t benefit from his id eas a n d fro m p ra ctic in g his m usic. 1. D o y o u th in k i t req u ires g re ater skill for a group th a n for a solo p lay er to p la y " P e r p e tu a l M o tio n " ? 2. W ould i t b e possible to give th is com position a different nam e w hich w ould describe i t ju s t as well ? A ir a n d G a v o tte f r o m O r c h e str a l S u ite N o . 3 , i n

D

M a jo r [V . R. 12010 A , B

J o h a n n S e b a s tia n B a c h

(1685-1750), German composer. Living in America

at the same tim e:

B e n ja m in F r a n k l i n .

A FAMOUS MELODY One of th e m o st fam o u s of all m elodies is th e " A i r " w hich B ach com posed as a p a r t of th is S uite N o. 3. Y ou m ay rem em ber t h a t one of th e m ovem ents of th e su ite b y H e n ry P u rcell w as called " S o n g T u n e " ; " A i r ” m ean s th e sam e th in g . L ong ago th is w ord w as used in place of " m e lo d y ." Some m elodies are g re a t b u t n o t p o p u lar, while o th ers m a y be p o p u lar b u t n o t v e ry g reat. T h e m elody of th is " A ir ," how ever, h as th e h onor of being b o th g re a t a n d p o p u lar. I t is p o p u lar because i t is fam iliar to n ea rly everyone. P e rh a p s one re a ­ son for its p o p u la rity is th e fa c t th a t th e re is a fam iliar a rra n g e m e n t of it in w hich th e en tire m elody is p lay ed u p o n one strin g of th e violin. Since th is strin g , th e G strin g , gives th e low est to n es t h a t are possible on a violin, th e 'm e lo d y is o ften h e a rd a t a low er p itc h an d h as a d a rk e r an d deeper to n e q u a lity th a n th e com poser in ten d ed . B ach w rote it, n o t for a low p itc h , b u t for a h ig h in stru m e n t. O n th is record we h ea r th e m elody as th e com poser in d icated i t sh ould be played.

M u sic o f L o n g A g o

125

T h e m elody is te n d e r, y e t it h as stre n g th , th e k in d of stre n g th we associate w ith w o rth y c h a racter. I t is dignified, y e t i t possesses th o se ch aracteristics th a t m ak e i t easily u n d ersto o d . I t is h u m an , y e t it h as a n o b ility w hich is m ore th a n h u m an . T h is is m usic th a t can satisfy o u r deepest desires for th o se th in g s w hich are fa r b ey o n d u s a n d are g re a te r th a n we. F o r it draw s from u s th e finest feelings a n d th o u g h ts we can h ave, an d th ro u g h it we know t h a t life can be rich a n d noble a n d b ea u tifu l. TH E MUSIC H ere are th e opening m easures of th is fam ous m e lo d y : Lento

-----

T h e acco m p an im en t to th is m elo d y is q u ite im p o rta n t. T h e b ass m oves o ver skips of a n o ctav e in th is fashion : 0. -

|./

t' r

0

0

■----------

= f= f=

0

—

,

ift 'd s r

B u t even th o u g h on th e p rin te d page it seem s to skip a b o u t, it really m oves in a sm o o th , ste a d y , a n d dignified m an n er. TH E COMPOSER N o w ord of p raise is need ed for th e m a n w ho com posed th is m usic. H is m usic is g re a t because h e w as g re a t. B u t he w as a m odest, hu m b le G od­ fearing m an , th o u g h a g re a t c o m p o se r; a n d som e of his m o st w onderful com positions cam e as a n expression of his sim ple religious fa ith . Som etim es B ach th rills us w ith his rem ark ab le skill in w ritin g fugues. A t o th e r tim es he overpow ers u s w ith his im pressive an d m agnificent sacred choruses. B u t B ach speaks to u s m o st b ea u tifu lly in m a n y of his sm aller com positions, such as th is A ir from his S uite N o. 3. T h is is one of th e m ost frien d ly of all of B a c h 's com positions. I n it we find a m elodic loveliness w hich m ak es u s ev er g ra te fu l to th e m a n w ho created it.

126

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

T h is m an , th e g re a t B ach, lived q u ietly a n d w ro te his m usic w ith o u t th o u g h t of fam e. M u ch of it w as w ritte n to be perform ed in th e church w here he w as o rg an ist (page 93) ; som e of it w as com posed a t th e re q u e st of th e n o b ility . W hile B ach w ro te m o st of his m usic over tw o h u n d re d y ears ago, m uch of i t h as been know n to concert audiences for only h alf t h a t tim e. I n fa c t th is suite w as n o t perform ed (except b y th e com poser) u n til it w as dis­ covered an d con d u cted b y M endelssohn (page 64), m ore th a n a h u n d re d y ears afte r it w as com posed. B etw een th e tim e w hen th is su ite w as w ritte n a n d th e d a te of its first perform ance a fte r B a c h 's d ea th , th e th irte e n A m erican colonies h a d becom e p e rm a n e n tly estab lish ed , freed them selves from E n g lan d , fou n d ed th e U n ited S ta te s of A m erica, an d expanded in to w estern te rrito ry . B ach is o ften called th e fa th e r of m o d ern m usic. T h is m a y be a b it u n fa ir to th e com posers w ho cam e before him , b u t it is tru e th a t th ere is p ra ctic ally n o th in g in th e m usic of th e p resen t tim e, no m a tte r how m o d ern an d u p to -d a te it m a y be, t h a t can n o t be tra c e d in one w ay o r a n o th e r b ack to th e m usic of B ach. I t is certain t h a t a fte r th e w ork of B ach, m usic nev er again w as th e sam e. H e im p ro v ed th e sy stem of tu n in g for k ey b o ard in stru m e n ts (clavichord, harp sich o rd , a n d organ), a n d he in tro d u ced th e first use of th e th u m b in playing on th em . H e w rote m odern m usic for his tim e, a n d he m ad e concert m usic o u t of th e d ance tu n e s of his d ay , tw o cen tu ries before G eorge G ersh­ w in a n d P a u l W h ite m a n ever th o u g h t of it. GAVOTTE O ne of th ese dance tu n e s w as th e gavotte (g a -v 5 t'). T h is dance is th e th ird m o v em en t of th e S uite in T> M ajo r. T h e g a v o tte is a F re n c h dance. I t first becam e know n in th e six teen th c e n tu ry a n d w as v e ry p o p u lar am ong th e p ea san ts. L a te r on, it gained th e favor of ro y a lty a n d becam e one of th e m o st p o p u la r of co u rt dances. I t is said to h av e been a g re a t fav o rite of M arie A n to in e tte (m a-re' aN -tw a-n et'). As a p e a sa n t d ance, th e g av o tte w as lively a n d full of e n e rg y ; b u t w hen it was d anced a t co u rt, it becam e slower a n d m ore sober. I n th is su ite th e re re ally are tw o g av o ttes, a lth o u g h th e com poser did n o t give th e m se p a ra te titles. A fter each of th e g a v o tte s h as been p lay ed , th e first one is re p eated . W h a t is th e nam e th a t is o ften given to m usic w ritte n in th is w a y ? T h e g a v o tte is alw ays in d u p le* m eter. I t begins on th e la st h alf of a

M u sic o f L o n g A go

127

m easure a n d ends w ith th e first h alf of a m easure. E a c h g a v o tte in th e th ird m o v em en t of th is su ite is div id ed in to tw o sections, a n d each of th ese sections is rep eated . A t th e beginning of th e first g a v o tte we h ea r th is m e lo d y : F IR S T M ELO D Y A n d a n te

i f t t r J C r i rJ H r i rJ r r ir

w

n p

W e can see B ach ’s skill in h an d lin g a m elody, for th e second section of th e first g a v o tte opens w ith a clever inversion of th e first m elody. SEC O N D M ELO DY

i f f i W / 3 i jrj ~ 3 ur« c _ r i rT J ,c jr T h e inversion of a m elody is like a n inversion in fractions, for J in v erted becom es f . " I n v e r s io n ” sim ply m eans tu rn in g som ething upside d o w n ; for exam ple, stan d in g on y o u r h ead. Suppose you tr y holding a pencil in y o u r h a n d w ith th e eraser on to p . T h e n tu rn th e pencil over so th a t th e eraser is a t th e b o tto m a n d th e p o in t is u p. I t is still th e sam e pencil, isn ’t i t ? T h is is tru e also of m elodies, a n d in th is g av o tte th e second m elody really is th e first one tu rn e d upside dow n. H igh notes hav e becom e low ones, an d low ones high. R isin g p h rases h av e becom e falling ones, a n d fall­ in g p h rases rising ones. As y o u look a t th e tw o m elodies, can y o u see how B ach h as done th is ? W e know th a t th e second g a v o tte h as arriv ed w hen we h e a r th is m e lo d y : T H IR D M ELO DY

i f t ii; r r r

| Jr r r n rriT f r irr ~

T h ere is a second section in th is g a v o tte , th e m elody being m ad e u p of p a rts of th e th ird m elody. T h e low in stru m e n ts begin it. FO U R T H M ELO D Y

iffiWjjj’j j

^ r r ir r r l r r -

128

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

1. H ow does th e rh y th m of th e g a v o tte differ from t h a t of th e m in u e t; for exam ple, th e m in u e t fro m H a y d n 's S y m p h o n y N o. 13 ? 2. W hich of th e tw o dances seem s to be th e livelier? 3. W e h av e h e a rd only tw o m o v em en ts from th is suite b y B ach, a n d th e en tire suite b y P urcell. Is th e re a n y difference betw een th e m ? 4. H ow w ould y o u describe th e im p o rta n t differences betw een th e m usic of B a c h 's S u ite N o. 3, in D M a jo r, a n d T ch a ik o v sk y 's N utcracker S u ite ?

m O n t h e tw o pages follow ing is a rep ro d u ctio n of pages 68 a n d 69 in th e N utcracker S u ite , b y THE T ch aik o v sk y . I t is of th e sam e ty p e as th a t w hich is used b y th e co n d u cto r of a sy m phony CONDUCTOR’S o rchestra. T h is score includes all th e notes SCORE w hich are p lay ed b y all th e in stru m e n ts in th e m easures w hich are q u oted. T he individual players, how ever, use m usic w hich includes only th e n o tes for th e ir p a rtic u la r in stru m e n ts. T h ese pages of score are from th e R u ssia n dance e n title d " T r 6 p a k .” T h e y occur n e a r th e en d of th e dance, beginning tw en ty -e ig h t m easures before th e " T re p a k ” is concluded. E a c h page of score w hich is reproduced co n tain s six m easures of m usic. T h e tw o stav es a t th e to p of th e pages, w hich are connected b y a b rack et, are for th e flutes, of w hich th e re are th ree . I t m a y be seen th a t all th ree flutes p la y th e sam e n o te in som e places. B elow th e flutes is th e p a r t for th e oboe (o'bo). Below th is is th e staff m a rk e d " C. In g l.” T h is is th e ab b re v ia tio n for C om o Inglese (k6r'no en -g la'sa), w hich m ean s ''E n g lis h h o rn .” T h e n e x t tw o staves, w hich are connected w ith a b ra c k e t, are for th e tw o clarin ets, below w hich th e staff for th e bass clarin e t m a y be seen. " F g . ” is th e a b b rev iatio n for Fagotti (fa -g b t'te), w hich m eans "b a sso o n s,” of w hich th e re are tw o in th is selection. Since th e F ren c h h o rn s are som etim es gro u p ed w ith th e wood w inds an d a t o th e r tim es g rouped w ith th e brasses, th e ir n o tes lie betw een th e wood­ w ind a n d b rass sections. T h is score calls for fo u r F re n c h horns, a n d th e ir p a r ts are w ritte n on tw o stav es, w hich are connected w ith a b ra c k e t an d m a rk e d " C o r .,” w hich is th e a b b re v ia tio n for C orni (k o r'n e), m eaning " h o r n s .” Below th e h o rn s we find th e staff for th e tru m p e ts, " T r b e .” being th e a b b re v ia tio n fo r Tronibe (trb m 'b a ), w hich m eans " tr u m p e ts .” H ow m a n y tru m p e ts are called for in th is score ? T h e n e x t tw o stav es, w hich are connected w ith a b ra ck et, are for th e tro m b o n es a n d tu b a . T h e score calls for th re e tro m b o n es. T h e notes for th e first tw o are on th e u p p er staff, while th e th ird tro m b o n e plays th e u p p e r n o tes on th e low er staff. T h e low er n o tes on th e low er staff are p lay ed b y th e tu b a . T hese pages call for tw o stav es for th e percussion section. T h e ab b re ­ v ia tio n " T im p .” is for T im p a n i (tim 'p a -n e ). T h is score shows th a t tw o 129

C -In g L

Cl.b.

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T rbc.

Tbm.

T»irib.

CeUi

C.*B.

I

C.Ingi.

Cl.b.

Trbe. Tbni.

Tamb.

C elli C.-B.

$ 1

m

132

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r e lu d e

tim p a n i are used sim u ltan eo u sly a n d th a t different p itch es are desig n ated for th em , for th e tim p a n i m a y be tu n e d to v ario u s pitches. T h e p a r t for th e tam b o u rin e, how ever, is w ritte n en tire ly on one space in th e staff, since th is in s tru m e n t is n o t tu n e d . Below th e staff for th e ta m b o u rin e we find th e m usic for th e strin g sec­ tion. T h e tw o u p p e r stav es, w hich are connected w ith a b ra c k e t, are for th e first a n d second violins. T h e first violins p la y th e u p p e r staff a n d th e second violins p la y th e low er staff, a n d it m a y be seen th a t in som e m easures th e y are p lay in g th e sam e m usic an octave a p a rt. A t w h a t p o in t in th e score does th is relatio n sh ip cease ? " V ie .,” w hich m a rk s th e th ird staff from th e b o tto m of th e page, is an ab b rev iatio n for Viole (v e-5 'la), m eaning " v io la s ,” w hich p la y a p a r t sim i­ lar to th e o th e r strin g ed in stru m e n ts. T h e cellos p la y th e u p p e r of th e tw o stav es w hich are joined w ith a b ra c k e t a t th e b o tto m of th e pages. T h e low est line of th e score is for con­ trab asses, or b ass viols, w hich sound an octave low er th a n th e p rin te d notes. TH E MUSIC

T h e p rin cip al m elo d y w hich is given on these pages is th e one w hich is q u o ted on page 44. I t is p lay ed b y th e th re e flutes, th e tw o clarinets, th e first an d second violins, a n d th e violas. In th e first th ree m easures th e o th e r in stru m e n ts m erely p rovide h arm onic an d rh y th m ic effects. I n th e la st th ree m easures of page 68 of th e score, how ever, th e in stru m e n ts w hich p rev io u sly h a d th e m elody are joined b y th e oboes a n d c e llo s; a n d these in stru m e n ts stre n g th e n th e m o st im p o rta n t no tes of th e m elody, th o u g h th e y do n o t d u p licate ev e ry th in g th e o th e r in stru m e n ts p lay . T h e m usic on page 69 is a c o n tin u a tio n an d p a rtia l re p e titio n of t h a t on page 68. TH E CLEFS

I n o rd er t h a t th e lines a n d spaces of th e staff m a y be connected w ith definite tones, it is n ecessary to h av e som e so rt of k ey w hich will fix th e p itc h of th ese lines an d spaces. T herefore clef signs are used. Clef m eans " k e y ,” an d th e clef sign a t th e beginning of th e staff fixes th e p itc h of a note on a c e rta in line. F o r exam ple, th e treb le, or G, clef fixes th e p itc h of G on th e second line. Sim ilarly, in th e bass clef th e p itc h of F is fixed on th e fo u rth line. T hese pages of score use fo u r clefs. T h e sign a t th e beginning of th e line for th e first a n d second tro m b o n es is called th e te n o r clef. T h e u p p e r a n d lower sections of th is clef m eet on th e fo u rth line a n d th is m eans t h a t m iddle C is lo cated on th e fo u rth line.

T h e C o n d u cto r’s S c o r e

133

T h e sign a t th e b eg in n in g of th e line for violas is called th e alto clef, th o u g h it is m ore com m only k now n as th e viola clef. T h e u p p e r a n d low er sections of th is clef m e e t o n th e th ird line, so m iddle C is lo cated on th e th ird line. B o th th e te n o r clef a n d th e a lto clef are used in o rd er to avoid w ritin g th e ad d ed , or " le g e r,” lines w hich w ould be necessary if only th e treb le an d b ass clefs w ere used. A d ded lines m a y be seen in th e cello p a r t on th is page, an d th ese lines could be avoided if th e te n o r clef w ere used, so as to brin g m iddle C dow n on to th e staff. K E Y SIGNATURES

P e rh a p s y o u h av e n o ticed t h a t several of th e lines fo r v ario u s in s tru ­ m en ts h av e differen t k e y sig n atu res. T h is is d ue to th e fa c t th a t certain in stru m e n ts are m ad e in su ch a w ay th a t if th e y w ere p lay in g th e sam e w ritte n n o te, th e y w ould so u n d different tones. F o r exam ple, if th e violin a n d th e B -flat clarin e t w ere b o th to p la y th e sam e w ritte n n o te, th e clari­ n e t w ould so u n d a to n e low er th a n th e violin. T herefore, if th e clarin et is to sound th e sam e to n e as th e violin, its n o te m u st be w ritte n a to n e higher th a n th a t fo r th e violin. F o r th is reason, th e clarin et is know n as a tra n s ­ posing in stru m e n t, since th e violin p lay s th e a c tu a l p itc h of th e w ritte n n o te, a n d th e clarin e t does n o t. T h e B -flat clarin et is so called because it produces a B flat w hen its w ritte n n o te is C, a n d o th e r tran sp o sin g in­ stru m e n ts are n am ed acco rd in g to th e sam e principle. B ead in g th e score fro m to p to b o tto m , th e first of th ese tran sp o sin g in ­ stru m e n ts is th e E n g lish h o rn . T h is in s tru m e n t is m ad e in such a w ay th a t it sounds a fifth low er th a n th e w ritte n n o te i t p lay s. F o r th is reason its n o tes m u st be p re se n te d in a k e y a fifth h igher th a n t h a t a t w hich th e y are in ten d ed to sound. O n th ese pages of score th e m usic is in th e k e y of G ; therefo re th e p a r t for th e E n g lish h o rn m u st be w ritte n in th e k e y w hich is a fifth higher, n am ely , D . T h e clarin ets w hich are u sed in th is p a rtic u la r selection are in A ra th e r th a n B flat. Since th e A clarin e t sounds a m in o r th ird low er th a n th e w rit­ te n n o te, th is p a r t is w ritte n in th e k ey of B flat, w hich is a m in o r th ird higher th a n G, th e k e y of th e selection. F o r a sim ilar reason, th e p a r t of th e bass clarin et is a n in th h igher th a n it sounds. T h e n o tes fo r th e F re n c h h o rn are w ritte n w ith th e sam e change of k ey as th e E n g lish h o rn , a n d in th is selection th e tru m p e ts are w ritte n w ith th e sam e change of k e y as th e clarinets. I n these pages of score, how ever, no k ey sig n atu re is used for th e h o rn s a n d tru m p e ts , th e sh arp s a n d flats being w ritte n in w here necessary.

1650

1700

1750

1800

1850

134

Diagram of Composers Represented in This Book 1900

1658-11 >95 English J oha NN S e BASTIA* B a c h 1685- 1750 Germa a D om ENICO SCARLA' m 1685-1757 Italian F r a * z J o s e p h H a i t >n 1732— 18C)9 Austrian W o l f g a n g AMADEUS M 0Z jl r t 1756-171 1 Austrian L u d w ig PAN BEETHOY sn 1770-182' 7 German N ic o i ,6 P a g a n in i 1782-1840 I ;alian F JANZ SCHUBEI ,t 1797-1828 Austrian 1847 German F e l i x M en ] )ELSSOHN 18' )9— C h a r l e s F r a n c o i s G o cjnod 1818-1893 French 1899 Austrian J o h a n n S t r a u s s H $25— J o h a n n e s B r a h m s 1833-1897 German Cli MENT DELIBEI j 1836-1891 French P e ' ?ER ILYITCH T c h a ik o v sk y 1840-1893 Russian AlEXIS E m ANUE] , C h a b r ie r 1841-1894 French E d y a r d G r ie g 1843-1907 Norwegian E n g e l b e r t 1 I u m p e r d in c k 1854-1921 German S ir E d w a r d E lg a r 1857-1934 English I p po l it o v - P a n o v 1859-1935 Russian German R ic h a r d SIt r a u s s 1864Russian S e r g e i R a c h m a n in o v 1873I hue C o a t e s 1886English R o b e r t M c B r id e 1911American

H e n r y P u r CELL

Making Friends with Music • P re lu d e

w Absolute m usic: Instrumental music which depends upon

MUSICAL WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS EXPLAINED

its own melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and form for its appeal, without any help from a story or program. Abso­ lute music is sometimes called pure music , or abstract music. Accompaniment:

Music which supports and enriches a vocal or instrumental melody is called the accompani­ ment. It may merely supply a harmonic background for the melody, or it may be an equal partner of the solo part, supplying contrasting melodies and other interest­ ing material. It may be furnished by one or more in­ struments, or by a chorus, or by a combination of voices and instruments. Adagio (a-da'jo): The Italian word for Andantino (an-dan-te'no) : The diminutive "very slowly." It is a term of expression of andante, indicating a more rapid tempo. which may also be used as the title of a A ria (a'rf-a) : A melody, sometimes very piece of music, or of a movement in a elaborate, for a single voice with accom­ large instrumental composition. It usually paniment. suggests that the music is to be played not Arpeggio (ar-p&d'jo): A broken chord; one in only slowly, but with much expression. which the notes are played one after another. Allegretto (al-la-grSt'to) : The diminutive of Arrangement: A rewriting of a composition to make it simpler or more elaborate, or to allegro. It means not quite as fast as make it suitable for performance by a me­ Allegro , but faster than Andante. dium of expression other than that for Allegretto graztoso (al-la-grSt'to gra-tse-o'so) : which it was originally written. Moderately fast and in a graceful man­ ner. A rt song: The opposite of a folk song. Usu­ Allegretto scherzando (al-la-grSt'to skSrally one in which the music has been care­ fully composed to express the meaning and tsan'do): A term of expression meaning " moderately quick and playful." spirit of the poem. Very often the music is different for each stanza. Allegretto tempo di valse (al'la-grSt'to tSm'po de vals) : Moderately rapid waltz time. A ssai (as-sa'e) : "Very." Allegretto tranquillo e grazioso (al-la-gr&t'to tran-kwe'lo a gra/tse-o'so): Moderately B agpipe: A wind instrument consisting of a quick, quiet and graceful. leather bag and four or more pipes, with a Allegro (al-la/gro) : An Italian word which single or double reed. The bag is filled with means "cheerful," "moderately quick," or wind blown from the mouth of the player or from a pair of bellows worked by the "lively." This term of expression is used as the title of a brisk movement in a sym­ arm. It is a very ancient instrument and phony or other instrumental work. was invented in some Oriental country. It Andante (an-dan'ta) : This Italian word was known to the Greeks and the Romans, and is still popular in Scotland and Ireland. means "going,” "walking"; and so, as a term of expression, suggests " rather Ballet (b&l-a') : An elaborate dance or set of dances performed by trained dancers in slowly and gracefully." It often appears also as the title of the slow movement in appropriate costumes before an audience. a symphony or sonata. It may take place at some convenient Andante ma non troppo (an-dan'ta ma nttn point in an opera or may be given inde­ tr6p'p5) : Slow and graceful, but not too pendently. It may tell a story, or it may slow. give pleasure merely by the grace of the 135

136

M a k in g F r ie n d s with. M u sic • P r e lu d e

dancers' motions, by the beauty of their patterns of movement as a group, and by the way in which these are fitted to the music which (nearly always) accompanies the ballet. Bass Drum : A large drum with parchment heads, each stretched over a hoop and held in place by a larger hoop. When struck, it produces a deep sound without definite pitch. Bassoon: A large instrument of the wood­ wind choir. It consists of a conical wooden tube so long that it is doubled back on itself, and has a long, bent mouthpiece. The tone is produced by the vibration of a double reed. The bassoon is usually the bass of the woodwind. Its tone is some­ what like that of the violoncello, but with a rather reedy quality. B ells: A set of hollow steel tubes, graduated in size and suspended from a wooden framework. They are accurately tuned, and the tone is produced by striking the upper end of the tubes with a hammer. Cadence: From a Latin word meaning "to

fall” ; the part of a phrase which seems to settle down to a point of rest, or a close, either temporary or final. In ancient music and in most folk music, the last notes of a melody usually fall toward their close. In modem music this is much less often true, yet the word cadence is still used for the ending of a part or the whole of a melody. Cadenza: A brilliant passage in a vocal or instrumental piece, which gives the per­ former a chance for the display of skill. In old operatic music, this opportunity was usually given just before the close of a song; hence the term cadenzaf which is the Italian form of the word cadence. A ca­ denza often occurs in a concerto, usually unaccompanied, and frequently makes use of the chief themes of the movement. Canon: From a Greek word which means "rule” ; a composition in which the mel­ ody is first given in one part, or voice, and then repeated by other parts on a different pitch, exactly according to rule. The sec­ ond part begins a few beats after the first,

the third part a few beats after the second, and so on, so that there is an effect of over­ lapping voices. A canon is the strictest kind of musical imitation. The simplest form of a canon is a round. CantaMle (kan-ta'be-la) : A term of expres­ sion meaning that the music is to be per­ formed in a graceful, singing style. Castanets: Small ivory or wooden shells held in the hand and clicked together. They have no fixed musical pitch, and are used merely to mark the rhythm. They origi­ nated in Spain. Celesta: A keyboard instrument with a com­ pass of five octaves. Bars of steel are suspended over wooden boxes called res­ onators, and pressing a key causes a ham­ mer to strike a bar. The action is much like that of a piano, and the tone is clear, delicate, and sweet. Choir: One of the distinct sections of a sym­ phony orchestra: the strings, brass, or woodwind; also, a group of organized singers, especially in a church. Chord: Three or more tones of different pitches sounded together, producing har­ mony. The tones may or may not seem to blend with a pleasing sound. Chromatic: A half step above or below the pitch belonging to the key indicated in the signature. A chromatic scale is made up wholly of half steps. Chromatic literally means "colored,” and the use of flats and sharps (other than those belonging to the key of the music) affects the tone color of a composition. Clarinet: A woodwind instrument in the form of a cylindrical tube with a flaring end, having a single reed. It is an instru­ ment with a wide range, variety of tone color and volume, and is considered the most useful and in some ways the most beautiful of the woodwinds. In its lowest register the tone is hollow and dark; in the middle register the tone is weak; in the upper register, clear and tender. Classic overture: An overture is an instru­ mental prelude to an opera or oratorio or other similar work. A classic overture is an independent composition, consisting of

M u sic a l W o rd s a n d E x p r e ssio n s E x p la in e d

three sections which show contrast in rhythm and style. Clavichord: A keyboard instrument which was a direct forerunner of the piano. It was widely used in the sixteenth, seven­ teenth, and eighteenth centuries. The tone, which was very soft and delicate, was produced by small pieces of metal, called tangents, striking upward against the strings when the player struck the keys of the instrument. Clavier: A keyboard; also the name applied by the Germans to a piano or other instru­ ment with a keyboard. Climax: The place where the music reaches the greatest degree of impressiveness or force; the high point of a composition. Coda: This comes from the Latin word for "tail/* In early music it meant a few strong chords used at the close of a piece of music to make an effective ending. The coda may be an interesting section by itself, especially in a sonata or symphony, in which it may act as a climax and sum up the whole movement. Codetta: As you would expect, this word means "a little coda.,, It differs from a coda only in length. The word is also used to designate a connecting passage in a fugue. Comic opera: An opera with a humorous plot. Often, in comic opera, some of the words are spoken, in contrast to grand opera, in which there is no spoken dialogue. Con anima (kon a'ne-ma) : With energy. Con fuoco (kon ftt-6'ko) : With spirit. Con moto (kon mo'to): " With spirited move­ ment.” Concerto (kon-chSr'to) : An elaborate work, usually in three movements, giving an op­ portunity for display of the performer’s skill and written for a solo instrument (or group of instruments) accompanied by an orchestra. Contrabass: Another name for double bass, the largest and deepest-toned member of the string choir. Contrapuntal: Written in the style, and ac­ cording to the rules, of counterpoint (see next column).

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Countermelody: A melody to be performed

with another melody. Counterpoint: The fitting together of two or more melodies. The term comes from the Latin words meaning "point against point/’ point being the old word for note. Crescendo (kre-shen'do) : A term of expres­ sion meaning "with increasing power or volume of tone.” Cymbals: A pair of flat metal plates, or disks. They produce a bright, reverberat­ ing sound of indefinite pitch when their edges are struck together with a sliding movement. Diatonic: Using only the tones of a standard

major or minor scale; in contrast to chromatic. Division: A section of a movement or piece,

expressing a complete musical thought. Dolce (dol'cha) : A term of expression mean­

ing "sweetly,” "softly.” Dolce cantando (dol'cha kan-tan'do) : "In a

sweet, songlike style.” Dolcissimo (dol-chis'l-mo): "With the ut­ most sweetness.” Double B ass: The largest member of the string choir and the fundamental bass of the symphony orchestra. It has four (sometimes five) strings, which are tuned in fourths; and it is played with a short, sturdy bow. The part is written an octave above the actual sound, in order to avoid the constant use of leger lines below the staff. Drone bass: A bass part, consisting of two tones a fifth apart, which is continued through a piece or section of a piece. Drum: See Bass Drum or Snare Drum. Duple rhythm : Time in which the number of beats in a measure is exactly divisible by 2. English horn: A member of the woodwind

choir; the tone is produced by the vibra­ tion of a double reed. The English horn is half as long again as the oboe, and is pitched five tones lower. Actually it is an alto oboe, with a more somber tone than the oboe. Ensemble (an-sttm'b’l) : The whole of the parts taken together, as in a combination

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of voices or instruments. The term very frequently refers also to a small group of soloists gathered together to play what is known as chamber music. Entr’acte (an-tr&kt') : Literally, "between acts” ; a term applied to a piece of music or a dance given between the acts of a play or opera. Espressivo (Ss-prSs-se'vo) : A term indicating that the music is to be played or sung "with expression.” Fandango: A Spanish dance in quick triple

time, generally accompanied by castanets. It may be danced as a solo, or by one or more couples. Fanfare: A flourish of trumpets. Fantasia: An instrumental composition free in style or form; sometimes a piece founded on themes from an opera or upon folk tunes. Figure: A small group of tones having a rhythmic or melodic pattern distinctive enough to be recognized easily. Flute: An instrument consisting of an open cylindrical tube without a reed. The player blows across a hole in the side instead of blowing into the end, and plays by using finger holes and keys. It is the soprano instrument of the woodwind choir and the most agile of the wind instruments. It is capable of sweet, liquid tones. Folk dance: A dance of the "folk,” or people, which grew out of their natural activities and fondness for rhythmic expression. Many folk dances are vigorous, and often they reveal some of the racial traits of the people. Folk song: A song of the people. Generally it has no known composer, but grew out of the emotions and everyday life of the "folk,” or people. Many folk songs were originally folk dances, the words being added later. These songs express the joys and sorrows of the people, and often pos­ sess great beauty. Form: The plan used by a composer in ar­ ranging his musical ideas. The term may refer to the plan of a single piece, or to that of a class or type of composition.

Forte (f6r'ta) : A term of expression meaning

"loudly.” Abb./. Fortissimo (for-tls'I-mo) : A term of expres­ sion meaning "very loudly.” Abb. ff. French horn: An instrument consisting of a

coiled brass tube about twelve feet long, ending with a large "bell,” or flared mouth and having valves. The tone is produced by the vibration of the player's lips against the funnel-shaped mouthpiece. It is the most difficult to play of all the wind instru­ ments. The tone is mellow and pleasing. Fugato (foo-ga'to) : "Like a fugue” ; a com­ position following the general style of a fugue, but not observing strictly all its rules. Fugue (fug) : From the Latin fuga, meaning "flight” ; a composition in which there is a flight or chase of melodies, one part entering with the principal theme and fol­ lowed by other parts repeating the same theme at certain distances according to fixed rules. The main divisions are called subject, answer, countersubject, and free parts. Gamba (gam'ba), or Viola da ganiba: The

bass instrument in the old family of viols, which preceded the modern violin and other stringed instruments. The gamba had six or seven strings. Its tone was not so pleasing as that of the violoncello, the instrument which has taken its place. However, the gamba continued to be popu­ lar longer than the other viols. All these instruments have been revived in recent times. Giusto (joo'sto) : "Exact, strict.” Grace note: Tones are sometimes added to a vocal or instrumental melody to decorate it, and such added tones are given the general name embellishments. Grace notes are one form of embellishment; and are usually written in small notes, since they are played so quickly, and so that they may be easily recognized. Grandioso (gran-dl-o'so) : "Grand, noble/' Grazioso (gra-tsl-o'so): "Graceful, elegant.” Guitar (gl-tar') : A six-stringed instrument played by plucking the strings with the fingers. The body is shaped somewhat like

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that of a violin, and the finger board has frets, or raised lines, to show where the fingers should press to produce different tones. It is a very old instrument and is still widely used, especially in Spain. H arm ony: In general, any group or combina­

tion of tones; technically, the art of writ­ ing and using chords. H arp: An instrument with strings set in an open frame. The player plucks the strings with a sweeping motion of the hands. The harp is tuned to the scale of C flat major, and a series of pedals alters the length of the strings as a means of changing the key. The harp was invented in very ancient times. It is not a regular member of the orchestra; but it can be used very effec­ tively, and many modern composers write a part for it. Harpsichord: A keyboard instrument with a harp-shaped frame. Pressing a key causes a quill to pluck a string. Like the clavi­ chord, it was an ancestor of the piano. Im itation: The repetition, exact or slightly

changed, of a theme or figure already stated in a different part, or voice. This device is very strikingly used in the canon and the fugue. Incidental music: Music to be performed in connection with a play or other dramatic work, to enhance its effect. Instrumentation: Instruments selected to play together, as in an orchestra or a band. The term is also used to mean the art of writing or arranging music to be played by a band or orchestra. Interlude: A short instrumental passage played between parts of a church service, between the acts of a drama, between the sections of a song or aria, or between the sections of an instrumental selection. Intermezzo (In-ter-mSd'zo) : Italian for " in­ terlude "; a light composition played be­ tween the acts of an opera or drama, to allow the hearers to relax or to prepare the mood of the next act ; an entr’acte. The title is also used for an independent com­ position.

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The difference in pitch between two tones. Introduction: A preliminary section which prepares the mind of the listener for the composition to follow. An introduction may be simple or elaborate, short or long. Invention: The name given by Bach to fif­ teen small contrapuntal clavichord or harpsichord pieces in two voices, or parts. Interval:

Jota (ho'ta) : A Spanish dance in quick triple

rhythm. It is somewhat like a waltz, but the steps are more varied. Kettledrums (T im pani ):

A pair of metal bowls over which parchment heads are stretched. The tension of the head is changed by means of screws or pedals, pro­ ducing a change of pitch. Generally they are tuned to the first or fifth of the scale. They can produce tones varying in volume from a mere tap to a thunderclap. K e y: A system of scale tones built on a selected tone. The key takes its name from the first tone of the scale. There are a major and a minor form of each key. Larghetto (lar-get'to) : "Rather slowly/' Largo (lar'go) : "Slowly and broadly." Legato (la-ga'to) : "Smooth," "even,” "flow­ ing." It is the opposite of staccato. Leggiero (led-ja'ro) : "Light," "nimble,”

"swift.”

Lento (len'to) : ''Slowly.” Libretto (11-brSt'o) : The text or words of an

opera, oratorio, or cantata. * Lute: A stringed instrument which was in­ vented very long ago. It had a pearshaped body and a long neck, and thoinum­ ber of strings was changed from time to time during the many years that the lute was in popular use. Its tones, which were mellow and full, were produced by pluck­ ing the strings. M ajor: The Latin word meaning "greater.”

When applied to a scale, it indicates one in which the third tone is two whole steps above the keynote. Such a scale is said to be in the major mode.

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(mar-ka-tis'i-mo) : "Very strongly accented." Marcato (mar-ka'to) : "With emphasis." March: A piece of music, often in fourquarter measure, with a strongly marked rhythm which makes it suitable for marching. Marziale (mar-tsf-a'la) : "Martially," or "in - the style of a march." Measure: The unit of time or metrical divi­ sion between two bars. All measures fol­ lowing a time signature are of equal length, and each measure has strong and weak ac­ cents in a given pattern. Melodic subject: The principal theme of a section or of a composition. Melody: A pleasing series of single tones having some sort of key relationship and a rhythmic design. Meter: A term used both of music and of poetry. In music it has reference to the regular grouping of tones, or to the rhythmic plan of a particular work. Metronome: A mechanism formarking tempo. It usually consists of an inverted pendulum with a sliding weight. This pendulum sways to and fro a certain number of times a minute. When the weight is moved up, thus lengthening the pendulum, the rate of motion is slower; when moved down, shortening the pendulum, the rate is faster. Mezzo forte (med'zo fbr'ta) : "Half loud"; "moderately loudly." Abbr. mf. Mezzo piano (med'zo pe-a'no) "Half soft" ; "moderately softly." Abbr. mp. M inor: Literally, "less" or "smaller." When applied to a scale, it indicates one in which the third tone is one and one-half steps above the keynote. Such a scale is said to be in the minor mode. M inuet: A graceful and stately French dance in three-quarter measure. The minuet has been much used as a number in the suite, and also as a movement in the sonata and symphony. Mode: Style or kind of scale; the manner of arranging whole and half steps to form a scale. The best-known modes are the ma­ jor and the minor. Marcatissimo

Moderato (mbd'e-ra'to) : "At a moderate

speed." Moderato assai (mbd'e-ra'to a-sa'e) : Very

moderately. Modulation: The gradual change from one key, or tonality , to another by using a suc­

cession of chords. Molto (mol'to) : "Much," "very." Molto vivace (mol'to ve-va'cha) : Very quick and lively. Mood: A state of feeling. Motive: A melodic or rhythmic theme on which a composition or a movement may be constructed. The term is also used to describe a division of a phrase. Movement: A division, usually complete in itself, of a large work such as a sonata or symphony. Music drama: The name applied by Richard Wagner to his later operas. These were in­ tended to be examples of a new art form, in which drama, stage settings, orchestra, and voices were all blended into an artistic whole. Musical motto: A phrase in a musical compo­ sition which has the same meaning as a motto does in a story or essay. M ute: A device to deaden or to change the sound of an instrument. A clamp of brass, ivory, or wood is used for this purpose with the violin, viola, violoncello, or double bass. A leather-covered pad is one of the mutes used with brass instruments. Nobilmente (no-bll-men'ta) : Nobly, or in a

grand manner. Nocturne: Literally, "night piece"; an in­

strumental composition of romantic and reflective nature, for one or more instru­ ments. Note : A written or printed symbol represent­ ing a tone. Oboe: An instrument consisting of a conical

tube with a flaring end. The tone is pro­ duced by the vibration of a double reed, and the pitch is controlled by the use of finger holes and keys. The low and high registers are seldom used, but in the middle register the tone, though penetrating, is flexible and pleasing.

M u sic a l W o rd s a n d E x p r e ssio n s E x p la in e d Octave: A series of eight consecutive diatonic

tones (that is, tones of the major or minor scale)^or the interval between any tone and the same tone eight staff degrees above or below it. Opera: A drama set to music for soloists and chorus, with appropriate costumes, scen­ ery, and action, and accompanied by an orchestra. Oratorio: A drama, usually on a religious subject, set to music for chorus and solo­ ists, and accompanied by an orchestra. It is performed without scenery or action. Orchestra: A group of trained musicians play­ ing together, with a leader called a con­ ductor. A full orchestra consists of four sections: strings, woodwinds, brasses, and percussion instruments. In the symphony orchestra the first three sections are some­ times called choirs. The string choir con­ sists of first and second violins, violas, violoncellos, and double basses. In a typi­ cal symphony orchestra two thirds of the players belong to the string choir. The woodwind choir includes piccolos, flutes, oboes, English horns, clarinets, and bas­ soons. The brass choir consists of trump­ ets, French horns, trombones, and tubas. Percussion instruments include drums, timpani, cymbals, triangles, bells, casta­ nets, and other instruments which produce rhythmic effects. This section is often called the battery. The orchestra may in­ clude other instruments, such as the harp, organ, piano, celesta, and so on. The com­ bination of instruments varies with differ­ ent orchestras and with different compo­ sitions. Organ: A wind instrument consisting of many pipes of different kinds and sizes, with tones and volume of great variety. It has one or two or more keyboards (called manuals') and pedals (which, in the organ, are really an extra keyboard played upon by the feet). The pipes are caused to sound by compressed air provided by bellows or electrical blowers, and are controlled by " stops.” The organ is the largest of in­ struments and exceeds all others in gran­ deur and variety of tone.

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Organ point: See Pedal point. Overture: An orchestral introduction to a

play, an opera, or an oratorio; or, some­ times, the opening portion of a symphony or other instrumental work. The title is also given to an independent composition. Pedal point: A tone which is continued, usu­

ally in the bass, while the other parts move freely. The sustained tone is often the keynote, often the fifth tone of the scale. This is also known as organ point. Percussion: From the Latin word meaning "to strike, , ,• applied to instruments in which the sound is produced by a blow, or stroke, such as drums, timpani, bells, and so on. Period: A division of a movement or piece which comes to a definite close. It is a complete musical sentence. Phrase: A division of a piece of music, often four or eight measures in length. Two or more phrases make a period. Pianissimo (pe-a-nts'i-mo): A direction meaning "very softly.” Abbr. pp. Piano (pe-a'no) : " Softly.” Abbr. p. Pianoforte , or Piano : A stringed instrument and also an instrument of percussion, with a range slightly over seven octaves. The tone is produced by the vibration of steel wires struck by felt hammers operated from the keyboard. A sounding board gives added resonance. The tone can be varied in duration and intensity by the use of pedals, and the touch of the player is largely responsible for the beauty of the tone. Piccolo: From the Italian flauto piccolo, meaning "little flute.” It is about half the size of the flute and has a smaller range and a higher pitch. It is played in the same way, and is characterized by a shrill tone. Pitch: The position of a tone in a musical scale; the height or depth of a musical tone. P iii moderato (pyoo mbd-e-ra'to) : " More moderately.” P iii mosso (pyoo m6s'so) : " More rapidly.” Pizzicato (pet-sl-ka'to) : The Italian word for " pinched.” In music it means that the player of a violin or other stringed instru­

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ment must pluck the strings with the fin­ gers instead of using the bow. Poco (po'ko) : " A little.” Postlude: A selection played on the organ at the end of a church service; also a few measures of the accompaniment at the close of a song, to make an effective and artistic ending. Prelude: An instrumental introduction to an opera, oratorio, song, or other vocal work; the first movement of an instrumental suite; the introduction to a fugue; or the music played on the organ at the beginning of a church service. By some composers, such as Chopin and Rachmaninov, the name has been given to a short independent piece for piano. Presto (prSs'to) : " Quickly, rapidly.” Program music: Music which is based on a program suggesting a story or scene. The title serves as a guide to the listener's imagination in following the music. Quartet: A sonata composed for four instru­

ments, usually two violins, viola, and cello (a string quartet). Also, a group of musi­ cians formed to play such music or to sing. Range: The extent of the tones or pitches

which a voice can sing or an instrument can play is called its range, or compass. Recitative (res-!-ta-tev') : A kind of musical recitation or declamatory singing; also a piece of music intended to be sung in this way. Sometimes, a piece of instrumental music resembling a vocal recitative in style. Reed: The tone-producing part of a wood­ wind instrument and of some other instru­ ments, such as the reed organ and the ac­ cordion. It consists of a thin, elastic strip of cane or metal, fastened at one end, and vibrates when a stream of air passes over it or, in the case of a double reed (see Bas­ soon, English horn, Oboe), between its halves. Register: A distinct section of the range of a voice or of an instrument. Related keys: Keys with a number of tones in common and having signatures that differ but slightly.

Repetition: A repeat, or reiteration. Rhapsody: From the Greek, meaning "songs

put together.” Originally the rhapsody was a group of ballads combined to make an epic poem. It now means an instru­ mental piece without set form, often based on national airs or folk meJodies. Rhythm: The flow of regular pulsations in music; measured motion; regularity of movement marked by a succession of light and heavy accents. Rondo: Originally a dance song with a re­ frain ; now an instrumental piece with one principal theme which appears again and again, alternating with other themes. Round: A kind of vocal canon, with the parts in unison or an octave apart. Saxophone: A wind instrument consisting of

a tapering tube flaring at the end. It has a single reed and a mouthpiece like that of the clarinet. There is a whole family of saxophones, of varying sizes. Scale: From the Latin scala, meaning "stair­ way” or "ladder” ; a series of tones a step or a half step apart within an octave, be­ ginning wdth a tone of any given pitch and arranged according to a given pattern. Scherzando (skSr-tsan'do): Playfully, jok­ ingly. Scherzo (sker'tso) : The Italian word for "joke.” A light, vivacious piece of music; or a bright and rapid movement, usually in triple rhythm, in a symphony. Score: A written or printed copy of a com­ position, with the parts arranged one above another and the staves connected by bars. In a piano score there are two staves so arranged. An orchestra score may require twenty or more staves. Semistaccato: " In a rather detached, or dis­ connected, way.” Semplice (sSm'ple-cha) : " Simply, plainly.” Serenade: Originally applied to a song, but now used as a title for instrumental com­ positions of dreamy, romantic character. Sforzando (sf6r-tsan'do) : " With special emphasis.” Abbr. sf. Signature: The signs and figures at the be­ ginning of a composition. The clef sign

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and the sharps or flats make up the key signature; and the figures following, in­ dicating the number of beats in a measure and the kind of note which is the unit of beat, are called the time or meter signature. Snare drum: A smaller drum than the bass drum, with strings of rawhide (called snares) stretched across the lower head. The snares vibrate when the drum is beaten, giving a sound without definite pitch. Sonata: An elaborate composition for a piano, violin, or other instrument, or for any two of such instruments, having three or four movements in related keys. Swig fo rm : A musical composition made up of two contrasting themes, with the ar­ rangement indicated by A B or A B A. Staccato: Detached or disconnected; played in a way which leaves short intervals of silence between tones. It is the opposite of legato. Staff (plural, Staves) : The five parallel lines on or between which notes are placed to indicate their pitch. Strophic: A term applied to a song which has the same melody and accompaniment for each of its stanzas. Subject: A melody or musical theme which serves as the foundation of a composition or of a movement in a large work. S u ite: Originally a set of contrasting dances, from three to five in number, written in the same or related keys. A modern suite is an instrumental composition having as many divisions as the composer wishes. It is no longer restricted to dances, and is often based on a "program.” Symphony: A sonata composed for full or­ chestra. Symphony orchestra: A full orchestra which has for its purpose the playing of sym­ phonies and other large compositions. The instrumentation differs with the music which is performed. Syncopation: A shifting of accent giving a strong accent to a beat which would natu­ rally be unaccented. Tambourine: A small flat drum with one

parchment head and one uncovered side.

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The covered side may be struck with the hand, and bits of metal attached to the rim may be shaken against one another to make a jingling sound (or the thumb may be rubbed over the parchment to produce a similar effect). Tarantella: A dance of southern Italy in 6/8 measure, performed with gradually in­ creasing speed. Tempo: The Italian word for "time” ; the rate of speed with which a selection (or a section of it) is to be performed. Tempo di marcia vivo (tem'po de mar'chave'vo): "In the time of a lively march.” Theme: A melodic or rhythmic idea or sub­ ject. Three-part form with trio: This is one kind of song form. The traditional plan is as fol­ lows : Part I is made up of two well-defined themes, each played twice. Part II also has two themes, different from those of the first part. It is known as the trio, because in the eighteenth century it was played by three instruments. Part III is a repetition of Part I, with the themes played only once. Time signature: The figures on the staff at the beginning of a composition. The upper figure indicates the number of beats in the measure, and the lower figure indicates the kind of note which is the unit of beat. The word time is sometimes used instead of meter, and refers to the regular group­ ings of tones. Tim pani: See Kettledrums. Tonality: Mode, key, or scale system. Tone color: The quality which enables us to distinguish the tone of any instrument; also applied to the effect produced by dif­ ferent combinations of instruments or by the introduction of chromatics. Tonic: The first note, or keynote, of a scale. Tonic chord: The chord built on the tonic, or keynote. Tranquillo (tran-kwel'ld): "Calmly, qui­ etly.” Transcription: An arrangement or adapta­ tion of a composition, usually to enable it to be played on some other instrument than that for which it was written.

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The change from one key or mode to another without preparation; also the name of a passage leading from one theme to another. Transpose: To change the key of a composi­ tion, either when writing or performing, to one lower or higher in pitch. Triangle: A small steel bar bent into triangu­ lar shape. When struck with a pencil-like rod it gives a high, bright sound. Trio: A group of three performers, or the music, usually in sonata form, for such a group. Also, the middle or contrasting sec­ tion of a march, minuet, waltz, or scherzo. See Three-part form with trio. Triple rhythm: Meter in which the number of beats in a measure is 3 or 9, regardless of the kind of note receiving one beat. Trombone: A wind instrument consisting of a cylindrical brass tube which is bent back on itself twice. The central section is so made that the outer tube can slide over the inner, lengthening or shortening the tube and thus giving differences of pitch. The tone is produced by the vibration of the player’s lips against the cupped mouth­ piece, and is majestic in quality. Trumpet: A wind instrument having a cylin­ drical brass tube, a conical bell, and three valves. The tone is produced by the vibra­ tion of the player’s Ups inside the cup­ shaped mouthpiece. The range is over two octaves, and the tone is very briUiant and penetrating. Tuba: The largest instrument of the brass choir. It has a conical brass tube, gradu­ ally widening from the mouthpiece to the bell, and usually has four valves. It is the bass of the brass section and has a full, deep tone. Transition:

Valse (vals) : The French word for "waltz.” Viol: The ancestor of the violin of today.

The family of viols were stringed instru­ ments played with a bow, and were in use centuries ago. Viola: An instrument exactly similar to the violin, but somewhat larger in size and pitched a fifth lower. The strings are heavier than those of the viohn and the tone is more somber. It is sometimes called the alto or tenor violin. Violin: An instrument with four strings tuned in fifths, and played with a bow. In the hands of a skilled performer the tone is extremely beautiful. The violin ranks next to the human voice in flexibihty, and has a greater range. It is often called the king of instruments. Violoncello: From two ItaUan words mean­ ing "small double bass.” It is usually spoken of as the "cello.” It has four strings tuned in fifths and played with a bow, and the tone is richer and deeper than that of the violin. Virtuoso: A public performer, usually an in­ strumentalist, who has unusual skill. Vivace (ve-va/cha) : "Vivaciously” ; "in a sprightly manner.” Vivo (ve'vo): "Briskly,” "rapidly,” "ani­ matedly.” Waltz : A graceful salon dance in 3/4 rhythm. Woodwind: Applied to wind instruments

originally made of wood, notably the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon. Some of these, such as the flute and sometimes the clari­ net, are now made of metal, but are still referred to as woodwind instruments. Xylophone: A very old and widely used in­

strument consisting of strips of wood, graduated in length and resting horizon­ tally. It has a range of two octaves or more and is played with small hammers or mallets.

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C o u r te s y o f B a n c r o f t S c h o o l, W orcester^

M A K I N G F R IE N D S W IT H M U S IC

PROGRESS By W ILLIAM C. H A R T S H O R N A s s i s t a n t S u p e r v is o r o f M u s ic , P u b lic S c h o o ls , L o s A n g e le s , C a lif o r n ia In str u c to r in M u s ic E d u c a tio n , T h e U n iv e r s it y o f S o u th e r n C a lif o r n ia

am

H E L E N S. L E A V IT T D ir e c to r o f M u s ic , T h e W h e e l o c k S c h o o l, B o s to n , M a s s a c h u s e t t s In str u c to r in M u s ic A p p r e c ia tio n , B o s t o n U n iv e r s it y

G IN N A N D C O M P A N Y B O S T O N • N E W Y O R K • C H IC A G O • L O N D O N • A T L A N T A • D A L L A S • C O L U M B U S • S A N F R A N C IS C O

C O P Y R IG H T , 1940, B Y G IN N A N D C O M P A N Y A L L B IG H T S R E S E R V E D

3 4 0 .3

t t b e fltftenaettm G IN N A N D C O M PA N Y • P R O ­ P R I E T O R S • B O S T O N • U .S .A .

ACKNOW LEDGM ENTS The authors wish to thank the group of educators and musicians who, either through research or by constructive suggestions, have contributed to the musical value of this book. Acknowledgment is due for the use of themes from the following compositions : Wolf-Ferrari’s " The Secret o f S u zan n e ,” copyrighted 1911, and Ernest Charles’s "When I Have Sung My Songs,” copyrighted 1934, both used by permission of G. Schirmer, Inc. Prokofieff’s C lassical S y m p h o n y , reprinted by permission of A. Gutheil, Paris; sole agents for U. S. A., Galaxy Music Corporation, New York. Kodaly’s H d ry J d n o s9 used by permission of Universal Edition of Vienna; sole authorized agents in the United States, Associated Music Publishers, Inc. Dvofak’s "Slavonic Dance No. 8 in G Minor,” Handel-Flesch’s "Prayer” from Te D eu m , and Saenger’s "Scotch Pastorale,” used by permission of the publisher, Carl Fischer, Inc. Debussy’s "Clair de Lune,” permission granted by Jean Jobert, Paris, France, and Elkan-Vogel Co., Philadelphia, Pa., copyright owners. Prokofieff’s Lowe fo r Three O ranges , used by permission of Edward B. Marks Music Corporation; copyrighted 1936. Walton’s Fagade Suite, used by permission of Oxford University Press, London. Scott’s "Lullaby,” reprinted by permission; copyright, 1908, by Elkin & Co., Ltd., London; sole agents for U. S. A., Galaxy Music Corporation, New York. Acknowledgment is due also to The Macmillan Company, publishers, for permission to use the poem "Heather” from The Great D ream by Marguerite Wilkinson. The pictures of individual members of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Southern California are used by courtesy of the Southern California Symphony Association.

CONTENTS 1. MUSIC IN CONTRASTING M O O DS • (Page 3) Valse Triste Overture to The Secret of Suzanne

Jean Sibelius Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari

4 8

2. PHANTOM MUSIC • (Page 12) Danse Macabre

Camille Saint-Saens

12

3. FROM D A N C E RHYTHMS TO THE SYMPHONY • (Page 17) Invitation to the Dance Carl M aria von Weber 17 A Ball from the Fantastic Symphony Hector Berlioz 22 Minuet from Symphony in D Major Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 25 Scherzo from Symphony No. 7, in A Major Ludwig van Beethoven 29 4. A N HISTORIC FORM IN M ODERN EXPRESSION • (Page 33) Classical Symphony

Serge Prokofiejf

33

5. A N OPERA PREVIEW A N D A BALLET • (Page 42) Overture to The M erry Wives of Windsor Dance of the Hours from La Gioconda

Otto Nicolai Amilcare Ponchielli

6. NATIO NAL QUALITIES IN COM PO SED MUSIC • (Page 50) Intermezzo and Entrance of the Emperor and His Court from the Suite H dry Jdnos Zoltdn Koddly Slavonic Dance No. 8, in G Minor Anton Dvordk

42

46

50 56

7. IMPRESSIONS A N D COLOR • (Page 60) Clair de Lune

Love for Three Oranges: Scherzo and March

Claude Achille Debussy Serge Prokofieff

62

64

8. THE STRING CHOIR • (Page 68) Indian Lament Scherzo from String Quartet No. 2 , in D Major

Anton Dvordk Alexander Borodin

68 74

vi

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P ro g ress

9. A N ORCHESTRAL PROGRAM OF THE TW ENTIETH CENTURY (Page 77) Fagade Suite W illiam Walton 10. ORCHESTRAS A N D THEIR CO N D U C TO R S

(Page 85)

11. A N OPERA O F THE ROMANTIC PERIOD • (Page 100) Lohengrin Richard Wagner 101 Prelude to Act I 103 Elsa’s Dream 104 Prelude to Act III 107 Bridal Chorus 108 Lohengrin’s Narrative 109 Lohengrin’s Farewell 109 12. SO N G S FOR VOICE A N D When I Have Sung My Songs Prayer Lullaby

VIOLIN

(Page 115)

Ernest Charles George Frederic Handel Cyril Scott

13. MUSIC OF THE NORTH (Page 120) Scotch Pastorale Gustav Saenger Finlandia Jean Sibelius

113 115 117

120 123

14. A MUSICAL TERM BECOMES A TITLE • (Page 125) Andante Cantabile Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky 125 15. MERRY TUN ES O F THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY (Page 129) Etude in E Flat Major Nicold Paganini 129 Fourth Movement from Symphony No. 1 Ludwig van Beethoven 132 DIAGRAM O F COM POSERS REPRESENTED IN THIS BOOK (Page 156) 16. THE ORCHESTRAL SCORE • (Page 157) 17. MUSICAL W O R D S A N D TERMS EXPLAINED

(Page 142)

M A K IN G F R IE N D S W I T H M U S IC

PROGRESS

u I t i s possible to express on e's sense of b e a u ty in m a n y different w ays. A p o et, for exam ple, M U S IC tells w h at is in his m in d b y using w ords an d arran g in g th e m in a sty le called a poem . A n IN a rtis t does it w ith line, color, form , a n d design. C O N T R A S T IN G A m usician uses to n e, rh y th m , an d form . T h ere is rh y th m in th e poem a n d th e pic­ M O O D S tu re , as well as in th e m usic. Also, th e a rtis t arran g es his w ords, colors, or to n es according to som e special plan , or form , in order to m ake know n his ideas in th e b est m an n er possible. F o r all th ree a rtis ts are m oved b y th e sam e purpose. T h e y w ish to express b e a u ty in such a w ay t h a t it will sa tisfy them selves a n d a t th e sam e tim e allow o th ers to u n d e rsta n d th e ir feeling an d share th e ir experience w ith th em . W e h av e discovered, in listening to m a n y different kin d s of m usic, th a t th ere are fo u r th in g s w hich m u st be p resen t in a n y c o m p o sitio n : rh y th m , m elody, h arm o n y , a n d form . T hese are called m usical elem ents or factors. W h a te v er th e com poser w ishes to express he m u st say b y com bining these elem en ts in su ch a w ay th a t he is u n d ersto o d a n d th a t his m usic will arouse a definite response in th e listener. C an y o u describe th ese elem ents an d tell w h y th e y are im p o rta n t to a m usical co m p o sitio n ? Id e as can be expressed v e ry clearly b y p o etry , for it uses th e language of e v e ry d ay life (th o u g h o ften slightly changed for g re a te r b e a u ty ). P a in t­ ing too m a y express ideas, th ro u g h its lifelike re p re se n ta tio n of n a tu ra l objects, anim als, a n d h u m a n figures. In d e e d th e an c ie n t E g y p tian s, 5000 y ears ago, h a d a p ic tu re language, in w hich th e y co n d u cted th e ir business a n d left u s th e ir h isto ry p a in te d on th e w alls of to m b s a n d tem ples. I n our new spapers, to d a y , am using stories are to ld a n d p o litical arg u m en ts set fo rth in p ictu res. M usic, how ever, can suggest ideas only in th e m o st general w ay. I t has nev er been used to convey th o u g h t or in fo rm atio n ex actly . B u t to m ake u p for th is it h as g re a te r pow er th a n a n y o th e r a r t to suggest moods. MOOD E a c h one of u s h as m a n y different m oods d u rin g th e h o u rs of a d a y ; th a t is, o ur s ta te of m in d , or disposition, is affected b y o u r feelings, or, as we o ften express it, b y ro u r em otions. O ur p lan s go w rong, a n d we are irri­ ta te d ; som eth in g fu n n y a ttr a c ts our a tte n tio n , a n d we are a m u s e d ; a 3

4

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g ress

w ish of long sta n d in g com es tru e , an d we are h a p p y ; or we are u n ex p ected ly successful in som e p ro je c t, a n d so are filled w ith delight. U su ally we show how we feel b y o u r actio n s, th o u g h we do n o t alw ays express a m ood in th e sam e w ay. M usic, to o , h a s its w ay of show ing its m ood, even w ith o u t th e assistance of a te x t as in a song, or a n ex p lan a tio n as in p ro g ram m usic. C a n y o u n am e som e of th e m oods fo u n d in m usic ? M usic, w h eth e r for voices or in stru m e n ts, can express a g re a t v a rie ty of m oods. H ow ever, th e sam e com position does n o t necessarily m ake th e sam e ap p eal to everyone. C om posers w rite in to th e ir m usic th e a rtistic expres­ sion of th e ir ow n m oods a n d ex p e rien ces; and, as com posers of different races a n d n atio n alitie s h a v e different h a b its a n d custom s, it is n a tu ra l th a t th ere sh ould be stro n g c o n tra sts in th e m oods of th e m usic we hear. U sing th e list of w ords given below, can you su p p ly th e title of som e piece of m usic w hich expresses a sim ilar m o o d ? merry mysterious humorous sad tender thoughtful peaceful dignified romantic energetic weird excited I t is easy to see t h a t c o n tra stin g m oods p e rm it a v a rie ty in th e b e a u ty of m usic, a n d a tt r a c t a n d hold our in te re st. A m ong th e selections w hich we hav e h e a rd a n d discussed are th e " P r o ­ cession of th e S a rd a r,” b y Ip p o lito v -Iv a n o v (ip-po-le'tof e'van-of) {Prelude, pages 10—11), a n d th e " E n t r 'a c t e an d V alse” from th e b a lle t Coppelia (Pre­ lude, pages 27—28), b y D elibes (de-leb'). 1. H ow do th ese tw o com positions differ in m o o d ? 2. C an y o u n am e th e o u tsta n d in g m ood in each com position? Som etim es i t is easier to n o tice th e differences betw een tw o com positions th a n to discover th e c o n tra sts betw een th e sections of a single selection. Y et m u sicians h av e fo u n d all k inds of w ays b y w hich th e y m a y express a v a rie ty of m oods in th e sam e piece of m usic a n d n o t d istu rb th e develop­ m e n t of th e p rin cip al id ea of th e com position. V a ls e T r is te [V. R. G 544 J e a n S ib e liu s (1 8 6 5 ) , Finnish composer. L ike m a n y o th e r com positions th is m usic is b ased on a n a n c ie n t legend. I t is p a r t of th e in c id e n ta l m u sic * 1 to a p la y w ritte n b y A rv id Ja rn e fe lt (ySr'nS-fSlt), b ro th er-in -law of Sibelius (si-ba'II-dos). T h e title of th e p la y is K uolem a (kdo-o-le'm a), w hich m eans D eath, a n d it is ra th e r w eird. 1Words marked w ith a star (*) are explained and defined on pages 1 4 2 - 1 5 2 . T he correct idea as to w hat these musical words and terms mean will increase your understanding and enjoym ent of the music.

M u sic in C o n tra stin g , M o o d s

5

TH E STORY BRIEFLY TOLD N ig h t h as fa lle n ; an d a y o u th , keeping w atc h a t th e bedside of his sick m o th er, falls asleep fro m g re a t w eariness. T h ere is a so u n d of m usic w hich g ra d u ally com es n ea rer a n d n ea rer. T h e sick p a tie n t rises from h e r b ed an d m oves silen tly to a n d fro w ith th e rh y th m of th e m usic. S hadow y guests jo in h er in th e dance, b u t h er stre n g th fails a n d she sinks b ack on th e bed. T h e n she rises once m ore, sum m ons all h er energy, a n d joins h er guests in a m ore exciting d ance. J u s t as th is stran g e a n d g h o stly g aiety reaches a high p o in t, th e re is a kn o ck a t th e door. T h e m o th e r u tte r s a low cry, th e g u ests d isap p ear, a n d th e m usic dies aw ay as D e a th sta n d s on th e th resh o ld . A lth o u g h th e su b je c t is n o t v ery p leasa n t, th e m usic is v ery a ttra c tiv e . TH E MUSIC T h ere is a sh o rt in tro d u c tio n , w hich sets u p th e one-tw o-three rh y th m of th e w altz, a n d alm o st im m e d ia tely th e opening m elody is h ea rd , p lay ed b y th e violins. F IR S T M EL O D Y H t— ■ ^ y —

4

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Soon som e low sta c c a to * to n es fro m th e strin g s b rin g a b o u t a change in th e m ood of th e m usic. T h e y seem to beckon th e guests to jo in in th e dance. T h e tem p o * becom es m ore r a p id ; a n d a lth o u g h th e volum e* does n o t increase v e ry m uch, th e m usic is definitely b rig h te r in m ood. SEC O N D M ELO D Y

£ 9 9

m

9 .1 *L m .

St

T h is second m elody m oves in to a n o th e r one, w hich is livelier a n d h ap p ier. T H IR D M ELO D Y

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g ress

6

B u t th e legend w hich gave Sibelius his id ea for com posing th is m usic does n o t allow th is b rig h tn ess to c o n tin u e ; a n d th e w ood w inds, clarinet, an d flute, a n d th e F ren c h horns w ith th e ir especial to n e color,* seem to cause th e m ood to be less gay a n d m erry . As th e d ance co ntinues i t becom es m ore excited. A t la st th e first m el­ ody re tu rn s, b u t only for a brief m o m en t. I t is in te rru p te d b y th e th ird m elody, w hich rises to a high p o in t an d th e n m oves d irec tly in to a w altz tu n e t h a t is m ore activ e th a n a n y of th o se w hich hav e been h e a rd u p to th is p a r t of th e com position. Con mo to

w m— p

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FO U R T H M ELO D Y >

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T h e m usic grows fa ste r a n d faster, a n d louder a n d louder. T h e m elody is m ore accen ted an d it m oves slow ly dow nw ard b y long, h eavy, ch ro m atic * half steps. I t is all v ery w eird a n d stran g e. S uddenly th e first m elody is h ea rd again, a n d th is tim e th e acco m p an im en t tells of a change in m ood. T h e feeling of th e m usic seem s som ew hat d istu rb ed . I t is d a rk e r a n d m ore chilling th a n ever, as th o u g h D e a th h a d en tered . T his is follow ed b y a sh o rt coda* w hich m a y suggest th a t th e shadow y guests are v an ish in g in to th e d istan ce. FIN LA N D

T h e com poser of Valse Triste is a n a tiv e of F in la n d , th a t co u n try w hich is so d ifferent from a n y o th er in E u ro p e. I t is d o tte d b y th o u sa n d s of lakes, an d th ese are su rro u n d ed b y g re at forests w hich cover tw o th ird s of th e e n tire co u n try . S h o rt, ra p id stream s link th e lakes to g e th e r an d a d d m iles of in lan d w ate r th a t can be tra v e le d b y b o a ts in th e sum m er. T hese stream s also su p p ly an enorm ous am o u n t of electrical pow er. I t is a c o u n try th a t ex ten d s above th e A rctic C irc le ; th e m id n ig h t sun shines th e re fro m a b o u t M a y 20 to a b o u t J u ly 20. B u t in w in ter it is a frozen lan d clo th ed in d ark n ess an d a ra th e r gloom y tw ilig h t. T h e few hours of d a y lig h t are u su ally d ark en ed b y h e a v y clouds, a n d th e sun speeds qu ick ly below th e horizon. D u rin g th e en tire h isto ry of th e F in n ish race it has h a d a re p u ta tio n for m agical pow ers. One w riter says, " F in n is h lite ra tu re , p a in tin g , a rch ite ctu re, m usic, are alike conscious th a t th e y hav e th e ir ro o ts in an cien t m ag ic.” So Valse Triste is an original as well as a n a tu ra l p ro d u c t of F in lan d .

M u sic in C o n tra stin g M o o d s JEAN SIBELIUS

I n th e h e a rt of th is n o rth e rn c o u n try w as b o rn th e com poser of Valse T riste, J e a n Sibelius. H e is recognized w idely as being one of th e m o st original creativ e a rtis ts since th e tim e of B eeth o v en (page 30). I n a su rv ey w hich w as m ad e n o t long ago am ong rad io listeners th ro u g h o u t th e en tire U n ited S tates, Sibelius' sym phonies received m ore votes th a n those of a n y o th e r com poser. Sibelius w as b ro u g h t u p in a sm all to w n w here his fa th e r w as a regi­ m e n ta l d o cto r. W h en b u t a child, Sibelius could m ake u p pieces a t th e piano, as well as w rite th em on p ap er. H e used to spend day s a n d n ig h ts in th e w oods try in g to rep ro d uce in his m usic th e sounds an d sights of th e F in n ish co u n try . L a te r he becam e fond of V iennese w altzes, especially those of J o h a n n S trau ss (shtrous) (Prelude, page 115). H e m a y h av e grow n to love th e m d u rin g his s tu d e n t days in V ienna, w here th e w altz w as so p o pular. N a t­ u ra lly he h as w ritte n a n u m b er of w altzes, of w hich his Valse Triste is one. I t is in te re stin g to learn th a t tim e a n d tim e again m usical com positions th a t la te r on h av e earn ed fo rtu n e s h av e e ith e r been given aw ay or sold for v e ry sm all sum s b y th e a u th o rs. Valse Triste is an exam ple, for Sibelius sold it o u trig h t for a b o u t $25. Sibelius covers a g re at v a rie ty of sty le a n d th o u g h t in his com positions. H e is v ery original a n d h as u n u su a l know ledge of th e different in stru m e n ts of th e o rc h e stra a n d how to w rite for th em . M o st of his larger w orks are full of g ra n d e u r an d suggest b o th th e leg en d ary h isto ry of his n a tiv e coun­ t r y an d th e changing m oods of its w ind-sw ept landscapes. H e has p a in te d th ese p ictu res in o rch estral to n e w ith ra re im a g in atio n an d originality. W hile his sym phonies a n d to n e poem s* are his g re atest w orks, Valse Triste is one of th e m o st fam iliar of his com positions. I n th is single selec­ tio n Sibelius h as expressed a v a rie ty of m oods in th e rh y th m of th e dance, alth o u g h th e legend on w hich th e m usic is fo u n d ed seem s to cen ter a b o u t one m ood. 1. W h a t are som e of th e different m oods w hich you can feel in th is m usic ? 2. W h a t special elem ents h as Sibelius used to express each m ood? 3. D o y o u th in k y o u could u n d e rsta n d th ese m oods if you did n o t know th e old legend of th e p lay K u o le m a l

8

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g ress

O v e r tu r e to T h e S e c r e t o f S u z a n n e E rm anno

Wo l f - F

errari

(1876-

[V. R. g 506 a

), Italian composer.

T h is title is ra th e r exciting, fo r ev e ry b o d y is in te re ste d in a secret. W e like to tell one, we like to h ea r one. So w hen W o lf-F errari (volf' f&r-ra're) selected for his o p era th e p lo t of a F re n c h p la y in w hich a secret brings a b o u t fu n n y situ a tio n s a n d difficulties, he p ro v id ed for him self an oppor­ tu n ity to com pose som e d elig htful m usic. N o r h as he failed, for The Secret of Suzanne is one of th e m o st ch arm in g sh o rt operas of th e p re se n t tim e.

TH E STORY

A lth o u g h we shall h ea r only th e o v e rtu re * to th e opera,* we can get m u ch m ore p leasure fro m th e m usic if we know so m eth in g of th e sto ry . $ T h ere are th re e ch a racters in th e s t o r y : C o u n t G il (jel) ; C ountess S uzanne, G il's w ife ; a n d S an te (s a n 'ta ), an old serv a n t. T h e ac tio n h as to do w ith a w o m an 's secret h a b it of sm oking cig arettes, a h a b it w hich w as frow ned u p o n in th e ea rly 1900's. One d a y C o u n t Gil re tu rn e d to his palace a n d th o u g h t he sm elled th e odor of T u rk ish tobacco. N ow C o u n t G il n ev er sm oked. M o reo v er he o b jected so stro n g ly to o th e rs' sm oking th a t he q u estio n ed S an te as to th e reason for th e odor. S an te w as a careful as well as a co n sid erate se rv a n t. H e trie d to pacify th e C o u n t b y d en y in g t h a t eith e r he or th e C ountess w as responsible. B u t G il a t once becam e suspicious t h a t his y o u n g a n d b e a u tifu l wife h a d been e n te rta in in g som e o th e r m an . I n fa c t, he could sm ell to b acco in h er h a ir a n d clothes. K now ing of h er h u sb a n d 's dislike of tobacco, S uzanne becam e n ervous as to w h a t m ig h t h a p p e n if G il learn ed h er secret. G il's suspicions a n d his w ife's secrecy aro u sed his jealousy, a n d he allow ed his im ag in atio n to ru n aw ay w ith him . A n u m b er of am u sin g situ a tio n s resu lted . W h a t k in d of m usic do y o u th in k w ould be su itab le for a p lo t of th is ty p e ? TH E MUSIC

T h e com poser h as m a rk e d th is o v e rtu re vivacissimo,* a n d th a t gives one clue to th e m ood of th e m usic rig h t aw ay. T h e first m elody is sta c c a to a n d o rn a m e n te d b y saucy, sw ishing grace notes.* T h ere are also a good m a n y stro n g accen ts a n d crisp chords th a t a d d sp ark le to th e m usic.

M u sic in C o n tra stin g M o o d s

9

F IR S T M ELO D Y 1 V iv a c is s ir n o

E v id e n tly th e com poser felt it u n necessary to p re p a re for th is opening m elody, fo r th e re is no in tro d u c tio n . T h e b rig h t little tu n e h as a b ack ­ g ro u n d of lig h t full chords w hich are p lay ed ev en ly b u t ra p id ly b y th e strin g s. T h ere are also p izzicato * effects, w hich a d d b rig h tn e ss a n d a to u ch of m errim en t. T h e first m elo d y is re p e a te d an octave low er, an d , of course, i t loses som e of its b rilliance in th e low er re g ister.5*5 T h is e n tire section is th e n p lay ed th ro u g h again. In m a n y com positions w here m elodies are p re se n te d in d ifferent keys th e re is o ften a n in te rlu d e ,* or bridge passage, so t h a t th e change fro m one k ey to a n o th e r will be sm ooth. B u t n o t so in th is com position. T h e m usic ju m p s fro m th e k ey of th e first m elody in to a n o th e r k e y a n d th e second m elo d y m errily w hirls along on its w ay. SEC O N D M ELO DY

T h is second m elo d y seem s to be m ore dignified a n d less excited th a n th e first. T h e p itc h * is low er, a n d th e skips, or in terv als,* do n o t sta n d o u t so clearly. B u t no one w ould expect m usic b ased on a su b je c t of th is so rt to be q u ie t v e ry long. T h e volum e increases, a n d th e m usic leaps from one p itc h to a n o th e r, u n til th e p o in t w here th e first m elody seem s to re tu rn . T h is is b y no m ean s a m ere re p e titio n of w h a t we h e a rd a t th e beginning. T h e k ey is different, a n d u n d e rn e a th we can h e a r th e second m elo d y in th e h o rn s a n d strin g s a t th e sam e tim e th a t th e first m elody is being play ed b y th e w ood w inds. T h is is k now n as co u n terp o in t.* As th e c o u n terp o in t continues, th e strin g s p la y b o th them es to g eth er, w ith th e first one above th e second. C an y o u recall a n y com positions w here th e com poser used only one th em e a n d p ro d u ced c o u n te rp o in t b y h av in g it p la y e d a g a in st itself? 1 This m elody is played an octave higher than it is presented here.

10

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

W o lf-F errari now in tro d u ces a v ery im p o rta n t passage, w hich begins w ith th is th e m e : T H IR D M ELO D Y

'W~~" \

r=

I ts first tw o m easures a p p e a r in a different form a n d continue w ith a m elody t h a t is m ore legato. F O U R T H M ELO D Y p

T T - | m ------ r m

■

— _L

f-%

p -------

m—

N = H T h is is follow ed b y a p h rase w hich suggests th e second m elody an d an extension of th e th ird m elody. T h en th e b ro a d legato fo u rth m elody re­ tu rn s ; it is p lay ed b y th e full orchestra. Soon we h ea r again th e m e rry second m elody. T h is tim e it is p lay ed ag ain st itself in a passage w hich is v e ry m u ch like a fugue.* F ro m th is p o in t on, e v e ry th in g is q u ite exciting. D ifferent in s tru m e n ts ta k e tu rn s in playing th ese tu n es. T h e m usic grows to a clim ax a t w hich th e first m el­ ody ap p e ars once m ore, p lay ed b y th e full o rch estra. B u t it seems m erely to be p lay in g hide a n d seek, for it soon d isap p ears in som e chords p lay ed b eau tifu lly b y th e high strings. T h en com es one of th e p erk iest passages in th e o v ertu re. I t is a little coda in w hich th e first th re e m elodies are h e a rd in succession, p lay ed b y these in stru m e n ts : F i r s t m e l o d y : Bassoon T h i r d m e l o d y : Oboe S e c o n d m e l o d y : French horn T h i r d m e l o d y : Strings F i r s t m e l o d y : Full orchestra T h is b rin g s th e o v e rtu re to a sparkling finish. 1. Are th e re as m a n y c o n tra sts in th is com position as th e re are in Valse Triste ? 2. O r w ould y o u say t h a t th e O v ertu re to The Secret o f Suzanne is given over to one m o o d ? 3. D oes th is m usic rem in d you of a n y o th e r com position you hav e h ea rd ?

M u sic in C o n tra stin g M o o d s

11

Y ou are fam iliar w ith th e stories on w hich b o th Sibelius a n d W o lf-F errari b ased th e ir m usic. 1. D o you th in k th e y h av e been successful in expressing th e m oods sug­ gested b y th e stories ? 2. H o w ? W OLF-FERRARI

B o rn in th e lovely c ity of Venice, on th e blue A d riatic, W o lf-F errari m ig h t be ex p ected to h av e sparkle, color, a n d rom ance in his veins, an d his m usic proves t h a t he did. H is fa th e r w as a G erm an, a p a in te r of ta le n t, an d his m o th er h a d th e h ap p y -g o -lu ck y disposition of Ita ly . T h e fa th e r was anxious th a t his son should follow in his fo o tstep s a n d becom e a p a in te r, so th e b o y w as sen t to an a r t school in R om e. B y chance he w en t to B ay ­ re u th (b l'ro it') in G erm an y , to h ea r som e of W a g n er's operas, an d w as so excited b y th e w onderful m usic th a t he becam e seriously ill. W h en he left B a y re u th he m ad e u p h is m in d n ev er to to u c h a p a in tb ru s h again. A noticeable q u a lity of his w ritin g is his skill in m ak in g b rillia n t an d colorful effects w ith th e o rc h estra a n d a t th e sam e tim e w eaving his m el­ odies in an d o u t so th a t th e listen er is im pressed w ith th e sp ark le a n d m errim en t of th e com position. H e tu rn e d his a tte n tio n to w a rd th e com position of operas v e ry ea rly in his career. H e is a tireless w orker an d never ta k e s a n y v a c a tio n .

W e h a v e a lre a d y h a d a good deal of experience w ith sto ry tellin g m usic an d h av e fo u n d t h a t th e title of a PHANTOM com position in m a n y cases suggests to th e h ea rer th e idea t h a t th e com poser h a d in m ind w hen w rit­ MUSIC ing his m usic. I t som etim es h a p p e n s, how ever, t h a t th e m usic gives th e com poser th e id ea for th e title . C an y o u select from th e following a w ord or w ords w hich describe th is k in d of co m p o sitio n ? Absolute Music Chamber Music

Fugue

Program M usic Dance Music

Danse Macabre C a m ille S a in t-S a e n s

[V. R. 14162 a , b

(1835-1921), French composer. Living in America at this time: A d m ir a l G e o r g e D e w e y .

A t th e tim e S ain t-S aen s (saN-saNs') w ro te his D anse Macabre (daNs m ak a 'b 'r ) a new era in m usic w as opening up. C om posers w ere b reak in g aw ay fro m th e form s a n d styles w hich h a d governed m usic expression for m ore th a n tw o cen tu ries. So S aint-S aens d eterm in ed to tr y his h a n d a t so m ething new . F o r one of his com positions he selected som e verses b y H e n ri C azalis (ka-za-les') as th e m ain idea, an d w ro te th e D anse M acabre. TH E POEM

D anse M acabre m ean s " D a n c e of D e a th ," a ra th e r g h o stly idea. C hris­ tin e T u rn e r C u rtis has m ad e th e follow ing tra n s la tio n of th e verse : Zig-a-zig, in rhythm D eath strikes the tomb w ith his heel. A t m idnight he plays a dancing air, Zig-a-zig, on his violin. The w inter wind blows and the night is dark, W ails come from under the lindens— Skeletons in their great w hite sheets Shudder and dance, zig-a-zig-a-zig. One hears the clanking of their bones. B ut h is t! suddenly the round is over, T hey push, they crowd, they fly — The cock has crow ed!

12

P h a n to m M u sic

13

MUSIC AND STORY T h e m usic as well as th e s to ry m ig h t suggest H allow een a n d a p a r ty of ghosts w ho are celeb ratin g th e ir y e a rly festiv al. T h e o rc h estra tells us t h a t it is m id n ig h t, w ith th e h a rp strik in g tw elve tim es. T h e n som e w eird sounds give u s a h in t t h a t D e a th is tu n in g his fiddle, g e ttin g re a d y for th e dance w hich is to follow. T h e dance itself begins w ith th is m elo d y p la y e d b y th e flute a n d th e n b y th e violin. I t sounds so m eth in g like a jig. Tempo d i valse

F IR S T M ELO D Y

T h e second m elo d y is easier to sing th a n th e first. P e rh a p s th e com ­ poser in te n d e d it to re p re se n t th e loneliness of th e g rav ey ard . A lth o u g h th e tem p o is ju s t th e sam e as t h a t for th e first m elody, th is m usic seem s m u ch slower, because it is w ritte n in n o te s of longer tim e value. Ben marcato

SE C O N D M EL O D Y

zz Follow ing th is, th e first m elo d y re tu rn s , w ith th e xylophone* suggesting th e ra ttlin g bones of th e skeletons. T h e xylophone is an in stru m e n t n o t com m only used in th e sy m p h o n y o rch estra. As th e m usic co n tin u es i t is in te rru p te d ev e ry little while b y th e clash­ ing of cym bals, as th o u g h to rem in d u s of th e w eird c h a racters w ho are ta k in g p a r t in th is dance. T h e first rh y th m re tu rn s, a n d again we h ea r D e a th tu n in g his fiddle. N ow th e dance grow s w ilder an d m ore exciting. T h e second m elody ap p e ars in th e sty le of a fugue, suggesting t h a t th e d an cers are w eaving stran g e a n d in te re stin g p a tte rn s as th e y go on thenm a d b u t rh y th m ic w ay. T h ere is n o th in g sad in th is m erry m ak in g of th e ghosts. T h e m usic, w hile n o t gay, is full of life. B u t w ith th e com ing of d aw n th e dance m u s t end, because an old su p er­ stitio n says t h a t should a n y h u m an being gaze u p o n these sp irits th e y will be forced to w an d er a n d n ev er be a t peace again. J u s t w hen th e d an cers seem to be en jo y in g them selv es m o st a n d h av e w orked them selves u p to a high degree of ex citem en t, th e y are s ta rtle d b y th e cock c ro w in g : ad lib itu m

14

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g ress

T h is is th e signal for th ese g h o stly d an cers to h u rry b ack to th e ir graves. D e a th play s a m o u rn fu l little t u n e :

a n d w ith h u rrie d step s th e dan cin g skeletons vanish. A n y w rite r of stories uses th e u tm o s t care in selecting w ords a n d expres­ sions so t h a t th e m eaning m a y be as clear as possible. A com poser has ju s t as g re at a resp o n sib ility in giving m ean in g to his m usic. H e m u st keep th e p ictu re clear b y choosing a n d using o n ly t h a t m a te ria l w hich is necessary. S aint-S aens has show n g re at care, n o t only in th e choice of m usic th a t will ca rry his ideas to th e listener, b u t also in th e selection of in stru m e n ts t h a t will m ake th e m m o st effective. N o tice th e w eird chords w hich are u sed w hen D e a th tu n e s his fiddle. T h e y are b ased u p o n th e " o p e n fifth s* ” w ith w hich ev ery violinist tu n es his in stru m e n t. In p lay in g th is m usic th e co n certm aster * tu n e s th e E strin g of his violin one half to n e flat. Also, th e first m elo d y covers only a few notes. T h e selection of th e w altz rh y th m is especially su itab le for th is u n u su al occasion, a n d th e use of ch rom atic* ru n s an d passages gives a gh o stly color an d a feeling of g re a t excitem ent. O bserve how th e solo flute, p lay in g th e first m elody, gives a feeling th a t e v e ry th in g is stran g e an d u n real. T h e in tro d u c tio n of xylophones a n d cym ­ b als to re p resen t th e c la tte r of bones is especially effective. W h en th e oboe tells of th e com ing of d ay , it sounds ju s t like th e crow ing of th e cock. T h e trem o lo * a n d u p w ard -m o v in g figures * in th e strin g s a t th e close of th e com ­ p o sitio n give a m e n ta l p ic tu re of th e p h a n to m s as th e y h u rrie d ly d e p a rt. 1. D o y o u th in k t h a t th is m usic is a sa tisfa c to ry expression of th e idea co n tain ed in th e poem b y H en ri C azalis ? 2. Is it necessary to know th e poem in o rd er to en jo y th e m u sic? 3. W h a t is th e difference betw een Sibelius's Valse Triste a n d S ain tS aens’s D anse Macabre in scene? in m o o d ? in th e w ay th e m usic expresses th e m o o d ? 4. W h a t is y o u r opinion of S ain t-S aen s’s skill as a com poser? A SYMPHONIC POEM W e h av e listen ed to a g re at deal of m usic w hich p o rtra y s an in cid en t or tells a w hole sto ry . W e have also h e a rd com positions w hich tell no sto ry b u t are •b e a u tifu l an d o ften v e ry e lab o rate p a tte rn s in m usical sound, th o u g h th e y m a y a t th e sam e tim e give us an idea of th e com poser’s m ood an d how he feels a b o u t th ings. Such m usic a ttr a c ts us p rin cip ally because

P h a n to m M u sic

15

its m elodies are b ea u tifu l, its rh y th m s in te re stin g , its harm onies rich, its fo rm well b alan ced , a n d its in s tru m e n ta l to n e coloring su itab le a n d pleas­ ingly v aried . M o st of th e w orks of th e ea rly com posers belong to th e second ty p e , for th e older com posers specialized in th e so-called " c la s s ic * ” sty le of w riting. B u t in m usic, as well as in o th e r fields, c e rta in a rtis ts h av e come along w ho w ished to b ra n c h o u t an d develop a new k in d of form , offering m ore v a rie ty in expression. One of th ese a rtis ts w as F ra n z L iszt (fran ts list), th e bril­ lia n t H u n g a ria n p ia n ist a n d com poser, w ho w ished to tell a sto ry or p a in t a p ic tu re in his m usic. So he developed a new form in m usic called th e "sy m p h o n ic p o em .” H e p ro b a b ly w as h elped v ery m uch b y a n o th e r com ­ poser w ho lived a t th e sam e tim e, H e c to r B erlioz (ber-le-os') (page 24). I t w as B erlioz w ho developed th e sto ry or p ic tu re idea in th e sy m p h o n y ; an d his ow n sym phonies, to w hich he gave descriptive titles, led to g e th e r w ith o th e rs to a new sty le of w riting, so fa r as sym phonies are concerned. So th e te rm sym phonic poem cam e in to use ; it m eans an o rch estral com ­ position, u su ally ra th e r long a n d in one con tin u o u s m ovem ent. I n ad d i­ tio n to th e m usic its in te re s t centers aro u n d a sto ry , w hich m a y be ta k e n from a p lay , a p ic tu re , a poem , th e com poser's im ag in atio n , or even from real life. A n o th er nam e given to th is k in d of com position is tone poem . T h e aim is to tell th is sto ry b e a u tifu lly a n d in such a w ay th a t th e listeners ca n n o t m ista k e it. A t th e sam e tim e th e m usic m u s t be in an effec­ tiv e an d b alan ced form . J u s t as a p o et m u s t express his ideas b y using lines, stan zas, a n d rh y m es, an d a b u ild er m u st c o n stru c t his house w ith walls, doors, a n d w indow s, so m u st a com poser p u t his ideas in to a shape, or form . T h ere are g en erally one or tw o p rin cip al them es, w hich are h an d led w ith m u c h freedom in form an d in style. Also, th ere m u st be a general progress to a definite clim ax, regardless of th e su b ject. B u t since th e first d u ty of a com poser is to g et th e sto ry an d m usic to agree, no tw o sym phonic poem s are ever id en tical in fo rm ; because th e stories h av e som e influence on th e form , a n d no tw o stories are ever ex actly alike. T h is freedom of fo rm in th e sy m phonic poem allows an o p p o rtu n ity for free in d iv id u a l expression according to th e needs of th e su b ject chosen for tra n s la tio n in to m usic. CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS W h en S ain t-S aen s w as th re e years old, his g ra n d m o th e r began to give him p ian o lessons, a n d w hen he w as te n his m o th e r p resen ted th e y o u th fu l C am ille (ka-m el') to th e p ublic as a p ia n ist a t a n evening p a rty . T h e boy show ed g re a t self-control a n d u n u su al ab ility . A m ong th e n u m b ers on th e

16

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g ress

p ro g ra m w as one of th e so n a ta s* of M o z a rt (m o 'ts a rt), w hich he p lay ed w ith his te a c h e r. T h en , acco m p an ied b y a q u a rte t, he p la y e d som e of th e com positions of B ach (b ax ) a n d B eeth o v en (b a 'to -v e n ). E v ery o n e be­ lieved t h a t th e b o y h a d a re m a rk ab le an d successful fu tu re ah e ad of him . L a te r he stu d ied a t th e P a ris C o n serv ato ry , as well as p riv a te ly w ith G ounod (goo-no'), th e com poser of th e opera Faust. H e h a d eno rm o u s energy, a n d gave his tim e a n d th o u g h t to all kinds of com position. H e loved th e o rgan as well as th e piano, a n d for tw e n ty years he w as o rg a n ist a t th e M ad elein e (m ad -la n '), a fam ous ch u rch in P aris. I t w as h ere t h a t D elibes, as a sm all boy, h a d sung te n y ears before {Prelude, page 28). T h ro u g h o u t his lifetim e S aint-S aens show ed u n u su al quickness a n d origi­ n a l ideas in w ritin g his m usic. H e w as a p o et as well as a m usician a n d h a d m a n y hobbies, such as collecting b u tterflies a n d p la n ts. M a n y w in ters he left P aris as th e b ird s leave, w ith o u t a n y id ea w here he w as going. I n fact, w hen one of his operas w as to be perform ed he w as now here to be found a n d was given u p for dead. L a te r he w as located, calm ly w ritin g p o e try a n d enjoying th e sunshine of th e C a n a ry Islands. H e was v e ry loyal to th e F re n c h sty le of w ritin g ; and, w hen people in F ran ce w ere lo u d ly p raisin g W ag n er (v ag 'n er) (page 110), a n d th e ir ad m ira ­ tio n th re a te n e d to dro w n th e m ore delicate F re n c h m a n n e r of expression, S aint-S aens w as responsible fo r arousing a new in te re st in F ren c h m usic b y his efforts as a p erform er, com poser, a n d a u th o r. H e w as one of th e fo u n d ­ ers of th e N a tio n a l S o ciety of M u sic in P aris, w hich aim ed a t encouraging th e efforts of F re n c h com posers. S aint-S aens w as n o t o n ly a com poser, a p ia n ist, an organist, a n d an a u th o r, b u t also a co n d u cto r as well. In fact, he h a d so m a n y m usical abilities t h a t he w as k n ow n as th e P ro te u s (p ro 'te-u s) of m o d ern m usic. Y ou m a y rem em b er th a t P ro te u s w as th e sea-god w ho could change his shap e in a n y m a n n e r he chose. I n a sim ilar m an n er, S aint-S aens w as suc­ cessful in com posing m usic in a n y sty le he m ig h t choose. T h e D anse M acabre w as w ritte n in 1874. I n th e U n ite d S ta te s in th a t year, A lexander G ra h a m B ell w as beginning his in q u iry a n d search as to w h eth er e le c tric ity could be u sed to c a rry voices a n d speech from one p o in t to an o th er. L a te r his efforts w ere to lead to th e in v en tio n of th e telephone.

F r o m e a rly tim es u n til th e p re se n t d a y m usic has

FROM DANCE RHYTHMS TO THE SYMPHONY

alw ays been im p o rta n t to dan cin g . T h ere are m a n y k inds of d ance m usic, a n d dance rh y th m s h av e alw ays been of g re a t in te re st to com posers. T h e y h av e used th e m in d ifferen t w ays, as we h av e a lre a d y discovered. TH E WALTZ

I f you th in k over som e of th e pieces y o u h av e h ea rd , you m a y be able to describe som e of th e w ays in w hich com posers h av e used dance rh y th m s. E a c h y e a r b rin g s a new k in d or sty le of d ance step , b u t a lth o u g h one dance m a y be rep laced b y a n o th e r th e w altz seem s to m a in ta in som e of its p o p u la rity . O ne th in g is tru e : F ew ty p e s of m usic h a v e given m ore pleas­ u re to audiences g en erally th a n th e concert w altzes of th e la st ce n tu ry . T hose w ritte n b y J o h a n n S trau ss are u n d o u b te d ly th e fav o rites. B u t we should re m em b er t h a t com posers w ere w ritin g w altzes m a n y y ears before S trau ss w as b o rn .

Invitation to the Dance C a r l M a r ia v o n W e b e r

(1786-1826),

the same time:

G erm an com p oser. R o b e r t F u lto n .

[V.R. 15189 A,b Living in America at

ORIGIN OF TH E CONCERT WALTZ

C om posers w ho liv ed before W eber (v a 'b e r), ev en B a c h him self, used d an ce rh y th m s in serious com positions. B u t th e w altz w as n o t used u n til th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry , a n d W eber w ro te th e first co n cert w altz, called th e In vita tio n to the Dance. All o th e r concert w altzes, even th o se b y Jo h a n n S trau ss, tra c e th e ir origin to it. T h e fa c t t h a t th is co n cert w altz, th e first one ev er com posed, rem ains as p o p u lar to d a y as it w as a c e n tu ry ago is a w itness to its b e a u ty , as well as to its ch arm a n d refin em ent. I ts tu n efu l m elodies, its graceful rh y th m s, a n d its dignified sty le com bine to m ak e th e In v ita tio n to the Dance one of th e m o st a rtis tic of all com positions of th is ty p e . H ow do th ese q u alitie s in W eb er's m usic com pare w ith th o se in p re se n td a y co n cert a rra n g e m e n ts of p o p u la r dance rh y th m s ?

17

18

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g ress

W hen we h e a r th e In v ita tio n to the Dance it ap p e a rs in an o rc h estral arran g em en t, a lth o u g h W eb er com posed it originally as a solo to be p lay ed on th e piano. T h is w as in 1819, a b o u t th re e y ears a fte r he h a d m a rrie d a w ell-know n singer n am ed C aroline B ra n d t. I t w as for his wife t h a t W eber w rote th is m u s ic ; a n d w hen he gave it to her for a b irth d a y p re se n t, he gave h er also a n o te explaining th e m ean ­ ing of th e m usic. M EANING OF THE TITLE

T h is n o te of e x p lan a tio n w hich th e com poser gave to his wife tells us th e v ery th in g s we m ig h t ex p ect to find in a com position h av in g th is title . T here is a conv ersatio n , or dialogue, betw een a young m a n a n d a young lady, in w hich he in v ite s h er to dance w ith him . She accepts, a n d th e y enjo y th e ir dance. W h en it is finished he th a n k s her, a n d th e y say goodby. W E B E R ’S EX PLA N A TIO N OF THE MUSIC

T h e co m m en ts w hich W eber w rote concerning th is co n v ersatio n are given here : First appearance and invitation of the dancer. The lad y’s uncertain reply. The gentlem an’s more insistent invitation. Her consent. H e begins conversation. Her reply. H e speaks w ith greater warmth. The sym pathetic agreement. H e addresses her w ith regard to the dance. Her answer. They take their places, w aiting for the commencement of the dance. The dance itself. The conclusion of the dance. H is thanks. Her reply. Their farewell. SOME OF THE THEMES OF THE DANCE F IR S T M ELO DY A lleg ro viva ce -----

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iWirpfifPTir'rNrrrrr] jgr DISCUSSION W hile m o st of th is com position is d ev o ted to th e dance itself, th e ra th e r sh o rt in tro d u c tio n a n d conclusion are q u ite im p o rta n t. T h is is especially tru e of th e in tro d u c to ry m easures, w hich re p resen t a c tu a lly th e invitation to th e dance. T h is in tro d u c tio n or in v ita tio n h as been fully ex p lain ed in th e n o te to his wife in w hich W eb er d escribed th e actio n suggested in th e m usic. W e h av e seen t h a t th e com poser in d icated ce rtain v e rb a l p h ra se s w hich correspond to th e m u sical p hrases. T hese p h rases answ er each o th e r in a m usical dialogue w hich suggests th e co nversation b etw een th e g en tlem an a n d th e lad y . A fter listen in g to th e m usic, 1. H ow w ould y o u describe th e differences in p itc h of th ese p h ra se s? 2. A re y o u able to n am e th e in stru m e n ts w hich c a rry on th e m usical dialogue ? 3. C an you fit th e w ord p h rases of W eb er's e x p la n a tio n to th e ir corre­ sponding m usical p h rases ? 4. W h a t m usical difference is th e re betw een th e th ird p h ra se a n d th e first one, seem ing to su ggest t h a t th e in v ita tio n becom es m ore pressing? 5. W h a t occurs in th e sev e n th m usical p h rase to m ak e th e co n v ersatio n seem m ore e a rn e st th a n in th e fifth p h rase ? 6. W h a t h ap p en s in th e m usic to in d icate th a t th e couple are w alking to g e th e r to ta k e th e ir places fo r th e beginning of th e d an c e? 7. W h a t h as th e com poser done a t th e conclusion of th is com position, to balan ce th e in tro d u c tio n ?

20

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

A lth o u g h th e d an ce itself is in w altz rh y th m , it is im p o rta n t to rem em ­ b er t h a t th is is re ally a concert w altz an d , th erefo re, t h a t its te m p o * does n o t need to be su itab le for b allroom dancing. I n fa ct, th e ra p id tem p o gives th is m usic its b rig h tn ess a n d g aiety. I t is said t h a t W eb er him self p lay ed i t on th e p ian o w ith dazzling effect. TH E ORCHESTRAL ARRANGEMENT T h ese effects are m ore b rillia n t in th e o rc h estral a rra n g e m e n t th a n in a p ian o solo. T h is m usic w as a rra n g e d for o rc h e stra b y th e fam ous F re n c h com poser H e c to r B erlioz (page 24), who, according to histo ries of m usic, w as one of th e g re a te st m a ste rs of o rc h e stra tio n . I t is im p o rta n t to know t h a t W eber acq u ired g re a t fam e as a com ­ poser of ro m a n tic operas,* w hich w ere in G erm an a n d w ere also tru ly G erm an in th o u g h t. (In G erm any, u n til W e b er’s d ay , m o st operas were sung in Ita lia n , a n d b o th th e ir p lo ts a n d th e m usic w ere foreign.) O ne of th e b est k n o w n of th ese operas is e n title d Der Freischiltz (frl'sh iits), a n d th e sto ry of how B erlioz h ap p e n ed to m ak e th e o rc h estral a rra n g e m e n t of th e In v ita tio n to the Dance h as som e connection w ith th is opera. W hen Dev Freischiltz w as being considered for a perform ance in P aris, so m eth in g h a d to be done to p ro v id e a ballet,* since no o p era could be p re se n te d in P a ris w ith o u t one. B erlioz ag reed to arran g e th e In vita tio n to the Dance for o rch estra, so th a t it m ig h t be used as th e b allet m usic in Der Freischiltz. T h a t is how th is o rc h estral version of th e m usic cam e in to being. CHANGING TH E KEY A m ong th e in te re stin g th in g s w hich B erlioz d id in a rran g in g th is m usic w as to change th e k ey in w hich th e com position w as originally w ritte n . T h e p ian o com position w as in th e k ey of D flat m ajo r, b u t B erlioz used th e k ey of D w hen a rran g in g th e m usic for th e o rch estra. H e d id th is n o t only because th e k ey of D is m ore b rillia n t b u t also because it is easier for th e p lay ers on c e rta in o rch estral in stru m e n ts, p a rtic u la rly th e strin g s. T h e a rra n g e m e n t of th e black a n d w h ite keys on th e pian o is such t h a t th e y lie m o re n a tu ra lly u n d e r th e fingers of th e p lay er w hen th e m usic is w ritte n in c e rta in keys, one of w hich is D flat. T h e fingering of scales is different for each in stru m e n t, how ever, a n d th e k ey of T> flat is an aw kw ard one for m a n y of th e in stru m e n ts of th e o rch estra, especially th e strin g ed in stru m e n ts. W hile certain keys are u su ally convenient for all in s tru ­ m en ts, it is n ev erth eless n ecessary for an a rra n g e r to know w hich passages

F r o m D a n c e R h y th m s to th e S y m p h o n y

21

in a scale are difficult for c e rta in in stru m e n ts. F o r exam ple, th e fingering of scale ru n s a n d p h rases in th e k e y of D flat on strin g ed in stru m e n ts, such as th e violin or cello, h ap p e n s to be aw k w ard because of th e p o sitio n of th e fingers over th e strin g s, w hich is d ifferent from th e p o sitio n of th e fingers over th e key s of th e piano. B ecause of th is it is easy to see t h a t scales w hich are easy to p lay in a c e rta in k ey on one in s tru m e n t m a y be v ery difficult to p la y in th e sam e k ey on a n o th e r in stru m e n t. T h erefo re, th e a rra n g e r m u st h av e b o th skill a n d know ledge if he is to succeed as a w rite r of o rch estral m usic. B erlioz ch anged th e k ey of th e In v ita tio n to the Dance to one w hich w as m ore d esirable for p lay in g on o rc h estral in stru m e n ts. TH E COMPOSER M a n y m usicians are closely co n n ected w ith th e m usical fife of som e one city. F o r exam ple, we asso ciate M o z a rt a n d S ch u b ert (sh o o 'b ert) w ith V ienna. B u t W eb er w as a v ag a b o n d fro m his childhood. H e w as b o rn n e a r L tibeck (lii'b ek ), a q u a in t a n d ch arm in g city on th e B altic Sea. H is fa th e r co n d u cted th e b a n d a t th e th e a te r a n d also w as a d irec to r of d ra m a tic tro u p es. As a re su lt th e fam ily tra v e le d from one c ity to a n o th e r like gypsies. T h e fa th e r soon discovered t h a t his y o u n g son w as v ery gifted, a n d he h a d th e id ea t h a t th e b o y m ig h t becom e a second M o z a rt (.Prelude, page 37). W h en C arl M a ria w ro te a n o p era a t th e age of th irte e n , th e fa th e r w as po sitiv e t h a t a golden fu tu re w as in sto re for him . B u t because of a ro v in g life a n d lack of p ro p er s tu d y th is d re a m of a child w onder did n o t come tru e . Y o u n g W eb er could n o t seem to se ttle dow n to real w ork. F o r a tim e he lived in th e castles of fam ous dukes, b u t th is life of g aiety a n d pleasure w as to o m u ch for him . H e g o t in to scrape a fte r scrape, u n til finally he w as p u n ish ed b y th e king of Saxony a n d b an ish ed from th e p rovince w here he h a d been living. T h e n a t la s t he cam e to his senses a n d resolved to d ev o te his tim e h o n ­ e stly to his a rt. H e w rote th e o p era Der Freischiltz (T he E n c h a n te d H u n ts ­ m a n ), a n d i t w as p erfo rm ed in th e D resd en T h e a te r. R ic h a rd W ag n er (page 110), w hose s te p fa th e r w as an a c to r in th is th e a te r, w en t to th e p e r­ form an ce of th is o p era a n d cam e hom e th rille d a n d excited. I n fact, so im pressed w as he t h a t h e could p la y th e o v e rtu re to th is o p era a fte r h av in g h e a rd i t on ly once a n d w ith o u t ever h a v in g seen th e score. I t w as w hile he w as in D resd en t h a t W eber w rote th e In v ita tio n to the D ance. A t th a t tim e th e w altz w as a som ew hat new dance. I t h a d been

22

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P ro g ress

in tro d u c e d in to E u ro p e a n c o u rt life b y th e V iennese only fo u r or five year^ before. I t cam e originally fro m B ohem ia, w hich a t th a t tim e w as a p a r t of A u stria, a n d w as a sim ple ru stic dance of th e A u stria n villagers. T h e delegates, or re p resen tativ es, sen t b y th e v ario u s n atio n s to th e C ongress of V ien n a in 1815 to o k to th is new d ance 'T ik e ducks to w a te r,” a n d it soon sp read to ev ery co u rt in E u ro p e. T h ere is no q u estio n b u t t h a t th e w altz w as th e m o st p o p u lar of all dances d u rin g th e n in e te e n th ce n tu ry . I t is no ex aggeration to say t h a t th is p o p u la rity w as helped m ore b y th e m usic of W eb er (especially his In vita tio n to the Dance) th a n b y th e w ork of a n y o th e r single com poser before Jo h a n n S trauss. A gain we find th a t com posers h av e m ad e use of a fa v o rite dance of th e people as an a r t form , an d ag ain we find t h a t th e people are d elighted w ith th e resu lt. A m ong th e im p o rta n t com posers who w ro te concert w altzes w ere C hopin (sho-paN 7), S ch u b ert, a n d B rah m s. I n fa c t th e w altz w on such p o p u la rity a n d such fam e th a t it b eg an to a p p e a r in th e m o st serious of all m usical form s, th e sym phony.*

A Ball from the Fantastic S ym p ho ny H e c to r B e r lio z

[v.R. G 526

(1803—1869), French composer. Living in America at this time: J a m e s F e n im o r e C o o p e r .

T h e first use of th e w altz in a sy m p h o n y * occurred soon a fte r W eber h a d com posed his In vita tio n to the D a n c e ; for it w as in 1830 t h a t B erlioz w ro te his F antastic S y m p h o n y, w hich h as m ore im ag in atio n an d fan cy in it th a n alm o st a n y o th er sy m p h o n y of t h a t period. T h e fa c t th a t th is w as th e first sy m p h o n y to include a w altz as one of its m o v em en ts is n o t th e only u n u su al th in g a b o u t it. B erlioz in tro d u ced m a n y new ideas in to th is w ork. O ne fe a tu re of th is com position is th e use of th e h a rp , for th e first tim e in a sym phony. B u t its m o st strik in g fe a tu re is th e elab o rate d etail of th e tru ly fa n ta stic sto ry w hich B erlioz in te n d e d to express in his m usic. T h is use of a sto ry in connection w ith a sy m p h o n y w as one of th e ea rly step s in th e d irectio n of th e sym phonic poem . T h is sy m p h o n y is also considered im p o rta n t because B erlioz used a cer­ ta in m elo d y as a m usical m o tto * th ro u g h all th e sections of th e sym phony, in a m a n n e r t h a t h a d a g re a t deal of influence u p o n o th e r com posers, es­ pecially L iszt, W agner, an d , la te r, R ic h a rd S trau ss. In fa c t som e of th e com positions w hich we shall h e a r la te r on in th is course follow th e schem e w hich B erlioz used in his F antastic S y m p h o n y .

F r o m D a n c e R h y th m s to th e S y m p h o n y

23

THE MUSIC " F a n ta s tic " is a v ery good ad jectiv e w ith w hich to describe th is sym ­ p h o n y b y B erlioz, for it is a m ix tu re of m a n y scenes an d m oods. I t has a second title , w hich reads, " E p iso d e in th e Life of an A rtis t." A young m u sician is supposed to fall a s le e p ; a n d in a stra n g e d ream his beloved, in th e fo rm of a m elody, com es to him . T h e w altz is th e second m o v em en t* of th e sym p h o n y . I t is here t h a t th e m u sician d ream s t h a t he sees his beloved a t a ball, in th e m id st of th e ex citem en t of a b rillia n t festival. She is re p resen ted b y a lovely m elody, w hich is p lay ed first b y th e oboe a n d th e n b y th e clarinet. T h is m elody is in w altz rh y th m , to suggest th a t she is ta k in g p a r t in th e dancing, while h er sw ee th eart view s th e scene from a distan ce. T h e w altz begins w ith a ra th e r long in tro d u c tio n , w hich ends su d d en ly w ith a descending passage p lay ed b y th e h a rp . T h e p rin cip al m elody im ­ m e d ia te ly follows ; i t is p lay ed b y th e strings. F IR S T M EL O D Y Dolce oice e tenero te n e r o

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itryr I'f t^J f lY glT j p i A s th e m usic progresses, th e feeling of th e scene in th e sto ry becom es v e ry m u c h stro n g er. T h e opening n o tes of th e w altz th em e are re p e a te d m a n y tim es in a sequence * w hich m o u n ts h igher a n d higher u n til th e m ove­ m e n t en d s in a ro u sin g clim ax. W e b er's In vita tio n to the Dance is a single com position w ritte n for a con­ c e rt p ro g ram . " A B a ll" is a w altz fro m a g re a t a r t form , th e p ro g ram sym p h o n y .

24

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r o g r e ss

1. D oes th e m usic b y B erlioz seem to be ju s t as m u ch a concert n u m b e r as th e com position b y W e b er? 2. W ould you p u t th ese tw o selections in th e class know n as ab so lu te m usic,* or in t h a t k n o w n as p ro g ra m m usic ? 3. W h y ? TH E COMPOSER B erlioz w as one of th e g re a te st m usical figures of th e F re n c h ro m a n tic school.* W hile m o st people tr y to hide th e ir feelings, th e ro m a n tic com ­ poser is m o st likely to rev eal his. I n m usic, th e id ea is alw ays m ore im ­ p o rta n t to th e ro m a n tic com poser th a n th e form in w hich he expresses it. O ne of th e th in g s w hich helps u s to recognize ro m a n tic com posers of th e tim e of B erlioz is th a t th e ir m usic is full of po etic im ag in atio n a n d sto rm y em otion. B erlioz him self w as so m ew h at u n u su a l a n d different fro m o th e r people. H e w as peculiar, im pulsive, a n d h ig h ly d ra m a tic in ev e ry th in g th a t he did. H e w as th e son of a c o u n try d o cto r, a n d a t th e age of sev en teen he w en t to P a ris to s tu d y m edicine. H ow ever, he h a d a secret longing to give all his a tte n tio n to m usic. W h en ev er he h a d a n y free tim e he w en t to th e C o n serv a to ry to s tu d y o p era scores.* E v e ry cen t he could spare w as sp e n t on going to operas a n d plays. H e fre q u e n tly a tte n d e d t h a t fam ous old P a ris th e a te r, th e O deon (o-da-dN '), w here so m a n y g re a t p lay s h av e been p re se n ted . I t w as here th a t he first saw H e n rie tte S m ithson, a n E n g lish actress w ho w as ac tin g w ith a S h ak esp earean th e a tric a l group. A fter seeing one of h e r p erfo rm ­ ances, it is said, B erlioz exclaim ed, " T h a t w om an shall be m y wife, a n d on th a t d ra m a I shall w rite m y g re a te st sy m p h o n y .” A fter th is experience he w rote a sy m p h o n y w hich he called Romeo and Ju liet. T h e F antastic S y m p h o n y , how ever, is still m ore closely associated w ith th e com poser’s g re a t affection for th e E n g lish actress, for he th o u g h t it w ould be a fine id ea to re ach h e r th ro u g h m usic. R eference h as alre ad y been m ad e to th e su b title , or second title , w hich B erlioz u s e d : "E p is o d e in th e Life of a n A rtis t.” T h e preface w hich he w rote on th e score of th e sy m p h o n y in d icates t h a t th is m usic is b ased on v ario u s in cid en ts grow ing o u t of his a tta c h m e n t for M iss S m ith so n W h en a t la st he w on th e P rix de R om e* a n d w en t to I ta ly for stu d y , he to o k th e sk etches of th e F antastic S ym p h o n y w ith him . D u rin g his s ta y in R o m e he w orked over th is com position a n d com pleted it. O n his re tu r n to P a ris he m ad e h a ste to arran g e a concert w here it could be p erfo rm ed . T h e b e a u tifu l H e n rie tte w as so im pressed w ith th e m usic t h a t she co n sen ted to m a rry th e com poser.

F r o m D a n c e R h y th m s to t h e S y m p h o n y

25

O n a n o th e r occasion w hen th e F antastic S y m p h o n y w as perform ed, B e r­ lioz w as asto n ish ed to see a m a n ju m p u p on th e p la tfo rm a n d ru sh u p to kiss his h a n d . T h e n e x t d a y th e com poser received a le tte r req u estin g h im to ac cep t a su m of tw e n ty th o u sa n d francs. A lth o u g h th e giver w as a person n o t well k now n, he used for his m essenger th e c e le b rated vio lin ist a n d com ­ poser P a g a n in i (p a-g a-n e'n e) (Prelude, page 124). B erlioz h as som etim es been called th e F re n c h B eeth o v en , for he enriched th e a r t of w ritin g fo r th e o rc h e stra a n d gave it new brilliance. TH E M INUET B erlioz m a y h a v e b een th e first com poser to in clu d e a w altz in a sym ­ ph o n y , b u t his use of th is graceful dance rh y th m in th e dignified fo rm of th e sy m p h o n y w as b y no m eans th e last. One of th e b est-k n o w n w altzes inclu d ed in sym p h o n ies is th e one w hich T c h a ik o v sk y (chl-kof'ske) w rote in his F ifth S y m p h o n y . O ne of th e in te re stin g th in g s a b o u t th e sy m p h o n y is t h a t its m usic a n d design h a v e ch anged, ju s t as o th e r sty les h a v e changed, fro m one perio d to a n o th e r. T h e re is one fe a tu re of th e sy m p h o n y , how ever, th a t h as con­ tin u e d th ro u g h th e y ea rs a n d can be fo u n d in alm o st all w orks of th is ty p e , a n d t h a t is th e presence of a dance rh y th m of one k in d or a n o th e r in one of th e m o v em en ts. J u s t as th e w altz w as th e m o st p o p u lar d ance of th e n in e te e n th cen tu ry , th e m in u e t* w as p ro b a b ly th e m o st p o p u la r dance of th e e ig h te e n th cen­ tu ry . So we find t h a t th e com posers of th e earlier p erio d used th e m in u e t in m u ch th e sam e w ay as com posers of th e la te r p erio d h av e used th e w altz.

