Scan 19
Musical Courier 1900-04-11: Vol 40 Iss 1046, 1900
32 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 20. See the scan on archive.org.
1performances. He did so when his work needed a propaganda, when he had, like a dry goods drummer, to show samples of his goods. Of course where Wagner is not known, in Italy, Puerto Rico, France and the Philippine Islands, the system is allowable.
3As has been said there are exceptions to the rule of "No operatic music in the Concert Hall." Such exceptions are the programs by Martucci, the Italian conductor whose portrait adorned our front page a week or two ago. This musician "who will do Italy more honor than Mascagni" begins his concerts with an overture from some lone neglected opera, or gives us as entremets some pieces of Lully. His justification lies in the qualification "long neglected," for thus he makes his concert not a mere echo of popular works. Most music lovers will, it may be hoped, approve Herr Sonneck's remarks on this head, although perhaps concert organizers may hesitate. Music composers will applaud his next suggestion that the space left vacant by withdrawal of well-known operatic pieces should be filled with specimens of works which have not yet made a name. The ladies and gentlemen of the opera ought not to make themselves so much at home in concert and give only passages from their best roles; they ought to go either forward or backward to works which have not blood enough to live on the stage but could live and flourish in the concert hall. Such works are Weber's "Euryanthe," Spontini's "Olympia," Schumann's "Genoveva," &c. These exceptions must however be strictly exceptions, for the object of demanding concert music for the Concert Hall is "to give more space for the symphonic literature that has grown up."
5Herr Sonneck now says a good word for his publishers. "Amid much which is mediocre and obsolete," he writes, "publishers of ancient music have issued many valuable suites, symphonies and overtures which deserve to live." If these monumental new editions are to stand in a library till they are covered with dust, then music will sink to a useless handicraft and science become a playground for philological "sportsmen" (sic). Which means "Look at my publishers' 'Monumental Editions.'"
7A reform in the concert room will also allow the classics to come back to their rights. Haydn is unjustly neglected. Instead of all three "Leonora" Overtures in one evening, à la Zumpe, we could have some other works by Beethoven, the mature Mozart, &c. It will also allow us to hear foreign works and break down a protectionist policy in art which is entrenched in the circle of national works. It will give room for novelties. Novelties can be obtained always by a system of prize competitions. The prizes need not be money, "the poor devil of a German composer" is content if the prize is his name in the program. "It is cheaper to perform such a new piece than to buy high priced printed scores." A new piece will be as attractive as a catalogue number that has been heard a hundred times. The obstacle to such production of novelties is "the limited time for rehearsals of our hunted-to-death orchestras." But, cries the good Sonneck, "better a hundred-times-played Mozart Symphony without a rehearsal than a whole concert without a novelty." So away with opera music from the Concert Hall.
9Now about chamber music. When a virtuoso introduces concert music into a chamber music evening, hundreds complain; but little is said when chamber music is introduced into a concert. Of course, string quartets are out of place in the concert hall, and so are arrangements of chamber music for orchestra, for both proceedings are opposed to the composer's ideas. Yet, asks Herr Sonneck, what is a Chopin Nocturne, a Schumann Arabeske, the whole lied literature from Mozart to Brahms, but, in the noblest sense, chamber music? If it had not become the fashion to give in one evening three or four chamber music numbers for several instruments and pass over in silence the rich collection of vocal and solo instrumental chamber music, who would have ever dreamed of producing in a large hall music which is much more effective in a small room? A good selection can be made. There are plenty of solos of Beethoven, Chopin, Weber, Brahms, Liszt, &c., which have the character, if not the name, of concert pieces. The whole literature of the concert aria seems to be forgotten, while in modern compositions there are many works quite out of place in a lieder evening which obtain their full effect only in the concert hall. Many a piece is censured as not being "liedmässig," when it was conceived by the author as "concertmässig." The great trouble will be to make a selection, for it will require unerring taste to define what is fit for a large, and what for a small room. No fixed rule can be laid down for drawing out a concert program free from operatic music and chamber music. That depends on the taste, the judgment, the good sense of the concert giver.
11"In the concert hall only concert music," this Herr Sonneck repeats, is to-day the most important task of the lovers of music.
13THE RAKOCZY MARCH.
15AKOS LASZLO, of Berlin, has just published an account of the origin of this famous Hungarian march, based on authentic documents hitherto unknown in Germany.
17When Prince Franz Rakoczy II. (1676-1735), with his young wife, the Princess Amalie Caroline of Hesse, made his state entry into his capital of Eperjes, his favorite musician, the court violinist Michael Barna, composed a march in honor of the illustrious pair and performed it with his orchestra. This march had originally a festive character, but was revised by Barna. He had heard that his noble patron, after having made peace with the Emperor Leopold I. in 1711, was, in spite of the general amnesty, again planning a national rising against the Austrian house. Barna flung himself at the prince's feet and with tears in his eyes, cried "O Gracious Prince, you abandon happiness to chase Nothing!" To touch his master's heart he took his violin and played the revised melody with which he had welcomed the Prince, then happy and in the zenith of his power. Rakoczy died in Turkey, where he, with some faithful followers, among them the gypsy chief Barna, lived in exile.
