Books › Grove's dictionary of music and musicians, 1916 › scan 876
Scan 876
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians, 1916
9 lines. Read by computer on 6 September 2026. Printed page 796. See the scan on archive.org.
1perfection as the other elements of art; and certainly the composer does not aim at subtle combinations of tone and captivating effects of a sensual kind so much as many other great composers of modern times; and if too much attention is concentrated upon the special element of his orchestration it may doubtless seem at times rough and coarse. But this element must only be considered in its relation to all the others, since the composer may reasonably dispense with some orchestral fascinations in order to get broad masses of harmony and strong outlines; and if he seeks to express his musical ideas by means of sound, rather than to disguise the absence of them by seductive misuse of it, the world is a gainer. In the putting forward and management of actual subjects, he is guided by what appears to be inherent fitness to the occasion. In the first movement of the Symphony in C minor, attention is mainly concentrated upon one strong subject figure, which appears in both the principal sections and acts as a centre upon which the rest of the musical materials are grouped; and the result is to unify the impression of the whole movement, and to give it a special sentiment in an unusual degree. In the first movement of the Symphony in D there are even several subjects in each section, but they are so interwoven with one another, and seem so to fit and illustrate one another, that for the most part there appears to be but little loss of direct continuity. In several cases we meet with the devices of transforming and transfiguring an idea. The most obvious instance is in the Allegretto of the symphony in D, in which the first Trio in 2–4 time (a) is radically the same subject as that of the principal section in 3–4 time (b), but very differently stated. Then a very important item in the second Trio is a version in 3–8 time (c) of a figure of the first Trio in 2–4 time (d).
3(a) etc.
4(b) etc.
5(c) etc.
6(d) etc.
8Of similar nature, in the Symphony in C minor, are the suggestions of important features of subjects and figures of the first Allegro in the opening introduction, and the connection of the last movement with its own introduction by the same means. In all these respects Brahms illustrates the highest manifestations of actual art as art; attaining his end by extraordinary mastery of both development and expression. And it is most notable that the great impression which his larger works produce is gained more by the effect of the entire movements than by the attractiveness of the subjects. He does not seem to aim at making his subjects the test of success. They are hardly seen to have their full meaning till they are developed and expatiated upon in the course of the movement, and the musical impression does not depend upon them to anything like the proportionate degree that it did in the works of the earlier masters. This is in conformity with the principles of progress which have been indicated above. The various elements of which the art-form consists seem to have been brought more and more to a fair balance of functions, and this has necessitated a certain amount of 'give and take' between them. If too much stress is laid upon one element at the expense of others, the perfection of the art-form as a whole is diminished thereby. If the effects of orchestration are emphasised at the expense of the ideas and vitality of the figures, the work may gain in immediate attractiveness, but must lose in substantial worth. The same may be said of over-predominance of subject-matter. The subjects need to be noble and well marked, but if the movement is to be perfectly complete, and to express something in its entirety and not as a string of tunes, it will be a drawback if the mere faculty for inventing a striking figure or passage of melody preponderates excessively over the power of development; and the proportion in which they are both carried upwards together to the highest limit of musical effect is a great test of the artistic perfection of the work. In these respects Brahms's Symphonies are extraordinarily successful. They represent the austerest and noblest form of art in the strongest and healthiest way; and his manner and methods have already had some influence upon the younger and more serious composers of the day. [The third and fourth symphonies of Brahms more than fulfil the expectations raised by the first two, here reviewed. The third, in F, op. 90, is given remarkable unity by the use, before the first subject of the opening movement, of a kind of motto-theme which reappears in the finale unaltered, and plays no insignificant part in the slow movement. The first subject of the opening section, too, recurs at the very end in the form of a subtle allusion in the violins as their tremolando passages descend to the last chords. The poco allegretto of this symphony is one of Brahms's most individual inspirations, one which for plaintive grace and delicate expression has not its fellow in music. The fourth symphony in E minor, op. 98, is a masterpiece of thematic development, and is remarkable for the adoption of the Passacaglia form for the finale.]
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.