W o lfg a n g

M in u e t f r o m S y m p h o n y i n D M a jo r [V. R. G 561 B A m a d e i j s M o z a r t (1756-1791), Austrian composer. Living in Amer­ ica at this tim e:

A le x a n d e r H a m ilto n

W e h av e learn ed t h a t ju s t as som e of th e ro m a n tic com posers used th e w altz in th e ir sym phonies, so th e ea rly classical* com posers used th e m in u et. P e rh a p s no com poser h as w ritte n m ore ch arm in g m in u e ts th a n M o z a rt (Prelude, page 37), w ho u sed th is dance fo rm in n e a rly all of his fo rty -o n e sym phonies, as well as in n u m ero u s o th e r com positions. TH E M INUET IN MOZART’S DAY T h e m in u e t a p p e ared in F ran c e d u rin g th e pleasure-loving reign of Louis X IV . I t cam e fro m P o ito u (p w a-to o '), one of th e F re n c h provinces, w here i t w as p erfo rm ed as a g ay an d lively ro u n d dance.* F o r co u rt use

26

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g ress

it lost its no isy a n d liv ely sp irit a n d becam e dignified a n d controlled. T h e first m in u e t m usic for th e F re n c h co u rt w as w ritte n b y L u lly (lu-le'). A fter th e reig n of L ouis X IV , th e F re n c h kings still k e p t u p th e ir p ro ­ g ram of co u rt balls, festiv als, a n d concerts. T h e o th e r co u rts of E u ro p e im ita te d th e F re n c h in th e ir dress, m an n ers, a n d k in d s of e n te rta in m e n t. T h e m in u e t en jo y ed its golden age in these d ay s before th e F re n c h R e v o ­ lu tio n , w hen M o z a rt w as w ritin g his sym phonies a n d q u a rte ts in V ienna. I t w as a dance for tw o people, in 3 /4 m easure, w ith tw o eig h t-m easu re p h rases* each of w hich w as re p e a te d . Soon a second section w as ad d e d fo r v a rie ty , w ritte n e ith e r for th re e in s tru m e n ts or in th re e -p a rt h arm o n y . T h is w as called a trio * a n d w as alw ays follow ed b y a re p e titio n of th e first section. T h e original co u rt m in u e t w as grave a n d sim ple. G ra d u a lly i t to o k on a m ore e lab o rate ch a ra c te r. T h e m in u e t w as th e tru e expression of a n age in w hich d e p o rtm e n t w as c u ltiv a te d a n d refined. I t w as th e age in w hich cerem ony w as king. I n th is s ta te ly dance th e re w ere m a n y graceful m ove­ m e n ts an d curtseys. E v e ry th in g , including th e sm ile, th e curve of th e w rist, th e tilt of th e fan, w as th e expression of an age of g a lla n try a n d form al con d u ct. C o stum es, to o , p la y e d th e ir p a r t in th is ro y a l dance : curls, pow dered wigs, hooped sk irts, flow ered silks, sa tin coats an d em broidered w aistco ats, lace ruffles a n d b rillia n t buckles. H a y d n (h l'd ’n) w as th e first com poser to in tro d u ce th e m in u e t in to th e sy m p h o n y (P relude, page 71). F o r th is p u rpose he quickened th e tem po. M o z a rt to o u sed a m ore ra p id te m p o th a n th e old dance h a d h a d , b u t his m in u ets possess a ten d ern ess a n d grace w hich th o se of m a n y o th e r com ­ posers lack. T H E NAME OF THIS SYMPHONY T h is sy m p h o n y is som etim es called th e " H a f f n e r ” S y m phony. I t cam e a b o u t in th is w ay. I n th e to w n of S alzburg (zalts'boorK ) th e re lived a fam ily b y th e n am e of H affn er (h a f'n e r). T h e H affners w ere q u ite im p o r­ t a n t people in th e to w n , for " P a p a ” H affn er w as none o th e r th a n th e m ay o r. I t is d o u b tfu l, how ever, if th e H affners w ould be rem em b ered were i t n o t fo r th e fa c t t h a t th e y h a d sufficient m usical ta s te to in v ite M o z a rt, w ho w as b o rn in S alzburg, to com pose m usic for m a n y of th e ir social affairs. O ne of th e d a u g h te rs w as n am ed E lis a b e th ; an d , a few y ears before M o z a rt com posed th e m usic of th is sy m p h o n y , he h a d w ritte n a serenade, o r love song, fo r h e r m arriag e. T h is w as in th e sum m er of 1776, th e v ery y ear o u r D e c la ra tio n of In d ep en d en ce w as signed. Six y ea rs la te r M o z a rt

F r o m D a n c e R h y th m s to t h e S y m p h o n y

27

received, th ro u g h his fa th e r, a second re q u e st for m usic for th e H affner household. H e h e s ita te d a b o u t ta k in g m ore tim e for special com positions, as he w as b u sy w ith o th e r m a tte rs. W ith his u su al ra p id ity , how ever, M o z a rt w ro te a com position in six m o v em en ts in less th a n tw o weeks. T h e " H a f f n e r ” S y m p h o n y , from w hich th is m in u e t is ta k e n , is m ad e u p of four of these m o v em en ts. T h ere w as considerable correspondence a b o u t th is betw een M o z a rt a n d his fa th e r, a n d i t is in te re stin g to notice t h a t in alm o st ev e ry one of th ese le tte rs to his fa th e r, M o z a rt asked for perm ission to m a rry C onstanze (co n -stan 'tse) W eber, a cousin of C arl M a ria v o n W eber, w ho w rote th e In vita tio n to the D ance. A lth o u g h th is perm ission w as n o t g ra n te d , p erh ap s it should be ad d e d t h a t it to o k M o z a rt no longer to m a rry C o n stan ze th a n it d id to com pose a sy m p h o n y . THE MUSIC T h e M in u e t is th e th ird m o v em en t of th is sy m p h o n y a n d is in th e usual design in w hich m in u e ts are m ade. T h is design is som etim es called a " th r e e - p a r t song fo rm w ith trio ,* ” b u t it is also know n as " m in u e t* and trio .” I n th is m in u e t th e first section consists of tw o p a rts , each of w hich is rep eated . T h e first m elody, w hich m oves w ith graceful d ig n ity , is as fo llo w s: F IR S T M ELO DY

m T h e second m elo d y is in h a p p y c o n tr a s t: SEC O N D M EL O D Y

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T h is is follow ed b y a second section, u su ally a b o u t th e sam e le n g th as th e first section. T h is second, or co n trastin g , section is called th e " t r i o ,” a n d its th re e -p a rt h a rm o n y is a n im p o rta n t fe a tu re w hich distinguishes it from th e re s t of th e m in u et.

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

28

T h e th ird section of th e m in u e t is alw ays th e sam e as th e first, ex cep t th a t th e m elodies are n o t re p e a te d . C an y o u th in k of a w ay to describe th is form , using le tte rs or figures for th e different m elodies? I n all th e m in u e ts w ritte n b y M o z a rt th e re is p erh ap s no m ore ap p ealin g passage th a n th e lovely, h a u n tin g , a n d ra th e r sad m elody w hich is h e a rd in th e m iddle section of th e M in u e t of th e " H a ffn e r” S y m phony. Some a u th o ritie s h av e s ta te d t h a t th is p a r t of th e M in u e t is b ased on a m elody from an o p e re tta w hich M o z a rt com posed for th e M u n ic h (m u 'n ik ) carn iv al of 1775. B u t th e m usic is u n u su a lly s im p le ; i t h as g re a t charm , a n d th e w ay th e in s tru m e n ts are u sed is especially effective. T R IO M ELO D Y F in e

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1. I n w h a t w ay s do y o u th in k th e m usic of th e trio section is d ifferent from t h a t of th e first a n d la st sections? 2. W h a t differences do y o u notice b etw een th is m in u e t a n d th e tw o w altzes y o u hav e h e a rd ? MOZART TH E MAN On page 37 in Prelude we learn ed som e fa c ts a b o u t th is gifted com poser. I t is in te re stin g to im agine th is young m a n living in th e p ictu resq u e little city of S alzburg, w ith its co n v en ts a n d m o n asteries a n d its palaces. P rin cearch b ish o p s reig n ed o ver th e c i t y ; a n d alth o u g h th e reigning prince could be generous, he could be a ty r a n t as well. M o z a rt’s fa th e r w as a ss is ta n t co n d u cto r of th e o rc h e stra a t th e c o u rt of th e p rin ce-arch b ish o p . T h is prince w as p ro u d of th e ta le n te d y o ung M o z a rt, b u t he w as also a little jealo u s. W hen b u t nine y ea rs of age, M o z a rt w rote a n opera b u ff a* for E m p e ro r Jo sep h I I in V ienna. T h e p rin ce h e a rd of it an d o rd ered it to be p erfo rm ed in his ow n palace. H e also a p p o in te d th e you n g com poser his co n certm eister,* b u t th is office w as p u re ly a n h o n o r ; th e re w as no sa la ry w ith it.

F r o m D a n c e R h y th m s to th e S y m p h o n y

29

M o z a rt’s fa th e r h a d been able to ta k e his son to Ita ly , w here he becam e filled w ith th o se m usical im pressions w hich la te r m ad e his sty le so refined a n d easily flowing. T h e n he w en t to V ienna, w here he discovered H a y d n ’s strin g q u a rte ts,* a n d b ro u g h t th e m b ack to S alzburg for stu d y . A fter these in te re stin g tra v e ls he beg an to p o u r o u t sym phonies, concertos,* strin g q u a rte ts , a n d m asses* w ith asto n ish in g ease. I t w as d u rin g th is su n n y period, before financial difficulties cam e u p o n him , t h a t M o z a rt w ro te th e " H a f f n e r ” S y m p h o ny. B eginning w ith th e discussion of a concert w altz, we h av e seen th e im ­ p o rtan c e of d an ce rh y th m s a n d d ance m usic. I n th e sy m p h o n y form th e m in u e t w as used d u rin g th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry , b u t th e w altz w as n o t used u n til th e n in e te e n th . I t is safe to say t h a t n e a rly ev e ry .sy m p h o n y includes eith e r a m o v em en t in a definite dance rh y th m or a m o v em en t w hich is in th e sp irit of a dance, ev en th o u g h i t m a y n o t use a p a rtic u la r d ance form .* A sym phonic m o v em en t w hich is dancelike in sp irit is o ften called a " s c h e rz o ” * (sk er'tso ) (P relude, pag e 62). T h is is especially tru e if th e m o v em en t h ap p e n s to be th e second or th ird in th e sym p h o n y . M o st of th e sym p h o n ies w ritte n in th e n in e te e n th c e n tu ry c o n ta in eith e r scherzos or w altzes. T h e m o st fam ous of these scherzos are th o se w hich w ere com posed b y B eeth o v en . In d e ed , he m a y be said to h av e estab lish ed th e scherzo as a n im p o rta n t m usical form , th o u g h it w as H a y d n w ho first used th e te rm to describe w h a t w as re ally a m u ch fa ste r m in u e t. Since th e scherzo grew o u t of a n d rep laced th e m in u et, it to o is u su ally in trip le m eter. S c h e r z o f r o m S y m p h o n y N o . 7 , in A M a i o r [V .R . 14100 A ,B L u d w ig v a n B e e t h o v e n

(1770-1827), German composer. Living in America at this time:

Jam es M o n ro e

I n seven o u t of th e nine sym phonies w hich B eeth o v en (b a 'to -v e n ) com ­ posed, th e th ird m o v em en t is in th e fo rm of a scherzo. A lth o u g h he used th e m in u e t for th e th ird m o v em en t in th e rem ain in g tw o sym phonies, these m in u ets are stu rd ie r th a n th o se com posed b y M o z a rt a n d c o n ta in som e of th e q u alities of a scherzo. QUALITIES OF A SCHERZO Scherzo is an I ta lia n w ord w hich m ean s " jo k e .” M o st scherzos are light, ra p id , a n d vigorous. B e e th o v e n ’s are u su ally im p o rta n t a n d possess stre n g th . I n sp ite of th e ir n am e, n o t all of th e m are hum orous, th o u g h th e y o ften c o n tain h u m o ro u s effects, such as v ery su d d en changes from extrem ely

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

30

soft to ex tre m e ly loud c h o r d s ; a n d in one scherzo (S y m p h o n y N o . 6) th e re is a passage for a bassoon w hich n ev er seem s to know w hen it is its tu r n to p lay . M a n y of B e e th o v e n 's scherzos are d a rk a n d m y sterio u s in m ood or filled w ith a s te rn or gloom y vigor. O thers are joyous, w ith real h u m o r w hich com es as a w elcom e reactio n from deep seriousness. W hile his scherzos are n o t a c tu a lly dances, neverth eless th e ir rh y th m s u su ally suggest th e dance, a n d th e w ay in w hich th e tw o dancelike tu n e s ta k e tu rn s w ith each o th e r rem in d s us of th e m in u e t form . M o reo v er th e scherzo includes a trio section, as does th e m in u et. Of his n ine sym phonies th e one w hich is m ore dancelike in feeling th a n a n y o th e r is his S y m p h o n y N o. 7, in A m ajo r. T h is includes a ty p ic a l scherzo. R ic h a rd W ag n er, th e g re a t d ra m a tic com poser (page 110), once said t h a t th is sy m p h o n y m ig h t be called a g lorification of th e dance, liftin g i t to a v e ry h ig h level. THE MUSIC O ne of th e fe a tu re s com m only fo u n d in a scherzo is th e fre q u e n t re p e ti­ tio n of a sm all rh y th m ic or m elodic p a tte rn , or m o tto , w hich te n d s to m ake it easier to follow th e p la n of th e scherzo. Such a p a tte rn is h e a rd in th e opening m easu res of th e th em e of th is th ird m o v em en t of B eeth o v en 's S y m p h o n y N o . 7. F IR S T M ELO D Y P resto T h em e

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F r o m D a n c e R h y th m s to th e S y m p h o n y

31

A little la te r it is answ ered b y th is m elody : SEC O N D T R IO M ELO D Y

r~[r f | r^r T| r j^rrr-t r i r ^ 1. D o y o u rem em b er a n y th in g a b o u t th e in stru m e n ts or th e h a rm o n y in a trio ? 2. H ow w ould y o u describe th e difference betw een th e effect of th e trio a n d th e opening section of th is scherzo? 3. W h ich of th e m elodies in th is scherzo seem s m ore like a song, and w hich is m ore suggestive of th e d a n c e ? 4. H ow w ould y o u describe th e difference in rh y th m b etw een th is scherzo, th e m in u e t b y M o z a rt, a n d th e w altz " A B a ll” b y B erlioz? 5. W h a t can y o u tell a b o u t th e m e te r* of these th ree com positions? 6. T h e scherzo b y B eeth o v en a n d th e w altz b y B erlioz are a b o u t th e sam e len g th . W h ich of th e tw o seem s to be m ore im pressive a n d m ore sug­ gestive of g re atn ess? 7. W h a t h av e y o u learn ed a b o u t th e p e rso n a lity of B eeth o v en from listen in g to th is scherzo? BEETHOVEN HIM SELF I t w as a t a sp a in B ohem ia, to w hich he h a d gone for his h e a lth , th a t B eeth o v en w ro te his S y m p h o n y N o . 7. T h e com poser w as n o t in a v e ry h a p p y s ta te of m ind. H is deafness w as d aily grow ing worse, he h a d h a d m a n y d isap p o in tm e n ts, a n d th e p o litical situ a tio n w as n o t encouraging. F re n c h tro o p s w ere o v erru n n in g V ienna, a n d th e re w as w ar b etw een E n g ­ lan d a n d A m erica on th e hig h seas. Y e t th e re w as alw ays a place in m usic w here th is g re a t m usician could rise above his tro u b les. H is S y m p h o n y N o. 7 is alive w ith th e flashing rh y th m s w hich B eeth o v en could call in to being as if he w ere a m agician. T h e th ird m o v em en t, a lth o u g h lively, is stu rd y . I t is m ischievous an d m erry , full of freedom a n d g aiety . W hile B eeth o v en w as in B o hem ia he m e t th e g re a t G erm an p o e t G oethe (g ti'te), w ho w as tw e n ty y ea rs his senior. G oethe w as som ew hat shocked b y B e e th o v e n 's ro u g h m an n ers a n d speech. T h e com poser w as careless in his dress too, a n d his m oods w ere n o t dependable. G oethe, a co u rteo u s g en tlem an , could n o t u n d e rs ta n d th ese th in g s in a com poser w ith such a w onderful m in d . O n th e o th e r h a n d , B eeth o v en th o u g h t G o eth e to o hum b le w ith th e ro y al fam ily a n d to o o b ed ien t to co n v en tio n al p ra c tic e s an d custom s.

32

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P ro g ress

B e e th o v e n 's p ecu liar w ays arose fro m his enorm ous energy, w hich he could no m o re h o ld in check th a n one could tie u p a w ild anim al. H e w as a tireless w orker, rising a t d a y b re a k a n d w ritin g u n til d in n ertim e, a t tw o or th re e o'clock. I n m o m en ts of g re a t feeling he w ould ru sh to th e w ash b a sin a n d e m p ty jugs of w a te r over his h ead, singing all th e tim e. O ften th e w a te r w ould sp lash on th e floor a n d tric k le dow n on th e h ead s of people in th e room s below . H is m a n n e r of co n d u ctin g a n o rc h e stra w as som etim es peculiar, especially a fte r he becam e deaf. W h en th e m usic w as soft he w ould b en d dow n low er a n d lower. F o r a crescendo* he w ould d raw him self u p h ig h er an d h ig h er u n til th e a rriv a l of a fortissim o,* w hen he w ould o ften leap in to th e air. T h e co n sid eratio n of th is scherzo h as en ab led us to see how dance rh y th m s a n d th e d ance sp irit h av e p lay ed a n im p o rta n t p a r t in one m o v em en t of th e sy m p h o n y . I n fa c t we h av e h e a rd in d iv id u a l m o v em en ts fro m m a n y differen t sy m p h o n ies a n d we h av e good reaso n to be curious to h e a r an e n tire sy m p h o n y . A lth o u g h th e sy m p h o n y as a w hole is a ra th e r old m usical form , we hav e learn ed t h a t it is c o n sta n tly changing a n d t h a t it h as alw ays in cluded fe a tu re s w hich h av e been p o p u lar. I n re c e n t y ears, com posers h av e en jo y ed w ritin g sym phonies w hich w ould include som e of th e in te re stin g fe a tu re s of p re se n t-d a y m usic, b u t w hich w ould follow q u ite closely th e fo rm al designs of th e earlier classic sym phonies. P e rh a p s th e m o st fam ous a n d one of th e m o st in te re stin g of th ese w orks is th e Classical S y m p h o n y b y Serge Prokofieff (ser-ga' p ro -k o 'f e-eff).

4 P ie c e s of m usic, like people, h av e n am es or titles. O ften th e title in d ic a te s th e n u m b er, A N H IS T O R IC form , a n d k ey of th e com position. I n som e cases th e title suggests th e m ood of th e m u s ic ; F O R M in o th er cases th e title s are m erely th e nam es IN M O D E R N of different dances or d ance rh y th m s. T h en again, som e com positions h av e th e title of a E X P R E S S IO N legend, a p ictu re, or a scene or in cid en t w hich m oved th e com poser to w rite th e m usic. D o y o u rem em b er a n y com positions w hose title s h av e h elped you to u n d e rsta n d th e m u sic?

Serge P

C la s s ic a l S y m p h o n y [V.r. 7196 a, b ; 7197 a r o k o f i e f f (1891), Russian composer. TH E TITLE EXPLAINED

Serge Prokofieff, a p re se n t-d a y R u ssia n com poser, h a s called his com ­ p o sitio n Classical S y m p h o n y . W e hav e a lre a d y h a d som e discussion a b o u t th e m ean in g of th e w ords classical a n d rom antic, b u t it m a y help us to u n d e rsta n d th is m usic a n d en jo y i t v e ry m u c h m ore if a few d etails are explained. Classical is a w ord w hich in m usic is used to describe com positions th a t are w ritte n in a p a rtic u la r form . T hese com positions are b e a u tifu l because of th e ir m elodies, rh y th m s, a n d harm onies, as well as because of th e orderly m a n n e r in w hich th e y are p u t to g eth er. T h e classic form s were those g enerally u sed b y th e g re a t m usicians w ho lived in th e la tte r p a r t of th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry . A t t h a t tim e th e sy m p h o n y w as m ad e u p of four se p a ra te m o v em en ts, a n d each m o v em en t h a d c e rta in fe atu res w hich can be d escrib ed as follows : 1. T h e first m o v em en t w as alm o st alw ays vigorous a n d noble. U sually i t w as m a rk e d allegro.* 2. T h e second m o v em en t w as a slow m o v em en t a n d resem bled a song. I t w as o ften m a rk e d andante.* • 3. T h e th ird m o v em en t w as a dance, u su ally a cheerful b u t calm m in u et w ith trio . 4. T h e fo u rth m o v em en t, th e finale (fe-n a'la), w as lively a n d w as m ark ed vivace.* 33

34

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

EIG H TEEN TH -CEN TU RY STYLE Prokofieff chose Classical S ym p h o n y as th e title of th is com position because he h a d w ritte n it in an e ig h te e n th -c e n tu ry style. W h a t is m e a n t b y " e ig h te e n th -c e n tu ry s ty le ” ? Som e of th e m usic w ritte n in th is perio d w as sim ply a com b in atio n of to n e an d rh y th m , v e ry polite, som etim es fo rm al a n d re strain ed , a n d fre q u e n tly gracious. T h e purpose w as to ca rry over a n a rtistic th o u g h t or an expression of deep feeling fro m th e com poser to th e audience. B u t alth o u g h m u ch of th e m usic of th is p erio d w as q u ite fo rm al a n d possessed a d ig n ity a n d refinem ent w hich are com m only asso ciated w ith th e sa tin knee-breeches, lace ruffles, a n d pow dered wigs w hich w ere th e fashion a t th a t tim e, once in a while som e of th e com posers bro k e aw ay fro m estab lish ed rules a n d w ere q u ite free in th e ir expression. I n th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry V ienna w as th e c u ltu ra l an d social cen ter of E u ro p e, a n d people from m a n y n atio n s w en t to live th ere . N a tu ra lly th e custom s a n d m an n ers of th ese people from different co u n tries ad d e d v a rie ty a n d color to th e life a n d cu ltu re of th e city. T h e co u rt of V ienna w as u n u su al in m a n y w ays. P leasu re w as th e p rin cip al in te re st b o th d a y an d n ig h t, a n d ro y a lty a n d n o b ility h a d a te n d e n c y to seek th e ir fu n a n d relief fro m all th e fo rm a lity b y p re te n d in g t h a t th e y w ere p easan ts. T h e archduchess M arie A n to in e tte (m a-re' a N 'tw a -n e t'), w ho la te r becam e th e queen of F ran c e, h a d a d a iry b u ilt in th e ro y a l p a rk of V ersailles (v er-sa'y ), n ea r th e P e tit T ria n o n (p 'te tre 'a -n o n ), a n d here she ac te d as a m ilk m aid an d also sh eared h er snow y lam b s w ith golden clippers. T h e leading com posers a t th is tim e w ere H a y d n a n d M o z a rt. T h e y w rote m usic for th e rich a n d ro y a l fam ilies of V ienna w ho h a d som e u n d e r­ sta n d in g a n d ap p reciatio n of m usical skill in w riting. B u t occasionally th e y w ould m ix in som e p e a sa n t vigor a n d energy, som e ru stic g aiety , som e passages n o t lim ited b y rules. T h is sty le of w ritin g ap p ealed to those audiences w ho desired g re a te r v a rie ty . H a y d n w as m ore free in his expres­ sion th a n M o z a rt, b u t M o z a rt's m usic to o som etim es co n tain ed passages t h a t were novel an d less form al. I t should be rem em bered, how ever, th a t these com posers m ingled th e ir ow n in d iv id u al sty les a n d th e com m on form of expression w ith e x p e rt skill. T h e V iennese w ere n o t inclined to be roused to deep feeling, a n d th e y p ro b a b ly w ould h av e been am azed a t th e b rillian cy of th e E sp a n a (es-p a'n y a) rap so d ie {Prelude, page 19) or th e u n u su a l effects in th e Danse M acabre (page 12). W e h av e a lre a d y learn ed how M o z a rt's tra v e ls in I ta ly (page 29) gave h im a n o p p o rtu n ity to becom e fam iliar w ith th e sm o o th sty le of th e m elody of th e Ita lia n s, as well as th e ir love for singing. T h is influence w as so p o w er­

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fu l th a t som e of th e se so n g lik e id ea s m a d e th eir w a y in to h is in stru m e n ta l sty le . O n th e o th er h a n d , H a y d n w a s m ore str o n g ly in flu en ced b y in stru ­ m en ta l th a n b y v o c a l m u sic, an d h is sy m p h o n ies an d strin g q u a r te ts w ere th e n a tu ral ex p ressio n s of h is m u sica l th o u g h ts a n d m o o d s.

THE MUSIC O ne au th o r h a s w r itte n a b o u t th is Classical Sym phony , " T h e com p oser's id ea in w ritin g th is m u sic w a s to ca tch th e sp irit o f M o z a r t an d to p u t d ow n t h a t w h ich , if h e w ere liv in g n ow , M o z a rt m ig h t p u t in to h is s c o r e /' D o y o u rem em b er th e n a m e o f a n o th er com p oser w h o tried to ca tch th e sp irit of M o z a r t an d im ita te h is m an n er of w ritin g ? S till an o th er a u th o r h a s com p ared p art of th e Classical Sym phony w ith th e m u sic of H a y d n . W h eth er or n o t P r o k o fie ff s m u sic is m ore lik e th a t o f M o z a r t th a n th a t of H a y d n , it is in te r e stin g to k n o w th a t h e u ses th e sa m e n u m b er an d th e sam e k in d s of in str u m e n ts as w ere u sed in th e m u sic of th e e ig h te e n th cen tu ry . H o w ev e r, n ea rly e v e r y in stru m e n t in th e o rch estra h a s b een ch an ged or m o d ified in its co n stru ctio n sin ce th e n . F o r ex a m p le, n o w a d a y s it is p ossib le to p la y a ch ro m a tic sca le * on th e k ettle d r u m s* an d on th e F ren ch horn.* T h is w a s n o t e v e n d ream ed of in th e tim e o f H a y d n an d M o za rt. P rok ofieff b eg a n h is sy m p h o n y in 1916 an d c o m p le te d it in 1917, so n a tu ra lly h e to o k a d v a n ta g e of all th e im p r o v em en ts in in str u m e n ta l con ­ stru ctio n . H e w a s ab le to p rofit b y th e in creased a b ility of p resen t-d a y perform ers o v er th o se of th e e ig h te e n th cen tu ry an d b y th e su p e rio r ity of th e orch estras of to d a y o v er th o se of th e cla ssica l p eriod .

ALLEGRO (FIRST MOVEMENT) A b o ld fo r tissim o * chord d eclares th a t th is m o v e m e n t h a s b eg u n . J u st as su d d en ly th e m u sic b eco m es so ft, b u t o n ly for a m o m e n t, b eca u se it b u ild s u p to a n o th er fo rtissim o as it hurries u p an a rp eg g io * t o th e lig h t, w hirring th e m e p la y e d b y th e v io lin s. First them e

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

36

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I t to sse s th is tu n e d o w n to th e ob oe an d clarin et, a n d th e y in tu r n to s s it d ow n to o th er in str u m e n ts. W e co n tin u e to h ear p o rtio n s of th e first th e m e , w h ich b o u n ces a b o u t from on e v o ic e to a n o th er an d fin a lly sp in s u p to th e seco n d th e m e w h ich is p la y e d b y th e v io lin s. SEC O N D T H E M E

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i J..r i >1 S a u c y little grace n o te s d eco ra te th is an gu lar th e m e , w h ich lea p s d o w n ­ w ard b y tw o o c ta v e s * w h ile th e b a sso o n (page 91) p la y s a p erk y sta c c a to a c c o m p a n im e n t. P rok ofieff h a s m isc h ie v o u sly m a rk ed th is th e m e t o be p la y e d p p con eleganza .* T h is seco n d th e m e is h eard th ree tim e s. T h ere is a sh o rt p a u se as th o u g h th e m u sic h a d to c a tc h its b rea th b efore it w h irls off a g a in in v a rio u s k e y s. T h is d efin ite p a u se a t th is p articu lar sp o t is on e of th e ch ief tr a its of th e cla ssica l s ty le of sy m p h o n ic w ritin g. F or in sy m p h o n ies w r itte n in th e e ig h te e n th ce n tu ry th e fo rm w a s u su a lly b lo ck ed o u t in se c tio n s, ea c h se c tio n co m in g to a co m p lete close w ith an in sta n t of p a u se b efore th e n e x t se c tio n b eg a n . T h is d id n o t in terfere, h o w ev er, w ith freed o m of m o v e m e n t w ith in ea ch se ctio n . T h e first th e m e retu rn s, th is tim e in th e m in or m o d e. T h e little tu n e p la y ed b y th e flu te a lso d a rts in a n d o u t. I t is e a s y to reco g n ize th e se m elo d ies, b eca u se th e y h a v e ex p erien ced little ch an ge. B u t, th e seco n d th e m e is q u ite d ifferen t n o w . I n ste a d of b ein g m ark ed p p con eleganza , a ff* in d ic a te s th a t so m e th in g d ifferen t is g o in g to h a p p en . S o m etim es, to o , th is m e lo d y is lo w in p itc h . A t o th er tim e s it is in th e h ig h register,* an d th e rh y th m ic figure ch an ges. T h e origin a l first th e m e so o n com es b a ck , b u t th is tim e it is n o t in th e sam e k e y as a t th e b eg in n in g of th e m o v e m e n t. T h e flu te th e m e is h eard

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n o w an d ag a in a s th e first th e m e m o v e s alon g. T h e seco n d th e m e also retu rn s an d n o w h a s its o rig in a l p p con eleganza , as w ell as so m e o f its an gu lar o u tlin e . T h e m u sic is p la y e d in a h igh er reg ister th a n in th e first se c tio n . T h is m o v e m e n t clo ses w ith a sh o rt cod a. T h e la s t m ea su res resem b le th e in tro d u ctio n .

SONATA FORM W e can su m m a rize th e p rec ed in g e x p la n a tio n o f th is first m o v e m e n t of th e Classical Sym phony in th is w a y : 1. T h e first se ctio n of th e m o v e m e n t c o n ta in s a first an d a seco n d th e m e w h ich are q u ite differen t a n d p ro v id e a p le a sin g co n tra st. T h is se c tio n en d s q u ite d e fin ite ly w ith a b rief p a u se. 2. A seco n d se ctio n b eg in s w ith th e first th e m e , w h ich is h eard in a d if­ feren t k e y . T h e seco n d th e m e fo llo w s, b u t it is q u ite ch a n g ed from th e w a y w e first h eard it, in th e first se c tio n . 3. T h e th ird sectio n o p en s w ith a retu rn of th e first th em e, an d th is is fo llo w ed b y th e seco n d th e m e . I t n o w b ears a stron ger resem b la n ce to th e w a y w e h eard it o rig in a lly th a n it d id in th e seco n d sectio n . 4. A cod a en d s th e m o v e m e n t. C erta in w ord s are u sed to in d ic a te th e se d ifferen t se ctio n s. I t is as th o u g h tw o p erson s, A a n d B , w ere in tr o d u c e d to u s. T h e y ea c h m a k e a sta te m e n t. T h e n th e y p ro ceed to d iscu ss i t : so m etim es th e y b o th ta lk a t th e sam e t i m e ; so m etim es t h e y b eco m e em p h a tic an d p erh ap s th e y add to th eir origin al sta te m e n ts . W h en th e ir d iscu ssio n is en d ed ea ch re sta te s h is ow n origin al id ea. M u sic ia n s u se th e fo llo w in g w o rd s in d escrib in g th e se se c tio n s of th e m o v e m e n t:

Section I E x p o sitio n

Section II Development

Section III R e ca p itu la tio n

S u ch a form is called sonata fo rm a n d is ty p ic a l of th e first m o v e m e n ts of m o st cla ssica l sy m p h o n ies, e v e n th o u g h so m e com p osers ta k e th e lib e r ty of ch a n g in g th e p a ttern . T h is fo rm is n o t d ifficult. I n fa ct, it is v e r y e a s y to u n d er sta n d w h en th e th e m e s are so m ew h a t fam iliar. I t sh o u ld b e esp e cia lly e a s y for u s to u n d ersta n d , for w e are fam iliar w ith th e A B A of th e th ree-p a rt so n g form w ith trio . H ere is a d iagram w h ich sh o w s h o w m u ch a lik e th e se tw o form s a r e :

Exposition A

Development B

Recapitulation A

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g ress

T h e o n ly im p o r ta n t d ifferen ce b e tw e e n th e tw o is th a t in so n a ta form th e m id d le, or B , se ctio n co n ta in s th e sa m e m elo d ies w h ich are fo u n d in th e first an d th ird sectio n s. T h e y are ch a n g ed a good d eal, b u t ca n s till be reco g n ized . In th ree-p a rt so n g form w ith trio th e m id d le se ctio n co n ta in s e n tir e ly n ew m u sica l m a teria l.

LARGHETTO (SECOND MOVEMENT) T h e seriou s, q u iet, e v e n -ste p p in g ch ord s w h ich b eg in th is m o v e m e n t are in d efin ite co n tra st to th e m u sic of th e first m o v e m e n t. E v e n th o u g h it is w r itte n in 3 / 4 m eter, w e fe e l th a t a m arch is b ein g p la y ed . T h is m in ia tu re m arch, w h ich is th e in tr o d u ctio n , p rep ares th e w a y for a b e a u tifu l, pure, so n g lik e m e lo d y , w h ich is p la y ed b y th e first v io lin s and seem s to flow as n a tu ra lly as th e so n g of a bird. P R IN C IP A L M E L O D Y 1 Dolce

I t w ill b e n o tic e d th a t in th e g a v o tte m e lo d y th e n o te s leap over w id e in te r v a ls an d co v er a w id e ran ge. In th e m u s e tte th e m e lo d y d o es n o t sk ip a b o u t so m u ch . I t h a s a m ore lim ite d co m p a ss, an d th e re is m u ch r e p e titio n of n o te s on th e sa m e p itc h . T h e cello s an d k e ttle d r u m s p la y on th e sam e tw o n o te s all th ro u g h th is d an ce an d p ro d u ce an effect m u ch lik e th a t of a b a g p ip e. T h e g a v o tte m e lo d y retu rn s, b u t th is tim e it is m u ch lig h ter. I t seem s as th o u g h th e d an cers are n o t q u ite so b o istero u s, an d p o ssib ly th eir step s are a little m ore d a in ty as th e y m o v e lig h tly o n th eir m erry w a y . T h is is m u sic w h ich w o u ld h a v e b ro u g h t a sp ark le t o th e e y e s an d a d an ce to th e fe e t of th e p la y fu l b u t p rou d V ien n ese of th e e ig h te e n th cen tu ry , e v e n th o u g h its h a rm o n y m ig h t h a v e ca u sed th e m to d o m ore th a n lift an ey eb ro w .

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P ro g r ess

FINALE (FOURTH MOVEMENT) T h e sam e fo rcefu l chord w ith w h ich th e first m o v e m e n t of th is sy m p h o n y op en ed b eg in s th is finale,* w h ich is m ark ed molto vivace .* H ere to o , th e m u sic im m e d ia te ly sin k s to a p p 9 as th e v io lin s u n w in d a liv e ly th e m e w h ich is a cco m p a n ied b y str o n g ly a cc en te d chords. F IR S T T H E M E Molto vivace

f

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I t w ill b e n o tic e d th a t th e o p en in g chord is n o t th e o n ly p o in t w h ere th e first a n d fo u rth m o v e m e n ts are a lik e. T h e k ey , m eter, an d tem p o , as w ell as oth er fea tu res, h a v e a stro n g resem b la n ce. B u t th e first th e m e of th is finale is q u ite d ifferen t from th e first th e m e of th e A llegro. 1. W h a t o u tsta n d in g d ifferen ces d o y o u n o tic e b e tw e e n th e se th e m e s? 2. A re th ere a n y d ifferen ces n o t so p la in ly h ea rd ? T h e seco n d th e m e is a fig h t, ch eerfu l m e lo d y th a t scam p ers a b o u t in p la y fu l m ann er. SE C O N D T H E M E S ch erza'n do

22: PP

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A lth o u g h in th is m o v e m e n t w e h ear m u sic th a t rem in d s u s of th e m u sic an d id ea s from th e first m o v e m e n t, s till a ll th e m elo d ies u sed in th e F in a le b len d to g eth e r in su ch a n a tu ra l w a y a n d w ith su ch a th rillin g , sp ark lin g effect th a t th e y seem to sw eep u s rig h t a lo n g to th e en d of th e m o v e m e n t an d of th e sy m p h o n y . 1. D o y o u th in k P rok ofieff c a u g h t th e sp irit of M o z a rt an d ex p ressed it in a v iv id w a y ? 2. H o w ? (In c o n n ectio n w ith th is q u e stio n y o u m a y refer to Prelude, p a g es 3 7 -3 9 .) 3. D o y o u th in k th e s ty le of P rok ofieff is a n y th in g lik e th e s ty le of H aydn ?

THE COMPOSER Serge P rok ofieff is a m u sica l g en iu s of th is m od ern age. H is p a ren ts w ere b o th R u ssia n , a n d Serge sp e n t h is ch ild h o o d in th e U k ra in ia n step p e s, one of th o se g rea t le v e l sp a ces in so u th ea ste rn E u ro p e.

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H is m o th er p la y e d th e p ia n o q u ite w ell, so n a tu r a lly th e b o y w a s b rou gh t u p in th e lo v e o f th e b e st m u sic. W h en o n ly fiv e a n d a h a lf y e a r s old h e b egan w ritin g h is o w n m u sic, a n d e v e n co m p o sed a n op era w h e n h e w as se v en . In th e se w a y s h e w a s a g o o d d ea l lik e M o z a rt, th e m a n h e so m u ch ad m ires. L ik e all o th er g rea t m u sic ia n s he stu d ie d in d ifferen t m u sic sch o o ls an d lik e oth er com p o sers h e is g r e a tly in te re ste d in th e m u sic o f h is ow n tim e. W h en th e W orld W ar b rok e o u t, P rok ofieff w a s n o t ca lled in to m ilita r y service, as h e b elo n g ed to th e cla ss of " o n ly so n s of a w id o w e d m o th e r .” So h e co n tin u ed h is s tu d y a n d h is w ritin g . H e tr a v e le d a n d g a v e co n certs b o th in h is o w n c o u n tr y a n d abroad. H e w a s o n ly tw e n ty -s ix w h en h e co m p osed th e Classical S ym ph on y , w h ich is on e o f h is b e st-k n o w n w ork s. A lth o u g h in h is e a r ly c o m p o sitio n s h e tried to sta r tle an d sh o ck h is au d ien ces, P rok ofieff n o w s a y s : " I h a v e ch a n g ed m y id e a s a n d in te n tio n s v e r y m u ch as a resu lt of c o n sta n t w ork to d ev elo p m y se lf. . . . I h a v e gon e d ow n in to th e d eep er m ea n in g s of m u sic .” H e h a s so u g h t to ex p ress a n ew sim p lic ity w h ich h e b e lie v e s is g r e a tly n eed ed in th e se d a y s. I n a d d itio n , a n ew w a y of d e v e lo p in g a m e lo d y an d th e exp ressio n of sp o n ta n eo u s th e m e s are o u tsta n d in g fea tu r es in all P rok ofieff's re ce n t w ork. T h is is a n o th er w a y in w h ich h e resem b les M o z a r t, for w ith M o z a r t it m a d e n o d ifferen ce w h e th er h e w a s w ritin g a sy m p h o n y , a strin g q u a rtet, or an opera. H is m u sica l g ifts w ere so g reat th a t, as h a s a lr ea d y b een said, h e cou ld w rite m u sic a s n a tu r a lly as a b ird can sin g. H is sou rce of m e lo d y seem s u n lim ited . P rok ofieff a lso is a t h o m e in w ritin g in a n y fo rm a n d h e h a s a g ift for crea tin g v a ried m elo d ies. H e a lso h a s a lo v e for m isc h ie f w h ich o fte n is fe lt in h is m u sic. H is w ell-m a rk ed r h y th m s a lw a y s g iv e a feelin g of m o v in g forw ard . A s a re su lt h is m u sic h a s a fresh n ess a n d n o v e lt y th a t are co n ta g io u s.

T h e w ord prelude m ea n s an in tr o d u c tio n t o so m e­ th in g w h ich is to fo llo w , a lth o u g h , in m u sic, it is AN OPERA so m etim es u sed as th e title for a sep a ra te in stru ­ m e n ta l p iece. C h o p in (sh o-p aN '), th e g rea t P o lish PR E V IE W p ia n ist, w ro te a se t of tw e n ty -fo u r P relu d es. AND A n o th er w ord w h ich is u sed in ste a d o f prelude is overture. T h ere are tw o k in d s of o v ertu res. O ne is A BALLET a co n cert p iece for an orch estra, an d it h a s a par­ ticu la r form . T h e o th er is an in tr o d u c tio n to an opera, an d its p u rp ose is to prepare th e a u d ien ce for w h a t is to fo llo w . T h e opera o v ertu re so m e tim e s u ses m u sic w h ich d o es n o t ap pear in th e opera itself. A t o th er tim e s it u ses th e tu n es of th e op era. T h is is tru e in th e o v ertu re t o H ansel and Gretel (Prelude, p a g e 5 5 ). T h a t k in d of op era o v ertu re or p relu d e is r e a lly a sa m p le of th e d ifferen t id ea s a n d tu n e s in th e opera.

O v e r t u r e t o T h e M e r r y W i v e s o f W i n d s o r [v .r . 11836 a ,b O tto N ic o la i

(1810-1849), German composer. Living in America at the same time:

N a th a n ie l H a w th o r n e .

C an y o u n a m e an d d escrib e an o v ertu re w h ich y o u h a v e h eard sev era l tim e s ? T h e o v ertu re t o The M erry W ives of W indsor is in th e form o f an Ita lia n potpourri (p o -p o o -re'), w h ich is a n o th er w ord for " m e d le y /' a c o m p o sitio n co n sistin g of a n u m b er of m elo d ies stru n g to g e th e r lik e a ch a in . T h e m elo d ies of th is o v ertu re co m e from th e op era i t s e l f ; th erefore it is r e a lly a p rev iew o f th e op era m u sic. TH E STORY T h e sto r y of th e op era The M erry W ives of W indsor w a s ta k e n from a p la y of th e sa m e n a m e b y W illia m S h ak esp eare (sh a k 'sp er). I t is a com ic opera, an d th e lib retto * is fu ll of m a n y a m u sin g in c id e n ts. M rs. F ord a n d M rs. P a g e , tw o la d ies of W in d sor, receiv e lo v e le tte r s from a s to u t a n d su p p o se d ly d ign ified g en tlem a n n a m e d Sir J o h n F a lsta ff. H e is a g rea t d ea l of a sca m p , a lth o u g h h e con sid ers h im self a v e r y fine fello w an d b e lie v e s th a t o th er p eo p le h a v e th e sa m e o p in io n of h im . H e rea lly th in k s th a t h e is v e r y a ttr a c tiv e to th e la d ies, a n d sees n o rea son w h y h e sh o u ld n o t m a k e lo v e to tw o of th e m w h o h a v e h u sb a n d s w ith a little m o n e y la id b y . S o h e w rites th e m lo v e n o te s. T h e id ea , of course, is to tu rn

42

A n O p era P r e v ie w a n d A B a lle t

43

th eir h ea d s w ith h is co m p lim e n ts an d a d m ira tio n an d th e n a sk th e m to lo a n h im so m e m o n e y . I t p ro b a b ly n e v e r o ccu rred to F a lsta ff th a t M rs. F o rd a n d M rs. P a g e m ig h t b e frien d s a n d te ll e a c h o th er a b o u t th e lo v e le tte r s. B u t t h a t is w h a t th e y do. T h e y p la n to g e th e r to p la y a jo k e on h im w h ich w ill cau se h im to regret h is a ctio n s. M rs. F o rd in v ite s F a lsta ff to her h ou se, b u t sh o r tly after h is arrival M r. F o rd com es h o m e. T h e tw o w o m en , p re­ te n d in g to b e in terror, tu m b le Sir J o h n in to th e fa m ily w a sh b a sk et. T h e se r v a n ts are ord ered to carry o u t th e b a sk e t a n d th ro w it in to th e w ater. T h is is o n ly th e b eg in n in g of a n u m b er of in c id e n ts in w h ich Sir J o h n is th e v ic tim of th e m isc h ie f-lo v in g lad ies. T h e op era is fu ll of fu n an d g o o d hum or, an d th e m elo d ies are m erry an d d elig h tfu l. I t h a s lo n g b een on e of th e m o st p op u lar of com ic operas. T h is o v ertu re is a g en era l fa v o r ite a n d is o fte n p la y e d as a sep a ra te co n ­ cert n u m b er. TH E MUSIC A lth o u g h th is o v er tu re is on e co m p lete m o v e m e n t, d ifferen t w ord s or term s of ex p ressio n are u sed t o m ark its v a rio u s se c tio n s. T h e first term to b e u sed is andantino moderato * ; it ap p ears o v er th e first m ea su res of th e o p en in g th e m e . A q u ie t a n d sm o o th m e lo d y is h eard in th e lo w strin g s. F IR S T M ELO D Y 1 Ji.ndantino m oderato

§

m

T h is p h rase is re p e a te d o v er a n d o v er b y th e w o o d w in d s a n d h ig h strin gs. L ittle b y little th e tem p o , or ra te of sp eed , b e c o m e s m ore s p ir it e d ; an d th e v io lin s in te rr u p t th e sm o o th p rogress of th e m u sic w ith a sh ort tu n e t h a t is lik e a d eco ra tio n . T h e se c tio n co m es t o a d efin ite p a u se, an d to som e it m a y se em a s th o u g h th is p art of th e o v ertu re, m a rk ed andantino moderato, serv es a s a n in tr o d u c tio n to th e o v ertu re itse lf. B u t th e m e lo d y is from th e opera an d is p la y e d d u rin g th e risin g of th e m o o n o v er th e w ood s a t W in d sor. Allegro vivace* is th e te m p o o f th e n ex t se ctio n of th is o v er tu re , an d th e ob oe p la y s a liv e ly p h rase w h ich is an sw ered b y th e first v io lin . 1 This melody, as it appears here, is tw o oetaves higher than it sounds in the overture.

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • P ro g r ess

44

SEC O N D M EL O D Y Violin

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T h e seco n d m elo d y , d iv id ed as it is b e tw e e n th e o b o e a n d th e v io lin , so u n d s lik e a d u e t. T h is d u e t c o n tin u es w ith a ch a n g e in to th e m in o r m o d e,* an d grow s lo u d er a n d lou der. T h e th ird m e lo d y seem s t o m o v e fa ste r th a n th e first tw o , p ro b a b ly b eca u se of its p a tte r n s of ru n n in g to n e s. T H IR D M ELO D Y

T h e en tire p a ssa g e is b rillia n t an d v e r y m erry , an d is q u ite in th e sp irit o f th e m isc h ie v o u s m o o d of th e sto r y . T h e in str u m e n ts seem t o ch u ck le a n d la u g h a t th e fu n w h ich is g o in g on . T h e m u sic k eep s ru sh in g a b o u t u n til so m e m ea su res, q u ieter in m o tio n as w ell as in th e a m o u n t of to n e , pre­ p are th e w a y for th e fo u r th m e lo d y . T h is m e lo d y is p ro b a b ly th e b e stk n o w n tu n e in th e en tire o v ertu re. I n th e score it is m a rk ed dolce con an im a .* I t is p la y e d b y th e strin gs. F O U R T H M EL O D Y 1

T h e m u sic m o v e s in to a d ifferen t k e y for a m o m e n t, an d th e n th is fo u rth m e lo d y retu rn s a n d lea d s fin a lly in to a n ew m e lo d y , th e fifth , in w h ich all th e in str u m e n ts ta k e p art. T h e effect is fu ll of life a n d v ig o r. I t is m ark ed f f o n th e score, w h ich sh o w s th a t th e co m p o ser w ish ed th e m u sic to b e p la y e d w ith a g rea t d ea l of str e n g th a n d en erg y . 1 This m elody is given in its complete form on page 50 of Treasure, in

T h e W orld o f M u s ic .

A n O p er a P r e v ie w a n d A B a lle t

45

F IF T H M EL O D Y

A s th e m u sic m o v e s o n it s w a y , th e o p en in g p h rase (c o n sistin g of th e first fou r m ea su res) of th e fo u r th m e lo d y is h eard again , a n d w e are also rem in d ed of th e seco n d m e lo d y . A t la st th e fifth m e lo d y retu rn s, a n d th is tim e w ith m ore b o ld n ess an d p ow er. T h e o v ertu re co m es to a n en d w ith g a y ru n s an d chords, w h ich so u n d as th o u g h all th e in str u m e n ts w ere h a v in g a w o n d erfu l frolic. T h is is q u ite d ifferen t from th e slo w a n d ra th er q u ie t m ea su res a t th e b eg in n in g . 1. A fter liste n in g to th e m u sic can y o u ex p la in w h y th e fo u r th m e lo d y h a s b een so p o p u la r? 2. I s a k n o w led g e o f th e s to r y n e c e ssa r y t o an u n d er sta n d in g of th e sp irit of th is o v er tu re ? 3. C an y o u ex p la in w h y th is o v ertu re h a s b een p o p u la r w h e n p la y e d b y its e lf in ste a d o f as th e in tr o d u c tio n to th e o p era ? 4. C a n y o u n a m e o th er o v ertu res th a t h a v e th e sa m e sp irit o f fu n an d g a ie ty ? T H E COMPOSER T h e b o y h o o d o f O tto N ic o la i (n e'k o -ll) w a s n o t a v e r y h a p p y o n e. A sid e from in str u c tio n on th e p ia n o , h is e d u c a tio n w a s c o m p le te ly n e g le c te d . W h en h e w as six te e n y ea r s o ld h e ran a w a y from h om e, a n d h is w a n d erin g s b ro u g h t h im to B erlin . B u t h is m u sic s tu d y h elp ed h im la ter o n to m a k e frien d s w h en h e n eed ed th e m , an d h e a ttr a c te d th e in te r e st o f a k in d g en ­ tle m a n w h o m a d e it p o ssib le for h im t o s tu d y w ith ex c e lle n t tea ch ers. A fte r a tim e h e w e n t to I t a ly , w h ere h e w a s a p p o in ted o rg a n ist a t th e ch ap el o f th e P ru ssia n E m b a s s y in R o m e . T h is g a v e h im an e x c e lle n t ch an ce to h ear som e fine m u sic as w ell as to earn h is liv in g . H e so o n fe lt th e sp ell of th e h a p p y a n d a rt-lo v in g Ita lia n s. H e stu d ie d th e m u sic o f th e I ta lia n m a ste rs a n d b eca m e q u ite ex p ert in th e Ita lia n lan gu age. H is first op eras w ere w r itte n in Ita lia n an d co m p o sed in th e h ig h ly o rn a m en ta l s ty le o f th e Ita lia n S ch o o l. A fter a w h ile h e b eca m e co n certm a ster * of th e cou rt op era in V ien n a. H ere h e rem a in ed for six y ea rs, a n d it w a s a t th is tim e th a t h e b eg a n w ork on h is opera The M erry W ives of W indsor . N ic o la i w a s ch o sen to b e co n ce rtm a ste r of th e op era h o u se in B erlin , an d before h e le ft V ien n a h e g a v e a b ig fa rew ell con cert. J e n n y L in d , th e

46

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P ro g r ess

fa m o u s coloratu ra (ko'16-ra-too'ra) sop ra n o ,* s a n g ; an d so m e o f th e in ­ stru m e n ta l m u sic of The M erry W ives of W indsor w as p la y e d for th e first tim e. L a ter N ic o la i co m p leted h is op era in B erlin , w here its first p erform an ce w a s re c e iv e d w ith g rea t en th u sia sm . H o w e v e r , th e com p oser d id n o t live to e n jo y h is su ccess, as he d ied a b o u t a m o n th a fter th e first p erform an ce.

” Dance of the Hours” from La Gioconda cv.R. 11833 a , b A m ilc a r e P o n c h ie lli

(1834—1886), Italian c o m p o s e r . Living in America at this time:

A n d r e w C a r n e g ie .

T h e h ea d in g on p a g e 4 2 lea d s u s to e x p e c t th a t in a d d itio n to th e o v er­ tu re b y N ic o la i w e are g o in g to h ear som e b a lle t m u sic. T h e " D a n c e of th e H o u rs ” occu rs in th e opera L a Gioconda (la jo -k o n 'd a ), and lik e th e O ver­ tu re from The M erry W ives of W indsor, it h a s b een p o p u la r as an in stru ­ m e n ta l co m p o sitio n q u ite a p a rt from th e p erform an ce of th e op era itself. 1. W h a t are so m e q u a litie s w h ich y o u e x p e c t to find in m u sic th a t is su ita b le for a b a lle t ? 2. D o e s a b a lle t a lw a y s h a v e to b e co n n e c te d w ith an opera, or can th ere be b a lle ts th a t are co m p lete in th e m se lv e s ? 3. C an y o u n a m e a n d d escrib e a n y b a lle t m u sic w h ich y o u h a v e h ea rd ?

STORY OF TH E O PERA V icto r H u g o , a F ren ch a u th o r, w ro te a sto r y w h ich h e ca lled Angelo (a n 'je-lo ). A rrigo B o ito (b o 'e -to ), an Ita lia n p o e t a n d co m p o ser, ch a n g ed it so t h a t it m ig h t b e su ita b le for th e lib r e tto of a gran d op era, an d P o n c h ie lli (p o n -k y el'le) co m p o sed th e m u sic. T h e scen e is la id in V en ice, an d th e tim e is th e se v e n te e n th ce n tu ry , ju st w h en our co u n tr y w a s b eco m in g s e ttle d an d w e w ere sea rch in g for lib er ty . A lth o u g h th e sto r y is q u ite d ra m a tic, i t h a r d ly ca n b e ca lled ch arm in g, sin ce it is crow d ed w ith a lm o st e v e r y crim e th a t on e can im a g in e. T h e h eroin e, w h o se n a m e is L a G io co n d a , is a str e e t sin ger. O f course, th ere m u st b e a n o b lem a n , for all lib r e tto s w r itte n a t th is tim e d e a lt m a in ly w ith p erso n s of n o b le b irth . In th is sto r y th e n o b lem a n is a d u k e w h o o w n s a p a la ce. I t is d ifficu lt to see a n y re la tio n b e tw e e n th e p lo t an d e v e n ts of th e sto r y of th e d u k e an d th e stre et sin ger an d th e b e a u ty of th is p o p u la r b a llet. T h is m u sic co m es as th e fin a le* of th e th ird a c t of th e opera.

47

A n O p era P r e v ie w a n d A B a lle t TH E STORY OF TH E BALLET

T h e d u k e is e n te r ta in in g h is frien d s b y g iv in g a m a sk ed b a ll a t th e p a la ce. T h e fa m o u s " D a n c e of th e H o u r s " is on e of th e p rin cip a l a ttr a c ­ tio n s. T h e scen e sh o w s th e ro o m s in sid e th e p a la ce. T h ere are tw e n ty -fo u r d an cers : six rep resen t D a w n an d are d ressed in p i n k ; six rep resen t D a y an d are in g lo w in g g o ld ; six p ictu re E v e n in g , or T w ilig h t, in d e lic a te p u r p le ; an d six are in b la ck trim m ed w ith silv er to su g g e st N ig h t, or D a rk n e ss. T h e en tire b a lle t su g g ests th e c o n te st for p ow er b e tw e e n lig h t a n d d ark n ess, p rogress an d ign oran ce. T h is b a lle t, lik e m a n y o th ers, is p o p u la r a s a sep a ra te n u m b er q u ite a p a rt from th e op era w ith w h ich it w a s o rig in a lly co n n ected . T h e m u sic is u sed also as an in str u m e n ta l c o m p o sitio n w ith o u t th e a cc o m p a n im e n t o f th e d a n cin g . TH E MUSIC T h e b a lle t is in tro d u ced b y th e strin g s p la y in g s o ftly so m e d a in ty p a t­ tern s of ru n n in g n o te s. T h e h arp su p p lie s th e h a rm o n y , w ith lig h t ch ord s on e after a n o th er u n til th e y co m e to an en d in a d elic a te arp eggio.* T h e m u sic se em s to p a u se b efo re th e en tra n ce of th e first grou p of d an cers. T h e se rep resen t th e " H o u r s of D a w n ." In ste a d of a m e lo d y w h ich is sin g a b le a n d e a s y to fo llo w , th e m u sic for th is d an ce is a series of sh im m erin g ch ord s, p la y e d pianissim o. E v e r y little w h ile th e tria n g le an d cla rin et can b e h eard . T h e little th e m e m o v e s a b o u t m a in ly in th e h a rm o n y of th e to n ic ch ord ,* lik e t h i s : THEM E FO R H O U R S OF DAW N A n dan te poco mosso

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T h is m u sic is p la y e d in th e h ig h reg ister,* a n d th is ad d s v e r y m u c h t o th e glim m erin g effect of a fa in t, u n s te a d y lig h t. T h e m u sic, so so ft a t fir st, g ra d u a lly g row s lou d er a n d w ork s u p t o a b rillia n t clim a x . I t is m a rk ed ff* in th e score. L ittle b y little th e m u sic b eco m es q u ieter, u n til th e flu te a n d cla rin et seem to te ll th e " H o r n s of D a y " t h a t it is tim e for th eir d a n ce. T h e m e lo d y for th is seco n d d an ce is p ro b a b ly th e b e s t k n o w n in th e en tire b a lle t. A lth o u g h it is n o t v e r y sin g ­ ab le, it is e a s y to reco g n ize. In fa c t, fe w m elo d ies in a b a lle t are e a s y to sin g, an d a lth o u g h y o u m a y n o t sin g th is p a rticu la r tu n e, still y o u m a y u n d ersta n d th e m u sic a little b e tte r if y o u can see h o w it lo o k s. T h a t is th e reason for p resen tin g it here.

48

Making Friends w ith Music • Progress T H E M E FO R H O U R S O F D A Y L e g g ie ro con g r a z i a

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A s th e d a n ce of th e " H o u r s o f N i g h t ” en d s, th e h arp p la y s som e arp eggios, en d in g w ith v e r y s o ft ch ord s, a n d th e n th e b ells u sh er in a p a ssa g e w h ich is in stro n g c o n tr a st t o a ll th a t h a s co m e b efore it.

A n O p era P r e v ie w a n d A B a lle t

49

T h e m ea su re sig n a tu re ch a n g es from th e lig h t-h e a r te d 2 / 4 to a slo w 3 / 4 , an d th e cello p la y s a w istfu l m e lo d y . T h is is fo llo w e d b y o th er m elo d ies p la y e d s o ftly a n d w ith g rea t ex p ressio n b y d ifferen t in str u m e n ts. B u t th is p eriod for p ea ce a n d q u ie t th o u g h t c a n n o t la s t lo n g in a b a lle t. T h e te m p o grow s fa ster, a n d th e to n e b eco m es stro n g er. T h e d u p le, or 2 /4 , m easu re retu rn s, a n d it seem s as th o u g h all th e d a n cers w ere p erfo rm in g in a b rillia n t en sem b le.* T h ere are stro n g co n tra sts b e tw e e n lo u d a n d so ft a s th e m u sic w h irls on it s w a y ; a n d th e co m p o sitio n , a s it clo ses, le a v e s u s w ith a feelin g of h a v in g w a tc h e d a g a y a n d liv e ly scen e. 1. C a n y o u m e n tio n a n y fea tu res in th e m u sic w h ich seem to m a k e it e sp e c ia lly su ite d to th e d an cers w h o are ta k in g p a r t in th e p a rticu la r d an ce ? 2. D o y o u th in k t h a t " D a n c e o f th e H o u r s " is b e tte r su ite d for d a n cin g th a n th e o v ertu re to The M erry W ives of W indsor ? 3. A fte r h ea rin g th e se tw o se le c tio n s a n d co m p a rin g th e m , d o y o u feel th a t an id ea o f th e sto r y w h ich g o es w ith e a c h is n ece ssa r y to a real u n d er­ sta n d in g an d e n jo y m e n t o f th e m u sic ? S om e w riters s a y t h a t P o n c h ie lli w a s a n o p era -m a k er. A n d th e y are rig h t, for m o st o f h is co m p o sitio n s h a d to d o w ith th e sta g e. T h e y also sa y th a t h is m u sic is tu n e fu l an d a p p ea ls t o th e im a g in a tio n . 1. D o y o u th in k th is is tru e ? 2. C a n y o u n a m e a n y d ifferen ces b e tw e e n th e w r itin g of N ic o la i a n d th a t of P o n c h ie lli a fter lis te n in g t o th e se tw o c o m p o sitio n s ? 3. D o e s on e co m p o ser se em t o h a v e m ore sk ill th a n th e o th er in th e u se of th e in str u m e n ts of th e o rch estra ? 4 . I f so, w h ich o n e ?

M a n y co u n tries an d races h a v e m u sic w h ich is clo se ly co n n ected w ith th eir h a b its a n d m a n n er of N A T IO N A L liv in g . F or th is reason it is v e r y e a s y to recogn ize th e m u sic of th e G y p sy . I t is n o t o n ly th e m u sic Q U A L IT IES itse lf, b u t also th e w a y th e G y p sie s p la y th eir m u sic. IN W e n a tu r a lly e x p ec t stro n g a c c e n ts in r h y th m , su d d en ch a n g es of te m p o , an d q u ite a few o rn a m en ta l COM POSED figures to d eco ra te th e m elo d y . M U SIC W h en w e w ere ta lk in g a b o u t E spana {Prelude, p age 1 9 ), m e n tio n w as m a d e of th o se co u n tries w h ere m a n y G y p sie s h a v e liv e d . T h ese p eo p le are a race, th e y h a v e th eir o w n la n g u a g e an d th eir o w n free, o u t-o f-d o o r w a y o f liv in g , w h ich a lw a y s h a s a ch arm for th e rest of us. 1. W h a t co u n tries com e to y o u r m in d w h en th e n a m e G y p sy is m e n tio n e d ? 2. H a v e y o u ev er h eard G y p sie s p la y ? 3. C an y o u d escrib e a n y fe a tu r e s of th eir p erform an ce or th eir m u sic?

THE MAGYAR T h e w ord M agyar (m o d 'y o r) is o fte n u sed w ith th e w ord G ypsy . A b o u t a q u arter o f th e in h a b ita n ts of H u n g a r y are M a g y a r s, a race w h ich d e­ scen d ed from th e M o n g o lia n s (m o n -g o li-a n s ). T h e se M o n g o lia n s le ft th eir h o m e in A sia an d s e ttle d in H u n g a r y in th e n in th c e n tu r y . G y p sie s and M a g y a r s h a v e m ix ed to g e th e r so lo n g th a t it is n o t e a s y to te ll w h a t is M a g y a r an d w h a t is G y p sy in H u n g a r ia n fo lk m u sic. B u t it is a w ell-k n o w n fa c t th a t th e M a g y a r -G y p sy m u sic h a s in sp ired m a n y g rea t com p osers. K od& ly (ko-dl'y^ )j w h o w ro te th e m u sic w e are a b o u t to h ear, h a s sp e n t y ea r s in ex p lo rin g a n d stu d y in g th e m u sic of h is n a tiv e co u n try , an d h is co m p o sitio n s, a lth o u g h origin al, are in flu en ced b y h is lo n g a sso c ia tio n w ith H u n g a ria n fo lk tu n es.

" In te r m e z z o ” and " E n tra n ce o f the E m p eror and H is C o u rt” fr o m th e S uite H d r y Janos [V.R. 7953 a, b Z o ltX n K

o d a ly

), Hungarian composer.

( 1882 —

THE STORY OF THE OPERA H d ry J d n o s (har'e y a 'n o sh ) is a n a tio n a l figure in H u n g a ria n leg en d s. H e sta n d s for th e b o ld b ra g g in g sp ir it of th e M a g y a r s. T h e a c tio n in th e op era 50

N a tio n a l Q u a litie s in C o m p o se d M u sic

51

to o k p la ce o v er o n e h u n d red y e a r s ago, w h e n th e old so ld ier H&ry, a h u ssar (h oo-zar') in th e a rm y of A u str ia -H u n g a r y , s a t in th e v illa g e in n an d to ld o f h is w o n d erfu l a d v e n tu r e s an d h eroic d eed s. H e to ld h is y a r n s w ith o u t a n y th o u g h t a s to th eir tr u th , b u t he so ch arm ed h is a u d ien ce t h a t n o on e q u e stio n e d h is h o n e s ty . T o th e average H u n g a ria n h e is a s rea l a s so m e of our h ero es are to u s. W h a t a fello w h e w as, t o b e su re! A q u een fe ll in lo v e w ith h im ; N a p o le o n (n a -p o 'le-u n ), th e g rea t F ren ch gen eral, h a d to d eclare w ar b eca u se h e w a s je a lo u s of h im . B u t H a r y frig h te n e d N a p o le o n so th a t th e g en era l fe ll to h is k n e e s b eggin g for m ercy ! L a ter H a r y w a s in v ite d t o th e co u rt in V ien n a , w h ere h e w a s adm ired an d tr e a te d w ith h on or. B u t h e w a s a lo y a l fello w , a n d so h e retu rn ed to h is v illa g e sw e e th e a r t. T h e w h o le op era is b a sed on th e rid icu lo u s sto r y o f th e ex p erien ces of th is old sold ier, a n d th e m u sic reflects th e w it an d sp ark le of th e sto r y . TH E SUITE T h e n u m b ers in th e s u ite are se le c tio n s fro m th e op era. m o v e m e n ts, w ith th eir title s , are as f o llo w s :

T h e differen t

: Prelude. The Fairy Tale Begins S e c o n d m o v e m e n t : Viennese M usical Clock T h i r d m o v e m e n t : Song F o u r t h m o v e m e n t : T he B attle and D efeat of Napoleon F i f t h m o v e m e n t : Intermezzo S i x t h m o v e m e n t : Entrance of the Emperor and H is Court F ir s t m o v e m e n t

INTERMEZZO T h e fifth m o v e m e n t, ca lled " I n te r m e z z o ” (In 'ter-m ed 'zo ), h a s n o im ­ p o rta n c e in r e la tio n to th e a c tio n o f th e p la y . S o it w o u ld seem t h a t i t is co r re ctly n a m ed , for th e w ord intermezzo is o fte n u se d a s th e title o f a m o v e m e n t w h ich co m es b e tw e e n tw o of th e regular m o v e m e n ts of som e large w ork . I n su ch a case it is lik e an in terlu d e.* S o m e tim e s th e w ord intermezzo is u sed a s th e n a m e o f a sh o rt an d ra th er lig h t p iece o f m u sic w h ich is q u ite in d e p e n d e n t o f a su ite or an opera. TH E MUSIC T h e m u sic o f th e " I n te r m e z z o ” is b a sed on an old H u n g a ria n d an ce called " T h e D a n c e of C o u r tsh ip .”

52

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith. M u s ic * P r o g r e ss F IR S T M ELO D Y A n d a n te m aestoso, m a con fu o c o

m

*

T h e strin g s an d cla rin et carry th is m e lo d y a t first, an d a n a tiv e H u n ­ garian in str u m e n t, th e cem b a lo n (sem 'b a -lo n ), is h eard in a p a ssa g e of rap id , ru n n in g n o te s. TH E CEMBALON A n o th er n a m e for th is in str u m e n t is cembalo (sem 'b a -lo ). I t lo o k s so m e­ th in g lik e th e so u n d in g b oard o f a p ia n o , w ith h e a v y w ire strin g s. T h e to n e s are p ro d u ced b y strik in g th e se strin g s w ith tw o sm a ll h am m ers. P la y ­ ers on th e ce m b a lo n u su a lly can m o v e th eir h a n d s v e r y q u ick ly . T h e y can p la y th e ru n s, w h eth er sca les * or arp eg g io s, r a p id ly ; a n d th e y h a v e m u ch sk ill in p erfo rm in g th e o rn a m en ta l trills an d figures w h ich are su ch an im ­ p o rta n t p a rt of G y p sy m u sic. A fter th e first m e lo d y h a s b een rep ea ted , a n o th er tu n e , w h ich is slow er a n d m ore fo rcefu l, p ro v id es a fine co n tra st to th e o p en in g th e m e . SE C O N D M ELO D Y a tempo

m

>,

T h ese su d d en ch a n g es in te m p o , from slo w a n d q u ie t to fa st a n d en er­ g e tic , are fo u n d v e r y o fte n in H u n g a ria n m u sic. A n o th er th in g w h ich seem s to b e lo n g to th e m u sic of th e g y p s y is th e r h y th m ic p a tte r n o f a sh o rt n o te fo llo w ed b y a lo n g er on e : n . C an y o u g iv e th e n a m e o f a n y o th er c o u n tr y w h o se m u sic h a s a sim ilar rh y th m ic figu re? T h e k e y ch a n g es, a n d th e F ren ch h o rn * p la y s a m e lo d y w h ich so u n d s m ore lik e a so n g th a n th e oth ers. T H IR D M ELO D Y Cantabile

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N a tio n a l Q u a litie s in C o m p o se d M u sic

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T h is m e lo d y is r e p e a te d , an d in th e r e p e titio n th e strin g s are h eard . A s th is se c tio n of th e m u sic m o v e s a lo n g , th e cla rin et a n d th e n th e flu te are h eard p la y in g so lo p a ssa g es. T h is g iv e s color an d v a r ie ty to th e m u sic. O nce m ore w e h ea r th e first an d se co n d m elo d ies, a n d th e n th e ” I n te r m e z z o ” en d s w ith th ree sh arp ch ord s. T h is m u sic is fu ll of H u n g a r ia n fe e lin g a n d sp irit. A fte r liste n in g t o th is m u sic can y o u n a m e th e th in g s t h a t c o n n e c t it w ith H u n g a r y ? E N TR A N C E OF T H E EM PERO R A N D HIS COURT I n th is six th a n d la s t m o v e m e n t of th e su ite , H&ry Jd n o s p ictu r es h im se lf as b ein g h o n o red a t th e r o y a l p a la ce in V ien n a . H ere are a ll th e p o m p an d cerem o n y w h ich w e m ig h t e x p e c t w ith th e en tra n ce o f an em p eror. I n th e opera it is e a s y t o d isco v e r th e rid icu lo u s situ a tio n s su g g e ste d b y th e im a g in a tio n of a p e a sa n t. F o r ex a m p le, w e find th a t E m p ero r F ra n cis ta lk s lik e a n ig h t w a tc h m a n , N a p o le o n gru m b les b eca u se h e h a s to ra n som h is w a tc h an d ch a in , a n d th e d o u b le-h ea d ed ea g le of A u str ia liv e s in a p ig eo n h ou se. T h e first m e lo d y of th is m o v e m e n t is in tr o d u ce d b y a few r h y th m ic m ea su res on th e sn are d ru m * (p a g e 9 3 ). W o o d w in d s a n d x y lo p h o n e (zi'lo -fo n ) p la y th e th e m e , w h ic h is as fo llo w s : F IR S T M EL O D Y A lla rnarcia

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T h is is fo llo w e d b y a se co n d tu n e , p la y e d b y th e tr u m p e t. I t is q u ite d ifferen t from th e first, a n d seem s to ex p ress so m e of th e stra n g e feelin g t h a t w e a sso c ia te w ith th e F a r E a s t. I t h a s an O rien ta l fla v o r. SE C O N D M ELO D Y

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

T h e se tw o m elo d ies are r e p e a te d ; an d in th e r e p e titio n th e in str u m e n ts are m ore b rillia n t a n d th e te m p o seem s m ore liv e ly . T h is is fo llo w e d b y so m e u n u su a l chords, a n d th e h a rm o n y is e v e n sta rtlin g . T h ere is a feel­ in g of e x c ite m e n t. E v id e n tly so m e k in d of a celeb ra tio n is ta k in g p lace. T h e b rass in str u m e n ts are v e r y m u ch in th e foregrou n d . In th e m id s t of it all, th e first an d seco n d m elo d ies retu rn . T h is tim e th e y are p la y e d in a h igh er register, an d th e sp eed is m ore rapid. A forcefu l call b y th e b rass in str u m e n ts te lls of th e a rrival of th e em p eror. Poco m e/n o m aestoso

T h e se co n d m e lo d y , so m ew h a t ch a n g ed from its first a p p ea ra n ce, is h eard a g a in st a b a ck g ro u n d of co lo rfu l h a rm o n ies in w h ich all th e in stru ­ m e n ts seem to ta k e p a rt. W h a t if th e sto ries w h ich H a r y te lls are n o t t r u e ! A t le a s t th e y h a v e in sp ired m u sic w h ich is refresh in g an d d elig h tfu l. I t is e a s y for u s to p ictu re th e stra n g e scen es an d e v e n ts d escrib ed b y th is m u sic as it m o v e s alon g. TH E COMPOSER T h e n a m e Z o lta n K od& ly (z o l-ta n 'k o -d l'y e ) is a n o th er w a y o f sa y in g th a t H u n g a r ia n fo lk m u sic h a s v a ried color a n d a sw ee t, m e la n c h o ly feel­ ing. K od& ly w a s b orn in a little to w n n ear B u d a p e st (b o o 'd a -p e st). H is fa th er w as th e sta tio n m a ste r th ere, a n d h e sim p ly ad ored m u sic. W h en n ig h t ca m e on a n d th e la s t tra in w e n t th u n d er in g d o w n th e v a lle y , h e w o u ld ru sh h o m e, se ize h is v io lin , an d b eg in to p la y . S om e of h is frien d s w ere e q u a lly in te r e ste d in m u sic, an d th e y u sed to g e t to g e th e r e v e n in g s an d p la y strin g q u a rtets. K od& ly's fa th er w as v e r y fo n d of H a y d n 's m u s ic ; so, as a b o y , K o d a ly h eard th e H a y d n q u a r te ts p la y e d ov er an d o v er u n til he k n e w th e m b y h ea rt. H e rem em b ers th o se e v e n in g s of h is ch ild h o o d v e r y clearly. H e u sed to sta n d w id e -e y e d in th e corner w a tc h in g th e dark fa ces a b o v e th e m u sic rack s an d th e m o v e m e n ts of th e b o w s on th e strin g s, an d lis te n to th e g rea t m u sic of th e old m a ster. B e sid e th is " h o m e -m a d e ” m u sic, th e b o y liste n e d to g y p s y orch estras, th e o n ly p ro fessio n a l m u sic in th a t sm a ll M a g y a r to w n . U n c o n sc io u sly h is m in d an d h ea rt b eca m e filled w ith th e se w ild a n d th r illin g m elo d ies and rh y th m s. Y ea rs la ter h e th rew h im self w ith e n th u sia sm in to th e c o lle c tin g of H u n g a ria n fo lk m u sic. H e h a s tr a v e le d in to all th e fa r -d ista n t v illa g e s and sm a ll to w n s o f h is n a tiv e co u n tr y , ta k in g d o w n on p ap er th e m elo d ies from

N a tio n a l Q u a litie s in C o m p o se d M u sic

55

th e lip s o f p e a sa n ts a s th e y sa n g . H e h a s co lle c te d o v er th ree th o u sa n d o f th e se H u n g a r ia n tu n e s ; an d, w o rk in g w ith B a r to k (b a r'to k ), a n o th er fa ­ m o u s H u n g a r ia n com p oser, h e h a s p rep ared an d p u b lish ed an u n u su a l col­ le ctio n of th e se so n g s. I t is n o w o n d er t h a t h is origin al co m p o sitio n s are fu ll of H u n g a ria n feelin g an d color.

THE PERFORMERS O ne of th e p u p ils w h o stu d ie d w ith K o d a ly is a m a n n a m ed E u g e n e O rm an d y (o r'm a n -d e), a n d it seem s q u ite p rop er th a t h e sh o u ld c o n d u c t th e orch estra w h ich p la y s th is m u sic fro m H a ry Janos. M r. O rm a n d y cam e to th e U n ite d S ta te s on a co n cert tou r, an d he h a s rem ain ed to b eco m e on e of th e o u tsta n d in g o rch estra l co n d u cto rs in A m er­ ica. H e w rites a b o u t m u sic an d its v a lu e :

Music is a language which can be understood by all. Through phonograph rec­ ords and radio, people who are living today have the greatest opportunity to get acquainted with the best possible interpretation of great music. Also it is my belief that hearing so much music, either over the air or from a record, will create a further desire to hear the same compositions played by the same or other per­ formers in a concert program. T h e orch estra p la y in g th is m u sic is th e M in n e a p o lis S y m p h o n y O rch estra, w h ich is on e o f th e b e st in th e U n ite d S ta te s. M r. O rm a n d y w a s th eir lea d er b efore b eco m in g th e co n d u cto r o f th e P h ila d e lp h ia S y m p h o n y O rch estra, w h ich p o sitio n h e n o w h o ld s.

A FEW QUESTIONS 1. A fter h ea rin g b o th of th e se m o v e m e n ts fro m th e su ite H ary Janos, ca n y o u n a m e a n y sp ecia l fea tu r es of K o d a ly 's m u sic ? 2. C an y o u recall th e m u sic of th e " P ro c essio n of th e S a rd a r” (Prelude , p a g e 8) an d com p are th e " E n tr a n c e of th e E m p ero r a n d H is C o u r t ” w ith it ? 3. D o e s th is co m p a riso n le a d y o u to d isco v er a n y n a tio n a l q u a litie s in th e m u sic of H ary Janos ? 4. D o th e o rch estra l in str u m e n ts a d d v e r y m u ch to th e n a tio n a l feelin g or sp irit in th is m u sic? 5. H o w ? 6. C an y o u n a m e a n y q u a litie s o f H u n g a r ia n folk m u sic w h ich b elo n g to th a t c o u n tr y e sp e c ia lly ? F o r y ea r s th e S lo v a k s (slo -v a k s'), p eo p le o f th e S la v ic race, w ere u n d er th e rule of H u n g a r y . I t is n o t su rp risin g, th erefo re, th a t in th eir m u sic w e

56

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

find m a n y q u a litie s of th e M a g y a r . I n th is m u sic w h ich fo llo w s w e w ill h ear th e b r illia n t an d fo rcefu l r h y th m s w h ich are co m m o n ly fo u n d in th e m u sic o f th e G y p sy .

Slavonic D a n ce N o . 8 , in G M in or A n to n

D vorak

[V. R. G 543 A

(1841-1904), Bohemian composer. Living in America at this tim e:

G r o v e r C le v e la n d .

A g rea t m a n y co m p o sers h a v e re ce iv ed so m e o f th eir b e st id ea s for th eir m u sic from fo lk tu n e s an d d a n ces p o p u la r a m o n g th e co m m o n p eo p le. D v o M k (d v o r'zh a k ) is one o f th e m o st fa m o u s com p osers w h o u sed folk ex p ressio n s or p a tte r n s in a ll of th eir co m p o sitio n s. P erh a p s it is b ecau se h e w a s a m a n of th e p eo p le, a n d so lea rn ed th e so n g s w h ich w ere an im p or­ t a n t p a rt of B o h em ia n (b o -h e'm i-a n ) life. W HO IS A B O H E M IA N ? T h e n a m e " B o h e m ia n ” is o fte n g iv e n to th e k in d of a rtist, m u sicia n , or w riter w h o d o es n o t le t h im self b e b o u n d b y so cia l ru les or cu sto m s, or to so m eo n e w h o ta k e s g rea t in te r e st in sp ec ia l form s of art. I t o rig in a lly m ea n t " a n in h a b ita n t of B o h e m ia .” B o h e m ia is a co u n tr y o f cen tral E u ro p e w h ich w a s on ce an in d e p e n d e n t k in g d o m . L a ter it b eca m e p art of th e A u stro -H u n g a ria n E m p ire. A fter th e W orld W ar of 1914—1918 it w as m a d e a p ro v in ce o f th e rep u b lic o f C ze ch o slo v a k ia . I n 1939 it b eca m e a G erm an p ro tecto ra te. T h e B o h e m ia n s h a v e a lw a y s b een a d e e p ly m u sica l p eo p le. E v e r y v il­ lage h a d its b a n d , w h ich w o u ld tr a v e l a b o u t th e co u n try sid e an d e v e n in to n eig h b o rin g co u n tries. A t la st it b eca m e u su a l in p a rts o f E u ro p e to call e v e r y w a n d erin g m u sicia n a " B o h e m ia n .” C erta in it is th a t th e B o h em ia n s, o fte n ca lled C zech s (ch ek s), h a v e h a d a lo v e for m u sic d o w n th ro u g h th e y ea r s w h ich is n o t riv a led b y th a t of a n y o th er p eo p le. TH E MUSIC " S la v o n ic D a n c e N o . 8 ” is on e o f a group o f d a n ces w h ich b ro u g h t fa m e to A n to n D v o M k . A ll G erm a n y w a s d e lig h te d w ith th e m an d th e com ­ p oser a w o k e on e m o rn in g t o find h is n a m e w a s k n o w n far an d w id e. O f all C zech m u sic D v o r a k fe lt th a t th e se fo lk -d a n c e tu n e s w ere m o st rep resen ta ­ tiv e o f th e p eo p le. P erh a p s h e rem em b ered th e g a y an d h a p p y d a n ces of h is y o u th . T h is d a n ce o p en s w ith a liv e ly m e lo d y . I t ap p ears first in th e m inor, th e n in th e m a jo r m o d e.

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I t se em s as th o u g h th ere w ere a co n v er sa tio n b e tw e e n th e first th e m e and oth er m elo d ies, p la y e d b y in str u m e n ts o f th e w o o d -w in d * choir (page 9 0 ). T h e first m e lo d y is s lig h tly ch a n g ed , b u t it is a lw a y s p o ssib le t o reco gn ize it. T h e c o n tr a sts in force, sp eed , an d u n e v e n r h y th m s are a ll v e r y n o tic e ­ ab le. T h e m u sic w h irls o n its w a y u n til little b y little th ere co m es a d im in u en d o .* T h e w o o d w in d s are h eard in a ca lm m e lo d y a g a in st a gracefu l a c c o m p a n im e n t p la y e d b y th e o th er in str u m e n ts. T h e p a ssa g e b eg in s as f o llo w s : T H IR D M EL O D Y

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r o g r e ss

T h is m e lo d y is lo n g er th a n a n y o f th e o th ers in th is " S la v o n ic D a n c e N o . 8 .” A s it co m es to a q u ie t en d in g th e first m e lo d y retu rn s, a n d th ere is~ a r e p e titio n o f th e m e lo d ie s w h ich w e h eard a t th e b eg in n in g o f th e c o m p o sitio n . T h e co d a * is v e r y b rillia n t, a n d in it w e can h ea r p h ra ses of d ifferen t m elo d ies p la y e d in seq u en ce.* T h e v a r ie ty in th e u se o f in str u m e n ts, as w e ll as th e u n e x p e c te d r h y th m s, su g g e sts th e colorfu l m u sic of th e g y p sies. T o w a rd th e close of th e co d a th e q u ie t th ird m e lo d y retu rn s. J u st as w e b eg in t o fe e l th a t th is " S la v o n ic D a n c e ” is g o in g t o en d p e a c e fu lly , th e o p en in g m ea su res of th e first m e lo d y are p la y e d w ith a force a n d a sp eed th a t en d th e d a n ce as b o iste r o u sly as it b eg a n . 1. H o w d o es th is m u sic, m a d e u p of th ree d ifferen t d a n ce tu n e s, com p are w ith on e o f th e w a ltz e s b y J o h a n n S tra u ss? 2. H o w d o th e m elo d ies in th is c o m p o sitio n com p are w ith ea ch o th e r ? D v o r a k o rig in a lly w ro te th is m u sic t o b e p la y e d on th e p ia n o b y four h an d s. 1. D o y o u th in k t h a t th e o rch estra l in str u m e n ts b rin g o u t th e co n tra sts in th e m u sic m ore clea rly th a n a p ia n o cou ld ? 2. H a v e y o u n o tic e d a n y th in g in " S la v o n ic D a n c e N o . 8 ” th a t resem b les th e m u sic fro m H a ry Janos ? 3. A fter h ea rin g th e se tw o co m p o sitio n s d o y o u th in k y o u w ill b e ab le to recogn ize S la v o n ic m u sic w h e n y o u h ear it ? AN TO N DVORAK T h e B o h e m ia n s, or C zech s, h a v e a lw a y s h a d a n a tu ra l ta le n t for m u sic. I n th e e a r ly d a y s th e n o b le fa m ilies h a d th eir o w n p r iv a te b a n d s, an d e v e n th e m o n a ster ies (h o m es for th o se w h o h a v e ta k e n relig io u s v o w s) h ad orch estras. T h ere is an o ld B o h e m ia n sa y in g , " W h er e th ere is a C zech , th ere y o u w ill h ear m u s ic .” A ll o v er th e c o u n tr y th e p e a sa n ts co u ld p la y d ifficu lt p iec es of m u sic w ith o u t n o te s. T h e y h a d little n o tio n w h ere th e se p ieces ca m e from . A lo n g th e M o ld a u (m o l'd o u ), a fa m o u s river in B o h em ia , p ea sa n ts m ig h t k n o w as m a n y as fo r ty d ifferen t d a n ces. T h e su m m er n ig h ts w o u ld ring w ith d a n ce tu n e s an d lo v e so n g s. A fte r d in n er on S u n d a y th e d a n c in g w o u ld b eg in , o fte n t o b e co n tin u ed u n til th e d a w n of th e n ext day. I n to th e se m u sica l su rro u n d in g s w a s b orn A n to n D v o r a k . H is fath er w a s a b u tc h e r an d an in n k eep er. O ften h e h ired w a n d erin g b a n d s of m u sicia n s to p la y for th e d a n c in g a t h is in n . T h e se b a n d s p la y e d B o h em ia n p o lk a s* an d m arch es. T h e b o y A n to n liste n e d an d w a s a s h a p p y as cou ld

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59

b e. A t tim e s h e w a s a llo w ed to p la y in a b a n d w h ic h h is fa th e r h a d or­ g a n ized . H e a lso sa n g in th e ch oir in th e v illa g e ch u rch . In h is tw e lfth y e a r h e w a s s e n t a w a y t o learn th e G erm a n la n g u a g e , an d b eg a n to ta k e m u sic le sso n s. W h en h e w a s fo u r te en h e co u ld p la y th e v io lin , th e organ , a n d th e p ia n o , a n d h a d a go o d sin g in g v o ic e . B u t tim e s w ere h ard, an d it a c tu a lly lo o k ed a s if A n to n w o u ld h a v e t o b eco m e a b u tch er lik e h is fa th er. F o r tu n a te ly , h o w ev er, w h en h e w a s six te e n h e w a s ab le to go t o P ra g u e (prag) to s tu d y . H e w as so p oor th a t h e h a d to p la y in caf6s an d re sta u r a n ts to earn m o n e y for h is organ lesso n s. H e w a s n o t k n o w n in th e m u sic w o rld o u tsid e of h is o w n c o u n tr y u n til h e w a s th ir ty -fo u r y ea r s old , w h en so m e of h is c o m p o sitio n s ca m e to th e a tte n tio n of th e fa m o u s G erm an com p oser, J o h a n n es B r a h m s (bram s) ( Prelude , p a g e 9 8 ). I t w a s th ro u g h th is frien d sh ip t h a t D vor& k w a s ab le to h a v e h is c o m p o sitio n s p u b lish ed . T h e p o p u la r ity of h is " S la v o n ic D a n c e s ” h a s a lr ea d y b een m en tio n ed . L ik e m a n y o th er co m p o sers, D v o M k sh o w ed a lo v e for h is o w n co u n tr y b y u sin g th e n a tiv e r h y th m s a n d m elo d ies in h is sy m p h o n ie s an d h is sh orter co m p o sitio n s. T h is g a v e th e m a q u a lity of d ire ctn e ss a n d sim p lic ity . In th is c o u n tr y h e is p erh a p s b e st k n o w n as th e co m p o ser of a p ia n o p iece e n title d " H u m o r e s q u e ” a n d o f th e " N e w W o r ld ” S y m p h o n y .

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T h e w ord im pression is n o t u n co m m o n . W e o fte n sa y , " I t m a d e a g rea t im p ressio n on m e ,” w h en w e are sp ea k in g of a b o o k , a p ictu re, a p la y , an u n u su a l ex p erien ce, or e v e n so m e n u m b er on, a co n cert p rogram . P r o b ­ a b ly w e m ea n t o s a y t h a t a d efin ite effect on our fe e lin g s h a s b een p ro d u ced . I n m u sic th e w ord im pression h a s co m e to b e a sso c ia te d w ith th o se c o m p o sitio n s w h ich im m e d ia te ly a ffect our sen ses, n o t o n ly b y th eir b e a u ty of m elo d y , h a rm o n y , r h y th m , an d form , b u t also b y th e ir a b ility to ca ll to our m in d s so m e d e lic a te or v iv id scen e w h ich th e co m p o ser w ish ed to su g ­ g est to u s. T h er e is a so rt of m y ste r io u s ch arm a b o u t su ch m u sic. W e can reco g n ize an d fe e l its a ttr a c tio n , a lth o u g h w e m a y n o t b e ab le t o te ll th e e x a c t fea tu r es w h ich m a k e su ch m u sic so p le a sin g a n d sa tisfy in g .

COLOR

COLOR A s far b a ck as w e ca n rem em b er w e h a v e h a d ex p erien ce w ith color. W e can d escrib e it in our o w n w ord s. W e are fa m ilia r n o t o n ly w ith th e p rin cip al colors, b u t a lso w ith co m b in a tio n s of color. F o r ex a m p le, w e k n o w t h a t red m ix ed w ith y e llo w m a k es oran ge, t h a t red m ix ed w ith b lu e m a k es p u rp le. W e a lso k n o w th a t th ere are d ifferen t sh a d e s of th e sam e color : lig h t b lu e a n d d ark b lu e, crim so n a n d sca rlet. T h e w ord color w h en u sed w ith m u sic m a y refer to in str u m e n ta l to n e q u a l­ ity , or it m a y in d ic a te th e effect of certa in c o m b in a tio n s in h a rm o n y . J u st as colors se em to ch a n g e w h e n m ix ed or co n tra sted , so th e to n e color of a n y orch estral in stru m e n t, a lth o u g h d efin ite in itse lf an d e a s y to recogn ize, seem s to ch an g e so m ew h a t w h en it is co m b in ed w ith th e to n e color o f a n o th er in stru m e n t or of a n in str u m e n t of a d ifferen t choir, or fa m ily .* In th e sa m e w a y , w h e n com p osers ad d n ew to n e s t o th e ch ord s w h ich are lo o k ed u p o n as th e fo u n d a tio n of a ll h a rm o n y , th e n ew effects in har­ m o n y are sa id to b e colorful. T h is m a tte r o f color in m u sic is v e r y im p o r ta n t, for if w e u n d er sta n d it w e are ab le to d isco v er n ew b e a u tie s w h ich w e m ig h t m iss o th erw ise. In order t o g e t so m e id ea of th e effects t h a t u n u su a l ch ord s can p rod u ce, su p p ose w e ta k e th e first six m ea su res o f " A m e r ic a /' an d h ear th e m first w ith th e orig in a l h a rm o n y an d th e n w ith so m e n ew a n d d ifferen t ch ord s. T h e se a rra n g em en ts h a v e b een m a d e b y P ro fesso r A lfred M e y er . 60

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A a*T h ese v a r ia tio n s seem to ch a n g e th is v e r y fa m ilia r p h rase in to so m e­ th in g stra n g e, an d w e h a r d ly reco g n ize it. C om p osers h a v e m a n y d ifferen t term s to d escrib e th e se h a rm o n ies, b u t it is n o t n ecessa ry th a t w e learn th e m n ow . T h e m o st im p o r ta n t th in g is for u s to b e w id e-a w a k e, to realize and feel th e se im p ressio n s th a t co m e th r o u g h v a ried h arm o n ies an d th e careful c o m b in a tio n of d ifferen t in str u m e n ts. J u s t a s a p a in ter n eed s to exercise ch oice in m ix in g h is colors, so m u st a com p oser se le c t h is ch ord s w ith g rea t care. W h ich se ttin g of " A m e r ic a ” d o y o u lik e th e b e s t?

62

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P ro g r ess

Clair d e L u n e C la u d e A c h ille D e b u s s y

[V .R . 1812 a , b

(1862 -1918), French composer. Living in America

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W o o d r o w W ils o n .

" M o o n lig h t ” is th e E n g lish ex p ressio n for th e title " C lair d e L im e ” (kl&r'de ltin '), a n d it is th e title o f o n e of a se t of c o m p o sitio n s w h ich D e b u s s y (d e-b u 'se') co m p o sed for th e p ia n o . L eo p o ld S to k o w sk i (sto -k o f'sk e ) h a s m a d e an o rch estra l a rra n g em en t o f th is m u sic, an d in th is form it p ro p erly b elo n g s t o th a t grou p of co m p o sitio n s w h ich are ca lled tone poem s . W h a t is a to n e p o e m ? N a tu r a lly , su ch a title as " M o o n lig h t ” m a y lea d y o u to e x p e c t a par­ ticu la r k in d o f m u sic ; a n d th erefore, if y o u p a y to o m u ch a tte n tio n t o th e d eta ils, th e fa c t t h a t it is d ifferen t fro m w h a t y o u e x p e c te d m a y p r e v e n t y o u from c a tc h in g th e real m ea n in g or fe e lin g o f th e m u sic.

TH E MUSIC I t is o fte n tru e th a t w h en a com p o ser w ish es to su g g e st certa in id eas a n d to crea te im p ressio n s w ith h is m u sic, h e u ses m a n y d ifferen t sh a d e s of h a rm o n ic color. F o r th is rea so n h is m elo d ies are n o t clea rly o u tlin e d b u t are b le n d e d in to th e g en era l effect of th e w h o le. Y e t in " C la ir d e L u n e ” D e b u s s y a t o n ce offers to u s a g ra cefu l m e lo d y w h ich is sin g a b le a n d e a s y to rem em b er. F IR S T M EL O D Y A n d a n te

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I n th is tr a n sc r ip tio n * for o rch estra it seem s as th o u g h th e to n e color of th e d ifferen t in str u m e n ts p ro d u ces effects w h ic h are m ore g lim m erin g and p o e tic th a n a n y th a t co u ld b e p ro d u ced b y th e p ia n o alon e. T h e o p en in g m e lo d y is p la y e d first b y th e w o o d w in d s an d th e n b y strin g s. T h e co m b in ed to n e q u a lity of th e s e in str u m e n ts, a t th e m o d era te te m p o , p ro d u ces a d rea m y , sh a d o w y effect t h a t ca n e a s ily g iv e th e im ­ p ressio n o f m o o n lig h t. T h er e is a p a ssa g e in w h ich th e strin g s are h ea rd in som e re p e a te d chords w ith a g o o d d e a l of v a r ie ty in th e h a rm o n ies. T h is is fo llo w ed b y a n oth er w istfu l m e lo d y t h a t seem s a lm o st u n real.

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T h is tu n e , p la y e d first b y w o o d w in d s, is a cco m p a n ied b y th e h arp , th e d e lic a te to n e s o f w h ich are w ell su ite d to th e g ra cefu l m o tio n of th e r h y th m . T h e first m e lo d y is h eard on ce m ore. T h is tim e th e strin g s com e first, w ith th e w o o d w in d fo llo w in g . A t th e en d o f th e co m p o sitio n th ere is a b rief su g g e stio n of th e seco n d m e lo d y . T h ro u g h o u t th e c o m p o sitio n th ere is a fe e lin g of th in g s v e r y d im an d u n real, y e t v e r y lo v e ly . T o n es an d tu n e s m e lt in to on e a n o th er in an a r tistic m a n n er. A p a in ter u ses m a n y d ifferen t colors a n d sh a d es to ex p ress h is id ea s. In th e sa m e m a n n er D e b u s s y h a s co m b in ed d ifferen t grou p s of to n e s a n d h a rm o n ies, a n d in th is c o m p o sitio n h e carries u s in to a region o f th e im a g in a tio n w h ere w e n eed n o t be b o th e r e d to o m u ch w ith m u sica l d eta ils. 1. D o e s th is co m p o sitio n te ll y o u a sto r y of a ctio n , or d o es it g iv e y o u a certa in fe e lin g or im p ressio n ? 2. C an y o u th in k o f a n y w ord s w h ich d escrib e D e b u s s y ’s s ty le o f w ritin g , as c o n tr a ste d w ith M o z a r t’s? D EBU SSY TH E M AN T h ere are so m e co m p o sitio n s th a t m a k e u s feel as th o u g h w e w ere lo o k ­ in g in to a m is t y la n d sca p e, d rea m y a n d fa ra w a y . S o m e tim es th e y g iv e an im p ressio n o f in se c ts h u m m in g in th e su n sh in e or of th e d elic a te tric k lin g o f w a ter. D e b u s s y , a F re n c h com p oser, h a d th e a b ility to w rite m u sic o f th is k in d . H e w a s a p a in te r in to n e s, an d h is co m p o sitio n s are like a g a llery of b e a u ti­ fu l w a ter colors. B e c a u se h e n ev er tr ie d to w rite lik e oth er m u sicia n s b u t d e v e lo p e d h is o w n s ty le , h e crea ted a n ew w a y of ex p ressin g id ea s in m u sic. D e b u s s y w as born in th e seco n d y e a r of our C iv il W ar. A s a b o y th e o n ly m u sic h e h eard w as in th e o p en -a ir g a rd en s of th e L u x em b o u rg (liik 'sem -b u rg ) a n d T u ileries (tw e'ler-iz) in P a ris. W h ile h e w a s stu d y in g a t th e P a ris C o n se r v a to r y , D e b u s s y b eg a n to tu r n a w a y fro m th e cla ssic s ty le of w ritin g . O ne d a y w h en th e tea ch er, w h o , b y th e w a y , w a s n o n e o th er th a n D e lib e s (d e-leb '), w as a b sen t, D e ­ b u ss y offered t o g iv e th e class a le sso n in h a rm o n y . S u ch w ild a n d u n ­ p le a sa n t so u n d s w ere n ev er h ea rd b efo re, a n d th e y o u n g stu d e n t w a s d riv en o u t b y th e su p e rin ten d e n t. D e b u s s y , lik e o th er F ren ch m u sicia n s, w o n th e P rix d e R o m e (pre d e r6m ') {Prelude, p . 3 3 ) an d w e n t to liv e in a fa m o u s " v i l l a ” (a p op u lar

64

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith. M u sic * P ro g r ess

n am e for a c o u n try h o m e), w here m a n y o th e r F re n c h stu d e n ts h a d lived. I t c e rta in ly w as a beeh iv e of a rtis ts , m usicians, a n d a rc h ite c ts. B u t th e y o u n g F re n c h com poser longed for P a ris, a n d it w as only w hen he re tu rn e d hom e t h a t he could p lunge in to re a l w ork. P o em s w ere alw ays a source of in sp ira tio n for his w ork. Som e of th e m he set to m usic in song a n d opera. O th ers served as th e m o tiv e for his creativ e skill in in s tru m e n ta l com positions. H e alw ays w o rk ed slow ly a n d carefully. I n fa ct, he w o rk ed on th e S u ite Bergam asque, of w hich " C la u ­ de L u n e " is th e th ird n u m b er, over a p erio d of fifteen y ears. I n sp eak in g a b o u t D e b u ssy ’s com positions one w rite r has said, " D eb u ssy m ak es m usic w ith flakes of lig h t, w ith b rig h t to n es of p ig m en t [or colors]. I t is fo rev er gliding, gleam ing, m e ltin g ."

Love fo r Three Oranges — Scherzo S e r g e P r o k o f ie f f

(1891—

and

March

[ V .r . 7197 b

), R u ssia n com poser.

STORY OF T H E OPERA Prokofieff (pro-ko'fe-eff) w ro te a n o p era called The Love fo r Three Oranges. As in so m a n y o th e r operas, th e s to ry is b ased on a fa iry ta le of th e e ig h t­ e e n th ce n tu ry . I t w as w ritte n b y a n I ta lia n w rite r n a m e d C arlo Gozzi (g b t'se). O f course th e s to ry h as to do w ith kings a n d princes. T h e p rin cip al c h a ra c te r is a y o u n g p rin ce, son of th e K in g of C lubs, w ho suffers from m elancholia, a m e n ta l sickness in w hich th e sufferer feels so " b l u e " a n d m o u rn fu l t h a t he ju s t c a n n o t rise above it. A ll possible efforts are m ad e to g et th e y o u n g p rin ce to lau g h . B u t th e k in g ’s e n te rta in e rs, w ith th e ir fu n n y p ra n k s a n d tric k s a n d th e ir curious dances, fail to p ro d u ce th e desired effect. I n th e first scene of A ct I I th e p rin ce is seen, sad a n d ab so lu tely m iser­ able, a w et clo th on his fo reh ead . T h e c o u rt je ste r does n o t know w h a t to do n ex t. S u d d en ly th ro u g h th e w indow com es th e so u n d of a g ay m arch . T h e je s te r explains t h a t th e re is to be a new fe a st w ith a celeb ratio n in th e c o u rt. A g ain st his will, th e p rin ce is h u rrie d along to th e scene. T h e m a rc h grow s lo u d er a n d lo u d er. T h is m a rc h , b y th e w ay, is h e a rd all th ro u g h th e o p era a n d is m ore o r less like a m u sical m o tto or p rin c ip a l th em e. D u rin g th e m e rry m a k in g w hich h as b een a rra n g e d to m ak e th e prince h a p p y , if possible, one of th e w itches is o v e rtu rn e d b y a y o u th . T h is u n ­ ex p ected so m ersau lt causes th e p rin ce to b u rs t in to h e a rty la u g h te r. T h e a n g ry w itc h pun ish es h im b y o rd erin g h im to find th re e oranges, each of

Im p r e ss io n s a n d C o lo r

65

w hich is larg e en o u g h to h ide a princess. A lso he m u st fall in love w ith one of th e th re e m aid en s. W ith his je s te r th e prin ce tra v e ls far, search in g fo r th e oranges. A m agician w arn s h im t h a t if he finds th ese oranges, th e y m u s t be opened n e a r a spring of w ate r, or th e princesses will die of th irs t. T h e th re e oranges are fo u n d in a d esert. W h e n th e p rin ce a n d his je ste r open tw o of th e oranges to sa tisfy th e ir th irs t, th e tw o princesses w ho are released die im m ed iately . T h e n th e p rin ce opens th e th ir d orange a n d saves th e life of th e im p riso n ed princess w ith a b u c k e t of w ate r. Of course, in th e en d th e p rin ce a n d th e princess are m a rrie d .

TH E MUSIC V ery o ften , in th e p erfo rm an ce of th is m usic, th e " S ch erzo ” * follows th e " M a r c h .” I n o th e r cases it is u sed as a p relu d e, or in tro d u c tio n , to th e " M a rc h .” T h is does n o t d istu rb th e sto ry , since th e m usic of th e " S ch erzo ” suggests th e h u m o r a n d th e joke of th e scene in th e second a c t w here th e m e rry m a k in g is going on. T h e m elo d y of th e " S ch erzo ” can h a rd ly be described as a singable one. I t ju m p s a b o u t on th e strin g s, is p lay ed p izzicato , a n d seem s to h o p from one to n e to a n o th e r. T h e changes in th e a m o u n t of to n e or volum e can well be illu s tra te d b y u sin g th e signs for crescendo* a n d dim inuendo .* stro n g s o ft

~

s o ft

T hese c o n tra s ts b etw een stro n g a n d soft, or crescendo of to n e, seem like w aves of so u n d as th e " S c h e rz o ” m oves along to th e single chord w hich b rin g s i t to a su d d en close. I n th e " M a rc h ,” how ever, th e m elo d y as w ell as th e rh y th m h as a definite q u a lity . T h e tru m p e ts p re p a re th e w a y for th e p rin c ip a l m elody w ith a b rillia n t call, w hich is q u ite different fro m th e so ft to n e of th e m elo d y itself. P R IN C IP A L M E L O D Y

o di

m a r era

%-y I w 7 W J".Z— ------t----- ^ . 717*. 7

^ * 773 . ” m ... -zs-m L"',r

\ip ------- —

V

T h e ch o rd s in th e acco m p an im en t are p la y e d in sta c c a to style, a n d th is suggests a s o rt of " s tiff-k n e e d ,” je rk y step . T h is effect is g re a tly increased

66

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P ro g r ess

b y th e crisp to n e of th e strin g s as th e y p la y th e tu n e of th e p rin cip al m elody. B eg in n in g so ftly a t first, th e m usic grow s stro n g er u n til su d d en ly th e tru m p e ts ag ain sing o u t w ith a tu n e w hich begins like th is :

r-Q—, mf

» t # *» ■_;■ j_jL __ • ■__■ nrro 1~J~J —m—J

i.

m

,

-

— 1 ----- m

T h e h arm o n ies a n d th e p a tte r n of th e m elodies are u n u su a l a n d in d icate t h a t so m ethin g curious is going on in th e ac tio n of th e sto ry . A t le n g th th e p rin cip al m elo d y re tu rn s w ith g re a tly increased volum e. T h is is follow ed im m e d ia te ly b y a n o th e r passage, w hich begins so ftly a t first, b u t m oves ste a d ily on a n d u p u n til th e p rin cip al m elody is s ta te d for th e th ird tim e. T h is passes in to a group of chords th a t m ove in opposite d irectio n s, like th is :

a n d before we realize it e v e ry th in g is over. W h a t k in d of m usic com es to y o u r m in d w ith th e w ord " scherzo ” ? I n th is m usic b y Prokofieff we h av e n o ticed g re a t differences in th e volum e of to n e. 1. C an y o u com pare th e effects in th is m usic a n d th o se y o u h av e h e a rd in th e B eeth o v en scherzo fro m th e S ev en th S y m p h o n y (p. 29) ? 2. D o y o u rem em b er th e S uite b y P u rce ll (P relude, p. 50) ? C an you com pare th e in s tru m e n ts u sed in t h a t p erfo rm an ce w ith th o se of th e o rc h e stra u sed b y P rokofieff? 3. D o th e h arm o n ies in his " S c h e rz o ” an d " M a r c h ” m ak e a n y special im pression on y o u ? 4. H ow are th e y d ifferen t fro m th e h arm o n ies in " C la ir de L u n e ” ? T H E COMPOSER Im ag in e a b lo n d R u ssia n g ia n t w ith h an d s so large it seem s as th o u g h he m ig h t ta k e u p th e p ian o a n d to ss it lig h tly o u t to th e audience as a n o th e r person w ould th ro w a b o u q u e t of flowers. H e arran g es his ta ll figure a t th e in s tru m e n t a n d seizes a b u n c h of keys w ith each h an d . So he m ig h t look if h e w ere to p la y his Classical S y m p h o n y or th e " M a r c h ” fro m The Love fo r Three Oranges on th e p iano. B u t if Prokofieff can m ak e th e p ian o reso u n d u n d e r his ow n pow er, w h a t can he do w ith th e o rc h e stra ? H e seem s to co m m an d it w ith a w hip,

Im p r e ss io n s a n d C o lo r

67

m ak in g th e in s tru m e n ts do new a n d stran g e th in g s. H e uses th e wood w inds* (p. 90) in a w ay t h a t is b o th original a n d u n u su al. B ecause he re m a in e d in R u ssia a fte r th e rev o lu tio n , his m usic h as m a n y rad ical q u alities. H is rh y th m s are full of energy, his m elo d y d irec t, a n d his phrases clean -cu t a n d sh a rp ly m ark ed . Prokofieff, like P u sh k in (p b o sh 'k m ), th e fam ous R u ssia n p o et, cam e from th e U k ra in e (u 'k ra n ), in so u th w est R u ssia. H e w as b ro u g h t u p on tho se sam e v a s t step p es, w ith th e ir m oods of cloud a n d sunshine. A t th e age of seven he w as ta k e n to M oscow , w here he h e a rd tw o o p e r a s : F aust, b y G ou n o d (goo-n5'), a n d P rince Igor (e-gor'), b y B o ro d in (b o r'o -d in '). H e w as so e n th u sia stic a b o u t th ese operas t h a t he w ro te one of his own, called The G iant. T h is w as p erfo rm ed for his fam ily a n d friends. H e beg an serious s tu d y w hen o n ly te n y ears old, a n d g ra d u a te d from th e con­ se rv a to ry ju s t th re e m o n th s before th e o u tb re a k of th e W o rld W ar. H e co n tin u e d to live a n d w ork in R u s s ia ; b u t a fte r th e B olshevik (bol-she-vek') re v o lu tio n living conditions w ere v e ry difficult, a n d th e o p p o rtu n itie s for p erfo rm an ce of his com positions w ere so few th a t he decided to com e to A m erica. A lth o u g h it w as h a rd to o b ta in th e m o n ey an d , ab o v e all, th e p a ssp o rt to go to a foreign co u n try , he succeeded in g e ttin g th e perm ission of th e g o v ern m e n t a n d a large lo an from his new p u b lish er, K o u ssev itzk y (k o o -se-v it'sk e), w ho a t th e p re se n t tim e is th e co n d u c to r of th e B oston S y m p h o n y O rc h estra. T h e m em bers of th e g o v ern m e n t said to P ro k o fie ff: " Y o u are re v o lu tio n a ry in a r t as we are in politics : y o u o u g h t n o t to leave us now , b u t th e n y o u w ish it. H ere is y o u r p a s s p o rt.” I t w as th e n t h a t Prokofieff m ad e th e long trip to J a p a n across Siberia. T h is crossing of th e R u ssia n te rrito ry in th e m id st of civil w ar to o k tw e n ty six day s, a n d it w as in d eed an a d v e n tu re . A fter giving som e concerts in Ja p a n , he a rriv e d in N ew Y o rk C ity , b y w ay of H o n o lu lu a n d S an F rancisco, in A u g u st, 1918, a b o u t th re e m o n th s before th e A rm istice w as declared. A m erica w elcom ed h im w ith in te r e s t; a n d alth o u g h m a n y d id n o t like his m o d ern sty le of w ritin g , th e d irec to r of th e C hicago O p era A ssociation req u ested h im to w rite a n opera. H e accep ted th e in v ita tio n a n d com posed The Love fo r Three Oranges. T h is opera h a d its first p erfo rm an ce in C hicago in 1919. I t h as since b een p erfo rm ed in m a n y o th e r p a r ts of th e w orld. Prokofieff now lives in P a ris, w here he spends m o st of his tim e com ­ posing new w orks of v ario u s k inds.

F or y e a rs a n d y ears, as fa r b a c k as we can rem em b er, w hen people h av e th o u g h t of in s tru m e n ta l m usic th e y THE h av e th o u g h t m ain ly of strin g ed in stru m e n ts. M a n y of th e com positions w ritte n in th e e a rly d ay s w ere for th e STRING strin g s, singly, a n d in groups. CHOIR M a n y p ersons w ho know little a b o u t m usic a n d th e d ifferen t w ays of expressing it know w h a t a violin looks like a n d can recognize its to n e as well as its ap p earan ce. N e a rly e v e ry classical* com poser w as a n excellent violinist, a n d w ith th e com ing of th e ro m a n tic * p erio d a g re a t ad v a n ce in a b ility a n d skill to o k place. W . J . H en d erso n , a t one tim e a w ell-know n m usic w rite r in N ew Y o rk , said of th is in s tru m e n t, " I t is th e p rim a d o n n a * of th e s trin g choir a n d is b o th a c o lo ra tu ra * a n d d ra m a tic sin g er.”

Indian Lament A

nton

D

vorak

[V . R. G 543 B

(1841—1904), B oh em ian com poser. L ivin g in A m e ric a a t the sam e tim e : G r o v e r C l e v e l a n d .

