Title: Musicians of To-Day

original released 1915

Author: Romain Rolland

Commentator: Claude Landi

Translator: Mary Blaiklock

e-book release date: August 7, 2005

 

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

BERLIOZ

WAGNER:

"Siegfried"

"Tristan"

CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS

VINCENT D'INDY

RICHARD STRAUSS

HUGO WOLF

DON LORENZO

PEROSI FRENCH AND GERMAN MUSIC

CLAUDE DEBUSSY:

"Pelléas et Mélisande"

THE AWAKENING:

A SKETCH OF THE MUSICAL MOVEMENT IN PARIS SINCE 1870

Paris and Music Musical Institutions before 1870

New Musical Institutions

The Present Condition of French Music

 

Chapters:

The Classical misunderstanding Berlioz is the most illusive of men Then contrast Berlioz with Wagner He had a deep voice a youth who lives in dreams Berlioz's passion was at once rekindled Mme. Berlioz destined to unhappiness three thousand francs this material misery symphonies with scorn He presented himself three times captain of a merchant vessel laugh with your old words threshold of death Conquerors of the world unhappy and irresolute heart a man in a frenzy Berlioz's genius mournful destiny first to be astonished his devilish cleverness sense of pure beauty expressing tragic melancholy Italian and German influence Beethoven's words express action without the help of speech and gesture a wonderful isle freedom of melody Berlioz's harmonies for two orchestras and a choir magnificent roads for Art Wagner's music Sunday concerts decadent side in Wagner Revolution of 1848 The opera public the amusing account Tolstoy gave Tolstoy's rough banter Rameau's operas dramatic in the Tetralogy for joy is there towers like a mountain imperfections of Wagner's dramas touches me most deeply becoming a classic M. Saint-Saëns in art Camille Saint-Saëns stands for the French classical spirit absolute fearlessness of his judgments discernment and undeniable ability Liszt was also a lover of freedom M. Saint-Saëns' work criticism is useless faith in God and faith in his art mediaeval spirit the old Gothic spirit Franck's fine moral nature quality of M. d'Indy's mind symphonic introduction certain nobility The boats put hurriedly back to land his nature is too dignified sketchy portrait The popular art M. d'Indy will be associated in history Heldenleben Nietzsche dreamed The Wanderers Sturmlied Strauss has directed Wagner's dramas the princes celebrate symphonic poem material for musical expression Strauss had a programme Strauss's music as a whole Strauss's subjects unbounded faith in the power trials and disappointments Windischgratz in Styria Wagner came to Vienna in 1875 Wolf and Wagner Brahms read Wolf's articles Lieder on poems of Goethe Wolf's genius flowed again the piano score of Corregidor He worked furiously Wolf was taken to an asylum at Vienna Wagnerian forms Eduard Mörike Wolf's genius here approached a classic clearness of form his genius was recognised the sweet music of Italy descriptive mass Perosi's dramatic genius Josquin and Roland Alsace-Lorraine Perfect eclecticism conducted by Gustav Mahler annoyed M. Chevillard conditions of the combat Gustave Charpentier's German artists are gradually losing the power Kalischt in Bohemia Man lies in greatest misery conducted at Strasburg complete contrast to Mahler a man, a woman, and a child Strauss and Mahler menaces music in Germany Pelléas et Mélisande specially French character opposed to the Bayreuth ideal Lully and Rameau Debussy's art only attempts need of the French spirit forty years of active complex and unstable musical weakness complete upheaval Wagner's success the last thirty years corner stone of the edifice influence of the Conservatoire the enormous stage at the Opera French music had already in the Opera new generation Salle Pleyel French music has been derived The Grand Symphony Concert the keenest musical passion The Lamoureux concerts Lamoureux's performances improvement of Parisian orchestras The Schola Cantorum César Franck's genius Henri Duparc Alexis de Castillon Vincent d'Indy The influence of Franck music a la Palestrina M. d'Indy School exercises by its teaching marvellous activity symphony concerts sonatas trios and quartettes Musical Learning and the University International Congress of Music Music and the People Universites Populaires M. Bourgault-Ducoudray Poeme de la Vie humaine M. Buchor's endeavours M. Saint Saëns and M. Bourgault Ducoudray PRESENT CONDITION OF FRENCH MUSIC M. Claude Debussy spirit of Debussy lberic Magnard

