Books › Musical Courier 1908-04-01: Vol 56 Iss 14, 1908 › scan 11
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Musical Courier 1908-04-01: Vol 56 Iss 14, 1908
83 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 12. See the scan on archive.org.
1Loeffler's "Pagan Poem" and Heinrich Gebhard.
3BOSTON, March 29, 1908.
5The names of Charles Martin Loeffler and Heinrich Gebhard are henceforth united—the one musical poet, the other musical interpreter—both of whom were combined in the initial production of the "Pagan Poem" in Symphony Hall, Boston, in November of last year, and repeated on March 13 and 14, this season, by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with Heinrich Gebhard as the ensemble artist.
7In its constructive elements the "Pagan Poem" by Charles Martin Loeffler is one of the few extraordinary works of the present day. It is based on the Eighth Eclogue of Virgil's "The Sorceress," where the woman of Thessaly is giving forth weird incantations, together with the burning of wax, to draw Daphnis, her lover, home. Some of the translations run thus:
9"Songs have might, even, to draw down the moon from heaven; with songs Circe transformed the crew of Ulysses; by singing, the cold snake is burst asunder in the meadows.
10"Draw from the city, my songs, draw Daphnis home.
11"Three-fold first I twine about thee these diverse triple-hued threads, and thrice round these altars I draw thine image; an odd number is the god's delight.
12"Draw from the city, my songs, draw Daphnis home.
13"Tie the three-fold colors in three knots, Amaryllis, but tie them; and say, 'I tie Venus' hands.'
14"Draw from the city, my songs, draw Daphnis home.
15"As this clay stiffens and as this wax softens in one and the self-same fire, so let Daphnis do for love of me. Sprinkle barley meal and kindle the brittle bay twigs with bitumen. Cruel Daphnis burns me; I burn this bay at Daphnis.
16"Draw from the city, my songs, draw Daphnis home."
18It was these lines of Virgil which inspired Mr. Loeffler's masterpiece, and in which he has endeavored to suggest rather than describe the successive pictures, by means of music. It deals humanly with classical facts.
20In one long movement for piano and orchestra its extraordinary qualities of construction, wherein is allowed a piano part exceedingly elaborate, and employed in many novel ways, whereby new and strangely beautiful tonal colors are deftly blended—the "Poem" culminates in one grand appealing climax. Mr. Loeffler has attempted to give but a general atmospheric outline of the things felt and perceived by him in Virgil's lines. No detailed program is necessary to the understanding of the music.
22The pictures unfold—the canvas glows, as it were, as the mind of the hearer is ready to observe. Scenes for the ear—not the eye.
24The "spells" woven by the Thessalonian woman expressed in music—instead of with the paint brush.
26As the orchestra and Gebhard proceed the listener is convinced that Daphnis can no longer withstand the witchery evoked by the woman's wiles. Here the introduction of various instruments suggests his being moved at last by the spell.
28Gebhard with his piano part tells one still more. All the witchcraft of art now combines, and Loeffler, Gebhard and orchestra pour forth the story. The suspense deepens; Daphnis still comes not. The piano again lends its aid. These are rare moments. In his playing Gebhard seems and is as one inspired.
30His impressive figure and great finger work will long be associated with the "Poem's" story.
32The music seems in sustained flight; the imagination of the hearer, too, is on the wing. Crescendo upon crescendo. A loud blast of trumpets—and Daphnis comes! Heinrich Gebhard is the first and only man who knows, thus far, the piano part to this superb composition. To him, as a keen, comprehensive sympathizer with the dramatic depths and heights of the "Poem," Charles Loeffler has consigned its keeping. Other pianists may learn it, even play it, but those who have heard Heinrich Gebhard in the past will feel that something is wanting.
34He breathes with the composer—so unified is he with the soul of the music—the purpose of the man-artist behind the composition. The strong bond of friendship between these two men—Loeffler and Gebhard—becomes stronger in the production of the music. The latter produced a profound impression in his rendering on March 13 and 14 in Boston, when great crowds assembled to hear his work.
36Loeffler's inspiration is caught by Gebhard. The repetition of the "Poem" by Dr. Muck only deepened the admiration of all who heard. It will never stale, but unfold new and weird beauties. It mystifies, enchants, illumines, and shows Loeffler as a man who not only thinks, but the dreamer of dreams. He delivers a message to his musical brethren; appeals to the masses with melodious voices—for in his art he expresses the universal. His genius is herewith established. Although Maeterlinck's "Death of Tintagiles" moved him to express in a masterful way another story in music, the "Pagan Poem" places him higher yet. It was in 1901 that Mr. Loeffler wrote the original "Pagan Poem," which was gradually remodeled from a chamber piece to its present magnitude. He made a transcription of his second version for two pianos and three trumpets. Mr. Gebhard, so strongly has the work impressed him, also arranged the "Poem" for two pianos.
38Mr. Loeffler's latest version is scored for three flutes, two oboes, English horn, bass clarinet, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, four trumpets, three trombones, bass tuba, a set of three kettledrums, antique cymbals, tom-tom, harp, piano and strings, giving wonderful diversity of color effects, which none but a musical genius could construct. Gebhard states that Loeffler once said of his songs, many of which he has also written: "I ought to call my vocal compositions piano pieces with voice obbligato, instead of songs." His originality in all of his compositions is felt and appreciated. Gebhard's intuitive insight can give expression—voice the meaning of Loeffler as no one else has been able to do.