I n Prelude, p ag e 105, we listen ed to som e m usic w hich w as originally w ritte n for p ian o , b u t la te r tra n sc rib e d for violin a n d p ian o b y one of th e b est-k n o w n v io lin ists of th e p re se n t tim e, F ritz K re isle r (k ris'le r). B u t A n to n D v o ra k com posed th is m usic for th e violin a n d p ian o . I n its original fo rm it w as th e second m o v em en t of a so n a tin a * a n d carried th e h ead in g Larghetto.* T h e com poser cam e to th is c o u n try to d ire c t th e N a tio n a l C o n se rv a to ry of M usic, in N ew Y o rk . H e w as v e ry hom esick for his n a tiv e c o u n try a n d his fam ily , a n d so he w ro te th is so n a tin a for his children. I t is in te re stin g to kn o w t h a t th is is th e la s t w ork w hich he com posed in A m erica. T h is m usic is like a te n d e r cradle song a n d h a s som e of th e q u alities of a folk tu n e . A lth o u g h it w as originally w ritte n for violin, F ritz K reisler re a rra n g e d it a n d a t th e sam e tim e changed th e title to " I n d ia n L a m e n t.” TH E MUSIC T h e op en in g m elo d y , in th e m in o r m ode, h a s a w istfu l q u a lity , m ixed w ith a to u c h of sad n ess. I t is m a rk e d andante. F IR S T T H E M E

\ A ndante X Xth—z= n—m—m—m— m— m - r / " " H — rr-' m ~ v--—J •J P D o yc>u re3C0 gn ize aily tl lin g In d ia n in this 3 n m sic ? 68

~

m

m

J J

T h e S tr in g C h o ir

69

T h e m ode, as well as th e m ood, of th e m usic c h a n g e s ; a n d th e new m elo d y seem s m ore hopeful a n d h a p p y . i

Sem plice

SE C O N D T H E M E

Im

i

£

1. D o y o u notice a n y change in th e sty le of th e a c c o m p a n im e n t in th is new p assag e? 2. C a n y o u describe i t? A n in terlu d e, w hich does n o t tell e x a c tly w h a t we m a y ex p ect, carries us in to a sectio n m a rk e d in th e score poco p iit mosso.* T H IR D T H E M E Poco p izi mosso

P

r

DOUBLE STOPS T h e single m elo d y h as now d eveloped in to a tw o -p a rt song. I t resem bles a d u e t for so p ran o a n d alto . I n o rd er to pro d u ce th is effect of tw o to n es sou n d in g to g e th e r, th e v io lin ist h as to p la y on tw o strin g s a t th e sam e tim e a n d so d raw s th e bow across tw o strin g s in ste a d of one. S to p p in g is a w ord u sed to describe th e placing of th e fingers of th e left h a n d on th e finger b o a rd * of strin g e d in stru m e n ts, a n d m ean s " t o sto p th e strin g fro m v ib ra tin g along its full le n g th ." L ook for th e finger b o a rd in th e c u t opposite page 90. Y ou will find it u n d e r th e strin g s, a long flat piece of w ood. S to p p in g th e strin g s so as to p la y each to n e in tu n e calls for a good ear a n d ex act skill. T h in k , th e n , how m u ch m ore is re q u ired to p la y cor­ re c tly tw o to n es a t once. D o u b le tones, or tw o tones, to be p la y e d to g e th e r are called double stops. T h e a c t of p la y in g in th is m a n n e r is called " d o u b le sto p p in g ." TH E ACCOMPANIMENT I n m a n y com positions th e ac co m p an im e n t ad d s a g re a t d eal to th e gen eral effect. I n th is sectio n of th e " I n d ia n L a m e n t" th e re seem s to be a c o n s ta n t m u rm u r in th e p ia n o p a r t, w hich is n o t a t all u n in te re stin g b u t

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P ro g r ess

r a th e r gives firm su p p o rt to th e d u e t above it. T h is effect, k n o w n as pedal p o in t,* h as b een h e a rd in o th e r com positions to w hich y o u h av e listened. 1. C a n y o u n am e a n y of th ese com positions a n d com pare th e m w ith th is m u sic? 2. D o y o u rem em b er a n o th e r n am e w hich is som etim es given to p ed al p o in t ? HARMONICS T h e first m elo d y re tu rn s an d passes in to a sh o rt coda. T h e violin p lay s a little tu n e w hich v e ry n e a rly covers th e e n tire ra n g e of th e in stru m e n t. I n o rd er to p ro d u ce th e h ig h est to n es in th is tu n e th e v io lin ist is re q u ired to sto p th e strin g in a special w ay. I n a d d itio n to pressin g th e s trin g firm ly w ith th e finger tip , h e to u ch es th e strin g v e ry lig h tly a t a n o th e r p o in t. T h is causes th e v ib ra tio n of only a p a r t of th e strin g , a n d th u s only a p a rtia l to n e is p ro d u ced . U su ally th is p a rtia l to n e is h ig h er th a n a real to n e p ro d u c ed from th e sam e sto p p in g p o in t. I t h as a clear, so m ew h at shrill, w h istlin g to n e w hich som etim es a d d s a sw eet q u a lity to th e m usic. Such to n es are called harmonics. W e h a v e a lre a d y learn ed t h a t Dvor& k cam e from th e people a n d w as fa m iliar w ith th e ir folk m usic. T h erefo re it is to be ex p ected t h a t his original com positions will h av e som e of th e q u alitie s a n d th e n a tu ra l fresh ­ ness of folk m usic. T h e sin cerity of his m usic h as a n u n u su a l ch arm . C a n y o u n am e som e of th e th in g s in th is com position w hich p ro v e th e t r u t h of th is s ta te m e n t? CHAMBER MUSIC F o r ce n tu rie s people th o u g h t of m usic as so m eth in g to be sung, n o t p lay ed . B u t a fte r a tim e com posers cam e to realize t h a t th e y could w rite m u ch m ore c o n tra stin g m usic for in s tru m e n ts th a n for voices, because in­ s tru m e n ts h a d g re a te r p o ssib ilities of ra n g e a n d color th a n voices. T h ere­ fore, i t w as n o t so n ecessary to lim it th e difficulties in in s tru m e n ta l pieces. N a tu ra lly , com posers w ho h a d been a rra n g in g th e ir songs for from th re e to six voices w ro te th e ir in s tru m e n ta l pieces in a sim ilar w ay. T hese pieces w ere p erfo rm ed in a sm all room . T h e Ita lia n s called such perform ances m usica da camera (room m usic, or " c h a m b e r m u s ic ” ). Since t h a t tim e th e te rm h as b een used to m ean m usic w hich is especially su ita b le for p erfo rm an ce in a p riv a te hom e or sm all hall. I t is frien d ly m usic a n d in m a n y w ays is q u ite d ifferen t fro m th e m usic t h a t is p erfo rm ed in a larg e a u d ito riu m .

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W h en noble fam ilies becam e in te re ste d in th e c u ltiv a tio n a n d progress of in s tru m e n ta l m usic, e a rly in th e se v e n te e n th c e n tu ry , " c h a m b e r m u s ic " dev eloped as a definite fo rm of m usic com position. T h e concerts w ere o ften given in th e p riv a te ch am bers, or room s, of th e ro y al palace or of th e houses of th e n o b ility . T hese co n certs w ere n o t for th e p ublic b u t w ere given for th e e n te rta in m e n t of th e ro y a l fam ily a n d its guests or th e nobles. T h e se rv a n ts of th e ho usehold w ere u su a lly th e perform ers, a lth o u g h som e m em b ers of ro y a lty an d of th e n o b ility them selves p lay ed m usical in stru m e n ts. C a n y o u n am e a n y fam ous com posers w ho w ere em ployed b y som e ro y a l or noble fam ily to fu rn ish p riv a te co n c erts? F o r y e a rs ch am b er m usic d ep en d ed u p o n th e friendliness a n d su p p o rt of noble a n d w e a lth y persons, a n d w h en ev er t h a t s u p p o rt w as u n c e rta in th e d e v e lo p m en t of ch am b er m usic w as g re a tly h in d ered . L ittle b y little , how ever, th e ty p e s of in stru m e n ts im p ro v ed , skill in p erfo rm an ce ad v a n ced , a n d m ore a n d m ore people h e a rd th ese p ro g ram s p re se n te d b y sm all g roups a n d liked th e sty le of th e com positions w hich th e y p lay ed . T h e in creasin g p o p u la rity of th is fo rm called " c h a m b e r m u s ic " h a d a n influence on th e p la y e r a n d caused h im to w ork h a rd in o rd e r to g ain g re a te r skill. T h is k in d of m usic is p o p u lar to d a y , a n d p ro b ­ a b ly a g re a t n u m b e r of listen ers h a v e h e a rd som e com positions in th is form e ith e r in co n cert or on th e rad io . I n a d d itio n th e re are a n u m b e r of " f e s tiv a ls " ev e ry y e a r to enco urage th e d ev e lo p m en t a n d g ro w th of m usical p erfo rm an ces of th is k in d . TH E ORGANIZATION OF A STRING QUARTET T h e strin g q u a r te t is one of th e sm all groups or in s tru m e n ta l co m bina­ tions u sed in ch am b er m usic. I t m a y seem stra n g e t h a t th e ro y a l fam ilies Df th e se v e n te e n th c e n tu ry , w ho w ere fo rev er schem ing a g a in st one a n o th er, sould h av e been responsible for th e beg in n in g of such a g roup as th e strin g q u a rte t. B u t w hen H a y d n w as em p lo y ed b y P rin ce E s te rh a z y (es-ter-ha'ze) [Prelude, p. 71) he chose fo u r p lay ers, all strin g s, to m ak e u p his g roup for playing ch a m b e r m usic. T h en , as now , th e h o n e sty a n d b e a u ty of su ch m isical p erfo rm an ces ap p ealed to th e people w ho h e a rd th em . TH E PLAYERS T h e in s tru m e n ts w hich com m only m ak e u p th e strin g q u a r te t are first riolin, second violin, viola, a n d cello. As a co n cert o rg an izatio n a group )f th is size is p o p u la r fro m a p ra c tic a l as well as a m usical p o in t of view .

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T h e n u m b e r is sm all, th e p ro b lem s of tra n s p o rta tio n , expenses, a n d salaries are m u ch sim pler to m an ag e th a n th o se of a large sy m p h o n y o rc h e stra or even a n o rc h e stra of m o d e ra te size. T h e fo u r p lay ers can ta k e th e ir in s tru ­ m en ts, m usic, a n d ra ck s u n d e r th e ir a rm s a n d go to a n y sp o t selected for a reh earsal or co n cert. T h e y can begin to p la y soon a fte r th e y arriv e, because th e o n ly o th e r th in g s w h ich are n eed ed are fo u r chairs a n d enough lig h tin g to re a d th e scores. N o r is i t necessary for a strin g q u a r te t to p la y on th e sta g e or p la tfo rm of an a u d ito riu m . T h e p lay ers feel q u ite a t hom e in a ro o m of a house, or in a sm all hall. T h e first v io lin ist u su a lly is th e leader, a n d as a ru le th e p lay ers g ro u p them selv es according to one of th ese p l a n s : V iola E x a m ple

I V io lin I

Cello \ V io lin I I

E x a m ple

II

V io lin I I / V io lin I

Cello \ V iola

T h e s trin g q u a r te t d em an d s p erfect team w o rk . E a c h p la y e r is im p o rta n t a n d sh ares th e h o n o rs w ith th e o th e rs in frie n d ly m usical conversations. A n y p erso n al am b itio n to ex h ib it a b ility or to " sh o w o ff" in a n y m a n n e r n ev e r ap p ears. T h e p erfect m a n n e r in w hich th e y p la y to g e th e r, th e b le n d ­ in g of to n e, th e u n ity in tim e a n d rh y th m w hich th e p lay ers o b ta in th ro u g h team w o rk , create a feeling of friendliness w hich is one of th e chief q u alitie s of s trin g -q u a rte t p lay in g . T H E INSTRUMENTS E a c h of th e fo u r in s tru m e n ts h as a p lay in g ran g e of a t le a st th re e octaves* fro m th e low est to th e h ig h est to n es. T h e ran g e of th e com bined in s tru ­ m en ts, fro m th e low est to n e of th e cello to th e h ig h est to n e of th e violin, eq u als o v er five o ctaves. Som e to n es in th e m id d le re g ister * can be p lay ed on all th re e in stru m e n ts, because th e ran g es ov erlap . B u t th e v e ry low n o tes can be p la y e d o n ly on th e cello, a n d th e v e ry hig h n o tes o n ly on th e violin. T h e viola is like a violin of low er p itc h a n d d eeper q u a lity of to n e. T h is is d ue to th e fa c t t h a t th e strin g s are th ic k e r a n d h ea v ie r a n d th e in s tru m e n t itself is larger. T hese in s tru m e n ts are fu lly described in " O rc h e s tra s a n d T h e ir C o n d u c­ t o r s ” (pages 85—99). I n th e strin g choir of th e o rc h e stra th e viola m a y be used e ith e r as the a lto or ten o r, since e ith e r voice b len d s w ith th e o th e r in stru m e n ts. I t all dep en d s u p o n th e w ay in w hich th e com poser w ishes to use th e in stru m e n ts to express his m usic.

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IM PORTANCE OF EACH INSTRUM ENT T h e to n e q u alitie s of th e in s tru m e n ts in th e strin g choir are v e ry sim ilar, since th e to n e is p ro d u c ed in th e sam e w ay on all of th e m . T h is sim ila rity )f to n e q u a lity is im p o rta n t, for i t allow s th e m usical in te re s t to be eq u ally livided am o n g th e v ario u s p a rts . All m elodies are n o t given to th e first riolin, b u t th e m usic is a rra n g e d so t h a t th e second violin, viola, or cello n a y som etim es c a rry th e tu n e or in tro d u ce new rh y th m ic figures. T h e ;om position of m usic for a s trin g q u a rte t is n o t so e a sy as i t m ig h t ap p e ar. !t calls for g re a t m u sical skill, as well as a know ledge of, a n d feeling for, io u n terp o in t.* A lth o u g h th e q u alities of to n e of th ese d ifferen t in s tru m e n ts h av e a general likeness, y e t th e y are n o t so m u ch alike as to be u n in te re stin g . T h e lifferences in size h av e a n effect on th e ran g e a n d change th e to n e q u a lity snough to give each in s tru m e n t a c e rta in c h a ra c te r all its ow n. W hile it is m possible for th e strin g q u a r te t to p ro d u ce such v a rie ty in color or so g re at i volum e as can be p ro d u c ed b y th e full o rc h estra, w here th e re are c o n tra sts Detween th e b ra ss, w ood-w ind, strin g , a n d percussion choirs (pp. 89 -9 4 ), still its m usic can be q u ite th rillin g . T h ere are som e th in g s t h a t m ak e u p 'or th e lack of v a rie ty in color a n d for th e sm aller volum e of to n e. T h e v ay in w hich th e m elodic a n d rh y th m ic p a tte rn s in a w ell-w rit te n strin g q u artet w eave in a n d o u t is so a ttra c tiv e a n d in te re s tin g t h a t th ese p a t­ terns w in p raise fo r th e ir ow n b e a u ty w ith o u t th e h elp of o rc h e stra l color >r volum e. M u sic for a s trin g q u a r te t is like a n e tc h in g w ith sh a rp a n d ;lean lines. I t a p p e a rs to be sim ple, b u t is so full of carefu l d e ta il in its lesign t h a t it req u ires th e k een est a tte n tio n . A com position for th e >rchestra m ig h t be co m p ared to a n oil p a in tin g , w ith its suggestion of iction in color a n d line. B o th ty p e s in m usic as w ell as in p ic tu re s can >rovide m u c h p leasu re. FORM OF STRING QUARTET MUSIC Since H a y d n w as th e first com poser to develop th e strin g q u a rte t, it w as ta tu ra l t h a t m usic w ritte n for it should follow th e p a tte r n of th e sy m p h o n y >f his d a y a n d h a v e th e sam e classical* p la n (page 37). C om posers k e p t o th is sty le u n til close to th e n in e te e n th c e n tu ry , a n d th ere fo re m a n y of he w ell-know n s trin g q u a rte ts are like a sy m p h o n y a n d h av e four m oveaents. W e h a v e a lre a d y learn ed t h a t th e scherzo to o k th e p lace of th e ain u et as th e th ird m o v e m e n t in a sy m p h o n y . I t d id th e sam e th in g in he strin g q u a r te t a n d is g en erally sh o rt, b rig h t, a n d p lay fu l, p ro v id in g a a p p y c o n tra s t to th e o th e r m o v em en ts.

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

Scherzo from String Quartet No. 2, in D Mai or CV. R. G 544 J A l e x a n d e r B o r o d in

(1833—1887), Russian c o m p o s e r - Living in America at the same time:

L o u is a M a y A l c o t t .

B o ro d in d e d ic a te d th is Q u a rte t N o. 2 to his wife, an d th e e n tire com p o sitio n is full of p o e try a n d b e a u ty . H e follow ed his ow n idea a n d departec fro m th e classical a rra n g e m e n t of th e m o v em en ts b y placing th e scherzi as th e second m o v em en t. THE MUSIC T h e opening m elo d y is lig h t-h e a rte d an d gay, n o t a b it like th e gloomy sp irit w hich som e people to o often associate w ith th e R u ssia n disposition C an y o u rem em b er som e com positions b y o th e r R u ssia n com posers anc nam e som e of th e q u alitie s w hich th e y possess? F IR S T T H E M E

T h ere seem s to be one p rin cip al m elodic figure, or m o tto , w hich hurriei ab o u t, d a rtin g fro m one p a r t of th e scale to a n o th e r in re p e titio n or ii sequence. B o ro d in selected 3 /4 m easu re as one well su ited to th is lig h t, rhythm ic m usic. T h e a c cen t on th e first b e a t of each m easu re seem s to h av e an effec on th e m o tio n of th e follow ing to n e s ; it ap p e ars, to set th e m going. T h is th e m e co n tin u es w ith a sh o rt d u e t for th e first a n d second violins T h e cello a n d th e n th e v io la su p p ly th e acco m p an im en t, w hich is soft an< p lay ed pizzicato . As th o u g h to a d d new life to th e la st h alf of th is firs th em e, B o ro d in h as a c cen ted th e second b e a t in th e m easu re a n d change< th e bow ing to p ro d u ce s ta c c a to notes. I t seem s as th o u g h he m u s t h a v liked d u ets, b ecause th is m usic is w ritte n in th e p a tte r n of tw o d u e ts goin; along a t th e sam e tim e . T h e first violin a n d cello p la y one, a n d th e secom violin an d v io la p la y th e o th er. T h e b e st p a r t of i t is t h a t all th e p a r t com bine to m ak e p leasa n t-so u n d in g m usic w hich is d elig h tfu l to h e a r. A new sectio n m a rk e d M eno mosso p molto cantabile e dolce* on th score in tro d u c e s a d re a m y songlike th em e w hich h as th e feeling of a w aits

T h e S tr in g C h o ir

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SEC O N D T H E M E

t

Meno Mieno mosso m osso

________________________________________________________________________________ ____

poco rit.

B orodin w as in te re s te d in tra v e lin g ab o u t, v isitin g cities a n d co u n tries w here a n ac tiv e m u sical life could be found. T h e second th em e show s th e influence of a fam o u s c ity w hich we have a lre a d y discussed. 1. C an y o u tell w h a t c ity it is? 2. W h a t c ity do y o u asso ciate w ith th e w altz ? 3. W h y ? 4. C an y o u n am e a n y of th e w altzes w hich cam e fro m th is sam e c ity ? T h e c o n tra s t b etw een th e first a n d second th em es is v e ry m ark ed , y e t th e re are a few th in g s com m on to b o th of th em . T hese are (a) d u e t s ; a n d (b) re p e titio n s a n d sequences. As th e second m elo d y flows on, it seem s to grow ; fo r som e of its p h rases* are ex ten d ed to tw ice th e ir u su a l length. I t is th e k in d of m e rry tu n e t h a t keeps singing in o u r m em o ry for days. U n d e rn e a th it we h e a r th e cello p lay in g som e ra p id arpeggios* as an acco m p an im en t. N ow we com e to a m o st in te re stin g section of th is scherzo. A t first th e re is a co m b in atio n of th e h u rrie d little figure, or m o tto , fro m th e first th em e a n d th e arpeggio acco m p an im en t fro m th e second th em e. I t h as th e effect of a m u sical co n v ersatio n . T h e figure fro m th e first th em e is re p e a te d a n d to ssed fro m one in s tru m e n t to a n o th e r. T h e n th e w altz m elody, or second th em e, e n te rs an d is h e a rd along w ith th e first th em e. A t la s t th e first th em e re tu rn s ju s t as we h e a rd it in th e beginning. T h e w altz th em e is h e a rd also, b u t th is tim e a t a h ig h er p itc h . T h e coda, w hich is m ad e u p fro m th e m usic of th e first th em e, b rin g s th e scherzo to a close w ith som e p izzicato chords p lay ed v e ry softly. 1. W h a t is th e m ood of th is m u sic? 2. Is it like a n y o th e r scherzo to w hich y o u h av e liste n e d ? 3. Is it like th e scherzo fro m B eeth o v en 's S ev en th S y m p h o n y (p. 29) or th e scherzo fro m th e in cid en tal m usic for A M id su m m e r N ig h t’s D ream , b y M endelssohn (m en'del-son) (Prelude, p. 61) ? A COMPOSER W HO WAS ALSO A SCIENTIST A lexander B o ro d in w as a gentle, q u iet b o y w ho w as eq u a lly d ev o ted to m usic a n d to ch em istry . L ike so m a n y boys, he fixed u p a la b o ra to ry , or w orkroom , in his ow n ro o m a n d sp e n t hours th e re m a k in g firew orks. H is

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m o th e r se t h e r h e a rt on his becom ing a d o cto r, so w hen he w as sixteen he w en t to th e S t. P e te rs b u rg A cadem y of M edicine. A lth o u g h stu d y in g m edicine, he still k e p t u p his in te re s t in m usic. H is first m usical im pressions cam e from concerts given b y m ilita ry b an d s. H e used to scrap e u p an a c q u a in ta n c e w ith th e play ers, th e n tr y th e in s tru ­ m en ts to see how th e y w ere used. As a y o u n g m a n he p lay ed th e cello. I n o rd er to ta k e p a r t in s trin g q u a rte ts w ith his friends he w ould tra m p seven m iles of a n ev en in g w ith th e big in s tru m e n t u n d e r his arm . T h e n th e g ro u p w ould p la y for tw e n ty -fo u r ho u rs w ith o u t a sto p . T h e com poser first b eg an to w rite tru ly n a tio n a l m usic w hen he becam e a c q u a in te d w ith R im sk y -K o rsak o v (rim 'sk e k o r'sa-k o f) {A t H om e and Abroad, p ag e 85) a n d his friends. T hese R u ssia n s w ere try in g to b rin g b ac k th e old vigorous m usic of R ussia, w hich h a d d isap p ea red u n d e r F re n c h a n d G erm an influences. B o rodin becam e one of th e fam ous g ro u p of R u ssian com posers k n o w n as " T h e F i v e / ’ w ho w orked w ith th is as th e ir goal. R im sk y -K o rsak o v tells a n am using sto ry of how B oro d in m ixed his science a n d his m usic. I often found him at work in his laboratory and he would lead me to his rooms. B ut even in the midst of playing or talking, he would jum p up all of a sudden and fly to his tubes and burners to make sure th a t all was well. As he w ent about he would fill the air w ith unbelievable sequences of intervals,* which he bellowed at the top of his voice. B ecause of his m a n y in te re sts he h a d little tim e for m usic, a n d w ro te a friend, " I am n ev e r ab le to p u t m y m in d on com position ex cep t d u rin g m y su m m er h o lid ay , or w hen som e sickness com pels m e to keep to m y ro o m s.” Y e t he h a s left a g re a t n u m b e r of com positions of different kinds, w hich are full of ric h color a n d deep feeling. I t is in te re stin g to know t h a t th e S oviet g o v ern m e n t a few y ears ago d ed ica te d a m o n u m e n t to B orodin, n o t as a te stim o n y to his m usical con­ trib u tio n s b u t because of his m edical services to th e R u ssia n people.

can say alm o st a n y ­ th in g th e y choose in m usic, be­ AN cause th e y can m ak e u p th e ir ow n m elodies, rh y th m ic p a tte rn s , ORCHESTRAL PROGRAM a n d harm onies, a n d th e n arran g e OF THE th e m for a n y in s tru m e n t or com ­ b in a tio n of in stru m e n ts w hich is TWENTIETH CENTURY b e st su ited to express th e id ea b eh in d th e com position. T h e y can even tell a joke t h a t is ju s t as fu n n y a n d w itty in m usic as in th e spo k en or w ritte n w ord. C om p osers

HUMOR IN MUSIC W e h av e h e a rd su ch pieces of m usic a n d h a v e fo u n d t h a t th e y ap p e al to o ur sense of h u m o r. I n som e cases th e fu n is fo u n d in th e th em e a n d th e w ay in w hich th e com poser h a s tre a te d it. 1. D o y o u recall th e " F u g a to on a W ell-K now n T h e m e ” b y R o b e rt M cB rid e ? 2. H ow d id h e tell his jo k e ? 3. C an y o u n am e a n y o th e r selection in w hich th e com poser g o t his id ea fro m a h u m o ro u s s to ry ? 4. C an y o u n am e a n y special w ays in w hich th e com poser to ld th e jok e in m u sic?

Facade Suite W il l ia m W a l t o n

(1 9 0 2 -

[v.r. 12034 a,b— 12035 a,b

), E n g lish com poser.

T h is m usic w as first w ritte n to acco m p an y som e am u sin g verses w ritte n b y E d ith Sitw ell, a n E n g lish w riter, a n d p u b lish ed u n d e r th e title Faqade. A t th e first p erfo rm an ce of th e m usic, th e p la tfo rm w as s e p a ra te d fro m th e aud ien ce b y a c u rta in on w hich a clow nish face w as p a in te d , h alf w hite, h a lf pin k . A m eg ap h o n e w as p u t in to th e m o u th , a n d th ro u g h th is E d ith Sitw ell a n d C o n s ta n t L a m b e rt, a frien d of W illiam W a lto n (a n d him self a w ell-know n com poser a n d a u th o r), recited th e verses. T h e stran g e rh y th m ic p a tte rn s a n d accen ts of th e poem w ere closely follow ed in th e p a tte rn s a n d accen ts of th e m usic. A n o rc h e stra s a t b eh in d th e c u rta in a n d acco m p an ied th e read in g of th e poem s. T h e w hole p er­ form ance w as v e ry am u sin g a n d delightful. L a te r th e com poser m ad e tw o o rc h estral su ites fro m th e se acco m p an i­ m e n ts to th e p o e try , a n d th e m usic w hich we are to h e a r is one of th em . 77

78

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • P r o g r e ss

TITLES OF TH E PIECES IN TH E SUITE T h ere are nine pieces, or m o v em en ts, in th e Facade (fa -sad ') su ite, u n d e r th e follow ing title s : Fanfare W altz C ountry Dance Polka Tango and Pasodoble Scotch Rhapsodie Jodelling Song Popular Song T arantella Sevilliana TH E VERSES T h e poem s are rid iculous in th e pleasing, nonsensical w ay of th e J a b b e rw ocky in A lice in W onderland, b u t th e y are v e ry m usical. T h e y h av e a c a tc h y so rt of rh y th m , a n d th e re are m a n y re p e titio n s of th e vow el sounds. I n fa ct, th ese verses seem to m ak e sense u n til y o u re a d th e m w ith close a t t e n t i o n ; th e n y o u discover t h a t th e y are ridiculous. MUSIC OF TH E SUITE F anf are T h is w ord is com m only given to a n a n n o u n c e m e n t or call m ad e b y a flourish of tru m p e ts , such as is used in c o u rt assem blies, m ilita ry cere­ m onies, or h u n tin g p a rtie s. I t alw ays produces a d ra m a tic effect. C an y o u recall th e fan fare t h a t announces th e new sreels? I n th e Faqade su ite th e " F a n fa re ” is v e ry sh o rt, a n d in a d d itio n to th e tru m p e ts th e d ru m s a n d piccolo are h ea rd . I t is like a n in tro d u c tio n to th e e n tire su ite. Polka I n h er verse for th is n u m b e r M iss Sitw ell b e g in s : " T ra la la la See me dance the p o lk a/' Said Mr. Wagg like a bear, "W ith my top h at And m y whiskers th at (Tra la la) trap the F air." T h e po em co n tin u es m errily , en d in g w ith a re p e titio n of th e first sta n z a a n d th e jo lly " l a la la .” T h is v e ry rh y th m ic " P o l k a ” begins w ith a n in tro d u c tio n p lay ed b y th e percussion in s tru m e n ts * (page 93). A lth o u g h th e re is a n occasional sug­ gestion of a m elody, th e re is no definite th em e u n til th e " P o l k a ” is n e a rly

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over. T h e n th e m elo d y w hich h as been suggested from tim e to tim e m ak es itself h eard . I t begins as fo llo w s: -

fr ' ~ •

■■m —

m

1-* L b r—

laUjTJ— 1

1. C an y o u give a n y in fo rm a tio n a b o u t a p o lk a ? 2. W h a t is th e u su al rh y th m of th e p o lk a ? 3. D oes th is " P o l k a ” use th e re g u la r rh y th m of th e d a n c e ? Jodelling Song T h is th ird n u m b e r of th e su ite begins w ith th is solo m e lo d y :

§ 3 T h e w ood w inds a d d som e d eco ratio n s, an d th e re are tin k lin g sounds w hich suggest cow bells. T h e oboe p lay s a fam iliar th em e fro m th e o pera W illia m Tell,

A nd w h y n o t, w hen th e v erse re a d s : M an m ust say farewell To parents now, And to William Tell And Mrs. Cow. In d e ed , th e first five n o tes of th e first m elody suggest a tu n e for yodeling (th is is th e m o st com m on w ay of spelling th e w ord). T h is k in d of song is alw ays asso ciated w ith S w itzerlan d, w here m o u n ta in clim bers call b ac k a n d fo rth w ith a curious change fro m re al to fa lse tto * voice. T h is m elodic figure c o n sta n tly p u shes its w ay in to th e m usic, now low, now high, an d is alw ay s p lay ed b y th e w ood w inds. W a ltz

W e associate th e w ord waltz w ith a graceful rh y th m ic m o tio n a n d sm ooth-flow ing m elody. W h a t n am es of com posers or m u sical selections com e to y o u r m in d w hen th e w ord w altz is m e n tio n e d ?

80

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * P ro g r ess

T h ere are a few m easures of in tro d u c tio n , w hich give th e r h y th m of th e w altz, a n d th e n we h e a r th e opening m elody, w hich begins like t h i s : F IR S T M ELO D Y

1i^ f-r-^yrrrrr-f[ffrfTrrfI t is p lay ed b y th e flute, la te r b y th e clarin et, an d finally is passed on to th e strings. T h is sectio n is n o t v e ry long. A new a n d m ore singable m elody en ters, a n d th e change in k ey , as well as in th e g en eral m ean in g of th e m elody, offers a pleasing c o n tra st. I t is possible to sing or w histle th is tu n e , w hich m oves along in th is m a n n e r : SE C O N D M EL O D Y

. A i J

jiJ J jiJ J J i« L _ L J ^

T h is m elo d y is progressing v e ry well w hen i t is su d d en ly in te rru p te d b y a passage w hich is p lay ed b y th e b ass in s tru m e n ts a n d begins as fo llo w s: y-

l= H

m ""a ..

... m.

m 1 _

B u t th e second m elody re tu rn s a n d closes th is section. T h e first m elody is h ea rd once m ore a n d b rin g s th e " W a ltz ” to a n end. T h is m u sic is well su ited to th e verses, w hich tell a b o u t rose castles a n d th e sea, w h en Nymphs of the fountains Descend from the mountains Like elegant willows On their deep barouche 1 pillows. Tango and Pasodoble

*

W e th in k of th e tan g o as com ing fro m S pain or M exico. I t is a lively dance in d u p le* rh y th m a n d w ith w ell-m arked accents. P aso d o b le (pa-sod o 'b la) is th e S panish for a special k in d of dan ce step . I t s ex act m ean in g is " d o u b le s t e p / ' T h e d an cer s ta rts w ith his left foot, step s fo rw ard w ith th e rig h t, a n d d raw s th e left fo o t p a s t it. 1A

barouche is an elegant kind of open horse-drawn carriage.

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T h is m o v em en t, th e fifth of th e Fagade su ite, opens w ith a graceful m e lo d y : F IR S T M EL O D Y

T h e ac co m p an im e n t is in th e fa m iliar S p an ish rh y th m : m

n

i

H ow ever, we are aw are t h a t th e m ood h as su d d en ly changed w hen a chain of chords, one a fte r a n o th e r, m ove ch ro m a tica lly * u p th e scale, a n d th e g racefu l m o tio n of th e opening m easu res gives w ay to a vigorous expression of th e follow ing m elody, w hich is t h a t of th e P a s o d o b le : SE C O N D M E L O D Y

T h e volum e, or stre n g th , of th e to n e increases, a n d th e dance becom es m ore liv ely a n d exciting. T h e accen ts are clearly m ark ed , a n d th e m usic keeps grow ing lo u d er a n d lo uder. T h e oboe p la y s a long to n e an n o u n cin g th e re tu r n of th e first section. I t is so m ew h at different fro m th e w ay we h e a rd i t a t th e beginning, a n d u n d e rn e a th th e first m elody th e w ind in s tru ­ m e n ts p la y a th em e w hich re m in d s u s of a folk m elody. I t begins like th is :

j " J

■3

|

^ •

J 1^

|

J

.

I n th e m id st of all th ese tu n e s th e second m elo d y re tu rn s to close th e T an g o a n d P aso d o b le.” Popular Song I n th is m usic i t is h a rd to say w h a t p a rtic u la r fe a tu re b rin g s th e m o st e n jo y m e n t: th e rh y th m s of th e percussion in stru m e n ts, th e co m b in atio n of h ig h w ood w inds w ith th e tu b a s a n d bassoons, or th e sp ark lin g m elody, w h ich begins in th is w a y :

82

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

In d e e d it m a y be th e effect of all th re e th in g s com bined th a t m ak es us feel th e m e rry m ood of th e m usic. A n d so w hen th e la s t chord is h e a rd th e im pression is th a t W illiam W a lto n is a com poser w ith a k een sense of h u m or.

Country Dance A c o u n try dance is alm o st alw ays w ritte n in 6 /8 m eter, a n d th is one fol­ lows th e rule. T h e in tro d u c tio n begins w ith som e to n es p lay ed pizzicato a n d is follow ed b y an o d d little tu n e p lay ed b y th e flutes. E x c e p t for a brief passage in th e m iddle, th e e n tire dance is p lay ed b y th e high in s tru ­ m en ts, a n d th e re seem s to be an u n u su a l m ix tu re of keys. E v e n th e final chord seem s o u t of k ey a n d leaves us w ith a cu rio sity as to w h a t it is all ab o u t. Scotch Rhapsodic T h e te rm rhapsodie is given to a n in stru m e n ta l com position w hich is free in fo rm a n d does n o t, b y a n y rules, lim it th e com poser in expressing his ideas or im ag in atio n . A lth o u g h he m a y n o t use real S cotch m elodies, in th is sh o rt m usical sk e tc h W illiam W a lto n h as cleverly c a u g h t th e ir sp irit. T h e m o v em en t is filled w ith th e sim ple expression a n d n a tu ra l hap p in ess of t h a t n o rth e rn co u n try . T h e liv ely tem p o of th e m usic a n d th e g a ie ty expressed b y th e w ood w inds in im ita tin g th e b ag p ip es b o th give a v iv id im pression of som e h a p p y occasion w hen S cotch people g et to g e th e r to h av e a good tim e.

Tarantella Sevilliana T h e tarantella (ta r-a n -te l'a ) is th e nam e of a n I ta lia n dance. I t is in 6 /8 m eter, a n d v e ry lively. B y th e people of th e c o u n try a ro u n d T a ra n to , in th e s o u th of Ita ly , it u sed to be re g ard ed as th e cure for th e b ite of a spider called th e ta r a n tu la ( ta - r a n 'tu - la ) . I t w as th o u g h t if th e v ictim d an ced th e ta ra n te lla he w ould recover. L a te r it becam e a dance in ra p id tem p o a n d re g u la r rh y th m .* T h e u n u su a l rh y th m of th e ta ra n te lla sta n d s o u t v e ry clearly in th e first section of th is m o v em en t, w hile th e rh y th m of th e second section is one w hich we u su ally asso ciate w ith S pain, for th is is, curiously enough, a " T a ra n te lla S evillia n a ” — a ta ra n te lla from Seville, in S pain. T h ere are tw o th em es w hich occur m ore often th a n o th ers. T h e first is h e a rd as th e m o v em en t opens, a n d is p lay ed b y th e low in stru m e n ts. Like

A n O r ch estra l P ro g ra m o f t h e T w e n tie th C en tu r y

83

a m usical m o tto i t re tu rn s again a n d again, e ith e r as a w hole or in p a rt, a n d th ese are th e opening m easures :

itm

F IR S T M EL O D Y

J J J

-J- It J - J - J

T h e o th e r m elo d y is ju s t as im p o rta n t SEC O N D M EL O D Y

m

— — — _ _ _ ^ _ _ _ _ _ . rr1 ° r — 1 rc j _

■■

L.W

J

^1

KT—

C learly th e second th em e h as been ta k e n fro m th e first th em e, b u t som e changes h av e b een m ad e for th e sake of v a rie ty . B o th th em es h av e th e ex act rh y th m ic a n d m elodic shape of th o se of a genuine ta ra n te lla . T h is e n tire m o v em en t is full of life a n d energy. I t is ju s t th e rig h t k in d of con­ clusion for th is su ite. DISCUSSION Som e of th e m o v em en ts in th e Facade su ite h av e been used as a b allet, b o th in G e rm a n y a n d in E n g lan d . T h e ord er h as been changed to p rovide a m o re su itab le p ro g ra m for a b allet, 1. U sing m o v em en ts fro m th is suite, can y o u m ak e u p a b a lle t p ro g ra m ? (Y o u r su g g estion sh ould include th e p ro p e r scen ery a n d costum es.) 2. W h ich n u m b ers in th e su ite seem to y o u m ore in te re stin g a n d a ttr a c ­ tiv e th a n th e o th e rs ? 3. H o w ? 4. H ow w ould y o u describe th e sty le of W illiam W a lto n , ju d g in g it fro m th e Facade su ite ? B o th W illiam W a lto n a n d Prokofieff are com posers of th e tw e n tie th c e n tu ry . W ith th e " S c h e rz o ” a n d " M a r c h ” from Love fo r Three Oranges in m ind, do y o u th in k th ese com posers express th e ir ideas in a n y w ays t h a t are sim ilar ? TH E COMPOSER W illiam W a lto n com es from a fam ily of m usicians. H is fa th e r a n d m o th e r w ere b o th teac h ers of singing, a n d his b ro th e r h as m ad e m usic his p rin cip al in te re s t a n d o ccu p ation.

84

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic * P ro g r ess

A s a b o y , y o u n g W illiam disliked th e p ian o v e ry m u ch , a n d so h e w as p e rm itte d to ta k e lessons on th e violin. W h en o n ly te n y e a rs old he w e n t to C h rist C h u rc h in O xford, w here he sang in th e fam ous choir a n d received a general a n d m u sical ed u c atio n . H ow ever, he failed in all th e courses ex cep t m usic. H e w on th e degree of B ach elo r of M u sic w hen he w as only sixteen, th e y o u n g est s tu d e n t w ho h a d ever done so. Since t h a t tim e he h a s c o n tin u ed to s tu d y b y him self. M a n y of his com positions h av e a t ­ tra c te d th e a tte n tio n of th e lead in g co n d u cto rs a n d perform ers.

D ® ORCHESTRAS AND THEIR CONDUCTORS

1. H a v e you ev er w a n te d to p la y som e k in d of in s tru m e n t? 2. If y o u h a d y o u r choice, w h a t in stru m e n t w ould y o u like to p la y ? 3. W ould y o u like to p la y it b y yourself o r in a n o rc h estra o r b a n d ? 4. W h y ?

M o re people sing th a n p la y in stru m e n ts. Since everyone h as a voice, singing seem s th e m ore n a tu ra l m ean s of expression. Also it m a y be t h a t m ore people w ould r a th e r sing th a n p la y b ecause it is p le a sa n t to be able to sing a tu n e w ith o u t h av in g special tra in in g in th e use of th e voice. B u t w ith a n in s tru m e n t it is different. F irs t we h a v e to b u y one, or g et one in som e w ay. T h e n th e p lay in g of th e p ian o , violin, clarin et, tru m p e t, o r a n y o th e r in s tru m e n t is n o t m u ch fu n u n til we h a v e learn ed how to p la y i t th ro u g h special s tu d y a n d p ra ctic e. T h is n o t o n ly ta k e s tim e b u t it in v o lv es serious effort a n d diligence. I n th e p erfo rm an ce of m u sic th e re are m ore singers th a n p lay ers. Y e t m u ch of th e m usic t h a t we h e a r on th e rad io , a t th e m ovies, o r on phono­ g ra p h reco rd s is in s tru m e n ta l, a n d m o st of th is in s tru m e n ta l m usic is p lay ed b y o rc h estras. ORCHESTRAL MUSIC M u sic p lay ed b y o rc h e stra s is said to be o rc h estral (6 r-k e s'tra l). B ecause m o st of th e in s tru m e n ta l m usic w hich we h e a r is p la y e d b y orch estras, we m a y sa y t h a t o rc h e stra l m usic is one of th e m o st p o p u la r ty p e s of in stru m e n ta l m usic. T h is s ta te m e n t h o ld s tru e n o t o n ly in co n cert p ro g ra m s b u t elsew here, for w hen we th in k a b o u t th e m usic on th e ra d io or in m o tio n p ictu res we realize t h a t o rc h estral m usic is h e a rd m ore o ften th a n a n y o th e r k in d of m usic. I n a single ev en in g i t is possible to h e a r b ro a d c a sts of m usic p lay ed b y m a n y d ifferen t k in d s of o rch estras. Few of th ese o rc h e stra s are as large as th e one u sed b y W illiam W a lto n in his Fagade S uite, o r b y R ic h a rd S tra u ss in his w altzes fro m D er Rosenkavalier (P relude, page 34). B u t m a n y of th e m in clu d e in s tru m e n ts w hich pro v id e m ore colorful effects th a n th o se w hich M o z a rt u sed in th e " M in u e t” from his S y m p h o n y in D m ajo r, or in his " G e rm a n D a n c e s ” (P relude, page 37).

86

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith. M u sic • P ro g r ess

CHANGES W HICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE W h en we listen to th e " G e rm a n D a n c e s '' or th e " M in u e t” on a record, over th e rad io , or a t a co n cert we are p ro b a b ly h earin g th e k in d of dance o rc h estras t h a t w ere p o p u la r in M o z a r ts d ay . T h is d an ce o rc h e stra of a c e n tu ry a n d a h alf ago w as q u ite different fro m th e d ance o rc h estras of to d a y . I t is an in te re stin g fa ct, th o u g h , th a t th e dance o rc h estras we h av e now are no larg er th a n th e o rch estras in M o z a rt's tim e. T h e difference lies chiefly in th e sh arp c o n tra sts in to n e w hich we h e a r in our p re se n t-d a y o rch estras. T h e o rc h e stra s of M o z a rt's tim e d id n o t use so m a n y d ifferen t q u alitie s of in s tru m e n ta l to n e as we do to d a y . A lso th e in stru m e n ts w h ich w ere u sed th e n gave c o n tra sts in to n e w hich w ere less extrem e th a n th o se w hich are h e a rd in m o d ern o rch estras. B ecause we hav e becom e accu sto m ed to all these sh a rp c o n tra sts w hich occur in our p re se n t-d a y m usic, we sh ould be careful lest we fail to recognize th e clever b u t d elicate c o n tra sts in th e m usic of earlier tim es. C an y o u th in k of a n y reasons w h y o rc h estras w hich p la y for dan cin g w ould n o t be so large as th e o rch estras w hich m ig h t p la y su ch d ance m usic as th e w altzes fro m Der Rosenkavalier on a concert p ro g ra m ? T h e special p ro b lem s of b ro a d c a stin g h av e b ro u g h t a b o u t m a n y in te re st­ ing ex p erim en ts as to th e size of orch estras, th e n u m b e r of in stru m e n ts, a n d th e p ro p o rtio n of th e d ifferent choirs of a n o rch estra. S om etim es th e m ak e-u p of an o rc h e stra is d eterm in ed e n tire ly b y th e needs of som e m e­ chanical device, such as th e ra d io or reco rd in g stu d io . A t o th e r tim es it m a y be d e te rm in e d b y th e n u m b er of persons w ho can p la y well enough, as in a school o rg an izatio n . I n a co m m u n ity o rc h e stra th e a m o u n t of m o n ey w hich can b e raised is a v e ry im p o rta n t item . Y e t th e re are ce rta in fe a tu re s w hich are com m on to w ell-balanced or­ ch estras of all ty p e s. TH E ORGANIZATION T h e m o st im p o rta n t of th ese fe a tu re s is th e p ro m in en ce of th e strin g ed in stru m e n ts, for th e strin g s fo rm th e m o st im p o rta n t section of a n orches­ tra . A n y in s tru m e n ta l ensem ble* (a n 'so m 'b 'l) w ith o u t strin g s is n o t an o rc h e stra b u t a b a n d . I n sp eak in g of in s tru m e n ta l groups we should be careful to d istin g u ish b etw een dance orchestras a n d dance hands, concert orchestras a n d co n cert hands. W hile th e o rc h estras we h av e now are th e re su lt of a g ra d u a l develop­ m e n t over a p erio d of th re e h u n d re d y ears, th e re n ev e r h a s been a tim e w hen th e strin g ed in s tru m e n ts w ere n o t th e m o st im p o rta n t choir in th e or­

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ch estra. As a ru le, tw o th ird s of th e p lay ers belong to th e strin g section. T h e re m a in in g th ird is d iv id ed b etw een th e p lay ers of b ra ss a n d w ood-w ind in stru m e n ts a n d th e p lay ers of percussion in stru m e n ts. T h is p ro p o rtio n of p lay ers suggests th e re la tiv e im p o rta n c e of th e d ifferen t ty p e s of in s tru ­ m e n ts in p lay in g co n cert m usic. MOTION PICTURES AND RADIO O rch estras w hich reco rd m usic for m o tio n p ic tu re s or w hich are used only for ra d io b ro a d c a stin g do n o t need to h av e th e sam e p ro p o rtio n of p lay ers as a co n cert o rc h estra. T h ere are v ario u s m ech an ical devices, such as special sea tin g a rra n g e m e n ts, p ro p e r p lacin g of th e m icro p h o n es, a n d th e skillful h an d lin g of m ech an ical to n e controls, w hich can e ith e r em phasize or so ften p a rtic u la r in stru m e n ts. T h ro u g h th ese devices it is possible to a d ju s t a n d co n tro l th e b alance of in s tru m e n ta l to n e so t h a t an o rc h e stra of tw en ty -fiv e or th ir ty p lay ers m a y need to include o n ly six or eig h t strin g ed in stru m e n ts. W h en we h e a r such an o rc h estra o ver th e ra d io it m a y sound like a full-sized o rc h estra of s ix ty or e ig h ty p lay ers. T h e volum e of strin g to n e is increased or am ­ plified so t h a t th e b alan ce of strin g q u a lity is ju s t like t h a t w hich we expect to h e a r w hen we a tte n d a co ncert. Som e people, how ever, w ho listen v e ry carefully, m a y feel t h a t th e to n e is n o t so full as it should be. W e m a y w o n d er w h y th e n u m b e r of strin g s is reduced, w hile th e usual n u m b e r of w ood-w ind a n d b ra ss in s tru m e n ts rem ain s in th e o rc h estra. T h is q u estio n leads to som e in te re stin g fa c ts a b o u t th e n a tu re a n d q u alities of th e d ifferen t sections of th e o rch estra. STRINGS, WOOD WIND, BRASS T h e strin g ed in s tru m e n ts are alike in c o n stru c tio n a n d v e ry sim ilar in to n e q u a lity . O n th e o th e r h a n d th e in s tru m e n ts of th e w ood-w ind g ro u p are so d ifferent fro m each o th e r t h a t th e y p ro v id e stro n g c o n tra sts in to n e q u a lity . T h is is tru e also of th e b ra ss in stru m e n ts, a lth o u g h th e re is less v a r ie ty in th e to n a l effects of th e b ra ss th a n in th o se of th e w ood-w ind section. Since th e in s tru m e n ts of th e w ood-w ind group differ in to n e q u a lity a n d th e re are seldom m ore th a n one or tw o of each, each of th e m m u s t be p re s­ e n t if th e o rc h e stra is to h a v e its full v a rie ty of to n e color. T o a ce rtain e x te n t th is is also tru e of th e b ra ss in stru m e n ts. R eference h as a lre a d y b een m ad e to th o se devices in stu d io s b y w hich th e q u a n tity of to n e of th e strin g ed in stru m e n ts can be increased so th a t

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few er of th e m are necessary. B u t th ese am plifiers c a n n o t su p p ly th e variety of to n e q u a lity of th e in d iv id u a l w ood-w ind a n d b rass in stru m e n ts. F o r th is re aso n th e n u m b er of w ind in stru m e n ts is seldom red u ced for b ro a d c a stin g or recording. T h ese g en eral s ta te m e n ts a b o u t th e o rc h e stra m a y be clearer if we u n ­ d e rsta n d som e fa c ts a b o u t th e in d iv id u a l in stru m e n ts, th e ir to n e, a n d how i t is p ro d u ced . SOURCES OF INSTRUM ENTAL TONE 1. H a v e y o u ev er ex am ined th e strin g s of a p ia n o ? 2. W h a t difference d id y o u find b etw een th e strin g s w hich so u n d th e low to n es a n d th o se w hich are h igher in p itc h ? If y o u w ill exam ine a pian o , y o u will find t h a t i t h a s a so u n d in g board.* O ver th is b o a rd w ires, or " s t r i n g s / 7 are stre tc h e d . T h e to n es are p ro d u ced b y h am m ers w h ich h it th ese strin g s. W h e n th e strin g is stru c k b y th e h am m er i t vibrates, or is set in m o tio n , a n d th e so u n d is p ro d u ced . Y ou will no tice also t h a t th e strin g s w hich so u n d th e low to n es are longer a n d co rresp o n d in g ly th ic k e r th a n th o se w hich so u n d th e hig h er tones. H a v e y o u ev er w atc h ed a v io lin ist p la y ? T h e to n e of th e violin, a n d of o th e r strin g e d in s tru m e n ts also, is p ro d u c ed b y th e vibration, or m o tio n , of th e strin g s. T h is v ib ra tio n m a y be caused b y d raw in g a bow over th e strin g s or b y p lu ck in g th e strin g s. T h e p ro d u c tio n of a good or p o o r to n e de­ p en d s u p o n th e p la y e r's co n tro l of th e bow . I n p lay in g h ig h to n es th e fingers of th e p la y e r com e dow n on th e strin g , a n d th is sh o rten s th e strin g a n d th u s raises th e p itch . I n all strin g ed in stru m e n ts, therefore, th e p itc h will be h ig h er as th e strin g becom es sh o rter. H a v e y o u ev er blow n across th e open m o u th of a b o ttle ? If so, y o u h a v e p ro b a b ly n o ticed t h a t i t m ak es a so u n d like a flute or a w histle. T h e reaso n for th is so u n d is t h a t y o u r lips a n d b re a th set in m o tio n th e air in th e b o ttle . H a v e y o u ev er co m p ared th e to n e m ad e b y a sm all b o ttle w ith a to n e m ad e b y a larg e r b o ttle ? If so, y o u h av e fo u n d th a t th e larg er th e b o ttle , th e longer th e colum n of a ir a n d th e low er th e t o n e ; th e sm aller th e b o ttle , th e sh o rte r th e colum n of a ir a n d th e h ig h er th e to n e. So if y o u w ish to p la y a tu n e it will be necessary to use several b o ttle s of different sizes. I n a n o rc h e stra th e re are m a n y in stru m e n ts in w hich th e to n e is p ro d u c ed b y th e m o tio n or v ib ra tio n of a colum n of air. T h a t is w hy th e y are called w ind in stru m e n ts. T h is a ir colum n is set in m o tio n b y th e p la y e r w ho blow s in to th e in s tru m e n t. (In th e case of th e flute, th e p la y e r blow s across th e in s tru m e n t.) T h ere are m a n y sizes a n d shapes of a ir colum ns, a n d

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th is h a s so m eth in g to do w ith th e v a rie ty in to n e q u a lity of th e w ind in stru m e n ts. A s th e p itc h v aries in b o ttle s of d ifferen t sizes, so th e p itc h of th e to n es in th e w ood-w ind in s tru m e n ts changes as th e colum n of a ir is sh o rten e d or len g th en ed b y pressin g dow n key s w hich open o r close a ir holes in th e tu b e . I n all b ra ss in s tru m e n ts b u t th e tro m b o n e, th e p la y e r m a y change th e le n g th of th e tu b e b y pressing dow n valves.* STRING SECTION T h e in s tru m e n ts w hich m ak e u p th e strin g section are th e violin, th e viola, th e violoncello (com m only kn o w n as th e cello), a n d th e bass viol, w hich is o ften called th e double bass. T h e h a rp also is a strin g ed in stru m e n t. V io lin . I n m o st o rc h e stra tio n s* th e m usic for th e violins is divided in to tw o p a r ts called " f ir s t v io lin " a n d " s e c o n d v io lin " ; b u t it is m erely th e p a r ts w hich differ, for th e in s tru m e n t is th e sam e. D v o fd k 's " I n d ia n L a m e n t" (page 68) illu stra te s th e to n e q u a lity of th e violin. V iola. T h e v io la is like th e violin except th a t it is so m ew h at larg er a n d is tu n e d one fifth low er. I ts to n e is a b it d a rk e r a n d reedier th a n t h a t of th e violin, b u t i t can be ju s t as b ea u tifu l. T h e to n e q u a lity of th e viola is p la in ly h e a rd in Ip p o lito v -Iv a n o v 's " I n th e V illa g e " {Prelude, page 21) a n d in th e " A n d a n te C a n ta b ile " fro m T c h a ik o v sk y 's first S trin g Q u a rte t, page 125 of th is book. Cello. T h e cello is m u ch larg er th a n th e violin a n d p la y s a n o ctav e below th e viola. U n like th e violin or th e viola, w hich is h eld in place b y th e p la y ­ e r's chin, th e cello is re ste d u p o n th e floor a n d h eld b etw een th e knees of th e p lay er. A n illu s tra tio n of th e cello's to n e is fo u n d in W e b er's In v ita tio n to the Dance (page 17) a n d also in " W e s tm in s te r," th e second m o v em en t of E ric C o a te s's L ondon S u ite {Prelude, page 76). T h ese th re e in s tru m e n ts h a v e m ore v a rie ty in size th a n in to n e q u a lity , for th e on ly c o n tra sts of to n e q u a lity b etw een th e m are those w hich are due to th e ir differences in size. B a ss V iol. T h e b ass viol, how ever, cam e fro m a n o th e r group of in s tru ­ m en ts, th e viols. * I n sp ite of th e fa c t t h a t its origin is slig h tly different from t h a t of th e o th e r strin g e d in stru m e n ts, th e b ass viol looks like a n enorm ous cello, a n d its to n e, w hich is th e deepest in th e strin g section, b lends well w ith th e o th e r in s tru m e n ts of th is group.

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H a r p . T h e h a rp is one of th e oldest of all in stru m e n ts, for it is th o u sa n d s of y ears old. H ow ever, it w as n o t in clu d ed in o rch estras of m o d ern tim es u n til a b o u t one h u n d re d y ears ago. T h e F re n c h com poser B erlioz (page 24) w as th e first to use it in a sy m p h o n y . As a m em b er of th e o rc h estra th e h a rp is u sed chiefly for special effects, so th a t m a n y pieces of m usic do n o t call for th is in stru m e n t. T h e to n e of th e h a rp is p ro d u ced w hen its strin g s are p lu ck ed b y th e p lay er. I t is u sed effectively b y B erlioz in " A B a ll” fro m th e F antastic S y m p h o n y (page 22) a n d also b y T ch a ik o v sk y in his " W a ltz of th e F lo w ers,” fro m th e N utcracker S u ite (P relude, page 46). S trin g Quartet. O ne of th e b est-k n o w n o rg an izatio n s included in th e or­ c h e stra is th e strin g q u a rte t. T h is is a p a r t of th e strin g section of an o rc h estra. I t is m ad e u p of first violin, second violin, viola, a n d cello. A full ex p lan a tio n of th is g ro u p is given on pages 71—73. T h e " Scherzo ” from B o ro d in 's String Quartet N o. 2 (page 74) a n d th e " A n d a n te C a n ta b ile ” b y T ch a ik o v sk y (page 125) are sufficient p ro o f th a t th is g ro u p of p la y e rs can give m u ch pleasu re in th e ir perform ance. W OOD-W IND SECTION I n c o n tra s t to th e sim ilarity of co n stru c tio n a n d to n e of th e strin g ed in­ s tru m e n ts , th o se of th e w ood-w ind section h av e a good deal of v a rie ty . T h e w ood-w ind in s tru m e n ts are alike in t h a t th e to n e of all of th e m is p ro d u c e d b y th e v ib ra tio n of a ir m o ving th ro u g h th e in s tru m e n t, b u t th e re are th in g s w hich b rin g a b o u t n o ticeab le differences in th e to n e q u a lity . F lu te. T h e flute is one of th e oldest of all in stru m e n ts, a n d th e v ib ra tin g air w hich p ro d u ces its to n e is sen t th ro u g h th e in s tru m e n t d irec tly from th e lips of th e p lay er, w ith o u t p assin g over a n y reed.* T h e to n e of th e flute is p u re a n d less sh a rp th a n t h a t of th e o th e r w ood-w ind in stru m e n ts. Il­ lu stra tio n s are fo u n d in th e " C o u n tr y D a n c e ” fro m W a lto n 's Fagade Suite (page 82), in th e " D a n s e M a c a b re ” (page 12), b y S aint-S aens, a n d in " D a n s e des M irlito n s ” fro m T c h a ik o v sk y 's N utcracker S u ite (P relude, page 46). Piccolo. T h e piccolo is ju s t h alf th e size of a flute, sounds a n o ctav e higher, a n d is v e ry shrill. T h is in s tru m e n t is v e ry effective in th e " F a n fa re ” fro m W a lto n 's Fagade S u ite (page 78), in th e " E n tr a n c e of th e E m p e ro r a n d H is C o u r t” fro m K o d a ly 's H a ry Janos (page 53), a n d i n Ip p o lito v Iv a n o v 's "P ro c e ssio n of th e S a r d a r ” {Prelude, page 8). Clarinet. T h e clarin e t is one of th e yo u n g est of th e w ood-w ind in s tru ­ m en ts. I n fa c t, th e clarin et w as so new w hen M o z a rt w as w ritin g his m usic

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t h a t he u sed it in o n ly a few of his com positions. A single reed is clam ped o n to th e m o u th p ie ce of th e clarin e t, a n d th e v ib ra tio n of th is reed helps to give th e clarin e t its in d iv id u a l to n e. T h ere are sev eral m em b ers of th e clarin et fam ily, w h ich differ only in size a n d p itc h . Illu s tra tio n s of th e to n e q u a lity of th e clarin e t are fo u n d in W e b er's " I n v ita tio n to th e D an ce " (page 17), in th e " S c o tc h R h a p s o d ie " from W a lto n 's Fagade S uite (page 82), an d in th e " D a n s e A r a b e '' fro m T c h a ik o v sk y 's N utcracker S u ite {Prelude, page 4 5 ). B a ss C larinet. T h ere is also a bass clarin et, w hich is larg er a n d deeper in to n e an d c u rv ed in shape. T h e bass clarin et m a y be h e a rd in th e " D a n c e of th e S ugar P lu m F a ir y " from T ch a ik o v sk y 's N utcracker S u ite {Prelude, page 43). Oboe. T h e oboe is th e in s tru m e n t to w hich th e re st of th e o rc h e stra tu n es, b ecause its p itc h is m o re a c c u ra te a n d less changeable th a n t h a t of th e o th e r in stru m e n ts . I t h a s no m o u th p iece as has th e clarin e t. T h e p la y e r blow s th ro u g h a tin y opening b etw een th e tw o sides of a double reed. I ts to n e is m ore p e n e tra tin g th a n th a t of th e o th er w ood w inds, a n d it seem s to " c a r r y " b e tte r th a n th e co m p arativ e ly hollow to n e of th e clarin et. I n th e m iddle sectio n of th e " P re lu d e to A c t I I I " of L ohengrin (page 107), th e oboe is h e a rd clearly. I t h a s th e field all to itself in th e crow ing of th e cock in S ain t-S aen s's " D a n se M a c a b r e " (page 12). E n g lish horn. T h is in s tru m e n t holds th e sam e re la tio n to th e oboe as th e v io la does to th e violin, for it is re a lly a n a lto oboe. I t h as a double r e e d ; an d , like th e viola, th e to n e is so m ew h at d a rk a n d a b it m elancholy. Ip p o lito v -Iv a n o v u sed th e E n g lish h o rn in th e opening a n d closing p a s­ sages of " I n th e V illa g e " fro m his C aucasian Sketches {Prelude, page 21). Bassoon. L ike th e oboe a n d E n g lish h o rn , th e b assoon also h as a double re e d ; b u t th e in s tru m e n t is v e ry m u ch larg er (its tu b in g is eig h t feet long), a n d its to n e is less re e d y th a n th a t of th e oboe. W hile its to n e is ra th e r d ry in th e " C h in e s e D a n c q " fro m T c h a ik o v sk y 's N utcracker S u ite {Prelude, page 45), a n d it is o fte n u sed for hu m o ro u s effects, n ev erth eless th e bassoon is cap ab le of v e ry b e a u tifu l to n e w hen it is given a sm o o th m elo d y to p lay . N e a r th e e n d of th e " J o d e llin g S o n g " fro m W a lto n 's Fagade S uite th e re is a good illu s tra tio n of th e bassoon p lay in g legato. Also th e bassoon is h e a rd in th e first m o v em en t of Prokofieff's Classical S ym p h o n y, p lay in g th e ac co m p an im e n t to th e second th e m e (page 36). Contrabassoon. T h e co n trab asso o n is th e low est in s tru m e n t of th e or­ ch e stra. I t is like th e basso on, except t h a t i t is tw ice as large a n d h as a co rresp o n d in g ly g re a te r d e p th of tone.

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T h e w ood-w ind in s tru m e n ts differ in co n stru c tio n , som e h a v in g n o reed s w hile o th e rs h av e e ith e r single or double reeds. T h ese differences re su lt in co rresp o n d in g v a rie tie s of to n e q u a lity . F ro m th is i t m a y be seen t h a t th e in s tru m e n ts of th is sectio n h av e m ore sh a rp ly defined c h a ra c te r th a n th o se of th e s trin g section. F re q u e n tly one p la y e r in som e one of th e p a r ts for w ood w in d is sufficient to give th e desired effect. T h erefo re if o rc h estral m usic is to be p ro v id e d w ith th e v a rie ty of to n e of w hich th e w ood-w ind sectio n is cap ab le, th e n u m b e r of p lay ers in th is sectio n c a n n o t be decreased in th e w ay t h a t it can b e in th e strin g section. T h is is tru e also of th e b ra ss sectio n of th e o rc h estra. BRASS SECTION French horn. W hile th e F re n c h h o rn o fte n is classified as a w ood-w ind in s tru m e n t, it is n ev e r m ad e of w ood a n d its to n e is as closely re la te d to t h a t of th e b ra ss in s tru m e n ts as to th a t of th e w ood-w ind group. I ts to n e is p ro d u c ed b y blow ing th ro u g h a m o u th p ie ce w hich, in general, is sim ilar to t h a t of th e t r u m p e t ; b u t its tu b in g is longer, a n d it h as a m ore m ellow to n e th a n t h a t of th e tru m p e t. M o d e rn h o rn s h av e valves, * w hich sh o rte n th e tu b e in w hich th e air v ib ra te s. T h e F re n c h h o rn is g en erally considered to be one of th e m o st difficult of all o rc h e stra l in s tru m e n ts to play. O ne w ho m a ste rs th e difficulties of th is in s tru m e n t is ric h ly rew ard ed , how ever, fo r th e F re n c h h o rn can be b o th one of th e m o st heroic of all in stru m e n ts a n d one of th e m o st g en tly expressive. C om posers h av e given it som e of th e ir m o st effective passages. Illu s tra tio n s of its use m a y be fo u n d in th e m iddle section of th e " I n t e r ­ m ezz o ” fro m K od& ly's H a ry Ja n o s (page 51) a n d in th e o v e rtu re to H u m ­ p e rd in c k 's H a n sel and Gretel (P relude, page 55). T rum pet. T h e tru m p e t is th e m o st b rillia n t of all th e b ra ss in stru m e n ts. I ts tu b in g , in w hich th e a ir v ib ra te s, is h a lf th e le n g th of t h a t of th e F re n c h h o r n ; a n d of course th e p itc h of th e tru m p e t is corresp o n d in g ly higher. T ones of d ifferen t p itc h e s m a y be p ro d u ced u p o n th e tru m p e t, n o t only b y th e use of v alves, as w as m en tio n ed w hen we w ere discussing th e F re n c h h o rn , b u t also b y tig h te n in g or relaxing th e lips as th e a ir is blow n in to th e in stru m e n t. Illu s tra tio n s are fo u n d in th e " F a n f a r e ” fro m W a lto n 's Fagade S u ite (page 78) a n d in th e " E n tr a n c e of th e E m p e ro r a n d H is C o u r t” fro m K od& ly's H a ry Ja n o s (page 53). T h e co rn e t is like th e tru m p e t, except t h a t its to n e is less b rillia n t a n d n o t so clear as t h a t of th e tru m p e t, a n d t h a t it is easier to p lay . I t is used m o stly in b a n d o rg a n iz atio n s a n d its m ellow q u a lity is used to b alan ce th e brilliance of th e tru m p e t.

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Trom bone. T h e tro m b o n e is q u ite d ifferen t fro m th e o th e r b ra ss in s tru ­ m e n ts, especially since v a rio u s p itc h e s are p ro d u ced b y len g th en in g or sh o rte n in g its tu b e b y m ean s of a slide, in ste a d of b y th e v alv es w hich are u sed on th e tru m p e t a n d F re n c h h o rn . I t is a c o m p a ra tiv e ly new in s tru ­ m e n t. T h e older com posers d id n o t u n d e rs ta n d it a n d so h e s ita te d to use it. T h e to n e of th e tro m b o n e is ric h a n d full. Illu s tra tio n s are fo u n d in th e p relu d e to A ct I I I of W a g n e r's L ohengrin (page 107) a n d in E sp a n a (P relude, page 19), b y C h a b rie r. W h e n th re e tro m b o n es are used to g e th e r in th re e -p a rt h a rm o n y in a n o rc h estra, we find t h a t th e ir to n e is dignified, kingly, a n d m a je stic if th e y p la y loudly, a n d t h a t th e effect is solem n a n d im pressive w hen th e y p la y so ftly . T u b a . T h e tu b a h a s th e sam e re la tio n sh ip to th e o th e r b ra ss in stru m e n ts as th e b ass viol does to th e o th e r strin g ed in stru m e n ts. I t is a v a lv e in ­ stru m e n t, a n d its to n e is deep a n d full. Since th e tim e of R ic h a rd W ag n er it h as b een recognized as a re g u la r m em b er of th e b ra ss fam ily, b u t m a n y o rc h estral scores do n o t call for th is in stru m e n t. I n p la y in g all b ra ss in s tru m e n ts th e p itc h m a y be ra ise d or low ered b y tig h te n in g or relax in g th e lip s as w ell as b y th e use of v alv es or a slide. PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS I t goes w ith o u t say in g t h a t th e p ercussion in stru m e n ts of th e o rc h e stra are u sed p rim a rily for rh y th m ic effects. T im p a n i. Of th ese in s tru m e n ts th e tim p a n i, or k e ttle d ru m s, are th e m o st im p o rta n t. T h e y look like old-fashioned ro u n d -b o tto m e d cauldrons, or k e ttle s, m ad e of copper, a n d are su p p o rte d on three-legged s ta n d s called trip o d s. T h e op en to p of th e copper b o d y is covered w ith p a rc h m e n t or th in , s tre tc h e d sk in h eld in p lace b y a n iro n ring. I t can be s tre tc h e d tig h te r b y screw s or cords or, in som e cases, b y pedals. T h e tig h te r th e p a rc h m e n t or sk in is stre tc h e d , th e h ig h er is th e p itc h . T h e to n e is p ro d u ced w h en th e d ru m is s tru c k b y d ru m stick s, u su ally tip p e d w ith felt, w ood, or ru b b e r. U nlike o th e r ty p e s of d ru m s, th e k e ttle ­ d ru m s can be tu n e d to d ifferen t p itch es, b u t th e p itch es of th e first an d fifth to n e s (do a n d so) of th e k e y in w hich th e m usic is w ritte n are u su ally used . T h u s th ese d ru m s can fit in w ith th e h a rm o n y of a passage, as well as em phasize its rh y th m . S n a re drum . T h e sn are d ru m is p a rtic u la rly su ited to m a rtia l or m ili­ ta r y m usic, a n d is th e b est-k n o w n of th e d ru m fam ily. I t is a cy lin d er of th in w ood or m e ta l, w ith p a rc h m e n t stre tc h e d over th e open ends. T h e

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sn are d ru m differs fro m th e tim p a n i a n d th e b ass d ru m in t h a t th in strings, called snares, are s tre tc h e d across its low er h e a d ; th e v ib ra tio n of th ese sn ares gives th e in s tru m e n t its p ecu liar d ry , ra ttlin g sound. T h e sticks w ith w hich th e sn are d ru m is stru c k are n o t p ad d e d . B a ss drum . T h e bass d ru m is like th e snare d ru m in co n stru c tio n , ex­ ce p t t h a t it h as no s n a r e s ; b u t it is v e ry m u ch larg er a n d its to n e is th e re ­ fore m u ch deeper. T h e b a ss-d ru m stick is p ad d e d . W hile it is possible to low er or raise slig h tly th e p itc h of th e b ass d ru m , th is in stru m e n t, like th e sn are d ru m , is used m a in ly for rh y th m ic effects. I t s deep boom ing to n e is easily recognized. O th e r p ercussion in s tru m e n ts are : C ym bals. A p a ir of flat b ra ss p la te s w hich are stru c k to g e th e r to p roduce a b rig h t, clashing sound. Triangle. A sm all steel b a r b e n t in to a tria n g u la r shape. W h en stru c k b y a ro d it gives o u t a high, b rig h t sound. Tam bourine. A sm all flat d ru m w ith one side uncovered. B its of m e ta l a tta c h e d to th e rim are sh a k e n a g a in st each o th e r a n d m ak e a jingling noise w h ich is effective in S p an ish or G y p sy m usic. Castanets. Sm all iv o ry or w ooden shells w hich are clicked to g e th e r, used m a in ly b y S p an ish d an cers a n d in m usic w hich im ita te s S p an ish dance m usic. A n illu s tra tio n is in E sp a n a (Prelude, page 19), b y C h ab rier. Bells. A set of hollow steel tu b e s w hich are in tu n e . d u ce d b y a h a m m e r stro k e.

T h e to n e is p ro ­

Gong. A h an g in g m e ta l p la te or bow l. T h e to n e is p ro d u ced b y a h a m ­ m er. T h e gong is used effectively in O rien tal m usic. X ylo p h o n e. A set of w ooden b a rs differing in le n g th so as to give v a rie ty in p itc h . T h e so u n d is p ro d u ced b y tw o sm all w ooden h am m ers a n d is hollow b u t pleasing. I t is illu stra te d in th e D anse M acabre of S aint-S aens (page 12). Celesta. A k e y b o a rd in s tru m e n t h av in g steel strip s in ste a d of strings. T h e to n e is p ro d u ced b y h am m ers as in a p iano. I t is used in th e ” D an ce of th e S u g ar P lu m F a i r y ” fro m T c h a ik o v sk y 's N utcracker S u ite (Prelude, pag e 43). T h is in stru m e n t, like th e bells a n d xylophone, can be tu n e d to d ifferen t p itch es. I n th e ” F a n f a r e ” a n d " S c o tc h R h a p s o d ie ” fro m W a lto n 's Fagade S uite th e percu ssio n in s tru m e n ts are v ery p ro m in en t.

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GENERAL STATEMENT A n y co m b in atio n of th ese in s tru m e n ts w hich h av e been described m a y be considered as a n o rc h e stra if th e g ro u p includes th e strin g s, a n d th e w ord orchestra is co rrectly used for a g ro u p of in s tru m e n ta l p lay ers w hen th e o rg a n iz atio n m a in ta in s th e p ro p e r p ro p o rtio n of strin g ed in stru m e n ts. C o n cert o rc h e stra s m a y p la y successfully a n d give a g re a t deal of pleas­ u re, e v e n if th e in s tru m e n ts a lre a d y d escrib ed are n o t all p re se n t. Likew ise dan ce o rc h estras do n o t re q u ire th is com plete in stru m e n ta tio n . A sy m ­ p h o n y o rc h estra, how ever, will in clu d e in its m em b ersh ip p lay ers w ho can p erfo rm u p o n all th e in s tru m e n ts w hen needed.

THE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA I n a d d itio n to a few percu ssion p lay ers, it is likely t h a t a sy m p h o n y o rc h e stra will h av e a b o u t a dozen b ra ss p lay ers, a b o u t th e sam e n u m b e r of w ood-w ind p lay ers, a n d a b o u t six ty p lay ers of strin g ed in stru m e n ts. S y m p h o n y o rc h estras are to be fo u n d in alm o st th re e h u n d re d com m u­ n itie s in th e U n ite d S ta te s, a n d it is safe to say t h a t in alm o st all of th ese co m m u n ities th e sy m p h o n y o rc h e stra is th e m o st im p o rta n t m usical or­ g an izatio n . I n m o st cases, th e m em b ers of th ese o rch estras are professional m usicians, a n d p lay in g in th e sy m p h o n y o rc h e stra is th e ir p rin cip al m usical in te re s t a n d business. D u rin g th e season w hen co n certs are given, it is c u sto m a ry fo r orches­ tra s to reh earse e v e ry d ay . B ecause th e m usic w hich th ese o rc h estras p la y includes th e g re a t m asterp ieces of o rc h e stra l com position, it is n ecessary for th e p lay ers to w ork v e ry seriously for p erfectio n d u rin g th ese rehearsals. I n fa c t, A rtu ro T o scan in i (to s'k a -n e 'n e ), w ho is u su ally re g ard ed as one of th e g re a te s t o rc h estral co n d u c to rs of o u r tim e, looks u p o n ev e ry re ­ h e a rsa l as a co n cert an d ex p ects th e sam e p erfectio n w hen th e o rc h e stra p ra ctic es as his au d ien ces h av e come to ex p e ct fro m its public perform ances. T h ere are m a n y in te re stin g stories, how ever, w hich tell of th e inform al situ a tio n s w hich som etim es arise in th ese im p o rta n t p ra ctic e sessions. One sto ry h as to do w ith a su rp rise w hich th e m em b ers of th e P h ila d e lp h ia O rc h e stra gave one of th e ir m o st fam o u s co n d u cto rs u p o n th e occasion of his b irth d a y . T h e m usic w hich w as to b e reh earsed w as a sy m p h o n y b y B eeth o v en . T h e m em b ers of th e o rc h e stra w ere in place, th e m usic w as open, a n d th e c o n d u c to r's b a to n * w as raised. B u t w hen he gave th e b e a t for th e m usic to begin, in ste a d of p lay in g th e opening n o tes of th e B eeth o v en sy m p h o n y , his o rc h e stra su rp rised h im b y p lay in g " H a p p y B irth d a y to Y o u .”

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Som e of th e finest o rc h estras of o u r c o u n try allow v isito rs to a tte n d som e of th e reh earsals. I t is ru m o re d t h a t th e co n d u c to r of one of th ese orches­ tra s h a s a n u n d e rsta n d in g w ith his m en allow ing h im to scold th e m se­ verely , ev en th o u g h n o th in g serious m a y be w rong w ith th e ir playing, sim p ly because he believes t h a t th e people w ho v isit th e reh earsals like to h e a r such th in g s. T h ere is a p o p u lar te n d e n c y am o n g co n d u cto rs to d ire c t th e ir o rc h estras w ith o u t u sin g a n y m usic, a n d it is tru e t h a t som e co n d u cto rs h av e re m a rk ­ ab le m u sical m em ories. U p o n one occasion one of th ese co n d u cto rs w as p u t to a severe te s t b y his o rc h estra. B efore th e re h earsa l began, th re e of th e p lay ers ag reed t h a t in a c e rta in m easu re of a v e ry difficult piece of m usic each of th e m w as to m ak e a v e ry slig h t m istak e. B ecause th e m usic m o v ed along so ra p id ly , th ese th re e erro rs in th e th re e d ifferent in stru m e n ts w ould occur w ith in th e space of a b o u t tw o seconds, a n d it w as th o u g h t t h a t b y th is ra p id c o m b in atio n of erro rs th e p lay ers m ig h t be able to p la y a jo k e on th e ir co n d u cto r. Im ag in e th e ir surprise, how ever, w hen, im m e­ d ia te ly a fte r th is m easu re h a d been p lay ed , th e co n d u c to r ra p p e d on his s ta n d fo r th e m usic to sto p , a n d g en tly , b u t definitely, co rrected all th re e erro rs, n am in g n o t only th e in s tru m e n ts w hich h a d m ad e th e m , b u t also th e w rong n o tes w hich h a d b een p la y e d a n d th e co rrect ones w hich should h a v e b een p lay ed . THE CONDUCTOR T h e co n d u c to r of a n im p o rta n t o rc h estra, how ever, h as a good deal m ore to do th a n m erely to ac cep t a n u n ex p e cted b irth d a y g re etin g or to solve th e m u sical tric k s w hich his p lay ers m a y a tte m p t. T h e re is a g re a t deal of t r u t h in th e com m on say in g t h a t a n o rc h e stra can be no g re a te r th a n its co n d u cto r. C o n d u ctin g is one of th e m a n y th in g s w hich a p p e a r to be easy b u t really re q u ire g re a t learn in g a n d skill. T o th e o rd in a ry o b server it m a y seem t h a t th e co n d u c to r is m erely w aving his arm s in rh y th m w ith th e m usic, or t h a t otherw ise th ro u g h b o d ily m o tio n s he is expressing so m eth in g of th e n a tu re of th e m usic w hich is being p lay ed . T h e re is a g re a t d eal m o re to it th a n th a t. I n th e first place, th e con­ d u c to r m u s t know his m usic so th o ro u g h ly t h a t he is able to discover a n d co rrect th e slig h te st e rro r on th e p a r t of a n y one of his play ers. T h is m eans n o t only t h a t he m u s t kn o w e x a c tly w h a t is in th e score, b u t also t h a t he m u s t h av e such a k een e a r t h a t he can h e a r in d iv id u a l in stru m e n ts w hile th e e n tire o rc h e stra is play in g . H e a rin g th e o rc h e stra fro m th e audience is q u ite a d ifferen t m a tte r.

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T h en , to o , th e co n d u c to r m u s t know th e e x a c t p o in t a t w h ich in d iv id u a l in stru m e n ts b eg in p lay in g , fo r it goes w ith o u t say in g t h a t n o t all th e in ­ s tru m e n ts of a n o rc h e stra p la y all th e tim e. E v e n th o u g h good o rc h e stra p lay ers are carefu l to c o u n t th e m easu res d u rin g w hich th e y " r e s t / ' so t h a t th e y m a y k n o w w h en to begin p lay in g , it is p a r t of th e c o n d u c to r's d u ty to in d ic a te th e ex a c t fra c tio n of a second a t w hich a g iv en in s tru m e n t is to begin p lay in g . P e rh a p s th e m o st im p o rta n t d u ty of th e c o n d u c to r is to decide a n d to in d icate to his m e n th e expressive " in te r p r e ta tio n " of th e m usic. In te rp re ­ ta tio n in cludes th e s e ttin g of a p ro p e r tem p o ,* th e in d ic a tio n of p ro p e r dynam ics,* a n d th e w o rk in g o u t of th e co rrect " p h r a s in g ." P h ra sin g in m usic is ju s t w h a t it is in th e read in g of a p a ra g ra p h . J u s t as th e m ean in g of a sen ten ce is m ad e clearer b y co rrect p u n c tu a tio n a n d b y th e m a n n e r of read in g , w h ich se p a ra te th e v ario u s p h rases of th e sen ten c e a n d show th e ir re la tio n to one a n o th e r, so a m usical sentence o ften re q u ires th e sam e ty p e of p h rasin g , w h ich h elp s to m ak e its m ean in g clearer. W h en we realize t h a t v ario u s in s tru m e n ts of th e o rc h e stra m a y re q u ire d ifferen t p h ra sin g for th e p ro p e r p erfo rm an ce of th e ir in d iv id u a l p a rts , i t is ea sy to see t h a t th is p a r t of th e c o n d u c to r's in te rp re ta tio n re q u ires considerable a tte n tio n . All th ese th in g s w hich com bine to m ak e a successful o rc h e stra l p erfo rm ­ ance are in d ic a te d b y th e co n d u c to r to his p lay ers th ro u g h v ario u s m o tio n s of his arm s a n d h an d s. W h e th e r or n o t th e c o n d u c to r uses a b a to n , he in d ic a te s tem p o , rh y th m , e n tra n c e s of in stru m e n ts, p h ra sin g , a n d d y n am ics b y w h a t is called his beat. C o n d u c to rs also give suggestions to th e ir p lay ers th ro u g h facial expressions a n d th e p o stu re of th e ir bodies, th o u g h th e b est co n d u cto rs do som e of th ese th in g s q u ite u n a w a re a t th e m o m e n t of w h a t th e y are doing. I n o th e r w ords, th e co n d u c to r does n o t decide a t a c e rta in m o m e n t t h a t h e will d e lib e ra te ly m ak e a p a rtic u la r k in d of m o tio n to his o rc h e stra , b u t as he develops a b ility in m ak in g his m o v e m e n ts express th e m u sical m ean in g he desires to b rin g o u t, he becom es able to do th is a u to ­ m a tic a lly . J u s t as som e people le a rn to p la y a n in s tru m e n t b y p racticin g , so a co n d u c to r p ra c tic e s c o n d u c tin g in o rd er to becom e as skillful as possible. T h e a r t of c o n d u c tin g is ra th e r new . W h e n B a c h (b a x ) a n d M o z a rt com posed th e ir m u sic a n d w h en H a y d n (h i'd 'n ) com posed m usic an d d ire c te d th e o rc h e stra fo r P rin ce E s te rh a z y (e s'te r-h a 'z e ), th e re w as no co n d u c to r s ta n d in g before th e o rc h e stra to c o n d u c t it, as is now th e custom . I n som e cases th e lead e r of th e o rc h e stra m ig h t be a v io lin ist w ho w ould give th e n ecessary in d ic a tio n s e ith e r w ith his bow o r b y n o d d in g his h ead . I n o th e r cases th e lead er m ig h t be th e p la y e r of a k e y b o a rd in stru m e n t, u su a lly th e h arp sic h o rd .* T h is in s tru m e n t w as p lace d in su ch a w ay t h a t th e p la y e r s a t facin g th e m em b ers of th e o rc h e stra , w ith his b a c k to th e

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audience, a n d b y an occasional expression of his face, th e n o d d in g of his head, or b y th e force of his ow n p laying, co n tro lled th e o rch estra. O ne of th e first p erso n s ev er to s ta n d before a n o rc h e stra for th e sole p u rp o se of d ire c tin g th e p lay in g w as th e com poser C arl M a ria v o n W eber, w ho u su a lly h eld a roll of m a n u sc rip t p a p e r in his h a n d w hile in d ic a tin g his d irectio n s to th e o rc h estra. T h e b a to n d id n o t com e in to use u n til a b o u t th e tim e of B eeth o v en , a n d it is said t h a t th e first p erso n ev er to use one w as th e com poser L ouis S p o h r (shpor). Since th e n co n d u ctin g h a s grow n in im p o rta n c e u n til it h as becom e a real a r t in itself a n d h as a ttr a c te d th e a tte n tio n of th e v e ry finest m usicians. T h ere is a com m on say in g th a t com posers are th e p o o re st co n d u cto rs of th e ir ow n m u s ic ; b u t th e re h av e been exceptions, for b o th R ic h a rd W ag n er (v ag 'n er) a n d R ic h a rd S trau ss (sh tro u s) w ere u n u s u a lly fine conductors. T h e co n d u c to r is resp o n sib le n o t only to his audience a n d to th e m em bers of his o rc h estra, b u t also to th e com posers w hose m usic he p lay s. I t m a y be said t h a t th e g re a te s t co n d u cto rs are th o se w ho t r y to in te rp re t th e m usic acco rd in g to th e ir b e st know ledge of th e in te n tio n s of th e com poser. I t is as th o u g h th e c o n d u c to r w ere asked to ex h ib it a g re a t p a in tin g ; b u t th e p a in tin g com es to h im in pieces like a p ic tu re puzzle. H e m u st fit all th e p a rts to g e th e r ju s t as th e a r tis t did in th e beginning. S om etim es he m a y em phasize a c e rta in color h ere a n d th e re to increase th e b e a u ty . T h e n too, h e m u s t b e carefu l to e x h ib it it in ju s t th e rig h t place so t h a t th e w ork n e x t to i t will n o t ta k e aw a y from its charm . I n o th e r w ords, he m u st choose th e m usic for his p ro g ra m so carefu lly t h a t no n e of th e m usical selections will in terfe re w ith th e effect of th e o th ers. I t so m etim es h a p p e n s t h a t a co n d u c to r will " p l a y to th e g allery ,” or seek a p p lau se b y p erfo rm in g m usic in su ch a w ay t h a t it h as a m o st s ta rtlin g a n d b rillia n t effect, even th o u g h t h a t m a y n o t h av e been th e w ish of th e com poser. T h e m o st lastin g fam e, how ever, h as com e to th o se con­ d u c to rs w ho unselfishly h a v e been w illing to give u p te m p o ra rily th e ir own glory in o rd e r m o re co m p letely a n d m ore fa ith fu lly to p erfo rm m usic w ith genuine lo y a lty to th e in te n tio n of th e com poser w ho w ro te it. T h e co n d u c to r is a lead er. I n m o st cases he h as to h ire a n d discharge his p lay ers, a n d he alw ays m u st arouse e n th u sia sm in his m en if he is to o b ta in th e b e st re su lts. H e m u s t be a n in sp ired d ire c to r of th o se w ho p erfo rm u n d e r his lead ersh ip . H e m u s t know m usic of all k in d s, su itab le for all occasions. A bove all, he m u s t be sincere a n d sy m p a th e tic a n d hold to high ideals. N o m a tte r how m u ch a co n d u c to r m a y w ish to express th e m usical in te n tio n s of th e com poser, it is im possible for him , since he is h u m a n , to give u p his ow n feelings a n d p erso n al preferences. I n fa c t, i t is o n ly b y

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th e im ag in atio n a n d intelligence of th o se w ho in te rp re t m u sic t h a t n o tes on a page com e to be a liv in g expression for th o se w ho liste n . I n th is w ay th e co n d u cto r becom es a re -c re a to r of th e w o rld 's g re a t m usic, to m ake o u r lives rich e r a n d h a p p ie r. T h e re are m a n y su ch co n d u cto rs. I n th is course we h a v e listen ed to o rc h estras p lay in g u n d e r th e d irec tio n of Serge K o u sse v itz k y (k o o 'se-v it'sk e) (B o sto n S y m p h o n y O rc h e stra ), L eopold S tokow ski (sto -k 6 f'sk e), w ho w as fo rm e rly w ith th e P h ila d e lp h ia S y m p h o n y O rc h estra, E u g en e O rm a n d y (P h ilad elp h ia S y m p h o n y O rc h e stra ), a n d A rtu ro T o sca n in i (t6 s'k a -n e 'n e ), w ho w as fo rm erly w ith th e P h ilh a rm o n ic -S y m p h o n y O rc h e stra of N ew Y o rk a n d w ho h as becom e ev en m ore w idely k n o w n th ro u g h his p o sitio n as co n d u cto r of th e N B C S y m p h o n y O rch estra. T o scan in i is in sp ired w ith a n in te n se d ev o tio n to m usic, a n d is v e ry p a in sta k in g as a s tu d e n t. H e is h u m b le before m usic, b u t firm in his d em an d s u p o n his p lay ers. M usic h e a rd u n d e r th e d irec tio n of a tru ly g re a t a n d in sp ire d co n d u cto r calls fro m u s w ho liste n th e h ig h est response of w hich we are c a p a b le ; for, as h as been said of one of th e se leaders, " M usic is u n s p e a k a b ly d e a r to him , a w o n d erfu l a n d sacred th in g , a n d b y som e m y ste rio u s p o w er, . . . h e m ak es it so fo r th o se w ho also love a n d cherish it ."

D U Classical S y m p h o n y b y Prokofieff we learn ed a good deal a b o u t th e classical AN OPERA p erio d of th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry . T h e old cu sto m s a n d h a b its of th is p erio d w ere m u ch d istu rb e d in th e OF THE la te ITOO’s, w hen th e F re n c h R e v o lu tio n a n d th e R O M A N T IC A m erican R e v o lu tio n b ro u g h t a b o u t d ifferen t con­ d itio n s, in w hich th e people develo p ed an a b ility P E R IO D to th in k for th em selv es a n d express th em selv es in a n y w ay t h a t satisfied th e m . U p to th is tim e on ly th e w e a lth y a n d th e n o b ility h a d a rig h t to freedom a n d p leasu re, w hile th e less fo rtu n a te w ere re q u ire d to obey th e m a n d c a rry o u t th e ir w ishes. F ro m tim e to tim e, in o u r s tu d y of m usic a n d com posers, we h av e le a rn e d of th is p rin ce or t h a t em p ero r w ho h ire d th e lead in g m u si­ cians to p ro v id e m usic for th e fa m ily a n d a special circle of friends. A ll a r t is influenced b y th e p ro sp e rity or un easin ess of peoples a n d n a ­ tio n s. A n d w h en th e d e m a n d fo r freedom a n d e q u a l rig h ts re su lte d in changes in g o v ern m e n ts a n d th e b u ild in g of dem ocracies, com posers a n d p o e ts a n d p a in te rs c a st aside th e ir obedience to old form s a n d sty les of expression a n d w ro te or p a in te d as th e y pleased. I n all g re a t m o v em en ts th e re are pioneers, a n d so in th is change fro m follow ing set ru les to g re a te r freed o m of expression c e rta in com posers p re p a re d th e w ay. O ne of th e g re a te st of th e m u sical pioneers w as B e eth o v en (page 31 ; also Prelude, page 69). T h o se w ho follow ed h im b u ilt u p o n th e fo u n d a tio n w h ich he laid , a n d th u s h elp ed to m ak e th e n in e te e n th c e n tu ry a n o u tsta n d in g p erio d in m usic. W h a t d id th ese m en d o ? F irs t of all th e y fe lt t h a t o rig in a lity w as m o st im p o rta n t a n d t h a t th e ir com positions sh o u ld re p re se n t th e ir ow n p erso n al ideas a n d feelings. T h erefo re, B e eth o v en a n d his m a n y follow ers m ad e good use of th e new freed o m b y expressing th em selv es in new a n d forceful w ays. T h e y a d d e d fresh life to old form s a n d w ro te m usic in w hich poetic, d ra m a tic , or p ic to ria l im ag in atio n w as allow ed a place. W h e n we discussed th e

THE ROMANTIC SCHOOL M o s t of th e p o ets a n d a rtis ts of th is p erio d belonged to w h a t becam e k n o w n as th e R o m a n tic School.* So it is n o t stra n g e t h a t m o st of th e m usic of a b o u t th e first th re e q u a rte rs, or m ore, of th e n in e te e n th c e n tu ry is called rom antic to d istin g u ish it fro m th e classical m usic of th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry . B u t m usic ro m a n tic in sp irit h as c o n tin u e d to be w ritte n rig h t u p to th e p re se n t d ay . 100

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L o h e n g r in P re lu d e to A ct I

B rid a l C h o ru s

[V .R . 14006 A , B ]

[V .R . G 542 A ]

E lsa ’s D re a m

L o h e n g rin ’s N a rra tiv e

[V .R . G 562 A ]

[V .R . G 542 B ]

P r e lu d e to A ct I I I

L o h e n g rin ’s F a re w e ll

(V .R . G 561 A ]

[V .R . G 562 B ]

R ic h a r d W a g n e r

(1813-1883). German composer. Living in America at the same time: U l y s s e s S. G r a n t . ORIGIN OF TH E STORY

O ne d a y R ic h a rd W ag n er (v a g 'n er) re a d a g re a t poem b y th e tw e lfth c e n tu ry G erm an p o e t W o lfram v o n E sc h e n b a c h (v o lf'ram fon esh'en-baK ) called P a rsifa l (p a r'si-fal). T h is to ld in verse a n an c ie n t ta le a b o u t th e H o ly G rail. I n m ed iev al legends th e n am e " H o ly G ra il” w as given to th e cup (or chalice, as i t w as called), u sed b y our L o rd a t th e L a s t S upper. T h is chalice w as b ro u g h t to E n g la n d , b u t because of th e sinful c h a ra c te r of its keep ers, it v an ish ed . C arefu l search for th e precious cup w as u n d e r­ ta k e n b y m a n y k n ig h ts, b u t th e y could a p p ro a c h it only if th e y w ere p u re in th o u g h t, w ord, a n d a c t. O n ly th re e w ere successful in th e search, B ors, G a la h a d , a n d P arsifal, w ho w as th e fa th e r of L ohengrin (lo'en-grm ). W ag n er w as v e ry fond of th is ta le a n d re a d i t in all its form s, in clu d in g th e one b y th e G rim m b ro th e rs, fam o u s w rite rs of fa iry tales. H e decided to m ak e it in to a n opera, a n d so h e selected th e in cid en ts a n d c h a ra c te rs w hich seem ed b e st su ite d to his p lan s. T w o of his operas, L ohengrin a n d P a rsifa l, are fo u n d ed on th is legend. T h e follow ing q u o ta tio n s fro m T e n n y s o n ’s Id y lls o f the K in g give new m ean in g a n d im p o rtan ce to th is a n c ie n t ta le : I I, Galahad, saw the Grail, The Holy Grail, descend upon the shrine. This holy thing, . . . . . . moving w ith me night and day, Fainter by day, b ut always in the night Blood-red. And in the strength of this I rode, And broke through all, and in the strength of this Came victor.

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II For, waked at dead of night, I heard a sound As of a silver horn from o'er the hills Blown. . . . And the slender sound As from a distance beyond distance grew Coming upon me — O never harp nor horn, Nor aught we blow with breath, or touch with hand, Was like that music as it cam e; and then Streamed through my cell a cold and silver beam, And down the long beam stole the Holy Grail, Rose-red with beatings in it, as if alive, Till all the white walls of my cell were dyed With rosy colors leaping on the w a ll; And then the music faded, and the Grail Passed, and the beam decayed, and from the walls The rosy quiverings died into the night. D oes e ith e r one of th ese q u o ta tio n s suggest th e p ro p e r m a n n e r in w hich to a p p ro a c h th is m usic ? L ohengrin h a s been selected for s tu d y because it is one of th e m o st tu n e fu l a n d p o p u la r of all th e W ag n er operas. T h e p rin c ip a l c h a ra c te rs in th e sto ry are : H e n r y t h e F o w l e r , King of Germany L

o h e n g r in

E

l sa

D

u k e

C

o u n t

G F

o d f r e y

, h er b ro th e r

r e d e r ic k

and

O

r t r u d

, h is w ife

I n o rd e r to u n d e rs ta n d w h a t is ta k in g place in th e first a c t of L ohengrin, it is h elp fu l to know a b o u t som e of th e e v e n ts leading u p to it. TH E STORY OF TH E OPERA J u s t before th e d u k e of B ra b a n t (b ra -b a n t') died, leaving as his h eir his sm all son G o d frey , he called to his bedside F re d e ric k of T e lra m u n d (tel'ra -m o o n t), his m o st tru s te d friend, a n d said, " I n t o y o u r care, F red e rick of T e lra m u n d , I give m y g re a te st tre a su re , m y children, E lsa a n d G odfrey. T a k e care of th e m u n til th e y are grow n. I know y o u will alw ays be k in d to th e m .” So th e ch ild ren w en t to live in th e castle of T e lra m u n d . E lsa w as several y e a rs o ld er th a n h er b ro th e r a n d h elp ed in ta k in g care of him . T h e boy w as fo n d of tra m p in g in th e w oods, a n d E lsa o ften w en t along to p ro te c t h im .

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O ne d a y , w h en E lsa a n d h er b ro th e r w en t for a w alk in th e fo re st, G o d frey w an d e red to o fa r aw ay from his sister a n d w as lost. She looked for h im ev ery w h ere, b u t fin ally h a d to r e tu r n to th e castle w ith o u t him . T h e k n ig h ts, th e p ea san ts, a n d th e s e rv a n ts h u n te d for d ay s, b u t G o d frey could n o t be fo u n d . E ls a 's co n d u c t a fte r th e d isap p ea ran ce of h e r b ro th e r aroused th e belief t h a t she h a d k illed h im so t h a t she herself could fall h eir to B ra b a n t a n d sh are th e ro y a l p o sitio n w ith som eone else. E ls a 's fa th e r h a d ex p ected t h a t she w ould m a rry F red e rick , b u t because he su sp ecte d h er of m istre a tin g h er b ro th e r, F re d e ric k refused to go on w ith th e p lan , a n d m a rrie d O rtru d (o r'tro o d ) in ste a d . O rtru d w as a w icked a n d selfish w o m an w ith a stro n g desire to ru le B ra b a n t. I n th is s itu a tio n she saw an o p p o rtu n ity for h er h u sb a n d to becom e D u k e of B ra b a n t, since th e real heir h a d d isap p eared . T h erefo re she u rg e d h er h u sb a n d to accuse E lsa of k illin g G o d frey in o rd er t h a t he m ig h t becom e ru le r of B ra b a n t a n d sh are his h o n o r w ith her. F re d e ric k w as finally p e rsu a d e d to go to th e k in g w ith th e sto ry . A c t / . T h e first a c t opens w ith a scene on th e b a n k s of th e riv e r S ch eld t (sk elt), w hich cu rv es its w ay am ong th e flow ery m eadow s a n d tree-co v ered hills of B ra b a n t n e a r A n tw erp (a n t'w e rp ). I n th e left fo re g ro u n d is K in g H e n ry , se a te d u n d e r a tall, sp read in g oak. H e a n d his nobles h av e set u p a c o u rt of ju stic e in o rd er to h e a r a n d rem ed y th e tro u b le s of th e people. N e a r h im s ta n d his nobles on one side a n d F re d e ric k of T e lra m u n d on th e o th er. T h e re is an open space b etw een th em . T h e p re lu d e to A ct I p re p a re s th e au d ien ce for th e ac tio n of th e o p era w hich follow s. T h is m usic is m ad e u p of a th e m e w hich sta n d s for th e G rail a n d o th e r m elodies d eveloped fro m it. Som eone h as described it as " a m ig h ty w eb of so u n d w oven on th e single th e m e of th e H o ly G ra il." GRAIL MOTIVE L e n ta

„

T h is is h e a rd in a v e ry h igh reg ister, so ftly a t first, a n d is p lay ed b y th e hig h strin g s, w hich are d iv id ed in o rd er to fu rn ish th e h a rm o n y . T h e m usic re p re se n ts th e g u a rd ia n angels b ea rin g th e H o ly G rail to e a rth . As th e G rail m oves d o w n w ard th e m usic m oves d o w n w ard also, increasing in volum e, u n til th e th e m e is h e a rd in th e low er strin g s. T o suggest th e m o m e n t w hen, a t last, th e G rail is fin ally given to its e a rth ly p ro te c to rs,

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th e full o rc h e stra b u rs ts fo rth in to a fortissim o passag e a s th e b rasses p la y th e G ra il th em e. T h e n th e volum e grow s less a n d less, a n d g ra d u a lly th e u p p e r strin g s are le ft p la y in g alone as a t th e beginning. T h is g ra d u a l dim inuendo,* w ith th e m usic clim bing to th e h ig h reg ister, suggests t h a t th e angels are re tu rn in g to h eav en , b ea rin g th e G rail w ith th e m . 1. W h ich of th e tw o q u o ta tio n s fro m T e n n y so n seem s to be m ore closely re la te d to th is m usic of th e p re lu d e to A ct I of L o h e n g rin l 2. W h ich lines in th e p o em seem to describe c e rta in p a r ts of th e m u sic? 3. I n w h a t w ays do th e p o em a n d th e m usic resem ble ea ch o th e r? 4. H o w does th e m usic su g g est d ista n c e ? THE STORY CONTINUES T h e h e ra ld a n d th e tru m p e te rs ad v an ce in to th e m id d le of th e open space a n d so u n d th e k in g ’s call. T h e k in g rises a n d describes th e s itu a tio n of G e rm a n y to his people a n d th e n asks for a n e x p la n a tio n of th e tro u b les in B ra b a n t, for he is anxious to se ttle all d isp u tes. H e calls o n F re d e ric k of T e lra m u n d , w ho is k n o w n as a b ra v e soldier a n d n o blem an. F re d e ric k com es fo rw ard a n d tells th e k in g a b o u t th e d u k e of B ra b a n t a n d his tw o ch ild ren . H e accuses E lsa of killing h er b ro th e r a n d d em an d s p u n ish m e n t b e given E lsa for h e r crim e. A t th e sam e tim e he rem in d s K in g H e n ry t h a t he, F red erick , is th e d ire c t h eir to B ra b a n t, because he is re la te d to th e old d uke, a n d t h a t O rtru d is co n n ected w ith th e fam ily of ru lers of long ago. B ecause F red e rick , m a n y y e a rs before, sav ed th e life of his king, his s to ry receives a tte n tio n , a n d th e k in g orders E lsa to a p p e a r before him . She is v e ry b e a u tifu l as she w alks slow ly in to th e ro y al presence, b u t h er face is sad, h e r eyes d im m ed w ith te a rs, a n d she w ins th e p ity of th e people w ho h av e com e to g e th e r. W h en th e k in g asks h er if she killed h er b ro th e r, she is confused a n d can o n ly m o u rn h er b ro th e r’s absence. T h e king, how ever, is gentle a n d en­ courages h e r to tell h im all a b o u t it. She, in ste a d , tells h im of a d re am w hich she h a s h a d . She h as seen a w onderful k n ig h t, y o u n g a n d handsom e, w ho w ill com e to h e r a id sh o u ld she need som eone to defend her. T h e a ria * " E l s a ’s D r e a m ” is one of th e m o st b e a u tifu l in th e w hole opera. I t begins as follow s :

F~pT~V~i r— * p i r

V

^ ir p i*i * y F | f"

J-

* 1»

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A b o u t th e m id d le of th e selection th e m usic of th e G rail m o tiv e is h ea rd , a n d th e m o tiv e w hich su ggests L ohengrin im m e d ia te ly follows in th e acco m p an im en t. I t is in tro d u c e d b y th e h a rp a n d w in d in stru m e n ts . LOHENGRIN MOTIVE

t e t t e r j c J 'r. t c j ip t r W h a t v alu e do th ese m o tiv e s h av e in th e m u sical expression of th e s to ry ? I t is d ecid ed t h a t th e case sh all be se ttle d b y a c o n te st b etw een F red e rick a n d an y o n e w ho m a y a p p e a r to help th e accused E lsa. A ccording to cu sto m th e k in g calls fo u r tru m p e te rs w ho blow to n o rth , so u th , east, a n d w est, a n d a h e ra ld cries in a lo u d voice, " W h o will fig h t for E lsa of B r a b a n t ? L e t h im a p p e a r ! ” A t first no one answ ers. E ls a asks th e king to call again. A gain th e tru m p e te rs blow . E ls a falls on h er knees p ra y in g t h a t th e k n ig h t of h er d re am m a y com e to h er aid. S u d d en ly a ro u n d th e b en d of th e riv e r S ch eld t a b o a t d ra w n b y a sw an is seen ap p ro ach in g . A b o u t th e neck of th e sw an is a golden b a n d fro m w hich golden rein s ex ten d . I n th e b o a t sta n d s a noble k n ig h t dressed in b rillia n t arm o r a n d a g leam ing h elm et. A t his side h a n g a golden sw ord a n d a golden h o rn . As th e m y sterio u s k n ig h t step s fro m th e b o a t to g reet E lsa he g e n tly stro k es th e neck of th e sw an, saying, " I give th ee th a n k s , m y gentle sw an, for g u id in g m e here safely. R e tu rn to t h a t la n d of d aw n w here we h a v e so long liv ed h ap p ily . Y o u r ta s k is done. F arew ell, fa re­ well, m y tr u s ty sw an .” T h e re is a q u ie t b e a u ty in th e m usic as L o h en g rin sings th is farew ell w hile th e sw an d isa p p e a rs dow n th e riv er. T h e people g re et th e noble stran g e r, w ho goes fo rw ard a n d salu tes th e king. " W h a t b rin g s y o u h ere in th is d a rk h o u r ? ” asks th e king. L ohengrin replies t h a t he h a s com e to defend th e in n o c e n t m aid en E lsa, w ho h as been u n ju s tly accused. T u rn in g to E lsa he says, " I a c cep t th e challenge of F re d e ric k a n d will fig h t for you. If I am v icto rio u s, w ill y o u be m y b rid e ? F irs t, h ow ever, y o u m u s t prom ise n ev e r to ask m y n am e or fro m w h a t place I h a v e com e.” E lsa pro m ises n ev e r to ask h im his n am e or origin. F re d e ric k 's friends p lead w ith h im n o t to fig h t th e m y sterio u s stra n g e r, b u t his wife O rtru d urges h im on. T h e king, a fte r offering a p ra y e r t h a t th e m a n w hose cause is rig h t m a y w in in th e c o n te st, gives th e s ig n a l; a n d F re d e ric k a n d L o h en g rin ru sh a t

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each o th e r w ith d ra w n sw ords. T h e struggle is sh o rt, for F re d e ric k soon falls to th e g ro u n d . L o h en g rin generously spares his life a n d helps h im to his feet. T h e crow d cheers th e v ic to r as F re d e ric k a n d O rtru d slip aw ay in disgrace. A ct I I . F re d e ric k a n d O rtru d , la te th a t n ig h t, are se a te d on th e step s of a ch u rch . T h e y are so a n g ry a t th e re su lt of th e c o n te st t h a t th e y p la n revenge a g a in st E ls a a n d L o h engrin. F re d e ric k blam es O rtru d for all his m isery. H e is overcom e w ith grief th a t he h as lo st his ra n k as a k n ig h t a n d th e resp ect of th e people, a n d because he h a s w on th e h a tre d of all m en. O rtru d tells h im of h er p la n for revenge. " I f L o h en g rin can be m ad e to tell his n a m e ," she w hispers, " h is pow er will end. N o one b u t E lsa can m ak e h im do th is. I sh all p re te n d to be h e r frie n d a n d tell h e r w h a t to d o .” E lsa, w ho is in h er room , com es to th e w indow a n d sings of h e r g re a t h ap p in ess, w hile F re d e ric k a n d O rtru d hide b eh in d a p illa r of th e church. A t la st O rtru d d raw s h er b lack shaw l over h er h e a d a n d a p p ro ach es E lsa, seeking h e r p ity a n d ask in g for forgiveness. E lsa, w ho is k in d h e a rte d a n d feels so rry for h er, h a s te n s dow n to cheer O rtru d , w ho is on h er knees p re te n d in g to p ra y . E lsa is to u c h e d ; she seeks to co m fo rt th e schem ing w o m an a n d in v ite s h er to th e w edding, w hich is to ta k e place th e n ex t d ay . O rtru d , seeing t h a t E ls a believes t h a t she is sincere, begins to m ak e re m a rk s t h a t will cause E ls a to d o u b t L ohengrin. She w arn s E lsa t h a t he m a y leave as m y ste rio u sly as he a rriv e d unless he tells so m eth in g a b o u t him self. H o w ev er, E ls a 's fa ith is n o t sh ak en b y a n y th in g w hich O rtru d says. T h e d a y of th e w ed d in g is v e ry exciting. F ro m th e to w ers of th e castle th e tru m p e te rs call th e people to th e w edding cerem ony. N o b les a n d coun­ t r y people com e fro m all d irectio n s. W h en th e y are all p re se n t th e h erald of th e k in g an n o u n ces t h a t F re d e ric k is a tr a ito r a n d is to be sen t aw ay , a n d t h a t L o h en g rin h a s b een m ad e ru le r of B ra b a n t. All th e people crow d in to th e ch u rch to a w a it th e a rriv a l of th e b rid a l p air. A s th e y ap p ro ach , O rtru d a n d F red e rick show w h a t k in d of people th e y re ally are. O rtru d p re v e n ts E lsa fro m e n terin g , w hile F re d e ric k sh o u ts t h a t L o h en g rin is a n evil w izard w ho p ra ctic es b lack m agic. F red e rick a n d O rtru d are o rd ered aw a y b y th e king, w ho h as a rriv e d on th e scene. T h e w ed d in g p a r ty e n te rs th e ch u rch as th e second a c t closes. A ct I I I . T h e th ir d a c t opens w ith th e b rid a l scene of E lsa a n d L o h en ­ grin, so it is n a tu ra l t h a t th e m usic sh o u ld be full of th e jo y a n d ex c item en t w hich u su ally go w ith a n y occasion as h a p p y as a w edding.

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T h e P re lu d e to A c t I I I , like m u ch of W a g n e r's m usic, h a s m elodies th a t a t tr a c t a n d ch a rm u s a n d rh y th m s t h a t arouse o u r e n th u sia sm . T h e open­ in g th e m e is like a song of triu m p h . FIRST MELODY M olto v iva c e

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T h e first a n d second m elodies re tu r n to close th e P re lu d e to A c t I I I w ith a jo y o u s a n d d ra m a tic clim ax. 1. W h a t are th e chief differences b etw een th e P re lu d e to A c t I I I a n d th e P re lu d e to A ct I ? 2. D oes e ith e r one su g g est a m o re definite p ic tu re th a n th e o th e r?

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108

A fter th e cerem o n y th e g u ests sing a song to th e b rid e a n d groom as th e y are ta k e n to th e ir room s in th e g re a t castle. T h e " P re lu d e to A ct I I I " leads d ire c tly in to th e m usic of th e " B r id a l C h o ru s.” T h e m usic of th is chorus is v e ry , well k n o w n because it is u sed so o ften a t w ed d in g cere­ m onies. T h e M e tro p o lita n O p era C h o ru s is b rin g in g th e m usic to u s on th e reco rd . I t begins w ith th is fam iliar t h e m e : I

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A lth o u g h E ls a h a s d eclared t h a t she h a s fa ith in h e r h u sb a n d , she is tro u b le d b y th e h in ts a n d suggestions of F re d e ric k a n d O rtru d . She can ­ n o t h ide h e r d o u b ts a n d fin ally b re a k s h e r prom ise to ask no q u estio n s. She asks h e r h u s b a n d his n am e. H e re m in d s h e r of h e r p ro m is e ; b u t she co n tin u es to ask, p ro m isin g h im t h a t she will keep it a secret. A lth o u g h L o h en g rin trie s to tu r n aside h e r cu rio sity , she will n o t liste n to h im . She insists, ev en h in tin g t h a t h e m a y be a n evil w izard a fte r all. S u d d en ly th e d o o r b u rs ts open, a n d F re d e ric k a n d fo u r of his follow ers d a sh in. T h e y d ra w th e ir sw ords a n d ru s h a t L o h en g rin . E lsa , seeing th e d an g er, h a n d s h e r h u s b a n d his sw ord. W ith one stro k e h e kills F red e rick , a n d th e fo u r k n ig h ts d ro p to th e ir knees. L o h en g rin prom ises to te ll w ho he is on th e follow ing d a y , before th e k in g a n d his nobles. T h e n e x t m o rn in g th e a rm y is g a th e re d on th e riv e r b a n k , aw a itin g th e a rriv a l of th e new d u k e of B ra b a n t. T h e k in g c a n n o t u n d e rs ta n d w h y he does n o t a p p e a r. Soon th e fo u r k n ig h ts e n te r, ca rry in g F re d e ric k 's b o d y . E lsa fo llo w s; a n d la st, w ith firm ste p , com es L o hengrin. H e salu tes th e k in g a n d begs to be excused fro m h is d u tie s as ru le r of B ra b a n t. A h u sh com es o ver his h e a re rs as h e says, " I d id n o t com e h ere to lead y o u to b a ttle . I cam e to defend th e in n o c e n t E lsa . I h a d h o p ed to s ta y here alw ay s am ong y o u a n d be h a p p y w ith m y b rid e. B u t alas! she h a s b ro k e n h e r prom ise a n d de­ m an d s t h a t I tell m y n am e a n d c o u n try ." H e th e n co n tin u es w ith his sto ry : " M a n y y e a rs ago angels b ro u g h t from h e a v e n th e H o ly G rail, th e cup fro m w hich o u r L o rd d ra n k a t th e L a st S upper. O n M o n s a lv a t (m o n -sa l-v a t') th e y b u ilt a b e a u tifu l re stin g place for th e h o ly cup. A bove i t is ev er a circle of lig h t. H e w ho looks b u t once on th is sacred cup is m ad e p u re of h e a rt. K n ig h ts g u a rd it n ig h t a n d d ay . O nce e v e ry y e a r a d o v e descends fro m h ea v en to b rin g div in e courage to th ese fa ith fu l g u a rd ia n s of th e G rail. T h e y leave th e ir p o st of d u ty only to defend th e in n o cen t. Since th e y fight o n ly for th e rig h t th e y c a n n o t be d efeated .

