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The Music Story Series

Edited by

FREDERICK

J.

CROWEST.

The
Story of Symphony

^be

"/nbuslc Stovs" Secies.

3/6 net per

Volume.
in (his

Already published

Stries.
Patterson, B.A.,
C.
F.

THE STORY OF ORATORIO.

Mus. Doc.

A.

With

Illustrations.

STORY

OF

NOTATION.

Abdy Abdv

Williams, M.A., Mus. Bac.

,

With
With

Illustrations.

STORY OF THE ORGAN.

Williams, M.A., Mus. Bac.

C.

F.

Illustrations.

,,

STORY OF CHAMBER MUSIC.

Mus. Doc.

N. Kileurn,

With

Illustrations.

,,

STORY OF THE VIOLIN.

With
Illustrations.

Paul Stoeving.

,,

STORY OF THE HARP.

Flood, Mus. Doc.

W. H. Grattan
C.
F.

With

Illustrations.

,,

STORY OF ORGAN MUSIC.

Williams, M.A., Mus. Bac.

Abdy

With

Illustrations.

,,

,,

STORY OF ENGLISH MUSIC (1604-1904)MUSICIANS' COMPANY LECTURES. STORY OF MINSTRELSY. Edmondstoune

Duncan.
With
Illustrations.

,,

STORY OF MUSICAL FORM.

Lucas.

Clarence
M.A.,

With

Illustrations.

,,

STORY OF OPERA.
Mus. Doc.

E.

Maekham Lee,

With With

Illustrations.

,,

STORY OF THE CAROL.

Duncan.
Illustrations.

Edmondstoune
H.

STORY OF THE BAGPIPE. W.

Flood, Mus. Doc. With

Grattan

Illustrations.

,,

STORY OF THE FLUTE.

Fitzgibbon, M.A.

H.

Macaulay

With
in

Illustrations.

Other Volumes

Preparation.

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may

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rights reserved.]

*:^!t.sl^i>

iO

!2SS
L\ I

Preface.
No
book, so far as
I

have been able

one work

to

discover,

exists in the English

language on the History of the

in

Symphony.
This
is

There

is

French, Brenet's

Histoire de la Symphonie a Orchestre (see Bibliography).

not well

known

in

this

country;

it

has few

actual musical quotations, deals

early French composers,

more

especially with

Weingartner's
carries

and ends with Beethoven. Symphony Writers since Beethoven

on the story up to recent times, but more

is

prominence
than to the

given in this to German compositions

if

equally,

not

more,

important works

of the Russian

and other schools.

to a

The nearest approach

subject
is

complete work on the

article in

Sir

Hubert Parry's masterly

treats

Grove's

Dictionary^ which
of the
this,

exhaustively of the history

again,

symphony up to the time of Brahms. But in more modern composers obtain but slight
V

consideration.


Story of
The present book
reader
all
is

Symphony
in

an attempt to put before the

the

that

is

important
earliest

story

of

the

symphony, from the

the present day.
briefly, but,
I

examples of the form to

Its rise

and development are traced

hope, as adequately as the limits of the

book

allow.

Many

musical quotations are given, not

only from the older, but also from the more recent

composers, and a (necessarily) short account of the

works of present-day writers

tively

is

included.

Some comment may be aroused by

Beethoven, seeing that
subject already exists.

the compara-

extended analysis given to the symphonies of

so

much

literature

on

the

The following
connection:

considerations

have influenced

me

in this

(a)

The books
in

of this series are intended primarily

it

for amateurs, although

is

hoped that much

them may be of use also to the more serious The ordinary amateur is more likely to hear a symphony of Beethoven I am not speaking of London or of the great provincial centres than one by any other composer. The books on the subject (Grove's Beethoven and his Nine Syt7ipho?ties., etc.) are not posstudent.

sessed by the majority of amateurs; moreover,

they contain

much
vi

that the ordinary concert-

Preface
goer need not

know

for

full

enjoyment

of

their performance.
(b)

The

analytical

programme, on which the amateur

it

often relies, cannot usually be studied before-

hand
Spite of

nor does

always contain

extracts

from the actual music.

(c)

all

modern changes of
of
all

taste

and custom,
remain
;

the

symphonies

Beethoven

the

most important of
still

symphonies

they are

most perfect in form, the most beautiful and dignified in texture, and the very finest examples of what
acknowledged as the
a symphony should be.
(d)

The

lover

of

the

Beethoven.

symphony mus^ know This book will give him,

his
in

succinct form, a fairly complete

account of
in addition

Beethoven's work in this direction,

to

some information as to the works of other composers and this at a considerably less cost than the books which deal with the symphonies of the Bonn master alone.
;

In

Appendix

names of those to omit. who have composed symphonies would in itself constitute a good-sized volume It is hoped, however,
what
catalogue of the
vii

A the A mere

difificulty

has been

to

decide

Story of
that no

Symphony
either historical sig-nificance,

name which has

is

or musical importance, so far as

the development of

symphony

concerned, has been omitted.