19This Rakoczy March, full of passion, temperament, sorrow and pain, soon became popular among the music loving gypsies as well as among the Hungarian people. The first copy of the Rakoczy March came from Carl Vaczek, of Jaszo, in Hungary, who died in 1828, aged ninety-three. Vaczek was a prominent dilettante in music, who had often appeared as flautist before the Vienna Court, and enjoyed the reputation of a great musical scholar. Vaczek heard the Rakoczy March from a granddaughter of Michael Barna, a gypsy girl of the name of Panna Czinka, who was famous in her time for her beauty and her noble violin playing throughout all Hungary. Vaczek wrote down the composition and handed the manuscript to the violinist Ruzsitska. He used the Rakoczy Lied as the basis of a greater work by extending the original melody by a march and a "battle music." All three parts formed a united whole.
21The original melody composed by Michael Barna remained, however, the one preferred by the Hungarian people. In the Berlioz transcription the composition of Ruzsitska was partially employed. Berlioz worked together the original melody; that is, the Rakoczy Lied proper, and the battle music of Ruzsitska and placed them in his "Damnation de Faust."
23The Rakoczy March owes its greatest publicity to the above named Panna Czinka. This gypsy girl's great talent as a violinist was recognized by her patron, Johann von Lanyi, who had her educated in the Upper Hungarian city of Rozsnyo, where as a pupil of a German capellmeister she received adequate musical instruction. When she was fifteen she married a gypsy, who was favorably known as the player of the viola de gamba in Hungary. With her husband and his two brothers, who also were good musicians, she traveled through all Hungary and attracted great attention, especially by the Rakoczy March. Later her orchestra, over which she presided till her death, consisted only of her sons. Her favorite instrument, a noble Amati, which had been presented to her by the Archbishop of Czaky, was, in compliance with her wishes expressed in life, buried with her.
25The Rakoczy March has meanwhile undergone countless revisions, of which the most important is beyond doubt that of Berlioz.
27IMMORAL OPERA PLOTS.
29THE recent row over "Sapho" in this city, a city that complacently swallowed the vulgarities and depravities of "Zaza," caused a certain ingenious Professor Graebner, of the Concordia Seminary, of Memphis, to compile a formidable list of operas with immoral plots. We do not propose just now to argue the justice of the learned professor's strictures, so give his views without comment. The enumeration is rather appalling: He finds that Mozart's "Figaro" depicts marital infidelity; his "Don Juan" describes the love adventures of a libertine; his "Cosi fan Tutte" describes the infidelity of two betrothed, and the "Zauberflöte" is a glorification of freemasonry. Beethoven's "Fidelio" treats of infidelity in love; Weber's "Freischütz" depicts immorality; than can scarcely be described; his "Oberon" brings forward marital infidelity, and his "Euryanthe" the attempted seduction of a bride. Flotow's "Martha" describes the amorous experiences of a woman in masquerade and of her female servant. Marschner's "Hans Heiling" treats of the infidelity of a bride; Rossini's "Barber of Seville" is the story of an abduction; Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" is the account of the deception of a betrothed woman and of suicide. "Lucretia Borgia" describes the vengeance of an unmarried mother and a woman killing others by giving them poison; "La Favorita" depicts marital infidelity, and "Don Pasquale" has practically the same theme. Bellini's "La Sonnambula" treats of the infidelity of a young man who is betrothed; his "Norma" of marital infidelity. Herold's "Zampa" depicts the vengeance of a woman who has been seduced. Meyerbeer's "Huguenots" deals with marital infidelity; his "Robert the Devil" is a tale of the love adventures of a young good-for-nothing; while the "Star of the North" is an account of infidelity in love. Halévy's "Jewess" is an account of the infidelity of a betrothed man. Auber's "Fra Diavolo" describes the love adventures of a robber thief with a married woman; his "Carlo Broschi" treats of the favorite theme of marital infidelity; the "Stumme von Portici" depicts the vengeance of and suicide of a woman who had been seduced. Gounod's "Faust" is the story of a deception, and Thomas' "Mignon" the story of the adventures of a coquette and a jealous man. Bizet's "Carmen" consists of the love adventures and murder of a tricky gypsy woman.
31Massenet's "Manon" is the story of a mistress; his "Werther" describes a suicide resulting from illegitimate love. Verdi's "Othello" tells the story of forbidden love, of murder and of suicide; his "Don Carlos" tells of unlawful love on the part of those who are wedded; his "Aida" describes jealousy and revenge; his "Masque Ball" treats of a somewhat similar theme; his "Rigoletto" is the love story of a libertine and a murderer; while the "Elvira" describes the infidelity of a betrothed man and his suicide; Ponchielli's "La Gioconda" is the story of broken marriage vows and of suicide. Puccini's "Le Villi" describes the infidelity of a young man who is betrothed; while "Manon Lescaut" contains the adventures of a low woman. Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" is an account of illegitimate love and a double murder resulting from vengeance and jeal
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