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" W h e n th e y d efen d e a rth ly c re a tu re s th e y d are n o t te ll th e ir n a m e s ; for if th e ir n am es are k n o w n to m en , th e y m u s t d e p a rt a n d flee.” T u rn in g to E lsa, he says, " T h e G rail se n t m e to defend y o u . M y fa th e r is P e rc iv a l [P arsifal], w ho reig n s on M o n sa lv a t. I a m a k n ig h t of th e H o ly G rail, a n d L o h en g rin is m y n a m e .” A fte r a few v e ry so ft ch o rd s th is g re a t a ria , k n o w n as " L o h e n g rin 's N a r ra tiv e .” begins as follow s :

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frj |yj p As m ig h t be ex p ected , th e m usic is sim ple. I n th e h arm o n ic b a c k g ro u n d th e G rail th em e can be h e a rd , a n d it a p p e ars in th e voice p a r t also. O u r know ledge of th e s to ry of th e o p era L ohengrin, as well as som e in fo rm a tio n a b o u t th e o rig in al legend, m ak es it possible for u s to u n d e rs ta n d how im pressiv e th is scene is, w ith its suggestion of solem n d ig n ity a n d of th e serious re su lts w hich are soon to follow. T H E STORY CONCLUDED A ro u n d th e b e n d of th e riv e r th e sw an can be seen ap p ro ach in g . E lsa , w ho is overcom e w ith grief a t h er g re a t m ista k e, is fearfu l t h a t th e sw an will ta k e h er h u s b a n d aw ay . As th e b o a t draw s n earer, L o h en g rin bids his wife farew ell. " E ls a , could y o u h a v e w a ite d b u t one y e a r a n d k e p t y o u r prom ise, I w ould h av e to ld y o u all. B u t I m u st n o t s ta y .” H e sings his farew ell as h e s ta n d s beside th e fa ith fu l sw an. Som e so ft chords p recede th e s o n g ; th e se are w h a t is k n o w n as th e sw an m o tiv e . T h e first tim e t h a t th is m o tiv e occurs in th e o p era is in th e first a c t, a fte r th e sw an h as b ro u g h t L o h en g rin to defend E lsa. SWAN MOTIVE

T h ese ch ords seem to rise a n d fall like th e m o tio n of th e w aves. T h e a ria begins w ith a m elodic p h ra se t h a t is expressive of th e sorrow w hich L o h en g rin feels. H ere are a few m e a s u r e s :

110

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • P r o g r e ss

H e h a n d s to E ls a his h o rn a n d sw ord, b id d in g h e r give th e m to h e r b ro th e r G o d frey , sh o u ld he re tu rn . H e also gives h er th e gold rin g fro m his finger. A s h e w alk s to th e b a n k of th e riv e r O rtru d ru sh es in a n d b o a sts t h a t b y h er m agic a r t she b ew itch ed G o d frey b y p lacin g a gold b a n d a ro u n d his neck, a n d t h a t he is none o th e r th a n th e sw an w hich is d ra w in g th e b o a t. L o h en g rin , w ho h a s n o t lo st his pow er, o v erh ears h er. H e sinks to his knees, offering a p ra y e r, a n d as he does so a w h ite dove floats do w n fro m th e clouds a n d flu tte rs over th e b o a t. I t is th e dove of th e H o ly G rail. L o h en g rin loosens th e b a n d a ro u n d th e sw a n 's neck w hich b in d s h im to th e b o a t, a n d a w onderful change ta k e s place. T h e sw an sinks fro m sight, a n d L o h en g rin lifts fro m th e w a te r a p rin ce in sh in in g a rm o r. T o th e people he says, " B e h o ld th e d u k e of B r a b a n t! " E ls a clasps h er lo st b ro th e r in h er arm s. W h en th e people reco v er fro m th e ir su rp rise th e y look a b o u t for L o hengrin. T h e dove of th e H o ly G rail is m y ste rio u sly g u id in g th e b o a t u p th e riv e r to w a rd fa r-a w a y M o n sa lv a t. I n it s ta n d s L o h en g rin w ith h ea d b e n t, lean in g on his shield. E ls a is no longer able to b e a r h er grief. C alling " L o h e n g r in ! " she sinks lifeless to th e ground* B u t L o h en g rin is seen no m ore. TH E COMPOSER OF LO H E N G R IN All of R ic h a rd W a g n e r's fam ily w ere lovers of th e th e a te r. T h re e sisters a n d a b ro th e r w ere e d u c a te d for th e stag e. H is ste p fa th e r w as a wellk n o w n a c to r. I t is sm all w o nder t h a t th e th e a te r h a d a stro n g a ttra c tio n for th e b o y R ic h a rd . W h en o nly fo u rte e n y e a rs old he m ad e a tra n s la tio n of th e fam o u s G reek poem , H o m e r's O dyssey (od'l-sl). T h e n he b eg a n to w rite a p la y , ta k in g his id eas fro m S h ak esp e are's H am let a n d K in g L ea r. F o rty -tw o c h a ra c te rs w ere k illed off in th e first fo u r a c ts a n d h a d to be b ro u g h t b a c k in th e fo rm of gh o sts in o rd er to com plete th e a c tio n of th e p ia y . W hile he w as grow ing u p his fa th e r a c te d in th e th e a te r a t D resd en . T h e o p era in D re sd en w as d irec te d b y th e com poser W eb er (v a 'b e r), p ag e 21. D o y o u rem e m b e r som e in cid en t a b o u t th ese tw o m en w hich we dis­ cussed in co n n ectio n w ith som e o th e r m usic ? I t w as d u rin g his first v isit to P a ris t h a t W a g n er re a d th e legends of T a n n h a u s e r (tan 'h o i-zer) a n d L o hengrin. H ow th ese in te re stin g a n d w o n d erfu l sto ries liv ed in his h e a d ! T h re e y e a rs la te r, w hile he w as su p ­ posed to b e re stin g a t a b a th in g re so rt in B ohem ia, he sk etch e d o u t his p la n of L ohengrin.

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W a g n er h a d u n u su a l a b ility a s a w rite r. H e w as as m u c h p o e t as m u si­ cian, a n d so he could w rite his ow n lib re tto s * for all his operas. H e com ­ p le te d th e m u sical score for L ohengrin in less th a n a y ear. B u t he h a d a difficult tim e in g e ttin g his o p era p erfo rm ed . F in a lly L iszt, th e fam o u s com poser, p ia n ist, a n d co n d u cto r, decided to p u t it on in W eim ar (v i'm a r) on G o e th e 's b irth d a y . A big crow d w ould be in th e city , fo r a s ta tu e of th e G erm an p o e t w as to b e u n v eiled . W a g n er a t t h a t tim e w as in S w itzerlan d , w here he h a d been forced to go because of his p o litical beliefs. H e w a n te d to com e to th e opening p e r­ fo rm an ce of his o p era disguised so t h a t n o one w ould recognize h im , b u t L iszt fe lt it w ould n o t be wise. So it w as n o t u n til fo u rte e n y e a rs la te r, in V ienna, t h a t W a g n er first saw a p erfo rm an ce of L ohengrin a n d h e a rd his ow n w o n d erfu l m usic p la y e d a n d sung. W a g n e r w as a curious m a n . H e h a d m a n y fine tra its , as well as m a n y sm all w eaknesses of h u m a n n a tu re . T h o u g h tfu l people of his tim e looked d o w n on m a n y of his original h arm o n ies, as w ell as his u n u su a l m e th o d s of tre a tin g m elo d y in his operas, b u t he finally co n q u ered his critics a n d is k n o w n to d a y as th e cre a to r of m u sic d ra m a * H e w as a tireless w orker, alw ay s b u sy , e ith e r a t com position or a t th e w ritin g of essays on m usic or p o litics. H is b e st-k n o w n op eras are L ohengrin, Tannhduser, D ie M eistersinger (n n s'te r-z ln g -e r), T rista n and Isolde, P a rsifa l, a n d also The R in g o f the N ib elu n g (n e'b e-lo o n g '), w hich is n o t a single w o rk b u t a g ro u p of fo u r re la te d op eras. T H E ARTISTS E v e ry o n e h a s h e a rd of th e M e tro p o lita n O p era A ssociation of N ew Y o rk . M a n y fam o u s singers h av e b een m em b ers of it a n d hav e b ro u g h t to i t th e ir b e st a rtis tic a b ility . M a n y people w ho sing in th e M e tro p o lita n O p era com e fro m o th e r co u n tries. Som e a re A m erican-born. T a k in g p a r t in th e m usic fro m L ohengrin w hich we h av e ju s t h e a rd are som e singers w hose n am es we know . P e rh a p s we h e a r th e m sing o v er th e ra d io once in a w hile. B u t it m a y b e in te re stin g to know a little m ore a b o u t th e m , esp ecially if we en jo y ed th e ir p erfo rm an ce. " E ls a 's D r e a m " is su n g b y K irs te n F la g s ta d (flag'st& t). She is a d ra ­ m a tic sop ran o ,* w ith a voice of ra re b e a u ty . She w as b o rn in Oslo, N o rw ay , a n d com es fro m a m u sical fam ily . H e r m o th e r is a p ia n ist a n d m usic coach. O ne b ro th e r c o n d u c ts o rc h e stra s a n d choruses, th e o th e r is a p ia n ist, a n d h e r siste r is a singer. T h e e a rly p a r t of M a d a m e F la g s ta d 's m usical career w as s p e n t in S can d in av ia, w h ere she a p p e a re d in o p e re tta s * an d g ra n d o p era. I n 1934

112

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

she a p p e a re d fo r th e first tim e a t th e B a y re u th (b i'ro it) F e stiv a l.* T h is experience led to a c o n tra c t w ith th e M e tro p o lita n O p era A ssociation in N ew Y o rk . She w as a n im m e d ia te success in N ew Y o rk a n d is looked u p o n as one of th e g re a te s t of m o d ern o p era singers. R ic h a rd C rooks sings " L o h e n g rin 's N a r ra tiv e ." H e w as b o rn in T re n to n , N ew Jerse y . H e w as well k n o w n as a co n cert singer a n d a p erfo rm er in o ra to rio * before he tu rn e d his a tte n tio n to th e opera. H e m ad e his first a p p e a ra n c e as a n o p e ra tic te n o r in H a m b u rg in 1927, a n d he h as b een h e a rd a t th e M e tro p o lita n O p era in N ew Y o rk since 1933. H e is a fa v o rite singer w ith ra d io audiences a n d his co n cert to u rs h av e ad d e d a g re a t deal to his p o p u la rity . L a u ritz M elchior (lo u 'ritz m el'k e-6 r) w as b o rn in D e n m a rk . As a little b o y he san g in th e choir a n d stu d ie d a t th e school of th e C o p en h ag en R o y al O pera. W h e n his voice ch an g ed he first sang b a rito n e , b u t soon discovered t h a t his voice w as b e tte r su ite d to th e te n o r ran g e. H e, to o , san g a t th e B a y re u th F e stiv a l in 1925, in one of W a g n er's operas. H is success w as so g re a t t h a t th e critics recognized t h a t he w as especially su ite d to sing W a g n e r's operas. H e m ad e his first ap p e a ra n c e a t th e M e tro p o lita n O p era H o u se in th e season of 1925—1926, a n d h e h as been th e re ev er since as th e leading te n o r of W a g n e ria n o p era in th e com pany. H e a n d M a d a m e F la g sta d o ften a p p e a r to g e th e r in th e sam e opera.

W h e n th e w ord song is m e n tio n e d we im m e d ia tely

th in k of th e h u m a n voice a n d of a m elo d y w ith w ords. O ur second th o u g h t m a y in clu d e th e songs of b ird s or o th e r n a tu re sounds. Song is also a w ord used for a m usical a rra n g e m e n t, or settin g , of a poem . I t differs from speech, w hich is n o t m u s ic a l; a n d fro m in s tru m e n ta l m usic, w hich is n o t vocal. Y e t som e p o ets h av e u sed th e w ord as a title for th e ir verses, especially fo r th o se w hich are su ita b le to be se t to m usic. A nd m a n y com posers h a v e u sed th e w ord as a title (or p a r t of it) fo r th e ir in stru m e n ta l pieces. As a title fo r in s tru m e n ta l pieces i t suggests a com position in w hich th e m elody is g raceful a n d singable. T h e p erfo rm er sings th e tu n e w ith his h a n d s in s te a d of his voice. If he is skillful i t is ju s t as ea sy to u n d e rs ta n d th e general m o o d a n d m ean in g of th e m usic as th o u g h th e re w ere w ords to explain it. T h e re are d ifferen t k in d s of songs. W h e th e r th e y are folk songs o r a r t songs d ep en d s u p o n th e ir origin. A lth o u g h th e te rm art song p ro p e rly de­ scribes a song in w hich ea ch v erse of th e poem h as been se t to m usic t h a t expresses th e m ean in g clearly, c e rta in in s tru m e n ta l pieces m a y be re g a rd e d as songs w h en th e th o u g h ts an d feeling of th e com poser are ju s t as clearly m ad e k n o w n th ro u g h a m elody of ra re b e a u ty a n d a n acco m p an i­ m e n t t h a t is su ite d to it a n d in te re stin g in itself.

SONGS FOR VOICE AND VIOLIN

When I Have Sung My Songs E r n e st C h a r l e s (1 8 9 5 -

),

[v .r .1817b

American composer.

Som e com posers w rite th e ir songs to o th e r p eo p les’ poem s. Som e h av e th e a b ility to w rite poem s as well as th e a b ility to com pose m usic. I n th is a r t song, " W h e n I H a v e S u n g M y S ongs,” E rn e s t C h arles h as w ritte n b o th th e w ords a n d th e m usic. T h e poem re a d s as fo llo w s: When I have sung my songs to you, I'll sing no more. 'Tw ould be a sacrilege to sing A t another door. W e've worked so hard to hold our dream, Ju st you and I. 113

114

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

I could not share them all again — I'd rath er die W ith just the thought th a t I had loved so weM, so true, T h at I could never sing again, T h at I could never, never sing again, Except to you. B efore liste n in g to th e m usic, w h a t k in d of a m usical se ttin g does th e poem su g g est? S im ple, d elicate, e la b o ra te , d ra m a tic ? T H E SONG T h e in tro d u c tio n , p la y e d on th e piano, is o n ly th re e m easu res long a n d c o n tain s th e m elo d y of th e opening p h ra se fo r th e voice. C a lm ly

rJp _E -F P F p~ J I |“

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I

A lth o u g h th e song b eg ins a n d ends in th e m a jo r m ode, th e m u sic m oves b a c k a n d fo rth b etw e en m a jo r a n d m in o r according to th e m ood of th e poem . E a c h line of v erse h as its ow n special m usic, a n d th e sense of th e te x t decides th e tem p o , as well as th e dynam ics.* 1. 2. 3. 4.

A fte r liste n in g to th e re co rd w h a t do y o u th in k of th e a c c o m p a n im e n t? D oes i t a d d to th e b e a u ty of th e co m p o sitio n ? Is th e re a n y th in g in i t w hich y o u n o tice especially? H ow does th is song co m p are w ith o th e r a r t songs w h ich y o u k n o w ? TH E COMPOSER AND TH E PERFORM ERS

E rn e s t C h arles is a n A m erican com poser w ho w as b o rn in M in n eap o lis. I t is n o t alw ay s ea sy to find o u t v e ry m u ch a b o u t m u sician s w ho are liv­ ing to d a y . T h e y seem to w a n t to be ra th e r q u ie t a b o u t th e th in g s w hich th e y h a v e done. B u t an y o n e w ho h as listen ed to p ro g ra m s e ith e r a t a con­ cert or o v er th e ra d io c e rta in ly h as h e a rd m a n y songs b y th is g ifted A m erican m usician. I t seem s to be a h a b it w ith m a n y people w ho are w ell k n o w n to se ttle dow n in C alifo rn ia a n d t h a t is w here E rn e s t C h arles is living. H e says of him self, " I like s p in a c h ; I p la y golf a n d w ould r a th e r fish th a n w ork. B ecause I like to e a t, too, I give re cita ls of p re se n t-d a y A m erican a n d E n g lish songs w ith a few foreign ones th ro w n in for flavor. E v e ry th in g happens to m e !99

S o n g s f o r V o ic e a n d V io lin

115

W e h av e a lre a d y le a rn e d a b o u t K irs te n F la g s ta d as a singer of operas. She is also a n acco m p lish ed singer of a r t songs a n d p ro v es h e r g re atn ess as a n a r tis t b y singing " W h e n I H a v e S ung M y S o n g s” w ith as m u c h feeling as she m ig h t p u t in to one of h e r o p eratic arias. E d w in M c A rth u r, w ho p la y s th e p ian o p a r t, is a w ell-know n a c co m p an ist of u n u su a l ta le n t. M o reo v er, on N o v em b e r 21, 1938, he m ad e his first ap p e aran c e as a co n d u c to r of o p era in C hicago. T h e o p era w as L ohengrin, a n d M a d a m e F la g s ta d san g th e p a r t of E lsa.

Prayer G e o r g e F r e d e r ic H a n d ed

tv.R. 6951 b

(1685-1759), German composer. Living in America

at the same tim e:

J a m es E d w a r d O g le th o r p e .

SOURCE OF THE MUSIC I n 1743 th e B ritis h a rm y u n d e r K in g G eorge I I w on a n u n e x p e c te d vic­ to r y o ver th e F re n c h a rm y a t D e ttin g e n , in B a v a ria . T h e e n th u sia sm of th e E n g lish people w as so g re a t t h a t w hen th e k in g re tu rn e d th e re w as a g ra n d celeb ratio n . H a n d e l (hSn'd&l) a t t h a t tim e w as " C o m p o ser of M u sick to th e C h ap el R o y a l,” a n d w as in v ite d to w rite a Te D eu m * (t£ d e 'u m ) a n d a n a n th e m fo r th e occasion. T h e T e D eum w hich h e w ro te h a d eig h teen sh o rt solos d iv id ed am o n g a lto , b a rito n e , a n d b ass, as w ell as choruses of a b rillia n t, m ilita ry c h a ra c te r. T h e m usic of th is " P r a y e r ” w as one of th e b ass solos. A few y e a rs ago a fam o u s H u n g a ria n v io lin ist, C a rl F lesch (flgsh), a rra n g e d th e " P r a y e r ” as a violin solo w ith p ia n o ac co m p an im e n t, a n d it is in t h a t fo rm t h a t we h e a r i t now . I t is in te re stin g to le a rn t h a t th e first m elodies ev er p la y e d on th e violin w ere in th e sty le of th e v o cal m usic of t h a t tim e. T h e violin is v e ry m u c h like th e h u m a n voice in expressing m u sical feeling. THE MUSIC T h e m elo d y is sm o o th a n d stro n g a n d carries a feeling of sin cerity . B ecause i t w as first w ritte n as a m elo d y to be sung, i t n a tu ra lly rem ain s w ith in th e voice ra n g e a n d does n o t e x te n d b ey o n d th e o c ta v e . T h ese are th e opening m e a s u re s : _U_L— —j—m *

\L

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I t is in te re stin g to n o tice th e m elodic line fo r th e w ord lullaby. I t m oves like th is

and

seem s like a w ave of tone

T h e rh y th m ic p a tte r n of th e m elody is also calm . I t is m a d e u p of sm o o th ton es, for th e re are a g re a t m a n y w hole a n d d o tte d h alf n o te s in th is song. T h ere is a suggestion of p ed a l p o in t * in th e ac co m p an im e n t, w h ich ad d s to th e calm a n d c o n te n te d feeling given b y th e m usic. C o m p are th is song w ith o th e r lullabies w hich y o u know a n d describe a n y special m u sical fe a tu re s w hich C y ril S c o tt h as used in his com po­ sitio n . T h ese th re e selections, " W h e n I H a v e S u n g M y S ongs,” " P r a y e r ,” a n d " L u lla b y ,” differ acco rd in g to th e v a rio u s m oods of th e poem s or ideas co n n ected w ith th em . 1. D oes a know ledge of th e poem h elp y o u to feel th e ch a rm a n d appeal of th e m u sic? 2. W o u ld y o u know t h a t one com position w as a love song, one w as religious, a n d one w as a cradle song if y o u d id n 't know th e poem o r title ? K irs te n F la g s ta d a n d E d w in M c A rth u r b rin g th e " L u l l a b y ” to us. THE COMPOSER A s a y o u n g m a n C y ril S c o tt w as k n o w n as th e " E n g lish D e b u s s y ” (page 63). H is d elicate a n d g raceful sty le of w ritin g a n d his u n u su a l h a r­ m onies seem ed m o re F re n c h th a n E n g lish , b u t he soon show ed th a t he w as no im ita to r b u t h a d an original m usical lan g u ag e of his ow n.

S o n g s f o r V o ic e a n d V io lin

119

H e s p e n t m a n y h a p p y y ears stu d y in g in G erm an y , a n d a fte r he b eg a n te a c h in g in L iv erp o o l h e used to r e tu r n fo r his v ac atio n s, going on long tra m p s or bicycle trip s th ro u g h G erm an forests. H e b eg an to m a k e a s tu d y of O rie n ta l beliefs, a n d re a d e v e ry th in g he could find on th e su b je c t a n d filled him self w ith th e w isdom w hich com es fro m th e E a s t. A fa in t O rie n ta l feeling b eg a n to creep in to his com positions. H e h a s alw ay s sh o w n a ta s te for fine a n d d elicate h arm o n ic color. H is m usic ab o u n d s in u n u su a l co m b in atio n s of ch o rd s a n d new a n d som etim es stra n g e effects in rh y th m .

In s i n g i n g a n d learn in g a b o u t folk songs a n d folk tu n e s we h av e fo u n d t h a t d ifferen t local co n d itio n s h a v e a n MUSIC effect on th e m usic. P eople w ho live on th e d e se rt or th e OF THE p lain s b rin g in to th e ir m usic rh y th m ic a n d m elodic p a tte rn s t h a t h a v e little v a rie ty . T h e ir songs seem to NORTH resem ble th e v a s t stre tc h e s a n d open spaces b y w hich th e people are su rro u n d e d . S ailor songs h a v e th e sw inging m o tio n of th e w aves. P eople w ho live in th e fe rtile v alley s sing of h ap p in ess a n d cheer. NATIONAL TRAITS IN MUSIC T h ere are also c e rta in n a tio n a l q u alitie s to be fo u n d in th e m usic of cer­ ta in races. T h e O rie n ta ls' m usic is filled w ith a m y s te ry t h a t ch arm s. I t is o ften possible to d iscover th e c o u n try fro m w hich th e m usic com es th ro u g h som e rh y th m ic figure or b y som e c h a ra c te ristic m elodic p a tte r n . I n su ch com positions as E sp a n a {Prelude, page 19) a n d th e In term e zzo fro m th e su ite H a ry J a n o s (page 51 of th is book) we h a v e fo u n d th e infectious as well as th e u n u su a l rh y th m of th e G y p sy , w hile in "S la v o n ic D an ce N o. 8 in G m in o r" D v o ra k u sed p a tte rn s t h a t belong to S lavic peoples.

Scotch Pastorale G u sta v S a e n g e r

[V.r. 6951 a

(1865-1935), American composer.

THE TITLE EXPLAINED T h e w ord pastorale im m e d ia te ly calls to m in d a c o u n try scene. W hen u sed as th e title of a m u sical selection, it describes m usic w hich is filled w ith d ream in ess a n d peace a n d so th is com position m a y be co m p ared to a poem a b o u t hills, w oods, a n d fields. T h is p ic tu re is co n n ected w ith a definite c o u n try . T h e S co ttish people h av e alw ay s looked a fte r th em selv es. T h e y h a v e b een loyal to th e ir n a ­ tiv e lan d , a n d w ith th e ir sense of h u m o r is m ixed a te n d e rn e ss a n d h o n e sty w hich find th e ir w ay in to th e ir m elodies a n d verses. T h ere are som e in s tru m e n ts w hich seem to belong to c e rta in races, a n d th ese h a v e a n influence on m u ch of th e folk m usic. O ne of th e p o p u la r in stru m e n ts in S c o tla n d is th e b agpipe.* T h is in s tru m e n t should be h e a rd o u t of doors to be re a lly a ttra c tiv e . I t is n a tu ra l th erefo re t h a t in his " P a s t o r a le " S aenger (seng'er) h a s in clu d ed som e fe a tu re s to re m in d us of th is n a tio n a l in s tru m e n t of S co tlan d .

M u s ic o f t h e N o r th

121

THE MUSIC As we liste n to th e in tro d u c tio n we find t h a t th e a c c o m p a n im e n t, w ith its p erfect fifths,* is th e fe a tu re chosen to suggest th e b ag p ip es. A n o th e r q u a lity p ecu liar to S cotch m usic is also fo u n d in th e in tro d u c ­ tio n . I t is w h a t is k n o w n as th e " S c o tc h sn a p ,” a little rh y th m ic figure in w hich th e first n o te is v e ry sh o rt a n d is follow ed b y a n o th e r th re e tim es as long. I t looks like th is : I f j . or 3 j I f y o u h a v e su n g " C om ing th ro u g h th e R y e ” y o u will recall th is p a tte r n : I j* j '. J'. J Com - ing through the rye. T h e op en in g m elo d y of " S c o tc h P a s to ra le ” is clear a n d sim ple, like a folk-dance tu n e . E s p r e ss iv o

FIRST MELODY —

i ' lJ T h ere are a n a tu ra l feeling a n d freshness a b o u t th is m usic t h a t m a y sug g est th e S c o ttish m arsh es, or m oorlands, as th e y are called, all covered w ith h e a th e r. M a rg u e rite W ilkinson describes th e m in h e r poem " H e a th e r.” Heather All my life long I longed to see the heather In the land of m y kinsmen far over the sea. — Now here is the heather like a wide purple ocean Rolling in tides tow ard me. D ark dipping waves of it, deeper than am ethyst W hen the gold day was begun — Long curling swells of it, dusky and lovely, Here on the downs in the sun. T h e q u ie t m o o d seem s to d isa p p e a r as a new m elo d y e n te rs, a n d th e m usic is a little m o re lively. T h e tu n e is re p e a te d v e ry so ftly , suggesting a n echo, w hich is n a tu ra lly asso ciated w ith hilly c o u n try . SECOND MELODY A n im a to

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122

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic * P r o g r e ss

T h e first m elo d y re tu rn s , a n d th e n th e re is a m o d u la tio n * fro m th e m a jo r to th e m in o r m o d e ; a n d a n o th e r tu n e , m ore th o u g h tfu l th a n e ith e r of th e first tw o, is h e a rd in a low er re g iste r a n d a t a slow er tem p o . THIRD MELODY P oco m en o m o sso

J . -J-

^

As th e m usic m o v es along i t grow s louder, a n d a cheerfulness seem s to in te rru p t th e th o u g h tfu ln e ss of th is passage as th e m usic re tu rn s to th e m a jo r m ode. N o w th e first m elody is h e a rd once m ore, a n d ju s t th e sam e as in th e b eginning. B u t a fte r we h e a r th e second m elody, th e first one re tu rn s fo r th e la st tim e, a n d th is tim e i t is p la y e d in double sto p s (p. 69). T h e n th e com posi­ tio n en d s w ith a s h o rt coda.* G u s ta v S aen g er g av e th is com position a d esc rip tiv e title . 1. As y o u liste n to th e m usic can y o u discover a n y of th e q u alitie s w hich m ak e th e title a good o n e? 2. Is th is co m p o sitio n a n y th in g like th e " In d ia n L a m e n t " (page 68) ? 3. D o es th e ''S c o tc h P a s to r a le " express o r c a rry o u t th e m ean in g of its title m o re d efin itely th a n th e " In d ia n L a m e n t" ? Y eh u d i M e n u h in (p. 116) p lay s th is m usic w hile F ritz K re isle r p la y s th e " I n d ia n L a m e n t." 1. C a n y o u co m p are th e p erform ances of th ese tw o m e n ? 2. H o w m u ch does a know ledge of th e d ifferen t m elodies t h a t m ak e u p a co m p o sitio n h elp y o u to en jo y th e m u sic? THE COMPOSER T h e com poser of th e " S c o tc h P a s to ra le ," G u s ta v S aenger, w as b o rn in B ro o k ly n , N ew Y o rk , fro m w hich c ity G eorge G ersh w in w as to com e, th irty -th re e y e a rs la te r. S aen ger w as a n e d ito r as w ell as a fine v io lin ist, a n d he w as a c tiv e in m a n y m usical groups in N ew Y o rk . H e p la y e d w ith th e o rc h e stra of th e M e tro p o lita n O pera, a n d for a tim e w as o rc h estral co n d u c to r in one of th e lead in g th e a tre s . B ecause of his ow n a b ility on th e in stru m e n t, m a n y of Saenger*s com ­ p o sitio n s w ere w ritte n fo r th e v io lin ; a lth o u g h he a rra n g e d a large n u m b e r of selections fo r th e o rc h estra.

M u s ic o f t h e N o r th

123

F inlandia J e a n S ib e liu s

(1865-

[ v . r . 7412 a , b

), Finnish composer.

I n o rd er to c a tc h th e tru e sp irit of th is to n e poem ,* tr y to p ic tu re a m a n w ho h as been a w a y fro m his n a tiv e la n d for m a n y y e a rs. H e h a s th o u g h t of his ow n c o u n try as p ro sp ero u s a n d h a p p y . H e re tu rn s to find a people w ho are in d an g e r of losing th e ir n a tio n a l freedom . F illed w ith sadness, y e t m o v ed b y his p a trio tis m , he w rites a m u sical m essage to s tir th e lo y a lty of e v e ry citizen. H is fa ith in, a n d love for, his n a tiv e la n d arouses a qu ick answ er. A new n a tio n a l p rid e a n d sp irit are aw ak en ed a n d once m ore th ese people jo in in a p a trio tic lo y a lty to th e ir c o u n try a n d its h ig h ideals. S uch is th e s to ry of F in la n d , a n d in " F in la n d ia ” we h a v e a n expression of th e n a tio n a l sp irit of th is h a r d y race. TH E MUSIC T h e in tro d u c tio n is v e ry d ra m a tic as th e brasses p la y deep chord s ag a in st a th re a te n in g ro ll of th e d ru m s. A lth o u g h th e com position opens in th e low reg ister, th e p itc h g ets h ig h er a n d higher u n til th e w ood w inds answ er th e brasses w ith th is m e lo d y : Andante

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T h e strin g s ta k e u p th is m elody, w hich is like a p ra y e r. A lth o u g h th e chords give a feeling of s tre n g th a n d d ig n ity , n ev erth eless th e re is a feeling of restlessness. T h e m usic changes, th e te m p o increases, th e brasses p la y gro u p s of re p e a te d chords, a n d th e strin g s answ er w ith chords t h a t are v e ry m u ch like th o se h e a rd a t th e b eg inning. T h e ex c item en t becom es g re a te r as a m ilita ry th em e is p lay ed b y th e strin g s a g a in st stro n g ch o rd s a n d th e c o n s ta n t roll of d ru m s. M IL IT A R Y T H E M E

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Since th e W o rld W a r, w h en F in la n d w as m ad e a rep u b lic, th is m elo d y h as b een a d o p te d b y th e people of F in la n d as th e ir n a tio n a l a n th e m . Som e people h a v e s ta te d t h a t th e tu n e w as o rig in ally a folk song, b u t Sibelius says t h a t h e c re a te d i t him self. A fte r th e v iolins h a v e re p e a te d th e p lay in g of th is m elody, we h e a r once m ore th e m usic of th e m ilita ry th e m e , a n d " F in la n d ia ” com es to a close in a b rillia n t a n d d ra m a tic m a n n e r. W e u su a lly th in k t h a t people w ho live in th e n o rth are m ore vigorous a n d stro n g e r t h a n th o se of th e so u th . 1. D o y o u d isco v er th ese n a tio n a l q u alitie s in th e m usic of " F in la n d ia ” ? 2. D o th e y a p p e a r in th e " S c o tc h P a s to r a le ” ? 3. H a s th e id ea b e h in d th e co m p o sitio n a n y th in g to do w ith i t ? 4. D oes th e fa c t t h a t one of th ese selections is a violin solo, w hile th e o th e r is p la y e d b y a fu ll o rc h estra, h a v e a n y th in g to do w ith th e d ifferen t im pressions w h ich th e se tw o com positions m ak e u p o n y o u ? SOM ETHING MORE ABOUT T H E COMPOSER W h e n w e w ere ta lk in g a b o u t " V alse T r i s t e ” (page 7) we learn ed som e­ th in g a b o u t J e a n S ibelius. I t is in te re stin g to know t h a t F in la n d has recognized S ib eliu s’s c o n trib u tio n , n o t only to F in n ish n a tio n a l m usic, b u t also to m usic in g en eral. I n 1897 th e g o v e rn m e n t decided to give h im a c e rta in a m o u n t of m o n ey ev e ry y e a r for th e re s t of his life, so t h a t he m ig h t be free to com pose w ith o u t w o rry in g a b o u t m a k in g a living. As a re su lt, Sibelius is ab le to give all his tim e to com position, w eaving in to his sy m ­ ph o n ies a n d to n e p o em s th e s p irit of th e F in n ish people.

M A MUSICAL TERM BECOMES A TITLE

W h e n we w ere liste n in g to , a n d ta lk in g a b o u t, th e " S c h e rz o ” fro m B o ro d in 's S trin g Q u a rte t N o . 2 (page 74), we d iscovered th e im p o rta n t p lace t h a t ch a m b e r m usic occupies in m u sical com position. A lth o u g h th e m usic we are going to h e a r is one of th e m o v e m e n ts of a strin g q u a r te t, on th is reco rd i t is p la y e d b y th e strin g section of th e M in n e ­ apolis S y m p h o n y O rc h e stra , w ith E u g en e O rm a n d y co n d u c tin g .

Andante Cantabile P e t e r I ly it c h T c h a ik o v s k y

[V.R. 1 719 A, b

(1840-1893), Russian composer. Living in Amer­

ica at the same tim e:

P h illip s B r o o k s.

M EANING OF T H E TITLE F ro m th e tim e of th e e a rlie st p u b lish ed com positions u n til now Ita lia n te rm s of expression h av e b een g en erally u sed in m usic. E v e n th o u g h th e com poser m a y b e R u ssia n , F re n c h , G erm an , or A m erican, he h a s used I ta lia n w o rd s to tell th e p erfo rm e r h is id e a fo r tem p o , volum e, a n d style, or to give h im a n y o th e r in s tru c tio n s n ec essary for co rrect p erfo rm an ce. T h e re a so n for th is m a y be fo u n d in th e fa c t t h a t th e first p rin te d m usic cam e fro m I ta ly , a n d I ta lia n w rite rs n a tu ra lly u sed th e ir ow n lan g u ag e. A n d a n te cantabile ( a n -d a n 'ta k a n -ta /b e -la ) m ean s " r a t h e r slow ly, grace­ fully, in singing s ty le .” T h ese are th e d irec tio n s w hich T ch a ik o v sk y (ch i-k 6 f'sk e) w ro te a t th e b eg in n in g of th e second m o v e m e n t of his first s trin g q u a r te t, a n d th e w o rd s are u sed as its title . T h e o th e r m o v em en ts are now seldom p la y e d ; b u t, b ecau se of its b e a u ty , th is one h as becom e v e ry p o p u la r a n d is v e ry o fte n h e a rd as a se p a ra te m u sical com position. TH E MELODIES O ne of th e m elodies is a R u ssia n folk tu n e . T c h a ik o v sk y w e n t to v isit his s i s t e r ; a n d one d a y h e w as w o rk in g a t his piano, so th e s to ry goes, w h en h e h e a rd a p la s te re r w ho w as b u sy on th e o u tsid e of th e house. T h e w o rk m a n k e p t singing o v e r a n d o v er a h a u n tin g little song t h a t w as ra th e r sad. I t m ad e a deep im p ressio n on T c h a ik o v sk y . A few d ay s la te r th e com poser a sk e d th e p la s te re r to sing th e song ag ain , so t h a t he m ig h t w rite d o w n th e tu n e a n d th e w ords. 125

126

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • P ro g r ess

As is o ften th e case, th e w ords p ro v e d to be m u c h less in te re stin g th a n th e m elo d y . T h ere is a n o d d co m b in atio n of 4 /4 a n d 5 /4 m e te r, a n d th e fo u r-m easu re p h ra se h as a w istful en d in g w hich gives a sense of a q u estio n t h a t h a s n o t b een answ ered. I n o rd e r t h a t y o u m a y sing th is song a n d so be able to com pare it w ith T c h a ik o v sk y 's com position, b o th w ords a n d m usic are given here. F IR S T M E L O D Y

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I n th is m usic T c h a ik o v sk y re p e a ts a single figure* over a n d over. T h is sty le of w ritin g is u sed v e ry o ften b y com posers of th e S lavic race. F o r exam ple, a fte r th e op en in g m elo d y h a s b een h e a rd tw ice, a m u sical figure w hich seem s to be ta k e n fro m th e first m easu re of th e first m elo d y ap p ears, first in one voice a n d th e n in a n o th e r. I t im ita te s itself in a n in te re stin g w ay like th is : j

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T h is sam e sty le of w ritin g is n o ticeab le also n e a r th e e n d of th e com ­ p o sitio n , w h en T c h a ik o v sk y uses th e little p a tte r n w ith th e trip le t* as i t occurs in th e second m elody.

A fte r h e a rin g th e m usic, can y o u su g g est w h y th is m usic h a s been p o p u la r fo r su ch a lo n g tim e ? B o th th is co m p o sitio n a n d th e " S c h e rz o " b y B o ro d in (p. 74) w ere w ritte n b y fam o u s R u ssia n com posers. 1. D oes one of th e se selections seem m ore R u ssia n th a n th e o th e r? 2. I n w h a t w a y ? HOW TCHAIKOVSKY H A PPEN ED TO W R ITE THIS MUSIC V ery few com posers h av e h a d m u ch m o n ey , a n d T c h a ik o v sk y w as n o t one of th ese fo rtu n a te ones. I n th e su m m er of 1871 he w ished to tra v e l a b ro a d . P e rh a p s he h a d h e a rd t h a t th e G ra n d D u k e Alexis, th ird son of th e C zar, w as going to v isit th e U n ite d S ta te s t h a t su m m er w ith a fleet of R u ssia n w arsh ip s a n d so decided on A m erica as a good p lace to v isit. A t a n y r a te he w a n te d to tra v e l som ew here, a n d he h a d no m oney. A frien d su g g ested t h a t he give a co n cert a n d use som e of his ow n com posi­ tions. T c h a ik o v sk y realized t h a t his co n c ert w ould arouse m ore in te re s t if th e p ro g ra m in clu d ed a new com position. H is p o v e rty p re v e n te d th e h irin g of a larg e o rc h e stra , b u t h e th o u g h t he m ig h t m an ag e to p a y for a sm all gro u p . A lth o u g h he h a d n ev e r been esp ecially in te re ste d in ch a m b e r m usic, becau se of his need for m o n ey he decid ed to w rite a q u a r te t for strin g s. F o r th e slow m o v em en t, m a rk e d andante cantabile, he to o k as his p rin ­ cip al th e m e th e folk tu n e he h a d p ick ed u p w hen he w as v isitin g his siste r in 1869. H e finished his m usic, a n d th e co n c e rt w as giv en in S t. P e te rs b u rg w ith fa ir success. T c h a ik o v sk y received e n o u g h m o n ey to allow h im to leave R u ssia fo r a w hile. SOME PERSONAL TRAITS OF TCHAIKOVSKY T ch a ik o v sk y , like m a n y o th e r m usicians, p la n n e d his com positions w hile w alking in th e c o u n try . E v e ry d a y , ra in or shine, h e to o k a w alk a fte r his n o o n d a y m eal. H e w ould re tu rn for te a , a fte r w h ich he w ould w ork ag ain u n til su p p e rtim e . D u rin g th e evenings he p la y e d d u e ts w ith a frien d .

128

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r o g r e ss

M a n y sto ries are to ld of T c h a ik o v sk y 's g en ero sity . So freely d id he give pen n ies to all th e p e a s a n t ch ild ren in th e n eig h b o rh o o d t h a t he could n o t go for a w alk w ith o u t b ein g su rro u n d e d b y th e m . I n one a fte rn o o n he is said to h av e given a w a y in p en n ies a b o u t th re e dollars of his ow n m o n ey a n d all of th e sm all change of a frie n d w ho w as w alking w ith him . M in o r k ey s h a d a p ec u liar a ttr a c tio n for th is com poser a n d a large n u m b e r of his co m p o sitio n s are in th e m in o r m ode. H e also h a d a fo n d ­ ness for u n c h a n g in g rh y th m . H e w ould set som e re g u la r g ro u p of b e a ts in m o tio n a n d th e n keep it u p u n til he becam e alm o st h y p n o tiz e d b y it. H e ad o red b rillia n t effects, a n d y o u m a y recall som e of th e m in th e N utcracker Su ite. H e seem ed to w o rk him self a lm o st to a fu ry a n d th e n q u ie t dow n, on ly to w o rk him self u p once m ore to a g re a te r ex c item en t th a n before. All th ese q u alitie s a n d p ec u liarities cam e fro m th e restless n a tu re of th e m an , w ho w as a slav e to m a n y m oods a n d m a n y feelings.

com positions t h a t are good n ev e r seem to be o u t of d a te . I n co n certs or on th e MERRY TUNES rad io , m usic of o u r ow n d a y sh are s th e honors OF THE w ith t h a t w hich w as w ritte n m ore th a n a h u n d re d y ea rs ago. I t o ften h a p p e n s t h a t b y EARLY co m p arison one help s th e o th e r. W e m a y n o t know e x a c tly w h e th e r com ­ NINETEENTH posers of e a rly tim es in te n d e d th e ir m usic to CENTURY b e as m e rry a n d jo lly as som e of i t seem s to us. B u t a p lay fu l sp irit can be d isco v ered in m a n y of th e m o v em en ts of sy m p h o n ies, as w ell as in sh o rte r selections. S uch a feeling is a p p a re n t in th is com p o sitio n b y P a g a n in i (p a -g a-n e 'n e). M u s ic a l

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(1782-1840), Italian composer. Living in Am erica at the same tim e:

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W HAT IS AN ET U D E ? T h e w o rd etude (a -tiid ') m ean s " s tu d y .” I n m usic i t is a n am e given to a com po sitio n w h ich illu s tra te s som e special p ro b lem in te c h n ic a l skill, such as p lay in g ra p id scales or o ctav e s or re p e a te d chords. T h e w ord h a s also com e to in clu d e th o se pieces in w h ich th e a rtis tic in te re st is eq u a l to , if n o t g re a te r th a n , th e d isp lay of ra p id ly m o v in g fin­ gers. T h u s an 6 tu d e is o fte n n o t m erely a n exercise b u t a n a ttr a c tiv e m usical com position in w h ich b e a u ty a n d th e d isp la y of te c h n ic a l skill are com bined. S om etim es th e com poser chooses a single id ea w hich m a y be expressed in a few m easu res. T h is serv es as th e su b je c t, or m otif,* w hich m a y be m elodic, h arm o n ic, or rh y th m ic . T h is m o tif is re p e a te d th ro u g h th e whole piece in all so rts of w ays, so as to b u ild u p th e p e rfo rm e r’s skill in p lay in g m usic in w hich sim ilar m o tifs, o r difficulties of th e sam e k in d , are fo u n d . E tu d e s h a v e b een w ritte n fo r alm o st ev e ry im p o rta n t in s tru m e n t, in­ cluding th e voice, b u t th o se fo r th e p ian o or violin are th e m o st p o p u la r as co n cert pieces. TH E TRANSCRIPTION W e h av e le a rn e d t h a t m u sic w ritte n for one in s tru m e n t is o fte n a rra n g e d for a n o th e r or fo r a n o rc h e stra . I t so h a p p e n e d t h a t P a g a n in i, w ho him self w as a fam o u s v io lin ist, w ro te th is ''E t u d e ” t h a t we are a b o u t to h e a r for 129

130

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P r o g r e ss

th e v iolin. F ra n z L iszt (list), a g ifted y o u n g p ia n is t of H u n g a ry , h e a rd P a g a n in i p la y a n d w as filled w ith e n th u siasm . T h e m a g ic of P a g a n in i’s p erfo rm an ce in sp ired h im to w ork w ith all his m ig h t to p ro d u c e effects on th e p ian o w h ich w ere ju s t as re m a rk ab le. L iszt w as, as we a lre a d y know , a com poser as w ell as a p ia n ist, a n d a r­ ra n g ed som e of P a g a n in i’s etu d es for th e piano. T h is " E tu d e in E F la t M a j o r ” is k n o w n to v io lin ists as " C ap rice N o. 17,” fro m th e set of tw e n ty fo u r " c a p r ic e s * ” w h ich P a g a n in i w ro te fo r solo violin. P ia n ists kn o w it as th e second in a g ro u p of six e tu d es com posed b y P a g a n in i a n d a rra n g e d for p ian o b y F ra n z L iszt. TH E MUSIC T h e title giv en on th e score is " A n d a n tin o C ap riccio so .” T h is w ould in d ic a te t h a t th e m usic is free a n d lively a n d so m eth in g like a scherzo, b u t t h a t th e te m p o is n o t to be to o ra p id . T h e in tro d u c tio n begins w ith firm a n d p o sitiv e chords w hich are q u ite d elib era te . T h e y are follow ed im m e d ia te ly b y a b rillia n t cadenza,* w hich gives u s an id ea as to w h a t we m a y ex p ect in th e m usic. A liv ely little ru n n in g passage leads to th e opening m elody. I n th e violin th is d elig h tfu l little figure is p la y e d in double sto p s (page 6 9). I t looks like th is : m

W

W h en L iszt a rra n g e d th is m usic for p ian o he h a d som e a d v a n ta g e s o ver P a g a n in i. A p ia n is t is able to p la y chords m ore ra p id ly a n d easily th a n a violin ist. O n th e o th e r h a n d a v io lin ist can su sta in a ro u n d full to n e m u ch m ore successfully th a n a p ia n ist. B u t L iszt k e p t v e ry closely to th e original violin m usic in his tra n s c rip tio n of it for th e p ian o . F IR S T M E L O D Y :rfi» i-T j ?Ot1*h 7±, j- T l l & b id p L P

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As th e m easu res follow ea ch o th e r, th e scale ru n s cover th e w hole ra n g e of th e p ian o , a n d th e ch o rd s are ric h a n d full. T hese ru n s are n o t alw ays for single n o tes, b u t fo r g ro u p s of tw o n o te s to g e th e r in d ifferen t in te rv a ls. T h is m ak es th e p erfo rm an ce all th e m ore difficult. T h e first sectio n en d s d efin itely a fte r a b rillia n t cad en za follow ed b y som e so ft chords. T h e second sectio n opens as follows : .

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T h e expression m ark s, as well as th e m usic itself, su g g est t h a t th is is n o piece for a b eg in n er. I t looks like a re a l te c h n ic a l w o rk o u t, a n d som eone h a s d escrib ed it as " p ian o firew orks/* I t c e rta in ly is a v e ry b rillia n t passage. A slig h t v a ria tio n of th e in tro d u c tio n follow s th e second sectio n a n d lead s d ire c tly in to a re p e titio n of th e first section, a lth o u g h th e e n tire sec­ tio n is n o t given in th is p erfo rm an ce. T h e coda seem s to b e a v a ria tio n of th e opening m easu res of th e first m elody. T h e E tu d e en d s w ith som e so ft ru n s t h a t glide o v er th e k e y b o a rd a n d finally com e to re s t in sm o o th , su sta in e d chords. TH E COMPOSER AND T H E ARRANGER I n P relude (page 124) we le a rn e d t h a t P a g a n in i w as a v irtu o so in t h a t he w as u n u su a lly skillful as a p erfo rm er on th e violin. H e h as b een called th e W iza rd of th e B ow , fo r people th o u g h t h im m ore th a n h u m a n . H e w on th e a d m ira tio n of all E u ro p e b y his tech n iq u e, as w ell as his a b ility to p ro d u c e b e a u tifu l to n es on his in s tru m e n t. H e discovered possib ilities in th e violin, such as double sto p s (page 69), h arm o n ics (page 70), a n d c e rta in w ay s of u sin g th e bow , t h a t n o one h a d d re a m e d of before. I t is said t h a t if a strin g b ro k e w hile he w as p la y in g a t a con cert, he could k eep rig h t on w ith th e strin g s t h a t re m a in e d a n d no one w o u ld realize th e difference. B ecause his discoveries w ere so u n u s u a l he could n o t find a n y m usic w ritte n w hich allow ed h im to m ak e th e b e s t use of th e m . So he w ro te his ow n m usic. H e w as alw ay s a fra id t h a t som e of his riv als m ig h t le a rn his m e th o d of p lay in g a n d im ita te him .

132

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • P r o g r e ss

L isz t w as as re m a rk a b le a p ia n is t as P a g a n in i w as a v io lin ist. A p p e a rin g in p u b lic a t th e age of nine, h e soon becam e v e ry fam ous. N o p ia n is t h as ev er excelled him . I t h a s a lre a d y b een s ta te d t h a t h e w as a com poser as w ell as a p ia n ist. W e m ig h t a d d th e w o rd “ a r r a n g e r /’ for h e m a d e a rra n g e m e n ts of songs, sym p h o n ies, o p eras, a n d c h o ra le s ; in fa c t, of m usic in a n y fo rm w hich a ttr a c te d his a tte n tio n . P e rso n a lly he w as sim ple, generous, a n d k in d . H e w as alw ay s re a d y to assist y o u n g m u sician s w ho cam e fro m all over th e w orld, a n d it is said t h a t he n ev e r a c cep ted m o n ey for his te a c h in g a fte r he b ecam e fam ous. W e h av e a lre a d y learn ed how he h elp ed W a g n er (p. I l l ) , a n d t h a t is only one in sta n c e o u t of a g re a t m an y . T h e re is n o q u estio n b u t t h a t th e w orld of m usic owes a g re a t d eal to F ra n z L iszt. H is w illingness to h elp a n d en co u rag e stru g g lin g m u sician s w as resp o n sib le fo r th e success of m an y . L iszt w as th e first p ia n is t to sit w ith his profile to th e au d ien ce. B efore his d a y p ia n is ts alw ay s s a t e ith e r facing th e au d ien ce or w ith th e ir b ack s to th e au d ien ce. A lso th e “ p ian o r e c ita l” w as in s titu te d b y him .

Fourth Movement from Symphony No. 1 [V . R. G 563 A, B L u d w ig v a n B e e t h o v e n

(1770-1827),

the same tim e:

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O u r experience w ith th e “ A lle g re tto ” fro m S y m p h o n y N o . 8 {Prelude, p . 66) h a s show n u s t h a t B eeth o v en , w ith all h is g reatn ess, h a d a k een sense of h u m o r a n d loved a joke. I n sp ite of his h a rd sh ip s he m an ag e d to p u t in to his m usic h ap p in ess a n d good sp irits. T H E MUSIC T h e fo u rth m o v em en t, o r “ F in a le ,” of B e e th o v e n ’s F irst S y m p h o n y h as a sh o rt in tro d u c tio n , w hich is m a rk e d adagio on th e score. A crash in g chord is p la y e d b y th e w hole o rc h estra, a n d th e n th e violins s ta r t to explore in a r a th e r h e s ita tin g w ay. T h e y begin w ith th re e n o te s of th e scale, th e y a tte m p t fo u r, th e y v e n tu re u p to five a n d six, a n d th e n g a th e r u p enough courage to m o v e u p th e e n tire len g th . T h ese few m easu res p re p a re u s for th e risin g scale passag e w ith w hich th e first m elo d y itself begins. Som e co n d u c to rs used to o m it th is in tro ­ d u c tio n b ecau se th e y h av e feared t h a t it w ould m ak e th e au d ien ce laugh. T h e first m elo d y is lig h t-h e a rte d a n d lively, a n d is d iv id ed in to tw o p a rts .

M e rr y T u n e s o f t h e E a r ly N in e t e e n t h C e n tu r y

133

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T h e scale passag es in th e a c c o m p a n im e n t for th e second p a r t of th e m elo d y are in clu d ed in th e illu s tra tio n because of th e ir im p o rta n c e in th e m usic. Im m e d ia te ly a fte r th is p h ra se is com pleted, th e p o sitio n of th e m elo d y a n d th e scale passag es is ch an g ed . T h e violins p la y th e scale p assag es on to p w hile th e bassoons p la y th e m elo d y b e n e a th th e m . T h is is an in te re s tin g m u sical tric k called double counterpoint, a n d is possible o n ly w h en th e tw o m elodies so u n d w ell to g e th e r w ith e ith e r of th e m on to p or a t th e b o tto m . T h e first m elo d y is follow ed b y a n in te rlu d e , w hich c o n tain s som e new m a te ria l. I n th e sy m p h o n y su ch a n in te rlu d e is called a bridge passage, for i t co n n ects th e first a n d second m elodies. T h e re are a n u m b e r of d escen d in g scales fo r th e violins a n d a s h o rt m elo d y for th e bassoons, cellos, a n d d o u b le b asses w hich goes in to a new k e y a n d so p re p a re s th e w ay fo r th e second m elody. T h is th e m e does n o t seem to m ove as ra p id ly as th e first. SE C O N D M E L O D Y

T h e second m elo d y is p la y e d b y th e violins w hile th e flutes, p larinets, a n d strin g s p la y long su sta in e d to n e s a n d th e b ass in stru m e n ts p la y a rh y th m ic ac co m p an im e n t. Som e sfo rzan d o * chords, som e s y n c o p a te d * rh y th m , first in one in s tru ­ m e n t a n d th e n in a n o th e r, a n d som e ascen d in g scales p lay ed b y th e strin g s b rin g th is sectio n of th e F in a le to a close. I t is th e n re p e a te d . T h e second sectio n opens w ith som e p la in tiv e chords, b u t alm o st im m e­ d ia te ly w e h e a r ag ain som e of th e m elodies w h ich occu rred in th e first sectio n . W h a t is th e n a m e given to th is second se c tio n ?

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • P ro g r ess

134

I t is easy to follow th ese m elodies a n d see how B eeth o v en h as tre a te d th em , for th e m usic is q u ite sim ple. T h e r e tu r n of th e first m elo d y tells u s t h a t th e th ird section h as begun. O nce m o re th e first a n d second m elodies are co n n ected b y th e bridge passage. T h e second m elo d y s ta r ts o u t in a new key, b u t m oves b a c k in to th e to n ic, or original k e y of th e m o v em en t. C a n y o u describe a n y o th e r p o in ts in w hich th e th ird section is un lik e th e first? Som e scale p assages in tro d u c e th e coda, w hich begins w ith th e first m elody. B e e th o v e n h as given to th e oboes a n d F re n c h h o rn s a sh o rt m a rc h th e m e w hich is a n o th e r in sta n c e of his h u m o r. X

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INFORM ATION ABOUT TH IS SYMPHONY W h en B e e th o v e n offered th is sy m p h o n y to his p u b lish ers he ask ed $50 for it. T h a t seem s rid icu lo u sly sm all to u s in th ese d ay s. H e w as to give his first p u b lic co n cert in V ien n a for his ow n b en efit a n d th o u g h t it w ould be a good id ea to p la y som e of his ow n com positions in a d d itio n to som e b y H a y d n a n d M o z a rt. So he p re se n te d to th e au d ien ce his S y m p h o n y N o. 1, in C m ajo r, w h ich h e h a d ju s t com pleted. U p to th is tim e he h a d w ritte n a n u m b e r of o th e r com positions, b u t th is w as his m o st am b itio u s a tte m p t so far. A lth o u g h his co n cert w as success­ ful, som e critics w ere in clin ed to d o u b t th e w isdom of th is y o u n g com poser in his a m b itio n to e n te r th e field of w ritin g sym phonies. P e rh a p s it is p a r tly b ecause B e e th o v e n alw ays considered him self th e eq u a l of an y o n e, a n d n e v e r s u b m itte d to bein g p laced in a n in ferio r positio n , t h a t he a tta in e d th e g re atn ess w hich can n ev e r be ta k e n fro m him . D oes th is fo u rth m o v e m e n t of B e e th o v e n ’s S y m p h o n y N o. 1 sound a n y ­ th in g like th e " Scherzo ” fro m S y m p h o n y N o. 7 (page 29) ?

M e rr y T u n e s o f th e E a r ly N in e t e e n t h C e n tu r y

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B e e th o v e n w as a n ad m irin g s tu d e n t of th e w o rk s of H a y d n a n d M o z a rt. 1. D o es th is co m p o sitio n show a n y of th e effects of th is s tu d y ? 2. D o es th e " E tu d e ” b y P a g a n in i a p p e a l to y o u as bein g m e rrie r an d jollier th a n th e co m p o sitio n b y B e e th o v e n ? 3. D o y o u th in k t h a t a co m position p la y e d on th e p ian o c a n express as m u c h fu n a n d h u m o r as one p lay ed b y an o rc h e stra ? 4. D o y o u k n o w a n y m o d e rn m elodies w h ich ca n be co m p ared to th o se w e h a v e ju s t h e a rd ?

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Diagram of Composers Represented in This Book 1900

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Making F riends with Music • P ro g re ss

1756-1791 Auiitrian 1770-1827 Gen lan L u d w ig y i lN B e e t h o v e n N i c o l c P a g a n in i 178 2-1840 Italian C a r j M a r ia v o n W e b e r 1786-1826 German H ecto r B e r l k iz 1803-1869 French O tto N icola i 1810-1849 G irman R ic h a r d W iGNER 1813-188 ] German A lex a n d e r B o r o d in :.833-1887 Russian A m il :a r e P o n c h ie l l i 1834-1886 Italian 1835-1921 French C am ILLE SAINT-SAENg P e i e r I l y itc h T cha [k o v sk y 1840-1893 Russian A n roN D vo &Ak 18' 11-1904 Bohemian C l a u d e A c h i :jL e D e b u s s y 1862-1918 French J e a n S ib e l ii is 1865Finnish G u s t a v S aei jger 1865-1935 American E rmannc i W olf - F e r r a r i 1876Italian C y r il S< :ott 1879English Z olt I * K od Xl y 1882Hungarian S ei lGe P r o k o f ie f f 1891Russian E r n e s t C h a r l e s 1895American 1 Wil l ia m W a l t o n 1902English

u ® illu stra tio n s on th e tw o p ages follow ing are re p ro d u c tio n s of pages 10 a n d 11 of th e orches­ THE tr a l score of th e P re lu d e to A c t I of Lohengrin. ORCHESTRAL T h is score is of th e sam e ty p e as t h a t w hich is u sed b y th e co n d u c to r of a s y m p h o n y o rc h estra. SCORE I t includes all th e n o tes w hich are p la y e d b y all th e in stru m e n ts in th e m easu res rep ro d u ced . T h e in d iv id u a l play ers, how ever, use m usic w hich includes o n ly th e n o tes fo r th e ir p a rtic u la r in stru m e n ts. T hese p ages of score are fro m th e m id d le p o rtio n of th e " P re lu d e ” ; th e la st tw o m easu res on page 10 a n d th e first tw o on p ag e 11 give th e m o tiv e of th e G rail as i t a p p e a rs a t th e clim ax of th e " P r e lu d e .” E a c h p ag e of score w hich is re p ro d u c e d co n tain s five m easu res of m usic. T h e tw o sta v e s co n n ected w ith a b ra c k e t a t th e to p of ea ch page are for th e flutes, of w hich th e re are th re e (th o u g h it m a y be seen t h a t in som e places all th re e p la y th e sam e n o tes). B elow th e flutes th e p a r t for th e tw o oboes m a y be seen. B elow th is is th e staff m a rk e d " E . H . ” T h is is th e p a r t fo r th e E n g lish h o rn . T h e n e x t staff is fo r th e tw o c larin e ts, below w h ich w e fin d th e staff m a rk e d " B k l.,” w h ich is for th e b ass clarin e t. B elow th e staff for th e b ass c la rin e t we see th e staff fo r th e bassoons, of w hich th e re are th re e in th is p a rtic u la r selection. T h is line is m a rk e d " E g .,” w hich is th e a b b re v ia tio n for Fagotti, m ean in g " b a s s o o n s .” T h e n e x t tw o stav es, w hich are co n n e cted w ith a b ra c k e t, are for th e F re n c h h o rn s. Since th e y are g ro u p ed som etim es w ith th e w ood w inds a n d a t o th e r tim e s w ith th e brasses, th e ir n o te s are alw ays p laced , in th e score b etw een th e sta v e s fo r th e w ood-w ind a n d b ra ss sections. T h is score calls for fo u r F re n c h horns. B elow th e h o rn s is th e staff m a rk e d " T r . , ” a n d above th is staff p a r t of th e w o rd Trom peten (m ean in g " t r u m p e t s ” ) m a y be seen. H o w m a n y tru m p e ts are called for in th is score ? H o w is th is in d ic a te d in th e score ? The

T h e a b b re v ia tio n " P s . ” a t th e b eg in n in g of th e n e x t staff m ean s P osaunen (po-zou'ngn) or " tr o m b o n e s ,” of w hich th re e are u sed in th is com posi­ tio n . Im m e d ia te ly below th e n o te s for th e tro m b o n es we see th e staff fo r th e b ass tu b a , m a rk e d " B t b . ” T h e n e x t staff, m a rk e d " P a u k e n ” (p o u 'k g n ), is for th e tim p a n i (tfm 'p a-n e). 137

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • P ro g r ess

T h e five re m ain in g stav es of th is score are for th e strin g e d in stru m e n ts. T h e firs t tw o , w hich are co n n ected w ith a b ra c k e t, are for th e first a n d sec­ o n d violins. T h e m iddle staff is for th e violas ; " B r . ” is th e a b b re v ia tio n for B ratschen (b ra c h 'e n ), w hich m ean s " v io la s .” T h e tw o low est sta v e s are fo r th e violoncellos a n d th e co n trab asses, also kn o w n as th e d o u b le basses or b ass v io ls ; th e co n trab asses so u n d a n o ctav e low er th a n th e ir p rin te d notes. TH E MUSIC T h ese p ag es of score in clu d e th e m usic w hich form s th e clim ax of th e " P r e lu d e ” to W a g n e r's o p era L ohengrin. Y ou will see that""the score is v e ry full. T h e re sh o u ld b e no difficulty in discovering th e G rail m o tiv e, w hich is h e a rd in th e b rasses a n d th e n c o n tin u ed in th e w ood w inds, for th is p assag e is easily recognized in th e record. T H E CLEFS I n o rd e r t h a t th e fines a n d spaces of th e staff m a y b e co n n e cted w ith defin ite to n es, it is n ecessary to h a v e som e s o rt of k e y w hich will fix th e p itc h of th e se fines a n d spaces. T h erefo re clef signs are u sed . C lef m ean s " k e y ,” a n d th e clef sign a t th e b eg in n in g of th e staff fixes th e p itc h of a n o te on a c e rta in fine. F o r exam ple, th e treb le, or G , clef fixes th e p itc h of G on th e second line. S im ilarly, in th e b ass clef th e p itc h of F is fixed on th e fo u rth line. T h ese pages of score use fo u r clefs. T h e sign a t th e beg in n in g of th e staff fo r th e tro m b o n es a n d also a t th e left of t h a t for th e cellos is called th e te n o r clef. T h e u p p e r a n d low er sections of th is clef m e e t on th e fo u rth fine, a n d th is m ean s t h a t m id d le C is lo c a te d on th e fo u rth fine. T h e sign a t th e b eg in n in g of th e staff for violas is called th e a lto clef, th o u g h i t is m o re com m only k n o w n as th e viola clef. T h e u p p e r a n d low er sections of th is clef m eet on th e th ird fine, in d ic a tin g t h a t m id d le C is lo cated on th e th ir d fine. B o th th e te n o r clef a n d th e a lto clef are u sed in o rd er to av o id w ritin g th e a d d e d , or " le g e r,” fines w hich w ould be n ecessary if o n ly th e tre b le a n d b a s s clefs w ere used. A t w h a t p o in t does th e com poser change th e clef th e cellos are u sin g ? W h y is th is done ?

T h e O r c h e str a l S c o r e

141

K EY SIGNATURES P e rh a p s y o u h a v e n o tic e d t h a t sev eral of th e lines fo r v ario u s in s tru m e n ts h a v e d iffe ren t k e y sig n atu res. T h is is d u e to th e fa c t t h a t c e rta in in s tru ­ m e n ts are m a d e in such a w ay t h a t w hen th e y are p lay in g th e sam e w ritte n n o te th e y so u n d d ifferen t to n es. F o r exam ple, if th e violin a n d th e B -flat c la rin e t b o th p la y th e sam e w ritte n n o te , th e clarin e t will so u n d a to n e low er th a n th e violin. T h erefo re, if th e c la rin e t is to so u n d th e sam e to n e as th e violin, its n o te m u s t be w ritte n a to n e h ig h er th a n t h a t fo r th e violin. F o r th is reaso n , th e clarin e t is k n o w n as a transposing in s tr u m e n t; since it does n o t p la y a t th e a c tu a l p itc h of th e w ritte n note. I f we re a d th e score fro m to p to b o tto m , th e first of th ese tra n sp o sin g in s tru m e n ts is th e E n g lish h o rn . T h is in s tru m e n t is m ad e in such a w ay t h a t it so u n d s a fifth low er th a n th e n o te i t p lay s. F o r th is reaso n , its n o te s m u s t be w ritte n in a k e y a fifth h ig h er th a n t h a t a t w hich th e y are in te n d e d to so u n d . A t th e b eg in n in g of pag e 10 th e m usic is in th e k e y of A m a j o r ; th ere fo re th e p a r t fo r th e E n g lish h o rn m u s t be w ritte n in a k e y w hich is a fifth h ig h er, n am ely , E m ajo r. T h e cla rin e ts w h ich are u se d in th is p a rtic u la r selection are in A r a th e r th a n B flat. Since th e A c la rin e t so u n d s a m in o r th ir d low er th a n th e w ritte n n o te, th is p a r t is w ritte n a m in o r th ir d h ig h er th a n i t is in te n d e d to so u n d . I n this score no k e y s ig n a tu re is u sed a n d th e ch ro m a tic signs are w ritte n in as th e y are n ecessary. T h is h a p p e n s q u ite fre q u e n tly in in s tru ­ m e n ta l scores. T h e b ass c la rin e t w hich is u sed in th is selection p la y s in th e sam e k e y as th e clarin e t. I n th is " P r e lu d e ” W a g n er h a s w ritte n th e h o rn p a r ts in tw o d ifferen t keys. T h e first a n d second p a r ts are w ritte n for h o rn s in E , w h ich m ean s t h a t th e ir to n e s w ill so u n d one six th low er th a n th e y are w ritte n . T h e th ird a n d fo u rth p a r ts are w ritte n for h o rn s in D , w h ich m ean s t h a t th e ir to n es will so u n d a se v e n th low er th a n th e w ritte n n o tes. T h e n e x t staff follow ing th e h o rn s is fo r tru m p e ts in D , b u t in th is case th e tru m p e ts so u n d one to n e higher th a n th e ir w ritte n n o te s w ould suggest. N o k e y sig n a tu re is u sed , b u t th e s h a rp s a n d flats a re w ritte n w hen n ecessary . I n th ese p ag es of score, k e y sig n a tu re s are u sed for th e tro m b o n e s a n d b ass tu b a .

u ? A tempo (a t&m'po) : "Return to the first rate of speed." Absolute music: Instrumental music which depends upon its

own melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and form for its appeal, without any help from a story, or "program." Absolute music is sometimes called pure music , or abstract music. W O R D S Accompaniment: Music which supports and enriches a vocal or A N D instrumental melody. It may merely supply a harmonic background for the melody, or it may be an equal partner T E R M S of the solo part, supplying contrasting melodies and other interesting material. It may be furnished by one or more E X P L A IN E D instruments, or by a chorus, or by a combination of voices and instruments. A d libitum : A Latin expression meaning "at pleasure" or as one wishes." It is used to mark passages A rt Song: The opposite of a folk song. Usu­ ally one in which the music has been care­ where the interpretation may be varied to fully composed to express the meaning and suit the taste and feeling of the performer. spirit of the poem. Very often the music is A lla marcia (al'la mar'cha) : "In the manner different for each stanza. of a march." Allegro (al-la'gro) : "Cheerfully, moderately quickly, or in a lively manner." This term Bagpipe: A wind instrument consisting of a leather bag and four or more pipes, with a of expression is used as the title of a brisk movement in a symphony or other instru­ single or double reed. The bag is filled with mental work. wind blown from the mouth of the player or from a pair of bellows worked by the Andante (an-dan'ta) : This Italian word arm. It is a very ancient instrument and means "going," "walking"; and so, as was invented in some Oriental country. It a term of expression, suggests "rather slowly and gracefully." It often appears was known to the Greeks and the Romans, and is still popular in Scotland and Ireland. also as the title of the slow movement in a symphony or sonata. Ballet (bS,l-la') : An elaborate dance or set Andantino (an'dan-te'no) : The diminutive of of dances performed by trained dancers andante , indicating a slightly quicker tempo. in appropriate costumes before an audi­ Andantino capriccioso (an'dan-te'no ka'pretence. It may take place at some conven­ cho'so): "Rather quickly and free in ient point in an opera or may be given style." independently. It may tell a story, or it Animato (a'ne-ma'to) : The Italian for "ani­ may give pleasure merely by the grace of matedly," "spiritedly." the dancers' motions, by the beauty of Anthem : A piece of sacred vocal music sung their patterns of motion as a group, and in parts and sometimes including solos and by the way in which these are fitted to duets. It is usually sung with instrumental the music which (nearly always) accom­ accompaniment. panies the ballet. A ria : Italian for "air." A melody, some­ Bass drum: A large drum with parchment times very elaborate, for a single voice heads, each stretched over a hoop and with accompaniment. It often indicates held in place by a larger hoop. When an elaborate vocal solo in an opera or struck, it produces a deep sound without oratorio. definite pitch. Arpeggio (ar-p&d'jo) : A broken chord; one Bassoon: A large instrument of the wood­ in which the notes are played one after wind choir. It consists of a long conical another. wooden tube and has a long, bent mouth­ M U S IC A L

142

Musical Words and Terms Explained

piece. The tone is produced by the vibra­ tion of a double reed. The bassoon is usu­ ally the bass of the wood wind. Its tone is somewhat like that of the violoncello, but with a rather reedy quality. Baton: The wand, or stick, which the con­ ductor of an orchestra or band uses in directing the players. Bayreuth (bl'roit) Festival: Thousands of music lovers go year after year to the little town of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, to attend the performances of Wagner's music dramas. In 1876 Wagner completed the Wagner Festival Theatre in Bayreuth, so that his music dramas might have satis­ factory stage setting. BeUs: A set of hollow steel tubes, graduated in size and suspended from a wooden framework. They are accurately tuned, and the tone is produced by striking the upper end of the tubes with a hammer. Benmarcato (benmar-ka'to): ''Wellmarked." Cadence: From a Latin word meaning "to

fall"; the part of a melody which seems to settle down to a point of rest, or a close, either temporary or final. In ancient music and in most folk music the last notes of a melody usually fa ll toward their close. In modern music this is much less often true, yet the word cadence is still used for the ending of a part or the whole of a melody. Cadenza: A brilliant passage in a vocal or instrumental piece, which gives the per­ former a chance for the display of skill. In old operatic music, this opportunity was usually given just before the close of a song; hence the term cadenza, which is the Italian form of the word cadence. A ca­ denza often occurs in a concerto, usually unaccompanied, and frequently makes use of the chief themes of the movement. Cantabile (kan-ta/be-la) : In a graceful, sing­ ing style. Canzonetta: A little song; a short composi­ tion of light and graceful type, in the style of a song. Caprice, Capriccio (ka-pret'cho) : An instru­ mental composition free in form and fanci­ ful in style.

143

Castanets: Small ivory or wooden shells held

in the hand and clicked together. They have no fixed musical pitch, and are used merely to mark the rhythm. They origi­ nated in Spain. Chamber M usic: Originally music suitable for performance in a private room or chamber; now the term is used to desig­ nate concerted music for a group of solo­ ists, such as a string trio or quartet, or similar small ensemble. Choir: One of the distinct sections of a symphony orchestra: the strings, brass, or wood wind; also, a group of organized singers, especially in a church. Chord: Three or more notes of different pitch sounded together. The tones may or may not seem to blend with a pleasing sound. Chromatic: A half step above or below the pitch belonging to the key indicated in the signature. Chromatic literally means "col­ ored," and the use of flats and sharps (other than those belonging to the key of the music) affects the tone color of a composition. Chromatic scale: A scale made up wholly of half steps. Clarinet: A woodwind instrument in the form of a cylindrical tube with a flaring end, having a single reed. It is an in­ strument with a wide range, variety of tone color, and volume, and is considered the most useful and in some ways the most beautiful of the woodwinds. In its lowest register the tone is hollow and dark ; in the middle register the tone is weak; in the upper register, clear and tender. Classic overture: An overture is an instru­ mental prelude to an opera or oratorio or other similar work. A classic overture is an independent composition, consisting of three sections which show contrast in rhythm and style. Classical: A term used to describe a composi­ tion written according to a formal plan and marked by beauty, clearness, polish, and dignity. The term is often used as the opposite of Romantic, and usually in­ cludes composers such as Bach, Mozart, and Haydn.

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Making Friends with Music • Progress

Clavichord: A keyboard instrument which

was a direct forerunner of the piano. It was widely used in the sixteenth, seven­ teenth, and eighteenth centuries. The tone, which was very soft and delicate, was produced by small pieces of metal, called tangents, striking upward against the strings when the player struck the keys of the instrument. Clavier: A keyboard; also the name applied by Germans to a piano or other instru­ ment with a keyboard. Climax: The place where the music reaches the greatest degree of impressiveness or force; the high point of a composition. Coda: From the Latin word for "tail.” In early music it meant a few strong chords added at the close of a piece of music to make an effective ending. The coda may be an interesting section in itself; es­ pecially in a symphony, in which it may act as a climax and sum up the whole movement. Codetta: "A little coda.” It differs from a coda only in length. The word is also used to designate a connecting passage in a fugue. Coloratura soprano: A woman’s flexible so­ prano (high) voice, capable of singing rapid, brilliant music with many embellish­ ments. Comic opera: An opera with a humorous plot. Often, in comic opera, some of the words are spoken, in contrast to grand opera, in which there is no spoken dia­ logue. Con anima (kon a'ne-ma) : "With anima­ tion,” "with energy.” Con eleganza (kon a-le-gan'tsa) : "Grace­ fully,” "with elegance.” Concertmaster or concertmeister (con-tsert'mlster) : The leader of the first violin section in a symphony orchestra. He is second in importance to the conductor. Concert overture: An instrumental composi­ tion performed independently; often based on a story, or "program.” Concerto: An elaborate work, usually in three movements, giving an opportunity for display of the performer’s skill and

written for a solo instrument or group of instruments, accompanied by an orchestra. Con grazia (kon gra'tse-a) : "With grace.” Con moto (kon mo'to) : "With spirited move­ ment.” Contrabass: Another name for double bass, the largest and deepest-toned member of the string choir. Countermelody: A melody to be performed with another melody. Counterpoint: The fitting together of two or more melodies. The term comes from the Latin words meaning "point against point,” point being the old word for note. Crescendo (kre-shen'do) : "With increasing

power, or volume, of tone.” Cymbals: A pair of flat metal plates, or disks. They produce a bright, reverberat­ ing sound of indefinite pitch when their edges are struck together with a sliding movement. Dance Form: The earliest dances were di­

vided into two sections, each of the same length and each having the same rhythm. This is like song form; but in song form contrast may be provided by a change of rhythmic pattern, while in dance form the rhythm remains the same. Dance form gradually developed from a composition having only two sections to one having a third section, after which the first two sections return. This corresponds to song form with trio; but in dance music, tunes so grouped together are said to be in dance form. The term is commonly used of compositions in which there are a num­ ber of dance tunes, one after the other, with the first one returning before the end of the selection. Development: In sonata form this is the sec­ tion following the exposition, in which the composer shows his skill in working out the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic possi­ bilities of the theme. Diatonic : Using only the tones of a standard major or minor scale; in contrast to chromatic. Dim inuendo:

" Gradually diminishing in

Musical Words and Terms Explained

145

power, or volume"; the same as decre­

Falsetto: Literally, an unnatural or artificial

scendo. D ivision: A section of a movement or piece,

voice. A sound produced in the weakest and highest register of the human voice. It is employed when a singer wishes to reach a note above the range of his normal voice. Fanfare: A flourish of trumpets. F ifth: An interval consisting of five diatonic degrees; the distance between do and sol (singing up the scale). Figure: A small group of tones having a rhythmic or melodic pattern distinctive enough to be recognized easily. Finale (fe-na'la) : The last movement of a large work, such as a symphony; also the last scene in an act of an opera or of the entire work; sometimes used to indicate the last number in a concert program. Finger board : In the violin and other stringed instruments the finger board is the thin, narrow strip of wood glued upon the neck. Above it the strings are stretched, and they are "stopped” with the fingers of the left hand. Flute: An instrument consisting of an open cylindrical tube without a reed. The player blows across a hole in the side instead of blowing into the end, and plays by using finger holes and keys. It is the soprano instrument of the wood-wind choir and the most agile of the wind instruments. It is capable of sweet, liquid tones. Folk song: A song of the people. Generally it has no known composer, but grew out of the emotions and everyday life of the "folk,” or people. Many folk songs were originally folk dances, the words being added later. These songs express the joys and sorrows of the people, and often pos­ sess great beauty. Form: The plan used by a composer in ar­ ranging his musical ideas. The term may refer to the plan of a single piece, or to that of a class or type of composition. Forte (for'ta) : "Loudly.” Abbreviation: /. Fortissimo (fSr-tls'I-mo): "Very loudly.” Abbreviation: ff. French horn: An instrument consisting of a coiled brass tube about twelve feet long, ending with a large "bell,” or flared mouth

expressing a complete musical thought. Dolce (dol'cha) : "Sweetly,” "softly.” Double bass: The largest member of the

string choir and the fundamental bass of the symphony orchestra. It has four (sometimes five) strings, which are tuned in fourths, and it is played with a short, sturdy bow. The part is written an octave above the actual sound, to avoid the con­ stant use of leger lines below the staff. Dramatic soprano: A woman’s high voice of great power and capable of singing vivid and intense music. A dramatic soprano is required for performance of Wagner’s music dramas. Drone bass: A bass part, consisting of two tones a fifth apart, which is continued through a piece or section of a piece. Drum : See Bass drum or Snare drum. Duple rhythm: Time in which the number of beats in a measure is exactly divisible by 2. D ynam ics: The different and contrasting de­ grees of intensity, or loudness, of musical tones. English horn: A member of the wood-wind

choir; the tone is produced by the vibra­ tion of a double reed. The English horn is half as long again as the oboe, and is pitched five tones lower. Actually it is an alto oboe, with a more somber tone than the oboe. Ensemble (an-sbm'b’l) : From a French word meaning "together.” The whole of the parts taken together, as in a combination of voices or instruments. The term en­ semble very often refers also to a small group of soloists gathered together to play what is known as chamber music. Espressivo (Ss-pres-se'vo) : A term indicating that the music is to be played or sung "with expression.” Exposition: A term used in discussing the form of a sonata or symphony, to designate the section at or near the beginning which states, or exposes, the subject (or subjects).

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Making Friends with Music • Progress

and having valves. The tone is produced by the vibration of the player’s lips against the funnel-shaped mouthpiece. It is the most difficult to play of all the wind in­ struments. The tone is mellow and pleas­ ing. ^ Fugato (foo-ga'to) : "Like a fugue” ; a com­ position following the general style of a fugue, but not observing strictly all its rules. Fugue: From the Latin fuga, meaning flight; a composition in which there is a flight or chase of melodies, one part en­ tering with the principal theme and fol­ lowed by other parts repeating the same theme at certain distances according to fixed rules. The main divisions are called subject, answer, counter subject, and free parts. The general style of a fugue is il­ lustrated in a round. F uriant: A rapid Bohemian dance with changing rhythms and accents.

with a sweeping motion of the hands. The harp is tuned to the scale of C flat major, and a series of pedals alters the length of the strings as a means of changing the key. The harp was invented in very ancient times. It is not a regular member of the symphony orchestra; but many modern composers write a part for it, because it can be used very effectively. Harpsichord : A keyboard instrument with a harp-shaped frame. Pressing a key causes a quill to pluck a string. Like the clavi­ chord, it was an ancestor of the piano. Incidental music: Music to be performed in

It is in four-quarter rhythm and begins on the third beat of the measure. Many com­ posers have used the gavotte as a number in a suite. Grace note: Tones are sometimes added to a vocal or instrumental melody to decorate it, and such added tones are given the general name embellishments. Grace notes are one form of embellishment; and are usually written in small notes, since they are played so quickly, and so that they may be easily recognized. Grand opera: That form of opera in which there is no spoken dialogue; it is sung throughout, and usually has a serious subject. Grazioso (gra-tsf-o'so) : " Graceful, elegant.”

connection with a play or other dramatic work, to enhance its effect. Instrumentation: Instruments selected to play together, as in an orchestra or a band. The term is also used to mean the art of writing or arranging music to be played by a band or orchestra. Interlude: A short instrumental passage played between parts of a church service, between the acts of a drama, between the sections of a song or aria, or between the sections of an instrumental selection. Intermezzo (in'ter-mSd'zo) : Italian for "in­ terlude” ; a light composition played be­ tween the acts of an opera or drama, to allow the hearers to relax or to prepare the mood of the next act; an entryacte. The title is also used for an independent composition. Interval: The difference in pitch between two tones. Introduction: A passage, at the beginning of a composition or movement, which prepares the mind of the listener for the music to follow. An introduction may be simple or elaborate, short or long.

H alf step: Half a tone, or a semitone; the

Kettledrums (Timpani) : A pair of metal

smallest interval generally used in modern music. H arm ony: In general, any group or combina­ tion of tones ; technically, the art of writ­ ing and using chords. H arp: An instrument with strings set in an open frame. The player plucks the strings

bowls over which parchment heads are stretched. The tension of the heads is changed by means of screws, producing a change of pitch. Generally they are tuned to the first or fifth of the scale. They can produce tones varying in volume from a mere tap to a thunderclap.

Gavotte: A dance which originated in France.

Musical Words and Terms Explained

A system of scale tones built on a selected tone. The key takes its name from the first tone of the scale. There are major and minor forms of each key. 3

K ey:

Larghetto (lar-get'to) : " Rather slowly.” Legato (la-ga'to) : " Smooth, even, flowing.” It is the opposite of staccato. Leggiero (led-ja'ro): "Light,” "nimble,”

"swift.” Lento: **Slowly.” Libretto: The text or words of an opera,

oratorio, or cantata. Maestoso , ma con fuoco (ma'es-to'so ma kon

fu-o'ko) : "Majestically, but with spirit.” M ajor: The Latin word meaning "greater.” When applied to a scale it indicates one in which the third tone is two whole steps above the keynote. Such a scale is said to be in the major mode. M arch: A piece of music often in fourquarter measure, with a strongly marked rhythm which makes it suitable for marching. M ass: The term used to signify the rite of the Roman Catholic Church. The chief divisions of the musical mass are as fol­ lows : K y r ie : Lord, Have Mercy. Gloria in excelsis D eo: Glory be to God on High. Credo: I Believe. Sanctus: Holy, Holy. Agnus D ei: Lamb of God. M easure: The unit of time or metrical divi­ sion between two bars. All measures fol­ lowing a time signature are of equal length, and each measure has strong and weak accents in a given pattern. M elody: A pleasing series of single tones hav­ ing some sort of key relationship and a rhythmic design. Meno mosso (ma'no mos'so) : "More slowly.” M eter: A term used both of music and of poetry. In music it has reference to the regular grouping of tones, or to the rhythmic plan of a particular work. M inor: Literally, less or smaller. When ap­ plied to a scale it indicates one in which the third tone is one and one-half steps above the keynote. Such a scale is said to be in the minor mode.

147

M in u et: A graceful and stately French dance

in 3/4 measure. The minuet has been used as a number in the suite, and also as a movement in the sonata and symphony. When so used the minuet form usually in­ cludes a second minuet, known as the trio, after which the first minuet is re­ peated. M ode: Style or kind of scale; the manner of arranging whole and half steps to form a scale. The best-known modes are the major and the minor. Moderato (mod-e-ra'to): "At a moderate speed.” M odulation: The gradual change from one key, or tonality , to another by using a succession of chords. Molto (mol'to): "Much,” "very/* M ood: A state of feeling. M otif: See Motive. Motive: A melodic or rhythmic theme on which a composition or a movement may be built. The term is also used to describe a division of a phrase. Movement: A division, usually complete in itself, of a large work such as a sonata or symphony. M usic drama: The name applied by Richard Wagner to his later operas. These were intended to be examples of a new art form, in which drama, stage settings, orchestra, and voices were all blended into an artistic whole. M usical motto: A phrase in a musical com­ position which has the same meaning as a motto does in a story or essay. Nocturne: Literally, "night piece*’; an in­

strumental composition of romantic and reflective nature, for one or more instru­ ments. Non troppo (non trop'po) : "Not too much.” N ote: A written or printed symbol represent­ ing a tone. Oboe: An instrument consisting of a conical

tube with a flaring end. The tone is pro­ duced by the vibration of a double reed, and the pitch is controlled by the use of finger holes and keys. The low and high

148

Making Friends with Music • Progress

registers are seldom used, but in the middle Orchestration: The arrangement of music to be played by an orchestra; also the art register the tone, though penetrating, is of combining instruments to play together flexible and pleasing. effectively. Octave : A series of eight consecutive diatonic tones (that is, tones of the major or minor Organ: A wind instrument consisting of many pipes of different kinds and sizes, scale) or the interval between any tone producing tones of great variety of color and the same tone eight staff degrees above and volume and covering an enormous or below it. range. It has one or two or more key­ Ondeggiante (6n-d€d-jan't£): "Wavy” ; boards (called manuals) and pedals (which, " trembling.” in the organ, are really an extra keyboard Opera: A drama set to music for soloists played upon by the feet). The pipes are and chorus, with appropriate costumes, caused to sound by compressed air pro­ scenery, and action, and accompanied by vided by bellows or electrical blowers, and an orchestra. are controlled by "stops.” The organ is Opera buffa (boo'fa) : Italian light opera the largest of instruments and exceeds all with the dialogue sung in recitative in­ others in grandeur and in variety of tone stead of being spoken. color. Operetta: Literally, a small opera; one with sparkling music and an amusing subject. Organ point: See Pedal point. Overture: An orchestral introduction to a It may have spoken dialogue. play, an opera, or an oratorio, or, some­ Oratorio: A drama, usually on a religious times, the opening portion of a symphony subject, set to music for chorus and solo or other instrumental work. The title is voices, with instrumental accompaniment. also given to an independent composition. It is performed without action, costume, or scenery. Orchestra: A group of trained musicians Pedal point: A tone which is continued, usually in the bass, while the other parts playing together, with a leader called a move freely. The sustained tone is often conductor. A full orchestra consists of four the keynote, often the fifth tone of the sections: strings, woodwinds, brasses, and scale. This is also known as organ point. percussion instruments. In the symphony orchestra the first three sections are some­ Percussion: From the Latin word meaning "to strike” ; applied to instruments hav­ times called choirs. The string choir con­ ing the sound produced by a blow or sists of first and second violins, violas, violoncellos, and double-basses. In a stroke, such as drums, timpani, bells, and typical symphony orchestra two thirds of others. the players belong to the string choir. The P eriod: A division of a movement or a piece wood-wind choir includes piccolos, flutes, of music which comes to a definite close. oboes, English horns, clarinets, and bas­ It is a complete musical sentence. soons. The brass choir consists of trum­ Pesante (pS-san'tS): "Heavy” ; "impres­ pets, French horns, trombones, and tubas. sive.” The percussion instruments include drums, Phrase: A smaller division of a piece of music, often four or eight measures in timpani, cymbals, triangles, bells, casta­ length. Two or more phrases make a nets, and other instruments which pro­ period. duce rhythmic effects. This section is often called the battery. The orchestra Pianissim o (pe'd-nls'I-mo) : "Very softly.” Abbreviation pp. may include other instruments, such as the harp, organ, piano, celesta, and others. Pianoforte, or P iano: A stringed instrument The combination of instruments varies and also an instrument of percussion, with with different orchestras and with differ­ a range slightly over seven octaves. The ent compositions. tone is produced by the vibration of steel

Musical Words and Terms Explained

149

wires struck by felt-covered hammers op­ erated from the keyboard, a sounding board giving added resonance. The tone can be varied in intensity by the use of pedals, and the touch of the player is largely responsible for the beauty of the tone. Piccolo: From the Italian fiauto piccolo , meaning '"little flute.” It is about half the size of the flute and has a smaller range. It is played in the same way, and is characterized by a shrill tone. Pitch: The position of a tone in a musical scale; the height or depth of a musical tone. Pizzicato (pet'si-ca'to) : The Italian word for ""pinched.” In music it means that the player of a violin or other stringed instru­ ment must pluck the strings with the fingers instead of using the bow. Poco piu, mosso (po'ko pyoo m6s'so) : "A little faster.” Poco ritard. An abbreviation of poco ritardando (po'ko re-tard-an'do) : ""Slowing down a little.” P olka: A round dance in quick duple rhythm. It originated in Bohemia. Prelude : An instrumental introduction to an opera, oratorio, or other vocal work, the first movement of an instrumental suite; the introduction to a fugue; or the music played on the organ at the beginning of a church service. By some composers, such as Chopin and Rachmaninov, the name has been given to a short independent piece for piano. Presto (pr&s'to) : ""Quickly, rapidly.” Prim a donna (pre'ma d6n'na): Literally, ""first lady” ; the term applied to the chief woman singer in an opera. Program music: Music which is based on a program, suggesting a story or scene. The title serves as a guide to the listener's imagination in following the music.

in sonata form which follows the develop­ ment and restates the exposition. Reed: The tone-producing part of a wood­ wind instrument and of some other in­ struments, such as the reed organ and the accordion. It consists of a thin, elastic strip of cane or metal, fastened at one end, and vibrates when a stream of air passes over it or, in the case of a double reed {see Bassoon, English horn, Oboe), between its halves. Register: A distinct section of the range of a voice or of an instrument. Repetition: A repeat, or reiteration. Resonance: The intensification and enrich­ ment of a musical tone by setting up ad­ ditional vibration. In a piano, for example, when the hammer strikes the string the vibration of the string causes answering motion in the soundboard, and this results in a fuller, stronger tone. Rhapsody: From the Greek, meaning ""songs put together.” Originally the rhapsody was a group of ballads combined to make an epic poem. It now means an instru­ mental piece without set form, often based on national airs or folk melodies. Rhythm: The flow of regular pulsations in music; measured motion; regularity of movement marked by a succession of fight and heavy accents. Romantic school: This term has reference to such composers as Weber, Schubert, Men­ delssohn, Schumann, Wagner, Berlioz, Chopin, and Liszt, among others, whose aim was to give freer expression to emo­ tion and imagination. They were unwill­ ing to be hampered by strict form, and experimented with new ways of expressing their musical ideas. The term romantic is frequently used as the opposite of classic. Round dance: A dance in which the dancers move in a circle.

Quartet: A sonata composed for four instru­

Saxophone: A wind instrument consisting of

ments, usually two violins, viola, and cello (a string quartet). Also, the group of musicians formed to play such music or to sing.

a tapering tube, flaring at the end. It has a single reed and a mouthpiece like that of the clarinet. There is a whole family of saxophones, of varying sizes.

Recapitulation: That section of a movement

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Making Friends with Music • Progress

Scale: From the Latin scala, meaning "stair­ way ’* or "ladder” ; a series of eight tones

a step or a half step apart, beginning with a tone of any given pitch and arranged according to a given pattern. The pattern varies for major, minor, and chromatic scales. See explanation of each. Scherzando (sker-tsan'do) : "Playfully, jok­ ingly.” Scherzo (sker'tso) : The Italian word for "joke.” Generally a light, vivacious piece of music, or a movement in a sonata or symphony, usually in triple rhythm. It is usually cheerful or humorous in mood, but sometimes mysterious or dramatic. Score: A written or printed copy of a com­ position, with the parts arranged one above another and the staves connected by bars. In a piano score there are two staves so arranged. An orchestra score may require twenty or more staves. Semplice (sSm'ple-cha) : "Simply, plainly.” Sequence: The repetition or imitation of a musical passage at a pitch higher or lower than that of its first appearance. Serenade: Originally applied to a song sung in the evening (from the Italian word sera), usually a love song. The term is used also as the title of instrumental com­ positions of romantic character. Sforzando (sfor-tsan'do) : "With emphasis.” Abbreviation sf. Signature: The signs and figures at the be­ ginning of a composition. The clef sign and the sharps or flats make up the key signature, and the figures following, in­ dicating the number of beats in a measure and the kind of note which is the unit of beat, are called the time or meter signature. Snare drum: A smaller drum than the bass drum, with strings of rawhide (called "snares”) stretched across the lower head. The snares vibrate when the drum is beaten, giving a sound without definite pitch. Sonata: An elaborate composition for a piano, violin, or other instrument, or for any two of such instruments, having three or four movements in related keys. Sonata fo rm : This term is applied to the first movement of a sonata, symphony, or con­

certo. It includes three main divisions: exposition, development, and recapitula­ tion. There may or may not be an in­ troduction and a coda. Sonatina: A short or simple sonata, having only two or three movements. Song fo rm : A musical composition made up of two contrasting themes, with the ar­ rangement indicated by A B or A B A. Staccato: Detached or disconnected; played in a way which leaves short intervals of silence between tones. It is the opposite of legato. Staff (plural, Staves): The five parallel lines on or between which notes are placed to indicate their pitch. String quartet: A group of four players, usually first and second violins, viola, and violoncello; also the music written for such a group, usually a composition in three or four movements, in sonata form. Style: The distinctive manner of a composer in expressing his ideas, or the character­ istics of a performer or of a certain era. S u ite: Originally a set of contrasting dances, from three to five in number, written in the same or related keys. A modern suite is an instrumental composition having as many divisions as the composer wishes. It is no longer restricted to dances, and is often based on a "program.” Symphonic poem: An extended orchestral composition, usually in a single long move­ ment. In length and importance it is like a symphony, but has no fixed form. It is intended to give a musical picture or pro­ gram, and the subject may be fanciful or historical. Sym phony: A sonata composed for a full orchestra. Syncopation: A transfer of accent giving a strong accent to a beat which would naturally be unaccented. Sounding hoard, or soundboard: A large sheet of wood (in a piano) below or behind the strings, so placed as to vibrate sympa­ thetically when the hammers strike the strings. It reinforces the wide range of tones of which a piano is capable, and enriches the tone quality of the instrument.

Musical Words and Terms Explained Tambourine: A small flat drum with one

parchment head and one uncovered side. The covered side may be struck with the hand, and bits of metal attached to the rim may be shaken against one another to make a jingling sound (or the thumb may be rubbed over the parchment to produce a similar effect). Tango: A Mexican dance in 2/4 measure, which grows faster and faster until it comes to an abrupt end. Tarantella: A dance of southern Italy in 6/8 measure, performed with gradually in­ creasing speed. Te Deurn (te de'wm) : This Latin title refers to the supreme hymn of rejoicing of the Christian Church. The opening words are Te Deurn Laudamus , which mean "We praise Thee, O' God/* Many composers have written musical settings for this hymn, which is very old. Tempo: The Italian word for "time” ; the rate of speed with which a selection (or a section of it) is to be performed. Tempo di valse (tSm'po de vals): "In the time of a waltz.” Tenero (tS'nS-ro) : "Softly” ; "delicately” ; "tenderly.” Theme: A melodic or rhythmic idea or sub­ ject. Three-Part song form with trio : This is one kind of song form. The traditional plan is as follows: Part I is made up of two well-defined themes, each played twice. Part II also has two themes, different from those of the first part. It is known as the trio, because in the eighteenth century it was played by three instruments. Part III is a repetition of Part I, with the themes played only once. T im pani: See Kettledrums. Tonality: Mode, key, or scale system. Tone Color: The quality which enables us to distinguish the tone of any instrument; also applied to the effect produced by different combinations of instruments or by the use of chromatics. Tone Poem : See Symphonic Poem. T onic: The first note, or keynote, of a scale.

151

Tonic chord: The chord built on the tonic,

or keynote.

Transcription: An arrangement or adapta­

tion of a composition, usually to enable it to be played on some other instrument than that for which it was written. Transition: The change from one key or mode to another without preparation; also the name of a passage leading from one theme to another. Tremolo: In singing, a fluttering of the voice for dramatic effect. In playing the piano, it is an effect produced by playing very rapidly the tones of a chord. Triangle: A small steel bar bent into tri­ angular shape. When struck with a pencil­ like rod it gives a high, bright sound. T rio: A group of three performers, or the music, usually in sonata form, for such a group. Also, the middle or contrasting section of a march, minuet, waltz, or scherzo. See Three-part song-form with trio. T riplet: A group of three notes of equal value played in the duration of time usu­ ally given to two notes of the same value. Trombone: A wind instrument consisting of a cylindrical brass tube which is bent back on itself twice. The central section is so made that the outer tube can slide over the inner, lengthening or shortening the tube and thus giving differences of pitch. The tone is produced by the vibration of the player's lips against the cupped mouth­ piece, and is majestic in quality. Trum pet: A wind instrument having a cy­ lindrical brass tube, a conical bell, and three valves. The tone is produced by the vibration of the player's lips inside the cup-shaped mouthpiece. The range is over two octaves, and the tone is very brilliant and penetrating. Tuba: The largest instrument of the brass choir. It has a conical brass tube, gradu­ ally widening from the mouthpiece to the bell, and usually has four valves. It is the bass of the brass section and has a full, deep tone. Valse (vals): The French word meaning

"waltz.”

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Making Friends with Music • Progress

Valve: A device on horns and trumpets

which makes it possible to vary the length of the tube and thereby to change the pitch as desired. Variation: A new presentation of a theme by means of change of mode, or of har­ mony, or of rhythm; or even by greatly altering the melody itself. Viola: Very similar to the violin, but some­ what larger in size and pitched a fifth lower. The strings are heavier than those of the violin and the tone is more somber. It is sometimes called the alto or tenor violin. Viola da Gamba (gam'ba) or Ganiba: The bass instrument in the old family of viols, which preceded the modern violin and other stringed instruments of this family. The viola da gamba had six or seven strings. Its tone was not so round and smooth as that of the violoncello, the in­ strument which has taken its place. How­ ever, it continued to be popular longer than the other viols. All these instru­ ments have been revived in recent times. Violin: An instrument with four strings tuned in fifths, played with a bow. In the hands of a skilled performer the tone is extremely beautiful. The violin ranks next to the human voice in flexibility, and it has a greater range. It is sometimes called the king of instruments.

Violoncello: From two Italian words meaning

" small double bass.” It is usually spoken of as the " cello.” It has four strings tuned in fifths and played with a bow, and the tone is richer and deeper than that of the violin. Virtuoso: A public performer, usually an instrumentalist, who has unusual skill. Vivace (ve-va'cha) : " Vivaciously,” "in a sprightly manner,” "rapidly.” Vivacissimo (ve-va-chls'I-mo) : "In an ex­ tremely lively manner,” "as rapidly as possible.” Volume: The power or intensity of the sound of a voice, an instrument, or any combination of voices and instruments. W altz: A graceful salon dance in 3/4 rhythm. Wood w ind: A general name applied to

wind instruments originally made of wood, notably the flute, oboe, clarinet, and bas­ soon. Some of these, such as the flute and sometimes the clarinet, are now made of metal, but are still referred to as wood­ wind instruments. Xylophone: A very old and widely used in­

strument consisting of strips of wood, graduated in length and resting horizon­ tally. It has a range of two octaves or more and is played on with small hammers, or mallets.

PRINTED IN THE UN ITED STATES OP AMERICA

4 AKI NG • F R I E N D S W I T H • M U S I C

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M A K I N G F R IE N D S W IT H M U S IC

A T H O M E A N D ABRO AD

B y

W ILLIA M C. H A R T S H O R N A s s i s t a n t S u p e r v is o r o f M u s i c , P u b li c S c h o o ls , L o s A n g e l e s , C a lif o r n ia I n s tr u c to r in M u s i c E d u c a t io n , T h e U n iv e r s i t y o f S o u t h e r n C a lif o r n ia

H E L E N S. L E A V IT T D ir e c t o r o f M u s i c , T h e W h e e l o c k S c h o o l, B o s t o n , M a s s a c h u s e t t s In s tr u c to r in M u s i c A p p r e c ia t io n , B o s t o n U n iv e r s i t y

GINN AND COMPANY D STO N • N E W Y O R K • C H IC A G O • L O N D O N • A T L A N T A • D A L L A S • C O L U M B U S • S A N F R A N C IS C O

C O P Y R IG H T , 1940, B Y G IN N A N D C O M P A N Y A L L R IG H T S R E S E R V E D

3 4 0 .3

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G IN N A N D C O M PA N Y • P R O ­ P R I E T O R S • B O S T O N • U .S .A .

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors wish to thank the group of educators and musicians who, either through research or by constructive suggestions, have contributed to the musical value of this book. Acknowledgment is due for the use of themes from the following compositions: Cailliet’s "Pop! Goes the Weasel from Variations on the Theme,” permission granted by Elkan-Vogel Co., Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., copyright owners. MacDowell’s "From an Indian Lodge,” used by permission of The Arthur P. Schmidt Co., owner of the copyright. Carpenter’s A dventures in a P eram bulator, used by permission of G. Schirmer, Inc., owner of the copyright, through whose courtesy also the program notes by Mr. Carpenter and the two pages of score are reproduced. Carpenter’s "When I Bring to You Colour’d Toys,” copyright 1914, and Griffes’s "Second Sketch for String Quartet,” copyright 1922, used by permission of G. Schirmer, Inc. McDonald’s Fourth Symphony, used by courtesy of the composer and of Elkan-Vogel Co., Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., copyright owners. Dukas’s "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” used by courtesy of Edwin F. Kalmus, publisher of the miniature score. Massenet’s "Le Reve ” from M an on , used by courtesy of Heugel, publisher. Delius’s "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring,” used by permission of the Oxford University Press, London. The English translation by Henry G. Chapman, "By a Lonely Forest Path­ way,” is used by courtesy of G. Schirmer, Inc. The program notes for McDonald’s Fourth Symphony are used by permission of Mr. Harl McDonald. Acknowledgment is also due to The Macmillan Company for permission to use "When I Bring to You Colour’d Toys” and other quotations from G ita n ja li by Rabindranath Tagore, and "Ah, Moon of My Delight” from the R u baiyat of Omar Khayyam. The quotations from Good M orn in g, A m erica, copyright 1928 by Carl Sandburg, are used by permission of the publishers, Harcourt, Brace and Company, Inc. The verse of "Arabia” from Selected P oem s by Walter de la Mare is used by permission of Henry Holt and Company, Inc. The excerpts from Rimsky-Korsakov’s M y M u sical L ife are used by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., authorized publishers.

CO N TEN TS 1. THE M USIC O F O U R CO U N TR Y • (Page 3) Pop Goes the Weasel Arranged by Lucien Cailliet "’Tis an Earth Defiled,” from M erry Mount Howard Hanson Chant of the Snake Dancers Indian Love Song Indian Love with Tears Indian Sunrise Call Indian From an Indian Lodge Edward A . Mac Dowell Second Sketch Based upon Indian Themes Charles Tomlinson Griffes By a Lonely Forest Pathway Charles Tomlinson Griffes When I Bring to You Colour’d Toys John Alden Carpenter Adventures in a Perambulator John Alden Carpenter En Voiture The Policeman The Hurdy-gurdy Dogs The Orchestral Score Rhapsody in Blue George Gershwin "Bess, You Is My Woman Now” from Porgy and Bess George Gershwin Scherzo from the Fourth Symphony H arl McDonald

34 39 42 44

2. M USICAL M AGIC • (Page 47) The Sorcerer’s Apprentice P aul Dukas

47

3. FA M O U S MELODIES FROM CYCLE FORMS • (Page 52) Third Movement from String Quartet No. 2 Alexander Borodin First Movement from Symphony in B Minor Franz Schubert

52 56

4. D A N C E S CLASSICAL A N D DRAM ATIC • (Page 61) Johann Sebastian Bach Suite in B Minor Alexander Borodin Ballet Music from Prince Igor

61 67

5. FOLKLIKE T U N E S IN SYM PHONIC SETTING • (Page 71) Second Movement from Symphony No. 4 Robert Schumann Second Movement from Symphony No. 3 Robert Schumann

71 73

8 12 15 15 16 16 17 19 21 22 26

6. ARABIAN N IG H T S’ M USIC • (Page 77) Scheherazade

Nicholas Rimsky-Korsakov

v

77

vi

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

7. CO N TR A STED M O VEM ENTS FROM A DRAM ATIC SYM PHONY (Page 86) Symphony No. 6, in B Minor Second Movement Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky 87 Third Movement Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky 89 8. FIRST HALF O F A N OLD N O R SE SA G A * (Page 92) Der Ring des Nibelungen Richard Wagner Das Rheingold : Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla Die Walkiire : The Sword Hilt Gleams in the Firelight Siegmund Greets the Spring Night Siegmund Draws the Sword from the Tree Wotan Bids Brunnhilde Shield Siegmund The Ride of the Valkyries Brunnhilde Gives Sieglinde the Broken Sword Wotan’s Farewell

92 93 95 97 98 100 101 103 105 106 106

9. SIX V IE W S O F A STREAM O F MELODY • (Page 111) Fourth Movement from Quintet in A Major Franz Schubert

111

10. A PROGRAM O F SO N G S • (Page 115) Ave Maria Bist du bei mir Pilgrim’s Song "Le Reve” — Manon Ah, Moon of My Delight

Franz Schubert Johann Sebastian Bach Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky Jules Massenet Liza Lehmann

11. A PASTEL IN T O N E S • (Page 128) On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring Frederick Delius

115 117 120 122 125

128

12. A N O RDIC POEM FOR PIA N O A N D ORCHESTRA • (Page 152) First Movement from Concerto in A Minor Edvard IIagerup Grieg 132 DIAGRAM O F CO M PO SERS REPRESENTED IN THIS BOOK (Page 156) 13. M USICAL W O R D S A N D TERMS EXPLAINED • (Page 157)

M A K IN G

F R IE N D S

W IT H

M U S IC

AT HOME AND ABROAD

n

OUR WORLD OF MUSIC world of m usic is both bigger and richer th an it ever has been before. For us, more than for people THE of any other tim e, th e entire world of m usic lies open. W hile th e m usic of our country m ay be lim ited in MUSIC various w ays, there is virtu ally no lim it to th e am ount OF and variety of m usic w hich m ay be heard in our country, and this is our world of m usic. OUR Through phonograph recordings and the radio it COUNTRY is now so easy to hear at a m om ent’s notice alm ost any m usic we m ay choose, th at it is difficult to re­ alize th at this privilege has n ot alw ays been available. T od ay our churches sponsor and present interesting program s of both vocal and instrum ental m usic, including m uch th a t has little or no con­ nection w ith th e ritual of the church. Y et it was only tw o centuries ago th a t on ly a very few hym ns were allowed in N ew E ngland churches and instrum ental m usic in the church w as virtu ally unknown. T oday there are alm ost three hundred sym phony orchestras in our country, while a little over a century ago there were none. T od ay there are hundreds of American m en and w om en devotin g m ost of their tim e to th e creation of m usic, though it has been only a century and a half since A m erica’s first n ative com poser, Francis H opkinson, published his S e v e n O u r

S o n g s f o r th e H a r p s i c h o r d o r F o r t e p i a n o .

T oday in the schools students are singing in choruses and are playing in orchestras w hich surpass th e professional groups of a century ago. Y et it has only been about one hundred and fifty years since Low ell M ason introduced m usic into th e public schools for the first tim e. T oday, through inventions of modern science, we are able to hear at will n ot on ly th e m usic of present-day com posers b u t also th at of classic m asters. A ccounts of m usical activities w ritten in the tim e of our grandparents, how ever, tell of long journeys, som etim es covering hundreds of m iles, w hich were neces­ sary if those who w ished to hear fine m usic were to have th a t privilege. T ruly the m usic th at can now be heard all over Am erica is th e m usic of the whole world. Ju st as our country has welcom ed all n ationalities into its population, so it has accepted th e m usic which th ey have brought. In this w ay, Am ericans have absorbed in to their own m usic th e characteristics of sharply contrasting ty p es of E uropean music. In doing this th ey have disregarded any previous n ational associations. For exam ple, if a typ ical H ungarian rhythm or a unique O riental m elody appeals to a composer* 3

4

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

he uses it w ithout m uch hesitation because of its origin, w hether H ungarian or Oriental. B u t in Europe both geographic and m usical national boundaries are taken very seriously. In our country all nationalities m eet in a com m on "m eltin g p o t,” both social and m usical. Our sym phony orchestras are an excellent illustration of this point. In general, it m ay be said th at Germans specialize in playing brass instru­ m ents, th a t the French are superior in playing th e woodwind instrum ents, and th at the Slavic peoples excel in th e playing of stringed instrum ents. N o w it frequently happens in Europe th at those in charge of German orchestras w ould rather have an inferior oboe player who is German than a better player who is French, and similar attitu d es often are encountered in other countries. In Am erica, however, just the reverse is true. In our country those who organize and direct the sym p h ony orchestras try to obtain the best players, regardless of n a tio n a lity ; and if it should happen th at m ost of the brass players are German and m ost of the w oodw ind players are French, th a t m akes no difference. It is interesting to know th at European critics recognize this fact as being one of the reasons for the superiority of our best orchestras over those of Europe, and th ey readily adm it this to be true. T oday our orchestras are becom ing more and more Am erican, b ut their original organization and developm ent occurred largely through the work and exam ple of m usicians from Europe who becam e residents and citizens of our country. T hese people played a very im portant part in the m usical developm ent of Am erica at a tim e when n ative Am ericans were devoting their energies to the developm ent of the vast physical resources of this country. T od ay there are increasing num bers of Am erican-born and Americantrained com posers, though we are indebted to European m usicians for the training of practically all of our earlier com posers. M an y of our finest com posers of th e present d ay also have had th e advantage of European training, and it is probable th at this influence alw ays will be a factor in our m usic. OUR HERITAGE OF MUSIC Indian Music T he m usic of our country before it was settled b y European peoples consisted alm ost entirely of the songs and dances used b y th e Indians in connection w ith their ceremonials. T he Indians had songs for all purposes. T h ey sang songs in order to heal the sick, or to achieve success in war or in hunting. In fact, th ey had songs to help them do an ything w hich th ey

The Music of Our Country

5

felt was beyond their own power. T heir instrum ents consisted of rattles, w histles, drums, and flutes. T he m usic of the Indians is interesting chiefly in its rhythm and its m elody. H arm ony, as we know it, is foreign to Indian m u sic ; and when Indian m elodies are harm onized, th ey lose m uch of their true character. Likewise, Indian rhythm s are quite different from ours, although th ey frequently include effects of syncopation.* T he rhythm of the Indians is m uch less regular than ours, and frequently it is so com plicated th at it is alm ost im possible for Am ericans to reproduce it. For exam ple, it is a com m on occurrence for an Indian to sing a song in one rhythm and accom pany him self b y beating upon a drum in another rhythm to ta lly unrelated to th at of his song. W hile som e people m ay feel th at the Indian does this because he knows no better, it is interesting to learn th a t highly m usical peoples of certain O riental countries do the same thing. T he m elodies and rhythm s of Indian m usic have been used b y m any composers as a basis for their com positions, and Indian m usic has had a definite influence on the developm ent of Am erican m usic. G eographically speaking, Indian m usic is Am erican m u s ic ; b ut m usically speaking there are qualities in each which are foreign to th e other. Can you nam e any things w hich you find in m usic th at you consider Am erican, b ut w hich seem to be foreign to Indian m usic? Colonial Music T he m usic of the Am erican colonists w as quite different from th a t of th e Indians. One of the first and m ost popular pieces of m usic brought to th is country was "O ld H undred , ” w hich we know as " T h e D oxology." Since this is chiefly choral in character, and since harm ony is a very im ­ portant feature of it, th is church tune and similar tunes which follow ed it set a new p ath for music on this continent. In the early days of our country, m usic in the N ew E ngland colonies was associated alm ost entirely w ith the church, b ut in the southern colonies m any of th e folk tunes and dances of th e E nglish people were popular and becam e an im portant influence on the m usic of our country. A m ong the best know n of these songs are " Barbara Allen," "Sourw ood M ountain," and " P o p G oes the W easel." Negro Music One of the m ost significant influences on th e m usic of our country has been th a t of the Am erican N egro. Since the arrival of the first slave ship in 1619, th e Am erican N egro has sung through slavery and through free­

6

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

dom, in great jo y and in despair. T he N egro has created songs w hich are as rich and full of feeling as those of any other people. W hether it be a religious song or a work song, the m usic of the N egro truly reflects his character and is as v ita l as any other m usic of our country. It is im possible to think of the m usic of the Am erican N egro w ithout recalling the everpopular songs of Stephen Foster. A lthough he was not a Negro, he spent m uch of his you th listening to the singing of N egro stevedores along the river banks, and the N egro idiom is present in his songs. Like the music of the Indians, th at of the N egroes som etim es uses a scale of only five tones. r - y -------/V \—----(A) m

•

----------------------------------------------.------------^ m----------- ■' J =H •

-----------

T his series of tones is one of m any patterns of five tones w hich m ay form a five-tone scale. In contrast to the m usic of the Indians, however, the N egroes naturally sing in h a rm o n y ; and the harm onic richness of their m usic is one of its m ost appealing characteristics. T he songs of the Am erican N egro are not lim ited to the spirituals which have been so popular in recent years, but include work songs, railroad songs, steam boat songs, dance songs, and blues. All of these have had their influence upon w hat we know as " ja z z ” music. I t is no exaggeration to say th at th e rhythm s of the dance m usic which we know have com e largely from those of the N egro. Our more serious com positions also have felt the influence of N egro m usic, for im portant com posers frequently have m ade use of N egro m elodies and rhythm s in their operas and sym phonies. Cowboy and Mountain Music Another part of our m usical heritage is the songs and dance tunes of the m ountaineers, m any of w hom even y e t are so isolated from the rest of the country th at their m usic still sounds alm ost the sam e as it did tw o centuries ago. T hen, too, there are the songs of the cowboys, whose days on the lonely prairies were m ade more pleasant b y their singing. Summary Our heritage of m usic, therefore, includes church m usic of all the colonists and the E nglish folk m usic of the southern c o lo n ists; the m usic of the Am erican Indian, of the Europeans who continued to adopt our country,

The Music of Our Country

7

and of the N e g r o e s; and the songs of the cow boys and the m ountaineers. Such have been th e raw m aterials w ith which Am erican com posers m ight tvork as th ey chose. T he w ay in w hich th ey m ight work w ith these m aterials, however, involved another very im portant influence upon m usic ; for m ost American composers have been trained in European styles and traditions, and in this w ay the m usic of our country has felt the influence of Europe. Just as m ost Am ericans m a y trace their ancestry back to Europe, m uch □f our American m usic also claim s European ancestry. It should be recog­ nized, however, th a t this m akes it no less American than we are. An English Tune Becomes an American Colonist W hile som e of the early settlers in our country allowed no m usic at all Bxcept th a t w hich was a part of religious worship, this w as n ot true in the southern colonies, where m an y of the folk songs and dances of England were popular am ong the colonists. Folk dancing w as especially enjoyed, and m any of the dances follow ed the same patterns w hich the colonists had known in E ngland. A large num ber of these have survived until th e present day, and through this long association w ith Am erican people and Am erican custom s th ey have come to be regarded as typ ically Am erican dances and songs. One Di the m ost am using of these is the tune en titled " P o p Goes the W easel,” svhich is E nglish in its m usical ancestry, but now has becom e thoroughly American. T unes like th is seldom were w ritten down. Since people usually [earned them b y hearing th em rather than b y the reading of printed m usic, i t is easy to understand how m an y slightly different versions of these songs might come in to existence. H ere, for instance, is a version of " P op Goes th e W easel,” as written down b y the fam ous E nglish collector of folk tunes Cecil Sharp : Pop Goes the Weasel (English version) •9

i

^

• -----P ----

■ /—

# = l

All a-roundthe

r

______ /

v p

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m

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V

J

2----- f - r

# = l

cob-bler’s bench the mon-key chased the wea-sel, The e p

mon-key thought’twas all

■ J

in fun,

Pop! goes

the

wea - sel!