My

thanks are due to Dr. Spooner-Lilling-ston and

other friends for help in revising the proof-sheets and

for suggestions.

E.

MARKHAM

LEE.

Woodford Green,
1916.

vni

Contents.

CHAPTER
WHAT
Vafious
uses

I.

IS

A SYMPHONY

Ritornello An old instrument Derivation use as an interlude Overture The presentday meaning of the word Offshoots of symphony
of
the

PAGE

term

Its

CHAPTER
Evolution

H.

EMBRYO FORMS OF SYMPHONY.

development Early use of the term An example Use in Church Music As an interlude in song An operatic Prelude by Monteverde The Overture of Lully That of A. Scarlatti Gluck The symphony as an independent form
interesting

Rapid

CHAPTER
Suite and Sonata

HI.

EARLIEST SYMPHONIES.

Decay of dance forms Importance of stringed instruments Bach and Handel Stamitz Other early masters Early programme works Dittersdorf Orchestras of the day Establishment of form Modern programmes have no
room
for these

symphonies

16

ix

Story of

Symphony
IV.

CHAPTER
The modern symphony

BIRTH OF THE MODERN SYMPHONY.

PAGE

C. P. E. Bach His methods Use of wind instruments His modulatory device Haydn Opportunities at Esterhaz Le Midi Early and late examples "Salomon" Symphonies "Father" of symphony Reasons
comparative neglect of Haydn's symphonies
-

for

24

CHAPTER
MOZART.

V.

The symphony becomes a serious matter Mozart "Parisian" symphony Three great symphonies: " E flat," "G minor,"

"Jupiter"

34

CHAPTER

VI.

BEETHOVEN: HIS FIRST FIVE SYMPHONIES.

supreme master Why is Beethoven supreme? Beethoven "thinks" in the medium of the orchestra Different methods Earlier works The first to those of Haydn and Mozart

symphony Use of the drum Symphony in D A great finale The "Eroica" Reasons for its title A new line of thought A familiar theme Humour in the first movement The funeral march A real "Scherzo" The variation finale Fourth Symphony The slow introduction The first allegro A long love-song A new procedure The great "C minor" The blow of fate A beautiful slow movement

A note of mystery A joyous finish

X

 A
Contents
CHAPTER
VII.

BEETHOVEN: LAST FOUR SYMPHONIES.

Schopenhauer on Beethoven's symphonies A "titled" work Beethoven's views on titles Headings of the movements A picture of nature The slow movement Realism village band The storm Thanksgiving Symphony in A Early criticisms The opening introduction " The apotheosis of the dance" A solemn, slow movement A characteristic

PAGE

"little" symphony Light Small orchestra employed A straightforward movement An airy allegretto A return to the minuet Originality in the finale The Choral Symphony Incongruous elements Beethoven's doubts Greatness of the whole First performance The allegro Its themes The second movement The adagio The curious

scherzo

The

Bucolic finale

ness of

mood A poor

reception

"connecting link"

Turkish

music

-72

CHAPTER
The

VIII.

romantics: weber, spohr, and schubert.

finished"

Romance school Weber Spohr Schubert The "Un- Il6 Symphony The "glorious C major"

CHAPTER

IX.

romantics: Mendelssohn, Schumann, raff,

rubinstein.
Mendelssohn "Reformation" Symphony " Italian" Symphony "Scotch" Symphony " Hymn of Praise" Schumann "Spring" Symphony A new departure C major late start Symphony " Rhenish " Symphony Raff Rubinstein

Gade

124

xi

Story of

Symphony
X.

CHAPTER
Programme symphony

PROGRAMME SYMPHONISTS.
PAGE

L'Ide'e

Berlioz Episode de la vie d'un Artiste Fixe Harold en Italic Liszt Other programme

symphonists

-.--...
CHAPTER
BRAHMS.
XI.

132

period

Brahms A new birth Brahms' orminor Symphony D major Symphony major Symphony E minor Symphony Brahms' influence - 13S
of

exhaustion

chestration

CHAPTER
BRITISH

XII.

SYMPHONY COMPOSERS FROM BENNETT TO

ELGAR.

British vocal music

symphonists

Church music The late start of English Bennett Bennett's followers Parry Stanford Cowen Elgar Younger composers
-

145

CHAPTER
New
Russian

XIII.