40Heinrich Gebhard's brilliant playing in the ensemble and solo parts for piano in the "Poem" received admiration on every hand. The Boston press was eloquent in its praise. Here follow some notes of Gebhard's work. Concerning the November production of the "Pagan Poem":
42Mr. Gebhard played the difficult piano part in a masterly manner, masterly in all respects. His tone was of beautiful quality; his bravura was clear and polished, his grasp of his duties in ensemble was firm and his musical conception was one of true imagination.—Philip Hale in Boston Herald.
44It is a very intricate piano part that Mr. Loeffler has written here, and very much depended upon its poetic performance. Mr. Gebhard was certainly very successful in its interpretation, and he was applauded to the echo and deserved his recalls.—Louis Elson in Boston Advertiser.
46Not less brilliant than the piece itself was the performance by Heinrich Gebhard, the pianist, and the orchestra. Dr. Muck and Mr. Gebhard threw all their spirit and energy into the performance, and, so to speak, burnished the brilliancy. Mr. Gebhard was recalled many times.—Boston Journal.
48Mr. Gebhard, who played the long piano part, is to be commended for an admirable performance.—Boston Globe.
50The productions of March 13 and 14, 1908:
52Mr. Loeffler's "Pagan Poem," suggested by certain verses in the Eighth Eclogue of Virgil, was performed here for the first time last November, and Heinrich Gebhard was the pianist, as he was last evening. Indeed, it is almost impossible to think of a performance of the work without Mr. Gebhard's assistance in the ensemble. No one will ever play the piano part with greater comprehension of the composer's intentions or with keener sympathy. The performance last night was one of great brilliance and superb sonority.—Boston Herald.
54The "Pagan Poem" was finely played. The orchestra was in good form; the trumpets gave their triumphant fanfares with spirit; the English horn was very impressive in its obligato, and Gebhard was perfection. Mr. Gebhard, in this work, proves what a thorough artist he is. It is far more difficult to weave such a thread of piano work into the warp and woof of such a free composition than it would be to play almost any concerto. Mr. Gebhard achieved this with technical surety and poetic instinct.—Boston Advertiser.
56Mr. Loeffler's "Poem" did not suffer by proximity to the larger work. The work is worthy to be repeated, and another hearing shows that it is a good, solid composition, interesting, scholarly in ideas and its handling. The performance was brilliant in every way, and Mr. Gebhard, pianist, repeated his excellent work at the piano.—Boston Globe.
58Mr. Loeffler's "Pagan Poem" has been rapturously hailed as his greatest composition; his most mature and human achievement. The performance was an exceptionally brilliant one. Mr. Gebhard, unsurpassed as an ensemble artist, excelled, as he did at the first performance.—Boston Post.
60W. B. H.
62Bauer and Kreisler Play for Orchestra.
64The subjoined article from the Portland Morning Oregonian of March 19, 1908, tells its own story of a Far Western incident, in which Harold Bauer, the pianist, and Fritz Kreisler, the violinist, performed a graceful and manly act:
66After all, it is the human side of a great artist that is the most wonderful thing in the world. It is the great heart of the man throbbing through his music, from violin or piano, that tells the whole story. Genius, artistry, the masterful brain of the musician are apparent in his work—he knows who listens—but the personal man-to-man side, even though it sometimes surges through his music and touches the responsive chord in some auditor, is more or less to be conjectured.
68It will be a delight to the music lovers who were so enthusiastic over the playing of Bauer and Kreisler Tuesday night to know that the two great artists are really great men. Their hearts are as full of feeling and as simple and sincere as their souls are full of music. The big public, keen and critical of the world's great men and women, has always a curiosity as to their real natures; what they eat and what they wear, their before breakfast dispositions, as it were. To them the incident, of which this is the simple story, will be worth the knowing.
70After the concert Mr. Bauer and Mr. and Mrs. Kreisler, with others, were the guests of H. W. Hogue at supper at the Nortonia Grill. So many friends and admirers of the two artists had come back on the stage after the concert to greet them that it was late when the party sat down, and before supper was over the hotel orchestra stopped playing and seated themselves at one end of the grill to have a bite to eat. Kreisler and Bauer had listened quietly to their playing and had applauded generously, and when the suggestion was made that the orchestra play an additional request number, both artists objected.
72"They are tired," objected Bauer.
74"They too, have worked hard all evening, and are hungry, as we," put in Kreisler, and both men gazed thoughtfully across the room at the other tired musicians, who, naturally, had hardly taken their eyes off the two men ever since their entrance. Then the spark that lights the world and leads humanity onward kindled simultaneously in each artist's heart and flashed to their lips.
76"They have played for us while we did eat," they both spoke at once; "now we two will play for them," and straightway they left the table and crossed the room. Bauer seated himself at the piano and Kreisler picked up the violin.
78The "Kreutzer Sonata," played by both at the concert, was magnificently done, but it is doubtful if it touched the hearts as did the music of the next hour. Bits of this, parts of that, soul stirring snatches of music surged forth, and the hotel musicians, one by one, left their table and drew nearer and nearer, and drank it all in breathlessly. It was not the condescension of the artist on the height to the one in the valley; there was nothing of the attitude of teacher and pupil; it was man to man, giving generously and greatly for the simple enjoyment of a fellow creature.
80Kreisler and Bauer have both played wonderfully, but the quiet listeners, touched and fascinated by the rippling stream of noble melody, will never hear them outdo the glorious work of that great hour. On and on they played, softly, sensitively, gorgeously, until the sheer delight of it all was almost too much. Then suddenly they stopped and, turning to the eager musicians, they threw out their hands in a simple gesture that seemed to imply, "Brothers, we have given you of our best."
82And so, artists may come and artists may go, but these two will not soon be forgotten.
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