8

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

J'-J-jiJ3 j H - i'lJ* J1 J'J'J j1! J I've no time to wait i

|

/

j

| Ti

or sigh, The pa-tience to wait till by and by. l

Kiss me quick, I ’m

J'

1

.

off,good-bye,

y

i

j_

r

P op !

‘ ii

goes the wea - sel!

T he follow ing is the version of the tune which is m ost familiar t o d a y : Pop Goes the Weasel (familiar version)

— — F — m --h r— -■-----^ ^ V yQ HJ4_g= p r ;P'i r, r_r r~p r p i r r J ----- ~rTf F § h ± r r r—i >• i f —f—V j —r" —w " I p i l j ,„r 1 F-y ' r r 1J W~T p-F— —------^ —s J~~ ^ J — m I m w r ■p J f— ^ --h ---i S ' 1 * 1 -$$— 1 ■ ~ = rr^ j . x 1 -J i i j 1 j. W J J' « Figure B

_

_

—

_ ■

—1

Figure C

Figure A

--

1

, .

1. W hat are som e of the differences betw een these tw o versions of the tune ? 2. D o you think these differences are im portant? 3. W hat kind of dance would be suitable to this m usic? 4. W hy do you think this tune remains popular? 5. W hat is there about it th at would be enjoyed b y people of three centuries ago as well as b y us?

Pop Goes the Weasel A rranged

b y L u c ie n C a i l l i e t

(1891—

tv. R. 4397 a, b

), F rench-A m erican com poser.

T his arrangem ent of " P o p Goes th e W easel" was C ailliet (lii-syaN' ka-ye') during th e summer of 1937 R .C .A . V ictor Com pany. Since he is interested in young people and eager enjoym ent in listening to m usic, Mr. C ailliet has follow ing m essage to our rea d ers:

m ade b y M r. Lucier at the request of the for them to find rea" generously sent the

The Music of Our Country

9

As this tune belongs rather to the dance form, I treated it as such. It has some­ times been referred to as a scherzo * 1 but I think it is more like variations * on a theme.* Since this tune suggests a dance, I have tried to introduce in my arrange­ ment the idea of the dance through the ages. Because of its similarity to the gigue* the first thing which came to my mind was the "Fugue &la Gigue ” by Bach, which I orchestrated previously. I, therefore, decided to treat "Pop Goes the Weasel” as a fugue.* An introduction was necessary, and it is made of suggestions of the theme, then the first statement of the theme itself, followed by the fugue. Wishing to continue the series of dances through the ages, following the fugue, I thought the minuet* should be introduced, so I composed o n e:

J* 7 J' 7 J' 7 ! J J"*3 j r " k-J-

J i

y «h y

r

r

1

r

-J..i— ^ ^ i

r r r The theme " Pop Goes the Weasel ” appears in counterpoint * at the eighth measure. As a diversion from the dance, "Pop Goes the Weasel” is heard as a Hebrew interlude, but the trombone does not consider this seriously and laughs at the end. This interlude follows a melody which frequently is sung as a greeting of con­ gratulation following the marriage of Jewish people. ir o " TTl

4

_ .... _

m

1 - . -«

1I 11

The interlude contains intervals and harmonies commonly associated with Jewish music. Gaiety was needed after this sad sequence, and remembering that famous tunes are often played by music boxes or hand organs, I tried to imitate the gay mood of a music box. Then to bring the number to a close in a modern dance form, I thought it appro­ priate to use the dance of the present, the "jazz.” M r. Cailliet tells also an interesting story concerning the "pop 99 It may be noticed that the theme involves a "pop,” for which, of course, the popgun seemed the most logical instrument (?) to use. But because of the many 1Words marked with a star (*) are explained and defined on pages 137—146. The correct idea as to what these musical words and terms mean will increase your understanding and enjoyment of the music.

10

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

repetitions of the theme, it would be monotonous to use the popgun on each oc­ currence, so I varied the effect with other devices. While I was still undecided about one pop effect, a curious incident occurred at a rehearsal which accidentally suggested it to me. The drummer in charge of the popgun had not prepared his instrument properly, and the result was that when the time came the player performed the necessary motion but the gun did not go off, much to the laughter, of everyone present. I took advantage of this incident by indicating this effect during the fugue, in which the first pop is only fairly loud and the second pop is very loud, while the third pop is a whistle. It is at the point where the fourth pop should occur that the drummer is instructed in the score to go through the motions of popping a gun without letting it make any noise. The last pop occurs at the end of the "jazz” variation and is indeed the noisiest, with all the drums participating. The piece closes with the theme in canon,* as follows:

m

r FT T

m

jr

i

■y-y£

7

a 7

JBF

c/res. f

■x - v -x-

y -y - x

y

JT? v

This music had its first performance by the Philadelphia orchestra on July 2, 1938, Charles O’Connell conducting. Shortly after, it was recorded by the Boston Pops Orchestra under the direction of Arthur Fiedler. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Lucien C ailliet w as born in France on M a y 22, 1891. H is m usical studies were begun at the age of seven and continued until he graduated from the N ation al C onservatory, in Paris, w ith first prize. A fter th e W orld War, M r. C ailliet came to Am erica and joined the P hiladelphia Sym phony Orchestra as a clarinetist and arranger. In the tw en ty years of his association w ith the Philadelphia Orchestra, he m ade som e of their m ost popular arrangem ents, and played under Leopold Stokow ski (st6-kof'ske), T oscanini (tos'ka-ne'ne), M engelberg, Richard Strauss, G abrilow itsch (ga-bri-lhv'ich), M onteux (m oN -tti'), Klemperer, M olinari, Ormandy, and others.

James Sawders

S o n g s o f t h e O ld W o r ld A r e a P a r t o f t h e L iv e s o f T h e s e M o u n t a in F o l k

S n a k e D a n c e o f t h e H o p i I n d ia n s

Ewitij

A W a r D a n c e to t h e H o l l o w B e a t o f t h e I n d i a n D r u m

T h e M u sic o f O u r C o u n tr y

11

M r. C ailliet is now a re sid e n t of Los A ngeles, C alifo rn ia. H e is a m em ber of th e fa c u lty of th e U n iv e rsity of S o u th e rn C alifornia, w here he teach es a n d co n tin u es to m ak e a rra n g e m e n ts w hich are en jo y ed b y stu d e n ts of m usic. L ike th e tu n e of " P o p G oes th e W easel,” w hich he a rra n g e d , M r. C ailliet is of fo reig n a n c e stry , b u t ju s t as we h av e com e to th in k of th is tu n e as bein g tr u ly A m erican, so M r. C ailliet’s w ork has becom e a p a r t of th e m usic of o u r c o u n try . TH E MUSIC I n listen in g to th is m usic, it is easier to follow th e v a ria tio n s if we give a tte n tio n to th e d ifferen t p a tte rn s w hich m ak e u p th e th em e, for th e y occur fre q u e n tly as se p a ra te figures, a p a r t fro m th e ir place in th e m elody as a w hole. I t is for th is reaso n t h a t c e rta in p a tte rn s in th e th em e h av e b een d e sig n ated b y b ra c k e ts a n d le tte rs, so t h a t i t will be m ore co n v en ien t to id e n tify th e m th ro u g h o u t th e p lay in g of th e selection (see th e fam iliar version of " P o p G oes th e W e a s e l" ). F o r convenience th ese figures are re p e a te d here. F IG U R E A

m

pm

F IG U R E B (A A N D C C O M B IN E D )

F IG U R E C

W h ich of th ese figures seem s to be th e m o st p ro m in e n t in th e in tro d u c ­ tio n ? Follow ing th e in tro d u c tio n , th e re is a passage in w hich th e p rin cip al th em e is an sw ered a n d seem s to be re p e a te d th re e tim es. 1. W h a t do y o u h ea r in th is passage w hich tells y o u t h a t it is a fugue ra th e r th a n m ere ly a series of re p e titio n s of th e th e m e ? 2. F ollow ing th e c a d en za* passage for solo violin, how do th e tem p o * an d h a rm o n y of th e th e m e differ fro m th o se of w h a t h as gone b efo re? 3. W h a t do y o u like m o st a b o u t th is m u sic? I n usin g th e tu n e " P o p G oes th e W e a se l" as th e basis for th is com posi­ tion, M r. C ailliet tu rn e d , as we know , to one of th e ea rlie st tu n e s to be used for d an c in g a fte r th e co lonization of A m erica. O th e r com posers of o u r tim e h av e also used colonial m usic as a basis for th e ir com positions. W hile M r. C ailliet has ta k e n a d an ce tu n e of th e

12

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

so u th e rn colonies as a b asis for his com position, a n o th e r A m erican, H o w a rd H an so n , h as u sed a n in c id e n t w hich occurred in th e N ew E n g la n d colonies as th e b asis for h is o p era M erry M o u n t. " ’T is a n E a r th D e f i le d ” f r o m M e r r y M o u n t cv. R.G546B H o w a r d H a n s o n (1896), American composer. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND FOR THE OPERA W ith in five y e a rs a fte r th e lan d in g a t P ly m o u th R o ck , a g ro u p of colo­ n ists fo u n d e d a p la n ta tio n on th e site w here th e city of Q uincy, M a ssa c h u ­ se tts, now is lo cated . T h is p la n ta tio n w as called M e rry M o u n t, a n d it w as a b it to o m e rry for th e P u rita n s w ho lived n e a r it. C hief am o n g th e scan d als of M e rry M o u n t w as a m ay p o le a ro u n d w hich th e v illagers m ig h t dance. T h is d id n o t co n tin u e long, for th e m ay p o le w as d estro y ed b y th o se w ho believ ed i t to be an in s tru m e n t of evil pow er. T h is m ay p o le h a s b een th e su b je c t of lite ra tu re as well as of m usic, for in his Twice Told Tales N a th a n ie l H a w th o rn e h as w ritte n a sh o rt sto ry e n title d " T h e M ay p o le of M e rry M o u n t / ' w hich su p p lied th e basis for one of th e scenes of D r. H a n s o n 's opera. W hile th e o p era stresses th e su p e rstitio n a n d in to leran ce of som e of th e e a rly s e ttle rs of o u r c o u n try , it should be re m em b ered t h a t it does n o t p re te n d to p re se n t only h isto ry . H isto rical in cid en ts h a v e been u sed r a th e r as a b asis fo r a sto ry w hich ex ag g erates th e fa c ts for d ra m a tic pu rp o ses. I t is w ell to recall also th e n o b ility a n d sp len d id heroism of m a n y of th e ea rly colonists, w hose th o u g h ts a n d actio n s w ere in d ire c t c o n tra s t w ith th o se of th is sto ry . D r. H a n so n says, " M erry M o u n t is essen tially a n effort b o th in th e lib re tto * a n d th e m usic to illu s tra te th e effect of th e gay, p leasu re-lo v in g C av aliers u p o n th e rig id a n d ste rn c h a ra c te r of P u r ita n N ew E n g la n d — a co nflict w hich h as alw ays been a n essen tial p a r t of th e sp iritu a l a n d c u ltu ra l g ro w th of th is c o u n try ." THE STORY LEADING UP TO THIS ARIA W restlin g B ra d fo rd is th e clergym an of M e rry M o u n t, b u t he is h a u n te d c o n sta n tly b y visions of evil sp irits. T hese to rm e n t h im to such a n e x te n t t h a t he is scarcely ab le to p erfo rm his d u tie s p ro p erly . T h is selection is sung b y B ra d fo rd in th e first a c t, as he is describing his frig h tfu l d ream s to a n elder of his co n g reg atio n . I t ta k e s its title from th e opening p h ra se of th e aria,* fo r B ra d fo rd h as been so to rtu re d b y his u n h o ly visions t h a t th e w hole e a r th seem s " defiled " to him .

T h e M u sic o f O u r C o u n tr y

13

THE MUSIC T h e s to ry offers th e com poser sp len d id possibilities fo r m usic of a h ig h ly d ra m a tic n a tu re . T h is selection begins stro n g ly w ith m usic w hich is a p p ro ­ p ria te to th e in ten se em o tio n s of B rad fo rd . I t co n tin u es in a d ra m a tic fashion as B ra d fo rd tells of th e h o rro rs w hich h a u n t him . T h e m id d le sectio n of th e a ria is sm o o th er a n d m ore ly ric as B ra d fo rd describes his d re a m of A s to re th (a s'to -re th ), th e lovely p a g a n goddess of th e m oon. As th e a ria m oves to w a rd its end, how ever, it ag ain becom es in ten se a n d d ra m a tic as it w as in th e beginning, a n d it en d s w ith B ra d fo rd ’s stro n g c ry for d eliv eran ce fro m th e evil sp irits w hich to rm e n t him . In w h a t w ay s are th e m elo d y a n d th e rh y th m of th is m usic a p p ro p ria te to th e d ra m a tic s itu a tio n it p o rtra y s ? L aw rence T ib b e tt, w ho is th e a r tis t singing th is aria, is fam ous for his d ra m a tic pow er. H e is k n o w n th ro u g h o u t th e co u n try , fo r he is h e a rd on th e ra d io as well as on th e co n cert stage a n d a t th e M e tro p o lita n O pera. Also, th e re are m a n y reco rd s of his sp len d id p erfo rm an ces, for he believes in reco rd ed m usic. " G o o d r e c o r d s /’ he w rites, " a r e of p rim a ry im p o rtan ce in e d u c a tio n to d a y . S u rely th e e d u c a tio n of soul a n d s p irit is p ro fo u n d ly im p o rta n t, a n d m usic is th e m o st p o te n t agency I know of fo r su ch e d u c a­ tio n a n d d e v e lo p m e n t." I n w h a t w ay s w o u ld y o u consider his p erfo rm an ce of th is a ria especially effective ? THE COMPOSER H o w a rd H a n so n w as b o rn in N e b ra sk a , w here he receiv ed his ea rly m usical ed u c atio n . L a te r on he received fu rth e r m usical tra in in g a t th e I n s titu te of M u sical A rt in N ew Y o rk a n d a t N o rth w e ste rn U n iv e rsity , fro m w hich he receiv ed a degree. W h e n only tw e n ty y e a rs old he becam e a professor of m usic in th e College of th e Pacific, C alifo rn ia, w here th re e y ea rs la te r he w as m ad e D e a n of th e C o n se rv a to ry of F in e A rts. W h en on ly tw en ty -fiv e y e a rs of age he w on th e P rix de R om e,* a n d becam e th e first A m erican com poser to e n te r th e A m erican A cad em y a t R o m e as th e w in n er of th is prize. A t th e p re se n t tim e he is d ire c to r of th e fam ous E a s tm a n School of M u sic in R o ch ester, N ew Y ork. D r. H an so n h as b een an a c tiv e lead er in th e en c o u rag em en t of A m erican com posers. P e rh a p s no o th e r in d iv id u a l h as been so h elp fu l in th is field. H is com positions a n d his te a c h in g of com position h a v e been a n in sp ira tio n to y o u n g A m erican com posers, b u t D r. H an so n h as done m ore th a n com pose a n d teach . H e h as realized how im p o rta n t it is for y o u n g com posers to

14

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

h ea r th e ir m usic p lay ed , so t h a t th e y m a y ju d g e its v alu e a n d discover w ays in w h ich th e ir w ork m a y be im p ro v ed . F o r th is reaso n he h as organized m a n y series of co n certs of m usic b y A m erican com posers, a n d he h as tra v e le d w idely n o t o n ly in th is c o u n try b u t in E u ro p e , c o n d u c tin g A m erican m usic w h erev er he h as gone. I n th is he h as b een m o st unselfish, fo r th e re can be no d o u b t t h a t D r. H a n so n h as neglected his ow n com position to a c e rta in e x te n t in o rd er to give in sp iratio n , en c o u rag em en t, a n d tra in in g to o th e r y o u n g com posers a n d to p ro v id e o p p o rtu n itie s for th e ir m usic to be h e a rd b o th b y th e m a n d b y audiences th e w orld over. T h is w ord fro m h im is tim e ly : " I f I h av e a n y m essage for th e s tu d e n ts w ho will re a d th is book, it is t h a t th e y m u st n ev e r give u p th e search for b e a u ty , for b y p u rsu in g it th e y will c o n trib u te th e ir p a r t to th e g ro w th of a g re a te r A m erica. T h e re is in th is c o u n try u n lim ite d ta le n t a n d boundless v ita lity . I t is possible for u s to create here in A m erica a g re a t d em o cratic, a rtis tic tra d itio n , w hich will give to th e w orld new b ea u ties a n d will enable us to c a rry fa ith fu lly th e to rc h w hich is now being p assed to us from E u ro p e .” W hile th e colonial p erio d h as supplied th e m usical m a te ria l for th e w ork of sev eral com posers, o th ers h av e m ad e use of m elodies w hich existed here long before a n y of th e ea rly colonists arriv ed . F o r h u n d re d s of y ears before o u r c o u n try w as se ttle d b y E u ro p e a n peoples, n u m ero u s trib e s of In d ia n s h a d liv ed n o t on ly in th e ea st, b u t in th e fa r w est, w here th e y h a d b u ilt civ ilizatio n s in te rr ito ry u n d re am ed -o f b y th e e a ste rn colonists. T h ese In d ia n s d an ced a n d sang, th e y h u n te d a n d fished, th e y w orshipped v ario u s gods a n d en gaged in co n tests of skill. T h e ir lives w ere m u c h dif­ fe re n t fro m ours ; b u t th e ir fu n e ral songs for th e ir w arrio rs or th e lullabies sung b y th e ir squ aw s m e a n t as m u ch to th e m as th e sam e k in d of m usic does to us. F o r th ese In d ia n s, how ever, m usic w as n o t so m eth in g to be en jo y ed or to be p erfo rm ed m erely fo r th e e n te rta in m e n t of th o se w ho w ould listen. N e ith e r d id th e y m ak e songs or p la y or sing m ere ly because th e y w a n te d to develop th e ir m usic. All In d ia n m usic w as m ad e for a definite purpose. S om etim es it w as for use in connection w ith th e ir c e re m o n ia ls; songs w ere com posed also for th e p u rp o se of healing th e sick, or of b rin g in g success in th e ir gam es or in th e ir h u n tin g . A t c e rta in tim es of th e y e a r th e re w ere d ances a n d songs ad d ressed to n a tu re , in o rd er to w in th e fa v o r of th e n a tu re gods, so t h a t fav o rab le w e a th e r a n d good crops w ould be th eirs. T h is m usic differs fro m ours in th e n a tu re of som e of its in te r v a ls ; it uses th e scale of on ly five to n es (page 6). H a rm o n y is n o t a n a tu ra l p a r t of it. I n th e m usic of th e In d ia n s, rh y th m a n d m elo d y are th e m o st im ­ p o r ta n t fa c to rs. T h e rh y th m s are p ro d u ced b y v ario u s k in d s of d ru m s

T h e M u sic o f O u r C o u n tr y

15

a n d g ourds, w hile th e m elodies are e ith e r su n g or p lay ed u p o n flu tes or w histles. T hese ch a ra c te ristic s are com m on to th e m usic of m o st In d ia n trib es. T h e g re a t d istan ces w hich s e p a ra te d th e m , how ever, p re v e n te d one trib e fro m h a v in g m u ch influence u p o n a n o th e r ; th erefo re, in sp ite of th ese g en eral sim ilarities, each trib e developed c e rta in ch a ra c te ristic s in its ow n m usic w hich m a y n o t be fo u n d in t h a t of a n o th e r trib e . C h an t o f th e S n ak e D an cers

( H o p i I n d ia n s ) [V. R. G 500 A

P e rh a p s th e m o st m u sical of th ese In d ia n trib e s are th e H o p i In d ia n s, w ho live in th e so u th w e ste rn p a r t of th e U n ite d S tates. T h e ir dances are k no w n to h av e ex isted for cen tu ries, a n d th e ir cerem onials are am o n g th e m o st im pressive of all In d ia n ritu a ls. T h e S nake D an ce of th e H o p i In d ia n s alw ays occurs in co n n e ctio n w ith th e ir a n n u a l n in e -d a y fe sta . B efore th e dan ce begins, a secret u n d e rg ro u n d r itu a l occurs w hich in clu d es th e p u rifica tio n of th e d ancers, m a n y sacrifices to th e gods, a n d th e p re p a ra tio n of th e sn ak es for th e dance. T h e S nake D an c e itself is p erfo rm ed b y a select few of th e trib e , each of w hom carries a live sn ak e in his m o u th as he dances to th e acco m p an im en t of c h a n tin g p rie sts a n d th e rh y th m of th e to m -to m s. L ike m a n y o th e r exam ples of In d ia n m usic, th is selection uses only five to n es of th e m u sical scale. I n th is case, th e five to n es a r e :

I

w

£

T h e first g ro u p of n o te s gives th e five to n es in th e order in w hich th e y are h e a rd in th e m usic. T h e second g ro u p show s how th e y a p p e a r w hen a rra n g e d as a scale. W h a t o th e r c h a ra c te ristic s do y o u find in th is selection w hich seem to agree w ith th e general s ta te m e n ts t h a t h a v e been m ad e concerning In d ia n m usic ? LOVE SONG O ne of th e g roups of S ioux In d ia n s living in e a s te rn W isconsin a n d N e b ra s k a is th e W in n eb ag o T rib e. H o w does th e love song of th is trib e differ fro m th e d ance of th e H o p i In d ia n s — especially in its r h y th m a n d in th e in s tru m e n ts w hich are used ?

16

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic * A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

LOVE WITH TEARS T h is is a m elo d y of th e C hey en n e (shl-en7) T rib e , w hich is a n o th e r g ro u p of P u e b lo In d ia n s in h a b itin g th e so u th w est. T h e m usic of th is selection uses a scale w hich ca n n o t be re p ro d u ced a c c u ra te ly b y using th e o rd in a ry to n es of th e scale w hich we know . 1. W h a t feeling does th is curious k in d of scale seem to give to th e m elo d y ? 2. D o y o u feel t h a t th is m usic is w ell su ite d to its title ? I f so, w h y ? 3. W h a t are th e p rin cip al differences b etw e en th e tw o love songs? SUNRISE CALL

(Zuni Tribe)

L ike th e H o p i In d ia n s, to w hom th e y are re la te d , th e Z uni T rib e are d esc en d an ts of an c ie n t cliff dw ellers a n d live in th e so u th w e ste rn p a r t of o u r c o u n try , p a rtic u la rly in N ew M exico a n d A rizona. T h e y are d istin g u ish ed fro m o th e r trib e s because th e y are su n w orship­ pers. A s a fe a tu re of th e ir sun w orship, th e y h av e a cerem onial in w hich th e trib e is su m m o n ed to g re et th e rising sun, fro m w hich th e y seek w isdom a n d guid an ce. T h e " S u n ris e C a ll” is a p a r t of t h a t cerem onial. W hile th e m elo d y of th is selection is h e a rd ju s t as it w ould be sung b y th e In d ia n s th em selv es, th e a c c o m p a n im e n t h e a rd on th is reco rd is m ore ty p ic a l of o u r ow n m usic th a n of th e In d ia n s. F o r chords su ch as th o se w hich are h e a rd b e n e a th th is m elo d y are u n h e a rd of w hen th e In d ia n s p erfo rm th e ir ow n m usic. T h e n u m b e r of selections of In d ia n m u sic w hich we h a v e h e a rd could be m u ltip lie d h u n d re d s of tim es if we w ished to h e a r th e m usic of th e m a n y trib e s w h ich h av e ex isted in v ario u s p a r ts of o u r c o u n try . B ecause these In d ia n s are u su ally considered to be th e first in h a b ita n ts of o u r co u n try , a n d becau se m a n y people feel t h a t th e y w ere th e first A m ericans, som e com posers h a v e ta k e n In d ia n m elodies as a b asis for th e ir com positions, w ith th e id ea t h a t th e m usic w ould a t le a st be tru ly A m erican in its source. I f we know a b o u t th e lives a n d cu sto m s of th e In d ia n people, how ever, we re a d ily see t h a t th e ir h a b its are n o t a t all w h a t we th in k of as being A m erican , a n d t h a t m o st th in g s w hich we call A m erican are co m pletely foreign to th em . T h e m usic of th e In d ia n s, how ever, is in te re stin g in c o n tra s t to o u r ow n m usic, a n d it is easy to u n d e rsta n d how v ario u s com posers m ig h t en jo y usin g In d ia n tu n e s in th e ir m usic, even th o u g h th e y m ig h t be m ak in g no effo rt to b u ild a serious ty p e of A m erican m usic u p o n a fo u n d a tio n of In d ia n m usic. I n o th e r w ords, som e com posers sim p ly h a v e used In d ia n

T h e M u sic o f O u r C o u n tr y

17

tu n e s because th e y liked th e m , a n d n o t as p a r t of a n y schem e to b u ild th e m usic of o u r c o u n try u p o n t h a t of th e In d ia n s. T h is w as th e case w hen E d w a rd M acD o w ell com posed th e m usic e n title d " F r o m an In d ia n L o d g e /'

E dw ard

F r o m a n I n d ia n L o d g e tv. R. A. M a c D o w e l l (1861-1908), American composer.

gsoob

" F r o m an In d ia n L o d g e " is th e fifth of a set of pieces called W oodland Sketches, w hich co n tain s also th e fa m ilia r " T o a W ild R o s e " a n d " T o a W a te r L ily ." T h is se t of pieces reflects b o th M acD o w ell's love of n a tu re a n d his in te re s t in th e m usic of th e In d ia n s. B efore he com posed th is se t of pieces, he h a d co m p leted tw o o rc h estral su ites b ase d u p o n In d ia n m usic. I t w as n a tu ra l, th e n , th a t w hen he was in sp ired b y th e b e a u tie s of N ew E n g la n d to com pose his W oodland Sketches, he sh o u ld in clu d e th is selection, w hich is In d ia n in its b ack g ro u n d . T h e W oodland Sketches w ere com posed in 1896, a t a tim e w hen M acD ow ell w as e n jo y in g for th e first tim e th e b e a u tie s of a sp o t in N ew H am p sh ire w hich la te r becam e his hom e. H e h a d b een liv in g in B oston, b u t d u rin g a v a c a tio n trip in to th e hill c o u n try n e a r P e te rb o ro he becam e so e n c h a n te d w ith its b e a u tie s t h a t he estab lish ed his p e rm a n e n t hom e th ere . I ts fo rests a n d its b e a u tifu l flowers a n d stre a m s w ere su ch a g re a t in sp ira tio n to h im t h a t th e y seem ed to set in m o tio n his im a g in a tio n , a n d som e of his m o st ap p e alin g w orks w ere com posed as to n e p ic tu re s of scenes asso ciated w ith th is P e te rb o ro e s ta te . A lth o u g h th e W oodland Sketches w ere com posed originally for p iano, th is selectio n is h e a rd in an o rc h estral a rra n g e m e n t. EDW A R D MACDOW ELL

T h o u g h he is of a p a s t g en eratio n , E d w a rd M acD o w ell rem ain s one of th e m o st b elo v ed of all A m erican com posers, n o t o n ly because of th e te n d e r s e n tim e n t of his m usic, b u t also because of th e o p p o rtu n itie s w hich h av e been giv en to y o u n g a rtis ts th ro u g h a su m m er colony w hich has been esta b lish e d on his e s ta te a t P eterb o ro ? Ia£-a J v ' . ^ T h e re is scarcely a y o u n g s tu d e n t of th e p ia n o w ho is n o t in d e b te d to M acD o w ell fo r th e e n jo y m e n t w hich he m a y h a v e fo u n d in p lay in g " T o a W ild R o s e " or " T o a W a te r L ily " ; a n d serious m usicians recognize in h im one of th e first A m erican com posers w ho could w rite successfully in large classical form s. E d w a rd M acD o w ell w as b o rn of C eltic a n c e stry on D ecem b er 18, 1861. H e w as esp ecially ta le n te d b o th in a r t a n d in m usic, a n d in o rd er t h a t

18

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

th is ta le n t sh o u ld h av e th e finest possible tra in in g , M acD o w ell w as ta k e n to E u ro p e for s tu d y w hen he w as b u t fifteen y ea rs old. H e re m a in e d in E u ro p e for m a n y y ears. A t th is tim e M acD ow elF s chief in te re s t w as in p lay in g th e p ian o , a n d th e m usic he com posed w as w ritte n solely fo r his ow n p leasu re. D u rin g his E u ro p e a n sta y , M acD o w ell n o t o n ly stu d ie d a n d com posed, b u t he also gave lessons. T h is p h ase of his w ork p ro v e d to be of g re a t im p o rta n c e to him , for one of his p u p ils la te r becam e his wife. Follow ing a b rief v isit to th is c o u n try , d u rin g w hich he a n d his y o u n g A m erican p u p il w ere m arrie d , M acD ow ell re tu rn e d w ith his wife to E u ro p e . A fte r a tim e th e y fo u n d a ch a rm in g c o tta g e n e a r a little to w n in G erm an y . O ne can im agine t h a t th is hom e m u s t h av e b een sim ilar in m a n y w ays to th e one w hich he fo u n d la te r in P e te rb o ro , for th e c o tta g e w as su rro u n d e d b y b e a u tifu l c o u n try , w ith th e w oods on one side a n d a view of th e R h in e flowing n e a rb y on th e o th er. T h e re w as also a lovely g arden, w hich gave M acD o w ell m u ch p leasu re, a n d it w as in th e n a tu ra l b e a u ty of th is q u ie t atm o sp h ere t h a t h e c re a te d m o st of his e a rly m usic of im p o rtan ce. T h e la s t tw e n ty y ea rs of M acD ow elF s fife w ere sp e n t in N ew E n g la n d , first in B o sto n , la te r as a professor a t C o lu m b ia U n iv e rsity , a n d finally in th e seclusion of his e s ta te a t P e te rb o ro . H ere he w as able to com pose in th e m id st of th e v e ry ty p e of n a tu ra l b e a u ty w hich w as so d e a r to him . MRS. MACDOWELL T h e h is to ry of m usic c o n tain s few in stan ces of w ives of com posers w hose acco m p lish m en ts can eq u a l th o se of M rs. M acD ow ell. H e r p erfo rm an ces of h e r h u s b a n d ’s m usic th ro u g h o u t th e n a tio n , an d h e r c o n s ta n t d ev o tio n to h e r h u s b a n d ’s a rtis tic ideals, a t t r a c t th e a d m ira tio n of all w ho know her. I t h as b een th ro u g h h er efforts t h a t th e M acD ow ell colony a t P e te rb o ro h as been e stab lish ed a n d m a in ta in e d , a n d th e a rtistic , lite ra ry , a n d m usical w orks w h ich a lre a d y h av e b een c re a te d a t th is colony are a rich a n d p e rm a n e n t g ift to A m erican c u ltu re. H isto ry tells u s of th e service w hich A n n a M a g d a le n a B ach p erfo rm ed in com p letin g th e m u sical scores a n d singing th e songs of h e r fam ous h u sb a n d (page 117). W e k n o w also of th e in sp ira tio n w h ich C la ra S ch u m an n gave to h er h u sb a n d , R o b e rt, a n d of th e m a n y concerts w hich she gave in m ak in g h er h u s b a n d ’s m usic k n o w n a fte r his u n tim e ly d e a th . T h e achieve­ m e n ts of M rs. M acD o w ell m ak e h e r w o rth y to be ra n k e d w ith th ese fam ous w om en of m usic, a n d in m a n y w ays h e r w ork closely p arallels t h a t of C lara S ch u m an n .

T h e M u sic o f O u r C o u n tr y

19

T H E MUSIC

" F ro m a n In d ia n L odge ” opens w ith a r a th e r long in tro d u c tio n , follow ed b y a m elo d y w h ich is songlike b u t n ev erth eless s tu rd y a p d rugged. r\

.

B r o a d ly

g J3 III. ^

1

Ij. j j j IrJ_J IJ, ^ IJ .jg I j . Ij l 'S"" ***

T h e co m p o sitio n is b ro u g h t to a close w ith a re p e titio n of p a r t of th e in tro d u c tio n . 1. W h ich p o rtio n of th is m usic do y o u th in k is m o st ty p ic a l of In d ia n m usic ? W h y ? 2. T o w h ich of th e fo u r exam ples of In d ia n m usic is th is m o st sim ilar? In w hat w ay? S e c o n d S k e tc h B a s e d u p o n I n d ia n T h e m e s [V . C h a r l e s T o m l i n s o n G r i f f e s (1884-1920), American composer.

R. G 545 b

W hile th e m usic b y M acD o w ell w hich we h e a rd u sed a songlike m elody of th e In d ia n s, th is sk e tc h b y C harles T . G riffes is b ase d u p o n th e rh y th m s of a n In d ia n w ar d an ce. G riffes seldom em p lo y ed In d ia n effects in his m usic, b u t th is co m p o sitio n is u n m ista k a b ly In d ia n in sp irit. T h is sk e tc h w as com posed fo r a strin g q u a rte t,* a n in s tru m e n ta l grouping asso ciated w ith m usic of refin em en t a n d elegance. W ith o u t losing a n y of th is q u a lity , h ow ever, th e com poser w as able to com bine it w ith so m ething of th e ru g g ed , p rim itiv e fe a tu re s w hich are ty p ic a l of In d ia n m usic. 1. Ju d g in g fro m th e In d ia n m usic y o u h a v e h e a rd , can y o u recognize and describe a n y of th ese fe a tu re s ? 2. H o w does th is selection differ fro m th e o th e r In d ia n m usic w hich you k n o w ? 3. H o w m ig h t th e differences b etw een th is sk e tc h a n d th e " C h a n t of th e S nake D a n c e rs " p aralle l th o se betw een a r t songs a n d folk songs? TH E MUSIC

T h e In d ia n c h a ra c te ristic s of th is m usic m a y be h e a rd a t th e beginning of th e " S k e tc h ." T h e r a th e r hollow effect of th e rh y th m ic acco m p an im en t is due larg ely to th e fa c t t h a t it is p lay ed in fo u rth s a n d fifths (figure A in th e first th e m e ). T h is effect is stre n g th e n e d b y th e m elody, w hich fre­ q u e n tly m oves b y fo u rth s (figure B in th e first th e m e ).

20

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic * A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d F IR S T T H E M E

Figure B

A lle g r o g io c o so

Figure A

N o t e . The printed score is slightly different from the record in the first few measures. The music appears as follows in the score.

*r—

— -—

p

I t will be seen t h a t th e re are no fifths here, a lth o u g h th e y can be h e a rd p lain ly on th e reco rd . T h e m elo d y is so m ew h a t je rk y in its rh y th m , ow ing to th e fre q u e n t use of sh o rt to n es follow ed b y m u ch longer ones. T h is is c h a ra c te ristic of In d ia n rh y th m s ; esp ecially w h en th is effect is acco m p an ied b y a s te a d ily p u lsa tin g b e a t, su ch as occurs in th is selection. A fter m usic b ase d u p o n th e first th em e h as co n tin u ed for som e tim e, its rh y th m s becom e q u ie te r a n d th e follow ing m elo d y is h e a rd : SE C O N D T H E M E i i A lle g r e tto m o d e ra to

j - j j.[■j'-i-.-J.'I- ^

I j

IJ ^ l i

i

Ij s j . _ ^ l

T h is m elo d y h a s n o t b ee n h e a rd before ex cep t in one b rief passage n e a r th e b eg in n in g of th e com position, w here th e re are h in ts of it. T h is is soon follow ed b y a n o th e r ty p ic a lly In d ia n m e lo d y : T H IR D T H E M E

f

o

g

f

f

i-

'

-

r

-

1

'

r

i

p

p

r

T h is is follow ed a lm o st im m e d ia tely b y a re p e titio n of th e m usic w hich opened th e selection, follow ed b y th e m elo d y of th e first th em e, a fte r w hich th e " S k e t c h ” com es to a h u rrie d conclusion.

The Music of Our Country

21

TH E COMPOSER W ith o u t q u estio n , C h arles T . G riffes w as one of th e m o st g ifted of all A m erican com posers. H e w as b o rn in E lm ira, N ew Y o rk , a n d w as v e ry ta le n te d in a r t as well as in m usic. H is com positions are few because he died w hen h e w as v e ry y o u n g , b u t th e q u a lity of his m usic is such t h a t he h as won a p e rm a n e n t p lace am ong A m erican com posers. I n a d d itio n to his ac tiv ities as a com poser, G riffes ta u g h t m usic in a school in N ew Y o rk S ta te . T h e excellence of his com positions led to d em an d s for th e ir p erfo rm an ce, a n d it w as th e co m p o ser's excessive w ork in th e p re p a ra tio n of his m a n u ­ scrip ts w hich caused th e u n tim e ly end of his career.

By a Lonely Forest Pathway C h a r l e s T o m l in s o n G r if f e s

[V. r .36224 b

(1884-1920), American c o m p o s e r .

" B y a L o n ely F o re s t P a th w a y " is one of a g ro u p of five songs w hich G riffes com posed to poem s b y G erm an a u th o rs. T h o u g h he w as b o rn in th is c o u n try , he sp e n t som e tim e in G e rm a n y d u rin g th e e a rly p a r t of his life. T h e cycle* fro m w h ich th is song is ta k e n re su lte d fro m his experiences in G erm an y , w here he cam e u n d e r th e influence n o t o n ly of G erm an m usic, b u t of G erm an p o e try . I t is in te re stin g to n o te t h a t d u rin g th is tim e G riffes w as a p u p il of H u m p e rd in c k (h d o m 'p e r-d in k ), th e fam o u s com poser of H ansel and Gretel (Preludej page 60). U n til h e b e g a n th e s tu d y of th e o ry w ith th e G erm an m usician, G riffes h a d in te n d e d to becom e a co n c ert p ia n is t. B u t h is m usic stu d ies in E u ro p e cau sed h im to decide on co m p o sitio n in ste a d . T h e m usic of G riffes h a s b e a u ty of m elo d y an d ric h b u t su b tle sh ad es of h arm o n ic coloring. H is m o st p o p u la r com positions are th e p ian o fo rte piece e n title d " T h e W h ite P e a c o c k " a n d th e o rc h estral to n e p o em The Pleasure Dome o f K u b la K h a n . I t w as in th e p re p a ra tio n of th is la tte r com position t h a t G riffes lite ra lly " w o rk e d him self to d e a th ." TH E TEX T OF TH E SONG By a Lonely Forest Pathw ay By a lonely forest pathw ay I am fain a t eve to flee T o the dreary rushy beaches, Dearest, there to dream of th e e !

22

Making Friends with Music * At Home and Abroad

And I w atch the woods grow darker, H ear the reeds’ mysterious sighs, H ear them whispering and complaining, Till my tears, m y tears arise And I fancy ’tis the accents Of th y voice th a t round me play, Till the music of th y singing On the w ater dies away. THE MUSIC T h is song tells of one w ho seeks a lonely sp o t w here he m a y d re a m of som eone d e a r to h im , u n til h er voice seem s to p e rv a d e all th e silence w hich su rro u n d s him . T h e v o cal m elo d y follow s th e m ood of each w ord a n d gives g re a te r m ean in g to th e verse. T h e com poser h as u sed ch ro m a tic* to n es to e m p h a ­ size th e em o tio n al q u a lity of th e song. B etw een th e first a n d second sta n z a s th e re is a b rief in te rlu d e . T h e ra n g e for th e second s ta n z a is m ore lim ited , a n d th e p itc h is low er. T h e ac co m p an im e n t is m ore ra p id a n d a g ita te d . T h e th ird s ta n z a is in a b rig h te r m ood th a n th e p re v io u s m usic. B u t th e u n c e rta in ty expressed in th e te x t is e v id e n t in th e m usic, so t h a t it does n o t give a n y im pression of g re a t h ap p in ess. f T h e a tm o sp h e re of ev en in g on a lonely fo re st p a th w a y lead in g dow n to th e w a te r is v iv id ly su g g ested in th e ric h h a rm o n y a n d th o u g h tfu l b e a u ty of th is m usic. T h e te x t of th e song is b y th e G erm an p o e t N ico lau s L e n a u (ne-ko-lous' la 'n o u ), 1802—1850, w hose p o e try in sp ired also th e G erm an com poser R ic h a rd S trau ss. 1 . C a n y o u fin d a n y th in g in th e m usic of th e second s ta n z a w hich is suggestive of th e w oods grow ing d a rk e r, or of th e m y ste rio u s sighs of th e reeds ? 2 . C a n y o u d iscover how th e com poser h a s m ad e his m usic suggestive of singing d y in g a w a y over th e w a te r?

When I Bring to You Colour’d Toys John A lden C arpenter

(1876—

[V. R. 36224

b

), American composer.

A lth o u g h M r. C a rp e n te r is b e st kn o w n for his in s tru m e n ta l com positions, of w hich Adventures in a Peram bulator is one of th e m o st d elig h tfu l, he h as com posed also m a n y b e a u tifu l songs w hich h av e becom e fam iliar

The Music of Our Country

23

th ro u g h o u t o u r c o u n try . A ll of his m usic is d istin g u ish ed b y a refin em en t a n d delicacy of expression seldom eq u aled b y A m erican com posers. Since th e b eg in n in g of o u r n a tio n , A m ericans of m u sical ta le n t h av e been w ritin g songs. F ew of o u r songs, how ever, su rp ass th e c h a rm of th is a r t song w hich M r. C a rp e n te r w ro te in th e su m m er of 1913. T H E TEX T OF TH E SONG T h e te x t of th is song is fro m th e p o e try of far-off In d ia , w here th e p h ilo so p h er-p o et R a b in d ra n a th T ag o re (ra -b e n 'd ra -n a th ta -g o r') h a s w ritte n som e of th e m o st b e a u tifu l v erse of our tim e. P ro b a b ly his m o st p o p u la r collection of poem s is G itanjali (g e -ta n 'ja -le ), fro m w hich th e w ords of th is song h a v e b een ta k e n . T h e se re n ity a n d p o etic b e a u ty of T a g o re ’s w ritin g are su ch t h a t it ca n n o t be re a d a t full speed, as y o u will see w hen y o u re re a d a n d becom e m ore a n d m ore fa m ilia r w ith th is p o em a n d o th e rs of th e collection fro m w hich it is ta k e n . Y o u will n otice t h a t th e a p p e aran c e of th is poem on th e page is d ifferent fro m t h a t of th e te x ts of a n y of th e o th e r songs w hich we h a v e h ea rd . T h ere does n o t seem to be a n y effort to follow a re g u la r m e tre o r a n y rim in g schem e. M e tre a n d rim in g , how ever, are o n ly ex te rn a l fe a tu re s of p o e t r y ; a n d th o u g h tfu l, im a g in a tiv e re a d in g of T a g o re ’s verse rev eals a tr u ly p o etic q u a lity w hich goes fa r b e y o n d th e m ere form in w hich it is w ritte n . T h e m e d ita tio n u p o n e te rn a l m y steries w hich is ty p ic a l of T ag o re m a y be fo u n d in th ese lines, also fro m G ita n ja li: In one salutation to thee, m y God, let all m y senses spread out and touch this world at th y feet. Like a rain cloud of July hung low w ith its burden of unshed showers, let all m y mind bend down a t th y door in one salutation to thee. Let all my songs gather together their diverse strains into a single current and flow to a sea of silence in one salutation to thee. Like a flock of homesick cranes flying night and day back to their m ountain nests let all m y life tak e its voyage to its eternal home in one salutation to thee. N o t all of T a g o re ’s w ritin g , how ever, is of th is ty p e . T h e follow ing lines rev eal th e s tre n g th a n d v ita lity w hich are in his w r itin g : The same stream of life th a t runs through m y veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythm ic measures. I t is the same life th a t shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tum ultuous waves of leaves and flowers. I t is the same life th a t is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow. I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life. And m y pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in m y blood this moment.

24

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

TH E POET-M USICIAN TAGORE T h e a u th o r of th ese b e a u tifu l lines, R a b in d ra n a th T ag o re, is reg ard ed as one of th e g re a te s t m en of his c o u n try . T h o u g h In d ia is large a n d has a p o p u la tio n of th re e h u n d re d a n d six ty m illion people (th ree tim e s the p o p u la tio n of o u r c o u n try ), th e n am e of T ag o re is kn o w n th ro u g h o u t the e n tire c o u n try . In th e U n ite d S ta te s, T ag o re is k n o w n for his p o e t r y ; b u t in In d ia he is e q u a lly fam o u s fo r his m usic. I n fa c t, he is th e com poser of th e n a tio n a l a n th e m of In d ia . T ag o re is fam o u s also for a re m a rk a b le school n ear C a lc u tta w hich he h as su p p o rte d . O ne of th e m o st in te re stin g a c tiv itie s of th is school is its p re p a ra tio n a n d p re se n ta tio n of d an ce-d ram as, sev eral of w h ich are given e v e ry y ear, n o t o n ly a t th e school b u t also in v ario u s cities of In d ia . T h e w ords of th ese d ra m a s are w ritte n b y T ag o re, w ho ex p lain s th eir m ean in g to th e s tu d e n ts w ho are to ta k e p a r t in th e ir p re se n ta tio n . T hese s tu d e n ts are d an c ers w ho create in th e ir ow n w ay th e b o d ily m o v em en ts w hich th e y feel are expressive of T a g o re 's ideas. O n ly occasionally does he m ak e su g g estio n s to th e m , a n d th ese dances are alm o st w holly th e original c reatio n of th e stu d e n ts. T h e s tu d e n ts create th e ir d ance m o v em en ts as T ag o re re ad s th e lines of th e p la y . As th is co n tin u es, how ever, T ag o re g ets m ore a n d m ore in to th e sp irit of h is p la y , u n til he begins to sing. A s th e re h e a rsa l proceeds, T agore creates m elodies w hich he sings a n d th e s tu d e n ts dance. A n o rc h e stra of able m u sician s sits n e a r b y ; th ese p lay ers ta k e u p th e m elodies w hich T ag o re sings, so t h a t a n in s tru m e n ta l ac co m p an im e n t is c re a te d a t th e sam e tim e . T h ese m u sician s are so clever t h a t th e y can n o t o n ly play along w ith T ag o re as he sings th e m elodies, b u t th e y can re m e m b e r th em long en o u g h to re p e a t th e m u n til o th e r m u sician s h a v e h a d tim e to w rite th e m dow n. T h is pro cess of reh earsin g co n tin u es d a y a fte r d a y u n til a d an c e-d ra m a o v er tw o h o u rs in le n g th h a s been co m p leted a n d is re a d y for p erform ance. I n th e p erfo rm an ce , th e o rc h e stra a n d singers sit a t th e b a c k of th e stage, se p a ra te d fro m th e d an cers b y a low rail. A s T a g o re 's w ords are sung, th e y are acco m p an ied b y th e in stru m e n ta lists a n d th e d ra m a tic ac tio n is ca rried on in p a n to m im e b y th e dan cers. T h is is one of th e m o st p o p u la r form s of sta g e p re se n ta tio n in In d ia , a n d is one w h ich is a re a l expression of th e p o etic sp irit a n d a rtis tic im ag in a­ tio n of th e people of In d ia . I n th e e a rly d ay s of th ese p re se n ta tio n s, none of th e songs w as w ritte n d o w n ; b u t m o st of th e m h a v e b een p reserv ed , since th e y h av e been sung

The Music of Our Country

25

b y one p erso n to a n o th e r u n til th e y are k n o w n all o ver In d ia , m a n y of th e m b ein g re g a rd e d a lm o st as folk songs of th e c o u n try . M o s t of th e m usic t h a t T ag o re h a s com posed in re c e n t y e a rs h a s b ee n p u t on p a p e r, h o w ev er, a n d is a p e rm a n e n t c o n trib u tio n to In d ia n c u ltu re . T H E T E X T O F TH IS SONG W hen I bring to you colour'd toys, m y child, I understand w hy there is such a play of colors on clouds, on w ater, and w hy flow'rs are painted in tin ts : when I give colour'd toys to you, m y child. W hen I sing to make you dance, I truly know w hy there is music in leaves, and why waves send their chorus of voices to the heart of the listening e a r th : when I sing to m ake you dance. W hen I bring sweet things to your greedy hands, I know w hy there is honey in the cup of the flower and w hy fruits are secretly filled w ith sweet ju ic e : when I bring sweet things to your greedy hands. TH E MUSICAL SETTIN G OF THIS TEX T T h ese lines m u s t h av e b ro u g h t b e a u tifu l m usical th o u g h ts to th e m in d of M r. C a rp e n te r, fo r he h a s c a u g h t u p in m usic n o t o n ly th e sense of th e ir m ean in g , b u t also th e ir m o st d elicate suggestions a n d sh ad es of m eaning. T h e song is su n g b y G len n D arw in , a n A m erican b a rito n e . A sim ple th re e -n o te m o tiv e,* w ith colorful h a rm o n y sp lash in g in th e b ack g ro u n d , in tro d u c e s th e m ood of th e poem . T h e v o cal m elo d y begins w ith th is sam e th re e -n o te figure a n d th e n co n tin u es in th e ac co m p an im en t. F IR S T M E L O D Y

A nim ato

W hen I bring to you col-our'd toys, m y child, I un-der-stand w hy there is

such a

play

of

col - ors

on

clouds

A reflective m ood creeps in to th e m usic, a n d its p itc h becom es low er, o n ly to r e tu r n to th e sam e k e y as we h e a rd a t first. A g e n tly sw ay in g rh y th m p re p a re s u s for th e m usic of th e n e x t sta n z a , w hich does n o t s ta y in one fixed to n a lity .* T h e m usic is as free as th e te x t.

26

Making Friends with Music * At Home and Abroad

T h e th ir d s ta n z a begins, like th e first, w ith th e th re e -n o te figure. T h e d elicate ac co m p an im e n t ad d s a sh im m erin g effect as th e voice expresses in m usic th e se n tim e n t of th e poem . T h e song com es to a q u ie t close, b u t n o t before w e h a v e h e a rd th e th re e -n o te figure once m ore. 1 . H o w does th e r h y th m of th e m elo d y a n d its ac co m p an im e n t c o n trib u te to th e m u sical in te rp re ta tio n of th is p o em ? 2 . C a n y o u recognize a n y q u a lity in th e h a rm o n y of th is song t h a t is sug g estiv e of th e " p la y of colors on c lo u d s” or " o n w a te r ” ? 3. W h a t k in d s of h arm o n ic " t i n t s ” h a s C a rp e n te r u se d ? 4. C a n y o u find som e fe a tu re in th e p erfo rm an ce of th is song t h a t te n d s to em p h asize th e atm o sp h ere of its w o rd s? 5. D o es th is song seem m ore serious or less serious th a n th e one b y G riffes? 6 . W h ich song is lig h te r in its atm o sp h ere ? W h ich is d a rk e r ?

Adventures in a Perambulator J o h n A ld e n C a r p e n te r

(1876-

[V. R. 8455 A, B; G 564 A, B ), American composer.

A dventures in a Peram bulator is one of th e m o st am u sin g of all com ­ p o sitio n s b y A m erican com posers. I t is especially in te re stin g because th e one w ho h a s th e a d v e n tu re s is " M y s e lf ,” a n d since in th is case " M y s e lf ” is you rself, we all en jo y th ese a d v e n tu re s to g e th e r. " M y self ” is v e ry y o u n g , in fa c t so y o u n g th a t " m y ” a d v e n tu re s are lim ited to th o se w hich " I ” find w hile bein g w heeled a b o u t in m y p e ra m b u la to r. E v e n th e p re p a ra tio n fo r su ch a sight-seeing trip is a n a d v e n tu re , in w hich m y N u rse a n d m y P e ra m b u la to r are a lm o st as im p o rta n t as " I . ” E n V oiture

(aN

vwa-tiir') 1

E very morning — after m y second breakfast — if the wind and sun are favor­ able, I go out. I should like to go alone, b u t m y will is overborne. M y Nurse is appointed to take me. She is older than I and very powerful. While I w ait for her, resigned, I hear her cheerful steps, always the same. I am w rapped in a vac­ uum of wool, where there are no drafts. A door opens and shuts. I am placed in m y Peram bulator, a strap is buckled over m y stomach, m y Nurse stands firmly behind — and we are off! I t is difficult to tell w h e th e r I , " M y s e lf ,” h av e th e n e x t a d v e n tu re , or w h e th e r it is m y N u rse. A t a n y ra te , we m e e t a P o licem an . W e know he is com ing, for we h e a r th e m a rtia l r h y th m of his s tu rd y step . I t is w ith 1En voiture : in a carriage, or perambulator.

' •!:"! Ti

>re R eveal a Q uality of M ysticism F ou n d in T h is B eau tifu l H indu Shrine

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers

Joh n A ld en Carpenter

The Music of Our Country

27

som e effo rt t h a t I a m ab le finally to d ra w th e a tte n tio n of m y N u rse a w a y fro m th e P o lic em an to " M y s e lf ,” w h ereu p o n th e P o lic em an loses in te re s t a n d w alk s aw ay . T he Policem an O ut is w onderful! I t 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. I t is confusing, b u t it is Life! Por instance, the Policeman — an Unprece­ dented M an ! R ound like a b a ll; taller than m y father. Blue — fearful — fasci­ nating! I feel him before he comes. I see him after he goes. I try to analyze his appeal. I t is not buttons alone, nor belt, nor baton. I suspect it is his eye and the w ay he walks. He is like Doom. M y Nurse feels it, too. She becomes less firm, less powerful. M y peram bulator hurries, hesitates, and stops. They converse. They ask each other questions — some w ith answers, some w ithout. I listen, w ith discretion. W hen I feel th a t they have gone far enough, I signal to m y Nurse, a private signal, and the Policeman resumes his enormous Blue M arch. He is gone, b u t I feel him after he goes. T he H urdy-gurdy Then suddenly there is something else. I think it is a sound. We approach it. M y ear is tickled to excess. I find th a t the absorbing noise comes from a box — something like m y music box, only much larger, and on wheels. A dark m an is turning the music out of the box w ith a handle, ju st as I do w ith mine. A dark lady, richly dressed, turns when the m an gets tired. T hey both smile. I smile too, w ith restraint, for music is the m ost insidious form of noise. And such m usic! So g a y ! I tug a t the strap over m y stomach. I have a wild thought of dancing w ith m y Nurse and m y Peram bulator — all three of us together. Suddenly, at the cli­ m ax of our excitement, I feel the approach of a phenomenon th a t I remember. I t is the Policeman. He has stopped the music. H e has frightened away the dark m an and the lady w ith their music box. He seeks the adm iration of m y Nurse for his act. He walks away, his buttons shine, b u t far off I hear again the forbidden music. Delightful forbidden music ! Dogs We pass on. Probably there is nothing more in the World. If there is, it is superfluous. There is. I t is D o gs! We are coming upon them w ithout warning. N ot one of them — all of them . First, one by one ; then in pairs ; then in societies. Little dogs, w ith sisters; big dogs, w ith aged parents. K ind dogs, brigand dogs, sad dogs, and gay. T hey 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,” fol­ lowed by all the others. I t is trem endous! W h a t ex citin g a d v e n tu re s for " M y s e lf " a n d m y N u rse ! I liked th e D ogs a n d th e H u rd y -g u rd y , b u t I a m a fra id m y N u rse p re ferred th e P o licem an .

28

Making Friends with Music * At Home and Abroad T H E MUSIC

N o t o n ly d o I h a v e th e se ex citin g a d v e n tu re s , b u t I h a v e a' melody also, a th e m e b y w h ich I , " M y s e lf /' a m id e n tifie d ; fo r a fte r all, m 3 a d v e n tu re s re a lly are m u sical. J u s t as I , " M y s e l f / ' a m a p a r t of all th e a d v e n tu re s, so all th e m o v e m e n ts of th e su ite in clu d e th e m elo d y of " M y s e lf /tf H e re I a m : M yself

r-CLr r.

§

M y P e ra m b u la to r is im p o rta n t too, fo r w ith o u t i t I sh o u ld h a v e t< re m a in in th e h o u se all d a y a n d h a v e n o a d v e n tu re s a t all. M y P e ra m b u la to r is a m elo d y also, b u t it is m ore th a n a m elo d y . F oj since its m o v e m e n t ta k e s m e o n m y a d v e n tu re s, its r h y th m is e v e n more n ecessary th a n its m elo d y . H e re it is : P eram bulator

ac M y N u rs e is m u sical to o , b u t h e r m usic is n ev e r so a ttr a c tiv e as w her w e a re w ith th e P o licem an . N urse

sEzp; S tra n g e ly en o u g h , th e P o lic em an is m u sical also, fo r he h a s b o th a them e a n d a r a th e r h e a v y a c c o m p a n im e n t all to him self. Policem an English horn zzzz

orar-ta*

T h e M u s ic o f O u r C o u n tr y

29

N o n e of m y o th e r a d v e n tu re s is to b e co m p ared w ith th e one I h a v e w ith th e H u rd y -g u rd y . I t is sim p ly fu ll of m u sic! M y N u rse , th e P o lic em an , a n d I ea ch h a v e o n ly one m elo d y , b u t th e H u rd y -g u rd y h a s f o u r ! S uch a n u m b e r of m elodies is a lm o st to o m u c h fo r " M y s e lf / ' esp ecially since tw o of th e m , th e first a n d fo u rth , h a v e com e all th e w a y fro m I ta ly to m a k e m y a d v e n tu re m o re ex citin g . T h e second a n d th ir d a re p o p u la r A m erican tu n e s : N o . 2 b ein g " E a s t Side, W est S id e /' a n d N o . 3 " A le x a n d e r's R a g tim e B a n d ." Hurdy-gurdy M elodies NO. 1 p

=

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T his them e m oves more rapidly and is played b y the strings. A fter the first them e has been repeated, the piano m akes its entrance. T H IR D THEM E

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rTrt e r £. r T r Cr r r ■. r» a*

r

1 Copyright 1924 b y Harms Incorporated. Used by permission.

42

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

Once more the first them e is heard, and again it is follow ed b y a passage for the piano, in w hich parts of the third them e are heard. T he fourth them e is the m ost fam ous m elody in the R h a p s o d y . FO U R TH THEM E

dQ_M;-2L-J

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Paul W hitem an has used th is m elody for m an y years as the signature them e for his broadcasts. 1. In contrasting Gershwin's R h a p s o d y i n B l u e w ith Carpenter's A d v e n ­ t u r e s i n a P e r a m b u l a t o r , w hich do you think is the more beautiful, and w h y ? 2. W hich has th e greater hum or? W hy do you think so? 3. W hich has the more interesting rhythm ? 4. Of w hich w ould you becom e tired more quickly?

” Bess, You Is My Woman Now,” from P o r g y a n d B ess G e o r g e G e r s h w in

(1898—1937), Am erican com poser.

[V. R. 546 A

P robably the m ost im portant m usic w hich George Gershwin has com posed is his opera P o r g y a n d B e s s . T his opera is one of his last com positions and it is considered to be the finest of all his works.

^VvVi*,

O u r R o a d - B u ild e r s O p e n U p N e w T e r r it o r y , so O u r A m e r i c a n C o m p o s e r s A r e C r e a tin g M o d e r n C o m p o s it io n s f o r O u r G r e a t e r E n j o y m e n t

Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra

The Music of Our Country

43

T he success of P o r g y a n d B e s s was well earned, for this opera w as the result of nine years of planning, of study, and of work on the part of the composer. T his stu d y included a trip in to South Carolina, where Gershwin lived in close contact w ith people of the exact typ e of those who were to be portrayed in the opera. D uring this southern trip he collected m an y folk bunes, and the opera includes n ot only a portion of the m usic w hich the composer collected there but also m any of the unusual scenes w hich he and die author of the p la y observed. T he opera is based upon a p lay called P o r g y , b y D oroth y and D u Bose Heyward, w hich was produced b y the T heater Guild of N ew York. The story tells of incidents w hich occur in th e lives of a group of N egroes living n South Carolina. The scene is laid in a district called "C atfish R ow ,” in the city of Charles­ ton. A crippled beggar, nam ed Porgy, and " h is w om an,” nam ed B ess, are the central characters. P orgy and B ess are in love w ith each other, b ut nany difficulties interfere w ith their happiness, and m ost of the opera deals vith incidents surrounding these tw o people. P orgy’s rival is a m an nam ed Crown. H ow ever, P orgy is able to win Bess from him b y the fan tastic m ethod of buying a paper w hich divorces Bess from Crown, though th e y never have been m arried! T his costs P orgy >ne dollar and a half. Trouble com es to P orgy, how ever, for he becom es involved in a terrific ight and is sent to jail. W hile he is there, B ess is unable to resist the atentions of a m an nam ed Sporting Life, and goes w ith him to N ew York. The opera ends w ith P orgy's release from jail, after which he sets out or N ew York in pursuit of B ess, riding in the little goat-draw n cart w hich vas his only m eans of travel. T he opera contains m an y h igh ly dram atic scenes, such as a hurricane, h e incident of the buzzard (a bird of ill om en) which flies over the scene it the tim e when P orgy has w on B ess, and the " w a k e ” which is held at the ;nd of the first act. One of the m ost am using scenes in the opera occurs at the beginning of h e second act, when P orgy sings, " I G ot P len ty of N u ttin ',” and the em p ty jhairs on th e stage begin, as if b y m agic, to rock in the exact rhythm of the nusic. "B ess, Y ou is M y W om an N o w ” is a love duet which is sung b y Porgy tnd B ess in the second act, after P orgy has freed her from Crown for a lollar and a half. T he sim ple, direct appeal of this m usic is highly appro­ priate to the sim ple and genuine w ay in which tw o people such as Porgy tnd B ess m ight express their love for each other. It is not so dram atic as )ther parts of the opera, neither is it so characteristic of N egro m usic. I t

44

Making Friends with Music *At Home and Abroad

does have som ething of the q uality of th e " b lu es,” however, and its tunefu m elodies and easy-m oving rhythm s have m ade it w idely popular. T he artists are Lawrence T ib b ett and H elen Jepson.

Scherzo from the Fourth Symphony H a u l M cD o n a l d

(1899-

[V. R. G 566 I

), Am erican composer.

J u st as George G ershwin’s P o r g y a n d B e s s shows us th e influences o N egro m usic in opera, so th is scherzo* (sker'tso) b y H arl M cD on ald reveali the sam e influences in the sym phony.* For M r. M cD on ald has w ritten thii scherzo " in the tem po of a fast cakew alk,” and the cakewalk was a danc< originated b y Am erican N egroes. There is nothing unusual in a sym p h ony’s h aving one m ovem ent basec on dance rhythm s. T he early sym phonies, alm ost tw o centuries ago, in eluded th e m inuet,* w hich w as a popular dance of the period (.P r e l u d e page 71, and P r o g r e s s , page 25). Sym phonies of a later period have m ove m ents based upon w altz rhythm s (P r o g r e s s , page 22) or scherzos, w hich ar< light and often hum orous or dancelike in character. T he Scherzo of H arl M cD on ald ’s F o u r t h S y m p h o n y is gay, high-spirite< m usic w hich is n ot only dancelike b u t has its basis in a dance rhythm , jus as did sim ilar m ovem ents in earlier sym phonies. Concerning this scherzo the com poser has given us th e follow ing state m e n t: The themes of the third movement, "In the Tempo of a Fast Cakewalk,” ar related to the first movement of the symphony. I have chosen the rhythm of th cakewalk as a subject for the conventional Scherzo for several reasons. Chie among these is that although the cakewalk was originated by the American Ne groes, it enjoyed a long popularity in all sections of the country, and seemed t reflect the spirit of gaiety of all our countrymen. The pattern of this dance came to my mind as a part of many scenes associate* in my memory with different sections of the country, many of them varying greatl; as to atmosphere, but all intensely American. Technically the treatment of th rhythmic pattern is free; orchestrally it is boisterous. THE MUSIC Since this m ovem en t is in th e tem po of a liv ely dance, it should be ex p ected th a t rhythm would be its outstanding feature. N either is it surpris ing to find th a t this rhythm is quite syncopated,* for th is effect was on of th e m ost characteristic features of th e dance rh yth m upon w hich thi m ovem en t is based.

The Music o f Our Country-

45

Syncopation is a rhythm ic effect w hich is fam iliar to all of us. W e are accustom ed to it and w e recognize it w hen we hear it, though we m ay not understand w hat it is th a t m akes a rhythm syncopated. I t is really a very sim ple thing, h o w ev er; rhythm s have th e effect of syncopation when th e accents occur at a rhythm ic point different from th at which is u sually accented. 1. W hich beat in a measure is alm ost alw ays accented? 2. If the m eter is 4 /4 , so th at there m ay be tw o accents, where are th ey most lik ely to occur? If these accents are anticipated, so th a t th e y are heard at a point which ls usually w eak, an effect of syncopation will result, especially if the accented bone is held through the beat where it norm ally should occur. Perhaps it will help yo u to understand more fu lly the m eaning of syncopation if you will count or tap th e regular beats w hich give th is m usic its underlying pulse, or m eter, as the record is p la y e d ; then, as th e record continues, listen carefully to discover, how the rhythm ic accents are syncopated over this fundam ental pulse. T he Scherzo opens w ith th is them e.

T he entire orchestra u nites in m aking the m ood very g a y and even ex­ citing. Soon another m elody is heard. SECOND THEM E

W-

T his adds a lighter feeling to the m usic, and a new m elod y is heard ilong w ith it. T H IR D TH EM E

m

g E ftfr r

46

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

These three m elodies m ove in and out, u n til there com es a quieter passage in w hich the low strings and drums p lay fascinating rhythm s while the w oodw inds p lay an interesting m elody. The first, second and third them es heard in the beginning of th e scherzo return, and so we discover th a t just as the dance m ovem ents of earlier sym phonies were w ritten in a three-part form, so th is m odern scherzo is divided in to three sections, th e third being a repetition of the first. In listening to the record, can you id en tify the section w hich is most characteristic of th e cakew alk? W hat instrum ental effects do you hear which suggest th e N egro influence in this m usic ? THE COMPOSER H arl M cD onald was born in C olorad o; but his y o u th was spent in southern California. H e studied m usic in Los Angeles. H is fam ily was m usical, and it w as natural th a t he should choose to follow a musical career. In addition to his a ctivities as a composer, M r. M cD on ald for a tim e was a professor of m usic at the U n iversity of P ennsylvania. H ow ­ ever, he gave up his teaching in order to becom e the business m anager oi the P hiladelphia Sym phony Orchestra. Mr. M cD on ald has w ritten m an y com positions. T hese include a sym ­ phonic fantasy,* en titled M o j a v e , and four sym phonies, the first three being en titled S a n t a F e T r a i l , R h u m b a , and A T r a g i c C y c l e . H is music includes several large choral works, som e chamber m usic,* and a con certo5* for tw o pianos. T his is a large ou tp u t for a com paratively young m an, and it is evident that Mr. M cD on ald is a com poser who is fluent in the expression of his m usical ideas. T he titles of som e of his com positions indicate also that m any of these m usical ideas have had their source in scenes and experiences which are from our own country and are characteristic of it. W hich of the com positions b y Am erican com posers do you considei m ost typ ical of our country? W h y? W hich do you think is th e m ost serious? W hy? Of the various influences w hich have affected Am erican m usic, whicl: do you think is the m ost lik ely to be of perm anent im portance? W h y? W hich of the com positions do you think is the m ost beautiful?

S u ch term s as a b s o l u t e m u s i c and ' p r o g r a m m u s i c are not new to us. Under the heading p r o g r a m m u s i c m ay MUSICAL be listed com positions w hich definitely im itate certain sounds of nature, such as bird songs, th e murm ur of MAGIC the wind, or the rustle of leaves. Under the same heading also m a y com e those pieces of m usic w hich depict some scene or event. In these com positions the composer uses his m usical patterns as v iv id ly as a painter m ixes his colors or a writer form s his sentences. A third kind of com position which also m ay be classified as program m usic m erely suggests an idea or a mood, the actual scene or picture being left to the im agination of the listener. Can you nam e b y title a fam iliar com position w hich can properly be assigned to each of these three classifications?

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice P aul D ukas

[V. r . 7021 a , b

(1865—1935), French com poser. Living in Am erica at the same tim e: T h e o d o r e R o o s e v e l t .

AN ANCIENT FABLE A bout eighteen hundred years ago there lived in the city of A thens a writer nam ed Lucian, w ho w as very fam ous because of his stories. T hey were in the style of dialogues, and the Greeks and R om ans enjoyed them because Lucian had a clever w ay of ridiculing the foolish acts of people. Long years after, G oethe (gu'te), the fam ous Germ an poet, read one of these stories and retold it in the form of a ballad.* T he French composer D ukas (du-ka/), in turn, read the ballad and was inspired to write a m usical version of it under the title of T h e S o r c e r e r 9s A p p r e n t i c e . THE STORY T his story concerns a b o y who was about as lazy as you can imagine anyone could b e; his nam e was E ucrates (u'kra-tez). In stead of going to school for his education, he becam e an apprentice to a m an who was skillful in his particular trade. T his typ e of training was very com m on in the days before young people had the opportunities w hich are offered in th e present school curriculum. T he apprentice agreed to serve his instructor for a certain len gth of tim e in return for the training he received in a particular 47

48

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

art or occupation, and this know ledge w as acquired through work rathei than through stu d y. E ucrates had often w atched his m aster doing strange and unbelievable things. For instance, b y uttering som e curious incantations, or magic words, Pancrates (pan'kra-tez) — for th a t was th e m aster's nam e — could bring to life inanim ate objects such as broom s, buckets, and the like. The object w ould begin to w alk about and act like a hum an being. W onder­ workers such as P ancrates were known as sorcerers or m agicians. Today the m en who work such wonders w ith modern m echanical devices are called inventors and scientists. One d ay the sorcerer Pancrates had to be absent on business, so he left directions w ith his apprentice to take care of his workshop. P robably you have had a sim ilar experience, when you have been left in charge of things at hom e or have been given som e special responsibility. E ucrates was delighted. A t last he would have a chance to use som e of th e m agic words which he had overheard and work a few wonders him self. B ecause he w as lazy, he spent the first part of th e d ay doing nothing. T hen, as th e tim e of his m aster's return w as approaching, he realized that he m u st com plete his tasks, b u t decided to take it easy and call on some m agic to perform his duties. One of his responsibilities w as to fill the buckets w ith water. H e recalled a form ula he had heard Pancrates use, w hich m ade lifeless things spring in to action and ob ey h im ; so he began tc repeat it. H e ordered a broom, which w as standing in th e corner, to begin carrying in som e w ater. A t th e m agic words, th e broom becam e transform ed in to a th ing of action and proceeded to go to the brook near b y and fill up th e pails and buckets. E ucrates w as overjoyed as he saw his regular tasks performed b y som eone else, b u t his delight was of short duration. E v en after all th e receptacles were full to th e brim, th e broom k ep t on bringing w ater and more w ater. T o his dism ay, th e b oy had forgotten the countercharm , th e m agic word w hich would turn th e servant back in to a broom. E ucrates tried cu ttin g the broom in tw o, b u t he w as filled w ith con­ sternation w hen b oth pieces of the broom jum ped up and began to carry water. N o w there w as " water, w ater everyw here,'' a regular flood, and still th e apprentice could n ot think of th e necessary word to return the broom to its corner. In his alarm he called, ''M aster, M a ste r !” Ere long he heard the footstep s of th e returning m agician. As Pancrates approached, the b o y confessed th at he had com m anded th e broom to bring in the w ater and th a t he had then been unable to stop th e th ing w hich he had begun.

Musical Magic

49

T he old sorcerer spoke th e necessary word, and th e broom dropped the pail and returned to its place in th e corner. T he apprentice, hoping to escape punishm ent, slipped a w a y ; and the ancient fable states th a t the sorcerer also disappeared and w as never seen again. D u k as called th is com position an " orchestral scherzo.” D o es th e story indicate th a t th is is an appropriate title? THE MUSIC D ukas im m ediately gives an idea of m ystery in his introduction. T he m uted strings and peculiar chord effects foretell th at som ething unusual is going to happen. A lm ost im m ed iately w e hear the clarinet p layin g this th e m e : IN TR O D U C T O R Y TH EM E A s s a i len to

T he oboe and flute take it up, b u t th e them e seem s very short. T he speed increases, and the excitem en t becom es m ore intense. A fter th e in­ troduction has ended abruptly w ith som e sharp chords, th e low instrum ents p lay a single chord, then a succession of three chords, u n til a real hopping m otion is established. I t seem s as though th e m usic were tellin g us th a t the broom clum sily took one step, th en took three steps, and finally began to thum p its w ay about in rather awkward fashion. T he entrance of the principal m elody, played b y th e bassoon, indicates th a t the broom is at work, hopping from th e house to the brook and back again. T his principal m elod y begins as fo llo w s: PR IN C IPA L M ELODY Vivace

m i

m§

£

g iP 5

i

E v id en tly th e com poser w ished to prepare us for this im portant m elody, because the first four m easures h ave th e sam e pattern as the them e w hich w as used in the introduction.

50

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

T he principal m elody, or som e portion of it, appears again and again throughout the scherzo, played first b y one instrum ent and th en b y another. A s the broom trots back and forth th e m usic m oves faster and faster. R apid ascending passages in th e strings, as well as a m arked increase in volum e, suggest the rising of the w ater as the buckets overflow. T he consternation of E ucrates is evid en t in the agitated m ovem en t of the instrum ents, until there is an abrupt stop. There seem s to be a m om ent of hesitation , then a return of the fum bling m otion w hich we heard when the broom cam e to life. T he principal m elody appears, played b y the bas­ soon ; b ut this tim e it is answered b y clarinets w hich follow w ith th e sam e m elod y a few beats behind as if to let u s know th a t b oth h alves of th e broom are at work. From now on there is great com m otion. T he brasses rush back and forth in a sort of frenzy. W ho know s b u t th ey represent the halves of the broom stick, w ith their w ater p a ils ! T he strings and w ood w inds rival each other in brilliant runs up and down, u ntil the sorcerer's return is announced b y a loud b last from the brasses, w ith trills on the w ood-w ind instrum ents and a trem olo of the strings. A ll is quiet now as the violins are heard playing the m ysterious m usic of the introduction. Some say th a t th is passage suggests th e disappoint­ m en t of th e sorcerer over the acts of the lazy apprentice. A t any rate, the restless confusion seem s to be all over ; b ut just as we becom e quiet and the scherzo is about to close, the orchestra w akes us up w ith a sudden start b y strongly playing a little phrase : ^

l >

l t

r

' ' V ffc-'" V

T ' P

7

"

T he broom flies to its corner, the sorcerer disappears, and th e m usical story is over. A fter hearing this m usic, can you sta te th e individual characteristics of som e of the instrum ents w hich are used and w h y th ey are appropriate ? Y ou have had quite a little experience in listening to m usic w hich is full of fun and expresses humor. Can you recall som e particular com position and com pare it w ith T h e S o r c e r e r 9s A p p r e n t i c e as to th e w ay in w hich the com poser has used his them es ? H ow im portant are changes in tem po and volum e in a descriptive com ­ position like th is? W ould you say th at th is m usic is more descriptive than n arrative? G ive m usical reasons for your answers.

Musical Magic

51

PAUL DUKAS T his com poser w as a real Parisian, French to his finger tips. From his earliest years he w as extrem ely interested in m usic. On reaching th e age of conscription he w as m uch disturbed when m ilitary service interrupted his stu d y. H e found a soldier’s life little to his liking, b u t m anaged in his spare m om ents to stu d y the scores of th e great m asters and so acquire a little know ledge of com position. A s soon as he left th e arm y he plunged in to m usic. D eb u ssy (you recall his "C lair de L un e,” in P r o g r e s s ) w as a firm friend of D ukas, and both had the sam e care for details and pride in their work. Years later, as an old m an in his studio, D u k as told how D eb u ssy w ould prefer to go w ithout food rather than to give th e world a com position th a t did not satisfy him. D u k as had a sim ilar pride in his published w o r k s; b ut he carried his feelings so far th a t, although he continued to w rite, he refused to have his com positions printed after reaching his early forties. In fact he burned up a great m an y of them . T his is one reason w h y th e num ber of his pub­ lished works is so sm all. H e w as a delightful m an, this French m u sicia n ; and he had a horror of attachin g im portance to him self. H is words were alw ays carefully chosen, and he had an unusual m ixture of w it and good faith. H e could judge people at a glance, n ot m issing any of their traits, strong or w e a k ; and he could quickly sense their foolish or ridiculous tendencies. Perhaps th a t is th e reason w h y th is old fable b y Lucian, who possessed a similar gift, appealed to him . C ertain it is th a t when T h e S o r c e r e r 9s A p p r e n t i c e w as first played, its success w as im m ediate. It had a tru ly French w it and charm. In it D ukas expressed his delight in m ovem ent and anim ated rhythm , and th e reputa­ tion of th e you ng com poser w as m ade.

I n P r o g r e s s , page 70, there is an explanation of the term c h a m b e r m u s i c . C om positions w ritten for a FAMOUS sm all num ber of players, w hich can be performed MELODIES effectively in a sm all room, com e under this classifi­ cation. FROM B u t c h a m b e r m u s i c has still another m eaning. I t applies to th e form in w hich these com positions are CYCLE w ritten. W hen reference is m ade to a ''string FORMS q u a rtet” b y som e composer, it indicates n ot only th a t the com position is to be played b y four stringed instrum ents, b u t th at it has a certain num ber of m ovem ents bearing a definite relation to each other (although each m ove­ m en t m ay be com plete in itself) ; also th at the first of these m ovem ents is u sually in sonata form { P r o g r e s s , page 37). Som e string quartets use a term of expression for th e title of each m ovem en t. Others suggest the m ood of the m usic w ith a nam e w hich is appropriate and has to be specially selected. In one respect th e m usic for a string quartet probably resem bles th at for a vocal quartet more th an an y other ty p e of instrum ental co m p o sitio n : all four players are of equal im portance. W e can m ake the follow ing com p arison : Soprano Violin I Alto Violin II Tenor Viola Baritone Cello W e have already had som e experience in hearing som e short m ovem ents from string quartets. Can you recall an y of the im pressions you received from this kind of m usical com position?

Third Movement from String Quartet No. 2 A l e x a n d e r B o r o d in

[V. R. G 565 A, B (1834-1887), R ussian com poser. Living in America at the same tim e: M a r k T w a i n

T his is the third m ovem en t of th e String Q uartet in D M ajor, of which th e second m ovem en t is discussed on pages 74—76 of P r o g r e s s . Borodin (bo-ro-din') dedicated th is quartet to his w ife. I t is natural to suppose th a t she inspired him to w rite it. She to o w as a m usician and an excellent 52

Famous Melodies from Cycle Forms

53

pianist. T he tw o m et in H eidelberg, th e u n iversity c ity on th e R hine. T h ey had m an y ta stes in com m on and their marriage w as a very h ap p y one. The m ovem en t opens w ith a lyric m elody played in th e upper register* of the cello. F IR S T M ELODY A n d a n te

T his certainly has th e sm ooth-flow ing and lyric q u ality of a song and it needs no words to suggest its vocal possibilities. T he entire m elody, w ith accom panim ent, is given on page 80 of T r e a s u r e of T h e W o r l d o f M u s i c , T he second violin and viola p lay a soft syn cop ated * accom panim ent. T hen the cello p lays th e m elod y once more, w ith som e changes in the final measures. T he first violin sings th e sam e m elod y on a m uch higher p itch, which gives th e m usic an alm ost unreal quality. In fact th is m elod y is very poetic and seem s to express a tender sentim ent w hich w e som etim es m ay feel b u t w hich we seem unable to p u t into words. D uring th is passage in w hich th e first violin tak es up th e m elody, the second violin and cello p la y sustained notes while the viola spins in and out w ith a little counterthem e.* A new m elod y appears. I t is a vigorous tune and resolutely clim bs up the steps of a long scale, on ly to end in a short figure (at letter A ) th a t is repeated in sequence* all th e w ay down the scale till it reaches th e pitch at w hich this second m elod y began. T hen it starts all over again to ascend. SECO ND M ELODY A ppassxona to e r is o lu to

I

i T his is m arked

a p p a s s io n a to e r is o lu to

* while the first m elod y w as marked

.* After listening to th is m usic, sta te the effect of such term s on the inter­ pretation. T he second m elod y brings a new m ood into the m usic, one w hich differs com pletely from th e quiet calm of th e first m elody. W hat are the factors th a t cause th is change in m ood ? T em po ? General line of the m elod y? V olum e? R ange of p itch ? a n d a n te c a n ta h ile e e s p r e s s iv o

54

Making Friends with. Music • At Home and Abroad

T h e second violin enters w ith th e rapid scale passage of th e second m elody, and it seem s as though this instrum ent were tryin g to catch up w ith th e first violin. B u t it all harm onizes, and b oth instrum ents keep on their graceful w ay, now up, now down, until at length th e first m elod y returns. THE CANON Som ething very interesting happens now. E veryb od y know s w hat a round is — how one voice starts a m elody and, w hen th e second phrase * begins, another voice enters singing the first phrase of th e sam e m elody, and so on. Such a treatm ent in m usic is a strict form of w hat is called "coun ter­ p o in t.” * In P r e l u d e , page 90, there is a description of this style of writing. One of th e form s of m usic w ritten in contrapuntal style is called " can on .” T his m eans th a t there are tw o or three voices taking part. One voice gives out th e m elod y and th is m elod y is im itated b y a second voice and m aybe a third. T he im itation m u st be exact and accurate. A round is a sim ple form of canon for voices. In th is m ovem en t, to which th e composer gave the title " N o ctu rn e,” Borodin brings back th e first m elody in th e style of a canon. T he m elody is first played b y th e cello and then echoed in canon b y th e first violin. Later it is played again b y the first violin and echoed in canon b y th e second violin. T he inner voices provide a graceful rhythm ic m otion. Off and on, the rising m o tive* of the second m elody adds a shim m ering effect, and occasionally it is possible to hear som e p izzicato* notes which contribute to th e delicacy of the effect. A s the m ovem en t concludes, w ith a m oderately long coda,* B orodin once more directs our atten tion to the opening m easures of th e first m elody, and the com position ends w ith pianissim o* chords. T he title of th is m usic, " N o ctu rn e,” m eans, literally, a " n ig h t piece.” T he word is associated w ith a dream y, pensive, or reflective m ood. Is th is an appropriate title, or can you suggest a b etter one? D o you think th a t the effect of a " n igh t p ie c e ” could be produced as w ell if this com position were arranged to be played b y an orchestra? T his is probably th e m ost popular of all th e com positions w ritten b y Borodin. Can you give an y reasons for its popularity?

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THE COMPOSER " I liv e,” wrote B orodin, " o n a steep and lo fty m ountain w hose base is w ashed b y the Volga. A nd for a long distance I can follow th e w indings of th e river through th e blue of im m easurable d istance.” T his dream y blue of distance crept in to m any of B orodin's com positions. It has th e hazy color th a t lingers on th e R ussian steppes. P oets as w ell as com posers have p ut this dream y longing in to their verses. One of th e great R ussian writers was Pushkin, who wrote the follow ing p o e m : Song of Georgia Sing no more, m y lovely child, Those plaintive airs of Georgia, For they invoke the old life And joyous days on the green river banks. Also, those songs, languorous and sad, Awake in me dreams of the steppe, Those nights bathed in moonlight, And the faces of forgotten maidens. G eorgia was a southern province of the former R ussian Em pire, and it was B orodin's n ative country. H is ancestors came from one of th e old kingdom s of the C aucasus. In P r e l u d e we had tw o interesting C a u c a s i a n S k e t c h e s b y Ip p olitov-Ivan ov. C an y o u recall an ything about these com positions ? T hese ancestors of Borodin claim ed descent from K in g D a v id of B ible tim es, and their coat of arms had on it a harp and a sling. In th is w ay th e gift of m usic m ay have descended to B orodin from the author of the Psalm s of D avid . T he fact th a t G eorgia is so near to th e E a st accounts for th e strong O riental flavor in m an y of B orodin's com positions. Some of these Oriental characteristics are evid en t in th e repetitions, the lingering m on oton y of the phrases, the abundant use of ornam entation,* and the syncopated effects in the rhythm ic patterns of the accom panim ent. T his ” N o ctu r n e” illustrates the typ ical Slavic tem peram ent, dream y, sensitive, and em otional. T he m usic of Borodin, however, presents a strange paradox (or contradiction), for its Oriental quality and its N ear-E astern atm osphere, or feeling, are expressed in a m anner w hich is more typical of W estern Europe than of th e E ast. For exam ple, the treatm ent of a them e in th e form of a canon, such as we have heard in th is selection, is frequently found in W estern E uropean m usic, b ut is seldom heard of in O riental m usic.

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Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

First Movement from Symphony in B Minor F ranz S chubert

[V. R. 14117 A, B (1797-1828), Germ an com poser. Living in America at the same tim e: E l i W h i t n e y .

A FAMOUS MELODY Probably no other sym phonic m usic is so w ell known as th e second them e * from the first m ovem ent of this S y m p h o n y i n B m i n o r , b y the great writer of m elodies Franz Schubert { P r e l u d e , page 99). T his m elod y has been carried far and wide over th e radio or wherever orchestras play. AN UNUSUAL TITLE T he S y m p h o n y i n B m i n o r is usually called the "U nfinished Sym phony." H ow m an y m ovem ents does a sym p h ony usually have ? T his one b y Franz Schubert contains on ly tw o com plete m ovem ents. W hen th e m anuscript of th is m usic was discovered, m any years after the death of Schubert, in addition to th e first tw o m ovem ents there were som e m easures sketched out for a third. Schubert was alw ays com posing and had a habit of p u ttin g aw ay his m anuscripts, locking them up in a drawer in a cupboard. B ecause he wrote so m uch, perhaps it is no wonder th at he forgot all about som e of his pieces. B u t although th e title "U nfin ish ed " has been given to this work, cer­ ta in ly there is nothing unfinished about these tw o m ovem ents. E ach one of th em follow s th e classical* form, and the m elodic con tent leaves noth­ ing to be desired. In fact there seem s to be no need of additional m aterial to place this "U nfinished S ym p h on y" in th e realm of pure b eau ty. THE FORM Y ou m ay recall th a t th e first m ovem ent of a sym phony is usually in s o n a t a form { P r o g r e s s , page 37). T h at is, th e m aterial is arranged accord­ ing to a certain pattern. T he follow ing diagram will refresh your m e m o r y : A section, usually short, sometimes entirely absent, preceding and leading up to the statement of the principal themes. E x p o s i t i o n . A statement of the two principal themes or groups of themes, with a connecting passage between them which is called a bridge passage. This section is brought to a definite close in different ways. The composer is free to follow his own wish. In tr o d u c tio n .

57

Famous Melodies from Cycle Forms D e v e lo p m e n t.

The two themes are presented in varied forms, sometimes in com­ bination, sometimes singly. There is no restriction placed on the inventive writing of the composer, and he may use his skill and imagination in as many ways as please him. R e c a p i t u l a t i o n . The two principal themes are restated as in the exposition. C o d a . A section which provides a suitable climax to the entire movement. THE MUSIC

T he first m ovem en t of the U n f i n i s h e d S y m p h o n y follow s the plan of sonata form. I t opens w ith an introduction. T he m elody, softly played b y the cellos and basses, seem s som ew hat m ysterious. It needs no accom pani­ m ent to strengthen its sincere beauty. IN TR O D U C TO R Y TH EM E A lle g r o m o d e ra to

T he violins enter w ith a curious, shim m ering p attern which later be­ com es an accom panim ent. H ere are tw o m easures of i t : a l—a l------------- L

pp

9

W

—jJ Mt—a r

9

9

-m | P

i

-m

T he first them e is played b y the oboe and clarinet against these trem u­ lous tones of the strings. F IR S T TH EM E

piugjiri1 ir i P T he sm ooth flow of th is m elody is interrupted b y a sforzando* chord, and th en th e m elod y is repeated. D uring this repetition other instrum ents are added, and we can hear a num ber of little m elodic figures.* T he m usic gains in power and builds up to a stirring clim ax as the in­ strum ents p la y a m odulation * from the m inor k ey w ith w hich th e m ovem ent opened to a m ajor k ey for th e second them e. T his fam ous m elody is played b y th e cellos. I t appears on page 93 of A d v e n t u r e in T h e W o r l d o f M u s i c .

Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

58

SECOND THEM E

p

jT

____ fK__

T he violins very so ftly repeat this m elody on a higher pitch. Som e em ­ phatic chords break in upon this lyric tune, and then Schubert uses the figure of th e third m easure in this second them e as a central idea for w hat appears to be a developm ent.* alternates

T his m elodic fig u re:

betw een high and low strings. T hen the exposition ends w ith sustained chords in th e wood winds w hich are punctuated b y descending pizzicato notes played b y th e strings. THE DEVELOPMENT T his section opens w ith th e th em e of the introduction, w hich is given on page 57. A t first there is no accom panim ent. Violins and bassoons im itate th e them e. W ind instrum ents help to build up th e dram atic effect of the m usic as it m oves faster and faster. E v en tu a lly we hear th e rhythm ic pattern of the accom panim ent for the second m elody, b ut the m elod y itself does not return. Instead th e entire orchestra u nites to p lay the m elod y of th e introduction, and th en various instrum ents take it up. After a brilliant clim ax th e m usic decreases in volum e, and this section ends in alm ost a plain tive m ood. RECAPITULATION T his section opens w ith th e violins preparing th e w ay for th e first m elody, just as th ey did in the beginning of th is m ovem ent (see page 57). T he m usic of the exposition is repeated. T he only im portant change is in th e k ey of the second m elody. N o w it is given in the same k ey as th a t of the first m elody.

Tiflis Was a F am iliar City to Borodin.

Photographs by H ugo Miller

?his M e t h o d o f T r a n s p o r t a t io n i n G e o r g ia I s Q u it e D i f f e r e n t f r o m M o d e r n T r u c k in g

Famous Melodies from Cycle Forms

59

CODA T his begins w ith th e m elod y of the introduction, and th e treatm en t of it is similar to th a t w hich we heard in th e developm ent section. The m ovem ent ends w ith a few fortissim o* chords. W hat can you say about th e contrasts betw een th e different m elodies of this first m ovem ent of th e U n f i n i s h e d S y m p h o n y ? A fter hearing th is m usic can you explain th e relative im portance of the introductory them e to th e other tw o them es? Schubert has been called th e "father of m elod y,” a "lyric p o et,” ' "w riter of rom antic m elodies.” D oes this m usic ju stify an y of these titles, in your opinion? E ach one of these tw o com positions, th e " N o c tu r n e ” b y Borodin and the first m ovem ent of the S y m p h o n y i n B m i n o r b y Schubert, is a u n it in a larger and longer com position. Y et each has an independent popularity and is often perform ed as an individual m usical number. Can you, after hearing th e m usic, give an y reasons for th is? If you have a preference for either of these com positions, can you tell w h y one appeals to you m ore than th e other? FRANZ SCHUBERT T hough Schubert w as poor in possessions he was rich in friends. There was alw ays som e p oet or m usician who was glad to share his room w ith the composer. A t one tim e he lived w ith a p oet b y the nam e of M ayrhofer, and th e tw o were an am using pair. M ayrhofer w as grim and sour, w hile Schubert was alw ays sunny, cheerful, and noisy. The tw o would sit at th e ends of a long table w ith their m anuscripts before them . M ayrhofer w ould grunt under his breath as he w r o te ; and, needless to say, his poem s were alw ays of a gloom y sort. Schubert w ould hum to drown out the noises th a t M ayrhofer made. So th ey would drudge aw ay until dinnertim e, after w hich th e y would take a walk. T w o of Schubert's d evoted friends in V ienna were the brothers H iitten brenner, and th ey in turn were great friends of B eeth oven . T h ey took Schubert to v isit this great m aster and tried in every w ay to m ake Schubert's works know n to th e public. T h ey were successful in having him m ade an honorary m em ber of a fam ous m usical society, and in return for this com plim ent Schubert began to com pose his Sym phony in B M inor.

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Making Friends with Music • At Home and Abroad

A s y o u know , he com pleted the first (Allegro) and second (A ndante m ovem ents and a few m easures of the Scherzo. B u t he never heard an; of it played. For a long tim e after Schubert died, one of th e H iittenbrenne brothers tried to get the S ociety of Friends of M usic sufficiently interested in this sym p h on y to publish it. Adter m any, m an y years, one of the directors of th e S ociety dropped i] to see A nselm H iittenbrenner. " H a v e you an ything b y Schubert w hich i new and w hich I m igh t have perform ed? ” he asked. From a m ass of yellow papers th e old m an pulled out the U n f i n i s h e i S y m p h o n y . T he director took it aw ay, and it was performed in Vienni in 1865, near th e close of our C ivil W ar. Schubert com posed sim ply for the pleasure of writing. N o th in g seeme< to stop th e flow of his inspiration, n ot even illness, for several of his song were created in a hospital. H e w as undaunted b y his failure to have hi com positions published. D uring his brief life of thirty-one years, he createc songs and instrum ental com positions w hich are know n th e world over.

4 DANCES CLASSICAL AND DRAMATIC

T h r o u g h m a n y o p p o r tu n itie s o f h ea rin g m u sic w e h a v e b e c o m e fa m ilia r w ith th e m o d e rn su ite an d k n o w it t o b e a series o f m u sic a l p ie c e s ; e a c h of th e m m a y b e c o m p le te in its e lf, b u t ta k e n to g e th e r th e s e p ie c e s m a k e o n e en tire c o m p o sitio n w ith a cen tra l id e a r u n n in g th r o u g h th e w h o le .

In fact, the m odern suite m ay be regarded as a m usical narrative, and th e separate m ovem en ts as chapters ( P r e l u d e , page 41). In th e days w hen m usic w as created on more formal lines, th e suite jonsisted of a series of dances ( P r e l u d e , page 50). E ach of these dances lad a nam e, and th e com poser could arrange th em in any order he pleased )o produce the b est effect. U su ally these dances were all in th e sam e key, tnd alm ost alw ays there w as a prelude to prepare th e audience for the lances them selves.

Suite in B Minor

[V. R. 6915 a , b

(1685-1750), Germ an com poser. Living in America at the same tim e: B e n j a m i n F r a n k l i n .

J o h a n n S e b a s t ia n B a c h

T his S u i t e i n B m i n o r is one of th e four suites w hich B ach (baK) com )osed during th e years 1717—1723, w hen he w as conductor of th e private >rchestra of Prince Leopold in C othen (kti'ten), in central G erm any. Y oung Prince Leopold w as extrem ely fond of m usic. H e him self played several different instrum ents and had a fine bass voice. Cham ber m usic* vas his favorite recreation, and it w as during his m usical evenings th a t h ese suites b y B ach were first performed. B ach, however, did n ot call them suites. H e called th em Overtures. 3e com posed four of these O vertures, and each one had a prelude* as the >pening m ovem ent. In th is presentation of the S u i t e i n B M i n o r , however, h e first m ovem ent, or Prelude, has been om itted. INSTRUMENTS AND DANCES T he S u i t e i n B M i n o r is w ritten for th e flute and strings. I t brings :>ack to our m em ories th a t old-world court, w ith its grace and elegance. Mter the Overture, w hich is om itted in th is performance, the dances follow jach other in th is o rd er: 1. Rondeau (rftn'do). This name is frequently given to a simple French dance jailed a "circle dance.” It is light and cheerful; and the principal melody returns ifter each new melody, in the manner of a refrain. 61

Making Friends with Music *At Home and Abroad

62

2. Sarabande (sar'a-band). This is a stately dance from Spain, in triple measure. Originally it was danced to the music of a guitar. 3. Bourr£e (boo-ra/) I and Bourr^e II. This dance came from an old province in France. I t is in 2 /4 or 4 /4 measure, and is carefree and almost reckless. For­ merly it w as danced by peasants in short skirts, and the third beat was often stamped w ith hobnailed shoes. 4. Polonaise (po-lo-naz') w ith Double. This dance originated in Poland. I t is stately, and so was often used at court to open some festivity. The measure sig­ nature is usually 3/4, and the tempo is th a t of a dignified march. An interesting feature of the polonaise was th a t in this dance the man was required to give up his partner as soon as another claimed her. For whenever another gentleman bowed to a lady and clapped his hands in her direction, the lady’s partner was obliged to give her up and there was a change of partners. From this it m ay be seen th a t the "Polonaise” m ay possibly have provided the origin of the modern practice of " cutting in.” The word "d o u b le ” designates a contrasting passage or variation. We shall discover the kind of variation when we hear the music. 5. M inuet. This was a famous dance originating in France, and it still is popu­ lar there. I t has been a favorite form w ith composers for a long period of years. I t has an atmosphere of aristocratic elegance and grace. 6. Badinerie (ba/de'n’re'). This means a joke or jest, and the motion is merry and lively. TH E MUSIC Rondeau

T his m ovem en t is in duple measure, and the rhythm ic pattern is very sim ilar to th a t for a gavotte. T he first or principal them e begins as follow s : F IR ST TH EM E A lle g r o

*

P

m

B ecause of the m ovem ent of th e other instrum ents it seem s as though the p attern of the m elody were like this :

*

u p

T he second section of the " R o n d ea u ” begins w ith this them e : SECOND THEM E

Dances Classical and Dramatic

63

T he first them e returns, and there seem s to be another section in w hich portions of the first them e are heard. T he m ovem ent ends w ith a statem en t of the first them e. Sarah ande

B eginning on the third and last b eat of the m easure, this dance opens w ith the flute p laying this them e : F IR S T THEM E

mP

A n d a n te

£

i

T he cello follow s alm ost im m ediately, playin g the same m elody, thus form ing a canon. T his dance is in tw o sections. A t the conclusion of th e first section the flute again introduces the m elod y for th e second section. I t is quite similar to th e first them e, and once more the cello answers it. B oarree I and Bourree II

T hese tw o " B o u r s e s ” are in the sam e key. A lively m elody played b y the flute and th e first violin opens the dance. F IR ST THEM E A lle g r o

8r i f Nt r ej

r |»[•ri i r nJ |»

U nderneath, th e lower strings play a stubborn little figure over and over.

-TULr

F igure

A fter a repetition of th e first them e, th e second section opens w ith this m elody : SECOND THEM E

tcrrr'T if A ll the while the bass persists in calling our atten tion to the figure already m entioned. A repetition of the second them e brings "B ourree I ” to a close.

64

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u s ic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

T h e seco n d " B ourr£e ” is v e ry s h o rt, a n d th e flu te assum es m o re im p o r­ ta n c e . T h e m usic is now in th e m a jo r m ode (th e first " B o u r r 6 e ” w as ii th e m in o r) ; th e re are tw o d is tin c t sections, each of w hich is re p e a te d , anc th e th e m e s are v e ry sim ilar to th o se u sed in " B o u rr^e I . ” A t th e conclusion of " B o u rr6 e I I , ” " B o u rr^ e I ” is h e a rd again, this tim e w ith o u t a n y re p e a ts. I t is ea sy to see t h a t th ese tw o d an ces are a r­ ra n g e d in th re e -p a rt song form ,* for th is m o v e m e n t of th e S u ite in B m inoi inclu d es B o u rr6 e I B ourr£e I I B ourr6e I. P olonaise

T h is d an ce does n o t h a v e th e b rillian ce of th e m o v em en ts w hich have p reced ed it. T h e first th e m e is giv en o u t b y th e flute a n d first violin. F IR S T THEM E M oderaio

cjLfKcjr'uw

m

i

i

S

T h is first sectio n of th e " P o lo n a is e ” seem s to consist of tw o definite p a r ts , a lth o u g h th e re is n o t m u c h c o n tra s t in th e m elodic m a te ria l. E a c h of th ese p a r ts is re p e a te d . T h e " D o u b le ,” w h ich follow s, allow s a n o p p o rtu n ity fo r a m ore v aried p erfo rm an ce . T h e first th e m e is p la y e d b y th e b ass w hile th e flu te plays a n o rn a m e n ta l m elo d y ab o v e it. T h is h a s th e effect of a v a ria tio n and w as a sty le m u c h u sed b y e a rly w rite rs, for i t p ro v id e d a m ean s of le n g th e n ­ in g th e ir com positions. A lth o u g h th e sam e th e m e could be used over an d o v er ag ain , th e v a ria tio n s in th ese re p e titio n s p re v e n te d m o n o to n y . M inuet

T h is m o v e m e n t is v e ry s h o rt a n d seem s to h a v e a vig o r n o t u su ally fo u n d in th is g racefu l a n d c o u rtly d an c e. I t opens w ith th is th e m e :

yn

irrr

fa- ir ^ - r r r « r r ft

T h e p a tte r n of th e first tw o m easu res is h e a rd th ro u g h o u t th is m o v e­ m e n t ; fo r ev en th o u g h th e m elo d y m a y v a ry , th e rh y th m ic figure co n tin u es o n a n d on. j

D a n c e s C la ssic a l a n d D r a m a tic

65

B adinerie

T h e title p re d ic ts a jo lly m ood, a n d th e m usic does n o t d is a p p o in t us. T h e flu te a n d v io lin are v e ry im p o rta n t in th is la s t m o v e m e n t, w hich begins w ith th is m e lo d y : A lleg r o ________Figure A

^

tSt |

j*

I

«c£JLT ICj•

T h e figure in d ic a te d b y A a p p e a rs in d iffe ren t voices, m o v in g in a n d o u t in a ro g u ish s o rt of w ay. T h e e n tire s u ite expresses a g racefu l c o u rte sy a n d ch a rm , a n d th e re is a n a ir of d istin c tio n in th e m o v e m e n ts as th e y succeed ea ch o th e r. A ll th ese d an ces are w ritte n in th e sam e k ey , a n d i t seem s a s th o u g h th e sam en ess of to n a lity w o u ld m ak e th is m u sic m o n o to n o u s. Y e t th e re­ verse is tru e . D o y o u th in k th e re is su fficient c o n tra s t to m a k e th e se d ifferen t dances e n jo y a b le ? W h a t m e a n s d id B a c h u se to hold th e in te re s t th ro u g h o u t th e s u ite ? H o w do th e se o ld -tim e d an ces co m p are w ith th e m o d e rn ones w hich are used to d a y ? A re th e re a n y p o in ts of sim ila rity ? A s we h a v e liste n ed to a large a n d v a rie d n u m b e r of com positions, we h av e n o tic e d t h a t d an ce rh y th m s h a v e alw ay s b ee n p o p u la r w ith com posers, even in m u sic fo r co n c ert p erfo rm an ce. 1. C a n y o u give a n y re a so n fo r th is ? 2. D o y o u th in k th e re w as as m u ch v a r ie ty in th e dances a n d dance rh y th m s of B a c h 's tim e as th e re is to d a y ? JO H A N N SE B A ST IA N B A C H

I n P relude, som e c h a ra c te ristic s of th is g re a t com poser, fre q u e n tly called th e f a th e r of m o d e rn m u sic,” are given on p ages 93 a n d 125. F o r m a n y g en e ra tio n s th e B ach fa m ily h a d b e e n m usical. F a th e r, g ra n d fa th e r, a n d u n cles h a d all been to w n m u sician s a n d o rg an ists, so it was as n a tu r a l fo r J o h a n n S e b a stia n to tu r n o u t th e se d an c e tu n e s as to w rite his ow n n am e. L ik e m a n y of th ese m a s te r com posers, B a c h d id n o t h a v e m u ch m o n e y ; a n d h e h a d a larg e fa m ily to feed a n d clothe. H e w ro te m a n y ch arm in g tu n e s fo r his ch ild ren , a n d i t is said t h a t h e w ro te one of his su ites especially

66

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

fo r his wife, w ho w as a v o cal a n d in s tru m e n ta l a r tis t. She u sed to h elp h e r fam o u s h u s b a n d b y w ritin g o u t th e different p a r ts of his ch u rch c a n ta ta s.* I n sp ite of th e fa c t t h a t m o n ey cam e h a rd a n d he h a d to teac h , p la y th e organ, an d a tte n d to th e services in fo u r churches, as w ell as com pose, in o rd e r to e a rn a m eag er living, B a c h w as u su a lly h a p p y a n d his hom e w as cheerful a n d c o n te n te d . T h ro u g h o u t his b u sy life he w as alw ays k in d ly a n d dignified. H e w as sincere in his w o rk a n d n ev e r conceited a b o u t it. L ittle d id he d re a m t h a t in th e tw e n tie th c e n tu ry he w ould be h ailed as one of th e g re a te st com ­ posers w ho h a d ev er lived, so g re a t t h a t he m a y be classed w ith su ch a u ­ th o rs a n d a rtis ts as S h ak esp eare, M ilto n , G o eth e a n d M ichelangelo. TH E PERFORM ERS

T h is reco rd w as m a d e b y th e C hicago S y m p h o n y O rc h e stra u n d e r th e d irec tio n of F re d e ric k S tock. M r. S tock is k n o w n th ro u g h o u t A m erica as a n able m u sician , a n d he h a s alw ays used his influence to p ro m o te th e b e st m usic. H e w rites : I t has often been claimed th a t listening to symphonic music is in itself an art. Be th a t as it may, I have always held th a t the intelligent appreciation of good and great music is a cultivated endeavor, something into which we have to grow, something we have to foster and nourish until we begin to feel th a t music divides itself into two distinctly different classifications : one th a t serves as an entertain­ m ent and the other kind which moves our soul and lifts us into spheres a t once sublime and unworldly. We learn also to know th a t not all great music is beautiful, just as much beauti­ ful music is not always great music. The recording of fine music has done a very marvelous w ork in helping tow ards a more intelligent appreciation of all th a t is fine and great in the a rt of sound and tone. I t has also established a closer and more intelligent relation between performer and listener through a better under­ standing of the ideas set forth by the composer. All of our institutions of learning, from university down to the grade schools, are more and more realizing the compelling and vitalizing force of music as a divine power, one of the greatest blessings ever bestowed upon mankind.

I n m a n y co m p o sitio n s to w hich we h av e listen ed we h av e discovered t h a t folk m usic h as p la y e d a n im p o rta n t p a r t in th e a r t p ro d u c tio n of d ifferen t n a tio n s. S o m etim es th is folk m usic is a p u re expression of som e n a tio n a l idiom . I n o th e r cases it reflects th e influence of a n o th e r race or co u n try . In th e b a lle t m usic w hich we are now to h ear, th e influence of th e N e a r E a s t is clearly e v id e n t, a n d th e re is a stro n g O rie n ta l flavor.

D a n c e s C la ssic a l a n d D r a m a tic

Ballet Music A l e x a n d e r B o r o d in

fro m

Prince Igor

67 [Y . r . 9474 a , b

(1 8 3 4 -1 8 8 7 ), R u ssia n com poser. L ivin g in A m e ric a a t the same tim e: M a r k T w a i n .

STORY OF TH E OPERA

B o ro d in fo u n d th e id ea fo r his lib re tto * in a n old R u ssia n legend. N o t only w as it a n in sp irin g th em e for a p a trio tic R u ssia n com poser, b u t it also offered m arv elo u s o p p o rtu n itie s fo r c o n tra s tin g O rie n ta l color* a n d R u ssia n sty le. In th e pro lo g u e of th e o p era th e people are b id d in g farew ell to P rin ce Ig o r a n d his soldiers, w ho are a b o u t to s ta r t on an ex p e d itio n a g a in st th e P o lo v tz i (p o 'lo v -tsi), a b a rb a ric trib e from th e E a s t w ho in v a d e d R u ssia in th e tw e lfth c e n tu ry . H e leaves his wife b e h in d , a n d d u rin g th e first a c t she learn s t h a t P rin ce Ig o r h a s b een c a p tu re d a n d t h a t his a rm y h as b een d efeated . T h e scene for th e second a c t is th e cam p of th e P o lo v tz i. T h e ch ieftain , a d m irin g th e s p irit of Ig o r, offers h im ev e ry h o s p ita lity . I n fa c t he prom ises to give Ig o r his freed o m a n d a safe r e tu r n to his people if he will cease fro m w ar. Of course Ig o r refuses. T hese dan ces a n d th e ch o ru s occur n e a r th e close of th e second a c t, w hen th e P o lo v tz i ce le b rate th e ir triu m p h over th e R u ssia n s. Slaves, b ea rin g m u sical in s tru m e n ts , are o rd e red to d ance fo r P rin c e Ig o r's e n te rta in m e n t. T h e c h iefta in h o p es b y th is m ean s to a lte r P rin c e Ig o r's decision a n d w in h im as a frie n d to his people. T h e re m a in d e r of th e s to ry h as no b e a rin g on th e m usic of th ese dances, b u t it m a y be re la te d t h a t P rin c e Ig o r e v e n tu a lly m ak es his escape, is re u n ite d w ith his w ife, a n d th e o p era en d s w ith g re a t rejoicing. TH E MUSIC

T h e c u rta in rises o n a p ic tu re sq u e scene. D o m e-sh a p ed h u ts, grouped a b o u t a n open space, reflect th e glow fro m th e cam p fires. A d u sk y haze obscures th e o u tlin es of th e d is ta n t hills. W om en in gorgeous colors m o v e g racefu lly a b o u t. T h e w arrio rs, th e ir faces sm eared w ith m u d a n d soot, w ear m o ttle d co a ts a n d b rillia n tly strip e d tro u sers. T h e in tro d u c tio n is like a m o u rn fu l c h a n t w hich w eaves in a n d o u t in th e w ood w inds. A s tro n g ly rh y th m ic ac co m p an im e n t p ro v id es th e b a c k ­ ground a n d p re p a re s th e w a y fo r th e first dance. A g ro u p of slav e m aid en s file in, sw aying to a slow m elo d y p la y e d b y th e oboe a n d su n g b y a ch o ru s of so pranos.