RUSSIAN SCHOOL.
composers Tchaikovsky His early symphonies minor Symphony The E minor Symphony The " Pathetic" Symphony A false comparison Rimsky-Korsa koff Glazounoff Other Russians Finns and Poles 152

xii


Contents
CHAPTER
XIV.
PAGE

MODERN SYMPHONY COMPOSERS.

Smetana

Dvorak Saint-Saens Cesar Franck Scandinavian Germany Bruckner Mahler Sgamcomposers Modern bati American composers Modern orchestras
-

i6o

CHAPTER XV.
SYMPHONIC, OR TONE POEM.

definition

Liszt
Strauss

How

it

and Berlioz

.......
differs

from a symphony
followers

Means

employed
167

Their

Russian

composers

CHAPTER
Is there a future

XVI.

FUTURE OF THE SYMPHONY.

? Wagner's views These views criticized An imaginary picture What we should miss The symphonic

poem Its

appeal What of the future? An answer

CHAPTER
XVII.

-171

CURIOSITIES AND EXPERIMENTS IN SYMPHONY.

Haydn The "Farewell" Symphony

Voices as symphonic forces

"Unfinished" Spohr The "Earthly and the Divine" "Historic" Symphony " Le Desert" Other Experiments

Beethoven's "Choral" " Battle " Symphony Schubert's

-

Conclusion

-179

xiii

Story of
Appbnuix
a.

Symphony
HAL.t

Chronological
posers of

List of the
-

more important Com

Symphonies

Glossary of Terms C. Lists of Instruments

B.
different periods

employed

.... ....
-

191

222

in

Symphonies of
227

D.

List of entitled

Symphonies, grouped under

Alphabetical List of Composers'

Names
-

230
235

E. Bibliography
Lndex

..---.--

237

List of Illustrations.

"

Harmony "

Photogravure from Painting by

Frank Dicksee, R.A.

TSCHAIKOVSKY

.....
-

Frontispiece

Face yi

Beethoven's Note-book Extracts

48

Beethoven's Shorthand Notes Beethoven's Constitutional

Brahms

......
-

...
-

49
60

Face 72
112
156

Dvorak

N. A. RiMSKY- Korsakoff

"Surprise" Symphony

"Farewell"

.....
-

180
181

Story

of Symphony.

CHAPTER
WHAT
Various uses of the term
IS

I.

SYMPHONY

To

Its use as

an interlude

Ritornello An old Overture The

instrument

Derivation

present-day meaning of

the word

Offshoots of symphony.

mind the word Symphony conveys its uses are, and have been, so various that the amateur may be pardoned
the ordinary lay

nothing very definite

if

he hesitates as to a definition of the term.

the

Term

In different periods of the Art of

title

Music the

Symphony has been appHed

(a)
(b)
(c)

to

An

Ancient Instrument.
in

A Term

Harmony.

(d)
(e)

An Overture (generally to an Opera). An Interlude in a vocal piece.

The introduction to a Song. A work in Sonata Form for
I

(/)

the Orchestra.
I

Story of
The term "Symphony"

Symphony
is still

to

some extent

in

use

as defining the introductory bars to the accompaniment of a song, any considerable passages of accompaniment during which the voice is
orneilo
silent, or

even the
older

,.

final

bars after the voice

for
this

has
*'

finished.

The

expression

was

Ritornello," but this

word has other meanings, and

its

has an un-English sound which prevents

adoption
in this country.

general

The

old term

"Symphony,"
tends to cling
It

therefore, for

want

of a better

name,

still

to these fragments of instrumental accompaniment.

would be
call

less mystifying, perhaps,

if

we

could agree to

such fragments "Interludes;"

but custom dies

hard, and in spite of the confusion

sometimes

en-

gendered by the employment of this name, we must note its use, and remember that in modern days the word Symphony really implies something on a much
vaster scale.

With regard

may

to some of the other uses of the term it be noted that the old instrument, the " Organ-

istrum,"

v^ras

known

in

France
ti

as

the

Rubelle, Rebel, Symphonie, and Chifonie.

Instrument

According to the historian Praetonus,

this

was a kind of peasant's

left

lyre,

played with a crank, the

hand manipulating the keys. As both the instrument, and the term for it, have long been obsolete, we
2

Derivation of
!

Term
having^ paid

may

leave this definition of

its

Symphony,

deference to

historical existence.^

When we think of the derivation of the word "Symphony" from the Greek, in which Sum (crvix) stood for "with" and Phone (^wvt^) for "sound," we can understand its use as a
term

-T

Harmony,
in

1-

its literal

"agreeing

sound."

meaning beingThus the term

Ancient music
" this

vation

became
being

synonymous with "concord."