 

INTRODUCTION by Romain Rolland

It is perhaps fitting that the series of volumes comprising The Musician's Bookshelf should be inaugurated by the present collection of essays. To the majority of English readers the name of that strange and forceful personality, Romain Rolland, is known only through his magnificent, intimate record of an artist's life and aspirations, embracing ten volumes, Jean-Christophe. This is not the place in which to discuss that masterpiece. A few biographical facts concerning the author may not, however, be out of place here.

Romain Rolland is forty-eight years old. He was born on January 29, 1866, at Clamecy (Nièvre), France. He came very early under the influence of Tolstoy and Wagner and displayed a remarkable critical faculty. In 1895 (at the age of twenty-nine) we find him awarded the coveted Grand Prix of the Académie Française for his work Histoire de l'Opéra en Europe avant Lulli et Scarlatti, and in the same year he sustained, before the faculty of the Sorbonne--where he now occupies the chair of musical criticism--a remarkable dissertation on The Origin of the Modern Lyrical Drama--his thesis for the Doctorate. This, in reality, is a vehement protest against the indifference for the Art of Music which, up to that time, had always been displayed by the University. In 1903 he published a remarkable Life of Beethoven, followed by a Life of Hugo Wolf in 1905. The present volume, together with its companion, Musiciens d'Autrefois, appeared in 1908. Both form remarkable essays and reveal a consummate and most intimate knowledge of the life and works of our great contemporaries. A just estimate of a composer's work is not to be arrived at without a study of his works and of the conditions under which these were produced. To take, for instance, the case of but one of the composers treated in this volume, Hector Berlioz. No composer has been so misunderstood, so vilified as he, simply because those who have written about him, either wilfully or through ignorance, have grossly misrepresented him.

The essay on Berlioz, in the present volume, reveals a true insight into the personality of this unfortunate and great artist, and removes any false misconceptions which unsympathetic and superficial handling may have engendered. Indeed, the same introspective faculty is displayed in all the other essays which form this volume, which, it is believed, will prove of the greatest value not only to the professional student, but also to the intelligent listener, for whom the present series of volumes has been primarily planned. We hear much, nowadays, of the value of "Musical Appreciation." It is high time that something was done to educate our audiences and to dispel the hitherto prevalent fallacy that Music need not be regarded seriously. We do not want more creative artists, more executants; the world is full of them--good, bad and indifferent--but we do want more intelligent listeners.

I do not think it is an exaggeration to assert that the majority of listeners at a high-class concert or recital are absolutely bored. How can it be otherwise, when the composers represented are mere names to them? Why should the general public appreciate a Bach fugue, an intricate symphony or a piece of chamber-music? Do we professional musicians appreciate the technique of a wonderful piece of sculpture, of an equally wonderful feat of engineering or even of a miraculous surgical operation? It may be argued that an analogy between sculpture, engineering, surgery and music is absurd, because the three former do not appeal to the masses in the same manner as music does. Precisely: it is because of this universal appeal on the part of music that the public should be educated to listen to good music; that they should be given, in a general way, a chance to acquaint themselves with the laws underlying the "Beautiful in Music" and should be shown the demands which a right appreciation of the Art makes upon the Intellect and the Emotions.

And, surely, such a "desideratum" may best be effected by a careful perusal of the manuals to be included in the present series. It is incontestable that the reader of the following pages--apart from a knowledge of the various musical forms, of orchestration, etc.--all of which will be duly treated in successive volumes--will be in a better position to appreciate the works of the several composers to which he may be privileged to listen. The last essay, especially, will be read with interest to-day, when we may hope to look forward to a cessation of race-hatred and distrust, and to what a writer in the Musical Times (September, 1914) has called, "a new sense of the emotional solidarity of mankind. From that sense alone," he adds, "can the real music of the future be born."

CLAUDE LANDI.

 

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