68

M a k in g F rie n d s w ith M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b ro a d D ance of th e Slave M aidens P o co e s p r e s siv o

m I t is a c co m p an ied b y p izzicato strin g s a n d a h a rp . T h e rh y th m ic p a tte r n w hich o ccu rred in th e in tro d u c tio n still p ersists. T h e first g ro u p of slave m aid en s sink to th e g ro u n d , a n d a n o th e r g ro u p co n tin u e th e d an ce. T h e y flu tte r th e ir flam e-colored veils, a n d a ch o ru s of alto s sing th is m e lo d y :

I

%

S u d d en ly th e r a th e r lazy atm o sp h ere of th is O rie n ta l d an ce changes. A new k ey u sh ers in th e " D a n c e of th e W ild M e n /77 A lle g r o v iv o

N o w th e m usic seem s a lm o st p rim itiv e , w ith its fierce, vigorous rh y th m . T h e m elo d y p la y e d b y th e clarin e t is w ild indeed. B e n e a th i t is h e a rd a n o th e r m elo d y t h a t is eq u a lly savage. I t begins as follow s :

^

=

r \ i

i i -----

T h e ta ll, virile figure of th e chief d ash es in to th e c e n te r of th e open space, a n d w h irls a n d leap s h ig h in th e a ir w ith dazzlin g speed, as a b a rb a ric , e x u lta n t ex p ression of triu m p h a n d stre n g th . H is m en , in sp ired b y th is ex h ib itio n , a d v a n ce as th o u g h in p u rs u it of th e ir e n e m y a n d leap a b o u t in th e " D a n c e of th e A rc h e rs." T h e d ru m s ta p o u t a n ew rh y th m ic p a t t e r n : J14

4

a n d th e ch o ru s c h a n ts a fierce w a r song. T h is p assag e is m o re en erg etic th a n lyric ; b u t th e violence dies d ow n fo r a q u ie t m id d le sectio n , in w hich th e strin g s p la y th e m elody. T a k e n b y itself, th is m elo d y is n o t u n u s u a l; b u t th e su rg in g rh y th m ic p a tte r n in th e

D a n c e s C la ssic a l a n d D r a m a tic

69

ac co m p an im e n t, co m b in ed w ith v a rie d h arm o n ies, m ak es th is sec tio n v e ry a ttra c tiv e . H ere are a few m easu res of th e m elo d y a n d th e a c c o m p a n im e n t: A lle g r o

£

*

...... T J

I

P tfj

J= £

U -s ;

i s i

f=

T“

j

Iqj

f

f

T h e first p a r t of th is d an ce re tu rn s , w ith all its i n te n s i ty ; b u t a fte r a w h irlin g clim ax i t en d s q u ie tly , w ith a re m in d e r of th e m id d le' sectio n . A change in rh y th m a n n o u n c e s t h a t a new dan ce is beginning. A fte r a r a th e r im p o rta n t scale figure of fo u r n o te s p la y e d b y bassoons a n d cellos : P r e s to ^

y . . y. ..1— ^ --- y —y 1^1 y . y

/ - -y

7

th e oboes give o u t a n u n u s u a l little tu n e : P r e s to

jp W e can alm o st h e a r th e w ild s h o u ts of th e d an cers as th e sav ag e y o u th s leap in th e air, clap p in g th e ir h a n d s to th e rh y th m of th e m usic or s ta m p in g on th e g ro u n d in h o m ag e to th e ir P o lo v tz ia n chief. L ow voices com e in w ith a p o w erfu l rh y th m ic m elody, as th e violins an d w ood w inds w h irl a n d sp in in a fren zy . T h e m elo d y begins th is w ay : J .

b J -

n

T h e n th e slave m aid en s r e tu r n w ith th e ir d a n c e ; a n d a fte r th e y finish, th e y o u n g m en b o u n d in to th e ir p rim itiv e d an ce again. T h e re s t of th e w arrio rs, in clu d in g th e chief, stirre d b y th e p rim itiv e ,

70

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith. M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

w arlike ex c item en t, circle a b o u t w ith m a d b u t m e a su re d step s. T h e w hole scene becom es a seeth in g tu m u lt, w hirling u p to a d ra m a tic ending. W h a t are th e s p e c ta c u la r fe a tu re s of th ese d an ces fro m P rince Igor ? A re th e re s trik in g illu stra tio n s of R u ssia n c h a ra c te ristic s ? If y o u w ere n o t a c q u a in te d w ith th e o p era sto ry , could you, a fte r h e a rin g th e m usic, su g g est a c e n tra l id ea for th is b a lle t a n d o u tlin e som e of th e d e ta ils ? C a n y o u n am e som e of th e o u ts ta n d in g differences b etw e en th ese b a lle t d an ces a n d th e d an ces in th e B a c h S uite in B m in o r? W e h a v e liste n ed to a n d ta lk e d a b o u t a m o v e m e n t fro m B o ro d in 's S trin g Q u a rte t N o. 2 (page 52). W h a t are som e n o ta b le c o n tra s ts in th e co m p o ser's sty le of w ritin g in th ese tw o co m p o sitio n s? TH E COMPOSER OF PRIN CE IGOR

Som e fa c ts a b o u t th is com poser are given on page 55. B o ro d in w as th irty -s ix y e a rs old w h en he b eg a n to w ork on his o p era P rince Igor. H e trie d to live in th e a tm o sp h e re a n d ev en in th e language of th e tw e lfth c e n tu ry . H is m usic b eg a n to reflect th is n a tio n a l feeling as he re a d poem s a n d songs a n d collected folk tu n e s a n d d an ces of c e n tra l A sia. B u t he fin ally becam e disco uraged. H e fo u n d it difficult to w ork on his o p era b ecau se of his m a n y in te re sts. H e w as a n e x p e rt sc ie n tist a n d w as p ro fesso r of org an ic c h e m istry a t th e A cad em y of M edicine. H is la b o ra to ry w as op en to th e s tu d e n ts , a n d he w as so k in d to th e m t h a t th e y flocked to h im in droves. A t tim e s th e re w ere so m a n y in his house t h a t th e y slep t on sofas or ev en on th e floor. A fte r a few y ea rs, his frien d R im sk y -K o rsa k o v (rim 'sk e k o r'sa-k o f) said t h a t if B o ro d in w ould co m p lete th e scores of th ese P o lo v tz ia n D an c es he w o u ld a rra n g e to h av e th e m p erfo rm ed . B u t in o rd er to co m p lete these d an ces in tim e fo r th e co n cert B o ro d in 's frien d s h a d to com e to his rescue, a n d th e final scores w ere finished a t a n all-n ig h t session. R im sk y -K o rsa k o v tells of it in his b o o k e n title d M y M u sic a l L ife . The day of the concert was near and the situation most serious. He (Borodin) brought the unfinished scores to m y house; and he, Liadof, and I worked far into the night. To save time we wrote in pencil. Borodin then dashed the sheets w ith liquid gelatine so th a t the pencil should not rub off, and hung them on lines to dry.

T h ese w ild e a s te rn d an ces w ere in s ta n tly recognized as g enuine R u ssia n m usic. T h is m usic h a s b een a rra n g e d as a b a lle t in d e p e n d e n t of th e o p e r a ; a n d w hen it is u sed in th is w ay th e choruses of th e o p era are o m itte d .

wife of th e g re a t com poser R o b e rt S c h u m a n n (sh o o 'm a n ), k e p t a d ia ry . I n F O L K L IK E M a y , 1841, she w ro te, " Y e s te rd a y R o b e rt b eg an a n o th e r sy m p h o n y . I h av e h e a rd n o th in g a b o u t TUNES it, y e t I see R o b e rt's ex c item en t a n d h e a r th e D IN m in o r w ild ly fro m a d is ta n c e ." O n S e p te m b e r 13, w hich w as C la ra 's b irth d a y , S Y M P H O N IC R o b e rt p re se n te d his wife w ith a com plete score S E T T IN G of th e F o u r th S y m p h o n y . I t re a lly is his second sy m p h o n y fro m th e s ta n d p o in t of th e tim e w h en it w as com posed, for he w ro te it th e sam e y e a r t h a t he com posed his F irs t S y m p h o n y . T h is w as th e first y e a r of his m a rria g e , a n d S c h u m a n n 's g re a t h ap p in ess in his ro m an ce in sp ired h im to w rite as n ev e r before. T h e re aso n t h a t it is co m m o n ly called S y m p h o n y N o. 4 in s te a d of S y m ­ p h o n y N o . 2 can be fo u n d in th e fa c t t h a t S ch u m an n h a d p ra c tic a lly no know ledge of th e tech n ica l side of th e o rc h e stra a n d so he h a d to re w rite m u c h of his o rc h e stra tio n , im p ro v in g th e sectio n s fo r w ind in stru m e n ts. So th e rev ised v ersio n w as n o t p u b lish e d u n til som e y e a rs la te r, a n d th e sy m p h o n y ta k e s its n u m b e r fro m th e re v ise d v ersio n r a th e r th a n fro m th e original. C lara

Schum ann,

S eco n d M o v e m e n t fr o m S y m p h o n y N o . 4 R obert S chum ann

[V. R . G 5 4 7 A

(1 8 1 0 -1 8 5 6 ), G erm an com poser. L ivin g in A m e ric a a t the sam e tim e : A b r a h a m L i n c o l n .

T h e title " R o m a n z a " h a s been given to th e second m o v e m e n t of th is sy m p h o n y . T h e m usic is like a te n d e r poem , glow ing w ith r a d ia n t h ap p in ess. T h e re is so m eth in g v e ry to u c h in g a b o u t it, a n d th e m usical p h ra se s express th e em o tio n al c o n te n t ev en m ore v iv id ly th a n w ords. I t is a n excellent ex am p le of th e fa c t t h a t m o v e m e n ts fro m sy m p h o n ies can be p erso n a l a n d ap p e alin g . TH E MUSIC

T h e w ood w inds p la y a n in tro d u c to ry chord. W h en S c h u m a n n rev ised his score, he in d ic a te d t h a t he d esired th e e n tire sy m p h o n y to be p la y e d w ith ­ o u t in te rru p tio n b etw een th e m o v em en ts. So th e F re n c h h o rn s, bassoons, a n d cla rin e ts p la y a ch o rd w h ich co n n ects th e concluding h a rm o n y of th e first m o v e m e n t w ith th e b eg in n in g h a rm o n y of th e second. 71

72

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u s ic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

A p la in tiv e m elo d y follow s th is ch o rd . T h e oboe a n d cellos p la y i t a n d th e a c c o m p a n im e n t is p ro v id e d b y th e strin g s, p la y in g p izzicato. S c h u m a n n a t one tim e co n sidered u sin g a g u ita r fo r th e ac co m p an im e n t. B u t th e p izzicato strin g s give a sim ilar effect. F IR S T M E L O D Y E sp ressivo

P I t is said t h a t S ch u m an n a t one tim e h e a rd th is m elo d y in P ro v en ce. I t h a s m a n y c h a ra c te ristic s of th e folk song. A t th e e n d of th e m elo d y th e violas a n d cellos p la y a few m easu res w hich lead in to a d re a m y , flow ing m elo d y t h a t begins as follow s : SE C O N D M E L O D Y

rnf

I f y o u ev e r h a v e a n o p p o rtu n ity to h e a r th e e n tire sy m p h o n y , y o u will recognize th is th e m e in th e in tro d u c tio n of th e first m o v em en t. T h e w ood w inds a d d th e ir color a n d v o lu m e w h en th is m elo d y is re p e a te d . T h e low strin g s h av e a co u n term e lo d y w h ich a d d s to th e in te re s t. I t begins like t h i s : &

m

T h e m u sic grow s so fter a n d softer, a n d th e n th e second m elo d y re tu rn s . T h e m o o d changes as a n e la b o ra te solo for th e first violin u sh ers in a new section, w h ich is in th e m a jo r m ode. A lth o u g h th is new sectio n seem s to be in tw o p a rts , th e second p a r t is v e ry m u c h like th e first. H ere are th e op en in g m e a s u r e s :

p dolce

F o lk lik e T u n e s in S y m p h o n ic S e ttin g

73

A s h o rt solo b y th e flu te ends th is sectio n a n d leads d ire c tly in to a r e tu r n of th e first m elo d y , o n ly th is tim e th e p itc h is a little higher. S tra n g e ly eno u g h , th is m o v em en t, w hich b eg an in th e m in o r m ode, en d s on a m a jo r ch o rd in p re p a ra tio n fo r th e n e x t m o v em en t, w hich th e com poser in te n d e d to follow im m e d ia tely , w ith o u t in te rru p tio n . S eco n d M o v em en t fr o m S y m p h o n y N o .

3

[V. R. G 547 b

H e re w e h a v e a scherzo fro m a n o th e r sy m p h o n y b y S ch u m an n . Since we h a v e fo u n d t h a t S y m p h o n y N o. 4 w as re a lly th e second, th is th ird sy m p h o n y is th e la st of S c h u m a n n 's sy m p h o n ic com positions. N in e y e a rs a fte r w ritin g S y m p h o n y N o . 4, S ch u m an n w en t to D usseld o rf (d iis'el-d o rf), a b e a u tifu l c ity on th e rig h t b a n k of th e R h in e. H e be­ cam e steep e d in th e legends a n d th e scen ery of th is fam ous G erm an riv er. H e h e a rd th e p e a sa n ts singing in its v in e y a r d s ; he v isite d its h isto ric castles. H e w ished to express th e b e a u ty of th e lovely R h in e c o u n try a n d his affection fo r R h e n ish scenes a n d R h e n ish life. T h e re su lt w as th is S y m p h o n y N o . 3, w hich is u su a lly called th e " R h e n is h " o r " R h i n e " S y m p h o n y . T h e second m o v e m e n t is called a " S c h e rz o ." I t is a good d eal like an a n c ie n t b a lla d of th e R h in e , w ith a stro n g p o etic q u a lity . I n it we can dis­ cover th e sp irit of th o se songs w hich p e a s a n ts sing on th e hills ab o v e th e riv er. A lth o u g h we h a v e u su a lly asso ciated th e w o rd scherzo* w ith th e th ird m o v e m e n t of a sy m p h o n y , th e re is no fixed ru le t h a t it m u st be th e th ird . I t is p u re ly a m a tte r of th e ta s te of th e com poser. H ow ever, it is u sed as th e th ir d m o v e m e n t m o re fre q u e n tly th a n as th e second. TH E MUSIC T h e first th e m e is p la y e d b y th e cellos, a n d is a m odified version of a rollick in g G e rm a n song. F IR S T T H E M E M olto m oderato

w

P e rh a p s S c h u m a n n w ished to suggest som e p a trio tic im pulse, b u t he m a rk e d th e te m p o molto m oderato* a n d th e m u sic h a s th e sam e rh y th m as a L a n d ler (len d 'ler). T h is w as a d an ce v e ry p o p u la r in th e c o u n try dis-

74

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u s ic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

tric ts of G e rm a n y a n d A u stria . I t w as a n an c esto r of th e w altz, a n d u su ­ ally w as ch a ra c te riz e d b y a slow tem p o . T h ere are a ru stic lilt a n d a carefree sw ing to th is m elo d y w hich m ak e an in s ta n ta n e o u s ap p eal. B ecause it is in th e fam iliar G erm an folk-song style, i t seem s like an old frien d , ev en on th e v e ry first h earin g . C an y o u recall som e G e rm a n folk songs a n d s ta te som e of th e ir m usical fe atu res w h ich are e v id e n t in th is m u sic? I n th e ac c o m p a n im e n t we find th e ty p ic a l rh y th m for a slow w altz ; t h a t is, a n ac cen ted first b e a t in th e b ass follow ed b y tw o chords on th e second a n d th ir d b e a ts. T h e high strin g s a n d flute seem to an sw er th e first m elody, b u t th e y still m a in ta in th e sam e sty le a n d rh y th m ic p a tte rn . T h e second m elo d y is n o t so singable a n d lyric. I t is m ore in s tru m e n ta l a n d h as th e lig h t, p la y fu l m ood of a scherzo. SE C O N D T H E M E t >

■r m

« >

_S -:

f^ 1

• m

i a ,-'S w m

_.

_ m

r f f l

T h is th em e scam p ers fro m one re g iste r* to a n o th e r, am o n g strin g s a n d w ood w inds. A t th e en d of ea ch p h ra se th e brasses h av e a little rh y th m ic flourish. T h e first, songlike th e m e is h e a rd once m ore in th e cellos, a n d joins th e second th e m e to en d th is section of th e m o v em en t. T h e m ellow to n es of th e F re n c h h o rn s p la y th e m elo d y of th e trio * section. I t b eg in s w ith th e follow ing p h ra se : M E L O D Y O F T H E T R IO

1J ^

1

r r lt

T h e u p p e r strin g s a d d a lig h t to u c h , a n d we can h e a r suggestions of th e seco n d th e m e of th e first section. U n d e rn e a th , th e cellos a n d basses seem to s ta y on a low p e d a l p o in t.* T h e first th e m e of th e m o v e m e n t re tu rn s. A lth o u g h th e re are some a d d itio n s a n d th e v o lu m e is stro n g er, it is easily recognized. T h e trio sectio n closes w ith th e sam e F re n c h -h o rn m elo d y w ith w hich it began.

James Sawders

Everybody E njoys D ancing!

This is a Country D ance in Finland

German Railroads Information Office

Germans L ike to D ance T h eir Tunes as W ell as Sing T hem

T he M ain Thoroughfare in an A rabian City

F o lk lik e T u n e s in S y m p h o n ic S e ttin g

75

A g ain we h e a r th e first th e m e of th is m o v e m e n t in its o rig in al form . I t b u ild s u p to a clim ax. G ra d u a lly , th e n , th e v ario u s in s tru m e n ts becom e q u ie te r a n d d isap p ea r, a n d th is scherzo en d s w ith som e d elig h tfu l p izzicato to n e s fro m th e strin g s. 1. A fte r h ea rin g th e second m o v e m e n t fro m ea ch of th e tw o d ifferen t sym p h o n ies, w h a t can y o u sa y a b o u t th e ir unlik en ess o r sim ila rity in m elodic ex p ressio n ? 2. D o y o u th in k S ch u m an n w as sk illfu l in u sin g v a rie d m elodies w ith in th e sam e m o v e m e n t? In fo rm a tio n h as b een g iv en as to th e p u rp o se of th e com poser in w ritin g th e se tw o sy m phonies. 1. H a s he b een e q u a lly successful in c a rry in g o u t his in te n tio n s in b o th cases ? 2. H a v e y o u a p referen ce fo r th e m usic of one o r th e o th e r of th ese m o v e m e n ts ? 3. W h a t m u sical fe a tu re s influence y o u r choice? RO BERT SCHUMANN T H E MAN I n all m usic h is to ry th e re is no m o re b e a u tifu l re la tio n sh ip re co rd ed th a n t h a t of R o b e rt a n d C la ra S ch u m an n . H e r d e v o tio n to h im a n d to his creativ e gen iu s h a d m u ch to do w ith th e c h a rm a n d b e a u ty of his com positions. F o r R o b e rt S ch u m an n h a d a g en tle a n d p o etic n a tu re . W h e n he a n d C la ra W ieck, an acco m p lish ed p ia n is t a n d com poser, w ere m a rrie d in 1840 th e y m a d e th e ir ho m e in L eipsic. B u t th e b rillia n t m u sical so ciety of th is c ity w as n o t su ite d to th e te m p e ra m e n t of R o b e rt S ch u m an n . W h a t w ith com posing, w ritin g a b o u t m usic, m a k in g co n cert to u rs, a n d a tte n d in g a c o n s ta n t ro u n d of m u sical ev e n ts, i t is no w o n d er t h a t his p h y sician ad v ised h im to m o v e to a q u ie te r place. A lth o u g h h e w as o ften w e a ry a n d ill, his su p p ly of m u sical ideas n e v e r seem ed to dim inish. H e com posed as he w alk ed or sto o d still. N o th in g seem ed to d is tu rb him . H e could c re a te a lo v ely song ( " K e n n s t d u d as L a n d ” ) w hile a n o isy g ro u p of ch ild ren p la y e d gam es n e a r b y . H e could sit in a r e s ta u r a n t w ith his b a c k to th e co m p an y , w histle so ftly to him self, a n d all th e w hile w o rk o u t th e m u sical id eas w hich cam e in to his m in d . S ch u m an n w as a v e ry sen sitiv e m a n w ho ta lk e d little . H e w as ex­ tre m e ly reserv ed , a n d w as h a p p ie s t w h en w ith his fam ily. H e w as alw ays h elp fu l to y o u n g m u sician s, a n d en c o u rag ed th e m if he saw t h a t th e y h a d ta le n t.

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I t w as S c h u m a n n w ho, as e d ito r of a m u sical m ag azin e, b ro u g h t C h o p in (sh o 'p aN '), th e g re a t com poser of p ia n o m usic, to th e n o tice of G e rm a n y . I t w as S c h u m a n n , also, w ho recognized th e m u sical genius of B ra h m s a n d in tro d u c e d h im to th e m u sical w orld. R o b e rt S c h u m a n n w as a ta ll m a n of s ta te ly b earin g . H is expressive face, w ith d eep m e lan ch o ly eyes, b o re th e m a rk s of a s p irit easily u p se t. I n sp ite of th e fa c t t h a t he liv ed o n ly fo rty -six y ea rs, he h a s le ft a ric h m u sical h e rita g e fo r th o se w ho com e to know his m usic.

P e r h a p s th e co rrect title fo r th is p ro g ra m w ould b e

A R A B IA N N IG H T S ’ M U S IC

" A M u sical F a n ta s ia .” T h e w o rd fa n ta sia m ean s a m u sical com position in w h ich th e com poser uses a good d eal of freed o m in expression a n d is n o t re ­ s tric te d to c e rta in e sta b lish e d form s. P ieces w hich p ro p e rly com e u n d e r th is h e a d in g are fanciful, a n d a p p e a l stro n g ly to th e im a g in a tio n . Scheherazade [V. R. 8698, 8699, 8700, 8701, 8702, 8703 (1 8 4 4 -1 9 0 8 ), R u ssia n com poser. L ivin g in A m erica at the sam e tim e : A l e x a n d e r G r a h a m B e l l .

N ic h o l a s R im s k y - K o r s a k o v

L iste n in g to th e m usic of th is sy m p h o n ic su ite * is like looking a t a b rillia n tly illu s tra te d e d itio n of th e A ra b ia n N ig h ts , fo r it w as in th ese fa sc in a tin g ta le s t h a t R im sk y -K o rsa k o v fo u n d his in s p ira tio n for th is m usic. T h ro u g h h is ra re co m b in atio n s of m elody, h a rm o n y , a n d rh y th m , colored b y in s tru m e n ta l effects t h a t reflect th e a tm o sp h e re of th e E a s t, we m a y experience fa n ta s tic a d v e n tu re , com edy, a n d ro m an c e as w e proceed from one m o v e m e n t to a n o th e r. I n his verses on A ra b ia , th e E n g lish p o e t W a lte r d e la M a re h a s w r i t t e n : Sweet is the music of Arabia In m y heart, when out of dreams I still in the thin clear m irk of dawn Descry her gliding stream s; H ear her strange lutes on the green banks Ring loud with grief and delight Of the dim-silked, dark-haired musicians In the brooding silence of night. A lth o u g h th is is n o t A ra b ia n m usic, it h a s a d is tin c t A ra b ia n flavor. I t is n o t n ecessarily d e sc rip tiv e m usic. I n fa c t, it is m ore suggestive th a n de­ scrip tiv e. B u t som e fa m ilia rity w ith th e s to ry m a y serve as a guide in in ­ te rp re tin g th e m ean in g of th e m usic. T H E ORIGIN OF T H E TALES OF TH E A R A B IA N N IG H T S S h a h riy a r (s h a r'ri-y a r), th e s u lta n (or king) of th e In d ie s, w as e x a sp e ra te d becau se he th o u g h t all w om en w ere false a n d faith less. So he resolved to w ed a new s u lta n a e v e ry ev en in g a n d p u t h er to d e a th th e n e x t m orning. 77

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

N a tu r a lly th e re w as no g re a t h ap p in ess in becom ing th e su lta n a . A t le n g th th e d a u g h te r of th e v izier (vi-zer') (a g o v e rn m e n t m in is te r or coun­ cilor), S ch eh erazad e (s h e -h a 'ra -z a 'd e ), offered herself. B u t she w as cleverer th a n m o st w om en. She b eg a n tellin g sto ries to S h a h riy a r, b u t she n ev e r q u ite co m p leted th e m . B ecau se of his c u rio sity as to th e e n d of th e tales, th e S u lta n p u t off h e r ex ecu tio n d a y a fte r d ay . I n fa c t, S ch eh erazad e con­ tin u e d h e r sto ry te llin g fo r one th o u sa n d a n d one n i g h t s ; a n d e v e n tu a lly th e S u lta n g av e u p his b lo o d th irs ty p lan . S ch eh erazad e e v id e n tly w as well a c q u a in te d w ith folklore a n d verse. A dd to th is h e r v iv id im a g in a tio n , an d i t is n o w o n d er t h a t th e S u lta n w as fa sc in a te d w ith h e r sto ries. MUSIC OF THIS SUITE R im sk y -K o rsa k o v u n d o u b te d ly re a d m a n y of th ese ta le s a n d th e n selected som e w h ich m ig h t serv e as th e b a c k g ro u n d for his m usic. H e g ro u p e d th ese in c id e n ts u n d e r th e follow ing title s in his su ite : F ir s t M o v e m e n t: T h e Sea a n d S in d b a d ’s Ship. S econd M o v e m e n t: T h e S to ry of th e K a la n d e r P rin ce. T h ird M o v e m e n t: T h e Y o u n g P rin ce a n d th e Y o u n g P rin cess. F o u r th M o v e m e n t: F e s tiv a l a t B a g d a d . T h e Sea. T h e sh ip goes to pieces on a ro c k s u rm o u n te d b y th e bronze figure of a w arrio r. C onclusion. T h is is m u sic fo r th e im a g in a tio n . " T h e S e a ” is n o t one t h a t y o u can find in g eo g rap h y books, like th e A tla n tic O cean or th e Pacific O cean. R a th e r is i t one t h a t h a s b een p ic tu re d to u s in sto ry or p a in tin g ; so th e m usic fo r " T h e S e a ” n a tu ra lly lead s us in to th e re a lm of fan cy . R im sk y K o rsa k o v p re fe rre d to h av e people receive im pressions of th e ir ow n fro m th e m usic a n d h a v e th e in c id e n ts of th e sto ry serve o n ly as a guide. T H E SEA AND SINDBAD’S SH IP I n th e o rig in al ta le S in d b a d w as a m e rc h a n t of B a g d a d w ho a c q u ired g re a t w e a lth b y m ean s of m erch an d ise. H e w e n t on seven voyages. F irst voyage. T h e sh ip w as b ecalm ed in th e In d ia n O cean, so S in d b a d a n d his crew v isite d w h a t th e y th o u g h t w as a n islan d . B u t i t tu rn e d o u t to be a w hale. T h e y b u ilt a fire, th e h e a t w oke th e w hale, a n d it d iv ed in to th e w a te r ; S in d b a d w as p ick ed o u t of th e w a te r b y a m e rc h a n t ship. Second voyage. S in d b a d v isite d a d e se rt islan d . H e d iscovered a huge egg " f if ty p aces in circu m feren ce,” an d th e n w en t to sleep u n d e r a tree . H e w as d ism ay ed , u p o n w ak in g, to see his sh ip a n d crew sailing aw a y w ith ­

A r a b ia n N ig h ts ’ M u sic

79

o u t him . N a tu r a lly , S in d b a d w as eager to g e t a w a y fro m th is lonely islan d ; so he fa ste n e d him self to th e claw of a roc, th e fa b u lo u s b ird of A ra b ia w hich w as su p p o sed to be larg e en o u g h to c a rry a n e le p h a n t in its claw s. T h e roc flew to T h e V alley of D ia m o n d s, w here S in d b ad u n tie d him self. M e rc h a n ts w ould th ro w in to th is v a lle y hu g e pieces of m e a t, to w h ich th e d iam o n d s w ould stick . E ag les w ould sw oop dow n a n d c a rry off th e m e a t to th e ir n ests fo r food, b u t th e m e rc h a n ts w ould scare th e b ird s a w a y a n d ta k e th e d iam o n d s. I t w as im possible to clim b o u t of th is v a l le y ; so S in d b ad fa ste n e d him self to a piece of m e a t, w as carried o u t of th e v a lle y b y a n eagle, w as rescu ed b y th e m e rc h a n ts, a n d re tu rn e d hom e la d e n w ith p recious stones. T h ird voyage. H is vessel w as d riv e n b y a te m p e st to a n islan d w h ich w as in h a b ite d b y a g ia n t w ith one eye in th e m iddle of his fo reh ead . T h e g ia n t b eg an to e a t th e crew a n d c o n tin u e d for th re e n ig h ts. S in d b a d p u t o u t th e eye of th e g ia n t a n d escap ed w ith tw o of his crew . F ourth voyage. H is wife d i e d ; a n d , as w as th e cu sto m , he w as b u rie d alive w ith h er b o d y . H e w o rked his w ay o u t of th e c a ta c o m b a n d g ained g re a t riches b y ro b b in g th e bodies w h ich w ere e n to m b e d th e re . F ifth voyage. H is sh ip w as w reck ed b y huge sto n es d ro p p e d fro m th e claw s of tw o a n g ry rocs. H e sw am to a d e se rt islan d a n d killed th e " O ld M a n of th e S ea.” S ix th voyage. S in d b a d v isite d th e islan d of C eylon a n d clim bed to th e to p of th e m o u n ta in " w h e re A d a m w as p laced w hen he w as d riv e n o u t of P a ra d is e .” Seventh voyage. S in d b a d w as sold in to sla v e ry a n d w as em p lo y ed in sh o o tin g e le p h a n ts w ith a bow a n d arro w s fro m a p o sitio n u p in a tre e . H e d isco v ered a t r a c t of hill c o u n try co m p letely covered b y e le p h a n ts ’ tu sk s, a n d o b ta in e d his lib e rty b y co m m u n icatin g th is d isco v ery to his m a s te r. T H E MUSIC T h e first m o v e m e n t of Scheherazade opens w ith a s h o rt m elo d y in w hich th e tro m b o n es a t t r a c t special a tte n tio n , a lth o u g h th e strin g s a n d clarin ets are p re se n t. I t m o v es as follow s : F IR S T T H E M E —

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

80

I t is m a rk e d largo e maestoso,* a n d th e b re a d th of its m o tio n su g g ests th e im m e n sity of th e sea, a lth o u g h som e liste n ers m a y feel t h a t th is th e m e sym bolizes th e S u lta n a n d his g rim p u rp o se. A second th e m e , w ritte n fo r violin solo, is s u p p o rte d b y th e h a rp , w hich p la y s so ft ch o rd s u n d e rn e a th . Scheherazade w

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T h e co m poser h a s s ta te d t h a t th is is th e th e m e to be asso cia te d w ith S ch eh erazad e h erself as she tells h e r w o n d ro u s ta le s to th e s te rn S u lta n . I t is lig h t a n d g racefu l, ju s t as m usic sym b o lizin g su ch a ch a rm in g p e rso n o u g h t to be. T h e m a in p a r t of th is first m o v em en t, or first c h a p te r in o u r sto ry , now follow s. T h e m e a su re changes to 6 /4 , w hich suggests th e u n d u la tin g m o v e­ m e n t w h ich we co m m o n ly asso ciate w ith th e sea. A rpeggios, * as th e y rise a n d fall, give a sense of th e w a v e s ; w hile ab o v e th e m we h e a r, as a w hole or in p a r t, th e th e m e w ith w h ich th is m o v e m e n t opened. B eg in n in g on a low p itc h , th e m usic g ra d u a lly rises ; th e v o lu m e increases ; a n d , w h en th e clim ax is reach ed , o th e r in s tru m e n ts ta k e u p th e th em e. A gain th e re is a s te a d y crescendo,* a n d th e clim ax th is tim e lead s to a new m elo d y (or, r a th e r, a p h ra se of d e ta c h e d chords) p la y e d b y th e w ood w ind. T h is p h ra se w ill b e h e a rd in o th e r m o v em en ts. H e re are tw o m easu res of i t : CHORD PH RASE Tran q u ill o X ft ~ gy 4 ? .

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A r a b ia n N ig h ts ’ M u s ic

81

T h is m a y call u p a n im age of th e ship. I t c e rta in ly h as a ro c k in g m o tio n like t h a t of a sh ip u p o n th e w aves. F ro m now on we h e a r a skillful w eaving to g e th e r of th ese v a rio u s th em es a n d m o tiv e s ab o v e th e co n tin u o u s w av e m o tio n in th e low er in stru m e n ts. T h e y are to ssed a b o u t, a n d are a lte rn a te ly ta k e n first b y strin g s, th e n in differen t k ey s b y w ood w inds a n d o th e r in s tru m e n ts ; now v e ry softly, th e n w ith a defin ite crescendo re ach in g a v igorous clim ax. I t m ig h t lessen o u r sa tisfa c tio n w ith th e m usic if we trie d to an aly ze in d e ta il th e tr e a tm e n t of th ese v ario u s m o tiv es. B u t if we know how th e y so u n d it is ea sy to recognize th e ir m a n y e n tra n c e s. F o r exam ple, n e a r th e e n d of th e m o v e m e n t, a fte r th e re h a s b e e n a n e la b o ra tio n of th e th e m e for S ch eh erazad e, th e low b rasses d eclare th e first th em e. I t is ta k e n u p b y o th e r in s tr u m e n ts ; a n d ju s t as we b eg in to feel t h a t th e re is a tu r b u le n t sea, e v e ry th in g becom es calm . T h e w ood w inds p la y th e th ir d th e m e q u ietly , th e p h ra se of d e ta c h e d ch o rd s (page 80) e n te rs u n o b tru siv e ly , w hile a sug­ g estio n of S ch eh erazad e is h e a rd b e n e a th it, a n d th e first m o v e m e n t of th is su ite en d s w ith so ft ch o rd s a n d th e arp eg g io of th e w aves. TH E STORY OF T H E KALANDER PRIN CE T h is is a n a rra tiv e a b o u t a n O rie n ta l b eg g ar. R im sk y -K o rsa k o v h a s n o t re v e a le d to u s th e p a rtic u la r in c id e n ts in th e sto ry , b u t th e m usic allow s p le n ty of o p p o rtu n ity for th e im a g in a tio n . T h e th e m e fo r S ch eh erazad e d o m in a te s th e b rief in tro d u c tio n , as th o u g h to in fo rm u s t h a t she is a b o u t to beg in a n o th e r sto ry . I n fa c t, th is p assage is lik e a re c ita tiv e ,* or m u sical d e c la m a tio n . T h e b asso o n b eg in s th e u n u su a l ta le of th e K a la n d e r P rin c e w ith th e d o u b le b asses p ro v id in g a s u ita b le b a c k g ro u n d w ith su sta in e d chords. O ver th e m elo d y a p p e a r th ese w ords : capriccioso qu a si recitando * ; a n d c e rta in ly th e o p en in g m elo d y is w him sical a n d am u sin g . I t b eg in s as follow s : A n d a n tin o C a p r ic c io s O j

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T h is m elo d y sug g ests a b u rle sq u e or a c a ric a tu re of som e p o m p o u s c o u rtie r. I n th e ac c o m p a n im e n t can be h e a rd a d ro n e bass.* T h e oboe th e n ta k e s u p th e m e lo d y ; th e strin g s follow ; an d , as th e speed in creases, th e w ood w inds p la y th e m elody. T h e o pening m easu res of th e

82

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

first m elo d y in ''T h e S ea a n d S in d b a d 's S h ip ” are h e a rd in th e basses. T h e oboe re m in d s u s t h a t S ch eh erazad e is still tellin g th e sto ry . S u d d en ly th e re is a b rillia n t fa n fa re * b y th e brasses, a n d th e m usic becom es m ore sp irite d . T h e o p en in g m easu res of th e first th e m e of th e first m o v e m e n t b re a k in, a n d th e re follow s a sectio n of m usic w hich so unds like a triu m p h a n t m a rc h . F ra g m e n ts of tu n e s follow ea ch o th e r in ra p id succession, a n d all th e in s tru m e n ts jo in in p a in tin g th is O rie n ta l p ic tu re . I t is ea sy to id e n tify th o se m elodies w hich are fa m iliar to us. A s fo r th e o th e rs — well, th e com poser d id n o t give us a n y clue as to th e in cid en ts of th e s to ry for th is m o v em en t, so ea ch liste n er is free to use his ow n im ­ a g in a tio n in co n ju rin g u p th e p ic tu re w h ich th e m usic suggests to him . I t is in te re s tin g to n o te th e re a p p e a ra n c e of th e S ch eh erazad e m o tiv e a n d th e one w hich sug g ests th e sea. T h e opening m elo d y of th e second m o v e m e n t is b ro u g h t b a c k b y th e bassoon, a n d o th e r w ood w inds ta k e it u p. A t le n g th th e strin g s ta k e ch arge of i t ; a n d th e m o v e m e n t h as a g ay ending, w ith th e first th e m e of th e first m o v e m e n t asse rtin g itself once m ore. T H E YOUNG PRIN C E AND TH E YOUNG PRINCESS T h is m o v e m e n t is like a ro m a n tic poem . T h e ta le w hich p ro m p te d R im sk y -K o rsa k o v to w rite it can be given briefly. T H E ORIGINAL STORY I n a n c ie n t tim e s th e re liv ed a s u lta n w ho h a d a w ell-beloved son. T h is y o u th w as su p p o sed to be th e h a n d so m e st m a n in th e w orld. W h e n he re a c h e d th e age of sixteen, his fa th e r w a n te d him to m a r r y ; b u t th e p rin ce said , " N o ! W o m en are all fa ith le ss .” B ecau se of th e g re a t affection he h a d fo r his son, th e k in g p u t th e m a tte r aside. B u t th e g ra n d v izier a d v ised h im each y e a r to sp eak to his son a b o u t it. E v e ry y e a r th e p rin ce refu sed . W h e n th e p rin ce w as tw e n ty th re e y e a rs old, th e g ra n d v izier su g g ested t h a t th e y o u n g m a n be su m m o n ed before th e c o u rt a n d b e co m m an d ed to m a rry b y th e h ig h officials of sta te . B u t w h en h e a p p e a re d th e p rin c e refu sed , ju s t as he h a d alw ays done. So he w as c a st in to a to w er. H e h a d a co t to sleep on a n d candles a t his h ea d . I n th e to w e r th e re w as a R o m a n well, w h ich w as th e dw elling place of a w o n d erfu l fa iry . W h e n she saw th e lig h t in th e ro o m of th e p rin ce she e n tered , to o k th e clo th aw a y fro m th e face of th e p rin ce, a n d saw how h a n d ­ som e h e w as. She to o k h e r flight to w a rd th e re a lm of h e a v e n a n d , on h e r w ay, e n c o u n te re d a p o w erfu l b u t w icked genie. H e to ld h e r of a ch a rm in g p rincess h e h a d seen, th e m o st b e a u tifu l being in all th e w orld.

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T h e re w as a long a rg u m e n t as to w hich h a d th e g re a te r loveliness, th e p rin ce or th e p rin cess. F in a lly th e m a tte r w as re fe rre d to a n enorm ous m o n ste r, n o te d fo r his w isdom . H e decided t h a t th e p rin ce a n d princess w ere of e q u a l b e a u ty . So th e fa iry a n d th e genie b ro u g h t th e tw o y o ung people to g e th e r. T h e y w ere m arrie d , a n d th e re w as g re a t jo y a t th e co u rt. T h e s to ry co n tin u es w ith th e a d v e n tu re s of th e h a p p y p a ir. THE MUSIC T h e th ird m o v e m e n t o p ens w ith a lyric m elo d y w h ich m a y be re g ard ed as th e th e m e fo r th e y o u n g p rince. F IR S T T H E M E |i A n d a n tir 10 jf-ft f t y - - &

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T h ese tw o th em es, th e one fo r th e p rin ce a n d th e one fo r th e princess, h a v e som e resem b lan ce, a lth o u g h th e rh y th m ic p a tte r n is different. T h e th e m e (th e p rin cess) is re p e a te d , v a rie d co m b in atio n s of in s tru m e n ts being used in th e re p e titio n s. F in a lly th e first th e m e (th e prince) is h e a rd ag ain . S ch eh erazad e in ­ te r r u p ts w ith h e r c h a ra c te ris tic m o tiv e, b u t th e P rin c e co n tin u es to be h e a rd as th e closing m easu res of his m elo d y are re p e a te d b y d ifferen t in ­ stru m e n ts . T h is m o v e m e n t en d s w ith a reference to th e second o r P rin cess th em e.

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic * A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

84

FESTIVAL AT BAGDAD. T H E SEA. TH E SH IP GOES TO PIEC ES ON A ROCK SURMOUNTED BY A BRONZE W ARRIOR. CONCLUSION. T h e re is no p a r tic u la r s to ry fo r th is m usic. B a g d a d w as a c ity w ith A ra b ia a n d P e rs ia a b o u t th e sam e d ista n c e a w a y on e ith e r side. I t w as a m e tro p o lis of a g re a t em p ire, a n d n a tu ra lly th e a tm o sp h e re of th e m usic is d ecid ed ly O rie n ta l. T h e first th e m e to b e h e a rd in th is m o v e m e n t is th e S ea (or as som e p re fer to call it, th e S u lta n ) m o tiv e , w ith w hich th e first m o v e m e n t opened. A t th is tim e it a p p e a rs as fo llo w s : Q A lle g r o m olto

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I t is p la y e d b y strin g s a n d w ood w inds, a n d is follow ed im m e d ia te ly b y th e th e m e fo r S ch eh erazad e. A fte r a re p e titio n of th ese tw o th e m e s we p lu n g e in to th e rio to u s, n o isy m usic of th e crow d w ho a re m a k in g m e rry a t th e B a g d a d fe stiv al. T ri­ angles, ta m b o u rin e s, a n d d ru m s a d d to th e g a ie ty of th is h ilario u s scene. T h e m usic is su g g estiv e of th e b rillia n t color we asso ciate w ith a p leasu reseeking O rie n ta l th ro n g . T h e flu te b eg in s th e liv ely m elo d y of th e fe stiv al. H e re are th e op en in g m easu res: V ivo

A s th e m usic m o v es on, th e m elodies w hich w ere h e a rd fo r th e K a la n d e r p rin ce a n d th e y o u n g p rin cess are v e ry e v id e n t. J u s t as th e fe stiv itie s are a t th e ir h e ig h t we h e a r th e th e m e su g g estin g th e sea, a n d th e re is a re a l feeling of th e rise a n d fall of a n g ry w aves. T h e m usic now seem s to p ic tu re m en acin g w inds, a n d to p ro p h e sy d isa ste r. A fte r liste n in g to th e m usic, can y o u describe how R im s k y -K o rsa k o v h a s p ro d u c e d th e se effects of sto rm , w h istlin g w inds, a n d ev en th e d e­ s tru c tio n of th e s h ip ? A ll is tu m u lt as th e b ra ss in s tru m e n ts p o u n d in o u r e a rs th e th e m e su g g estin g th e S ea. T h e m u sic reach es a d ra m a tic clim ax ; th e n all becom es q u ie t a n d calm . T h e sea is p lacid , a n d th e th e m e m oves g e n tly o v er a ro c k in g rh y th m , ju s t as it d id a t th e v e ry b eg in n in g of th e first m o v em en t. I n to th is q u ie t com es S ch eh erazad e w ith h e r violin. H e r ta le s are over. A gain we h e a r th e p h ra se of chords re fe rre d to on p ag e 80. T h e su lta n

A r a b ia n N ig h ts ’ M u sic

85

h as reco v ered fro m h is p re ju d ice s. " A n d so th e y lived in all p leasa n ce a n d solace of life a n d its d e lig h ts ." 1. D o y o u th in k t h a t th e m o v e m e n ts in th is su ite illu s tra te a n y n a tio n a l ten d en cies ? 2. A lth o u g h th e s to ry in sp ire d th e com poser to w rite th is su ite , do y o u th in k th e m u sic is g re a te r th a n th e s to ry ? I n w h a t w a y ? 3. H a s a n a c q u a in ta n c e w ith th e d ifferen t m o tiv e s h elp ed y o u to u n d e r­ s ta n d th e m u sic? 4. W h y is th e v io lin p a rtic u la rly a p p ro p ria te to re p re se n t S ch eh erazad e ? 5. W h ich m o v e m e n t h a s th e m o st ly ric th e m e s ? W h y do y o u suppose t h a t th is is so ? 6. C o u ld th e o rd e r of th e m o v e m e n ts of th e su ite be a lte re d w ith o u t in ju ry to th e m u sical effect ? A FAMOUS RUSSIAN COMPOSER " T h e m usic of R im sk y -K o rsa k o v is like a p ic tu re b o o k illu m in ed in b rig h t a n d jo y o u s colors : b rig h t red , a p p le green, golden o ran g e a n d y ello w ." T h is d esc rip tio n ap p lies v e ry w ell to th e g litte rin g m u sic of th e Scheherazade S u ite. Q u ite lik ely th e co m p o ser’s tra v e ls in th e C au ca su s (P relude, pag e 8) a n d his v isits to S ev asto p o l a n d C o n sta n tin o p le p ro ­ v id ed h im w ith th e O rie n ta l s e ttin g for his fa n ta sy . H is experiences in th e n a v y (he w as en ro lled in th e N a v a l A ca d em y a n d la te r w e n t on a th re e -y e a r cruise) p ro v id e d h im w ith th e know ledge of th e sea w h ich p la y s su ch a n im p o rta n t p a r t in th is series of pieces. I n fa c t, fo r som e y e a rs h e w as a n officer in th e R u ssia n n a v y . H is fa m ily w ere w e a lth y , so t h a t he escap ed th o se p riv a tio n s w h ich h a v e c o n fro n ted so m a n y g re a t m u sician s. H is m u sical e d u c a tio n b e g a n w ith th e folk songs w hich he le a rn e d fro m his m o th e r’s lips. R ig h t across th e riv e r fro m h is h o m e w as a g re a t m o n a s te r y ; an d , as a b o y , R im sk y -K o rsa k o v lo v ed th e singing of th e m o n k s a n d th e so u n d of th e m o n a s te ry bells. L a te r on h e u sed th e m in h is com positions. H e ac q u ired a th o ro u g h m a s te ry of com position a n d o rc h e stra tio n . H e w as n o t c o n te n t w ith th e old w ay s of usin g in s tru m e n ts b u t in tro d u c e d new a n d d a rin g c o m b in atio n s of in s tru m e n ts a n d u n h e a rd -o f n o v elties. I n his re a d in g h e fo u n d d e lig h t in th e ta le s of a h alf-real, s u p e rn a tu ra l fa iry -ta le w orld, a n d his im a g in a tio n p ro v id e d h im w ith a n a b ility to w rite u n u s u a l m usic for t h a t w orld. H is m usic sp ark le s a n d sh im m ers a n d changes color like a n O rie n ta l fab ric. H e w ro te a b o o k a b o u t him self e n title d M y M u sic a l L ife . I t h a s been tra n s la te d in to E n g lish a n d is e x tre m e ly in te re stin g .

1 th is is th e la s t co m p o sitio n w hich T c h a ik o v sk y (chi-kof'ske) w ro te, it h a s th e sam e if n o t a g re a te r d e p th of feeling a n d in te re st t h a t is fo u n d in his ea rlie r w orks. W e h a v e becom e a c q u a in te d w ith som e of th e m usic w ritte n b y th is g re a t R u ssia n com poser. C a n y o u give a n y reaso n s as to w h y his m usic is so g en erally lik ed a n d w h y it is in clu d ed in so m a n y p ro g ra m s ? A lth o u g h

C O N T R A S T E D M O V E M E N T S F R O M

A

D R A M A T IC S Y M P H O N Y

I t w as b a c k in th e y e a r 1893. Im a g in e th is m a n , T c h a ik o v sk y , p acin g u p a n d dow n in his little g ard en , w ith its c h a rm in g pool a n d tin y islet frin g ed w ith fo rest. All th e w hile going th ro u g h his h e a d are th e m u sical th em es w hich e v e n tu a lly will be th e fra m ew o rk of th e S ix th S y m p h o n y . I t w as w hile h e w as on th e tr a in going to P a ris t h a t th e first id ea for th is s y m p h o n y cam e to T c h a ik o v sk y . B u t it w as a t his c o u n try hom e, b e tw e e n K lin a n d M oscow , t h a t he could w o rk to b e st a d v a n ta g e . H ere, fro m h is w indow , he could see th e fa m ilia r lan d sca p e of c e n tra l R u ssia, w h ich h e lo v ed b e tte r th a n a n y o th e r on e a rth . I t is in te re s tin g to n o te t h a t his ho use h as b een tu rn e d in to a T c h a ik o v sk y m u seu m , th e p ro p e rty of th e R u ssia n S ta te . O n F e b ru a ry 22, 1893, he w ro te to his nephew , I m ust tell you how happy I am about m y work. Ju st as I was starting on my journey to visit Paris, the idea came to me for a new symphony, this tim e with a program, b u t a program which remains a puzzle to all. Let them guess it who can. The work will be entitled A Program Symphony (No. 6). D uring m y journey, while composing it in my mind, I frequently shed tears. Now I am a t home again, I have settled down to sketch out the work, and it goes w ith such ardor th a t in less than four days I have completed the first movement, while the rest of the sym phony is clearly outlined in m y head. There will be much th a t is novel as regards form in this work. For instance, the Finale will n o t be a great Allegro, b u t an Adagio of considerable dimensions. You cannot imagine w hat joy I feel at the conviction th a t m y day is not over, and th a t I m ay still accomplish much. W e ca n feel t h a t h e w as h a p p y as he w o rk ed o ver th e m usic, ev en th o u g h m a n y of th e th e m e s h a v e a to u c h of sadness. " I t w ould be v a in ,” he w ro te, " t o p u t in to w ords t h a t sense of bliss w h ich com es o v er m e d ire c tly a new id e a aw a k en s in m e. I fo rg et e v e ry th in g a n d b e h a v e like one possessed. E v e r y th in g in m e s ta r ts q u iv e rin g .” 86

C o n tr a ste d M o v e m e n ts F r o m a D r a m a tic S ym p h on y-

Sym phony N o.

6,

i n B M in o r

87

[V. R. 14266,14267

(1 8 4 0 -1 8 9 3 ), R u ssia n com poser. L ivin g in A m er­ ica a t the sam e tim e : W i l l i a m M c K i n l e y .

P e t e r I l y it c h T c h a ik o v s k y

TIT L E OF T H E SYMPHONY T h is co m p o sitio n w as first p e rfo rm e d a t a c o n c e rt in S t. P e te rs b u rg (now L en in g ra d ) in O cto b er, 1893. T c h a ik o v sk y co m p leted h is o rc h e stra ­ tion of i t in A u g u st a n d w as e n th u sia s tic a b o u t it. B u t w hen th e re h e a rsa ls began, th e m u sician s of th e o rc h e s tra w ere r a th e r in d ifferen t to th is new w o r k ; a n d th e co n cert, co n d u c te d b y th e com poser, w as b u t a m o d e ra te success. O n th e p ro g ra m th e sy m p h o n y h a d no title . I t w as an n o u n c ed b y n u m ­ ber on ly . T h e n e x t d a y M o d este, T c h a ik o v s k y 's b ro th e r, fo u n d th e com ­ poser p o n d e rin g o v er th e title . H e d esired so m e th in g m ore th a n " N o . 6,” and d id n o t like his first id ea — Program S y m p h o n y . " W h a t does P rogram S y m p h o n y m e a n ," he ask ed his b ro th e r, " w h e n I will give it n o p r o g r a m ? " M o d e ste su g g ested T ragic, b u t t h a t w as n o t accep tab le. L a te r he p ro ­ posed Pathetique, a n d his b ro th e r ex claim ed, " B r a v o , M o d este, sp len d id ! P a th 6 tiq u e ! " A n d t h a t is th e title b y w hich it h as b een k n o w n ever since.

SECOND MOVEMENT A llegro con grazia is th e d ire c tio n w hich T c h a ik o v sk y w ro te on th e score af th is m o v e m e n t. W h a t does th is te rm of expression lead y o u to ex p ect ? A lth o u g h he w as a R u ssia n th ro u g h a n d th ro u g h a n d w as te rrib ly h o m e­ sick e v e ry tim e he w e n t o u tsid e his belo v ed c o u n try , T c h a ik o v sk y w as n o t alw ays R u ssia n in his m u sical expressions. F ro m e a rly childhood he w as alw ays fo n d of th e m usic of M o z a rt, as w ell as of th e ly ric m elodies of I ta lia n c o m p o sers; a n d th is second m o v e m e n t reflects th ese o u tsid e influences in add itio n to som e d efin ite R u ssia n c h a ra c te ristic s. TH E MUSIC T h e m o v e m e n t begins w ith a sm o o th , g racio u s m elo d y p lay ed b y th e cellos.

88

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d P R IN C IP A L M E L O D Y A lle g r o con g r a z ia

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T h e first R u ssia n c h a ra c te ris tic to b e n o te d is t h a t th e m usic is w ritten in 5 /4 m easu re, w ith th e a c c e n ts fallin g on one a n d three, so t h a t th e first g ro u p h a s tw o b e a ts a n d th e second g ro u p h a s th re e b e a ts. T h is rh y th m m a y im p ress y o u as n o t b ein g sy m m e tric a l, b u t it occurs fre q u e n tly in R u s s ia n folk m usic. Y o u m a y re call t h a t th e A n d a n te C a n ta b ile from T c h a ik o v sk y 's first s trin g q u a r te t {Progress, page 125) opens w ith this m e lo d y : TJHEM E 1FICOM A N D A N T E CAN TAIR L E m

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T h e co m b in ed rh y th m ic effect of th e second a n d th ir d m easu res of this e x c e rp t fro m th e s trin g q u a r te t is sim ilar to t h a t in a single m easu re of th e first m elo d y of th e second m o v e m e n t of th e s y m p h o n y ; b u t th e accents are n o t so d efin itely m a rk e d . Im m e d ia te ly a fte r th e scale passag e, w hich is m a rk e d a in th e p rin cip al m elo d y , th e w ood w in d s ta k e u p th e p rin c ip a l m elo d y in a h ig h er re g ister. I t m a y b e possible for y o u to h e a r th e cellos as th e y p la y a co u n terth e m e ,* w hich begins like th is : = F -X r fh -— r

r

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T h e m elo d y flows on, th e strin g s a d d in g th e ir b rillia n t singing to n e. S till a n o th e r colorful effect is p ro d u c e d w h en th e m elo d y is p la y e d in th e low re g ister of th e w ood w inds, to a p izzica to a c c o m p a n im e n t b y th e strin g s. T h is sectio n of th e m o v e m e n t en d s w ith a p la in tiv e echo of th e opening m easu res of th e p rin c ip a l m elo d y , a n d th is is p la y e d b y th e flutes in th e ir low a n d w ea k est re g ister. T h e second sectio n of th is m o v e m e n t, th e trio ,* b rin g s a new feeling in to th e m usic.

C o n tr a s te d M o v e m e n ts F r o m a D r a m a tic S y m p h o n y

89

A p e rs is te n tly so u n d in g b e a t, b e a t, b e a t on a low b ass n o te suggests trag ed y . A bove i t w e h e a r a p en siv e m elo d y w h ich m oves do w n th e scale. T R IO M E L O D Y j

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T h e m o st p ro m in e n t m elodic id e a fro m th e p rin c ip a l m e lo d y now al­ te rn a te s w ith th e rh y th m ic m o tiv e fro m th e trio m elo d y a n d alw ay s u n ­ d e rn e a th is th e c o n s ta n t b e a t, b e a t, b e a t, serv in g as a n a c c o m p a n im e n t. A fte r th e trio sectio n , th e p rin c ip a l m elo d y of th e first sectio n is h e a rd again. I t co n tin u es in th e sam e fash io n as w hen th e m o v e m e n t opened, an d en d s w ith th e sam e little m elo d y p la y e d b y th e flutes. T h e re is a coda,* w h ich b eg in s w ith a scale p assage t h a t clim bs u p th ro u g h th e strin g s. A t th e sam e tim e th e w ood w inds d escend in a c h o rd passage, w ith an in d efin ite a c c e n t on th e th ir d b e a t. A ll th ro u g h th e co d a th e p e d a l p o in t co n tin u es its om inous b e a t, b e a t, b ea t. T h e m o tiv e fro m th e trio a p p e a rs a n d is p la y e d b y v a rio u s in s tru ­ m en ts in th e w ood w in d choir. A lth o u g h th e m o tiv e fro m th e p rin c ip a l m elody re tu rn s , th e d escen d in g m o tiv e fro m th e trio m elo d y p e rsists to th e end. T h e m usic g ra d u a lly grow s so fter a n d so fter, a n d th e n dies aw ay . T h e fo rm of th is m o v e m e n t is t h a t of a scherzo a n d t r i o ; in m a n y w ays it is sim ilar to th e fo rm of th e S cherzo of th e " R h e n is h ” S y m p h o n y , b y S chum ann (page 73). 1. C a n y o u d escrib e som e of th e sim ilarities b etw e en th e tw o com po­ sitions ? 2. D oes one of th ese sy m p h o n ic m o v em en ts seem to express th e m ood of a, scherzo m o re v iv id ly th a n th e o th e r? I n w h a t w a y ? T H IR D MOVEMENT M a rk e d Allegro molto vivace,* th is m o v e m e n t is re a lly a vig o ro u s m a rc h , }ven th o u g h th e o p en in g m easu res are m o re suggestive of a m e rry scherzo ,han of a m arc h . I t begin s w ith a b u sy , ru stlin g , rh y th m ic m elo d y p la y e d b y th e violins. Elere are th e first tw o m easu res : F IR S T M E L O D Y A lle g r o m o lto vxva.ce

90

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d

T h e w ood w inds ta k e u p th e m elo d y fo r a m o m e n t, a n d th e n i t begin* all o ver ag ain . T h e oboe, in a sm all b u t p e n e tra tin g voice, a n tic ip a te s th e com ing m a rc l b y in tro d u c in g its s trik in g rh y th m ic p a tte r n , w hile th e first m elo d y keep* on its b u s y w ay . THEM E

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T h e m a rtia l th e m e , or figure, g a th e rs s tre n g th fro m th e b r a s s e s ; anc th e low strin g s e n te r w ith a p izzicato p e d a l p o in t t h a t re m in d s u s of the b e a t, b e a t, b e a t in th e trio of th e second m o v em en t. T h e speed of th e m u sic g ra d u a lly increases, a n d e v e n tu a lly th e m arcl: begins w ith th is m elo d y p la y e d b y th e cla rin e ts : SE C O N D M E L O D Y

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W e ca n h e a r th e ru s tlin g figure of th e first m elo d y in th e low strin g s a n d som e p o n d e ro u s ch o rd s a lte rn a te w ith rip p lin g p assag es in th e higl w ood w inds. A g ain th e c la rin e t p la y s th e m a rc h m elody, a n d th e n th e vio lin s ar< h e a rd p la y in g it. T h e m elo d y seem s to b e su rro u n d e d b y a sw irl of rapi< n o tes, a n d it all b u ild s u p to a clim ax t h a t en d s in a series of descending scale passages. All th e in s tru m e n ts d ro p o u t ex cep t th e basses a n d th e ty m p a n i.* T h e i low ru m b le co n tin u es like a p e d a l p o in t as th e o th e r strin g s surge u p ; c h ro m a tic * scale, a n d th e w ood w inds a n d b rasses k eep r e p e a tin g :

I

to ft

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Cj'NCNk > \ J . i f g £ S 8?

irf--Trn-,Tn'!»tegins a su sta in e d p e d a l p o in t. T h e re is a s h o rt in te rlu d e in w hich th e strin g s a n d w ood w inds begin he a c c o m p a n im e n t figure. T h is is p ro p h e tic of th e te n d e r m elan ch o ly phich rip p les th ro u g h o u t th e re s t of th e song. T h e v o ca l fine is b e a u tifu l. A few m e a su re s of b o th th e m elo d y a n d th e a c c o m p a n im e n t a re given te r e :

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T .._

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htr

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T hese m easures are played b y the trom bones an octave lower than th ey appear in th is quotation.

Music from the Heart of Bohemia

23

On flows th e river, singing its m erry song (page 21). B u t th e w aves grow more forceful and th e w aters foam more w ildly as we reach the rapids of St* John. T he entire orchestra joins in the swirling, surging, and pounding tu m u lt ; and the rh yth m becom es m uch more turbulent than th a t of th e sm oothly-flow ing m usic of th e R iver them e as we have heard it before. T he river trium phs over the rocks w hich w ould hold it back, and once more we hear th e R iver them e. B u t it is not the sam e as before, for now it appears in the m ajor m ode.*

I t has becom e a song of victory and expresses the trium ph of th e river as it flows to its w idest part, tow ard th e grand old city of Prague. All the instrum ents of the orchestra except the strings p lay a hym nlike m elody in a firm, m ajestic rhythm .

T his is th e V ysehrad m otive, and it is like an old chant from a cathedral. I t is heard as th e river sw eeps b y th e ancient fortress, and it sym bolizes th e glories of B ohem ia's past. T he R iver them e returns in the strings, and th en the M oldau vanishes in th e distance " b eyon d th e p o et’s v isio n .” There are tw o chords, and all is silent. 1. In w hat w ay does the m usic of T h e M o l d a u carry out th e program w hich Sm etana has given for it ? 2. H ow have th e orchestral instrum ents added to the vividness of the different scenes? 3. H ow has Sm etana preserved u n ity in th is tone poem ? T he tone poem w hich we have ju st heard show s how fam iliar Sm etana w as w ith th e scenes and custom s of his own country, and proves his skill in picturing them in m usic. I t is n ot strange, therefore, th at he chose rural B ohem ian life as a subject for one of his operas.

24

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons O v e rtu re

to

F r e d e r ic k S m e ta n a

T h e

B a r te r e d

B r id e

[V . r . 1555 a , b

(1824-1884), Bohemian composer.

STORY OF THE OPERA Sm etana w rote eight operas, of w hich T h e B a r t e r e d B r i d e is th e second. It is a sparkling, hum orous tale of life in a country village. T he scene is laid in a B ohem ian com m unity, and th e tim e is th e afternoon and evening of the patron saint's day. As in his sym phonic poem s, so in his opera T h e B a r t e r e d B r i d e , Sm etana wished to give a true picture of rural B o h e m ia ; and although th e opera is gay and am using it is in no sense a caricature. T he curtain rises on a m erry scene in the public square, before the village inn. E veryone seem s to be gay except tw o you ng people, Jenik (ygn'Ik) and M arenka (m a'ren-ka). T h ey are very m uch in lo v e ; but M arenka's parents w ant her to m arry Vasek (va'shek), th e son of a rich peasant nam ed M icha. V asek is a sh y and stupid fellow. P lans for this marriage have already been started b y th e marriage broker (for it w as custom ary in those days to em ploy a professional m atch-m aker). Jenik, w ho w as driven from hom e b y his stepm other, has returned to th e village, unknow n to his friends. T he marriage broker, K ecal (ket'sal) b y nam e, discovers th e sta te of affairs betw een M arenka and J e n ik ; and offers Jenik three hundred crowns if he will give up M arenka, so th a t the marriage plans for her and V asek can be com pleted. Jenik accepts th e offer w ith one condition — th a t M arenka m arry no one b ut M icha's son. M arenka, of course, is angry and scorns Jenik when he appears. B u t Jenik announces th a t he is M icha's eldest son, and thus he claim s M arenka for his bride. So th e happy couple begin their married life richer b y three hundred crowns received in "b arter" for th e bride. THE MUSIC T he O verture to T h e B a r t e r e d B r i d e is a fam ous m asterpiece, and is played b y m an y sym phony orchestras as an independent com position. I t opens w ith an energetic introduction, in w hich this them e is heard. IN T R O D U C T O R Y T H E M E

25

Music from the Heart of Bohemia

T his is played b y the strings and wood w inds in unison, accom panied b y h ea v y chords in the brass. T he brilliant introduction rushes downward to a vigorous m elody played b y the strings. FIR ST M ELODY

#

i

~ d ^h d

1

A ll th e strings begin th is m elody in unison, punching ou t th e accented notes in a forceful m anner. These accents do n ot alw ays occur on the beats where we u sually expect to hear them . T his is an interesting m elody. A t first it is ju st a short figure of three notes. T hen it grows to five, then to seven, and then its own m om entum sw eeps it on to a continuous bustling a ctiv ity . A ll the instrum ents drop out but the second v io lin s ; and these continue the b usy figure, w hich seem s to revolve around one n ote. Suddenly the first violins enter and begin th e m elod y all over again, while the second violins continue on their m erry w ay. In sta n tly we sus­ pect th a t we are listening to a fugue,* b ut one w hich is different from any we have heard previously. T he beginning of this m elod y is d istinctive, as a fugue subject should be, b ut th e continuation is ju st a m erry whirl of notes and is longer than m ost subjects of fugues. T hen, too, th e second entrance of the m elod y is a little irregular; for it enters at th e sam e pitch as th e first entrance, rather than a fifth* above or a fourth* below the first entrance, as is u su ally th e case. T he violas and first cellos take care of the third entrance an octave lower. A fter th ey have sta ted the m elody, th e second cellos and double basses are heard in the fourth entrance of the s u b je c t; th ey are still another octave lower. T he wood w inds reinforce the m usic w ith som e sustained notes, and then the entire orchestra p lays th e syncopated* rhythm ic m elod y which was heard w hen th e villagers signed and w itnessed th e marriage contract for the barter of th e bride. SECOND M ELODY

t )

26

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

T he wood w inds interrupt th e second m elody w ith part of th e first m e lo d y ; th ey are accom panied b y pizzicato strings. A gain we hear the syncopated second m elody as it begins on a m uch lower pitch, only to be interrupted a second tim e. F in ally the tw o m elodies, first and second, m ove along together. One short fig u re:

h

is singled ou t and

B

played over and over again in repetition and sequence,* u ntil it leads up to another thrilling entrance of th e second m elody. T he m elody th is tim e is played b y th e entire orchestra, and there are no interruptions. T he introductory them e now returns, the wood winds playing it alone as a m elody. C onsequently it loses som e of th e brilliance which character­ ized it in th e beginning. The strings begin th e first m elody, b ut very shortly narrow it down to a single tone, w hich becom es more and more h esitan t w ith each repetition. T his passage leads in to a p lain tive little tune w hich has been associated w ith M arenka and suggests th at this marriage business, so far as she is concerned, is n ot so easy as it seem s. T he wood w inds are prom inent here. T H IR D MELODY

-r

sz:

i

J!2_ SfflE

T his p lain tive tenderness is soon interrupted b y a joyous, sw eeping m elody played b y th e strings. FO U R TH M ELODY

-

li­ f

e

P

niff

i y : = ij j

D uring th e opening m easures of this m elody th e wood w inds p lay the second m elod y as an accom panim ent, and then th e introductory them e returns. From now on, there is no new m elodic m a te ria l; b u t the skillful use of

Ewing Galloway

When Borodin Wrote In the Steppes of Central Asia, He Had a Caravan Like This in Mind

‘•dw£-

I n t li e A n c i e n t C ity o f P r a g u e t li e M o ld a u F l o w s i n M a j e s t i c C a lm u n d e r T h is H i s t o r i c I

Music from the Heart of Bohemia

27

th e instrum ents, th e varied and colorful harm onies, and th e vigorous spirit of th e m usic prevent th e com position from becom ing m onotonous. T he repetition of the introductory them e is follow ed b y the fugue based on th e first m elody, played b y th e strings. T he fugue is treated a little differently th is tim e. T he entrances of th e subject are at different pitches, and th e wood w inds tak e part. T his all leads in to th e exhilarating dance based on the second m elody, and the m usic is stirring and b uoyan t. T he introductory them e returns for a fourth appearance, and everyth ing sounds very m uch as it did at th e beginning of the Overture. V ery q u ietly and w istfu lly, th e second m elody is played b y th e wood w in d s; b ut a low rum ble from th e strings and tym p an i inform s us th a t the first m elod y has begun. G radually th e m usic rises in pitch, and its volum e in crea ses; and once more th e second m elody asserts itself, th is tim e in a strong and bold m anner. From this point until th e close of th e Overture, the introductory them e and the first m elod y hold th e center of interest, form ing a brilliant coda.* T he entire Overture is a fittin g preface for th e opera w hich follows. It w ill be noticed th a t th e O verture to T h e B a r t e r e d B r i d e is b u ilt upon several of the m elodies w hich occur in th e opera itself. Som e of th ese are genuine B ohem ian folk m elodies. T he introductory them e (page 24) is one of these ; it is th e identical m elod y w hich Sm etana used in th e scene w hich centers about the sale of the bride. A nd w hat could give a more viv id picture of these carefree villagers than the fugue based on the first m elod y ? I t is as though th e m errym akers were taking part in a whirling dance or a country jig. 1. If you did not know th e plot, w ould this Overture give you an y idea of the general spirit of the opera? 2. A fter listening to these tw o com positions b y Sm etana, can y o u nam e and describe any m arked characteristics of Bohem ian m usic ? 3. Can you nam e an y other com posers who have been inspired to w rite music expressing th e feelings and spirit of their n ative countrym en? 4. H ow do these com positions b y Sm etana compare w ith the m usic of some of these other m usical p atriots ? FREDERICK SMETANA B ohem ia is a part of w hat u ntil recen tly w as C zech oslovak ia; th e B ohem ians are Czechs. T he tem peram ent of these people is characterized b y optim ism and lightheartedness, and Sm etana’s m usic is full of these qualities.

28

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

Sm etana's father was em ployed on the estate of C ount W aldstein and was an en th u siastic am ateur m usician. T he b oy him self showed m usical ab ility very early, and w hen he was barely five he played th e violin in one of th e string quartets b y H ayd n. T he count's country hom e was in the north of B ohem ia. H ere Sm etana took long walks in th e woods and fields and am ong th e m ountains. H e heard th e songs and dances of th e peasants, and absorbed th e rhythm and spirit of B ohem ian folk m usic. W hen quite young he began to m ake up his own pieces, and his teacher used to w rite th em down. From the beginning Sm etana lived his m usic. I t w as v ita l to him , and so it is no wonder th a t his public perform ances delighted his audiences. A lthough he began to stu d y to be a law yer, m usic w ith all its fascination claim ed his atten tion more and more. B u t his father w as opposed to m usic as a profession for his son. H e considered m usic an am usem ent. F ortun ately a cousin intervened, and you ng Frederick w as perm itted to go to Prague to stu d y m usic. W hen he w as tw enty-four years old th e Czech revolution broke out. I t w as th e striving of an oppressed nation for greater freedom . Sm etana be­ cam e filled w ith patriotism , and from th at tim e his m usic becam e strongly national. W ith his concerts and his own com positions he tried to lay the foundation for a truly B ohem ian art. Like m an y other com posers, Sm etana regarded certain m aster m usicians as m usical heroes : B eethoven, whose strength he revered ; Schum ann, who seem ed very close to him because of his poetic exp ression s; and Chopin (sho paN'), whose gentle and cultured spirit he loved. A lthough he knew these m en only through their m usic, th e y influenced him greatly, f* In all his work he sought to express th e spirit of his n ative land and the characteristics of the Czech people. B u t he did n ot lim it him self to folk tunes or rhythm ic idiom s. H e chose th e subjects for his operas and tone poem s from B ohem ian legends and th e daily fife and surroundings of th e people. I t is no wonder th a t he is generally regarded as th e father of B ohem ian art m usic. T o his ow n countrym en and to th e m usical world Frederick Sm etana has given com positions th a t still live because th ey are sincere and full of m usical b eau ty.

4

w as n ot th e only Czechoslovakian com poser to w rite an opera based on B o ­ T O N E -W E A V IN G hem ian life, nor w as D vorak (dv6r'zhak) th e on ly B ohem ian com poser to becom e T O D A Y greatly interested in perpetuating th e folk A N D m usic of his n ative country. Jaromir W einberger (ya/ro-m ir vln'barg-er) has pro­ Y E S T E R D A Y vided an opera w hich bears th e title of S c h w a n d a (sh van 'd a), t h e B a g p i p e - P l a y e r ; it is a logical descendant of Sm etana's B a r t e r e d B r i d e . A n illustration of the w ay com posers of tod ay w eave their tu n es is found in the n ext selection. S

P o lk a

a n d

F u g u e

fro m

m e t a n a

S c h w a n d a 9 th e

B a g p ip e -P la y e r [V . R . 7958 A , B

J a r o m ir W e i n b e r g e r

(1 8 9 6 -

), B ohem ian com poser.

THE STORY OF SCHWANDA , d e r D u d e l s a c k p f e i f e r (der doo'd'l-zak-pflf-er), as it is called in Germ an, is a com ic m usical play based on C zechoslovakian folklore. A c­ cording to th e legend Schw anda is no ordinary bagpipe-player. H e is more like a ''P ie d P ip er" w hose m erry tu n es could charm aw ay th e troubles w hich threaten him . Schw anda lives in a B ohem ian village w ith his young bride D orota. She is v ery p retty and attracts the eye of a robber chief nam ed B abinsky. H e persuades Schw anda to go out in to th e world to seek his fortune, so th a t he, B abin sk y, m ay m ake love to D orota. B u t, unknow n to Schwanda, she follow s her h u sb a n d ; and w hat ridiculous situ ation s th ey get in t o ! H e v isits th e palace of Q ueen Ice-H eart, who mourns the fact th a t a sorcerer has tak en aw ay her living heart and given her a heart of ice instead. W hen she is so bored th a t she d oesn't know w hat to do, the m usic of a liv ely polka is heard. Servants and courtiers begin to sm ile and trip and sw ay. In com es Schwanda, piping a rollicking t u n e ; and the whole court finds itself dancing this gay polka. T he queen is so charm ed th a t she w an ts to m arry Schwanda. B u t D orota a p p ea rs; and in stead of being led to th e altar, Schw anda is taken to th e scaffold, for the angry queen has ordered him to be beheaded. B u t w hen no one is looking, the trick y B ab in sk y su b stitu tes a broom handle for the executioner's ax. So Schw anda escapes and again plays a jolly t u n e ; and all the people return to th e city , dancing as th ey go, Schw anda

29

30

Making Friends with Music *New Horizons

N atu rally, D orota is n ot particularly pleased at her husband's readiness to m arry th e queen. She scolds him while he begs her forgiveness. A t length their quarrel ends and happiness is restored. B u t Schw anda's troubles are n ot over. Before he know s it, he is snatched aw ay to the underworld. A nd w hat a surprisingly u p-to-date place it is! There is an electric call board, a typew riter, a sew ing m achine, and an electric elevator. Once more B abin sk y com es to Schwanda's rescue, for he plays a gam e of cards w ith th e devil. If he wins, Schwanda is to go free. F ortun ately B ab in sk y wins the gam e. T his scene ends w ith th e Fugue w hich Schwanda plays as he says farewell to th e underworld. THE

PO LK A

T he dance know n as th e polka was in ven ted b y A nna Slezsk (sleshk), a Czech peasant who was working in B ohem ia about 1830. One Sunday, for her own am usem ent, she danced som e steps which she had m ade up her­ self. W ith the dance she sang an appropriate tune. A guest who happened to be in th e house at th e tim e took the m elody down on paper, and the n ext Sunday the dance was introduced at a students' ball. F ive years later the people of Prague took it up. T he fact th a t in this dance there are steps on the half beats gave it its nam e, for p o l k a is the B ohem ian word for "half." It was n ot long before the dance becam e the fashion in Vienna. From there it m oved to Paris, and it was soon the rage throughout France. In som e places it was danced in th e streets and even in th e shops. It then m oved on to E ngland where clothes, headdresses, and even inns were nam ed after it. W ho has n ot heard of the polka-dot design? Thackeray, who at th at tim e w as writing his fam ous novels, essays, and hum orous sketches, p ut a description of the Grand P olka into his sketch called "M rs. Perkins' B all." T h o u g h a q u a d r ille s e e m s t o m e a s d r e a r y a s a fu n e r a l t o lo o k a t , a p o lk a I o w n i s p le a s a n t . S e e ! B r o w n a n d E m i l y B u s le t o n w h ir lin g r o u n d a s lig h t a s t w o p ig e o n s o v e r a d o v e c o t ; T o z e r w it h t h a t w ic k e d , w h is k in g l i t t l e J o n e s s p in s a lo n g a s m e r r ily a s a M a y - d a y s w e e p ; M is s J o y is t h e p a r t n e r o f t h e h a p p y F r e d S p a r k s, a n d e v e n M is s R a n v ill e is p le a s e d , fo r t h e f a u lt le s s C a p t a in G r ig is t o e a n d h e e l w i t h h e r . B e a u m o r is , w i t h r a th e r n o n c h a la n t a ir , t a k e s a t u r n w it h M is s T r o t t e r , a t w h ic h L o r d M e t h u s e la h ’s w r in k le d c h o p s q u iv e r u n e a s ily . S e e ! H o w t h e b ig B a r o n d e B o b w it z s p in s l i g h t l y a n d g r a v e l y a n d g r a c e f u lly r o u n d ; a n d l o ! t h e F r e n c h m a n s t a g g e r in g u n d e r t h e w e i g h t o f M is s B u n io n w h o t r a m p s a n d k ic k s lik e a y o u n g c a r t h o r s e .

31

Tone-Weaving Today and Yesterday

THE MUSIC Polka T he P olk a is th e first selection w hich occurs on the reco rd ; it is th e m usic w hich announces Schwanda's appearance at the palace of Queen Ice-H eart. I t opens w ith a short introduction w hich assures us th a t none other than Schw anda is piping this rollicking tune. T his is follow ed b y th e principal them e of th e Polka. PR IN C IPA L THEM E (F IR ST PH R A SE)

..

Allegro moderaio

||s f

T his phrase is repeated in sequence at a higher p itch, and these phrases follow :

cres

£

T hen th e entire them e is repeated w ith greater vigor and brilliance. T he section which follow s is quieter, although th e stead y polka rhythm is m aintained. T he trum pet can be heard p layin g a counterm elody,* w hich does n ot seem to be in th e sam e k ey as the other m usic. T he third section introduces a m elody w hich is played first b y the horns and then b y th e strings. H ere are th e opening m easures : Espressivo r J

p |J r

is m

T his is one of th e m ost lyric passages in th e Polka. A s it com es to a close there is a brief interlude, in w hich a p attern from th e first m easure of the principal them e

32

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

is repeated several tim es as th e p itch rises and the volum e increases. F ollow ­ ing this, all of th e principal m elody is repeated, and th e P olk a closes w ith a sparkling brilliance th a t could n ot help b u t fascinate Q ueen Ice-H eart. The Fugue In order to en joy an y fugue it is necessary to be fam iliar w ith its sub­ ject, or them e. W einberger has used a longer subject than is custom ary in com positions w ritten in th is style, and all of it is given here. FU G U E SUBJECT

TO “

1— —

\TO 8 . hft h■■■:= i .-------------r f f \TO W n h ■+ J ----3 «1 -

■P - T - T - L

= m&.... =^

P=f J

f

If 1-

*

□

i.

.. j j . ..

I C /J

—-J

J

=■ ■■—1

=& =

d ---- ISV

=&

" 1V ■M

L: --

"r m 4

'

id

T he com poser has chosen to use certain figures,* or patterns, from this them e more often th an others, and so th ey are given here w ith letter designations.

r r I 4¥ft,„cr^r f if f i , , , ^

r ’r"

J i J

Figfure D

T he fugue subject is heard four tim es, as follow s : 1. The second violins announce it. 2. The second entrance is at a lower pitch and begins in the violas. 3. The third appearance is in the first violins, at a higher pitch than the first statement. 4. The fourth statement is made by the cellos, at a lower pitch than the second entrance.

Tone-Weaving Today and Yesterday

33

T hese four entrances of the fugue subject are follow ed b y a passage in which the wood w inds and strings are concerned w ith th e rhythm ic pattern of figure C ; and then we hear th e fugue subject in th e w ood w inds. T he figures (see page 32) can be heard as the different instrum ents play them , and now and then th e brass instrum ents insist on p layin g the subject. T he P olk a m usic returns, and is heard at the same tim e as the m usic of the Fugue. T hen there is a loud crash b y th e c y m b a ls; and th e fugue subject follows, this tim e played b y the strings. All the instrum ents are busily engaged in p laying th e various figures from the subject, and then the music seem s to take on a spirit of d ign ity as th e trum pet p lays a new figure.

From this point the m usic resem bles a ch orale; and w hen th e brasses p la y the fugue subject in deliberate, measured fashion, and th e organ unites w ith the orchestra, there is an im pression of breadth, strength, and power th a t is very different from th e effect given b y th e m usic w hich has gone before. A s though to rem ind us of the fugue subject, th e brasses p lay figure A several tim es as th e Fugue from S c h w a n d a ends in a stirring clim ax. 1. Are there an y p oints of sim ilarity betw een th is m usic b y W einberger and the Overture to T h e B a r t e r e d B r i d e , b y Sm etana? 2. H ow does W einberger express in m usic the nonsense w hich is con­ tained in the opera story? 3. In your opinion, does th e fugue, an intellectual form in m usic, lend itself to an expression of hum or and w it? 4. Can you nam e another com position w ritten in th is sty le in w hich th e composer was successful in being hum orous? THE COMPOSER Jaromir W einberger is a n a tive of B ohem ia. W hen b u t a sm all child he show ed unusual talen t, and could sit down at the piano and com pose original pieces w ith great ease. H e studied under com petent teachers, and when he w as tw en ty -six years old he cam e to Am erica to accept a teaching position in Ith aca, N ew York. H e was n ot particularly h app y in th is country and returned to his n ative land.

34

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

It w as S c h w a n d a , d e r D u d e l s a c k p f e i f e r w hich m ade W einberger a cele­ brated com poser. T he enorm ous popularity of this opera is alm ost w ith ou t parallel. H is m astery of counterpoint and instrum entation is apparent. H is orchestra is alive and personal, and his direct sincerity in his work is a strong factor in his growing prom inence as a composer. H e has sent a special m essage to the students who are hearing and considering the P olka and Fugue from S c h w a n d a . T o d a y t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s is t h e c u lt u r a l c e n t e r o f t h e e n t ir e w o r ld . T h i s is t h e lo g ic a l c o n s e q u e n c e o f t h e e ffo r ts o f m a n y g e n e r a t io n s b a s e d o n t h e u n iq u e id e a ls o f f r e e d o m a n d d e m o c r a c y . N o d ic t a t o r e v e r t o ld t h e A m e r ic a n p e o p le w h a t t o d o . T h e d e v e lo p m e n t o f t h is c o u n t r y h a s b e e n a c h ie v e d t h r o u g h t h e v o lu n t a r y i n i t i a t i v e o f fr e e c it iz e n s . N o b o d y t o l d t h e y o u n g A m e r ic a n m u s ic ia n t o o r g a n iz e t h o u s a n d s o f o r c h e s tr a s , b a n d s , c h o ir s a n d t o e s t a b lis h a w id e s p r e a d m u s ic a l e d u c a t io n a m o n g A m e r ic a n y o u t h . L ik e i t s a n c e s t o r s t h is g e n e r a t io n b e c a m e p io n e e r s o f i t s o w n w ill, p io n e e r s o f c u ltu r e . E v e r y o n e o f u s c a n b e a p io n e e r . L ife is c r e a tin g , a n d c r e a t in g is t h e b u ild in g o f n e w v a lu e s . T h e c u lt u r a l p io n e e r s o f t o d a y a r e t h e g e n u in e s o n s o f t h e p io n e e r s w h o b u ilt A m e r ic a . F r e e d o m a n d d e m o c r a c y a g a in a r e g u id in g A m e r ic a n y o u t h t o n e w h e ig h t s o f liv in g a n d a r e a s s u r in g t o A m e r ic a t h e le a d e r s h ip a m o n g a ll p e o p le s . W h e n I r e t u r n e d t o A m e r ic a s o m e m o n t h s a g o a f t e r a n a b s e n c e o f f if t e e n y e a r s I o b s e r v e d t h e u n b e lie v a b le d e v e lo p m e n t in g e n e r a l in t e r e s t in m u s ic , t h e d e s ir e o f y o u n g A m e r ic a n s t o b u ild u p a m u s ic a l lif e a n d a m u s ic a l p e o p le . I w a s h a p p y t o j o in A m e r ic a n m u s ic ia n s in w r it in g w o r k s , b o t h v o c a l a n d in s t r u m e n t a l, w h ic h w o u ld b e a p p r o p r ia t e fo r t h is g r o u p o f s t u d e n t s . T h e r e a r e m a n y w h o s h o u ld d e v e lo p c r e a t iv e a b i l i t y a n d t a l e n t in c o m p o s it io n , i n o r d e r t o p r o v id e m u s ic fo r o r c h e s tr a s , b a n d s , c h o r u s e s , c h o ir s , a n d t h e a t r e s . M y g r e e t in g s t o t h e s e p io n e e r s o f m u s ic a l c u ltu r e .

F u g u e Johann

S e b a s tia n

B ach

in

G

M in o r

cv. r .

mz

a, b

(1685—1750), German composer. Contemporary in

American H isto ry:

B e n ja m in F r a n k lin .

W h at are som e of the remarkable things about this Germ an composer, born more than tw o hundred and fifty years ago, th at have caused his m usic to live and his nam e to be honored? One of them is the fact th a t in th e m usic of B ach (baK) everything sings. E v ery voice has a m elody. N o t ju st th e soprano, as we m ight expect, b ut alto, tenor, and bass — all th e inner voices have tunes of their own. E ach goes m elodiously on its w ay, w eavin g and interw eaving in designs th a t are like th e m ost skillful patterns found in rare fabrics or in ornate baskets.

Tone-Weaving Today and Yesterday

35

T his is called p o l y p h o n y : p o l y , from th e Greek word m eaning " m a n y ,” and p h o n e , w hich m eans " v o ic e .” N o other com poser has ever equaled th is fam ous m aster in his skill in polyphonic writing. B ach's fugues, of course, give him p len ty of opportunity to use his ingenuity. In th e very early days a fugue was supposed to be restricted to th e com pass of a single octave.* T his m ade it necessary for the com poser to be as skillful and expert as those craftsm en who can fit a whole little rigged ship into a b ottle. BACKGROUND OF THIS FUGUE T his Fugue in G m inor is know n as th e "G reat F u g u e” to distinguish it from another one in the sam e key, w hich is known as the " L ittle F u g u e ” { P r e l u d e , page 91). A lthough we are hearing this fugue in an arrangem ent for orchestra, B ach com posed it originally for the organ. H e dearly loved th e organ, and all his life he had the habit of traveling long distances to hear new organs and try them out or test them . W hen he was on ly tw en ty years old he journeyed, m ostly on foot, a distance of tw o hundred m iles to hear one of th e m ost wonderful organs of th e d ay played b y the great organist and com poser D ietrich B uxtehude. A program of organ m usic was given from four to five o'clock in th e afternoon on each of the five Sundays preceding Christm as, and it was for these m usicales th a t B ach m ade his long trek. W hile em ployed b y th e D u k e of W eim ar (vl'mar) to p lay th e violin and viola and to arrange and com pose m usic for the royal household, he heard of a new organ ju st installed in a new church in H alle (hal'e). H e w en t to exam ine it and was offered the position as organist. T his new organ had sixty-three stops, while B ach's organ in W eim ar had only tw enty-four. H e w as greatly tem pted to accept th is new p o sitio n ; but, for som e reason, the arrangem ents were never com pleted. N ever did B ach have placed at his com m and an organ w hich was adequate to his genius. W hile he was in W eim ar, B ach com posed a group of pieces w hich are generally referred to as th e W eim ar Preludes and Fugues, and this Fugue in G minor is one of them . I t reveals th is great m usician at th e height of his creative expression. Som e biographers state th a t m an y years before he came to W eim ar B ach had studied w ith a w ell-know n G erm an organist and com poser of D u tch ancestry, nam ed R einken (rin'ken). B ach, on one of his journeys, w ent to see him and played th is fugue for him on th e organ. P ossibly his reason for selecting th is particular com position w as th e fact th at the principal subject is based on an old D u tch folk tune.

36

Making Friends with Music *New Horizons

THE MUSIC OF THE FUGUE H ere are a few measures of the D u tch folk s o n g :

I 9

m

J

1

p _____ "

^

r"

-----Z

—

I t is interesting to trace the sim ilarity of th e principal subject of this fugue to th e folk m elody.

\~9'"\t2~T' —

-r

"I 1

PR IN C IPA L SU BJEC T

P mP m

m mm^ I

As was done b y W einberger in th e F ugue from S c h w a n d a , Bach has repeated certain portions or figures of th e m elody in his Fugue in G minor, and th e m ost im portant ones are given here as an aid to a clearer under­ standing of th e m usic. Figure B

Figure A

I

J* V

A com parison of these tw o figures show s th at the in tervals* in figure B are m uch wider than those of figure A . A nother difference betw een these figures is th at th e notes in figure A m ove more rapidly and have a more clearly defined rhythm than those of figure B , w hich have a less d istin ctive rhythm ic pattern. T his fugue has certain distinct sections. In th e first section th e principal subject is heard four tim es, and each entrance is at a lower p itch than the one preceding. T he appearances of the principal subject are as fo llo w s: Violins I S e c o n d s t a t e m e n t o f t h e s u b j e c t : Violins II T h i r d s t a t e m e n t o f t h e s u b j e c t : Violas F o u r t h s t a t e m e n t o f t h e s u b j e c t : Cellos and basses F ir s t sta te m e n t o f th e

su b je c t :

A fter th e fourth statem en t of th e subject there is an e p i s o d e , or interlude, in w hich figure A is quite prom inent. T his is follow ed b y three appear­ ances of th e principal subject, beginning in the first violins, then in the second violins, and then in th e cellos and basses. T hen th e bass clarinet

Tone-Weaving Today and Yesterday

37

and bassoon take it up, and before long the flute is heard playing it. T hus the fugue subject m oves about from one p itch to another, different instru­ m ents being responsible for it. A new m elodic idea, know n as th e subordinate subject, is easily recog­ nized. I t consists of on ly four notes. f£

#

f

=i

m

Instrum ents of the w ood-w ind choir repeat it u n til even tu ally th e principal subject returns, played b y th e strings. T hen th e subordinate them e is heard several tim es (six, to be exact), and so th e m usic m oves on, the subordinate them e alternating w ith th e principal subject. In the final statem en t of th e fugue subject all the bass instrum ents unite to m ake th e clim ax of th e Fugue in G minor vigorous and brilliant. I t is interesting to notice th a t th e final trium phant chord is in the major m ode, whereas th e com position as a whole has been in th e m inor m ode up to this tim e. T his chord is know n as th e T i e r c e d e P i c a r d i e (ty&rs de pe-kar-de') or the " P ica rd y T hird.” T he exact reason for th e nam e is not known, but probably th e custom to w hich it refers was follow ed first in Picardy, in northern France. T he use of a m ajor chord at th e end of a com position in th e m inor m ode was a characteristic of B ach's w riting (P r e l u d e , page 92). It brings a sense of great fulfillm ent. Y ou have probably noticed th at w hen an instrum ent has played the principal subject, it keeps on playing even after som e other instrum ent enters w ith th e subject. T his is an exam ple of w hat is called c o u n t e r p o i n t . As you listen to th e m usic can you explain the m eaning of the word? I t is custom ary to refer to the different entrances of th e fugue subject as being in this v o i c e or th at, even though th e m usic is instrum ental. T his probably has com e from th e fact th at m uch of th e early church m usic was w ritten in th e sty le of a fugue and was sung rather than played. Composer^ of fugues are n ot restricted b y any rules as to th e order in w hich th e voices enter. B u t th e success of th e com position depends very m uch upon the principal subject and th e possibilities of its harm onizing w ith itself. 1. Are there any points of resem blance betw een th e subject of B ach's Fugue in G m inor and W einberger's Fugue from S c h w a n d a ? 2. Can you com pare these tw o com positions in such a w ay as to prove that the sty le of a fugue is practically the sam e to d a y as it was in B ach's tim e? 3. H ow do th e tw o fugues differ in the effect of their harm ony?

38

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH T hroughout th is course, M a k i n g F r i e n d s w i t h M u s i c , we have heard m uch of B ach's m usic and have learned som ething about th e m an him self, (P r e l u d e , pages 91—93 ; A t H o m e A n d A b r o a d , pages 61—66). T od ay he is hailed as one of th e greatest com posers w ho have ever lived, the very " fountainhead of m odern m usic." D escended from six generations of m usicians, his m usic had its roots in th e strong, sturdy life of th e com m on people. H e used to tell his pupils th a t every piece of m usic is a conversation betw een the separate voices w hich represent the characters. If one of th em has nothing of special interest to say, it m ay rem ain silent for a tim e until it can again enter quite naturally in to the conversation. A lthough B ach used the forms w hich were generally accepted in his day, his genius ennobled them and transform ed the fugue into an artistic ex­ pression of b ea u ty and power. B ecause a fugue m ust follow certain rigid rules, it is easy to see th a t it m ay develop into som ething m echanical and uninteresting. B u t in B ach's hands the fugue becam e alive and full of artistic qualities. H is them es were b its of genuine m elody, and such skill as his in handling them is rarely found in other com positions of similar typ e. H e com bined his genius in construction w ith a gift for poetic expression, and the result is pure m usic of the highest kind. W e m ight well compare th e Fugue in G m inor to a G othic cathedral. I t has strength, balance, and m ajesty, besides a w ealth of beautiful and interesting detail.

th e first tw o music dramas of D e r R i n g d e s N i b e l u n g e n , — D a s S E C O N D H A L F R h e i n g o l d (das rln'golt) and D i e W a l k i i r e (de val-kii're) ( A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d , pages 92—110), O L D O F A N — we becam e acquainted w ith th e characters N O R S E S A G A and the chief incidents of the legend on which this fam ous cycle is founded. W e are ready, therefore, to hear and stu d y the third and fourth m usic dram as of th e cycle. T he second half of this old N orse saga tells us of Siegfried (zek'fret), the youthful, fearless hero whose daring exploits are am ong the m ost thrilling of legendary stories. I t tells us also of the crafty M im e (m e'm e), of the unfortunate W otan (w o'tan), and of the noble B riinnhilde (brun-hil'de), no longer a V alkyrie (val-kir'i), whose sacrificial love determ ines the destiny of th e gods and of m en. T he m usic of Siegfried has all the youthful exuberance and strength of the hero from w hom the m usic drama takes its name. There is the stirring m usic of th e Forging Song, th e idyllic nature m usic of th e forest scene, and th e glorious m usic of B runnhilde's A wakening. In the m usic of D i e G o t t e r d a m m e r u n g (de gut'er-dem 'er-dong) we find orchestral passages w hich surpass even those of D i e W a l k i i r e . W e hear also the excitin g chorus of H agen (ha'gen) and his m en and th e haunting loveliness of the R hine m aidens' song, and we experience th e greatest of all m om ents in th e R i n g cycle w hen we hear the lo fty m usic of B riinnhilde's Im m olation. In order fu lly to recognize the significance of th e even ts w hich occur in the opera S i e g f r i e d , it is necessary to review w hat has taken place in the two preceding m usic dramas. Perhaps yo u w ill rem em ber th at W otan, king of th e gods, is secretly desirous of regaining th e ring w hich he w as forced to give th e giants in paym ent for V alhalla (val-hal'a), the hom e of the gods. B u t according to W otan's trea ty w ith them , no one receiving direct aid from him could ever claim the ring. B ecause of this, it was W otan's plan to create a race through which he could work in directly in order to regain this ring. D isguising him self as W alse (val'ze), he has created th e W alsung (vol'sbbng) race, w hich in D i e W a l k i i r e consists of Siegm und (zek'm bont) and Sieglinde (zek -lin 'd e). Siegfried is their son. Since Siegm und was killed in th e second act of D i e W a l k i i r e and Sieglinde has been dead since the birth of her son, Siegfried is now the only surviving W alsung. Y ou w ill notice th at the word W a l s u n g is derived from W alse. 39 T hrough

listening

to

40

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

SIEGFRIED R ic h a r d W a g n e r

(1813-1883), German composer. Contemporary in American H istory: U l y s s e s S. G r a n t .

A s the opera begins, Siegfried is a you ng man, H e has been raised b y a dwarf nam ed M im e, who, as you recall, is the brother of Alberich (al'ber-lK). I t w as M im e who m ade th e Tarnhelm (.A i H o m e a n d A b r o a d , page 93) for Alberich, which, together w ith the ring, is being guarded b y the dragon Fafner (faf'ner) in a near-by cave. Since M im e too w ould like to have the ring, he has been endeavoring tc forge a sword w ith w hich th e dragon m ight be slain, so th at he m ay be able to gain possession of it. N a tu rally M im e expects th a t Siegfried w ill win th e ring for him , b u t every sword which M im e forges is broken b y Siegfried as easily as a m an m ight break a th in shingle. There is one sword, however, of w hich Siegfried has no know ledge. 11 is the broken sword " N o th u n g ” (no'tdong), w hich M im e discovered at the tim e he found Siegfried. T his is the sword w hich W alse th ru st in to th e as! tree, from w hich it w as w ithdraw n b y Siegm und. Later it w as broken by W otan's spear in Siegm und's com bat w ith H unding (hoon'ding). Secretly M im e has been trying for a long tim e to fashion a sword from the broker pieces, b ut as y e t all his attem p ts have been unsuccessful. I t is ea sy to understand th a t Siegfried and M im e w ould n ot be happy together, for Siegfried's noble nature in stin ctively would distrust the treacherous M im e. M im e is cowardly and Siegfried is heroic. M im e is selfish and ill-tem pered, w hile Siegfried is self-forgetful and good-natured M im e is sm all and cowering, while Siegfried is strong and courageous. For th ese reasons, trouble is unavoidable betw een Siegfried and M im e M im e feels th a t Siegfried is ungrateful for th e care he has r e ceiv ed ; anc Siegfried retorts b y saying th a t the birds and all living things of the foresl are his friends, and th a t he cannot understand w h y M im e is n ot more friendly. H avin g seen his reflection in a stream , Siegfried realizes th at he could no< be the son of a m iserable dwarf like M im e. H e asks M im e about his fam ily but of course the dwarf does n ot w ish to m ake an y satisfactory reply Siegfried th en becom es more insistent in questioning M im e, who still re fuses to a n sw er; b u t Siegfried finally seizes him b y the throat, and choke; him u ntil M im e is forced to tell Siegfried of his parents. N o t on ly is M im e com pelled to tell th e story of Siegm und and Sieglinde but w hen Siegfried dem ands proof of the story, M im e is forced to produce the pieces of the broken sword. Siegfried then com m ands M im e to forg< the sword so th a t he m ay have it for his adventures in th e forest. Elate< T h e S t o r y o f th e F i r s t A c t .

Second H alf o f an Old Norse Saga

41

because M im e is n ot his father and th e dingy cave is n ot his hom e, Siegfried runs in to the forest, where he is truly happy. W hile Siegfried is aw ay in the forest, M im e has a strange and im pressive experience. A dark, one-eyed stranger enters his cave. H e bears the nam e of "W anderer,” b ut w hen we see th e opera we recognize him as W otan. M im e does n ot w elcom e th is stranger, but nevertheless th e latter rem ains and offers to answer an y three questions which M im e m ight ask, w ith the understanding th a t if he is unable to answer an y of them , he shall be beheaded. T hinking th a t th is m ight be a good w ay to get rid of th e "W anderer,” M im e asks him th e questions. First he asks, " W h a t race inhabits the depths of the e a r th ? ” T o w hich W otan replies, " T h e N ib elu ngen (ne'be-ldong'en), and Alberich once was their ruler.” T hen com es the second question, "WTiat races dwell on the earth's su rface?” W otan replies, " T h e g ia n ts” ; and then he proceeds to tell M im e th e story of how the gian ts cam e to have th e gold and th e ring, and how Fafner now guards the treasure in his cave. T hen M im e asks the third question, " W h at race lives on the cloudy h eig h ts? ” A t this point th e " W an d erer” arises m ajestically; and to the solem n accom panim ent of th e V alhalla them e he replies, " T h e Gods, and W otan is their h ead.” A t th is m om ent he touches the ground w ith his sp ea r; and in sta n tly there com es a sound of thunder, w hich frightens M ime very greatly. M im e has been uncom fortable w ith the "W anderer,” and wishes he would g o ; b u t he is even m ore u neasy w hen the "W an d erer” dem ands that M im e now m ust answer three questions under the sam e conditions, namely, th a t M im e w ill lose his life if he is unable to answer them . T he first question is this : " T o w h at race did W otan show least favor, 3ven though it was dearest to h im ? ” M im e answers th is question easily, saying it was the W alsung race ; th a t Siegm und and Sieglinde owed their origin to W a lse ; and th a t Siegfried, th e strongest of th e race, owes his origin to them . W otan's second question is th is: " W ith w hat sword shall Siegfried ig h t F a fn er? ” T o th is M im e replies, " N o th u n g ,” referring b oastfu lly to ,he pieces of the broken sword w hich are in his possession. T he third question is th is : " W h o w ill forge th e sword out of th e broken nieces ? ” M im e is terrified b y th is q u e stio n ; for th a t is the very thing he lim self w anted to know , and stu p id ly he had neglected to ask W otan this question. Since M im e is unable to answer this question, his head is supposed to be orfeited to th e " W anderer.” T his p en alty is n ot carried out, how ever, for

42

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

th e " W a n d erer’5 sim p ly says th a t he w ill leave the beheading of M im e tc one who know s no fear. H e adds also th at th is person will forge th e swore and will sla y th e dragon. A t this point the "W an d erer” disappears. It is n ot long before Siegfried returns to see if his sword is ready R ealizin g th e m eaning of the j" W anderer’s ” words, M im e sets ou t to tea cl Siegfried th e m eaning of fear; b ut this he is unable to do. T hen it is th a t Siegfried takes m atters into his own h a n d s ; for, seizing th e pieces of th e broken sword; he sets out to forge them him self. Asking M im e th e nam e of the sword, he learns th a t it is called " N o th u n g ,” afte] w hich he begins to forge the sword, singing a forging song as he works. H e

S h a p e s

H im

a

S h a rp -E d g e d

S w o rd

[ v . r . g 529 A

A s Siegfried is working w ith the sword, M im e, in order to save his owr life, plots against Siegfried. H e plans to prepare a poisonous drink with w hich he m a y destroy Siegfried after the latter has slain Fafner. T h is selection begins w ith th e dram atic m otive of th e Sword, playec triu m p h an tly b y brass instrum ents. SW ORD M OTIVE Y

w

21 i r ?

V 1 __

I

'

.......

\

..........

s

1

EJ

— ^

A fter th is, M im e sings of his plot against Siegfried : He maketh him a sword, Fafner to conquer; I ’ve brewed a mighty drink, Siegfried to finish when Fafner falls. Success must yet be m ine! Let me fail not now. W hile M im e sings of this villainous plan, we hear the sounds of Siegfriec striking th e anvil as he forges the sword. Siegfried begins singing w ith th e cry, "O -H o! O-Ha! O -H o! A -H a !” and as th e sound of the ham m er continues, he sings : Forge me, O hammer, a hearty sword. O-Ho! A-Ha! O-Ho! A-Ha! These merry sparks, what a joy to see. In rage the boldest spit at me. Loudly laughest thou now, but gruesome and grim wilt thou be. As th e m usic continues, it becom es more and more exciting and highe in p it c h ; u ntil th e entire orchestra bursts forth w ith a terrific chrom ati

’i

■

■

• '

•

S i e g f r i e d a n d G r a n e P a s s in g t h r o u g h t h e W a ll o f F la m e

G erm an R ailro ad s Inform s

T l i e D e a t h o f S ie g f r ie d . F r o m a W a l l P a i n t i n g i n t l i e R e s i d e n c e P a l a c e , M u n ic h

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

43

jhord, follow ed im m ediately b y a descending passage w hich alm ost seem s jO m ake a hissing sound as Siegfried plunges th e w hiterhot steel into th e sputtering water. T his is follow ed at once b y th e m otive of th e N ibelungen. N IBELU N G EN M OTIVE

.m

F ollow ing th is m otive, as Siegfried m akes a hilt for th e sword, M im e oyou sly sings, This ring my brother made of old, With magical power all things to sw ay; This shining gold which rules the world, I shall soon possess i t ; I conquer now. M im e continues happily, singing of th e power w hich he b elieves will soon )e his over b oth m an and g o d s ; for he expects to rule th e world when he >btains th e ring through Siegfried's efforts. Siegfried th en addresses th e sword w ith a dram atic p h r a se : w

H

t

r ----------1 I ........ d —-

& --------- 1

_

m

m •1 /—

No-1hung! No-thung! Mar-vel-ous sword! A s th e m usic continues, M im e and Siegfried sing alternating phrases — Clime alw ays singing of th e power which will be his, and Siegfried of his oy in h aving fashioned th e sword. Siegfried sings as fo llo w s : Thy steel flew in twain from my stricken sire; His son’s young life welds it anew. Like laughter its brightness beams. Its keen edge naught shall resist. Siegfried then repeats his greeting to the sword, after w hich th e Sword lo tiv e again is p layed b y th e trum pets. T he m usic becom es more and more exciting and its tem po becom es faster s it draws to a conclusion. W ith th e words " S o w orketh Siegfried's word," Siegfried brandishes th e sword and strikes th e anvil, sp litting it "om top to bottom . Shouting w ith glee, Siegfried holds th e sword a lo ft; lim e falls to th e ground, realizing all too w ell th e fate w hich w ill be his. 'he first act ends here.

44

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons S to r y o f th e S e c o n d A c t .

T he action now m oves to th e forest. I t is th dead of n ig h t ; and A lberich is keeping stea lth y w atch near Fafner's cave hoping in som e w ay to regain the ring. Groping in th e darkness of th forest com es the " W anderer,” whom Alberich quickly recognizes as WotaE Alberich rem inds W otan th a t he is powerless to claim the ring froE Fafner, because of his trea ty inscribed upon his sp e a r ; b ut W otan replie th at he is there m erely to w atch w hat m ay happen, and n ot to take activ part in an y of the ev en ts to follow. Alberich th en warns Fafner th a t sooi he m a y be attacked b y a strong h e r o ; but Fafner disregards th is warning A s daybreak com es, M im e and Siegfried arrive at th e dragon's cave where M im e leaves Siegfried to w ait for the aw akening of Fafner. Siegfrie< then lies down under a tree and listens to the singing of the birds. Cuttinj a reed, he tries to fashion an instrum ent w hich w ill im itate their song but th is he is unable to do. T hinking th a t perhaps he can play som e b ette notes upon his horn, he blow s a lively m elody. T his aw akens Fafner, w h crawls out of his cave w ith an enorm ous yaw n. T hen com es the figh betw een th e dragon and Siegfried. Fafner is m ortally w ounded ; b u t befor he dies he indicates his adm iration of Siegfried's heroism b y warning hiE th a t there is a curse upon th e ring, so th a t w hoever has possession of i w ill com e to a tragic end. D uring th e com bat w ith Fafner som e of th e dragon's blood spurts upo] Siegfried's h a n d ; and w hen it burns, Siegfried touches it to his lips. Im m ed ia tely he is able to understand th e language of th e birds, and one c th em tells him to go to th e cave to get th e ring and th e T arnhelm . T hi he d o e s ; ju st as he is com ing out of the cave, M im e approaches him am offers him a drink of th e potion he w as brewing as Siegfried forged th sword. Siegfried, how ever, is aware of M im e's treachery and in sta n tly kill him w ith th e sword. H e then takes M im e's b ody in to the cave and late blocks the entrance of th e cave w ith th e b od y of the dragon, Fafner. I t is now noon, and Siegfried is w eary after his strenuous and excitin m o rn in g ; so he rests awhile in th e shade of a tree. W hile sittin g there h hears again th e songs of the birds and learns from th em of B runnhilde, th beautiful V alkyrie who is lying asleep on a high rock, surrounded b y fire T he birds warn Siegfried th a t only he w ho know s no fear m ay penetrat th e fire, b u t Siegfried still is fearless. S ie g frie d in

th e

F o re st

[ V . R . G 567

T h e first part of th is record includes one of th e m ost beautiful excerpt from th e opera S i e g f r i e d . T his excerpt is frequently called the " Waldwc b en " (valt'va'b en ), or " F o rest M urm urs." There is sunlight and th e jo

45

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

m d freshness of th e out-of-doors in th is m usic as Siegfried revels in th e en­ chanting beauties of nature, b oth before and after his gruesom e experience svith th e dragon. Trem ulous passages in th e strings suggest th e rustling Df th e leaves, w hile the songs of th e birds are portrayed b y th e w ood-w ind n strum ents and later b y th e trum pets. T he second act ends here. S t o r y o f th e T h i r d A c t . A ct I I I of S i e g f r i e d opens w ith an im pressive scene of grandeur and solem nity. W otan stands near a rocky gorge and invokes th e w isdom of Erda (Sr'da). B u t Erda can help W otan no more. R ealizing th a t the end of th e gods is b ut a m atter of tim e, W otan be­ queaths th e world to th e son of th e W alsungs. T he passage in w hich he ioes th is contains one of the noblest of all th e m otives in the entire R i n g cycle: T H E H ER ITA G E O F T H E W ORLD M OTIVE r _ _ u

J

j

j

i J -

j-

- I

- I . J

■

Soon Siegfried appears. H e is on his w ay to th e flam ing rock where lies B runnhilde; b u t he is stopped b y W otan, w ho questions him in a friendly v a y and learns of the death of Fafner. W otan asks also about th e sword, m d Siegfried proudly tells how he has repaired it b y forging the broken nieces. W otan then asks w ho m ade th e sword originally. Siegfried answers Iia t he doesn’t care, for his on ly desire is to reach Brunnhilde ; and since ;he bird w hich w as directing him has flown aw ay, perhaps th is stranger vill show him th e way. W otan rem inds Siegfried of the fire through which he m ust pass in order ;o reach B ru n n h ild e; and at th is m om ent, as if b y m agic, a tow ering wall >f flame appears on the m ountain top and alm ost com pletely surrounds iVotan and Siegfried. W hen Siegfried show s no fear of th e flames, W otan hrusts his spear across th e narrow p ath w ay betw een tw o huge rocks, >arring Siegfried’s w ay to the m ountain top where lies Brunnhilde. W otan h en boasts of his spear, saying th a t it has such power th a t once before it splintered th e very sword w hich now belongs to Siegfried. T his piece of new s arouses Siegfried im m e d ia te ly ; he feels th a t at last le has found his father’s enem y, and th a t th is is his opportunity to avenge h e death of his father. Q uickly he draws his sw ord; and w ith a m igh ty )low he shatters W otan ’s spear, w hich had barred his p ath to Brunnhilde. *ls Siegfried breaks W otan’s spear there is a flash of lightning and violen t hunder, and th e flames over th e m ountain top rise higher and higher. B y th is te st of Siegfried’s heroism , W otan ’s promise to Brunnhilde in ^> ie W a l k i i r e has been fu lfilled ; for it will be remembered th a t W otan ’s ast words when p u ttin g B runnhilde to sleep were, " H e who m y spear

46

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

point's sharpness feareth shall n o te n te r the ring of flame " { A t H o m e a n A b r o a d , page 107). In this w ay W otan has m ade it possible for Siegfried t overcom e the last rem aining obstacle u n til he m eets th e m agic fire in hi quest for Brunnhilde. N eedless to say, Siegfried has not recognized Wota] and does n ot know of the love which W otan has for him . The record en titled "Siegfried in th e F orest" has a su btitle : "Siegfriei M ou n ts th e Burning H eigh t." As W otan disappears, the flames becomi higher and higher. Siegfried blows his horn and rushes fearlessly in to t h fire, w hich now envelops th e entire scene. A fter he has penetrated t h fire, the scene begins to c h a n g e ; th e flames fade and the clouds becom< softer as the dawn of a beautiful d ay approaches. The scene is just the sami as at th e end of D i e W a l k i i r e ; for B runnhilde is lying in full armor, w itl her helm et on her head and her b ody covered b y her long shield. As Siegfried approaches, he cannot realize th at this is Brunnhilde Surely it m ust be som e warrior hero w ho lies there in full armor! Raising the shield and the helm et which cover her, Siegfried rem oves her armoi and realizes th at this is the beautiful Brunnhilde, lying as though dead ii th e spell of sleep w hich has been cast over her. (There is a second su btitle : " Briinnhilde's A w akening.") T hen for tin first tim e in his life, Siegfried knows fe a r ; his eyes are blinded as thougl b y a h oly light, and his head sw ays and turns like a wheel, for " a m aidei deep in sleep has tau gh t him the lesson of fear." G en tly bending ovei B runnhilde, Siegfried awakens her w ith a kiss and th en stan d s before he: as if transfixed. Brunnhilde partly rises, and w ith solem n gestures greeti th e earth and th e heavens and the h oly d ay of her awakening. T hen follow s a beautiful scene betw een Siegfried and B runnhilde, ii w hich Siegfried sings of Briinnhilde's b eau ty and of his love for her B runnhilde in turn sings of Siegfried's m other, S ieg lin d e; of W otan's plai in th e creation of S ieg fried ; of th e freedom from V alhalla w hich is hers and of Siegfried's dauntless heroism. R ealizing th a t she is no longer a Valkyrie, B runnhilde accepts Siegfried'] love and sings ecstatically of the h eaven ly jo y w hich is hers in returning his affection. As the love duet continues, we hear at the beginning of th is selectioi the m otive of the H eritage of the W orld, sym bolizing W otan's bequest t< Siegfried when he was on his w ay to find Brunnhilde. H ERITAG E OF TH E W ORLD M OTIVE

['

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Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

47

T he first n otes sung b y Brunnhilde in th is record are those w hich we knew as th e F ate m otive at the end of D i e W a l k u r e : Fate Motive

iflit

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T he words to w hich th is m usic is sung are, " I f I am T h in e ?" T he association of th ese words w ith th e F a te m otive suggests th a t Siegfried and B runnhilde were destined b y F ate for th is m om ent of bliss. A s B runnhilde continues, she sings, Godlike repose no more I know. Once-holy peace turneth to tem pest; Heavenly wisdom no more is m ine; All are forsaken for love of thee! Then she sings again the F a te m otive. Soon we hear a phrase w hich we recognize as Briinnhilde's b attle cry, but in stead of her former " H o Y o! T o H o ! ” she sings the words "F earest thou, Siegfried, fearest thou n ot th is wild love of m in e?" B R U N N H IL D E ’S BATTLE CRY P f y '

i - L

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As th is phrase ends, th e orchestra p lays th e m otive of S iegfried ; and the passage he sings in answer is also his m otive. SIE G FR IED M OTIVE s — 1

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T his close association of Briinnhilde's b attle cry w ith Siegfried's m otive is sym bolic of the love th ey have for each other. Siegfried repeats his m otive ju st preceding th e close of this selection.

Briinnhilde and Siegfried

tv.r.g 567 b

Again B runnhilde sings the m usic w hich w as her b attle cry when she was a Valkyrie. T his tim e her words are a greeting to Siegfried, as she sings of his prowess and of her love for him. From this point on, th e m usic m ounts higher and higher in one of th e

48

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

m ost thrilling of all love duets. H avin g reached a clim ax, it becomes quieter for a m om ent w hile B runnhilde sings again the m otive of the H eritage of the W orld. B u t soon th e m usic m ounts again to another resplendent clim ax, as the voices soar higher and higher, accom panied in the orchestra b y m any repetitions of the m otive of the H eritage of th e World. T his m otive continues even after the voices have finished sin g in g ; and the m usic ends as th e trom bones resound trium phantly w ith the same m elody. DIE GOTTERDAMMERUNG T he fourth and final m usic drama in the R i n g cycle is D i e G o t t e r d a m m e r u n g , or T h e T w i l i g h t o f t h e G o d s . I t consists of three acts w ith a prologue, and it contains som e of the m ost glorious m usic w hich has ever been created. T h e P r o lo g u e . In the prologue there are tw o sc e n e s; in the first one everything is dark, in the second all is lig h t ; th e first one is quiet, while the second is charged w ith th e dram atic in ten sity which we found at the close of the opera S i e g f r i e d . Erda, it will be rem em bered, was the earth goddess of wisdom , whose nine daughters were the V alkyries. In addition to these heroic m aidens, how ever, she had three other daughters, who were know n as " N o rn s.” T h ey were th e F ates of Scandinavian m ythology. In the first scene of the prologue th e N orns sit brooding over th e thread of F ate, discussing th e past even ts of th e R i n g up to th e im pending down­ fall of th e gods. Suddenly the thread of F ate breaks, sym bolizing th e end of eternal w isd o m ; and, sinking in to th e earth, the N orns return to their m other, Erda, never to be seen again. The second scene of the prologue begins where the end of the opera S i e g f r i e d leaves off. B runnhilde has given to Siegfried th e divine wisdom w hich she inherited from Erda, her m o th e r ; and is about to send him forth to deeds of valor. B u t she entreats him n ot to forget th e fire he passed through to win her and the love each of th em has declared for the other.

If My Love I Must Leave

[v. r .

g 529 b

The adventurous Siegfried is about to leave Brunnhilde, in order to seek further deeds of heroism as he journeys down the R h in e ; the m usic of this selection is their farewell just before his departure. T he m usic begins w ith the m otive of the H eritage of the W orld (page 45), after w hich Siegfried gives Brunnhilde the ring as a pledge of his love. As he tells her how he had won the ring from Fafner, the orchestra accom panies him w ith a passage derived from Siegfried's H orn Call.

49

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga SIE G FR IE D ’S H O RN CALL

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As Siegfried refers to his past deeds, he sings th e Siegfried m otive (page 47), w hich is answered b y his Horn Call. Brunnhilde n ot only prom ises to guard and cherish th e ring, but she gives Siegfried her m ost treasured possession, w hich is her horse Grane (gra'ne). H e also had been put to sleep b y W otan and awakened b y Siegfried. As Brunnhilde tells of how Grane used to fly w ith her through the heavens, she sings th e m otive of the V alkyries, w hich is heard also in the horns and continues for several phrases until the H orn Call reappears. M O TIVE OF TH E VALKYRIES

i y in j^ :r-p g rr -irjrrj . Brunnhilde sings affection ately of her horse, asking Siegfried to care for him well. She tells Siegfried th a t Grane will know his voice and will obey it, and after a m om ent we hear the Love m otive of Siegm und and Sieglinde { A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d , page 101). LOVE M O TIV E OF SIEG M UND AND SIEG LIN D E fa T

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Siegfried then assures Brunnhilde th at her virtue w ill inspire his deeds of valor and th a t he will fight bravely w hatever b attles she m ay choose. T his is accom panied b y the m otive of the Valkyries. C ontinuing their duet, th ey consecrate their love for each other w ith solem n vow s as we hear a new m otive, th a t of B runnhilde as a H um an. B R U N N H IL D E AS A H U M A N

I

inn§

Soaring higher and higher, th e duet reaches an enraptured clim ax as th e lovers sing an ardent and heroic farewell, after w hich a stirring version of Siegfried's H orn Call concludes the selection and th is scene of th e opera.

50

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons S i e g f r i e d ’s R h i n e

J o u rn e y

[V. R. 14008 a i

F ollow ing the farewell of Brunnhilde and Siegfried th e orchestra plays the m usic of ” Siegfried's R hine Jou rn ey” as an interlude betw een the prologue and th e first act of D i e G o t t e r d a m r n e r u n g . As the m usic is played the listener im agines Siegfried's descent through the flames as he rides Grane down to the banks of the river R hine, along w hich he continues his journey. T he m usic is purely instrum ental, and it m ight w ell be regarded as a stirring tone poem based upon th e dram atic situation in w hich it is heard. T he m eaning of th is m usic is more clearly understood when the listener is able to id en tify th e m otives which are heard, but its v ita lity and manly energy are evid en t to all who listen to it. Indeed it con veys a definite and v iv id im pression of the action w hich is taking place. Several versions of ” Siegfried's R hine Jou rn ey” have been m ade foi concert purposes. T he one m ade b y Arturo T oscanini (tds-ka-ne'ne) begins w ith the orchestra p laying th e m usic of ” Siegfried's and Briinnhilde's F arew ell” and concludes w ith the ” R hine Journey.” Since we have heard the m usic of th e ” F arew ell” as it is sung in the opera itself, we begin T oscanini’s version of the ” R hine Jou rn ey” at the point where the vocal duet is finished. T his m usic begins, therefore, w ith the version of th e H orn Call with w hich the previous record is concluded. Follow ing this, the m otive of Brunnhilde as a H um an is heard several tim es in the strings. T he m usic then becom es quieter, and we hear Siegfried's H orn Call in its original form (page 49). H ow w ould you describe the difference betw een this statem en t of th e H orn Call and th e one w ith w hich the record began? Im m ediately follow ing th e H orn Call, the m otive of Brunnhilde as a H um an is played b y th e bass clarinet, after which the Horn Call is repeated. I t is approxim ately at th is point th at the curtain is lowered. T he strings then enter w ith a strongly m arked passage, after w hich the H orn Call is heard tw ice in a more precise rhythm than it had before. T he H orn Call is then tak en up b y th e oboes, which p lay it tw ic e ; after which it is heard in horns and low strings. A crisp rhythm ic accom panim ent is now introduced in the high strings, below w hich the rhythm ic and m elodic pattern from th e first measure of the H orn Call is played b y low strings. T his figure m ounts higher and higher and finally leads in to th e m otive of th e R hine, played brilliantly and trium phantly b y brass instrum ents.

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

51

M O TIVE O F TH E RH INE

m

T his m otive is repeated b y horns and wood winds, and th e m usic in­ creases greatly in volum e u n til th e full orchestra plays th e phrase w ith w hich the R hine m aidens pleaded w ith W otan to return their gold as he was entering V alhalla { A t H o m e a n d A b r o a d , page 97). > f /

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T his is follow ed alm ost im m ed iately b y th e m o tiv e of th e G old itself w hich is played b y th e trum pet.

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N e x t we hear the quiet and graceful m usic w hich th e R hine m aidens sing near the end of D a s R h e i n g o l d . Other m otives appear, and th e m usic becom es very q u ie t; as th is continues, it seem s to give th e listener a sense of im pending doom . Soon th e m otive of the Gold is p layed b y low brass instrum ents. T his is repeated several tim es, m ounting higher and higher in p itch as the m usic approaches its conclusion. F in ally th e opening figure of the H orn Call is repeated brilliantly and rapidly b y high brass instrum ents. S t o r y o f t h e F i r s t A c t . A s Siegfried journeys dow n the R hine, he com es upon th e kingdom of th e G ibichungs (ge'bix-oongs) ; and it is in th e hall of th e G ibichungs th a t th e even ts of this act occur. T he chief of th is race is G unther (goon'ter). H is sister is G utrune (goo-trdo'ne), and his half-brother is the sw arthy, sinister H agen. H agen is darkness it s e lf ; his hair is black, his beard is black, and his costum e is black. H e is th e arch villain of D i e G o t t e r d a m m e r u n g . In fact, he is th e very personification of hate. H agen is the son of A lb erich ; and since Alberich renounced all love in order to m ake the ring from th e gold, it m ay be seen th at H agen is th e son

52

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

of a loveless m arriage. H e is gloom y, he h ates all th at is good, and his whole purpose in life is to regain the ring. B o th G unther and G utrune are unm arried. A s th e scene opens, H agen is deploring th is fact and is suggesting a husband for G utrune and a w ife for G unther in a dire p lot to get th e ring. H e tells G unther of th e beautiful Brunnhilde, w ho lies on a rock surrounded b y m agic fire. H agen feels th a t Brunnhilde w ould be a very desirable bride for G u n th er; and G unther agrees. In fact, everyth ing about the plot appeals to him except th e need of passing through th e flam es to reach Brunnhilde. H agen then tells G utrune about Siegfried, the dauntless hero w ho slew the dragon Fafner. H e suggests th a t Siegfried would m ake a splendid husband for G utrune, and th at if th e right p otion were prepared this m igh t be brought about. F ortu n ately for th e G ibichungs and m ost unfortu n ately for Siegfried, he arrives at this very m om ent. H e receives a royal welcom e from G unther, b ut H agen does n ot know how even to pretend h osp itality. In answer to H ag en ’s question concerning th e N ib elu ng treasure, Siegfried replies th at he took on ly th e Tarnhelm and the ring, adding th at the ring is now in th e possession of a glorious wom an and th at he has not th e sligh test idea how to use th e Tarnhelm . H agen explains it to S ieg fried ; for it w as his uncle, M im e, w ho m ade it. G utrune th en enters th e hall and greets Siegfried, offering him n ot on ly a w elcom e as a guest but also the p otion w hich she has prepared. Siegfried drinks th is w ith a loving thought of Brunnhilde. Im m ediately, how ever, the potion begins its work. I t w as a drink of fo rg etfu ln ess; and in a few m inutes Siegfried has forgotten all about B runnhilde and is m ad ly in love w ith G utrune. G unther th en tells Siegfried of a noble m aiden w ho lives on a m ountain top surrounded b y fire, and he suggests th at perhaps Siegfried could help him w in her as a bride. B ecause he has drunk th e potion of forgetfulness, Siegfried doesn’t even rem em ber th a t th e m aiden in question is Brunnhilde. Swearing friendship to G unther, he offers to help him win th is m aiden. If th ey are successful, Siegfried’s reward is to be th e hand of G utrune in marriage. W hile all th is has been going on, Brunnhilde has been living in the happy m em ories of Siegfried’s love for her and in adm iration of th e ring he has given her. Suddenly th e sound of thunder is heard, and as it continues it becom es louder and louder. A piercing cry is heard in th e distance. It is a sound w hich Brunnhilde recognizes, for it is one of her V alkyrie sisters approach­ ing. H er nam e is W altraute (val'trou -te), and she has com e to tell Briinn-

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

53

hilde of th e sad situ ation in V alhalla and to warn her of th e tragic fate w hich m ay befall her. According to W altraute, W otan ’s despair is pitiful. Since Briinnhilde left V alhalla he has never once sen t th e V alkyries out to b a t t le ; so th ey have had to be content w ith m erely riding aim lessly through th e clouds. In fact, W otan him self has done little else than wander alone through the w o r ld ; and the last tim e he returned to V alhalla his spear w as broken. W altraute tells also th at W otan has now ordered the heroes in V alhalla to cu t down th e Tree of Life and E ternal W isdom , and to pile up th e w ood around Valhalla. Since this tim e, W otan has done noth in g b u t sit in sorrowful silence, surrounded b y th e piles of w ood from this tree, holding th e pieces of the broken spear in his hands. Once W altraute overheard W otan say th a t if Brunnhilde would give th e ring back to the R hine m aidens, all the troubles in Valhalla would cease. B ecause of this, she has secretly slipped aw ay from V alhalla to give B runnhilde this m essage. Of course, Brunnhilde is unw illing to give up the ring. B ecause of W otan she is an exile from Valhalla, she is disinherited, and she is no longer a V a lk y rie; while, on th e other hand, Siegfried and th e ring w hich is th e token of his love m ean everyth ing in th e world to her. W altraute th en m ounts her w inged horse and rides aw ay in a storm cloud. Soon after the V alkyrie has departed Brunnhilde hears th e sound of Siegfried’s horn, and th e flames begin to flare up around th e rocks. Brunnhilde expects to see Siegfried, because she hears his H orn C a ll; but, w ith th e aid of th e Tarnhelm , he appears in G unther’s form. N atu rally, Brunnhilde is filled w ith terror ; for she cannot understand how anyone but Siegfried can penetrate th e fire. In reply to her questions, Siegfried (in th e form of G unther) replies th at she is to be his w ife ; and B runnhilde begins to understand the m essage from Valhalla. B elieving th a t th e ring w ill protect her, she holds it up in clear v ie w ; b u t she is overpowered and forced to give up the ring as the act ends. S t o r y o f th e S e c o n d A c t . O verw helm ing darkness marks th e opening of the second act. N o t on ly is it n ight, b u t th e sinister form of H agen and his treacherous plot m ake th is a gloom y scene. Alberich, the loveless father of H agen, is urging him to recover th e ring before Siegfried can return it to th e R hine m aidens or learn of its power. As Alberich departs, Siegfried approaches. R em oving th e T arnhelm and hanging it on his belt, he assum es his usual form. Still under th e spell of th e potion w hich m ade him forget B runnhilde, he tells H agen and G utrune how he penetrated the fire and w on Brunnhilde for Gunther.

54

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

H agen th en sum m ons his m en, th e G ibichung vassals, and tells th em of the marriage of G unther and B runnhilde w hich is about to take place. H e also instructs them to kill a boar for Froh (fro), a lu sty he-goat for D onner (don'ner), and a sheep for Fricka (frick'a), so th at the gods w ill aid th e marriage w ith their blessing. A fte r th e

S la u g h te r

tv .

R. g

530

a

T his is a song of H agen's m en. A t the beginning of th e selection the G ibichung m en ask H agen w hat th ey shall do after the anim als have been slaughtered. T he answer is th a t th ey m u st drink to the health of the gods. A fter a brief orchestral interlude, th e m en sing th a t good luck has come back to the R h in e ; for even H agen, th e grim one, is jovial and all the G ibichungs are laughing and in th e b est of spirits. H agen does n ot let the laughter continue long, h o w ev er; for w ith great seriousness he com m ands his m en to w elcom e Brunnhilde (the bride) and G unther. Som e of them are sen t to the banks of the R hine, w hich flows near by, while others seek points of van tage from which th e y can see into th e distance. H agen then warns his m en to guard B runnhilde w ell and to be quick to avenge her if she should be wronged. As the m usic continues, a boat bearing G unther and Brunnhilde com es up the r iv e r ; and those who can see th em hail the bridal pair w ith a lu sty w elcom e. Som e of the m en spring in to th e w ater and pull th e b oat ashore, while all th e m en sing, " H a il and w elcom e!" A t this point G unther steps from the b oat w ith B runnhilde, and th e G ibichungs form in lines to receive them . T his is accom panied b y sta tely and dignified m usic in a m arch rhythm . T hough th e G ibichung vassals are slaves of H agen, their song of wel­ com e to G unther and his bride is noble and heroic. I t is th e sort of m usic one m ight associate w ith a dignified and inspiring cerem ony w hich m en m igh t perform in som e sta te ly G othic hall near the R hineland. T h e N a r r a t i v e C o n t i n u e s . A s G unther and Brunnhilde enter th e scene, Siegfried and G utrune advance to m eet them . B runnhilde is so am azed to find Siegfried there th a t she gasps and sw ays and nearly f a lls ; for she believes th a t Siegfried has been false to her. Seeing th e ring on Siegfried's finger, she quickly dem ands th a t G unther claim it. For was it n ot G unther w ho took the ring from her? W hen G unther declares th a t he gave no ring to Siegfried, Brunnhilde is filled w ith rage and accuses Siegfried of having stolen it from her. All Siegfried can remember, however, is th a t he won th e ring from Fafner. Still under the spell of th e potion, he denies th a t B runnhilde is his wife

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

55

and tak es an oath of brotherhood to G unther on th e point of H agen's spear. A t th is m om ent, Brunnhilde rushes to th e spear, swears th a t Sieg­ fried's oath is false, and prays th at he m ay perish b y th at very spear point, while the crowd seethes w ith excitem ent and confusion. H agen then plots w ith Brunnhilde to avenge the wrong which Siegfried has done h e r ; and Brunnhilde, through H agen's trickery, now seeks Sieg­ fried's death. I t is from her th at H agen learns th a t Siegfried can be wounded on ly in th e b a c k ; and since he never turns his back on a foe, it is virtually im possible to defeat him . Of course, th is plot is H agen's schem e to gain th e ring, which is now in the possession of Siegfried. Fearing th a t G utrune m ight be angered b y the slaying of Siegfried, it is planned to take him on a hunting trip and then explain his death b y saying th at he w as killed b y a wild boar while hunting. A fter th e trip has been planned, th e w edding procession of G utrune and Siegfried ends th e second act. S t o r y o f t h e T h i r d A c t . T he scene of th is act is laid in a wild and rocky v alley near th e R hine, w hich flows past a steep cliff. A s the scene opens, the three R hine m aidens rise to the surface of the river and sw im about w ith graceful m otions in the rhythm of th e song w hich th ey sing.

T h e

S u n lig h t W e a v e s

tv .

R. g

530

b

T his m usic begins w ith th e beautiful song of th e R hine m aidens. T h ey sing of th e glorious beam s of the sun, and also of th e darkness w hich rests upon th e R hine now th a t th e gold is no longer there. A t the end of their second phrase the them e of the Gold is heard in the French horns.

j-jlj.

IpiJ

T he R hine m aidens then recall how brilliant were the river's w aves when the gold shone b eneath th e m ; and at this p oint th e them e of the G old is played b y the trum pets. T he remainder of their song extols the b eau ty of the R hine gold (although m uch of th e song is sung on syllables w hich have no m eaning, except to suggest th at the R hine m aidens are a sym bol of th a t w hich is purely natural). In th e distance the sounds of a horn are heard, and the R hine m aidens joyou sly splash about in th e water as th e orchestra plays a descriptive phrase w hich itself is like a splash of tone.

56

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

T he concluding m usic of th is record is like th e b eg in n in g ; but th e tex t is different, for th e R hine m aidens implore th e Sun God to send to them the hero, so th at he m a y return their treasure to them . Again the m otive of the Gold is heard, first in the horns and later in the trum pets. T he selection ends w ith th e R hine m aidens singing of the b eau ty w ith which the R hine w ould glow if the gold were returned to them . T his is one of th e m ost expressive passages in th e opera. T h e N a r r a t i v e C o n t i n u e s . A t this point Siegfried approaches, p laying his H orn Call. H e has wandered aw ay from the rest of the hunting p arty and does n ot know where he is. T he R hine m aidens then com e to the surface of the w ater, and offer to help Siegfried find the boar he is hunting if he will give th em the ring. Siegfried does not take this serio u sly ; he jokes w ith them and th ey m ock him . W hen Siegfried does n ot give them the ring, th ey tell him of the curse w hich is upon it and of the doom w hich w ill be his if he keeps it. I t is easy to guess w hat Siegfried's reaction would be to th is threat. N ever has he know n fear, except w hen he aw akened B ru n n h ild e; and he has no sense of th e value of his life or of any harm th at could ever com e to him . Of course he refuses to give th em the ring. T he R hine m aidens sing farew ell to Siegfried, saying, UA sta te ly wom an will inherit your ring t o d a y ; she will grant our request." A s the R hine m aidens disappear in the distance, horns and the voice of H agen are heard. Siegfried answers their call, and is joined b y H agen and G unther. As th ey sit down to rest, Siegfried tells them the story of his early life w ith M im e, of the forging of the sword and th e slaying of the dragon, and of th e dragon's blood w hich gave him the power to understand th e m eaning of the songs of th e birds. H e tells also of the ring and the Tarnhelm . A t this point H agen offers Siegfried a potion which will counter­ act the one G utrune previously had given him. T his potion of H agen's restores Siegfried's m em ory, so th a t he is enabled to continue his story and to tell of his penetration of the flames and of the awakening of Brunnhilde. As Siegfried sings of Brunnhilde he becom es more and more excited, and he sings in a thrilling fashion of his love for her. Just at th is m om ent tw o ravens fly o v erh ea d ; and as Siegfried turns to look at them , H agen plunges his spear into Siegfried's back. Before Siegfried can return th e blow, he falls unconscious. H agen m utters words of revenge and disappears. T he sym pathies of G unther, how ever, are now w ith th e w ounded h e r o ; and G unther stays w ith him to give him aid. Siegfried then sings of Brunn­ hilde, repeating th e m usic of the scene when he first awakened her. H is last words are of Brunnhilde, and he dies.

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

57

T hen follow s one of th e greatest funeral m arches in all m usic. I t attains a height of grandeur and solem n ity which seldom has been equaled in m u sic ; it is a m usical ode to heroism w hich rarely, if ever, has been sur­ passed. Like th e R hine Journey, this funeral m arch is p layed b y the orchestra as the curtain is lowered. A t its conclusion, th e scene is once more the hall of th e G ibichungs. I t is night, and th e m oon is shining on the river. G utrune is aw aiting the return of Siegfried. Suddenly H agen enters and inform s her th a t Siegfried has been slain b y a boar. As his body is brought in, G utrune faints. W hen she is revived, G unther tells her of H agen's deed. H agen, angry th at G unther has revealed his plot, announces th a t th e ring (which still is on Siegfried's hand) will be his. T his, however, is challenged b y G unther, who claims the ring for him self. Infuriated b y this, H agen draws his sword and slays G unther. A t this point occurs one of th e m ost striking scenes in th e entire R i n g . H agen, about to take possession of the ring, approaches th e b od y of Sieg­ fried to rem ove th e ring from his finger. B u t as he does so, Siegfried's arm suddenly rises stiffly in to the a ir ; and H agen is so frightened th a t he shrinks aw ay in horror. Brunnhilde now enters the scene and takes charge of the situation. T o the accom panim ent of th e R hine m otive, she sings, " L e t silence fall upon your n oisy grief! I am she w hom thou hast betrayed, and for vengeance now have I com e." G utrune then blam es Brunnhilde for th e slaying of S ieg fried ; b u t B runnhilde answers her in no uncertain term s, and Gutrune then understands the p lot w hich has been carried out. Here, th e true strength of B runnhilde is revealed, and th e divine side of her nature again shines forth as in D i e W a l k U r e . From this p oint to the end, B runnhilde is in com plete authority and dom inates all th a t happens. I t is as though all eternal w isdom were hers as she stands nobly and w ith solem n exaltation gives the final instructions for th e care of her lover's body. F irst she com m ands th a t a w orthy funeral pyre be built. T hen she calls for the horse Grane, w hich she had given Siegfried as a token of her love. T hen w ith th e words, " I long to share in the honor eternal of this m y hero and love," she suggests a plan which will break th e curse th a t rests upon the ring. As her song continues, she calls upon the gods to w itness her distress and to realize their own disgrace. A ll know ledge now is clear to her, and she sends W otan's ravens back to their hom e w ith th e m essage long aw aited in Valhalla.

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Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

Rest Thou

[V. R. 9469 A

A s th e m usic of this " Im m olation Scene ” continues, we hear the om inous m otive of the Curse played solem nly b y the low brasses. £ *

===22

J' T hen, w ith one of th e m ost im pressive phrases in th e entire R i n g , Brunnhilde calls th e gods to rest. There are peace and poise and quiet grandeur in this phrase, w hich is accom panied b y m usic associated w ith Valhalla. T his is follow ed b y a m ajestic, m arching phrase in w hich the m otive of the Burning of V alhalla is heard.

D uring this m usic B runnhilde takes the ring from Siegfried's hand and signals to the m en to bear his body to the funeral pyre. N o w B runnhilde recalls th a t the curse which is upon th e ring is due to selfish n ess; and she also know s th at the ring's power com es only through th e surrender of love in favor of power. R ealizing th a t th e world m ust be saved from this curse of power, B runn­ hilde n obly prepares to perform an act of such unselfishness th a t it will break th e curse. In th e sacrifice of power in favor of love, lies th e very essence of th e plot of T h e R i n g . For it is only b y th e choice of love instead of power, and By acts of self-sacrifice, th a t th e curse w hich has caused all the trouble can be broken. W hen we hear th e m usic of the R hine m aidens' song, follow ed b y their m otive, w e realize th a t Briinnhilde's plan includes the return of th e ring to th e R hine m aidens. S O N G O F T H E R H IN E M A ID E N S

M O T IV E O F T H E R H IN E M A ID E N S

*

it

£

G e r m a n R a ilr o a d s I n fo r m

F estival Playhouse in Bayreuth

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

59

P u ttin g th e ring on her finger, she turns tow ard the funeral pyre where Siegfried's b ody has been laid. T hen she snatches a firebrand from one of the m e n ; and as some flaming passages are played b y the orchestra, she brandishes her torch and orders W otan's ravens back to tell w hat th ey have seen. She com m ands th em also to go to the rock where Loge (lo'ge), the god of fire, still flames, and to send Loge to Valhalla. T he accom pani­ m ent to this passage is the m otive of F i r e , w hich was heard at th e con­ clusion of D i e W a l k i i r e . M OTIVE O F TH E M AGIC FIR E

£

1

£

Brunnhilde then flings her flam ing torch in to the pyre, w hich quickly bursts into flames. T he tw o ravens can be seen flying up from the rocks and th en th ey disappear in to th e distance. T w o m en now approach w ith her horse ; and Brunnhilde rushes toward it, unbridles it, and greets it affectionately. T he tex t and m usical references in th is selection are as follows : Text

Rest Thee, Rest Thee, Oh God

Again my hand holdeth its dower, Accursed ring! Hold thee fast That far I might hurl thee away.

Music Motive of the Curse Music associated with Valhalla Orchestra plays Burning of Valhalla Rhine motive is heard just before Brunnhilde sings Curse motive in vocal melody Song of the Rhine Maidens

Ye gliding maidens of the waters Motive of the Rhine Maidens The Rhine's most graceful of daughters My thanks I give to thee now What ye desire — I give to you Motive of the Gold From out my ashes take it and keep it Motive of the Gold The fire that bumeth me taketh the curse from the ring.

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Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

Music Deep in the Rhine melt thou the band, And keep thou the gleaming lump of gold That robbers stole to your grief. Fly home, ye ravens! Go and tell your Wotan What here on the Rhine ye have heard.

Text Music of the Rhine Maidens

Fire music Motive of the Magic Fire

To Briinnhilde’s rock your flight shall be Where Loge flames still. Bid him hurry to Valhalla. The dusky twilight closeth on us So hurl I the brand on Valhalla’s towering heights. Grane, my horse! I greet thee here.

Rhine motive Fire music Valkyrie motive Valkyrie motive

Know’st Thou W ell

[V. r. 9469 b

Brunnhilde then tells Grane th at he is to take her to be w ith Siegfried, th e hallow ed hero ; and the orchestra v iv id ly suggests th a t Grane neighs joyou sly at this prospect. Springing upon Grane’s back, Brunnhilde rides her horse onto th e flam ing funeral pyre, w hich blazes high and begins to consum e everything near b y. A t this m om ent the R hine swells up in a m igh ty flood and spreads its w aters over th e flam ing pyre. On the surface swim th e R hine m aidens, w ho take the ring from the ashes. H agen, in one last effort to gain the ring, jum ps into the R hine to take the ring from th e R hine m aidens ; b u t th e y overpower him , and he is drowned. The R hine then recedes, though th e R hine m aidens still are visible by th e light of the fire, w hich again begins to burn w ith such fury th a t its flames reach Valhalla. V alhalla and the gods are destroyed. H agen has been done aw ay w ith. T he curse of the ring has been broken, and once more th e gold makes bright th e waters of the R hine. Follow ing a m om entary break in th e m usic, T h e R i n g ends w ith the m otive of R edem ption through L ove, w hich suggests th a t it is love which in the future should control th e world. T he tex t and m usical references in th is selection are as follow s :

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

Text

61

Music Valkyrie motive

Knowest thou, my friend, Where hie we together ? With flame surrounded,

Motive of Redemption through Love Motive of Siegfried

There lies thy lord,

Motive of Redemption through Love Motive of Siegfried

Siegfried, the hallowed hero. To be with thy master, Joyously neighest thou ?

Walktire motive Suggestion of Briinnhilde’s Battle Cry

Lo, how the flame Doth leap and allure th ee!

Fire music

So to my bosom hotly doth burn, Sacred fire my spirit enfold!

Motive of Redemption through Love, re­ peated at higher and higher pitches as the music mounts to a glorious climax

Oh, to enfold him! To lie in his arms In love’s fervid passion! Once more to be h is! Yo Ho! To Ho! Grane!

Suggestion of Briinnhilde’s Battle Cry

Greet we our hero.

Motive of Redemption through Love

Siegfried! Siegfried! See! Fondly greets thee thy bride.

Siegfried motive

Sequence of Motives in the Orchestral Conclusion Valkyrie motive Fire motive Hagen’s phrase, followed by Curse Motive 0 Motive of the Rhine Maidens Valhalla motive (Brass) Redemption through Love (Strings) Valhalla (Brass)

Redemption through Love (Strings) Valhalla (Brass) Valhalla combined with j- (Full orchestra) Burning of Valhalla Siegfried (Brasses) Redemption through Love

62

Making Friends with Music *New Horizons

CONCLUSIONS After listening to th e glorious m usic of T h e R i n g o f t h e N i b e l u n g s , it is unnecessary to be told th a t it is a creative achievem ent th at stands un­ equalled and th a t it is an unparalleled m usical experience to hear it. T his cycle of four m usic dramas som etim es is called a " trilogy w ith a p ro lo g u e/7 The prologue, the first of the m usic dramas, is D a s R h e i n g o l d . As in his other operas, W agner n ot only com posed the m usic, b u t wrote th e libretto and stage directions as well. T he story of T h e R i n g is based upon old N orse legends, from w hich W agner prepared the texts for the four m usic dramas w hich m ake up the cycle. H e wrote the texts in reverse order, beginning w ith D i e G o t t e r d d m m e r u n g . H e com posed the m usic, how ­ ever, in th e sequence in w hich the operas are now heard. There is no single m usical or dram atic work which surpasses T h e R i n g o f t h e N i b e l u n g s 1 as an accom plishm ent of sustained creative thought, for it is one of the m ost im m ense creations of hum an im agination. Its creation occupied W agner's atten tion p ractically tw en ty-six years, and the orches­ tral scores of th e four m usic dramas total alm ost four thousand pages. W hen the entire R i n g cycle is performed, it extends over a period of four days, the actual performance requiring about fourteen hours. B u t th e greatness of T h e R i n g is not confined to these figures of size and tim e, for it brings to our im agination a sense of the vastn ess of th e entire universe of the ancient gods and of m en. It touches m ajestic heights and it reaches m ysterious depths. I t has m om ents of tender and idyllic loveli­ ness, and it overpowers us w ith its tragic grandeur. It begins in the depths of the river R hine and ends in th e flam ing heavens as V alhalla is consum ed w ith fire. It tells us of the selfishness of m en and it sets before us the heroic and sacrificial love of th e noble Brunnhilde. Its m usic is more than m erely stirring and exciting. I t is a beautiful, eloquent, and deeply-m oving tonal speech which m akes us feel as though we were a part of the universal and eternal truth it reveals. THE MOTIVES W e have already learned th a t in T h e R i n g W agner used a system of sm all m otives w hich serve to id en tify certain individuals, places, situations, or ideas through constant association w ith them . T hese m otives are used con sisten tly throughout the entire series of m usic dramas w hich comprise T h e R i n g as well as in other W agnerian operas. 1When the first two operas of this cycle were presented on pages 92—110 of A t Home and Abroad some general information about The Ring was included and it is repeated here as a matter of review.

Second H alf of an Old Norse Saga

63

W hether or n o t we understand the m eaning of the words w hich are being sung, it is possible for us to recognize and understand th e ideas or situations to w hich the m usic refers if we can id en tify the m otives as th ey appear. Som etim es th e m otives are sung, b ut just as frequently th ey are heard in the orchestra. Therefore it is quite as im portant to listen carefully to the orchestra as it is to give a tten tion to the voices. THE COMPOSER, RICHARD WAGNER P robably there is no question b ut th at R ichard W agner has been the m ost powerful influence in th e m usic of the last seven ty-five years. E ven y et, his achievem ents are a source of am azem ent to all w ho learn of them , and the work of m an y later com posers shows the effect of his m usical, orchestral, and dram atic innovations. A t least ten of his operas are per­ form ed w ith more or less regularity in m any countries, and his m usic is know n throughout th e entire world. It has already been sta ted th at W agner n ot only com posed the words and m usic for these operas, but worked out their staging, even to the m ost m inute details. H is creative efforts were n ot lim ited to m usic. N um erous essays, m an y articles* on m usic and philosophy, and an enorm ous autobi­ ography bear his nam e. I t is difficult to realize th a t W agner created all the tex t of th e R i n g cycle, and half of its m usic, at a tim e when he was suffering from a com bination of m ost unfortunate experiences. M uch of this tim e he w as poor, m ost of the tim e he was i l l ; and for over tw elve years he was a political exile from his hom eland. T h a t he continued his work and com pleted w hat he had set out to do is b u t another exam ple of his unconquerable creative will. T o this w as added, in later years, th e inspiration of his wife C osim a (k5'si-ma) (the daughter of L iszt (list)), w ithout w hom the com pletion of the R i n g cycle and th e creation of P a r s i f a l m ight never have been accom plished. Cosim a cam e in to W agner's life at a very crucial period. H e had com ­ pleted the first tw o acts of the opera S i e g f r i e d , b u t had interrupted his com position of th is m usic in order to com pose the V enusberg (ve'nus-burg) m usic for his opera T a n n h d u s e r (tan'hoi-zer), th e com ic opera D i e M e i s t e r s i n g e r (de m ls'ter-zing-er), and the m usic drama T r i s t a n (tris'tan) a n d I s o l d e (i-sol'de). I t w as tw elve years before he resumed his work on the opera S i e g f r i e d ; so, of course, he brought to the third act of this work new m usical ideas and techniques he had gained from the writing of his other operas. W agner's greatest gains, how ever, were personal ; for he had found exactly the in­ spiration he needed in C osim a and in their son, Siegfried W agner, who was

64

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

nam ed after th e hero of th is m usic drama. T hus th e third act of S i e g f r i e d becam e a joyous outburst of the composer in his new -found h a p p in ess; and th is m usic drama, together w ith D i e G o t t e r d a m m e r u n g , contains som e of th e lo ftiest and m ost inspiring m usic w hich W agner ever wrote. M uch has been w ritten and said concerning th e irregularities of W agner's life. Suppose he d i d take advantage of his friends, and suppose he w a s rebellious and "difficult to get along w ith ." A fter all, he left th e world im m easurably richer than he found it, and we are indebted to him for som e of th e m ost rewarding experiences w hich m ay be ours. BAYREUTH In addition to all his other achievem ents, W agner designed and erected one of the m ost fam ous tem ples of m usic in th e whole world, the F estspielhaus (fSst'shpel-hous), or F estival Playhouse, in th e tow n of B ayreuth (bl-roit'), where he spent the last years of his life. T his playhouse w as designed in such a w ay th a t it w ould be m ost favor­ able to creating the illusions necessary in W agner's m usic dramas. T he traditional arrangem ent of seats com m on to m ost theaters w as abandoned, and the form of an am phitheater w as substituted. T he stage, however, was planned to be visible from th e front o n ly ; and it w as intended to give th e im pression of space m oving aw ay from th e audience. Various devices also were used to m ake the actors appear larger than th ey actually w e r e ; b ut y e t th e sense of distance seem ed to give an effect of m ystic, phantom like unreality. One of the m ost fam ous innovations was th at the orchestra p it w as concealed below the stage, in order to bring about a more perfect blending betw een th e tone of th e singers and th a t of th e orchestra. T his spot in B ayreu th has becom e a shrine, to w hich m usic-lovers from all parts of the world have gone to see and hear the W agnerian operas in their original setting. There is no applause in this playhouse, there is even no co u g h in g ! For those w ho atten d these perform ances have already m ade friends w ith m usic, and th ey are there for th e purpose of paying sincere and sober tribute to th e "incom parable Richard," whose hom e still stands near by. N o t e . A new recording of the closing scenes in Die Gotterddmmerung h a s been made by Kirsten Flagstad. It is V. R. 15842. You may be interested to hear it, especially as the artist has said it is the one recording by which she would like to be remembered.

W h e n som eone tells of seeing an exciting

play, of attending a thrilling ball gam e, or of listening to an especially attractive m usical program, it is natural for us to exclaim , " I wish I m ight have been there I " So it m ay be th a t when you have heard the m usic of m aster com posers w ho lived m any years ago, you think you would like to have lived w hen th ey did, so th a t you could have listened to their music at the tim e it was created. I t is interesting to im agine the enthusiastic experiences of audiences w ho had th e privilege of hearing the sym phonies of M ozart and B eeth oven in the presence of the com posers them selves. Therefore, when we read of th e early performances of m usical m asterpieces, it is n ot strange for us to w ish th a t we m ight have felt the significance and force of this m usic when it w as first given to the world.

SYMPHONIES TWO CENTURIES APART

CREATORS OF GREAT MUSIC OF TODAY D o you realize th a t this very th ing is possible for us to d a y ? In fact, more people m ay have th is experience now than ever before. For there are great composers living n o w ; and while we m ay n ot be able to predict how their m usic will be received in the years ahead, nevertheless som e com posers of th e present stand out prom inently. T h ey tower so far above their con­ temporaries th at there seem s to be no doubt of their perm anent im portance as creators of great m usic. Perhaps the m ost distinguished of these is Jean Sibelius (zhaN si-ba'li-dos), who, unlike m any of his predecessors, has m et w ith world-wide success during his lifetim e. N o t on ly do people of practically every n ation ality enjoy his m usic, b u t its significance is recognized in m ost of th e im portant countries of the world. T he m usic of Sibelius has the unique d istinction of popularity n ot only w ith th e m asses of people who listen to sym phonic m usic, but also w ith critics and learned m usicians, practically all of whom consider him the greatest livin g com poser. T his tw ofold recognition has occurred only w ith th e rarest frequency in the history of m usic. W hen we listen to th e m usic of Sibelius, we should realize th a t we are hearing m usic b y a truly great com poser of our own tim e, and th a t future generations m ay regard us w ith som ething of the attitu d e w hich we feel toward those who had th e op portu nity of hearing th e m usic of th e older m asters while th ey were y e t living. 65

66

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

Second Movement from Symphony No. 1, in E Minor [V. R. G 549 B, 8875 A B J e a n S ib e l i u s

(1865-

), Finnish composer.

W hen Sibelius wrote his Sym phony N o. 1, in E minor, his w as a new voice in th e m usic world. B u t it was very evid en t th at he was no ordinary inventor of m elodies. In fact, his them es are even more expressive than words. There is no clearer proof of this statem en t than th e second m ovem ent of his F irst Sym phony. THE MUSIC T he m ovem ent is marked A n d a n t e ( m a n o n t r o p p o l e n t o ) w ith a beautiful, songlike m elody p layed b y m u ted strings.

*

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F IR S T M ELODY Semplice

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Figure A

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Surely this m ust be m usic of th e out-of-doors, for though it is som ew hat darker in its instrum ental color and more sober in its m ood, nevertheless we d isco v er.in it som ething of th e sam e m ed itative and sylvan q u ality which appeared in the " F o rest M urm urs” in S i e g f r i e d (page 44). T he entire passage seem s to be a direct echo from the world of nature, to w hich Sibelius is extrem ely sen sitive and responsive. From now on the m usic gradually increases in power. T he first m elody returns, accom panied b y a w indy wail in the flutes, and th ey are answered b y the brasses. Figure A is repeated m an y tim es as the m usic co n tin u e s; and even when its m elody is varied, its rhythm ic pattern persists. T he m usic be­ com es increasingly restless as figure A alternates w ith rapid passages in the strings. T his all leads to a dram atic clim ax of terrific power, in w hich the brasses repeat the figure

1* J

J. / i i j j j j u

J. 7 J»|J j j j I

w ith shattering force. T hen all becom es quiet, and th e m ovem ent ends w ith th e haunting loveliness of the songlike m elod y w ith w hich it began.

68

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons JE A N SIBE LIU S

Sibelius is a unique figure am ong contem porary com posers. H e has chosen to live in com parative isolation, y et he is known th e world over. H e has never prom oted perform ances of his own m usic, y e t it has been played b y th e m ost im portant orchestras of practically every country in th e world. H e does not welcom e p ub licity, y et he receives more m ention and com m ent than any composer of recent years. H e has n ot sought popularity, but acclaim has com e to him for his m usical in tegrity and his seriousness of purpose. Sibelius has never tried to be different. Y et he has w ritten m usic of unique individuality, sim ply because he has created his own m essage, has w ritten m usic which expressed him self, and has n ot indulged in an y passing fashions w hich m ay have surrounded him . H is m usic is firm ly im planted in the m asterpieces which have preceded him , y e t he has not copied their style. Of all composers he reveres B eethoven m ost highly. H e was brought up to consider the B eethoven quartets as being as sacred as the B ible. Once, w hen he was studying in Vienna, his piano was tuned b y an old, old m an who m any years before had tuned B eethoven's piano. " I t was wonderful," said Sibelius, " to look in to those eyes w hich had seen the m aster of th e N in th Sym phony." In his sym phonic w riting Sibelius has been compared to B eethoven. H e has w ritten eight sy m p h o n ies; b ut the eighth (so it was reported in 1935) is n ot to be brought before th e public during the com poser's life­ tim e. In com parison w ith other com posers of our d ay Sibelius is quite conserva­ tiv e ; y e t his m usic is con stan tly revealing som e new device, which m ay be quite as n ovel as the more sensational effects of som e other present-day m usicians. Sibelius once spoke of his m usic as being like pure, cold water. This w as a m ost fortunate com parison ; for n ot only is it clear in structure and refreshing to the spirit, but it seem s to spring from nature itself. In fact, th e inspiration Sibelius has received from nature has been the source of his strongest creative im pulses. Sibelius once spoke of him self as a "dream er and poet of nature," and his wife has m entioned his "in ten se love of nature" in letters to her friends. E v en when a you ng boy, he was strongly attracted b y th e invigorating sea air, the m ysteries of the dense Finnish forests, and th e beauties of lovely lakes at tw ilight. As a student in school he had the b est collection of plants in his class, and his teacher has said th at " th e stu d y of nature in every form was his m ain interest." K arl Ekm an, in his book J e a n S i b e l i u s , has w r itte n :

Symphonies Two Centuries Apart

69

A beautiful sunset would evoke other moods of his imagination. He would sit for hours and gaze in silent wonder at the setting sun and the clouds shining in purple and gold — a whole fairylike world, full of magic and beauty, revealed itself. As has been sta ted previously, all through his life Sibelius has found nature to be a source of inspiration. In speaking to a friend about the horrors of the W orld W ar, he said, " I did m y b est to forget th e evils of the tim es in stu d yin g nature around m e.” M uch of this is reflected in his music, through w hich we seem to hear the subtle undertones and to sense the hidden m ysteries of the natural wonders to w hich the composer is so sensi­ tive and so responsive. As a m an, Sibelius is severe, y e t generous and friendly. H e has lived rem ote from the world ; for he is happy in solitude and loves the sim plicities of life. A lso, he believes th a t such seclusion is necessary to his success as a composer. U pon one occasion, however, he journeyed as far as the U nited States, where he conducted som e of his com positions and received a degree from Y ale U n iversity. W hile Sibelius traveled in m ost European countries as a you th fu l student, in recent years he has rem ained alm ost constantly in th e peaceful quiet of his estate n ot far from H elsinki (hel'sm -ke). R e­ cently he said, Now that my youth is past, my work and whole development are on a different plane. Formerly I longed to go out into the world; and I have, indeed, lived a good deal in the great world abroad. Now it is the quietude up here that is dearest to me. T he longer Sibelius has lived, the more severely he has disciplined him self both as a m an and as a com p oser; and his outw ard success has been due to his inner strength. Perhaps this can be understood m ost clearly if we read the words of th e com poser h im se lf: Composing has been the guiding line in my life, and it still is so. M y work has the same fascination for me as when I was young, a fascination bound up with the difficulty of the task. Let no one imagine that composing is easier for an old com­ poser, if he takes his art seriously. The demands one makes on oneself have in­ creased in the course of years. Greater sureness makes one scorn solutions that come too. easily, that follow the line of least resistance, in a higher degree than formerly. One is always faced with new problems. The thing that has pleased me most is that I have been able to reject. The greatest labor I have expended, per­ haps, was on works that have never been completed. Shortly before he finished his First Sym phony, th e Finnish governm ent, recognizing his ab ility and genius, granted to Sibelius a financial pension or subsidy w hich ensures him a m odest incom e for life. T his has relieved

70

Making Friends with Music *New Horizons

him of all worries over m on ey m atters, and the success of his career is som ething of w hich the Finnish people are so proud th a t he is really con­ sidered a national hero. Sibelius has been honored also in the U nited States. In a com paratively recent poll sponsored b y a nation-w ide radio network, Sibelius was voted the m ost popular of serious com posers. Upon the occasion of his seventieth birthday a program of his m usic was broadcast from our country to Finland, when the com poser heard n ot only his m usic b u t also glowing words in sincere tribute to his genius. Perhaps th e m ost beautiful of these came from Lawrence Gilm an, who wrote in th e N e w Y o r k H e r a l d T r i b u n e of D ecem ber 8, 1935 : The processes of this music are fundamentally mysterious, as nature is mys­ terious. Their mysteriousness is part of their inner life and movem ent; it is of their essence. . . And we shall probably never know quite what they would say to us, or why they haunt and stir us as they do, or why they have added a new significance and a new dimension to the world of the musical imagination. The music of Sibelius has the reticence of the strong, the mysteriousness of the simple. We listen to what a profound, inscrutable, yet candid spirit, a poet and philosopher in tones, has chosen to tell us of his vision of nature and of human life. We are inexplicably moved by what he says to us. He has restored our faith in the capacity of great music to renew itself from age to age, from period to period. We know that symphonic genius did not die with Brahms, any more than it died with Mozart or with Beethoven. We know that it lives on in Sibelius, exhaustless in strength and beauty and significance, charged with that old, immortal power which tells us that another master dwells among us. THE SYMPHONIES OF SIBELIUS Sibelius is essentially a com poser of sym phonies. W hile his m usic has been w ritten at a period of tim e when program m usic has dom inated the work of m ost com posers, he has rem ained true to the sym phonic ideals and style established b y B eethoven and Brahm s. The seven sym phonies of Sibelius w hich are known were com posed over a span of approxim ately tw en ty-five years. All of them are m assive, power­ ful, epic works. W hile th ey contain m om ents of quiet, poetic beauty, on the whole th ey are turbulent and highly dram atic in character. Their rhythm s are str o n g ; their instrum entation is rich in unique uses of or­ chestral color, and their m elodies have th e strength of character which can come only from such a m an as Sibelius. In th e developm ent of his sym ­ phonies there is a noticeable concentration of design, and his sym phonic m ovem ents are very closely knit together.

71

Symphonies Two Centuries Apart

T he second m ovem en t of his First Sym phony is one of th e m ost lyric of all his sym phonic m ovem ents, but its m iddle section contains a suggestion of th e power w hich predom inates in m ost of his sym phonies. In addition to his sym phonies, Sibelius has w ritten a good deal of program music, practically all of w hich is based upon legendary folk tales of Finland, which are published in a volum e called the K a l e v a l a (k a'la-va'la). T he K a l e v a l a has a special interest for American students, because th e rhythm of its p oetry m ade such an im pression upon th e Am erican p oet Longfellow th at he wrote m an y of his finest poem s, particularly H i a w a t h a and E v a n g e ­ l i n e , in the sam e m etrical pattern as this ancient epic of th e Finns. Sibelius's descriptive com positions are im portant not only as m usic but because of their national significance, for in them he has given tonal expression to the ancient Finnish R unes, now brought together in th e K a l e v a l a , from which these lines seem to characterize Sibelius h im se lf: I have shown the way to singers; Showed the way, and broke the treetops, Cut the branches, shown the pathways. This way therefore leads the pathway; Here the path lies newly opened, Widely open for the singers, For the young, who now are growing, For the rising generation. W hile Sibelius has taken tw enty-five years to com pose and perfect his seven sym phonies, M ozart wrote his three greatest sym phonies in less than two m onths. In fact, one bears the date of June 2 6 ; another, Ju ly 25 ; while th e third is dated A ugust 10th. It seem s alm ost incredible th at one man could create and write com positions of such q u ality and m agnitude in such a short tim e. A lthough he com posed m ore than forty sym phonies, M ozart's reputation as a sym phonic composer w ould have been established 3 ven if he had w ritten on ly th e one in G minor.

First Movement from Symphony in G Minor [V. R. 15753 A, B W o lfg a n g A m a d eu s M o z a r t

(1756-1791), Austrian composer. Contemporary

in American H istory:

A le x a n d e r H a m ilto n .

THE MUSIC Just as Sibelius began the second m ovem ent of his S ym phony N o . 1 w ith i beautiful m elody, so M ozart om its any introduction to th e first them e n the first m ovem ent of his Sym phony in G minor.

72

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons F IR S T THEM E A lle g ro m ol to

pm T he violins p lay this rather agitated m elody, and th e low strings support it. W hen it is repeated, the w ood winds p lay som e sustained chords. B old accents b y th e orchestra add life and energy, and indicate th a t a new them e is soon to appear. A lthough this new passage serves on ly as a connecting link betw een the first and second them es at this point, later on it is quite im portant. Therefore a few m easures of it are given here. TR A N SIT IO N M O TIVE

£

£

i= §

T his m erges into som e rushing scale passages, w hich end w ith tw o abrupt chords. T he second them e is more lyric than the first, and is in the major m ode. SECOND THEM E fg ’ tqp~f.v p~-

i - i t]

----- J---j--------

&

W

■

f-

«

i

1

_1 m

T he strings begin th e m elody, but the oboe and bassoon take it up instantly. T he them e is repeated, and the m usic w hich follow s th e repetition is based on th e first three notes of the first them e. In th e repetition the instrum ental order is reversed. T he w ind instrum ents add color to this passage, w hich has th e effect of a cod etta* concluding th e exposition.* As is custom ary in sym phonic m ovem ents w ritten in th e classic period, this entire section is repeated. In the second, or developm ent, section of the m ovem en t M ozart gives all his a tten tio n to th e developm ent of the first them e. H e uses different pitches w hen repeating parts of p h ra ses; he presents strings and wood winds in a rather len gth y dialogue, using different portions of th e them e, I t all sounds very m uch like a free fantasia.*

73

Symphonies Two Centuries Apart

Once more th e first and second them es are stated in p ractically th e sam e w ay as th ey were in th e first, or exposition, section. B u t th e passage be­ tw een th e tw o them es, to w hich reference has been m ade, is considerably longer in th e recapitulation section. A lso th e second them e is heard in the sam e k ey as the first, G m inor, instead of in the major k ey of B flat, as in the exposition. T he m ovem ent ends w ith a coda in w hich the beginning n otes of the first them e figure prom inently. A lthough the coda is n ot long it is im pressive and dram atic. SONATA-ALLEGRO FORM

In th e second book of th is series, P r o g r e s s , on page 37, there is a brief explanation of sonata form. In order to refresh your m em ories th is expla­ nation is repeated here. You m ay recall th a t it was given in th e discussion of th e C l a s s i c a l S y m p h o n y . W hen Serge Prokofieff (ser-ga' pro-ko'fe-ef) com posed this sym phony, he took as his pattern the style w hich com posers followed in th e eigh teenth century. H ere is a sum m ary of th e sonata, or sonata-allegro, form, as M ozart used it in th e Sym phony in G minor : 1. The first section of the movement contains a first and second theme which are quite different and provide a pleasing contrast. This section ends quite definitely, with a brief pause. 2. A second section begins with the first theme, which is heard in different keys. Phrases of the theme are used with varied instrumental combinations. 3. The third section opens with a return of the first theme, and this is followed by the second theme. 4. A coda ends the movement. Certain words are used to in d icate these different sections. I t is as though two persons, A and B , were in trod uced to us. T h ey each m ake a statem en t. Then th ey proceed to discuss i t : som etim es th ey both talk at the sam e tim e ; som etim es th ey becom e em phatic, and perhaps th ey add to their original statem en ts. W hen their discussion is ended, each restates his original idea. T he follow ing words are used to describe these sections of the m ovem ents in sonata fo r m : Section I Section II Section III E x p o s itio n

D e v e lo p m e n t

R e c a p itu la tio n

T his form, sonata form or sonata-allegro form, is typ ical of th e first m ovem ents of m ost classical sonatas, sym phonies, concertos, and cham bermusic com positions, even th ou gh m an y com posers take th e lib erty of chang­

74

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u s ic • N e w H o r iz o n s

i ng t he p a t t e r n . I t is eas y for us t o u n d e r s t a n d becaus e we h a v e h a d i good deal of exper i ence wi t h A B A i n t h r e e - p a r t song f or m. He r e is 2 d i a g r a m wh i c h s hows h o w m u c h alike t hes e t wo f or ms ar e : E xp osition

D evelopm en t

R ecapitu lation

A B A T h e onl y im p o rta n t difference b etw een th e tw o is t h a t in s o n a ta fo rn th e m id d le, or B , sectio n c o n ta in s e ith e r one or b o th of th e tw o melodies w hich are fo u n d in th e first a n d th ird sections. E v e n th o u g h th e y m a y b< v a rie d a good d eal it is still possible to recognize th e m . I n th re e -p a rt son^ fo rm th e m id d le, or B , sectio n c o n ta in s e n tire ly new m usic m a te ria l. 1. W h ic h of th ese m o v em en ts fro m tw o g re a t sy m p h o n ies h as g iv en you th e g re a te r p le a su re ? W h y ? 2. C a n y o u show a n y sim ilarities b etw een th e sty les of Sibelius a n d oJ M o z a rt ? MOZART TH E M A N

D u rin g th is e n tire course, M a k i n g F r i e n d s w i t h M u s i c , we h a v e hac a n o p p o rtu n ity to h e a r q u ite a few co m p o sitio n s b y M o z a r t ; a n d these h a v e p ro v e d t h a t he w as a v e rsa tile as w ell as a g ifted com poser. W e h a v e learn ed of his ta le n t as a child, his e a rly m u sical a c tiv itie s, his d a y s of h a r d w ork, his u n u su a l a b ility to com pose m usic " i n th e tw inkling of a n e y e .” N o one w o u ld d re a m t h a t M o z a rt w ro te th e G -m in o r S y m p h o n y w her h e w as d e s p e ra te ly w o rried a n d u n h a p p y . U n p a id bills h u n g over h is h e a d th e la n d lo rd w as clam o rin g for th e re n t. H e w as obliged to m ove fro m his lodgings in V ien n a a n d live o u tsid e th e c ity to save expense. H e h a d ju s t b een m ad e ch a m b e r m u sician to th e c o u rt, b u t th e salary w as o n ly fo u r h u n d re d dollars a y ea r. M o z a rt n ev e r w as a good m a n a g e r a n d now his wife w as sick, a n d people in V ien n a w ere n o t e n th u sia stic aboul som e of his co m p o sitio n s — p a rtic u la rly his operas. Y e t w ith all th ese b u rd e n s he com posed th re e g re a t sy m p h o n ie s! Ii w as o n ly in his m usic t h a t M o z a rt could th ro w off his cares. B u t he dis liked su ch la b o r as w ritin g d o w n his creatio n s. H e could c a rry w hole com positio n s, w ith all th e d etails, in his h e a d a n d p u t off as long as possible th< te d iu m of p en w ork. I n sp ite of his genius h e w as a v e ry h u m a n p erson, a n d th is q u a lity ii easily d e te c te d in his m usic. A long w ith it go a jo y o u s b u o y a n c y a n d fresl sim p licity w h ich p a rtia lly a c c o u n t for th e p o p u la rity of his com position! over th is long p erio d of tim e. A lth o u g h h e liv ed o n ly th irty -s ix y e a rs, h< filled th e m w ith com positions w hich express sincere b e a u ty .

mm

D raw in g by F ritz K iclienberg

didn’t I forbid you to set foot on my land u nd er penalty of hanging?” ous lord, I am nol on your land, I am on my own land. I bought it for a schilling from a is ant. . . . I t is therefore my land.”

06^298

D raw in g by F ritz

T ill Proves to tlie Doctors T hat He Can Teacli a Donkey to Read

1 A s w e co n tin u e to m ak e frien d s w ith m usic, a n d o u r a c q u a in ta n c e becom es A w ider, we com e to realize t h a t th e re is a n endless v a rie ty of m oods in th e m a n y M E D IE V A L L E G E N D co m p o sitio n s w hich we can h ear. IN A S om etim es m usic a ttr a c ts us w ith its colorful d isp la y of o rc h e stra l to n e. A t R O G U IS H R O N D O o th e r tim e s we m a y be sw ep t off o u r fe et b y th e a p p e a l of its irre sistib le rh y th m s . A t still o th e rs we com e u n d e r th e spell of th e b e a u ty of its m elo­ dies, or we m a y be d ee p ly m o v ed b y th e n o b ility a n d heroic s tre n g th w ith w hich th e co m poser expresses som e lo fty m essage. B u t m u sic, like o u r o th e r friends, is n o t alw ay s serious. O ften it m a y be g a y a n d carefree ; a n d we are a ttr a c te d b y th e sp a rk lin g h u m o r w hich m usic can express, ju s t as we are fa sc in a te d b y people w ho love a joke a n d am u se u s w ith th e ir w itty re m a rk s. Som e people are n a tu ra lly clever in expressing ev en o rd in a ry ideas in su ch a w a y t h a t th e y a p p e a l to o u r sense of h u m o r a n d cause us to laugh. S uch p erso n s h a v e a n a b ility to see th e a m u sin g side of situ a tio n s, a n d can te ll a s to ry so v iv id ly t h a t we n o t o n ly d e lig h t in th e ir sense of h u m o r b u t also ad m ire th e in g en io u s w a y in w hich th e ir m in d s w ork. S im ilarly, som e com posers h a v e w ritte n m usic w hich is so sp o n ta n e o u s a n d n a tu ra lly w itty t h a t we b o th ad m ire it a n d en jo y its h u m o r. J u s t as we grow to p re fer th e c o m p a n y of a p erso n w ho h a s th e q u alitie s w hich h a v e b een describ ed , so we find g re a te r e n jo y m e n t a n d sa tisfa c tio n in m u sical co m p o sitio n s w h ich h av e a sp ark lin g , clever w it th a n in m usic w hich m a y seem to b e fu n n y ju s t b ecause i t is rid icu lo u s. W h e n we com e to k n o w th e m usic of T ill E ulenspiegel (til oi'len-shpe-gel), b y R ic h a rd S trau ss, w e are m ak in g frie n d s w ith m usic in one of its cleverest a n d m o st d elig h tfu l m oods, for th is is one of th e m o st am u sin g of all com p o sitio n s. T ill E u le n s p ie g e l R ic h a r d S t r a u s s

(1864-

[V. r.

1 1 7 2 4 ,1 1 7 2 5

), German composer.

A M ED IEV A L LEG EN D

S to ries of m isch iev o u s a d v e n tu re s h a v e b een to ld for m a n y cen tu ries, a n d th e re is a long procession of th ese heroes w hom we h a v e com e to k n o w : R o b in H o o d , H a r y J a n o s , P e e r G y n t. N ow we a d d a n o th e r to th e group, 75

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • N e w H o r iz o n s

T ill E u len sp ieg el, w ho d id little else th a n tra v e l th ro u g h th e c o u n try , p lay in g p ra n k s on ev e ry o n e w ith w hom he cam e in c o n ta c t. E u g en e B a c h a (b a 's h a ), a B elg ian w riter, h a s d escrib ed him in th is fa sh io n : " A rogue w ho jo u rn e y e d th ro u g h th e w orld w ith n o th in g b u t a clever w it in his w allet, a k n o w in g v a g a b o n d w ho alw ays g o t o u t of a scrap e, he v isite d all cities a n d p lied all tra d e s. B a k e r, w h eelw rig h t, jo in er, m u sician , a good fellow w ith a k in d ly air, alw ays re a d y to am use. H e pleased e v e ry b o d y a n d w as w elcom ed ev ery w h ere. H e w as n o t fu n d a ­ m e n ta lly b a d .” T h ere h a s b een som e d isp u te as to w h e th e r T ill a c tu a lly liv ed in th e fo u rte e n th or fifte e n th c e n tu ry . So fa r as we are co n cern ed , th is is n o t p a rtic u la rly i m p o r t a n t ; fo r th e le g e n d a ry sto ries of his deeds a n d a d ­ v e n tu re s, a n d th e m usic w h ich th e y h a v e in sp ired , m ak e h im live fo r us ju s t as v iv id ly as th o u g h he w ere alive to d a y . T h e title of th is co m p o sitio n includes th e w ords " T il l E u len sp ieg el’s M e rry P r a n k s ,” a n d th is su g g ests t h a t th e m usic m u s t h av e som e con­ n e c tio n w ith th e a n c ie n t legend, b u t w h a t it is n o one know s ex a c tly . P e rh a p s th e m o st im p o rta n t a n d th e m o st in te re s tin g p ra n k s are th e m u sical o n e s ; fo r th e m u sician s w ho a tte m p t to p la y th is m usic find it " t r i c k y ” to p erfo rm . T h e n , to o , th e liste n e r m a y h e a r th is m usic m a n y tim es, o n ly to d isco v er som e new m u sical tric k w hich th e com poser h a s p erfo rm ed so clev erly t h a t we m a y h a v e b een fooled for a long tim e . R ic h a rd S tra u ss him self h a s m a n y p o in ts in com m on w ith T ill E u le n ­ spiegel. F o r in sta n c e , one of h is p ra n k s w as to give a title to his m usic t h a t w ould aro u se o u r im a g in a tio n , a n d th e n to refuse to te ll u s in w ords e x a c tly w hich of T ilF s fam o u s p ra n k s he in te n d e d th e m usic to suggest. " L e t m e leave it to m y h e a re rs ,” says S tra u ss, " to crack th e h a rd n u t w hich th e ro g u e h a s p re p a re d for th e m .” W h e th e r S tra u ss w as re ferrin g to him self or to T ill E u len sp ieg el as th e " r o g u e ” is le ft for y o u to guess. P e rh a p s S tra u ss show ed clever ju d g m e n t, how ever, in leav in g th e d e ta ils of th e s to ry to th e im a g in a tio n of th e listen er ; for if th is m usic is n o t good en o u g h to s ta n d on its ow n m e rit w ith o u t th e h elp of th e sto ry , th e n , of course, ev en a d e ta ile d ^ a c c o u n t of th e p ra n k s th em selv es could n o t save th e co m p o sitio n fro m o b livion. F o rtu n a te ly th is is n o t th e case ; for T ill E ulenspiegel is n o t o n ly one of th e m o st am u sin g of all co m p o sitio n s, b u t i t is also one of th e fin est a n d m o st sk illfu lly w ritte n pieces of m usic of re c e n t tim es. A lth o u g h S tra u s s d id n o t th in k it wise to p ro v id e a d e ta ile d n a rra tiv e to a c c o m p a n y his m u sic, he d id h elp our u n d e rsta n d in g b y p o in tin g o u t th e p rin c ip a l m o tiv e s, a n d he d id in d ic a te d efin itely th e e v e n ts w hich b rin g T fil’s career to a n en d .

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77

I n a d d itio n to th is, S tra u s s a p p a re n tly h a s given his a p p ro v a l to som e p ro g ra m n o tes w hich w ere p re p a re d b y a frie n d of his. A cco rd in g to th ese n o te s th e p o rtio n s of th e m ed iev al legend to w hich S tra u ss refers in his m usic in clu d e a n ex citin g a n d u p s e ttin g experience in a m a rk e t place, T ill's disguise as a p rie st, his love affair, his episode w ith th e P h ilistin e s (fi-lfs'tin z), his tria l in a c o u rt of ju stic e , a n d his execution. W hile th ese are n o t all th e p ra n k s w hich R ic h a rd S tra u s s 's frie n d h a s describ ed , th e y in clu d e th e episodes w hich are m o st im p o rta n t a n d m o st clearly su g g ested in th e m usic. A lth o u g h i t m a y b e in te re s tin g to asso ciate th ese episodes w ith th e a p p ro p ria te p o rtio n s of th e m usic, i t is m ore im p o rta n t for us to re g a rd th e m usic as b ein g ex pressive of th e s p irit of fu n a n d of good h u m o r. T h is is its tru e m e a n in g ; a n d i t is m ore im p o rta n t to re m e m b e r t h a t m usic, ev en t h a t of R ic h a rd S tra u ss, is m o re successful in expressing th e sp irit a n d feeling asso ciated w ith a n in c id e n t th a n in d escrib in g th e d e ta ils of th e in c id e n t itself. T H E R O G UISH RONDO

T h e full title of th is to n e p o em b y R ic h a rd S trau ss is " T ill E ulenspiegel9s M e rry P ra n ks, after the O ld-Fashioned R oguish M anner in the F orm o f a Rondo — f or G rand Orchestra, b y R ic h a rd S tra u ss." J u s t as som e co m p o sitio n s are d e sig n a te d as sy m p h o n ies, co n certo s (k o n -ch S r'to z), or s trin g q u a r te ts , so o th ers are called to n e poem s. T h is te rm refers to th e co m p o sitio n as a w hole. M o st to n e poem s are in one m o v e m e n t a n d are b ase d o n som e lite ra ry or p ic to ria l su b je c t. T h e com ­ poser of T ill E ulenspiegel h a s in d ic a te d t h a t th is to n e p o em is w ritte n in ro n d o form .* T h is m ean s t h a t th e re are c e rta in fu n d a m e n ta l or im p o rta n t th em es w h ich re c u r fre q u e n tly th ro u g h o u t th e com position. I n th e S u ite in B m in o r (A t H om e a n d A broad, page 61) B a c h h as u sed th is form . W hile th is m usic is in th e fo rm of a ro n d o , it m a y be h elp fu l to liste n to i t as th o u g h i t w ere a th e m e w ith v a ria tio n s su ch as we h e a rd in th e T rout Q uintet b y S c h u b e rt or in P o p Goes the W easel (A t H om e and Abroad, pages 111 a n d 8). T h is is d u e to th e fa c t t h a t m o st of th e m usic is based u p o n tw o th em es, w h ich c o n s ta n tly re c u r in v a rie d form . S tra u ss h as m ad e th ese v a ria tio n s in su ch a w a y t h a t th e n a tu re of th e m u sical changes parallels so m ew h at th e n a tu r e of th e p ra n k s w hich are su g g ested . I n liste n in g to th is m usic, th ere fo re, it is d esirab le t h a t we becom e q u ite fa m iliar w ith th e im p o r ta n t th em es, so t h a t we m a y recognize th e m as th e y a p p e a r in v a rie d fo rm . If we are able to recall th e o rig in al v ersio n of th e th em es, th e w ay s in w h ich th e y are v a rie d will be m ore clea rly e v i d e n t ; an d , th ere fo re, w e w ill u n d e rs ta n d a n d e n jo y th e m usic m u c h m o re.

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TH E MUSIC Since th is to n e p o em is b ased u p o n a legend, it begins as m a n y legends d o ; fo r th e o p en in g p h ra se is sim p ly a m u sical expression of th e fa m iliar O nce u p o n a tim e .” O P E N IN G P H R A S E M oderato

m p g O b v io u sly th is p h ra se is in te n d e d to in tro d u c e som e person, a n d alm o st im m e d ia te ly we h e a r th e m elo d y w hich is in te n d e d to re p re s e n t T ill E u le n ­ spiegel him self. T IL L ’S T H E M E

cres.

•

T h is is one of th e m o s t fam o u s a n d m o st difficult of all p assag es w ritte n for th e F re n c h h o rn . A fte r th e h o rn h as p la y e d i t tw ice, i t is p la y e d a th ird tim e b y th e oboes. T h is is follow ed a lm o st im m e d ia te ly b y th e c larin e ts, p la y in g a p h ra se w hich is v e ry sim ilar. I t will be easier to recognize th is th e m e w h en it a p p e a rs la te r if special a tte n tio n is g iv en som e of its fe a tu re s. M elodies are like ele v a to rs. T h e y go e ith e r u p or dow n, a n d one of th e im p o rta n t th in g s in liste n in g to a m elo d y is to n o tice its d irectio n . T h is m e lo d y m oves u p w a rd as it b e g in s ; so one m ean s of id e n tify in g it is th e risin g figure. A n o th e r c h a ra c te ristic is th e c h ro m a tic to n e * w hich occurs on th e la s t n o te of th e first tw o m easu res. V ario u s in s tru m e n ts ta k e u p th is th e m e , a n d th e m usic b u ild s u p to a clim ax. T h e n th e clarin e t, jo in ed b y o th e r w ood w inds, p la y s a m o tiv e w hich is so m etim es d e sig n a te d as th e " P r a n k ” th e m e . PRANK THEM E

m H ere we find one of S tra u ss 's m u sical t r i c k s ; for w hile th is th e m e is a p p a re n tly new , th e re is so m eth in g fa m iliar a b o u t it. A close e x a m in a tio n

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of it w ill re v e a l t h a t i t is m ere ly a rh y th m ic v a ria tio n of th e " O n c e u p o n a ti m e ” th e m e , b ecau se th e first six n o te s of th e tw o th e m e s are id e n ­ tical. F ro m th is fa c t we discover t h a t th e re re a lly are o n ly tw o th em es in th e m usic u p to th is p o in t, a n d th e y are th e tw o w hich th e com poser d e sig n a te d as b ein g th e m o st im p o rta n t. Im m e d ia te ly a fte r th e P ra n k th e m e h as been h e a rd , th e m usic increases in v o lu m e a n d th e m elo d y slurs u p w a rd , as th o u g h T ill w ere m o u n tin g his horse. T h e n th e m u sic co n tin u es w ith a b o u n cin g s o rt of rh y th m , as th o u g h T ill a n d his horse w ere tr o ttin g aw ay. As th e m usic co n tin u es we h e a r su g g estio n s of T ill's th e m e a n d also of th e P r a n k th e m e a t v ario u s p itc h e s a n d in d ifferen t in stru m e n ts. O ne of th e m o st in te re s tin g a p p e a ra n c e s of th e P r a n k th e m e occurs in a r a th e r q u ie t p assag e w here its n o te s are p la y e d in p a irs b y th e cellos a n d basses a n d th e n an sw ered b y th e flutes. Cellos and Basses1]

[Flute

G -ra zio so

Flute

Cello ^ .

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p

-y - y -s J .J 'J t *

-y -

T h is is h e a rd ag a in in th e cellos a n d basses, a fte r w hich th e cy m b als crash w ith a m ig h ty so u n d a n d g re a t confusion follows. T h e confusion am o n g th e in s tru m e n ts calls to m in d th e episode w here T ill sm ash es in to th e m a rk e t p lace a n d rid es th ro u g h th e v e n d o rs' stalls in th e s tre e t. H e u p se ts all th e ir w ares a n d s c a tte rs th e m in all d irectio n s. If th e so u n d of th e cy m b al crash can serve as a n y clue a t all, we m a y ju d g e t h a t th e se w ares con sisted chiefly of p o ts a n d p an s. T h e m u sical e x c ite m e n t w h ich follow s is o b v io u sly suggestive of th e dis­ tu rb a n c e a n d tu m u lt in th e m a rk e t p lace w h ich w ould be a n a tu ra l o u tco m e of su ch a p ra n k as th is. I n th e m usic w h ich follows, b o th T ill's th e m e a n d th e P ra n k th e m e are h e a rd fre q u e n tly . I t is n o t long, ho w ev er, before th e c h a ra c te r of th e m usic changes. A new m elo d y m ak es its a p p e a r a n c e ; i t is m ore serious in to n e. T h is serious q u a lity is lig h te n e d so m ew h a t b y a rh y th m ic p a tte r n , in th e low er strin g s, w h ich is h e a rd on th e offbeats.* 1The basses sound an octave lower than the written notation.

M aking F rien d s w ith M usic • N ew H orizon s

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TILL D ISG U ISE D AS A P R IE S T 1 M

l

p

Figure A

1=

m am

-

1P

T h is s tra ig h tfo rw a rd m elo d y resem bles a G e rm a n folk tu n e . A s i t n ea rs th e conclusion we h e a r th e P r a n k th e m e p la y e d b y th e cla rin e ts a n d violas (figure A ) . T h is illu s tra te s a n o th e r of S tra u s s's tric k s in w ritin g th is to n e poem , fo r w hile th e m elo d y of figure A is th e sam e as th e P r a n k th em e, as given on p ag e 78, its te m p o a n d h a rm o n y are cleverly disguised so t h a t it so u n d s as th o u g h it w ere a c tu a lly a p a r t of th e m elo d y w h ich p reced es it. T h is e n tire p assag e h as to do w ith th e episode in w hich T ill p u ts on th e rob e of a p rie s t a n d p re te n d s to p erfo rm som e of th e p rie s tly d u tie s. J u s t as T ill h as ch an g ed his clo th es to p u t on th e ro b e w hich a p rie s t w ears, so th e com poser changes th e m u sical " c lo th e s ” of th e P ra n k th e m e ; a n d th is disguise of th e th e m e w hich m ak es it so u n d like a p h ra se of th e serious m elo d y p arallels th e disguise of T ill as a p rie st. T ill's th e m e a n d th e P r a n k th e m e are b o th h e a rd in a n endless v a rie ty of rh y th m ic a n d in s tru m e n ta l effects in th e m usic w h ich follow s. T h is suggests t h a t th e rogue is u p to all k in d s of m ischief. I t is ru m o re d t h a t he falls in love, a n d for a m o m e n t th e m usic h a s a d eep er feeling. T h e P ra n k th e m e a p p e a rs in a new color, as th o u g h to su g g est a m ore ro m a n tic experience. y -y B u t i t m u s t h a v e b een im possible for T ill to be serious for long, a n d e v id e n tly th e o b je c t of his affections does n o t resp o n d . She sp u rn s his a d v a n c e s a n d tr e a ts h im w ith d e r is io n ; a n d he goes aw a y in a rage, sw ear­ ing v en g ean ce on all m a n k in d . A v e ry lo u d passage for th e b ra ss in s tru ­ m e n ts em p h asizes th is s ta te of m in d . T h e P ra n k th e m e is p la y e d ra th e r 1This melody

appears on page 20 of Adventure of The World of Music.

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h e a v ily b y th e low strin g s, as w ell as th e b rasses. I n fa c t, if we liste n carefu lly , we m a y be ab le to recognize t h a t th e m usic in th is p a rtic u la r sp o t h a s th e effect of a canon.* Horns

String's

W

1

«f E v e n th is h a s its ro g u ish asp ect, ho w ev er, fo r w hile th e p a s s a g e 's ta rts o u t to be a re a l can o n , th e ex a ct im ita tio n does n o t co n tin u e for long. I t m ig h t ev en b e re g a rd e d as a m ock can o n . B ecau se th e ca n o n is one of th e m o st in te lle c tu a l form s, it is re aso n ab le to su p p o se t h a t th is is th e episode in w h ich T ill, in h is a d v e n tu re s, com es u p o n a g ro u p of serious-m inded professors a n d p h ilo so p h ers. T ill fo rg ets his an g e r in his jo y a t th e o p p o r­ tu n ity to m a k e fu n of th e se d u ll a n d so lem n in d iv id u a ls, d escrib ed con­ te m p tu o u s ly as P h ilistin e s. H e a v y ch o rd s su g g est th e d ig n ity of th ese scholars. L ittle ra p id figures sugg est t h a t T ill is s ta tin g one am azin g id ea a fte r a n o th e r. H e w orks him self u p to g re a t ex c item en t, b u t a fte r he h as h a d h is jo k e he loses in te re st. T h e P h ilistin e s realize t h a t he h a s b ee n m a k in g fu n of th e m , a n d th e re are su g g estio n s of th e ir an g e r u n d e r th e m o ck in g la u g h of th e c u lp rit. T h e P ra n k th e m e a n d T ill's th e m e d o m in a te th e passag e w h ich follows. A risin g figure in th e w ood w inds, follow ed b y ra p id ly risin g passages in th e strin g s, b rin g s th is sectio n to a vig o ro u s clim ax, in w h ich th e P ra n k th em e is p la y e d sev eral tim e s b y w ood w in d s a n d strin g s. A few m easures a fte r th is clim ax we h e a r a jo lly little tu n e , so m e th in g like a s tre e t song. I t m a y b e t h a t T ill w h istle d i t w hile p ra n c in g ja u n tily dow n th e s tre e t.

pg

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1 F P D iffe ren t th e m e s are ta k e n u p a n d v a rie d rh y th m ic a lly , as th o u g h T ill w ere a little b it an x io u s a n d th o u g h t m a y b e he o u g h t to refo rm a n d se ttle dow n. B u t he c a n n o t re sist h is je sts a n d p ra n k s. T h e T ill m elo d y re tu rn s in its o riginal form , p la y e d tw ice b y th e F re n c h h o rn .

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M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • N e w H o r iz o n s

R ic h a rd S tra u ss uses fo u r F re n c h h o rn s in th is com position, a n d it is in te re s tin g to n o te t h a t th e first h o rn p lay s th e first s ta te m e n t of th e T ill th e m e a n d th e th ir d h o rn p la y s th e second s ta te m e n t. P e rh a p s y o u can d e te c t a slig h t difference in th e to n e of th ese tw o s ta te m e n ts of th e th em e. W hile th e re is no difference in th e tw o in s tru m e n ts , no tw o p la y e rs can p ro d u ce e x a c tly th e sam e q u a lity of to n e ; a n d th is a c c o u n ts for th e differ­ ence in th e tw o s ta te m e n ts of th is th em e. T h e m u sic m oves on, a n d th e tw o im p o rta n t th e m e s are c o n s ta n tly in evidence. P o rtio n s of T ill's th e m e are p la y e d sev eral tim e s b y th e b rasses as th e p itc h grow s h ig h er a n d th e m usic increases in v o lu m e a n d in te n s ity , u n til th e clim ax is re a c h e d w ith a b ro a d , triu m p h a n t, self-confiden t v ersio n of T ill's th e m e in th e h o rn s.

m: T h is is follow ed im m e d ia te ly b y a n o th e r of S tra u ss ' clever tric k s, in w hich he com bines th e tw o p rin c ip a l th e m e s so t h a t th e y are h e a rd a t th e sam e tim e. T ill's th e m e is p la y e d b y th e F re n c h h o rn s a n d violas, w hile th e P ra n k th e m e is p la y e d p izzicato b y th e violins, to g e th e r w ith th e oboes a n d cla rin e ts. L a te r on, th ese th em es are co m bined a g a in ; th e F re n c h h o rn s looking a fte r T ill a n d th e flutes p lay in g th e P ra n k th em e. F ro m th is p o in t th e m usic m oves on to th e clim ax of th e com p o sitio n . F ra g m e n ts of b o th th e m e s are h e a rd to g e th e r, a n d th e m usic is lo u d a n d forceful. R a p id ly m o v in g m elodies follow ea ch o th e r in q u ick succession, as th o u g h th e y w ere ch asin g ea ch o th e r. P e rh a p s th is is th e " lo n g a rm of th e la w " in p u rs u it of T ill; for th is ex citin g passag e closes w ith a long, hollow roll on th e d ru m s, follow ed b y th re a te n in g chords in th e b rasses a n d strin g s. T ill does n o t a p p e a r to be d ism ay ed , how ever, for th e im p u d e n t P ra n k th e m e su g g ests t h a t he is lau g h in g a t b o th ju d g e a n d ju ry . A g ain th e h e a v y m in o r ch o rd s p o in t a n accusing finger a t T ill, b u t w ith a little lau g h he trie s to k eep u p his old b ra v a d o . O th e r ac c u sa tio n s follow m ore q u ick ly , a n d ju s t as q u ick ly T ill an sw ers th em . B u t his h ig h sp irits do n o t help h i m ; for a lth o u g h T ill escapes th e gallow s in th e o rig in al v ersio n of th e sto ry , th e com poser h as in d ic a te d t h a t th is m u sical n a r ra tiv e does n o t allow h im to g et off so easily. H is p ra n k s are over, a n d fe a r seizes him . A fte r solem n m u rm u rin g s in th e

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strin g s, a s h a rp ly d escen d in g in te rv a l in th e low brasses a n d w ood w inds is 4 \ * ‘>

'' ----

I

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--- Z&

T h is h as b een d e sig n a te d b y th e com poser as th e p o in t a t w hich th e tr a p is sp ru n g . F o r T ill h as b een h an g ed , a n d a lm o st im m e d ia te ly we h e a r his final sq u ea l of la u g h te r. T h e re is a la st p ite o u s c ry fro m th e flutes. F ollow ing a p au se, w h ich is so m ew h at solem n becau se of th e e v e n ts w hich h a v e com e ju s t before, we h e a r ag ain th e p h ra se of " O n c e u p o n a tim e ” (page 78). I t seem s to te ll us t h a t a lth o u g h T ill m a y h a v e been p u n ish ed , th e s to ry itself lau g h s on. W e know , too, t h a t th e s p irit of fu n a n d a ta s te for p la y in g jo k es or p ra n k s d id n o t die w ith T i l l ; for a fte r a su sta in e d ch o rd w h ich is v e ry so ft, S tra u ss su d d e n ly b rin g s in th e e n tire o rc h e stra w ith a lo u d p h ra se , as a final p ra n k w ith w hich to s ta rtle th e liste n er a t th e conclusion of th e m usic. 1. H o w w ould y o u d escrib e som e of th e in s tru m e n ta l effects w hich are p a rtic u la rly h u m o ro u s in T ill E u len sp ieg ell 2. W h ich p a r ts of th e s to ry seem to b e m o st a p p ro p ria te for m usical tr e a tm e n t ? 3. I n w h a t w ay s is th e m o tiv e of T ill E u len sp ieg el su g g estiv e of his c h a ra c te r ? 4. H o w does th e m usic, w h en T ill is c a u g h t a n d accused, differ fro m t h a t w hich h a s p reced ed i t ? 5. Of w h a t a d v a n ta g e to th e fo rm of th is to n e po em is th e epilogue w hich follows th e h a n g in g of T ill? T H E COMPOSER R ic h a rd S tra u ss is th e m o st significant G e rm a n com poser since th e o th e r g re a t R ic h a rd — W a g n e r (page 63). N o t only h a s h e g iv en th e w orld m a n y o rc h e stra l to n e poem s, b u t h e is th e com poser also of som e of th e finest o p eras a n d songs w h ich h a v e been c re a te d in th e la s t h a lf c e n tu ry . H is b o y h o o d w as s p e n t in M u n ic h , w here his fa th e r w as th e lead in g h o rn p la y e r of th e M u n ic h O p e ra o rc h e stra . T h e fa th e r recognized th e ta le n t w hich h is son possessed a n d saw to it t h a t he h a d good in s tru c tio n . L ike a n y o th e r G e rm a n sch o o lb o y he w as se n t to th e " G y m n a s iu m ,” w hich is a school sim ilar to o u r h ig h school, a n d th e n to th e U n iv e rsity of M u n ic h . S tra u ss w as b ro u g h t u p on th e old m a ste rs B ach , M o z a rt, a n d B e e th o v e n ; a n d his first m u sical co m p o sitio n s d id n o t show m u ch o rig in ality . B u t he sp e n t som e tim e in I t a l y a n d , like so m a n y o th e r m u sician s, he w as in sp ired b y its sp ark lin g scenes a n d b y th e n a tu ra l v iv a c ity of th e I ta lia n te m p e ra ­

84

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • N e w H o r iz o n s

m e n t. W h e n he re tu r n e d to G e rm a n y he b ro u g h t w ith h im an o rc h e stra l com p o sitio n :' A u s Ita lie n , or Out of Ita ly . T h is w as re a lly a b rid g e b etw e en his e a rly w orks a n d th e richness a n d d a rin g of his new style. M u n ic h a t th is tim e w as a v e ry h o tb e d of m u sical a c tiv ity . S tra u ss b ecam e a s s is ta n t d ire c to r of th e M u n ic h o pera, a n d w hen he b eg a n to express his m u sical id eas freely e v e ry b o d y w as a g h a st. T h e first tim e T ill E ulenspiegel w as p e rfo rm e d in E n g la n d th e c o n d u c to r of th e o rc h e stra p la y e d i t tw ice, b ecau se he th o u g h t it w as so difficult to u n d e rsta n d . S tra u ss m u s t h a v e en jo y ed a n d been m u c h a m u sed a t all th e discussion w hich his w orks p ro v o k e d . T h e m ore th e people ta lk e d , th e m o re th e p u b lic d esired to h e a r th e m . T h e com poser tra v e le d all o ver E u ro p e , con­ d u c tin g a n d p la y in g h is com positions. P eople w a n te d to be s ta rtle d a n d gasp, a n d th e ir w ishes w ere g ra n te d . B u t to d a y his m usic does n o t seem h a rd to u n d e rs ta n d . O n th e c o n tra ry we find i t ric h a n d expressive. W hile all h is co m p o sitio n s are m a rk e d b y o rig in a lity a n d im a g in a tio n , n ev e rth eless th e y show th e influence of F ra n z L iszt a n d R ic h a rd W ag n er. As a n o p era co m poser S tra u ss m a y be called th e m u sical d e sc e n d a n t of W ag n er. As a com poser of p ro g ra m m usic he owes m u c h to L iszt. S tra u ss h a s follow ed W a g n er in u sin g m o tiv e s for d esc rip tiv e p u rp o ses in his to n e p o em s a n d operas. M a n y of th e u n u su a l in s tru m e n ta l effects in S tra u s s ’s m usic also show th e influence of W a g n e r’s o rc h e s tra l sty le. A lth o u g h he h a s u sed th e w ord " s y m p h o n y ” in th e title s of tw o of his com positions, S tra u ss h a s n e v e r com posed a sy m p h o n y in th e tra d itio n a l sense of th e w ord. F o r his sy m p h o n ies are m o re like sy m p h o n ic poem s, a n d all of th e m are p ro g ra m m usic. In re la tio n to th e o th e r com posers of his tim e , S tra u ss s ta n d s as a " p ro g re s s iv e .” A lth o u g h in re c e n t y e a rs y o u n g er com posers h a v e w ritte n m usic w hich d e p a rts fa r m ore ra d ic a lly fro m tra d itio n , S tra u s s ’s m usic w as a t first co n sid ered shocking, ugly, a n d u n p la y a b le . L ike o th e r m usic of tru e w o rth , ho w ev er, S tra u s s’s co m p o sitio n s h a v e p assed successfully th ro u g h th is p erio d of m isu n d e rsta n d in g a n d now are a c c e p te d in th e lig h t of th e ir tru e c h a ra c te r. M u sically , S tra u ss is v e ry sure of h im s e lf; a n d if we are to ju d g e b y one of his sy m p h o n ic poem s, in w hich th e m u sic describes a b a ttle w ith h o stile critics a n d his v ic to ry over th e m , we m ig h t be ju stifie d in say in g t h a t he is a b it a rro g a n t. As a m an , how ever, S tra u ss is m o d est, k in d ly , a n d ho m e loving. W hile he sh u n s people w ho are m erely curiou s to see h im , S tra u ss a p p e a rs fre q u e n tly as a co n d u c to r a n d is gracious a n d frie n d ly to th o se w ho are fo rtu n a te en ough to m e e t h im u p o n th ese occasions. S tra u ss h as w ritte n v e ry little m usic in re c e n t y ears, b u t his e a rly com ­ p o sitio n s assu re h im of a p e rm a n e n t place am o n g th e im p o rta n t com posers.

are m o re fa m iliar to th e av e rag e liste n e r th a n o rato rio s. Y e t th e o ra to rio is one of th e THE g re a te st form s of vo cal com position. I t develo p ed side b y side w ith th e opera. T h e chief difference ORCHESTRA b etw een th e tw o vo cal a r t form s is t h a t th e BECOMES o ra to rio c e n te rs a ro u n d a sacred idea. As a ru le th e te x t is e ith e r ta k e n fro m th e B ible or is b ased A PAINTER on a B iblical n a rra tiv e . Also th e o p era is p e r­ fo rm ed w ith stag e sets a n d costum es w hile th e p erfo rm an ce of th e o ra to rio is u su a lly given w ith o u t stag e a c tio n or scenery. T h e m u sic is o ften d ra m a tic , a n d to h e ig h te n th e effect th e re is u su a lly a n o rc h e s tra l score to ac co m p an y th e voices. T h e re w as a p erio d w h en th e o ra to rio w as re a lly a sacred m usic d ra m a a n d w as p erfo rm ed in th e sm all o ra to rie s, or chapels, of Ita lia n ch u rch es a n d c a th e d r a ls ; hence its n am e. G eorge F re d e ric H a n d e l (h a n 'd el) b ecam e a c q u a in te d w ith th is form w h en he w as on a v is it to I ta ly , a n d saw g re a t possibilities in i t as a fo rm of religious co n cert m usic. So he w o rk ed to develop it on new lines, a n d since his tim e th e w o rd oratorio h a s m e a n t a ch o ral w ork w ith som e d ra m a tic c h a ra c te r, in w h ich th e re are solos, d u e ts, trio s, q u a rte ts , a n d larg e choruses. O peras

Pastoral Symphony from the Messiah G e o r g e F r e d e r ic H a n d e l

[v.

r. g

569 A

(1685-1759), German composer. Contemporary in

American H istory:

C otton M a th er .

T H E TITLE EX PLA IN ED O f all sacred ch o ral w orks th e M essia h is p ro b a b ly th e m o st fam ous. I t w as w ritte n b y H a n d e l w hen he w as on a v isit to D u b lin , a n d he com posed it in o n ly tw e n ty -six d ay s. T h e te x t w as a rra n g e d from th e B ible b y C h arles Jen n e n s. T h e M essia h tells th e C h ristm a s s to ry a n d th e n tra c e s th e life of o u r L o rd fro m H is b ir th th ro u g h th e re su rre c tio n . T h e o ra to rio is d iv id ed in to th re e p a rts , a n d th e P a s to ra l S y m p h o n y o ccurs in P a r t I. D u rin g th e s e v e n te e n th a n d e a rly e ig h te e n th ce n tu rie s th e w ord sym phony d id n o t h a v e th e sam e m ean in g as it does to d a y . A t t h a t tim e th e te rm w as ap p lied to a n y sh o rt in s tru m e n ta l m o v e m e n t or passage occuring in vo cal w orks, to in s tru m e n ta l in tro d u c tio n s to operas, a n d som etim es to s h o rt in d e p e n d e n t in s tru m e n ta l pieces of v a rio u s k inds. 85

86

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u s ic • N e w H o r iz o n s

T h e w o rd pastoral sug g ests sh ep h erd s. O n his score th e com poser w ro te th e w o rd P ifa . A p ija is a s h e p h e rd 's tu n e p la y e d on th e piffero (p ef'fa-ro ), a n d a piffero is a n I ta lia n b ag p ip e w ith d ro n e bass.* C o n se q u e n tly th e title " P a s to r a l S y m p h o n y " in tim a te s t h a t we are a b o u t to h e a r a d re a m y in ­ s tru m e n ta l in te rlu d e , p ic tu rin g th e sh ep h e rd s on th e hillsides as th e y " t e n d th e ir flocks b y n ig h t." TH E MUSIC T h e m elo d y of H an d eT s P a s to ra l S y m p h o n y is su p p o sed to be fo u n d e d on a sim ple old I ta lia n folk m elo d y w h ich th e com poser re m e m b e red h ea rin g as a b o y in R o m e a t C h ristm a s tim e . A v ersio n of th is I ta lia n tu n e w as in clu d ed in a folio of E n g lish carols som e y e a rs before H a n d e l used it in th e M essia h . H e re are a few m easu res of th is v ersio n :

ij ^ n j _ j j i'ir p r‘ ir-rj'r r_r ir Christ-m as h ath m ade an end,

Well - a - day,

well - a - day.

A n d h ere are th e o p en in g m easu res of th e " P a s to r a l S y m p h o n y " 1 F IR S T T H E M E L a r g h e tto

ML

T h e co n n ectio n or re sem b lan ce b etw e en th e I ta lia n carol a n d H a n d e l's m elo d y is easily d e te c te d . T h e rh y th m ic p a tte r n is th e sam e as t h a t of th e S iciliana (si-sil'i-a -n a), a graceful d an ce of th e S icilian p e a s a n try . 1The complete melody is given on page 113 of Discovery.

T h e O rch estra B e c o m e s a P a in te r

87

T h e m u sic of th e P a s to ra l S y m p h o n y follow s th e im pressive chorus " F o r u n to U s a C h ild Is B o r n " a n d p reced es th e so p ran o re c ita tiv e * (re s-f-ta -te v '), " T h e r e W ere S h ep h erd s A b id in g in th e F ie ld ." E v id e n tly th e com poser in te n d e d th is in te rlu d e to e sta b lish a gentle, q u ie t m ood, su ggestiv e of th e p a s to ra l a tm o sp h e re su rro u n d in g th e sh ep h erd s. T w o g ro u p s of violins, a th ir d a p a rt, p la y th is sim ple, g racefu l m elo d y w ith sm o o th singing to n e s. U n d e rn e a th is a su sta in e d d ro n e b ass w hich suggests th e m o n o to n o u s p la y in g of th e bag p ip e.* T h is first sectio n of th e P a s to ra l S y m p h o n y com es to a com plete conclu­ sion ; a n d th is is w h ere th e co m p o sition e n d e d in its o riginal form . A second th e m e p ro v id es a c o n tra st, n o t so m u c h in th e m elo d y or rh y th m ic p a tte r n as in th e color of th e in s tru m e n ts . T h e p itc h is low er, a n d th e a d d itio n of h o rn s a n d w ood w inds a d d s a d a rk e r, m ore som ber feeling to th e c o n tin u o u s flow of th e leg ato m elody. SE C O N D T H E M E

f:ir'T r^ f^if T f Qf ^ T h is m id d le sectio n w as an a fte rth o u g h t, a n d w as p u t in to th e score on a h a lf sh e e t of p a p e r. I t is n o ticeab le t h a t th e first m easu re is id en tical w ith th e first m easu re of th e o p en ing m elo d y . A lth o u g h H a n d e l ch an g ed his m elodic id e a in th e second m easu re, he k e p t th e sam e r h y t h m ; a n d th e le n g th of th is sec tio n is ju s t th e sam e as t h a t of th e first section, w hich now re tu rn s to co m p lete th e com position. I n th e o rig in al score th ese th re e sectio n s a re ea ch eleven m easu res lo n g ; b u t in th e re c o rd in g M r. S to k o w sk i h as sh o rte n e d th e th ird section b y five m easu res, a n d th is d is tu rb s its sy m m e try so m ew h a t. TH E MESSIAH T h e M essia h w as p erfo rm e d th irty -fo u r tim e s d u rin g th e co m poser's life, b u t n ev e r on su ch a n im m ense scale as it h as b een given since his d e a th . H a n d e l w ro te fo r a v e ry d iffe ren t o rc h e stra a n d ch o ru s fro m t h a t to w h ich we are ac cu sto m e d . I n his d a y H a n d e l o n ly u sed tw e n ty -th re e singers, in clu d in g soloists ; a n d his o rc h e stra consisted of tw elv e violins, th re e violas, th re e cellos, tw o d o u b le basses, fo u r oboes, fo u r bassoons, tw o h orns, tw o tru m p e ts , d ru m s, o rg an , a n d h arp sic h o rd .* H a n d e l s a t a t th e h a rp sic h o rd co n d u c tin g th e o ra to rio a n d filling in th e a c c o m p a n im e n ts w hen n ecessary . H a y d n , M o z a rt, a n d B ee th o v e n h a v e p ra ise d th is o r a to r io ; a n d i t is h ig h ly re g a rd e d b y th e people b o th in th e U n ite d S ta te s a n d in E n g la n d .

88

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • N e w H o r iz o n s

T H E COMPOSER A lth o u g h G eorge F re d e ric H a n d e l w as a G e rm a n b y b irth , he h a d a g re a t lik in g fo r E n g la n d a n d w ished to live th e re . T h is is n o t a lto g e th e r s tr a n g e ; for in G e rm a n y th in g s w ere q u ie t a n d u n e v e n tfu l, a n d w hen H a n d e l m ad e his first v isit to E n g la n d he h a d a ta s te of fam e. H e m e t th e qu een a n d p leased h e r w ith h is p lay in g . T h e E n g lish w a n te d h im to re m a in in ste a d of re tu rn in g to his ow n c o u n try . I t w as n a tu ra l t h a t a few y e a rs la te r he sh o u ld ask for a n o th e r leave of absence fro m his p a tro n E le c to r G eorge of H a n o v e r. H e re tu rn e d to E n g ­ la n d a n d soon b ecam e id en tified w ith th e c o u rt a n d all its fu n c tio n s, a n d o v e rsta y e d his leave. B u t th is a p p a re n tly d id n o t b o th e r him . C u rio u sly enough, his old p a tro n E le c to r G eorge becam e K in g of E n g la n d . I t w as a b it e m b a rra ssin g fo r H a n d e l a t th e t i m e ; b u t he succeeded in sm o o th in g o u t his difficulties, a n d h e a n d th e k in g w ere reconciled. As a little b o y h e w as a n e x p e rt p erfo rm er on th e h a rp sic h o rd , th e organ, a n d th e oboe. H is fa th e r h a d a keen sense of business, a n d p re fe rre d t h a t his son s tu d y law in s te a d of m usic. B u t H a n d e l w as d e te rm in e d to follow th e m usic p ro fessio n a n d beco m e a com poser, a n d e v e n tu a lly w on his p o in t. H e in h e rite d en o u g h of his fa th e r's business in stin c ts so t h a t he e a rn e d enough to live v e ry c o m fo rta b ly . O ne of H a n d e l's c h a ra c te ristic s w as his a b ility to ab so rb th e b e st q u alitie s of th e sty le s of th e p eo p le w ith w hom he cam e in c o n ta c t. So w h en he v isited I ta ly , w h en q u ite a y o u n g m an , he a b so rb e d m u c h of th e sm o o th ­ ness a n d g race of th e Ita lia n sty le of e x p re s sio n ; a n d th is m a y be one reaso n for th e sin g ab le q u a lity of his m usic. H a n d e l w as v e ry in d u strio u s, a n d p ro d u c ed his w orks w ith a lm o st in ­ credible ra p id ity . H e is p ro b a b ly one of th e g re a te st ch o ral w rite rs th e w orld h a s ever k n o w n , a n d his o ra to rio s still re m a in as am o n g th e g re a te s t com ­ p o sitio n s in th e field of sac red m usic. Q u ite in c o n tra s t to th e sim ple, d ire c t m elodic expression of H a n d e l is th e m usic of th e F re n c h com poser D e b u ssy (de-bti-se'), w ho b eg an his life a b o u t 150 y e a rs la te r. L ik e all F re n c h children, h e m u s t h av e b een lulled to sleep b y th e so u n d of p o p u la r m elodies. B u t e v e n tu a lly he jo in ed in ro u n d s w ith o th e r ch ild ren . T h is m a y be one of th e reaso n s w h y he n ev e r lost his love for th e se sim ple tu n e s a n d ev en re fe rre d to th e m in som e of his com positions.

T h e O r ch estra B e c o m e s a P a in te r P re lu d e C

laude

A

c h il l e

D

ebu ssy

a l ’A p r e s - m i d i

d ’u n

fa u n e

89 t v . R . 6696 A , b

(1862-1918), French composer. Contemporary in

American H istory:

W

oodrow

W

il s o n

.

T h e E n g lish tra n s la tio n of th is title is " P r e lu d e to 'T h e A ftern o o n of a F a u n .'” D e b u ssy w ro te th e m usic to illu s tra te a p o em w ith th e sam e title w ritte n b y th e F re n c h p o e t S t£ p h an e M allarm 6 (s ta -fa n ' m a -la r-m a '). F o r D e b u ssy w as in te re s te d in o th e r a r ts th a n m usic. H e v isite d m a n y d ifferent a r t g alleries, a n d occasio n ally h e a tte n d e d lite ra ry salons (sa-loN '). T h is poem b y M a lla rm 6 m ad e a g re a t a p p e a l to h im a n d serv ed as th e in sp ira tio n fo r one of th e fa v o rite com positions b y th is g ifted F re n c h m a n .

STORY OF TH E POEM T h e m ea n in g of th e p o em is n o t v e ry clear. I t describes th e m em ories of a fa u n as he w ak es fro m sleep a n d rem em b ers, or trie s to re m e m b e r, th e a fte rn o o n befo re a n d th e e v e n ts w h ich to o k place. I t is all v e ry v a g u e a n d d re a m y , a n d th e fa u n c a n n o t te ll w h a t is m em o ry a n d w h a t is im a g in a tio n . D id h e o r d id he n o t see w h ite a n d golden n y m p h s ? O r w ere th e y lilies ? W h a t w as t h a t w hich flickered a n d gleam ed in th e tre e s ? L o o k in g a t a g a rd e n of lilies, he w onders w h e th e r if h e chooses one i t will re sto re his m e m o ry of th e h a p p y h o u rs. B u t his m e m o ry fad es. H e is so sleepy t h a t he c a n n o t re m e m b e r. T h e su n is w arm a n d th e so ft g rass is in v itin g . H e curls u p a n d falls asleep. P ro b a b ly no o th e r co m p o ser b u t D eb u ssy w ould h a v e a tte m p te d to p ic tu re in m usic a n y th in g so d e lic a te a n d su b tle. I t is all so in ta n g ib le . Y e t he w as ev er ex p ressin g id eas in m usic w hich w ere fo u n d e d on so m e th in g o u t­ side of th e m usic itself. T h is is n o t p ro g ra m m usic, in th e u su a l m ea n in g of th e te rm . A lth o u g h th e p o em gives th e p ic tu re of a d re a m y su m m er a fte rn o o n , D e b u ssy w as m o re co n cerned t h a t his m u sic sh o u ld aro u se a c e rta in m ood a n d allow th e liste n e r to in te rp re t it in te rm s of h is in d iv id u a l experience. T H E TITLE D e b u ssy called th is co m p o sitio n a prelude. W e h a v e u s u a lly co n n ected th is n am e w ith a s h o rt m o v e m e n t w hich serves as a n in tro d u c tio n to som e­ th in g of im p o rta n c e a n d significance. B u t th e w ord h ere m e a n s t h a t th is com positio n is th e m u sical p re p a ra tio n for th e po em w h ich in sp ire d it. I t is like a tra n s la tio n in to to n e of th e po em b y M allarm A

90

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u s ic • N e w H o r iz o n s

TH E MUSIC A solo flu te b eg in s th e co m p o sitio n w ith th e p rin c ip a l m elody. F IR S T P R IN C IP A L M E L O D Y D o u x c t e x p x e s s if

i

T h is is a d re a m y a n d r a th e r w istfu l m elo d y , n o t v e ry p o sitiv e in its m o d e* a n d in d efin ite in its rh y th m ic p a tte rn . I t is follow ed b y th e h a rp s 3 w hich p la y som e lig h t g lissando* passages w hile th e w ood w inds a n d horns p la y su sta in e d ch o rd s. T h is gives th e effect of sh im m erin g lig h t a n d the drow siness of a m id su m m e r afte rn o o n . T h e flu te solo is re p e a te d , acco m p an ied b y th e sleepy h u m of m u te d 4 strin g s. T h e oboe c o n tin u es w ith a new m elody, a n d th e s tre n g th and vo lu m e of th e m usic increase. As th e m usic becom es q u ie te r, th e flute plays ag a in th e p rin c ip a l m elo d y . T h is tim e, how ever, th e m elo d y flows on while th e h a rp s a n d low strin g s su p p ly th e h arm o n ic b a c k g ro u n d . P o rtio n s of th e p rin c ip a l m elo d y can be h e a rd , a n d o th e r m elodic p a t­ te rn s are p la y e d b y th e d ifferen t in stru m e n ts. A fte r a tim e th e F ren ch h o rn s a n d cla rin e ts p la y a n im p o rta n t m o tiv e. M E L O D IC F IG U R E A

v

p

T h e oboe jo in s i n ; b u t ev en th o u g h definite m easu res h a v e been q u o ted h ere as a n aid in follow ing th e m usic, th e feeling of elusiveness a n d u n ­ c e rta in ty is alw ay s p re se n t. A new m elo d y now is p la y e d b y w ood w inds, acco m p an ied b y strings. As th is m elo d y seem s q u ite a n im p o rta n t one, it is q u o te d here. SE C O N D P R IN C IP A L M E L O D Y E x p r e s s if

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There is no tim e for jum ping in th is rapid and continuously m oving m usic. People who had been b itten b y a tarantula form erly used this dance as a m eans of curing their m alady. T h ey believed th at th e faster th ey danced, the more certain and com plete would be the cure. A com parison of the rhythm ic patterns of these tw o dances shows th a t in th e tarantella there is no interruption of m otion, while in th e saltarello there are short rests to break up th e m otion. T he running them e m oves stead ily on and is very legato. Its progress, how ever, is punctuated b y th e rhythm of th e sa lta rello ; and the phrases of th e tw o dances alternate w ith each other. Since th e m ovem ent closes in a veritable whirlwind of rushing n otes and rhythm ic patterns, we feel th a t the saltarello has come out the victor. In th e closing m easures of this m ovem en t we can d etect the rhythm ic pattern of th e first them e of th e first m ovem ent. I t is interesting to note th a t although th e I t a l i a n S y m p h o n y is designated as being in A major, th is fourth m ovem ent is en tirely in A m i n o r . T his is quite unusual. AN ENTIRE SYMPHONY W ith th e exception of th e C l a s s i c a l S y m p h o n y , b y Prokofieff ( P r o g r e s s , page 33), th is is the first com plete sym p h on y to be presented in this course. C ritics everyw here accord it a high place in m usic literature. M an y au­ thorities have said th a t in all four m ovem ents every measure and every note are in the right place, and th at the I t a l i a n S y m p h o n y is one of M en­ delssohn’s m ost perfect works. H e w as a young m an when he wrote it, and it expresses the energy of you th . T he orchestration is accurate and of unusual b eau ty. T he sym phony is m usic th a t satisfies and w hich we can en joy on the first hearing. It is interesting to hear these m ovem ents one after th e other, and to discover how th e sym p h ony is p ut together. T he contrast betw een the different m ovem en ts shows m an y different m oods, while a consideration of the them es contained in a single m ovem en t reveals th a t M endelssohn could in ven t a variety of m elodic ideas. T he different forms which characterize individual sym phonic m ovem ents h ave'b een observed in m ovem ents from m an y different sym phonies. H ere is a table of m ovem ents from sym phonies and the place where th ey have occurred in M a k i n g F b i e n d s w i t h M u s i c :

A T r a v e le r ’s S y m p h o n y

113

Prelude

Beethoven Haydn

Allegretto from Symphony No. 8 Minuet from Symphony No. 13

page 66 page 71

Progress

Beethoven Prokofieff Mozart Berlioz

Scherzo from Symphony No. 7 C la s s ic a l S y m p h o n y

Minuet from Symphony in D major "A B all” from F a n t a s t i c S y m p h o n y

page page page page

29 33 25 22

page page page page page

56 86 73 71 44

A t H om e and Abroad

Schubert T chaikovsky Schumann Schumann McDonald

First Movement from Symphony in B minor Second and Third Movements from Symphony No. 6 Second Movement from Symphony No. 3 Second Movement from Symphony No. 4 Scherzo from Fourth Symphony N ew H orizons

Sibelius Mozart

Second Movement from Symphony No. 1 First Movement from Symphony inG minor

page 66 page 71

F E L IX M ENDELSSO HN

F elix M endelssohn w as a m usician born. Like M ozart he had great talen t and natural gifts, and his parents provided all the training he could need or desire. H is general education w as n ot neglected, and he had unusual opportuni­ ties for developing special accom plishm ents. H e had staunch support from his father, w ho w ished his son to be a real professional m usician. H e grew up under happy conditions. H e was deeply affectionate and was endowed w ith a sunny disposition. D uring his boyhood his hom e was the gathering place for m an y artists and m usicians, and he absorbed the m usic w hich w as performed at various m usical parties. Y et he was n o t delicate. H e was eager for sport, had a great fondness for th e out-of-doors, and w as very genial and sociable. H e was diligent and believed th a t " W hatever is worth doing at all is w orth doing w ell.,# T he I t a l i a n S y m p h o n y testifies to his ab ility in creating lyric m elodies, graceful and spontaneous rhythm s, and rich harm onies. H e loved life, he loved people, he loved b e a u ty ; and his m usic expresses the happy per­ sonality of the com poser. H is nam e is u sually given as Felix M endelssohn-B artholdy. H is father added the nam e B artholdy when, in com pany w ith som e other m embers of the fam ily, he and his w ife adopted C hristianity { P r e l u d e , page 65).

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FELIX M EOELSSOHN BARTHOLD?. Op.OO.

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On p a g e 114 is a reproduction of page 1 of the orchestral score of the Fourth Sym phony, usu­ THE ally known as the I t a l i a n S y m p h o n y , b y Felix M endelssohn-Bartholdy. T his is the sam e type O R C H ESTR A L of score as th at which is used b y th e conductor SCO RE of a sym phony orchestra. I t includes all the notes which are played b y all th e instrum ents in the m easures which are quoted. T he indi­ vidual players, however, use m usic which includes only th e notes for their own particular instrum ents. T he principal them e of th e first m ovem ent, quoted on page 107, will be found on th e staves m arked for first and second violins. TH E IN STR UM EN TS

T he top staff, m arked " F la u ti” (flou'te), is for the flutes, of which there are tw o in this particular selection. T he next staff is for tw o oboes. T hey do n ot play in th e m easures w hich are quoted on this p a g e ; b ut as th ey do p lay later in th e selection, th is staff is reserved for th em and is marked w ith rests until it is tim e for them to play. The third staff is for tw o clari­ n e t s ; and the fourth, m arked " F a g o tti,” is for tw o bassoons. T his score calls for only tw o horns. Their part is m arked "C orni in A ” and is on th e staff beneath the one used for the tw o bassoons. A lthough neither the trum pets (" T ro m b e” ) nor the tim pani have an yth in g to play on this page, staves are reserved for them , because th ey do p lay later in the selection. T he five sta v es at th e b ottom of th e page are for th e stringed instru­ m ents. N o tice th a t their first notes are played pizzicato, after w hich th ey are directed b y the word " a r co ” (ar'ko) to play w ith their bows. T H E CLEFS

In order th a t th e lines and spaces of the staff m ay be connected w ith definite tones, it is necessary to have som e sort of k ey w hich will fix the pitch of these lines and spaces. Therefore c l e f signs are used. C l e f m eans " k e y ,” and the clef sign at the beginning of the staff fixes th e pitch of a note on a certain fine. For exam ple, th e treble, or G, clef fixes th e pitch of G on th e second line. Sim ilarly, in th e bass clef th e p itch of F is fixed on the fourth line. 115

116

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u s ic * N e w H o r iz o n s

In addition to th e treble and bass clefs, this page of score uses also the alto (or viola) clef, w hich m ay be seen at th e beginning of th e line w ritten for the viola. T he upper and lower portions of this clef sign m eet on the third line : [|§ | Therefore m iddle C is located on the third line. T he range m ost frequently used for the viola in orchestral m usic is about equally divided above and below m iddle C. T he alto clef is used in order to avoid, as far as possible, the added, or " leger,” lines (above or below the staff) which w ould be necessary if either the treble or bass clef were used. TR A N SPO SIN G IN STR U M EN TS

W hen an instrum ent sounds a tone w hich is different from the norm al pitch of the w ritten note, it is said to be a transposing instrum ent. T his occurs because certain instrum ents are m ade in such a w ay th at when th ey are playin g the sam e printed note, th ey sound different tones F o r exam ple, if the violin and th e B -flat clarinet both play the sam e w ritten note, the clarinet sounds a tone lower than the violin. Therefore, if the B -flat clarinet is to sound the sam e tone as the violin, its note m ust be w ritten a tone higher than th a t for the violin. Since th e violin plays at the actual pitch of its w ritten note, while the clarinet does not, the clarinet is know n as a transposing instrum ent. Three transposing instrum ents are included in this page of score : the clarinets in A, th e horns (" co rn i” ) in A, and the trum pets (" tro m b e” ) in D . Clarinets and horns in A sound a third lower than th e notes w ritten for them in a score. T rum pets in E> sound one tone higher than the actual pitch of their w ritten notes. T H E ORCHESTRAL SCORE

On page 117 there is a reproduction of page 52 of the orchestral score for the tone poem T i l l E u l e n s p i e g e l , b y Richard Strauss. I t is the sam e typ e of score as th a t w hich is used b y the conductor of a sym phony orchestra. T his score includes all the notes which are played b y all th e instrum ents in th e eight m easures w hich are quoted. T he individual players, how ever, use m usic w hich includes only th e notes for their p articu lar instru­ m ents. Page 52 of th e score com es fairly near the end of th e tone poem , for the last four m easures m ark the opening of the rapid passage w hich is played just before T ill is caught. N otice particularly, in the last four m easures of this page, the constant repetition of the first four notes of the Prank them e.

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118

M a k in g F r ie n d s w it h M u sic • N e w H o r iz o n s

T hese n otes m ay be found in the parts for th e flute, the first oboe, the clarinet in D , the first trum pet, and the first and second violins. B eginning in the sixth m easure, w hat them e is suggested b y th e opening notes for bassoons, trom bones and tuba, and cellos and basses? TH E IN STR U M EN TS

T he top staff is for the piccolo, w hich is a little flute. (The abbreviation " k l. FI.” is for k l e i n e F l o t e y m eaning " little flu te.” ) T his score calls for three large flutes, though it m ay be seen th a t in som e m easures th e y all p lay th e sam e notes. T he abbreviation " gr.” w hich appears at the be­ ginning of the line is for g r o s s e , w hich m eans "large.” T he tw o staves for th e large flutes are connected w ith a bracket. T he score likew ise calls for three oboes, which play som etim es in unison and som etim es in three-part harm ony. T he tw o staves for the oboes also are connected w ith a bracket. B elow th em is the staff for the E nglish horn, w hich sounds in unison w ith the oboes in the first tw o measures. T his score calls for four clarinets, including three different m em bers of th is fam ily. There is a high clarinet in D , there are tw o regular clarinets in B flat, and there is also the bass clarinet in B flat. J u st below the staff for the bass clarinet are tw o staves, connected w ith a bracket, for the bassoons, of w hich three are used in this particular selection. Their parts are indicated b y the abbreviation " F a g .” (F a g o t t e ), m eaning " b a s s o o n s /’ T he score calls also for a contra bassoon (indicated b y the abbreviation "C ontrafag.” ), whose range is an octave lower than th a t of th e regular bassoon. B elow th e staff for the contra bassoon we find tw o staves, connected w ith a bracket, for the four French horns which are required in this score. B elow these staves is another pair connected w ith a bracket, and these contain th e notes for th e three trum pets which are required for the playing of this m usic. T his part is designated b y the abbreviation "T rom p.,” which stands for T r o m p e t e n , or " tru m p ets.” T he abbreviation " P o s.” m eans P o s a u n e n (po-zou'nen), which is the Germ an word for "trom bones.” T his score calls for three trom bones and one tuba, and the staves for these four instrum ents are connected w ith a bracket. B elow them we find the staff for the P a u k e n (pou'ken), or tim pani. N o tice particularly th a t the first four m easures of the part for tim pani call for th e striking of a single tone, a roll upon th a t tone, a definite rhythm ic pattern upon th at tone, and then a roll upon a different tone.

T h e O r c h e str a l S c o r e

119

T he five staves at the b ottom of this page of score are for the five groups of stringed instrum ents in the orchestra. T he first tw o staves, which are connected w ith a bracket, are for the first and second violins. T he middle staff of the five is for th e v io las; the abbreviation " B r.” is for B r a t s c h e n (brach'en), w hich is the German word for these instrum ents. The last tw o lines of the score are for th e violoncellos and the contrabasses, or bass viols. THE CLEFS

T his page of score uses only three c le fs : the treble clef, the bass clef, and the tenor clef. T he tenor clef m ay be found at the beginning of the staff for the first and second trom bones and also at the beginning of the staff for the cellos. Since the upper and lower sections of this clef m eet on the fourth line, m iddle C is located on this line. T he tenor clef and the alto clef (w hich does n ot appear on this page of score) are used in order to avoid, as far as possible, w riting the added, or " leger,” lines which would be necessary above or below the staff if only the treble and bass clefs were used. 1. A t w h at point in th e cello part does th e clef change? 2. In w hich m easure of th e cello part m ight the tenor clef have been used to advantage, so far as the copyist was concerned? TR A N SPO SIN G IN STR U M EN TS

W e have already learned th at when an instrum ent sounds a tone which is different from th e w ritten note, it is said to be a transposing instrum ent. B ecause certain instrum ents sound pitches w hich differ from th e normal p itch of th e w ritten note, it is necessary, in w riting for these instrum ents, to indicate notes w hich differ from the actual p itch desired. For this reason, as we have already discovered, various parts in an orchestral score are w ritten in various k e y s ; and this explains the fact th at this page of score includes several different k ey signatures. R eading from the top to the bottom of this score, we find the first varia­ tion of k ey signature in the part for the E nglish horn. T his instrum ent sounds tones a fifth lower than the pitch indicated b y the w ritten notes. T his m a y be understood more easily if we realize th at in this page of score the first note for the E nglish horn sounds at exactly th e sam e pitch as the first tone for the oboes, w hich are n ot transposing instrum ents. Since the k ey signature of T i l l E u l e n s p i e g e l at this point is one flat, for the k ey of F, and th e m usic n otation for th e E nglish horn must be w ritten a fifth higher

120

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • N e w H o r iz o n s

than the actual sound, its part is w ritten in the key of C ; and therefore no k ey signature is used. In the staff below the E nglish horn is the part for the clarinet in D . T his instrum ent sounds one tone higher than its w ritten notes. For this reason the notes are w ritten in the k ey of E flat, which is one tone lower than the basic key of F . Ju st the reverse is true in the case of the clarinets in B flat. T h ey sound one tone lower than their w ritten n o te s ; therefore their parts are w ritten one tone higher than th ey sound. Since the basic key is th at of F, the part for the clarinets in B flat is w ritten one tone higher — in the k ey of G. In this score th e French horns and the trum pets are " in F ,” which m eans th at the horns will sound a fifth lower than their w ritten notes, while th e trum pets w ill sound a fourth higher than the notes which are w ritten for them . In this instance no k ey signature is used for these instrum ents, the necessary sharps and flats being w ritten in whenever necessary. Certain instrum ents transpose exactly an octave. T he piccolo sounds an octave higher than its w ritten note, while th e contra bassoon and the bass viols sound one octave lower than their w ritten parts. Since, however, this does n ot change the k e y , such instrum ents are not regarded as trans­ posing instrum ents. * A com parison of page 52 of the score for T i l l E u l e n s p i e g e l w ith page 1 of the score for the I t a l i a n S y m p h o n y suggests quite clearly the size of present-day orchestras as com pared w ith those of a century ago, when the sym phony b y M endelssohn was com posed. N o t on ly are m any more instrum ents used in the m odern score, b ut their parts are more com plex. T his is evid en t in spite of th e fact th at the page from T i l l E u l e n s p i e g e l which is reproduced is m uch less com plicated than som e others from the same score. It is interesting to note th at ju st tw ice as m any staves are necessary for this page of score from T i l l E u l e n s p i e g e l as for the page of score from the I t a l i a n S y m p h o n y . W hat instrum ents w hich are present in the score b y Strauss are n ot included in the score b y M endelssohn ? N o t only does the m usic of Strauss use a greater variety of instrum ents, b u t it also uses more of those instrum ents which are included in the earlier score. Of which instrum ents is th is true?

H ave you ever seen a violen t friendship spring up suddenly, only to subside ju st as q uickly? There A are other friendships, how ever, w hich begin more gradually and develop slow ly in to rich associ­ CATHEDRAL ations w hich m ay endure throughout our entire IN T O N E lifetim e. In this respect m usic can be compared to friendship. There are som e com positions, just as there are certain people, th a t we like trem endously w hen we first, come to know th e m ; b u t th ey do n ot possess lasting q uality and we soon tire of them . Likewise there are som e com positions, ju st as w ell as individuals, th a t m ake no appeal in our first experience w ith them ; and, unfortunately, the longer our association w ith them continues, th e less we like them . There are also com positions, just as th ete are certain people, th at we like very m uch when we first becom e acquainted w ith them . T h ey do possess enduring qualities, and our adm iration and affection for them in­ crease as tim e goes on. Then, too, there are other com positions and persons whose w orth w e do not fully realize in th e beginning ; but the more we associate w ith them and the better w e know them , the more highly we regard them . E ven tu ally we develop a sincere and deep affection for them , and place high value on them and their friendship. Q UALITIES IN BRAH M S’S MUSIC

T his perm anent, growing typ e of friendship is th e kind we feel toward the music of Johannes Brahm s (bram s). For th e more we sense its beauty and its power, th e deeper becom es our affection for i t ; the more of it w e know, th e greater is our respect for it. E ven upon first acquaintance, however, we are likely to enjoy the music of his First Sym phony so m uch th at we shall wish to know it better ; for it, too, is friendly. There was a tim e, years ago, w hen people th ou ght it was difficult to get acquainted w ith the sym phonies of Brahm s. W e know now, however, th a t th e difficulty was w ith the people and n ot w ith the music. For while these sym phonies have n ot changed, people now regard them as am ong the m ost popular of all works in this form. T his is particularly true of the First Sym phony. T his sym phony is a great favorite w ith you ng people, who enjoy —*even on th e first hearing — th e rugged strength of its rhythm s and the heroic sw eep of its m elodies. I t im m ediately occupies a high place in our esteem and becom es a valuable addition to our m usical repertoire. 121

122

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • N e w H o r iz o n s

There are m an y characteristics of Brahm s's m usic w hich have led to the im m ense popularity it has attained. I t is spirited, virile, and h e a lth y ; to hear it is an exhilarating experience. I t is strong, energetic, and powerful ; and in hearing it we also seem to possess its power. Y et it is som etim es calm, soothing, and te n d e r ; and it has for us a healing q u ality w hen th a t is w hat we need. The m usic of Brahm s is honest, noble, and straightforward. W e can always depend upon i t ; for it never fails to satisfy us. I t is beautiful, rom antic, and p o e tic ; and for this it claim s our affection. I t is poised, well-balanced, and w ell-form ed ; and th e sureness of its design gives us a feeling of security as we hear and follow w hat it says to us. T hese are som e of the qualities of Brahm s's m usic. W e m ay n ot dis­ cover all of th em im m e d ia te ly ; b ut the more we know of his m usic, the more we com e to treasure it. For ju st as we value th ese qualities in a human" friendship, so we admire them also in m usic. Of all th e m usical friendships we m ay m ake, few (if any) w ill reward us m ore richly than the music of Johannes Brahm s. F i n a le f r o m S y m p h o n y N o . 1 , i n C M in o r [V. R. 8974,8975 Jo h annes B rahm s

(1833-1897), German composer. Contemporary in American H istory:

A n d r e w C a r n e g ie .

TH E SYM PH O NY

A lthough this m usic is from th e first sym phony th at Brahm s com posed, nevertheless it was the result of years of stu d y on the part of the com ­ poser ; and th is final m ovem ent is the crowning peak of the entire sym phony. M an y com posers begin to write sym phonies when th ey are young, w ith the result th a t their first sym phonies are n ot so m ature as their later works. Brahm s, how ever, felt th a t it was a very serious thing to com pose a sym ­ phony ; and although he began to work on a com position in the sym phonic form before he was th irty years old, he did n ot release his first sym phony for performance u ntil he was w ell past forty years of age. Brahm s's ideals were very high, and he subjected him self to severe dis­ cipline in preparation for th e creation of the serious and im pressive m usic which he later gave to th e world. One of th e best exam ples of th is attitu d e on the part of Brahm s is to be found in his w riting of string quartets. W hile Brahm s published on ly three string quartets in his entire lifetim e, it is said th at he com posed and destroyed tw en ty com plete works in this form be­ fore he ever allowed th e first one to be published.

I C e y t il u u e

N o tre D am e C a th e d ra l, P a ris

F. H utzli,

" T h u s B lew th e S h e p h e rd ’s H o rn T o d a y ”

A C a th ed ra l in T o n e

123

I t is n ot surprising, then, to learn th a t Brahm s worked alm ost fifteen years on th e com position of his F irst Sym phony, n ot because he was ignorant of how to com pose m usic b u t rather because he knew so w ell w hat he should do th a t he was dissatisfied w ith less than the highest standard which he could reach. I t is evid en t th at Brahm s realized th e im portance of the final, or fourth, m ovem ent of his First S y m p h o n y ; for after he had heard the entire sym ­ phony played, he shortened the third m ovem ent b y half in order to em ­ phasize th e significance of the Finale. N o t only is this the m ost im portant m ovem ent in his F irst Sym phony, but it is one of the greatest of all sym ­ phonic m ovem ents, tow ering am ong th em like a great tonal cathedral. I t begins w ith serious brooding m usic w hich seem s to be searching its w ay through dreadful darkness of tone ; w hen suddenly th e orchestral sk y clears, and through cloudless space there com es a call of assurance and faith. From this point on, the m usic becom es increasingly poetic and heroic in character u ntil it reaches a m agnificent m om ent of trium ph and of th at exaltation w hich can be attained only through n ob ility and integrity.

TH E MUSIC

T he listener has a sense of th e m assiveness of this m usic from th e very beginning of th e m ovem ent. I t opens w ith an introduction of extraordinary length and im portance, and its first six n otes (indicated b y figure A ) later becom e th e basis of the first tw o m easures of th e principal m elod y of th e m ovem ent. IN T R O D U C T O R Y

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T he violins play this m otive against a background provided b y low strings and wood winds. T he introduction proceeds slow ly and cautiously. Its orchestral at­ m osphere is cloudy and d a r k ; and its m elodies are indistinct, as though th ey were enveloped in shadows of tone. Suddenly this darkness is shattered b y a trem endous and thunderous roll of the tim pani, as though th e heavens were opening, and there com es a brilliant flash of tone. One of th e greatest horn calls in all music transform s the m usical darkness and hesitation into radiance and confidence. I t penetrates the m isty, trem ulous tones of the

124

M a k in g F r ie n d s w ith M u sic • N e w H o r iz o n s

strings like a beam ing shaft of light, stream ing down through the thunderriven clouds. HO RN CALL P tu a n d a n te

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A Cathedral in Tone

125

T his m elody is announced b y the strings and then is repeated b y wood­ wind instrum ents. I t is soon followed b y a passage which is m ade from a m elodic pattern in the first tw o measures (Figure A on page 124). I t is n ot long before we hear again the m elody of the horn call, played b y the flute and answered b y the French horn. There is an extended passage of unusual v ita lity and rhythm ic power, leading to a dram atic clim ax which reaches a rather definite conclusion in a new key, th a t of E minor. T he m usic then returns to its original k e y ; and we hear again the spacious, songlike m elody of the principal them e, first played b y the strings and then answered b y the wood winds. T he answer, however, is interrupted b y the French horns, w hich repeat in the minor m ode the third full measure m arked Figure B . T his happens tw ice, the second interruption being m ade b y bassoons instead of horns. As the m usic continues, different portions of the principal them e, par­ ticularly Figure A , are heard in various instrum ents. Then the horn call reappears, first in the strings and then in the horns. As th e m ovem ent approaches its clim ax the opening tones of the principal them e are heard several tim es, surging upward in the low strings. The m usic gains in power u ntil it reaches its m ost exalted m om ent in the chorale them e, after w hich the Finale is concluded w ith a brief b ut stirring coda. THE HORN CALL There have been m any interesting stories concerning the origin of the im pressive horn call which figures so prom inently in this m ovem ent. One theory w hich persisted for a long tim e was th at the m elody had been m ade from the notes of the W estm inster Chim es, and there were very good reasons for the origin of this idea. In the first place, there is an actual sim ilarity betw een the tones of this them e and those of a part of the W est­ m inster Chimes. This likeness is apparent if the them e is heard sim ply in a series of notes of equal length. T hen, too, it happened th at during an early performance of the sym ­ phony in E ngland the tones of the W estm inster Chim es were heard b y the audience alm ost im m ediately following the playing of the horn call, so th at the sim ilarity was all the more vivid to those present. Since Brahm s had recently declined an invitation to appear in E ngland to receive a doctor's degree from Oxford U niversity, it was felt th a t this them e m ight have been a gesture of friendliness on his part. T he true origin of the them e, however, is this. W hile he was working on this sym phony, Brahm s spent a good deal of tim e in the Alps. A t th is

126

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tim e he was already enjoying the beautiful, lifelong friendship w ith Clara Schum ann which he once described in a letter to her as " th e m ost beautiful experience of m y life . . . representing all th at is richest and m ost noble in it .” It was from the Alps th at he sent to her a birthday greeting on Septem ­ ber 12, 1868, in which he wrote, " T h u s blew the shepherd’s horn to d a y ” ; after which he quoted the m elody of the horn call exactly as it appears in the sym phony. T o th e notes of this m elody he added the words of a sim ple but charm ing birthday greeting. From this we know th at this m elody was originally a horn call which Brahm s heard in the Alps and then used in his sym phony. N o wonder we think of this m usic as being tow ering and lofty, for such was the very atm osphere in which it was created. N o wonder we think of it as being a "cathedral in to n e ” ; for just as one m agnificent m ountain m ay rise above others w hich seem to push it upward, so this music soars to its m ajestic clim ax, uplifted b y surging rhythm s and m elodies th a t press higher and higher like G othic spires in to an exalted im aginative atm os­ phere. JOHANNES BRAHMS As a m an, Johannes Brahm s often was m isunderstood. Perhaps this was due to the seem ingly conflicting characteristics of his personality, for people who did not know him very well observed qualities which apparently contradicted those th at were evid en t to his in tim ate friends. From these contrasting aspects of his personality we m ay learn m uch about his true nature and the interplay betw een it and his music. F requently Brahm s was gruff and harsh, especially w ith those who sought to win his favor through praise of his m usic. A t heart, however, he was exceedingly gentle and sy m p a th e tic ; and he was deeply devoted to those of his friends whose sincerity was unquestioned. Som etim es he was awkward in his dealings w ith t h e m ; but this was alw ays unintentional. U pon one occasion he wrote to his dearest friend, " In m y dealings w ith m y friends I am aware of only one fault — m y lack of ta c t.” In his you th Brahm s was p o o r ; but his m usic becam e so successful th at he made large sum s of m oney, and at the end of his life he was w ealthy. W hile he alw ays insisted upon proper financial returns for his music, he used very little of the m oney for him self. M uch of it he gave aw ay to his relatives and intim ate friends, often w ithout their know ing th e source of the gift. All th e while Brahm s him self lived in th e m ost m odest quarters, ate very sim ple food, and dressed quite carelessly.

A Cathedral in Tone

127

W hile Brahm s was m ost careful in th e preparation of his m anuscripts, he w as equally careless w ith them after their com pletion. Frequently he would m ail them to his friends, wrapped in ordinary, inexpensive paper, w ithout even insuring them . H is theory was th a t th ey would attract no attention and therefore w ould be safe. In speaking about his com positions he repeatedly described them in terms which were ju st the opposite of their true nature. One of the m ost fam ous stories in this connection has to do w ith his Fourth S y m p h o n y ; for although this is one of his biggest and m ost m assive works, he sent the m anuscript to one of his friends w ith a note describing it as "four tin y pieces.’’ W hile Brahm s was a worshipful student of the m usic of B ach and B eethoven, he also enjoyed the popular w altzes of Johann Strauss and the colorful folk m usic of the G ypsies. W hen Brahm s w as requested b y the wife of Johann Strauss to autograph her fan, he wrote th e notes of a phrase from the Blue Danube W altz, followed b y these words, " U nfortunately, not b y Johannes B rahm s.” H is own com positions, w hich range from sim ple songs to great and com plex m asterpieces of creative skill, include m any arrangem ents of G yp sy folk m usic. B rahm s’s m ind was classic, b ut his heart was ro m a n tic; and his m usic shows us how beau tifu lly these tw o qualities m ay be united. H e was serious, studious, and self-critical; y e t the original creation of his m usic was inspired. T hough Brahm s talked about his creative work very rarely, he once said, I often get themes when out walking, especially when I am in the country. I always have to jot them down immediately, otherwise they quickly fade. Then I let them germinate, sometimes for years, but I occasionally look at them again. This habit is important; for it engenders the same state of mind that gave birth to them, and in this way the original thoughts grow and expand. Composition is an intellectual process so far as its mechanics are concerned. It requires patience and much hard work to acquire technical skill; but that has nothing to do with in­ spiration, which is a spiritual process. U pon another occasion Brahm s said th a t he often took his m elodies w ith him "for long walks in the woods near V ienna,” where he "w orked them o v er” u n til th e plans for his com positions were fu lly developed. For just as an architect m igh t visualize in his im agination a great cathedral and then m ight spend long hours in thinking about its design before p utting th e plan on paper, so also Brahm s’s original ideas were follow ed b y careful thought and planning before he put his com positions on paper. Brahm s's m usical ideas usually were m elodies, beautiful and rich in hum an feeling. B u t he was also a great designer w ho planned his com po­

128

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

sitions along such m agnificent lines th at often th ey are likened to great cathedrals in tone. Ju st as Brahm s hid the sym pathetic qualities of his true nature beneath a very abrupt manner, so he frequently surrounds his m elodies w ith rhythm s w hich keep their rom antic quality som ew hat in the background. T o perform this m usic requires both em otion and intellect, interpretative th ou ght and in tellectu al, technical skill. Brahm s was a m aster of the classic styles which had preceded him , but through his m usic there flows the warm life blood of expressive m elody. A t heart his m usic is rom antic, just as Brahm s w a s ; but, like its composer, it is controlled b y a strong intelligence. Perhaps this dual q u ality is one reason w hy the m usic of Brahm s has a lasting quality, for this is m usic which claims both our heartfelt affection and our intelligent respect.

M

is no reason w hy program m usic should possess more b eau ty or be more interesting than M U S IC absolute m usic. T hose com positions w hich come under th e second classification need no story to F O R M U S I C ’S explain them , neither do th ey im itate nor repre­ S A K E sent anything but music. There is just as m uch variety in absolute music as in program m usic, for absolute m usic m ay possess elusive and delicate shades of expression, as in the N octurne from Borodin's String Quartet N o. 2 {A t Home and A broad, page 52) ; or it m ay be more solid and straight­ forward, as in a sym phony b y Sibelius or Brahm s. B u t program music m ust adequately express th e idea or picture which inspired it, so th at the audience can understand " w hat it is all about." T he im portant p oin t is th at the inherent q uality and b eau ty of m usic, whether absolute or program, is more essential than form , picture, or story. T here

F irs t M o v e m e n t fro m M a u r ic e

R avel

Q u a rte t in

(1875-1937), French composer.

H isto ry:

F

M a jo r

[V. r . 14569 a b

Contemporary in A m erican

C a r l San d b u rg.

In the String Q uartet b y D eb u ssy (page 93) we found th at he was not given to following the classic form b ut preferred to create his own pattern. E ven though he respected th e basic principle of all classic forms, nam ely the repetition of them es, still he w ished to choose his own plan in presenting these repetitions. M aurice R avel (page 4), another French composer of the sam e period, seems to observe the rules of form more s tr ic tly ; and y et there is a natural and spontaneous quality in his music. T he string quartets of D eb u ssy and R avel come under the classification of chamber m usic.* T his form of com position m ade its first appearance in the halls and salons of th e n obility, and it has always seem ed to m ain­ tain an air of aristocracy. I t is essen tially absolute music, in the full sense of the term . THE MUSIC T he basis of all m usic is m elody, and the tune is no less im portant in chamber music than it is in an y popular song of the day. T he first m ovem ent of the Q uartet in F major is marked allegro moderato, and it opens quietly w ith this them e. 129

130

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I t m oves back and forth betw een the first and second violins, either as a whole or represented solely b y its first measure. T he opening m easures of th e first them e return and lead in to a new m elody. T R A N S IT IO N T H E M E

jy p e sp re sstv o

T his m elody bears a strong resem blance to the first them e ; and portions of the first them e punctuate the entire passage, w hich serves as a transition betw een th e first and second them es. The volum e and tem po both increase, on ly to return to quiet tranquillity. D elicate shades of harmonic color add new loveliness as the m usic m oves to the statem en t of a new them e. SE C O N D T H E M E E s p r e s s iv o 8 va

Before long th e opening m easures of the second them e alternate w ith the beginning measures of the first them e, first in one instrum ent, then in another. In some places th ey are heard in com bination. A com parison of the rhythm ic pattern which is found in th e first measure of th e first them e w ith the one which occurs in the first measure of the second them e shows th a t their rhythm ic characteristics are quite different. A recognition of

Music for Music’s Sake

131

these rhythm ic qualities will be helpful in discovering ju st w hat is taking place in the m usic. If R avel in this com position intended to follow the usual form for the first m ovem ent of a string quartet, this passage would corre­ spond to the developm ent section. T he general effect, however, is th at of cum ulative m elody or them atic variation, w ith no fixed lines to separate the sections. There is an exquisite and fragile delicacy in R a v el’s treatm ent of these fragm ents of m elody. The m ovem ent resembles a m iniature, in which even the sm allest detail is worked out w ith great care in order th at it m ay add to the b eau ty of the whole. T he first them e is played once more b y the first v io lin ; but after the first four m easures it is som ew hat varied from the w ay we heard it at the beginning of the m ovem ent. I t leads to the second m elody, and as the m usic proceeds there are references to the beginning of the first them e. Once more we hear the third them e, and the fact th a t all th e m usic of the first section is repeated gives an im pression th at we are listening to th e recapitulation. T he m ovem ent closes w ith portions of the first them e in new and unex­ pected harmonies and at varied pitches. There is an intim ate character in this m usic which is very expressive. MAURICE RAVEL T his French composer has been called the "Sw iss watchm aker,” because all his com positions are constructed w ith fastidious care. T h ey are like jew elry of very fine and exquisite workm anship. D uring his childhood he heard m uch Spanish music, for he was born in th e southw est of France, near Spain. T he Spanish rhythm s becam e strongly im pressed on his m ind and found their w ay into some of his music. There is a b it of interesting inform ation connected w ith this. Up to N ovem ber in 1929, R a v el’s reputation as a com poser was lim ited to exceptionally well-inform ed m usic-lovers. T hen Toscanini presented the fam ous Bolero on one of the programs of the N ew York Philharm onic Orchestra. T he piece m ade a sensational impression and was taken up even b y popular dance orchestras, and nearly all Americans now know R avel as the creator of this com position. E ven as a youthful student, at the Paris Conservatory, he showed a desire to disregard conservative styles and try his hand at som ething new. For a long tim e R a v el’s music was a source of controversy. H is style was so unconventional th a t it was difficult for people to becom e used to it.

132

Making Friends with Music *New Horizons

Like the m usic of D ebussy, the early com positions of R avel were poetic and impressionistic. H e was fond of m ysterious and veiled effects, suggest­ ing his im ages rather than reproducing them . As an orchestrator he had few equals, as we have discovered in his arrangement of M oussorgsky's Pictures at an E xhibition (page 4). H is invention of rhythm ic patterns was u n u su a l; but his m elodies are clearly outlined and easy to recognize, even though his m usic is im pressionistic. THE CONCERTO Chamber music and the concerto * seem to have som e features in com m on. C om positions of both these kinds consist of different m ovem ents, and com posers have used the plan of sonata form for the first m ovem ent of each over a long period of years. B u t the likeness ends here, as we shall discover in the m usic w hich follows.

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a n d

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J o h a n n e s B r a h m s (1833— 1897), German composer. Contemporary H isto ry: A n d r e w C a r n e g i e .

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in Am erican

A lthough Brahm s spent nearly fifteen years in working on his First Sym phony (page 122), the second one was com pleted in less than a year. H e then im m ediately began the com position of the Concerto in D major, and finished it w ithin a few m onths. I t is th e only violin concerto which he com posed. The same is true of B eethoven, M endelssohn, T chaikovsky, Elgar, and Sibelius, for each one of them wrote only one concerto for the violin. BRAHMS AND JOACHIM I t was n ot surprising th a t Brahm s should wish to write a concerto for the violin, because for m any years he had been in tim ately associated w ith violinists. In fact, one of his earliest m usical experiences was a concert tour as accom panist for the H ungarian violinist Rem ^nyi (re'm a-nyi). T he tour itself was n ot particularly significant, but it had a lasting influence on Brahm s's life. For it was through R em enyi th at Brahm s m et Joachim (yo'a-Kfm), the celebrated violin ist, and this friendship was a rich and beneficial experience. On the title page of the Concerto in D major the composer included an inscription dedicating the com position to Joachim .

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133

T he friendship betw een these tw o m en w as personal as w ell as profes­ sional. Brahm s w as first attracted to Joachim when he heard him give a m asterly performance of B eethoven's violin concerto. Joachim , on the other hand, im m ediately found in Brahm s a congenial d isp o sitio n ; and very soon a perfect understanding developed betw een th e tw o. E ach admired the other, both as a m usician and as a m a n ; and their association was an im portant factor in th e com position of this concerto. Since Joachim was th e finest violinist of his day, it was natural th at Brahm s, who w as a pianist, should turn to his friend for advice in the preparation of th is concerto. T he technical problem s in volved in playing the violin are quite different from those encountered in playin g the piano, because th e instrum ents are so unlike in construction. I t was in these m atters of technique th a t Brahm s sought inform ation and advice from Joachim . Brahm s w as alw ays very m odest about his own com positions, so when he sent th e first draft of th e concerto to Joachim he wrote a letter asking his friend to m ake w hat corrections were necessary and also to indicate whether th e m usic had sufficient m erit to be com pleted. Som e tim e later th e tw o m en spent several days working together upon the concerto, but the m anuscripts show th at Brahm s did n ot accept all Joachim 's suggestions. THE SYMPHONIC CONCERTO W hen he was w riting this m usic, Brahm s was n ot thinking about the usual purpose of a concerto — to serve as a display piece for a soloist. H e wished his m usic to convey m usical ideas of genuine w orth rather than to provide an opportu nity for th e soloist to dem onstrate a brilliant technique and m asterly skill in handling his instrum ent. Joachim agreed w ith him absolutely on this point. M an y concertos, particularly those w ritten b y the virtuoso performers of long ago, consisted, for th e m ost part, of passages which perm itted a brilliant exhibition of technical "fireworks," spectacular in effect, but usually expressing very little warm th or genuine feeling. Brahm s was th e ty p e of m usician who disliked th a t sort of th ing intensely. E ven though he w as w riting a concerto, and although a concerto is expected to reveal some of the technical skill of the performer, Brahm s insisted th a t there should be no sacrifice of m usical b eau ty in order th at som e performer m ight "show off." C onsequently his concerto is radically different from m any w hich were w ritten before his tim e. There is m usic w hich sounds m uch more difficult for the performer than it really is. There is other m usic w hich sounds as th ou gh it would be very

134

Making Friends with Music *New Horizons

easy to play, when in reality it is quite difficult. Also, there is m usic w hich is difficult to perform and, while we recognize this fact, the difficulties are of such a nature th at the average listener does not realize th at th ey are there. T his is th e case w ith the Concerto in D major b y Brahm s. I t is not a ''show p iece.” T he m usic is as serious as any sym phony, and its them es are w orthy to be included w ith the finest sym phonic m elodies. In fact, this Concerto is more like a sym phony for solo violin and orchestra than a concerto of th e m erely brilliant and florid type. THE MUSIC Second Movement W hen Brahm s began to compose this m usic he planned th at it should have four m ovem ents. Later on he discarded the original second and third m ovem en ts; and in w riting to Joachim he said, " I have w ritten a poor adagio* in their p lace.” T his statem ent seems alm ost hum orous to those who know this m usic. For the music of the second m ovem ent is an ex­ ample of the com poser's creative ability at its height. The beautiful, flow­ ing m elody is like a lovely song which seems always to be present throughout the m ovem ent. T he charm and spontaneity of this m elody perm eate the m ovem ent to such an exten t th at the m usic seem s to be quite simple, when in reality it is im m ense in its design and great in th e richness of its m usical ideas. FIRST MELODY T

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135

Music for Music’s Sake

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In measures 11 and 12 it is interesting to see the skillful w ay in which Brahm s has reversed the upper and lower notes which are contained in m easures 9 and 10. For the lower m elody in measures 9 and 10 becom es the upper m elody in m easures 11 and 12, and the lower m elody in measures 11 and 12 was the upper m elody in m easures 9 and 10. T he oboe plays th e opening m elody and is supported b y th e other wood winds, the strings, and tw o horns. A s soon as the oboe com pletes the them e the solo violin plays it, b ut in a m uch more elaborate version. There are various ornate figures for the soloist, and these are answered b y the or­ chestra. T his is especially true of the first three notes, w hich are echoed b y th e flute and later b y th e French horn. After this th e violinist continues w ith the expanded version of the opening m elody. There is a sudden change in the key, and the m usic becom es more energetic. T hen the solo violin introduces another m elody, which differs from the first one, although it is possible to detect som e similar features betw een the tw o. SECOND MELODY

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Just as the first m elody was elaborated b y the solo violin, so this second m elody is expanded at som e length until the music becom es quieter and more peaceful. T hen the tem po w ith which the m ovem ent opened is re­ established, and the first m elody returns. Again it is played b y the wood w in d s; b u t this tim e th ey are joined b y the solo violin, which provides a rich accom panim ent to the them e. T he m usic continues as at the beginning of the m ovem ent, until the tw elfth measure. A t this point the opening phrase of the first m elody receives new em phasis, for it is developed in this w a y :

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

136

This passage is full of great b eau ty as it soars higher and higher to phrases in w hich the feeling becom es more and more intense. It is follow ed b y the last five measures of the first m elody, and the m usic slow ly subsides into a m editative tw ilight peacefulness which is like the b eau ty of the afterglow th at follows a colorful sunset. Third Movement T he anim ation and m erry spirit of the final m ovem ent of this concerto are am ong m any evidences th at Brahm s was strongly attracted to music w ith H ungarian characteristics. In fact it was through R em 6nyi th at Brahm s first experienced the fascinating G ypsy rhythm s. It is generally believed, however, th at the distinctive H ungarian color in the third m ove­ m ent of the concerto was a m usical gesture of Brahm s's friendship for Joachim . Probably it will be easier to follow the music of this m ovem ent if we understand th at it is w ritten in rondo form,* although it does n ot follow strictly the traditional design of a rondo. Since the prom inent character­ istics of a rondo are the continual repetition of a principal them e and th e recurrence of this them e after each contrasting them e (in this fa sh io n : A B A C A B A ), it is im portant to becom e well acquainted w ith the first, or principal, them e, in order to recognize its reappearances. In this way? also, the contrasting them es will be identified more easily, and the design of th e whole m ovem ent will be more apparent and more clearly defined. In contrast to the direction A dagio of the second m ovem ent, the score for the third m ovem ent bears the heading Allegro giocoso, m a non troppo vivace. I t opens w ith a brilliant them e for the solo violin. FIRST THEME

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After the solo violin has played this first and im portant m elody the full orchestra repeats it. T he passage w hich follows includes a thence which is m ade from the m elodic pattern of the seventh measure of the first them e, com bined w ith

Music for Music’s Sake

137

the rhythm ic pattern of Figure A in the first them e. Here is an illustration of how it appears :

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Figure A

As this passage continues, Figure A is heard in the low instrum ents. T he m usic becom es increasingly playful and merry, and rapid passages in the solo instrum ent lead into the second im portant them e of the m ove­ m ent. SECOND THEME E n e r g tc o

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T his is answered at once b y an inversion of the same them e, played b y the low stringed instrum ents (Figure C) . As the passage continues, the order is rev ersed ; and the them e begins in the low strings and then is answered b y the inversion in the high strings. W hen the first them e returns, the solo violin plays it as in the beginning of the m o v e m e n t; and again it is answered b y the full orchestra. As th e m usic m oves along we hear repetitions of the rhythm ic pattern of measure 3 of the first them e : , and of Figure A , played b y the orchestra, accom panied b y the solo violin w ith rapid arpeggios. T hese lead into a statem ent of the third m elody.

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THIRD THEME

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Figure A interrupts, but only for a m o m e n t; and the them e continues. According to the alphabetical outline given on page 136, we ought to expect a return of the first them e. B u t Brahm s surprises us and instead repeats the second them e. T his is followed b y som e measures from the first them e, and in this w ay th e design of the rondo is preserved.

138

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

T hen the entire first them e is played b y the full orchestra and rises to a clim ax of great power. T his leads in to a cadenza* for the solo violin. W hen th e music reaches the point where the solo instrum ent plays a long trill, we can hear Figure A in the orchestra. T he m usic m oves along brilliantly. Some of the features of this passage are the appearances of figure A and a brief dialogue betw een the solo violin and the French horns. As the climax is reached, there is a brief p a u se ; and then a descending passage for the solo instrum ent leads once again to the first them e This tim e it is played in march rhythm . From this point the m usic is concerned principally w ith the opening phrase of the first them e. The clim axes are interrupted unexpectedly b y a series of quieter passages, which add solem nity and d ignity to the conclu­ sion of this great concerto. JOHANNES BRAHMS There is little to add about the composer. On pages 122-126 we learned som ething about the m usic of one of his sym phonies. N ow we have listened to tw o m ovem ents from his violin concerto. W hy has Brahm s m erited a place am ong the greatest com posers? THE SOLOIST The solo part of this m usic is played b y Jascha H eifetz (ya'sha hl'fets), one of the greatest violinists of the present day. H is artistry, his ability to produce wonderful effects in tone and technique, his sincerity and m usicianship, are recognized throughout the world. T hese statem ents from him reveal his beliefs and ideals : Music itself is the most eloquent of speakers. Let the young people form their own opinions about a piece of music which they are to hear without cluttering their minds with a lot of facts and generalizations which only stand in the way of their understanding it. Music should play as important a part in the life of a child as arithmetic or geog­ raphy. He should be exposed to music as early as possible in the home, through playing or by the judicious use of radio and phonograph. Things we learn in our youth, the associations we form, are those which stay with us all through life. Certain habits of thinking, certain pleasures of the eye become deeply ingrained in our nature. So with music : study and appreciation when we are young will prove doubly valuable in later life. In America, where there are so many opportunities, music should be a necessity for everyone, not a luxury for the few. Those who have learned to appreciate music are not dependent on a rising stock market for their happiness.

m en, w hether th ey be artists, explorers, or heroes, frequently owe their renown to one SONGS outstanding achievem ent. In the literary world a single book or essay m ay lead all the others OF ROMANCE as the reason for the writer's popularity. In AND FAITH the field of m usic we have learned th at com­ posers who have worked seriously for m any years and have rem ained unknown will sud­ denly becom e celebrated because one of their com positions has m ade a sensational " hit." T his w as true of R avel and his " Bolero," page 131. I t was also true of D vorfik and his "Slavonic D an ces" {Progress, page 56) ; Eric C oates w ith his "K nightsbridge," from the London Suite {Prelude, page 76) ; George Gershwin w ith R hapsody in B lu e ; P aul D u k as w ith The Sorcerer9s A pprentice {A t Home and A broad, pages 47—51) ; and m an y others. So R ichard Strauss is fam ous for his tone poem , T ill Eulenspiegel (page 75) ; and D er Rosenkavalier {Prelude, page 34). B u t his songs also, though n ot as pretentious, have brought him great popularity. Fam ous

Dream in the Twilight R i c h a r d S t r a u s s (1864—

[V. R. 14076 A

), German composer.

T he title of this song leads us to an ticipate a feeling of soft tw ilight and dream iness. T he words were w ritten b y a Germ an poet, O tto Bierbaum (ber'boum ). H e was a deep lover of nature, and his lyrics are m elodious and flow sm oothly. T h ey seem to breathe the freedom of field and hill and stream. As E lisabeth Schum ann sings the song in Germ an, an E nglish translation is given here. I t w as m ade b y Christine Turner Curtis. Dream in the Twilight Meadows dream in the waning light. The sunbeams are fled; the stars shine clear. And now I go at the brink of night, Seeking my beautiful one, my dear, Where scented jasmine gleams. Into the country of love and dreams I take my way, nor fast nor slow ; A gentle spell like a velvet band Entices me to that tender land In the azure afterglow. 139

140

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

THE MUSIC The m usic for these lines needs no explanation. M arked M otto tranquillo, the introduction begins very softly. The rhythm ic pattern continues through the entire song and suggests a gentle swinging m otion com m only found in songs of evening. The voice enters quietly, and after four measures the harm ony changes to a new key. B u t this is n ot a signal for increase in speed or volum e. In fact, there is no part of the song which reaches a m ezzo forte.* Strauss has shown a particular fondness for this m otive :

I t occurs several tim es, at this pitch or in sequence. As the music fades aw ay it leaves w ith us a sense of peaceful contentm ent. Another com poser who found fascination in the m isty, dream y lyrics of the countryside was R obert Schum ann.

M o o n lig h t R obert S chum ann

[V. r . 14076 b

(1810-1856), German composer. Contem porary in Am erican

H is to r y ;

A b ra h a m L in c o ln .

A poet in G erm any, nam ed Joseph von Eichendorf (fon I'K&n-dorf), wrote verses of nature and the open a ir ; and R obert Schum ann selected tw elve of them for m usical setting. '"M oonlight” is one of the tw elve, and the composer has clothed it in beautiful music. W hen Longfellow and W hittier were small boys in this country, Von Eichendorf was w riting novels and poetry in G erm any. H e had studied at the U niversity of H eidelburg (hl'del-burg) and then had lived in Vienna, M unich, and Dresden. H e possessed th e m agic G erm an fairy-tale gift of being able to throw a veil of m ystery over his scenes. H e m ade exquisite word pictures of woods, fields, and m oonlit forests. Under his hand the old crumbling castles of G erm any becam e haunted and unreal. T his secret of m ystery was also one of Schum ann's qualities. So the poet and com poser speak together in perfect harm ony in this idyll of the night. The follow ing E nglish translation has been m ade b y Christine Turner Curtis :

Songs of Romance and Faith

141

Moonlight It seemed that Heaven was leaning To kiss the silent world, And she in silver sheening And moonlit dreams was furled. A gentle wind went straying — The corn leaves fluttered light; The night with branches swaying Shone crystal-clear and bright. M y soul, her wings extending, On airy pinions fanned, Through heavenly vistas wending As to her native land. There is a short prelude, w hich is a lovely preparation for the song itself. The light, clear vocal m elod y sung b y E lisabeth Schum ann floats above a quiet accom panim ent of regularly repeated notes. Here are the opening m easures of the m elody : M isterioso

Underneath the repeated figure played b y the right hand, there is a m elody for the left h a n d ; and it is counterpoint to the vocal m elody. I t is n ot exactly the typ e of counterpoint found in canons and fugues, b ut seem s more conversational. It is a typ e of counterpoint th at was personal to Schumann. In his y o u th he stu d ied the works of Johann Sebastian B ach, which are unusual exam ples of contrapuntal writing, and th ey had a great musical influence upon him. T he vocal m elody for the first stanza ends on the fifth tone of the scale. Schum ann did this to create a slight feeling of suspense and to preserve continuity from one stanza to another. T he short prelude serves also as an interlude betw een th e first and second stanzas, and the m usic for the second is the sam e as the m usic for the first stanza. B u t in the third stanza th e piano introduces an undercurrent of em otion and dram atic feeling, and the vocal m elody is more intense. H ow ever, the final phrases are the sam e as those which occurred in the preceding stanzas, save for the fact th at th e song ends on the tonic.* T he piano a d d s a n im pressive postlude.

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

142

SCHUMANN, THE SONG WRITER Schum ann referred to 1840 as his "year of son g,” and this is n ot sur­ prising ; for in this year he com posed over 150 songs, in addition to a sym phony. T his was the year of his marriage, and this remarkable creation of m usic was an expression of his happiness. T he piano is very im portant in his songs. I t is intended to reveal deep m eanings w hich are beyond the power of words to express. H is rare insight into the em otions of the poem s is reflected in his m usical s e ttin g s ; and his songs dem and an artist to interpret them , for th ey are very beautiful and their appeal is world-wide. SCHUMANN AND BACH In all of his m usical expression R obert Schum ann was strongly influ­ enced b y B a ch ’s m usic. T his influence is paralleled in the careers of m any other composers. Am ong the m usical com positions w hich B ach left to the world is an extensive collection of church cantatas.* In his capacity as church organist it was necessary for him to create m ost of the m usic w hich he used. From these cantatas certain chorales* have been selected for frequent performance because of their power and beauty. A chorale is like a hym n of faith and devotion, easy enough to be sung b y the congregation. A t first people sang the m elody in unison, accom ­ panied b y th e organ or b y other instrum ents, w hich played the harm ony. T hough th is practice continues, sym phony orchestras now perform some of them w ith ou t any tex t to interpret them . T h ey express m any degrees of feeling and em otion. J e su 9 Jo y Johann

o f M a n ’s D e s i r i n g

B a c h (1685— 1750), German composer. A m erican H isto ry : B e n j a m i n F r a n k l i n .

S e b a s tia n

cv . R. G 569 - b

Contemporary in

T his chorale com es from a can tata bearing the title H eart and M in d and Thought and L ife, and was originally w ritten for a chorus w ith an accom ­ panim ent b y string orchestra and solo oboe. T he orchestration used here was m ade b y Lucien Cailliet (lii-sl-aN' ka-ye') (A t Home and A broad, page 8), and it brings to the m usic richness and sonority.

Songs of Romance and Faith

143

THE CHORALE PRELUDE I t has been stated th at the chorale is like a hym n, sung b y a congregation. Its m usic is solid and the chords seem to cling together. Since this chorale is from a cantata, it was intended to be sung b y the choir rather than b y the congregation. In the tim e of B ach, however, chorales of this typ e frequently were sung b y the con gregation ; and the organist would im provise more elaborate music, as an accom panim ent to the chorale. M an y of these im provisations came to be w ritten d o w n ; and then an introduction, an accom panim ent, and interludes were added to the sim ple chorale. T hese com positions were called chorale preludes, and " Jesu, Joy of M an ’s D esirin g ” is very similar to th em in form. W hile the m usic is played it is interesting to distinguish betw een the solid blocks of chords which form the chorale and the easy-flow ing m elody which accom panies it as in a true chorale prelude. THE MUSIC Strings, harp, and organ begin the introduction, in which a triplet figure is the pronounced characteristic. T his is the figure which is m ost im portant in th e interludes and the accom panim ent throughout the ch orale; so the first four measures of th e introduction are given here. Modera to

PRELUDE ------

Since th is belongs to the introduction to the chorale and is the music which gives the com position the effect of a chorale prelude, in our discussion this passage will be referred to as th e prelude. T he m elody of the chorale intended for singing is extrem ely sim ple, and its range of p itch is lim ited. rt

FIRST MELODY OF THE CHORALE ______ ____________ __________

Chorale______ ________________________________

§h f—

r ir- ■f Prelude Chorale____________________________________ .______ _________

= r r if r |c-S~rj N m

144

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

Y ou will notice th at after the first phrase of this chorale m elody the m usic of the prelude returns and continues as an accom panim ent to the second phrase of the chorale. In this section th e m usic of the chorale is played b y wood winds, while the strings p lay the m elody of the prelude. A ll the m usic w hich has been described is repeated. T his tim e, however, the chorale is played b y brasses, and the accom panim ent is p layed b y the wood winds. T he next section begins w ith the introductory music of the prelude, played b y the strings w ith full tone and at a high pitch. A fter this the second section of the chorale is played b y the brasses. SECOND MELODY OF THE CHORALE Chorale

................................................

As before, the first phrase of this chorale m elody is followed b y the music of th e prelude (played b y the wood w inds), which then continues as an ac­ com panim ent to the second phrase of the chorale. T he next section is alm ost identical w ith the first. For follow ing the prelude m usic, played b y the strings, the first m elody of the chorale is played b y wood winds while the strings p lay the m usic of the prelude as an accom panim ent. The selection closes w ith a brief coda. It begins w ith the m elody of the prelude, played b y the strings, w ith an interesting counterm elody b y the horns. T hen the chorale is played very softly b y the brasses, w ith the ac­ com panim ent in the strings. T his passage is repeated w ith m uch greater strength and volum e of tone, and the chorale prelude ends in a climax of m ajesty and power. T his m usic was com posed for a choir of m en's voices, and in his arrange­ m ent Lucien C ailliet has given these vocal parts to wood winds and brass instrum ents. T h ey bring an appropriate strength and dignity to the in­ strum ental version of the chorale. Once more we have heard great m usic from a m aster composer. T he clarity of the m elody, the slow and m ajestic rhythm , the satisfying harm ony, are com bined in this inspiring expression of noble desire.

m close association betw een poetry and music has always been recognized. Some m usic seems to be an adequate expression for lines of verse, while certain poem s im m ediately suggest special com posi­ tions. Sara Teasdale, a w ell-know n American poet, wrote some charm ing verses en titled "B arter,” and the lines are like chords struck on a stringed instru­ m ent. T he second stanza is given here :

The M U S IC A O F

L IK E

C U R V E G O L D

Life has loveliness to sell: Music like a curve of gold, Scent of pine trees in the rain, Eyes that love you, arms that hold, And, for your spirit's still delight, Holy thoughts that star the night. T he unaffected and exquisite m elody in the first m ovem ent of Schum ann's Piano Concerto (kon-cher'to) is truly like a curve of g o ld ; for in it the composer has united rom antic im agination w ith poetic expression. F irs t M o v e m e n t fro m

P ia n o

C o n c e rto

in

A

M in o r

R o b e r t S c h u m a n n (1810-1856), German composer. Contemporary H istory: A b r a h a m L i n c o l n .

[V. R. 12280,12281 in Am erican

THE STORY ABOUT THE CONCERTO T his is th e only concerto for piano and orchestra th a t R obert Schum ann ever wrote, although he m ade sketches for several other com positions in this form. T he first m ovem ent of the Pianoforte Concerto in A minor originally w as not intended to be part of a concerto, for the composer called it a " F an tasie in A m in o r” for piano and orchestra. T his was in 1841, four years before he com pleted th e entire work. T his concerto is closely associated w ith the com poser's devoted wife, Clara (A t Home and Abroad, pages 71—75). She was a brilliant pianist, and it is generally supposed th a t all his piano com positions were w ritten for her. It was she who played the "F an tasie ” for th e first tim e. T his occurred at a private rehearsal in a celebrated concert h a ll; and although there was no audience to express approval, she thought the m usic w as m agnificent and wrote in her diary, " T h e piano is m ost skillfully interw oven w ith the o rch estra : it is im possible to think of one w ith ou t the other." 145

146

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

Schum ann w anted to have the " F a n ta sie” published, but could n ot find a publisher who was interested enough to print it. In 1845 he com posed the other tw o m ovem ents, w hich com pleted th e concerto. Clara w rote to a friend, Robert has composed a beautiful last movement for his "Fantasie in A minor for Pianoforte and Orchestra,” so that now it is a concerto and I shall play it next winter. I am very glad about it, for I always wanted a larger bravura * (bra-voo'ra) piece by him. Clara gave tw o perform ances of it th at winter, one in Dresden and one in Leipsic. A t the second perform ance the orchestra was conducted b y Felix M endelssohn. T he piano figures prom inently in the opening passage of the first m ove­ m ent of the Concerto. Im m ediately we are rem inded of the beginning of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor {A t Home and A broad, pages 132—135), and there is a very good reason w hy we should recall it. Grieg was a great admirer of Schum ann’s m usic. W hen he wrote his piano concerto in 1868 he used Schum ann’s P iano Concerto in A minor .as a pattern for the form. Of course Grieg had his own original w ay of w riting music ; so th at his melodic ideas, w ith their rhythm ic patterns and harm ony, belonged espe­ cially to him. It is interesting to notice, however, th at there are sim ilarities between the tw o concertos ; and the reason for this can be found in Grieg’s adm iration for Schum ann’s music. THE MUSIC T he orchestra begins the Schum ann Concerto w ith a single chord, after which the piano seem s to pounce on a series of energetic and dram atic chords. Allegro affelluoso

INTRODUCTORY THEME

T he principal them e of the first m ovem ent is announced b y the oboe, and other wind instrum ents supply the harm ony.

Music Like a Curve of Gold

147

FIRST MELODY

The m elody is rather plaintive, and the harmonic background is rich. Schum ann was a genius in harmonic in v e n tio n ; and, in addition, was m ost clever in creating syncopated patterns and piquant, uneven rhythm s which were alm ost unknow n in music before his tim e. After the wind instrum ents have played the first m elody, the piano re­ peats i t ; and this repetition adds new color and a feeling of purity and nobility. T he orchestra and piano then follow w ith a new m elody, which sings in broad, flowing lines. T his m elody is played b y the strings. SECOND MELODY

§ Iz

P i Figure A j- g

| j

J

J .J

j

A lthough this changes the m ood of the music, it does n ot create the feeling of definite contrast w hich we ordinarily expect from a second theme. D uring the second m elody the piano plays an arpeggio accom panim ent w ith a harmonic color w hich seem s to surround the m elody and to give the m usic a more dram atic and em otional quality. The last tw o measures of the second m elody are marked Figure A because th ey becom e very im portant. T his figure is repeated in different registers and in different keys b y the piano and stringed instrum ents. T his passage ends very brilliantly. T he volum e of the m usic dim inishes n o w ; and a tender, expressive passage w hich is like a recitative* is played b y the piano, w ith b ut a few simple chords from the orchestra to indicate the changes in harm ony.

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

148

T he recitative leads in to a new version of the first m elody. T h is tim e it is in the major m ode.

Xr Y i

&

H

inf

" r vF 'if - U

* - ■*2------ |P —tt' .---m r r u

I7J---

.J

hj T

y .r .m

1

T

9 ------ p

~

1

m

.......... •J r r it. rrf

r

1

| J,

T his version of the first m elody is introduced b y the piano and begins w ith a feeling of heroic grandeur. T he tem po is speeded up s lig h tly ; and the m elody is repeated b y the clarinet, which seems to alter the quality of the music. T he piano plays rippling groups of notes which are like the colorful spray dropping from a lighted fountain. Before long the oboe plays a clear-cut phrase m uch like Figure A (page 147), and it is echoed b y the piano. A passage for piano alone introduces a new m elody. THIRD MELODY A n tm a to

T his m elod y is derived from the principal m elody, although the first tim e you hear it you m ay think it is a to ta lly new idea. T he follow ing diagram shows the connection betw een the two. FIRST MELODY IN MAJOR KEY OF C

£

I

P

THIRD MELODY A T -----------------------------l f c = J

.......* ■

—

-

1

'

p

]

—

p

'

p

•

■

P -------------

p ----

—

m

*—

ff m — * P ......

For a while th e m usical interest centers around Figure A , w hich is som e­ w hat changed from its original appearance.

Music Like a Curve of Gold

149

VARIATION OF FIGURE A •

l y y t;

* • —| m— m— i - i

m

* P

1

w

-

C=J

It has som e of the contagious quality of a village dance, and th e piano and orchestra carry it along to a dram atic climax. Then the m usic becom es quieter, preparing the w ay for a new section. The piano begins a free fan tasia* based on the first m elody (page 147). B oth the k ey and measure signatures are changed, and the m ode is major. W e have felt the expressive b eau ty of Schum ann's Concerto in A m inor up to this point. B u t now the composer takes us to new heights as the m elody is spun over richly colored arpeggios. H ere is an illustration of the m elody 1 as we hear it at this point. Andante esp-ressivo ^ ^

(i ~f ' '

IJ •

J •

^

p T his is the m ost poetic m usic in the entire concerto. N ow and then the clarinet and strings take turns in playing the melodic phrase. Suddenly the piano interrupts the calm serenity of the m usic w ith a startling repetition of the introductory them e (page 146). T he full orchestra alternates w ith the piano in playing these chords. It all ends w ith a passage for piano w hich reminds us strongly of Figure A . A lm ost im m ediately it seem s as though the first m elody had retu rn ed ; but after the opening four notes the m elody follows its own course, and the music builds up to a high degree of in ten sity. There are tim es when the m elody has a shrill tone color. The volum e dim inishes as the m usic m odulates* nearer and nearer to the original k ey of the m ovem ent — A minor. The return to this k ey is the signal for a return of th e first m elody in its original form. This is th e beginning of the recapitulation.* T he second m elody, in the m inor m ode, is repeated just as it was given in the beginning, or exposition section, of the m ovem ent. Once more Figure A becom es im portant, as piano and orchestra carry on their dialogue. A t the end of th is passage there are new and different harm onies, and the piano continues w ith the recitative. T his leads up to another version of th e first m elody, in the k ey of A major. T he beginning of this m elody is quite subdued, but as it m oves along it 1The complete melody, with its harmony, is given on page 166 of Discovery, The World of Music.

150

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

becom es more brilliant. The piano plays in a slightly higher register than it did at the beginning of the m ovem ent, and the rippling arpeggios are like splashing cascades of m usical color. T hese suggest th at Schum ann anticipated b y m any years the tonal painting of composers of the impres­ sionistic and modern schools of writing. Once again we hear the dance-like section based on Figure t A ; and it is brilliant m usic, ending w ith a sweeping arpeggio played b y the piano. T his leads directly to the cadenza. Schum ann wrote this cadenza out in full, and it is played in its original form. T he early composers of concertos did n ot usually write out the cadenzas for their concertos. T he soloist was allowed, or rather was ex­ pected, to im provise on different figures or them es in the m ovem ent and to in ven t m any different w ays to treat them . The cadenza was one spot where the soloist could follow his own plan, and dazzle the audience w ith all his technical ability. Som etim es it becam e a shallow display of technique, of no real m usical value. Instrum ental technique, to Schum ann, was a m eans toward an end, not the end itself. If he wrote passages calling for brilliant skill, th ey were in his m usic sim ply because th ey were needed to convey the m essage of th at m usic. A n y attem p t to show off the player’s ab ility was foreign to Schu­ m ann’s nature, and he was not interested in it. N aturally, Schum ann did not w ant th e soloists who played his concerto to interfere w ith the con­ tin u ity of the artistic, poetic feeling in his com p osition ; so he wrote in this cadenza exactly w hat he w anted played. There was another reason which helped to influence Schum ann to write out his cadenza. The art of im provisation* was fast disappearing, and he was doubtful as to whether future soloists w ould be capable of im provising an interesting cadenza. M a n y cadenzas begin w ith a burst of speed which is about tw ice as fast as the tem po for the rest of the m ovem ent. Schum ann indicated a tem po for the beginning of his cadenza which is tw ice as slow as the previous music. It is usual for a cadenza to be based on m elodies found in the m ovem ent. The cadenza in this m ovem ent opens w ith this m elodic figure : CADENZA (FIGURE B)

Espressivo

Tnj?

I

I t is repeated on different tones and leads to a second figure.

Music Like a Curve of Gold

151

CADENZA (FIGURE C)

W ith this figure the harm ony is more elaborate and the m usic is more vigorous. T he tem po is changed to U n poco an dante* and Schum ann begins his im provisation based on the first m elody. It starts in the minor, and the m elody is played by the left hand. T he right hand has a series of trills above the them e. As the im provisation continues, fragm ents of this m elody are repeated and are surrounded and decorated w ith trills, triplets, and other musical devices. T he orchestra joins w ith the piano in the m usic of the coda, which is based on the first m elody. I t is marked Allegro molto in the score. The m ood of the them e is entirely different from th at of any of its previous versions. 1. W hat do you believe are the outstanding m oods of this m usic? 2. D o you think th at the piano and the orchestra are equally im portant ? 3. In your opinion has Schum ann w ritten m usic which displays to best advantage the resources of the piano? R O BER T SCHUM ANN

T he greatest influence in Schum ann's life was Clara W ieck (vek). Schu­ mann had know n her from the tim e she was nine years old. H e was eighteen, but he had an honest adm iration for her and appreciated her ability as a young pianist and m usician. Later on, w hen Clara was sixteen years old, there developed a warmer feeling than th a t of friendship. U nfortunately Clara's father was very m uch opposed to any suitors for Clara's hand ; and especially to Schumann, who did not appeal to him at all as a son-in-law. C onsequently the father did everything he could to keep them apart, and refused to let them see each other or com m unicate in any way. In A ugust, 1837, Clara gave a piano recital in Leipsic. Schumann at­ tended the recital, and found his Sonata in F sharp minor on her program. Clara gave this delightful explanation to h im : " I t was m y only chance of showing you m y inm ost heart. There was no chance of doing so in private, so I just did it in public."

152

Making Friends with Music • New Horizons

E v en tu a lly these tw o young people were married, and th ey were m ost happy. Their happiness was a source of inspiration for m any beautiful, poetic passages in Schum ann's m usic ; and we m ay feel th at it left its touch on his Concerto in A minor. THE ARTIST M yra H ess, who is the soloist in this performance of the concerto, is an E nglishw om an and has long been a favorite w ith Am erican concertgoers. She says of one of her teachers, " H e taught me the habit of enjoying m y music as m usic." E v id en tly she w as an apt p u p il; for her high reputation has been gained and m aintained through her sincere interpretation, her unquestionable technical skill, and her fine m usicianship.

Diagram of Composers Represented in this Book

1685

1700

1 .50

1800

1850

1900

1685-1750 German i H a n d e l 1685-1759’ German

J o h a n n S e b a s t ia n B a ch G eo r g e

r e d e r ic

W o l fg a n g A m a d e u s M ozart

1756-1791 Austrian 1809-1847 German

F e l ix M e n d e l s s o h n -B a r t h o l d y R obert S chum ann

1810-1856 German

R ic h a r d W a g n e r

1813-1883 German

C esar F r a n c k

1822-1890 French

F r e d e r ic k S m e t a n a J o h a n n es B rahm s

1824-1884 Bohemian I 1833-1897 German

A l e x a n d e r B o r o d in M o d este M

1834-1887 Russian

o u sso r g sk y

1835-1881 Russian

C l a u d e A c h il l e D e b u s s y R ic h a r d S t r a u s s J e a n S ib e l i u s

18641865-

M a u r ic e R a v e l

1862-1918 French German Finnish

1875-1937 French

I J a r o m ir W e in b e r g e r

1896-

Bohemian

w experience of M a k i n g F r i e n d s w i t h M u s ic we h av e learn ed w h a t a frien d IMPORTANT MEN m usic itself can be. I t does n o t m a tte r w hich ty p e of m usical a c tiv ity we en jo y AND EVENTS m ost, — singing, p lay in g som e in stru m e n t, IN MUSIC or listening, — we find t h a t m usic is an e n te rta in in g a n d pleasing com panion for o u r leisure hours. I t is also a source of in sp iratio n , w hich, for th e tim e being, lifts us above o rd in a ry existence an d gives us a sense of fine a n d noble ideals w hich m a y influence th e com m on ev en ts of e v e ry d a y fife. T h ro u g h it th e com m on e v e n ts a n d in te re sts of e v e ry d a y life m a y becom e m ore im p o rta n t, v ita l, a n d idealized. M u sic is th e m o st b e a u tifu l sound w hich m eets our ears. I t affects us stro n g ly , w h e th e r we realize it or n o t. I n fa ct, it h as alw ays been one of th e stro n g e st m ean s of expressing h u m a n th o u g h ts a n d feelings. Since th e ea rlie st tim es, m a n h as used m usic to in te n sify h is n o rm al h u m a n expressions. P rim itiv e m a n fo u n d t h a t his voice carried fa rth e r w hen he used a m u sical to n e in calling. As he em phasized som e w ords a n d passed lig h tly o ver o th ers, his voice w ould rise or becom e low er in p i t c h ; a n d in th is w ay he a d d e d m elo d y to th e rh y th m of speech. I n th e P salm s of D a v id , in th e B ible, we re a d how th e people of an c ie n t tim es p la y e d u p o n in s tru m e n ts of v ario u s k in d s a n d san g " i n loud v o ic e s” w hen th e o rd in a ry m ean s of expressing religious feeling seem ed insufficient. E v e n su ch a pow erful expressive force as th e G reek d ra m a called u p o n m usic to h eig h ten a n d s tre n g th e n its d ra m a tic passages. Likew ise, in th e o rd in a ry co m m u n icatio n betw een people, m usic h as been m o st useful in m o m en ts of stro n g feeling. W h en lovers h av e seren ad ed th e ir sw ee th earts, it h as m o st fre q u e n tly been w ith a song ; a n d th e m usical b e a u ty of m o th e rs ’ lullabies h as b ro u g h t calm sleep to th e in fa n ts of h u n d re d s of g en eratio n s of all n atio n alitie s. J u s t as m a n y situ a tio n s in our ow n lives include m usic, so th ro u g h o u t h isto ry m en a n d w om en of all countries, of all races, a n d of all degrees of civilization h av e fo u n d m usic a n ecessary p a r t of e v e ry d a y living a n d q u ite indisp en sab le to th em . I n

t h e

THE BEGINNING OF NOTATION Since m usic h as b een an im p o rta n t p a r t of effective, h a p p y living, it w as n ecessary for i t to be w ritte n dow n, so t h a t it m ig h t be p re se rv e d a n d m ore people h av e access to it. T herefore, since v e ry e a rly tim es, n o ta tio n 154

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h as been developing g rad u ally . A t different periods of h isto ry th e sta v e s h av e h a d v ario u s n u m b e rs of lin e s ; th ree , four, or even eleven. F in a lly th e p re se n t staff of five lines w as estab lish ed as th e m o st p ra c tic a l. S im ilarly th e re h av e been m a n y d ifferent sizes a n d shapes of notes, as well as an infinite n u m b er of devices for in d icatin g th e ir tim e values. EARLY VOCAL MUSIC T h e m ak in g of in s tru m e n ts developed v e ry slowly, in com parison w ith m a n ’s progress in th e use of his ow n voice. O n acco u n t of th is it is n a tu ra l th a t vocal m usic should h a v e re ach ed a p o in t of re a l excellence before in stru m e n ta l m usic. I t is gen erally ag reed t h a t rh y th m p receded m elo d y a n d t h a t people d an ced before th e y sang. I t is possible to h av e rh y th m w ith o u t a n y m usical to n e being p resen t. Since th e essen tial ch a ra c te ristic of m usic is to n e, we are ju stified in feeling t h a t e a rly peoples w ere n o t re ally m usical u n til th e y u n ite d m elo d y w ith th e ir rh y th m . I t is im p o rta n t, also, to realize t h a t m elo d y com es from a n in n er h u m a n feeling, a n d is n o t m ad e b y som e artificial process. I t becam e n ecessary to in tro d u c e p art-sin g in g , in vocal p erfo rm ance, because d ifferent voices h av e u n e q u a l ran g es of p itch . A lth o u g h h arm o n y , as we know it, cam e v e ry la te in th e d ev elo p m en t of m usic, rh y th m a n d m elo d y w ere th e o u ts ta n d in g fe a tu re s of ea rly m usic. F o r th is reason ea rly p art-sin g in g sim p ly m e a n t t h a t so long as people w ith different voice rang es w ished to p a rtic ip a te in singing, th e y w ould sing th e sam e m elo d y b u t a t v ario u s pitch es. B ecause th e m elo d y rem ain ed th e sam e th ro u g h o u t, it follows th a t w h a te v e r differences of p itc h existed a t th e beginning w ere re ta in e d d u rin g th e e n tire song. L a te r it w as fo u n d t h a t different voices m ig h t sing different m elodies w hich w ould fit to g e th e r, th e m elodies ru n n in g co u n ter to each o th er. T h is m ark e d th e beginning of c o u n te rp o in t, a sty le of w ritin g w hich reach ed a clim ax in th e lo fty sacred m usic of P a le s trin a (p a -les-tre'n a) a n d in th e in s tru m e n ta l m usic a n d m ag n ificent m asses of J o h a n n S eb astian B ach. O ne of th e ty p e s of m usic w ith w hich we hav e becom e a c q u a in te d is th e fugu e. I n som e com positions we h av e also en c o u n te red a sty le of w ritin g called canon. T hese tw o form s of m usic m a y be tra c e d b ac k to th is ea rly vocal d e v e lo p m e n t; for ju s t as m usicians discovered th a t v a rio u s m elodies could m ove ag a in st each o th e r satisfac to rily , so th e y learn ed t h a t som e m elodies m ig h t so u n d well w hen h e a rd ag a in st th em selves, o v erlap p in g as in a canon. Also, th e ir co n cep tio n a n d sense of design, to g e th e r w ith o th er facto rs, led to th e d ev elo p m en t of th e fugue. I n th is form of com position

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th e voices e n te r in tu r n w ith th e sam e th em e a t different p itc h e s ; a n d co u n terp o in ts, som etim es q u ite elab o rate, are ad d ed . T h o u g h we h e a r co m p arativ e ly little m usic w hich w as w ritte n before th e se v e n te e n th c e n tu ry , a n d t h a t w hich we do h e a r m a y seem stra n g e to us, it is well to rem e m b e r t h a t th is m usic b ro u g h t b e a u ty a n d expressive sa tis­ fa ctio n to th e peoples of th o se tim es. F o r m en h av e alw ays in stin c tiv e ly crav ed b e a u ty , th o u g h it is tru e th a t ideas of b e a u ty change w ith different g en eratio n s. W hile it is possible t h a t th e m usic of th e n in th a n d te n th c e n tu ­ ries h as less a ttra c tio n a n d m ean in g for us th a n o u r p re se n t-d a y m usic, we m u s t re m e m b e r t h a t th e people of ev en tw o cen tu ries ago w ould h a v e been shocked a n d h o rrified a t m usic w hich to d a y we re g a rd as b e a u tifu l. THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC B efore th e tw e lfth c e n tu ry th e d ev elo p m en t of m usical in s tru m e n ts w as of less significance th a n th e d ev elo p m en t of vocal m u s ic ; a lth o u g h m a n y in stru m e n ts, p a rtic u la rly th e h a rp a n d th e ly re a n d v ario u s form s of flutes, h av e h a d a long a n d d istin g u ish ed h isto ry . M oreover, fro m th e tim e of th e fifth c e n tu ry th e o rgan g ra d u a lly grew in im p o rtan ce, especially in co n n ectio n w ith religious w orship. T h e earliest in s tru m e n ta l m usic a b o u t w hich we hav e know ledge was m erely th e ac co m p an im e n t to vocal m usic or to dances. I t h a d v e ry little c h a ra c te r of its own, b ecause th e in s tru m e n ts w hich accom panied singing p la y e d o n ly th e vocal p a rts a n d did n o t in tro d u c e a n y th in g original w hich m ig h t a d d to th e general m usical effect. A lm ost all o u r p re se n t-d a y in s tru m e n ts m a y be tra c e d m ore or less d ire c tly to r a th e r ele m e n ta ry ty p e s of in s tru m e n ts w hich developed u n d e r th e influence of th e w id esp read e n th u sia sm for m in strel singing d u rin g th e fifte e n th a n d e a rly six te e n th centuries. A t th is tim e th e m o st im p o rta n t p o rta b le in stru m e n ts w ere h arp s, lyres, viols, flutes, oboes, tru m p e ts , bells, c a sta n e ts, a n d d ru m s of all sorts. W hile th ese w ere c o m p a ra tiv e ly crude, th e k e y b o a rd in s tru m e n ts of th e tim e, such as th e clavichord a n d th e h a rp sic h o rd (w hich w ere th e predecessors of o u r m o d ern p ian o ), becam e ra th e r w ell developed a n d e stab lish ed in th e six te e n th ce n tu ry . T h e church w as an im p o rta n t in s titu tio n in th is p e r io d ; a n d since th e m usic of th e ch u rch w as alm o st e n tire ly vocal, except for th e use of th e organ, it m a y be seen t h a t th e d ev e lo p m en t of in s tru m e n ta l m usic w as asso ciated chiefly w ith secu lar m usic, o u tsid e th e church. A t th e sam e tim e in s tru m e n ta l m usic g ra d u a lly to o k on a stro n g er id e n tity an d becam e in d e p e n d e n t of vocal perform ance. V arious pieces of m usic w ere bein g w ritte n to be e ith e r su n g or p lay ed , a n d people beg an to

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realize t h a t th e re could be a " c h o ru s of in s tr u m e n ts /' ju s t as th e re w as a chorus of voices. W hile th e d ev elo p m en t of k e y b o a rd in stru m e n ts progressed ra p id ly d u r­ ing th e se v e n te e n th c e n tu ry , p ro b a b ly th e m o st im p o rta n t ad v an ce in th e m ak in g of in s tru m e n ts a t th is tim e w as th e p erfectio n of th e violin. T h ere is no d o u b t t h a t th e g re a te s t violins w hich h a v e ever been m ad e w ere p ro d u ced in th e se v e n te e n th a n d e a rly e ig h te e n th centuries. W ho h as n o t h e a rd of S tra d iv a riu s (stra d -i-v a 'ri-u s), th e g re a t violin-m aker, w hose violins are p lay ed b y th e g re a te st a rtis ts to d a y ? Som e of these in stru m e n ts are v a lu e d a t m ore th a n fifty th o u sa n d dollars. W ith th e p erfection of th e violin th e re cam e a co rresponding im p ro v e m e n t in o th e r strin g ed in s tru ­ m e n ts ; a n d it is safe to say t h a t th e ra p id g ro w th a n d progress of m usic from th is tim e on w as due in large m easu re to th ese tech n ical im p ro v em en ts a n d to th e g re a te r v a rie ty of in stru m e n ts av ailab le to com posers. T h e d ev elo p m en t of th e w ind in stru m e n ts, how ever, m oved m ore slo w ly ; a n d it w as o ver a c e n tu ry la te r t h a t all th e w ood-w ind in stru m e n ts, as we know th em , becam e estab lish ed m em b ers of th e o rch estra. THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPERA Since m u sical in s tru m e n ts h a d been asso ciated alm o st e n tire ly w ith m usic o u tsid e th e church, it is an in te re stin g coincidence t h a t opera should receive g re a te r a tte n tio n a n d arouse g re a te r in te re s t a t th e v e ry tim e th a t ra p id progress w as bein g m ad e in th e d ev elo p m en t of m usical in stru m e n ts. F o r cen tu ries m usic h a d b een u sed to a g re a te r or less degree in connection w ith th e d ra m a . T h e p a rtic u la r asso ciatio n of m usic w ith d ra m a w hich is called opera, how ever, is on ly a b o u t th re e a n d a h alf cen tu ries old. T h e p ro b lem s of m usic in re la tio n to th e d ra m a h av e ra re ly been solved w ith success, ev en a t th e p re se n t d a y ; a n d th e id ea b eh in d som e ea rly form s of opera w as v e ry little different fro m t h a t w hich is b eh in d som e of th e o p eras of o u r ow n tim e. T h o u g h th e e a rly o p era w as essen tially vocal in c h a ra c te r a n d te n d e d to p rovide o p p o rtu n itie s for sen satio n al p erfo rm ­ ances on th e p a r t of th e singers, it is easy to u n d e rs ta n d how th e p erfectio n of m usical in s tru m e n ts w ould a d d g re a tly to th e pow er of m usic in d ep ictin g th e d ra m a tic situ a tio n s in v o lv ed in th e opera. O p era b eg an in Ita ly , b u t it sp read ra p id ly in to o th e r E u ro p e a n countries. B y th e e a rly e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry it becam e an esta b lish e d a r t form . I n fa ct, its fo rm w as a b it to o firm ly e s ta b lis h e d ; for im p o rta n t singers s^w to it t h a t th e re w ere alw ays a c e rta in n u m b er of solo arias, d u ets, a n d q u a rte ts , so t h a t th e y m ig h t show off th e ir voices, w h eth e r or n o t th e d ra m a tic actio n called fo r th is m usic. In th is w ay th e o p era to o k on a rigid form w hich w as

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d eterm in ed n o t b y d ra m a tic ap p ro p riaten ess, b u t ra th e r b y th e desires of th e singers. One of th e m o st im pressive of e a rly operas w hich av o id ed th ese w eak­ nesses w as D ido and A eneas (d l'd o e-n e'a s), b y H e n ry P u rcell, one of th e g re a te s t com posers of th e period.

EARLY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC Since th e p erfectio n of in s tru m e n ts h a d given com posers new resources a n d o p p o rtu n itie s for expressing th e ir ideas, P urcell, along w ith o th ers such as th e Ita lia n com poser D om enico S c a rla tti (do -m a'n e-k o s k a r-la t'te ), w rote a g re a t deal of in s tru m e n ta l m usic in th e form of dance suites, w hich w ere especially p o p u la r a t th is tim e (P relude, page 50). T h o u g h D om enico’s fa th e r, A lessandro (a-les-san'dro) S c a rla tti, w as an e a rly com poser of Ita lia n opera, D om enico specialized in m usic for k ey b o a rd in stru m e n ts. N o t only w as he an ex p e rt p erfo rm er a n d a w ell-train ed com poser, b u t his m usic w as q u ite original in its sty le ; for S c a rla tti h a d a v e ry clever m usical im ag in atio n , as is evidenced b y th e " C a t ’s F u g u e ’’ (P relude} page 88). G eorge F red eric H a n d e l w as a n o th e r one of th e leading com posers of his tim e. H e h a d b o th u n u su a l a b ility in com posing an d p erfo rm in g m usic for k ey b o a rd in s tru m e n ts a n d g re a t skill in th e com position of operas. H a n d e l nev er fully realized his desire a n d a m b itio n to be a successful com poser of Ita lia n o p era ; we know h im to d a y as th e c re a to r of o rato rio s of o u tsta n d in g im p o rtan ce (page 85). JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH A m ong com posers, th e g re a t B ach rem ain s in a class b y him self. Som e­ how he seem s to h av e c a u g h t u p alm o st e v e ry th in g of w o rth in th e m usic w hich p reced ed him , a n d to h av e b ro u g h t it to a p o in t of p erfectio n . H is w ork is one of th e h ig h est p eak s in th e d ev elo p m en t of m usic. N o t only did he w rite c o n tra p u n ta l m usic w ith such re m a rk ab le skill t h a t it has ra rely , if ever, been eq u aled before or since, b u t he laid th e fo u n d a tio n for p ra c tic a lly e v e ry th in g t h a t h as developed in m usic since his tim e. I t was of B ach t h a t an em in en t critic, th e la te L aw rence G ilm an, w rote, He is both old and new. He is as old as the art of music that went before him from which he learned, and which nourished and strengthened his own supreme originality. He is as new as tomorrow’s sunrise, amazing us again and again with prophecies and foreshadowings of many things that we now unthinkingly call "modern.” He anticipated Wagner in his expressiveness and his sense of drama.

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He was a forerunner of Debussy and Schonberg (shun'berk) in his daring use of harmony. He wrote program music more than a century and a half before Richard Strauss was bom. He is the flawless model of classic style, of sculptural grandeur and purity in perfected form ; yet he is also a romanticist. Above all, he is a poet in tones, who can shake the spirit with his intensity and depth of feeling and his compassionate tenderness, and can turn the heart to water with a modulation on a single chord, or the weaving of contrapuntal strands. . . . We know him infinitely better than his contemporaries did, and it is safe to say that coming generations will know him better yet, discovering some reflection of themselves within his unpredictable art. For Bach’s imagination held the future of music as the sea holds the shape and substance of its waves. New York Herald Tribune, March 17, 1935 FROM COUNTERPOINT TO HARMONY A t th e sam e tim e t h a t B ach w as p erfectin g th e c o n tra p u n ta l style, w ritin g m elo d y a g a in st m elody, he an d o th e r com posers w ere also w riting m usic w hich w as m o re essen tially h arm o n ic in c h a ra c te r. W hile con­ tr a p u n ta l m usic m a y re su lt in h arm o n y , it is im p o rta n t to rem em ber th a t its co m p o sitio n is b ased on com binations of m elodies m oving horizontally, in w hich th e h a rm o n y is a b y -p ro d u c t. M usic w h ich is essen tially harm o n ic gives im p o rta n c e to groups of to n es w hich are h e a rd sim u ltan e o u sly in chords. W e m a y th in k of th ese as being v ertica l, in c o n tra s t to th e h o rizo n tal m o v em en t of sim u ltan eo u s m elodies. T h e chorales of B ach are sp lendid exam ples of h arm o n ic w ritin g , a lth o u g h som etim es he e la b o ra te d th e m in to chorale p re lu d e s w hich are som ew hat c o n tra p u n ta l. i- A lth o u g h h arm o n ic m usic fre q u e n tly is stre n g th e n e d b y th e a d d itio n of c o u n te rp o in t, a n d c o n tra p u n ta l m usic som etim es includes progressions of solid chords w hich are h arm o n ic, we should recognize th e essential differ­ ences b etw een th e tw o styles. T hese are well illu s tra te d b y B a c h 's F ugue in G m in o r (page 34), his chorale prelu d e " J e s u , J o y of M a n 's D e sirin g " (page 142), a n d also h is " B is t D u Bei M i r " (A t H om e and Abroad, page 117). NEW MUSICAL FORMS W e h av e a lre a d y seen how th e im p ro v em en t a n d p erfectio n of in stru ­ m e n ts led to th e d ev elo p m en t of in stru m e n ta l form s of m usic. O ne of th e m o st im p o rta n t of th ese w as th e dance su ite (Prelude, pages 5 0 -5 3 ; a n d A t H om e and A broad, page 61), w hich w as a fo re ru n n e r of th e so n a ta an d th e sy m p h o n y . N o m usical form springs u p q u ic k ly ; ra th e r it is th e

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re su lt of a g ra d u a l process of d evelopm ent. I t should be u n d ersto o d , therefore, t h a t th e su ite developed g ra d u a lly from e a rly in s tru m e n ta l form s. I n like m a n n e r th e so n a ta , th e sym phony, a n d th e strin g q u a rte t were th e o u tg ro w th of v a rio u s stag es of progressive developm ent, beginning w ith th e su ite a n d th e o v e rtu re . T h e sy m phonies of H a y d n a n d M o z a rt estab lish ed th e form , w hich u su ally consisted of fo u r m o v em en ts. T h e first m o v em en t w as w ritte n in w h a t is called " s o n a ta fo rm ,” th e second w as u su ally slow er a n d songlike, th e th ird w as alm o st alw ay s a d ance form , a n d th e fo u rth w as u su a lly a rondo (page 10 7 ; Progress, p age 33). T h is sam e p la n of fo u r m o v em en ts served also for th e strin g q u a r te t a n d o th e r cham ber-m usic c o m p o sitio n s; and , w ith som e slig h t changes, also for th e so n ata. Since B ach h a d b ro u g h t c o n tra p u n ta l m usic to such a h ig h p o in t of perfection, th e d ecid ed ly h arm o n ic sty le of th e e a rly sym phonies, so n atas, an d strin g q u a rte ts is u n d e rsta n d a b le , for th e m en w ho com posed th e m h a d a definite re actio n aw ay fro m th e ty p e of w ritin g w hich h a d been generally followed u p to th is tim e. A s a m a tte r of fa ct, th e re is v e ry little co u n ter­ p o in t in th e m usic of th e e a rly sym phonic w riters. T h is is tru e p a rtic u la rly of H a y d n a n d M o z a rt. E v e n B eeth o v en h a d w ritte n m u ch of his g re a te st m usic before he b eg an th e serious s tu d y of co u n terp o in t. I n th is connection it is in te re stin g to n o te t h a t b o th M o z a rt a n d S ch u b ert beg an th e s tu d y of co u n terp o in t in th e la s t y ea rs of th e ir lives, a fte r alm o st ev e ry one of th e ir im p o rta n t com positions h a d been w ritte n . f As th e sy m p h o n y developed, we find evidence t h a t g re a t com posers cam e to realize th e d e sira b ility of ad d in g c o n tra p u n ta l w ritin g to th e ir m ore essen tially h arm o n ic sty le. T h e m a n w ho m o st significantly a n d effectively com bined th ese tw o w ays of w ritin g w as Jo h a n n e s B rah m s, w ho w as an ea rn est s tu d e n t of B ach as well as of th e m usic of th e g re a t m a ste rs who estab lish ed th e sy m p h o n y as a form . F o r th e sym phonies of B rah m s, while follow ing th e sty le of earlier sym phonies, are also m asterpieces of c o n tra ­ p u n ta l w riting. THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF THE SYMPHONY S o m ething of th e in creasin g seriousness of th e sy m p h o n y as a form of m usical expression can be realized from th e fa c t t h a t H a y d n w ro te over one h u n d re d sym phonies, M o z a rt w rote fo rty -o n e, B eeth o v en w ro te nine, an d B rah m s w ro te four. In th e e ig h te e n th c e n tu ry m a n y sym phonies w ere w ritte n for p riv a te p e r­ form ance in o rd er to e n te rta in th e n o b ility , w ho h ired th e com posers to w rite th e ir m usic ju s t as th e y h ired dom estic serv a n ts. I t is sad to re la te , b u t n ev e r­

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theless tru e , t h a t e a rly com posers, ev en som e w ho w ere im p o rta n t, fre q u e n tly w ere engaged to p erfo rm dom estic service in a d d itio n to th e ir m usical d u ties. As m usic cam e to be looked u p o n as a g re a t a n d noble a r t, how ever, a n d as it cam e to be an e stab lish ed a n d resp ected profession, com posers gain ed increasing in d ep en d en ce a n d so u g h t increasing freedom , in o rd er th a t th e ir m usic sh ould be th e ir ow n expression, free from a n y d o m in atio n of p atro n a g e. F ro m th is tim e on, com posers cam e to re g a rd th e sy m p h o n y as a vehicle fo r th e ir m o st significant m usical u tte ra n c e s. T h is w as p a rtic u la rly tru e of B eeth o v en , for his sym phonies co n tain m ore in ten sely p erso n al o u tb u rs ts of em o tio n th a n h a d been fo u n d in a n y p rev io u s w ork. M a n y of H a y d n 's sym phonies h av e th e ru stic good h u m o r of a C ro a tia n p e a s a n t {Prelude, page 71), w hile B e e th o v e n 's h u m o r is o ften v io len t a n d sto rm y {Progress, page 29). M o z a rt's sym phonies, a lth o u g h som etim es lig h t, are fre q u e n tly serious a n d im pressive (page 71), w hile B eeth o v en 's sym phonies co n ta in m o m en ts of p ro fo u n d ly tra g ic d ra m a . Follow ing H a y d n a n d M o z a rt a n d living a t th e sam e tim e as B eeth o v en w as F ra n z S ch u b ert. A lth o u g h he is know n especially as a song-w riter, he com posed te n sy m p h o n ies of ra re m elodic b e a u ty {A t H om e and A broad, page 56). C om ing slig h tly la te r, F elix M en d e lsso h n -B a rth o ld y a n d R o b e rt S ch u m an n each com posed fo u r sym phonies (page 106; a n d A t H om e and Abroad, page 71). A fte r B eeth o v en , how ever, th e sym phonies of th e n in e ­ te e n th c e n tu ry reach ed th e ir cu lm in atio n in th e m usic of Jo h a n n e s B ra h m s (page 122). SYMPHONIES— CLASSIC AND ROMANTIC T h e m usic of th ese n in e te e n th -c e n tu ry com posers m a rk s a sh ift in em ­ phasis. T h is w as th e b eg in n in g of th e " R o m a n tic m o v e m e n t," w hose m usical sty les show ed m a rk e d c o n tra s t to th e so-called " c la s s ic " sty le of th e e ig h te e n th ce n tu ry . I t w as d u rin g th e " classical" p erio d th a t im p o rta n t m usical form s (suite, so n a ta , sy m p h o n y , strin g q u a rte t) w ere estab lish ed , a n d new ty p e s of m usic w ere developed w hich w ere less c o n tra p u n ta l th a n those of a n earlier perio d . T h e com posers w hose w orks estab lish ed th ese older fo rm s are com m only called " c la s s ic " com posers. T h is te rm fre q u e n tly is re g a rd e d as m ean in g t h a t th ese com posers placed th e chief em p h asis u p o n m usical fo rm a n d th e te c h n iq u e of com posing to such a n e x te n t t h a t th e ir m usic w as co m p arativ e ly lack ing in expressive q u a lity . W hile th e re m a y h av e been a slig h t m easure of tr u t h in th is, i t is n o t e n tire ly correct to re g a rd th e w ork of th e classical com posers in th is w ay. F o r a lth o u g h th e y w ere estab lish in g new form s, th ese com posers w ere also h u m a n beings, ju s t as we are, a n d m usic was for th e m a m ean s of expression, ju s t as i t h as been for m ore re c e n t com posers.

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Likew ise we sh ould n o t consider th e w ork of th e " ro m a n tic ” com posers as being e n tire ly em o tio n al in ch a racter. F o r while these com posers m a y hav e been m ore o u tsp o k en in expressing th e ir feelings, a n d freer a n d m ore fa n ta s tic th a n o th ers in th e ir m usical im ag in atio n s, n ev erth eless th e ir m usic co n tain s m a n y of th e elem ents w hich to o o ften are re g ard ed as th e exclusive p ro p e rty of th e " c la s s ic ” com poser. P u rcell, B ach , H a y d n , a n d M o z a rt m a y be called classical com posers, b u t i t is im p o rta n t to recognize an elem ent of ro m an ticism in th e ir m usic. Likew ise, B eeth o v en , S ch u b ert, M endelssohn, S ch u m an n , a n d B rah m s are u su ally re g a rd e d as " r o m a n tic ” com posers, b u t it should be u n d e rsto o d t h a t th e ir m usic includes m a n y of th e fe a tu re s fo u n d in th e w orks of th e classical com posers. E a c h g ro up h a d a different em phasis in m usical com ­ position, b u t th e y also h a d m u ch in com m on ; so m u ch so th a t som e of th ese com posers re ally should be included in b o th groups. ROMANTIC MUSIC I t is alm o st im possible to define rom ance in m usic, for it is so m eth in g we feel b u t c a n n o t explain easily in w ords. I t is possible only to p o in t o u t some of th e ch a ra c te ristic s of m usic w hich is called " r o m a n tic ,” a n d th e n to let th e m usic itself p re se n t its ro m an tic m essage. T h ere are m a n y different fe a tu re s w hich ch aracterize such m usic. One of these is its im ag in ativ e, fancifu l q u a lity . C om pare th e Scherzo fro m M en d elsso h n 's M id su m m er N ig h t1s D ream w ith th e M in u e t from H a y d n 's S y m p h o n y N o. 13, in G m ajo r (P relude, pages 61 an d 71), a n d discover how th e fanciful q u a lity of th e form er is suggestive of its ro m a n tic ch a ra c te r. A n o th er fe a tu re of " r o m a n tic ” m usic is its fre q u e n t connectio n w ith b e a u ty in th e w orld of n a tu re . T h ere is an " o u t-o f-d o o rs ” q u a lity in th e m usic of m a n y of th e " r o m a n tic ” com posers, w hich is n o t su rp risin g in view of th e fa c t t h a t m o st of th e m fo u n d n a tu re a source of m usical in­ sp iratio n . Since th e te rm rom anticism w as used first in connection w ith lite ra tu re , a n d since m a n y of th e ro m a n tic com posers w ere p ro m p te d to create m usic th ro u g h th e ir en th u siasm for ro m a n tic lite ra ry w orks, it w as p erfectly n a tu ra l t h a t som e of th e ir com positions should h av e been based u p o n lite ra ry su b jects. N eedless to say, th e ro m a n tic com posers resp o n d ed m ore re a d ily to th e em o tio n al ty p e s of lite ra tu re th a n to scholarly lite ra ry studies. T hese com posers resp o n d ed chiefly to p o e try wThich aro u sed deep feeling, an d th e ir m a n y h u n d re d s of songs a n d sh o rt com positions for p ian o are b e a u tifu l illu stra tio n s of th is fe a tu re of ro m a n tic m usic. I n fa c t th e a r t song a n d s h o rt se n tim e n ta l com positions for v ario u s solo in s tru m e n ts were

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a c h a ra c te ristic p ro d u c t of th e ro m a n tic tre n d in th e n in e te e n th c e n tu ry , a n d it is safe to say t h a t th is c e n tu ry p ro d u c ed m ore a r t songs th a n h a d ever ex isted before. S ch u b ert him self w ro te over six h u n d re d songs, R o b e rt F ra n z w ro te over th re e h u n d re d , H u g o W olf w rote a b o u t five h u n d re d , a n d B ra h m s a n d S ch u m an n each com posed over tw o h u n d re d . T h ere is n o b e tte r evidence of th e sp o n tan eo u s o u tb u rs t of ro m an tic feeling in th e m usic of th is p eriod th a n th e songs of R o b e rt S chum ann, one h u n d re d an d fifty of w hich w ere com posed w ith in th e first y e a r a fte r his m arriag e to his beloved C la ra (page 142; a n d A t H om e and Abroad, page 75). THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAM MUSIC W hile p ro g ra m m usic m a y be fo u n d in th e w orks of B ach, H a y d n , M o z a rt, a n d B eeth o v en , i t w as th e R o m a n tic m o v em en t w hich gave em phasis to th is ty p e of m usic. T h e suggestion th ro u g h m usic of b eau ties of n a tu re , th e expression in to n e of som e poetic or lite ra ry idea, a n d th e m usical n a rra ­ tio n of leg en d a ry tales or fan ciful su b jects o u tlin e d b y th e com poser b e­ cam e th e vogue am ong c e rta in com posers of th e R o m a n tic period. I n a d d itio n to operas a n d a r t songs, w hich re ally are p ro g ram m usic, th e R o m a n tic m o v em en t gave u s such in te re stin g p ro g ra m m usic as W e b er’s In vita tio n to the Dance {Progress, page 17) ; T c h a ik o v sk y ’s N utcracker S u ite {Prelude, page 41) ; a n d The Sorcerer9s A pprentice, b y D u k a s {A t H om e and Abroad, page 47). F ro m th ese selections we h a v e discovered t h a t th e m usical q u alities of p ro g ra m m usic are n o t v e ry d ifferent from th o se of o th e r m usic. T h e m ain d istin c tio n is t h a t th e com poser chooses th e ty p e of m elody, rh y th m , h arm o n y , a n d fo rm t h a t will be m o st a p p ro p ria te to th e ty p e of p ro g ra m it is in te n d e d to suggest. I t is in te re stin g to n o te t h a t th is m usic is m o st successful w hen th e su b ject of th e p ro g ra m is a p p ro p ria te to th e ty p e of m usic w hich th e com poser is b e st fitte d to w rite. P ro g ra m m usic m a y be in a n y form . A sy m p h o n y m a y be p ro g ra m m usic if it is m e a n t to be d escrip tiv e. O ne of th e m o st fam ous of p ro g ra m sym phonies is th e F antastic S ym p h o n y, b y B erlioz {Progress, page 22), in w hich th e com poser w ro te m usic to suggest a fa n ta stic program , concerned chiefly w ith im a g in a ry in cid en ts in his ow n life. W hile m o st sym phonies h av e fo u r m o v em en ts, th e p ro g ra m of th is w ork is such t h a t five w ere n e c e s s a ry ; so of course th is ro m an tic com poser d id n o t h e sita te to a lte r th e u su al form of th e sy m p h o n y to fit his idea. T h e F antastic S y m p h o n y h as considerable h isto rical im p o rtan ce. N o t o n ly w as it th e fo re ru n n er of th e sym phonic poem s of L iszt a n d R ic h a rd S trau ss, b u t i t u sed m o tiv es for d escrip tiv e purposes a t a tim e w hen R ic h a rd

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W ag n er w as a y o u n g m a n of sev en teen w ith o u t th e slig h test th o u g h t th a t he w ould ev er be a g re a t com poser. E v e n so co m p arativ e ly re cen t a w ork as T ill Eulenspiegel (page 75) m a y tra c e its m usical a n c e stry b ac k to B erlioz a n d his Fantastic S y m p h o n y . NINETEENTH-CENTURY OPERA I n a d d itio n to its w ealth of a r t songs an d in stru m e n ta l m usic, th e n in e­ te e n th c e n tu ry also b ro u g h t o p era to th e h ig h est p o in t it h as y e t achieved. I n I ta ly th is w as accom plished chiefly th ro u g h th e w orks of G iuseppe Y erdi (jo o -sep 'p a v a r'd e ), whose operas re m a in am ong th e s ta n d a rd w orks in th is form . Y ear a fte r y e a r people b y th e th o u sa n d s a tte n d p erform ances of A id a , L a Traviata, I I Trovatore, a n d Rigoletto ; w hile m usicians consider his F a lsta ff a n d Othello as am ong th e fin est of Ita lia n operas. As m ig h t be expected, th e Ita lia n o p era rem ain ed essen tially vocal in ch a racter, th o u g h V erd i’s la te r w orks show ed a g re a t expansion of in stru m e n ta l resources. M o re re c e n tly in Ita ly , colorful a n d successful operas h av e been w ritte n b y W o lf-F e rrari (Progress, page 11) a n d P u ccin i (po o t-ch e'n e). I n F ran c e, th e opera co n tin u ed to develop th ro u g h th e w orks of G ounod (Prelude, pag e 33) an d M a sse n e t (A t H om e and Abroad, page 124). P e rh a p s th e g re a te st of F re n c h o p eras is D e b u ssy ’s Pelleas et M elisande (p e-la-as' a m a-le-zan d '), a w ork of ra re b e a u ty a n d d elicate charm , w hich develops in ten se em o tio n al pow er th ro u g h its m usical a n d d ra m a tic re stra in t. W ith o u t d o u b t, how ever, th e g re a te st o p eratic d ev elo p m en t o ccu rred in G erm an y , w here W eb er (Progress, pag e 21) estab lish ed a form of G erm an ro m a n tic opera. T h is w as b ased u p o n leg en d ary ta le s a n d w as especially rich in its m usical suggestion of th e s u p e rn a tu ra l a n d th e b e a u ty of n a tu re . T h ere is no q u estio n b u t t h a t th e w ork of R ic h a rd W ag n er w as d ep e n d en t in a large m easu re u p o n W e b er’s, ev en th o u g h operas of W eber are ra re ly perfo rm ed a t th e p re se n t tim e. W a g n er’s th e o ry of o p era in cluded his use of leading m otives, w hich h a d its source in th e m usic of B erlioz a n d W e b e r ; th e ad d ed im p o rtan ce of th e o rc h estra as an expressive agency in th e o p era (th is m a y be tra c e d to M o n tev erd e (m o n -t a -v a r'd e ), w ho lived tw o a n d one-half cen tu ries before W agner) ; a n d his th e o ry t h a t th e re should be a n ab so lu te u n ity of scenic, d ra m a tic , an d m u sical effects for an o p era to be tru ly successful. A lth o u g h W ag n er fe lt t h a t he h a d achieved his aim s, he w as re ally a less effective d ra m a tis t th a n he th o u g h t. F o r th e fa c t t h a t we find his m usic th rillin g to h e a r w ith o u t e ith e r d ra m a tic ac tio n or scenic effects is evidence t h a t he w as essen tially a c re a to r of g re a t m usic w hich excels th e v isu al a n d d ra m a tic ph ases of his operas. I n ad d itio n to th is, m a n y of

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W a g n e rs ideas w ere so u n u su a l an d fa n ta stic t h a t th e y c a n n o t be p re­ sen ted sa tisfa c to rily th ro u g h th e lim ited m ean s of o b jects seen in space, a n d th e y ex ist for u s m ore v iv id ly in im ag in atio n th a n th e y ever could in phy sical re a lity . H ere ag ain W agner is su p rem ely th e m usician, because he h as c re a te d m usic w hich is sym phonic in c h a ra c te r th ro u g h w hich we visualize th e scenes a n d d ra m a tic in cid en ts of th e W a g n erian sagas. T ru ly he is th e m a s te r cre a to r of to n a l visions. W a g n er's influence u p o n o peratic com posers w ho follow ed h im w as enorm ous. H u m p e rd in c k , th e com poser of H ansel and Gretel {Prelude, page 55), gave th e sim ple folk ta le of tw o ch ild ren a m u sical se ttin g w hich is co m p arab le to W a g n er's m usic d ra m a s in th e co m p lex ity of its staging an d its o rc h estral acco m p an im en t. P ro b a b ly th e influence of W ag n er is now here g re a te r th a n in th e m usic of R ic h a rd S trau ss. N o t o n ly are his operas p a tte rn e d d ire c tly a fte r those of W ag n er, b u t th e o rc h estral m usic of S trau ss (page 83) show s W ag n er's influence, p a rtic u la rly in its use of m otives a n d in its p u re ly in stru m e n ta l devices. I t is n o t to o m u ch to say th a t c e rta in v e ry ex ten d e d passages in W a g n er's o p eras are like sym phonic poem s based u p o n th e d ra m a tic situ ­ atio n a t h a n d , a n d t h a t c e rta in of S tra u ss's to n e poem s are like m in ia tu re W ag n erian m usic d ra m a s, b o th in feeling a n d in th e w ay th e y are w ritte n . NATIONALISTIC OPERA W hile W a g n e r's m usic d ra m a s grew o u t of e a rly G erm an ro m a n tic opera, th e re is a sense in w hich th e y are n a tio n a listic as well as ro m an tic. W ag n er once said t h a t he hoped to do for G e rm a n y m usically w h a t B ism arck h a d done for h er p o litically, a n d we know t h a t th e re is a stro n g n atio n alistic feeling in m u ch of his w ork. D o u b tless W ag n er fe lt t h a t w h a t he w as doing fo r th e G erm an s w as of even g re a te r significance th a n w h a t B ism arck h a d done ; for u p o n one occasion he p o in te d o u t t h a t m usic w as g re a te r th a n politics, because " m usic u n ite s people, w hile politics divides th e m ." T h e m o st stro n g ly n a tio n a listic operas, how ever, w ere developed in o th er co u n tries, p a rtic u la rly R u ssia an d B ohem ia. F ollow ing th e N apoleonic con q u ests, stro n g ly in d e p e n d e n t n a tio n a l feeling b eg a n to develop all over E u ro p e, a n d th is h a d a v e ry definite influence u p o n m usic. I n R u ssia th e re h a d been v irtu a lly no com posers of a n y im p o rtan ce before th is tim e, a n d th e g ro u p know n as " T h e F iv e " (page 10), preceded b y G lin k a (glin g 'k a) a n d D arg o m y zh sk y (dar-g5-m fzh'ske), so u g h t to es­ ta b lish a n a tio n a listic ty p e of m usic. T h is th e y accom plished w ith real success b y com bining folk tu n es, folk dances, a n d th e m usic of th e R u ssian

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c h u rc h w ith p o p u la r legends a n d h isto rical in cid en ts, th u s p ro d u cin g operas w hich w ere tru ly R u ssia n in sto ry , in scene, in language, a n d in m usic (A t H om e and A broad, page 67). P arallelin g th is m o v em en t in R ussia, th e B ohem ian com poser S m etan a did m u ch to estab lish a n a tio n a listic ty p e of m usic in his ow n co u n try . H e to o used scenes a n d sto ries a n d tu n es w hich w ere ty p ic a l of his c o u n try , com bining th e m in o p eras tru ly expressive of those feelings w hich are com m on to th e C zech people (page 27). T h is w as tru e also of D v o ra k (Progress, page 58) a n d of W einberger (page 33), th o u g h b o th th ese m en sp e n t som e tim e in th e U n ite d S tates. THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORCHESTRAS IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY T h e d ev elo p m en t of th e m o d ern o rc h estra has been q u ite s te a d y since th e p erfectio n of th e strin g ed in stru m e n ts in th e se v e n te e n th c e n tu ry . A t a b o u t 1800 th e o rc h e stra existed m uch as we know it to d a y , a lth o u g h th e re h as been a m a rk e d im p ro v em en t in th e in stru m e n ts d u rin g th e course of th e years. W hile b o th H a y d n a n d M o z a rt occasionally used o rch estras w hich w ere q u ite large, th is w as th e exception ra th e r th a n th e rule. I t w as B eeth o v en w ho d efinitely increased th e expressive d em an d s w hich were m ad e u p o n th e o rch estra. T h e sam e th in g m a y be said of th e p ia n o ; for th is in s tru m e n t w as n o t fu lly developed u n til B eeth o v en 's tim e, a n d it w as he w ho m ad e th e first significant use of its resources as a m eans of serious em o tio n al expression. P e rh a p s th e first g re a t genius of th e o rc h e stra w as B erlioz. H is m usic calls for o rc h estral effects so m o d ern th a t th e y w ere u n su rp asse d sev en ty five y ears a fte r th e y w ere w ritte n , a n d his o rc h estral w iza rd ry rem ains to d a y am ong th e m o st am azin g m usical accom plishm ents of his tim e. H e w as th e first of a series of b rillia n t geniuses in o rc h e stra tio n , am ong w hom W ag n er (page 63), R ic h a rd S trau ss (page 83), R im sk y -K o rsak o v (A t H om e and A broad, page 85), a n d R av el (page 131) should be included. I n general, it m a y be said t h a t those com posers w ho specialized in p ro ­ g ram m usic a n d in o p era te n d e d to develop p a rtic u la rly ingenious in s tru ­ m e n ta l effects, w hereas th o se whose p rin cip al w ork la y in th e field of sym phonies te n d e d to give g re a te r a tte n tio n to th e ir p u re ly m usical ideas a n d m usical form th a n to o rc h estral brilliance. O ne of th e im p o rta n t m usical d ev elo p m en ts d u rin g th e n in e te e n th cen­ tu r y w as in th e a r t of con d u cting. P rev io u s to th is tim e, o rc h e stra s h a d been d irec te d e ith e r b y th e p la y e r of th e h arp sic h o rd or b y th e co n certm aster, w ho m ad e th e n ecessary g estu res to guide th e o th e r players. T h e

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increasing com plexities of th e m usic com posed in th e n in e te e n th ce n tu ry , how ever, m ad e d em an d s on m usical p erform ance w hich could be m e t only b y m eans of a co n d u c to r w ho could give his en tire a tte n tio n to th em . A m ong th e g re a te st co n d u cto rs of th e c e n tu ry w ere F elix M endelssohnB a rth o ld y , R ic h a rd W ag n er, H a n s von Biilow (fon b u 'lo ), a n d H a n s R ic h te r (riK'ter) ; follow ed la te r b y A rth u r N ikisch (n ik 'ish ), G u sta v M a h le r (m a'ler), F elix W e in g a rtn e r (v m 'g a rt-n e r), B ru n o W a lte r (v a l'te r), L eopold Stokow ski, Sergei K o u ssev itzk y , an d A rtu ro T oscanini. THE MODERN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA U n d er th e lead ersh ip of th ese m en a n d o th ers, m o d ern o rc h estras h av e developed u n b eliev ab le a b ility . F o r exam ple, we h av e seen t h a t th e en tire violin section of a m o d ern sy m p h o n y o rc h e stra is able to p erfo rm such m usic as P a g a n in i's " M o to P e r p e tu o ” (Prelude, page 123) w ith a v irtu o s ity fo rm erly achieved o n ly b y th e m o st b rillia n t solo perform ers. In such com positions as S tra u ss's T ill Eulenspiegel (page 75) we h av e fo u n d t h a t m o d ern o rch estras are able to p erfo rm seem ingly m iracu lo u s fe ats of te c h ­ nical b rilliance a n d precision. A t th e sam e tim e m o d ern o rc h estras h av e im p ro v ed th e q u a lity of to n e to such a p o in t t h a t th e y are capable of m ore pow erful em o tio n al expression th a n ever before. THE WORLD OF MUSIC IN OUR DAY V irtu ally all th e significant developm ents in th e h isto ry of m usic are re p resen ted in som e p h ase of p re se n t-d a y m usical a c tiv ity . T h is is tru e in th e field of m usical p erfo rm an ce, for h u n d re d s of o rch estras all over th e w orld are still p lay in g m u ch of th e sam e m usic w hich h as enriched th e lives of people for cen tu ries. T h ere is no q u estio n b u t th a t one of th e m o st significant m u sical fe a tu re s of o u r tim e is th e enorm ous a m o u n t of m usic w hich is p erfo rm ed b y g ro u p s of v a rie d ty p e s a n d sizes a n d th e re m a rk ­ able tech n ical skill a n d m ech anical developm ents th ro u g h w hich it is m ade availab le to th e public. W e h av e a lre a d y becom e ac q u ain te d , how ever, w ith a g re a t deal of m usic w hich h as been com posed in our t i m e ; a n d th ro u g h th is m usic we can see how th e creativ e forces of p a s t cen tu ries are still a t w ork. Im p ro v e m e n ts in th e c o n stru c tio n of in s tru m e n ts are c o n sta n tly b rin g in g new possibilities to c o m p o se rs; a n d th e y , in tu rn , co n tin u e to explore th e possibilities of in stru m e n ts a n d voices, m ak in g new d em an d s u p o n p erfo rm ers for th e expression of th e ir m u sical ideas.

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N ew m usical form s still challenge th e in v en tiv e ideas of c o m p o se rs; b u t th e sy m p h on ic poem estab lish ed b y F ra n z L iszt a n d en larg ed b y R ic h a rd S trau ss co n tin u es to m ak e a p o p u lar appeal. N ew experim ents h av e been m ad e w ith th e b asic form of th e sym phony. Sibelius has succeeded in u n ify in g th e v ario u s elem en ts in th e p la n m ore closely th a n a n y of his predecessors, a n d he h as m ad e th e sy m p h o n y a v e ry m u ch m ore co m p act form th a n i t h as been before. O peras also are being w ritte n to d a y , as in form er years. Som e of th e m are created especially for ra d io perform ance, an d it is q u ite p ro b a b le th a t in th is field we m a y expect new a n d u n u su al d ev elo p m en ts. C om posers still en d eav o r to express th e ir n a tio n a l p rid e th ro u g h m usic, even th o u g h m usic is an in te rn a tio n a l a rt. F o r exam ple, in R u ssia th e y o u n g com poser S h o stak o w itch (sh o s-ta-k o 'v itch ) w rites m usic for th e glorification of th e c u rre n t p olitical regim e in th a t co u n try . In H u n g a ry , K o d a ly {Progress, p ag e 54) an d o th ers h a v e collected rich stores of folk m u s ic ; a n d th e y h av e used these n a tiv e m elodies a n d rh y th m s in som e significant H u n g a ria n com positions. T h e m usic of Sibelius, w hile in ten sely personal, h as com e to be re g ard ed as a n a tio n a l possession b y th e people of F in la n d . A t th e p re se n t tim e in E n g la n d th e re are m ore good com posers th a n th e re h av e been for m a n y years. M a n y of th e m are m ak in g im p o rta n t use of E n g lish folk tu n e s in th e ir com positions. O ne of these, R a lp h V au g h an W illiam s, h as fo u n d th e folk tu n e s of his n a tiv e la n d so fascin atin g th a t he h as in clu d ed m a n y of th e m in his o rc h estral w orks. A lth o u g h th e m usic of E ric C oates is n o t so serious as th a t of o th er B ritish com posers, we learn ed in Prelude, page 77, how he in clu d ed th e tra d itio n a l m elo d y " C h e r r y R ip e " in his L ondon S u ite . I n th e U n ite d S ta te s, com posers of all k in d s of m usic are try in g to express in th e ir com positions t h a t v e ry special feeling w hich is n o t easily defined, b u t w hich we recognize as A m erican. I n th e p ro g ra m M u sic of Our C ountry {A t H om e and Abroad, page 3), we found evidences of th is fa c t in th e com positions of H o w a rd H an so n , J o h n A lden C arp e n te r, H a rl M a c D o n a ld , E d w a rd M acD ow ell, C harles T . Griffes, a n d George G ershw in. I t is n a tu ra l to associate som e nam es w ith special periods, som e w ith m usical form s a n d th e ir d ev elopm ent, an d o th ers w ith countries, n atio n s, or races. A m e n tio n of th e w ord sym phony im m e d ia tely suggests th e nam es of H a y d n , M o z a rt, B eeth o v en , a n d B r a h m s ; a n d a t th e p re se n t tim e tho se of Sibelius a n d V au g h an W illiam s. S im ilarly, o p era calls to m in d W agner, H u m p e rd in c k , V erdi, W o lf-F errari, M assen et, a n d R ic h a rd S trau ss. T o co n tin u e th is ex p erim en t let us glance a t th e follow ing t a b l e :

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: Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Moussorgsky, Stravinsky, and Prokofieff F r e n c h : Cesar Franck, Debussy, Ravel B o h e m i a n : Smetana, Dvorak A m e r i c a n : MacDowell, Carpenter, Hanson, Sowerby, Charles, Gershwin A r t S o n g : Schubert, Schumann, Franz, Brahms C o u n t e r p o i n t a n d F u g u e : Bach, Scarlatti, Weinberger, McBride T o n e P o e m : Liszt, Smetana, Saint-Saens, Richard Strauss, Delius S u i t e : Purcell, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Coates, Walton, Kodaly C o n c e r t o : Beethoven, Schumann, Grieg R u s s ia n

T h is could be co n tin u ed indefinitely, w ith new nam es being ad d e d as o ur experience b ro ad en s. O nly a few of th e facts in th e g ro w th of m usic as an a r t h av e been given. T h e m o st essen tial fa cts of all are . . . the melody that sings in the laughter of a child, the harmony that decks the wooded hillside in autumn, the rhythm that governs the planets. And the under­ standing, the love of this music makes of us not only more appreciative listeners and truer artists, but better performers in that exacting and stupendous symphony led by the Great Conductor, the chief musician of the universe.1 1From Bach to Stravinsky, by David Ewen. Published by W. W. Norton & Company, New York City.

Diagram of Composers Represented in M a k in g F rie n d s w ith M u sic

1700 IT^O 1800 \ i ~ Henry Puri *11 (1658-16 95) English |

Book Id50 I I, I I I , IV II, IV I I I, II, IV I, II I, II II I, III II I, IV II I II, IV II, I I I , IV I IV IV I I, IV II, I I I , IV II IV II I I, II, III I II III I, III III I I I III II, IV III I II I, IV III II I I , IV I IV III II II II III I III II II I III IV III III II I

1850

1900

Johi inn Sebastia l Bach (1685-1750) Geri nan Geo pge Frederic Handel (16£}5— 1759) Ger man Dor lenico Scark tti (1685— 1757) Italian Fran: s Joseph Haydn (1732—1!S09) Austria i Wolfgang Amadeus Mo: ;art (1756-1 791) Austrian Ludwig Jvan Beetho\ en (1770-18 27) German Nicolo Paganini 11782-1840) Italian Cai^l Maria von Weber (178< >— 1826) German l^ranz Schube rt (1797— 18^58) Austrian Hector Berlioz (1803— 18j69) French Felix Mendelssohn-Barjtholdy (1809— 1847) German Otto Nicojai (1810— 1849) German Robert Scjiumann (1810-1856) German Richard Wagner (1813— 1883) German Charles Francois Gounod (1818— 1893) French Cesar Franck (1822-1-1890) French Frederick Smetana [(1824— 1884) Bohemian Johann Strauss (1825— 1899) Austrian Johannes Brahms( (1833— 1897) German Alexander Borodin (1834-1887) Russian Amilcare Ponchielli (1834— 1886) Italian Mojdeste Moussjorgsky (1835— 1881) Russian Camille Saint-Saens (1835— 1921) French Clement Delibes (1836— 1891) French Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky (1840— 1893) Russian Alexis Emmanuel Chabrier (1841— 1894) French Anton Dvorak] (1841— 1904) Bohemian Jules Massenet (1842—1912) French Edvard Grieg (1843—1907) Norwegian >richolas Rimsky-Korsakov (1844— 1908) Russian Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) German Sir Edward] Elgar (1857— 1934) English Michael Ippolitov-Ivanov (1859— 1935) Russian Edward M(acDowell (1861—1908) American Claude Achille Debussy (1862— 1918) French Liza Lehnlann (1862— 1918) English Frederick]Delius (1863— 1934) English Richard Strauss (1864— ) German Paul Dulcas (1865— 1935) French Gustav Saenger (1865— 1935) American Jean Sibelius (1865— ) Finnish Sergei Rachmaninov (1873— ) Russian Maurici Ravel (1875— 1937) French John AJden Carpenter (1876— ) American Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876— ) Italian Cyril Scott (1879— ) English Zoltan Kodaly (1882— ) Hungarian Charles T. Grilles (1884— 1920) American EricjCoates (1886— ) English Lu