(theoretically) almost
all

concordant,
;

a musician was

sometimes called " Sumphonos

is

use of the word

also obsolete.

As applied
were
silent

to intrumental music,
for a
itself,

whenever the voices

orchestra

time,

and the

played

fragments by
of Peri (1600)
^

we

find

musicians from the time

little

onward

calling such

bits

" Sym-

Batman, who edited

in 1582 Trevisa's English translation of the

Franciscan Friar Bartholomseus'

his

De
of

Proprietatibus
this

Rerum, adds on
is

own account

description

instrument which

not

uninteresting.

De Symphonia.
The Symphonye
holowe
is

an instrument of mufyke, and

is

made

of an
it

tree, clofyd in lether in eyther fyde,

;

and mynftralles betyth

wyth ftyches

and by accorde of hyghe and lowe thereof comyth

Nevertheleffe the accorde of
all

full

fwete notes, as Ifyder fayth.

fownes

hyghte Symphonia,

is

lykewife as the accorde of dyverfe voys hyghte

Chorus, as the Gloc. fayth fuper Luc.

Story of
phonies."
that the

Symphony

Even at these early dates we must notice word was generally applied to passages for
instruments alone

Use

as

....important this
is

{i.e.,

without voices), and

bearing
historically

as

...

upon the greater form of Symphony which the Classic Composers were presently to evolve. It was, of course, not a vast step from the employ-

ment of the orchestra by

use for
Overture
to

itself for

a bar or two, to

its

a whole series of bars, and eventually

a whole

movement

in

which the voices

Thus in Opera, when the had no part whatever. desirability of having a complete little movement
played by the band before the raising of the curtain was
realised,

a short

often receiving the

ture:" a very

"Symphony" was composed, this more appropriate name of "Overcommon name also for this introductory

movement was " Sinfonia avanti I'Opera." So long as these movements were confined to the theatre their nomenclature was somewhat unimportant, but when they were performed separately in the concert room (which soon became the fashion), the dignity of the music was greatly increased, and composers began to lavish more care upon their construction: the words " avanti
I'Opera,"

being absurd

in

the

concert

room,

were

dropped,
retained.

and

the

first

word "Sinfonia" only was

4

What
Thus
in several

Symphony
vogue
the

Is
as

came
it

into

"Symphony"

we understand

to-day

a
(b)

work
,

for Orchestra alone,

movements (generally movements bemgf m a more or

...
(a)

four), these

less stereo,
.

Meaning
of the
,
,

typed order of

quick,

slow,

(c) lively,

<

and

(d)

quick,

and being individually de-

signed, in different species of

"Form,"

or constructive

what the musician understands by the term "Symphony" this and much more. For the
shape.

This

is

Symphony has been

the goal of almost every ambitious

composer ever since the days of Haydn; and of all their glorious thoughts, the great masters have usually kept
the best for their Symphonies.
to the

Thus

the term brings

of the rarest
it

mind of the music-lover thoughts

all

and most precious of

his possessions

conveys to

him a sense of all the most exquisite and wondrouslywrought legacies of the great ones of Music it means
:

to

him perfection of workmanship, both

in design,

in

melody,

in

harmony,
to

and

in orchestration, for the period

which any given work belongs. The symphonies in his library are to him as the " Hundred Best Books " to
the book-lover
for a
:

treasures not to be lightly dipped into

is

few minutes when the mind

tired

and needs
to

relaxation, but to be

approached with reverence, to be

all,

read again and again, to be studied, and above

be loved.
5

Story of
much from
:

Symphony
of

There are certainly many offshoots

which
differ

symphony
laid

the

definition

down

above

these will be considered in another

chapter.
<,

some

as

The term, too, is still used by dennmg the mtroduction to a song",

little

or such

ritornelli for the orchestra as

occur, for instance, in the "

Amen

"

chorus of Handel's
in
still

Messiah.

There

is

perhaps no great harm

calling these things symphonies, so long as

we
the

under-

stand what a symphony really

is

henceforth in this
only

book

the

word

will

usually

mean
its
:

great

symphony

for the orchestra,

and

minor uses must be

our purpose
is

confined to this chapter and the next

deal with the

to

symphony

as an art
it.

form, and with

allied

forms which have sfrown out of

CHAPTER

II.

EMBRYO FORMS OF SYMPHONY.

Evolution Rapid development
ing

Early use of the term An interestAs an interlude in song An operatic Prelude by Monteverde The Overture of Lully That of A. Scarlatti Gluck The symphony as an independeot
example Use
in

Church Music

form.

Nothing

is

of greater interest to the historian than the of

gradual evolution of macrocosm from microcosm,

great forms from diminutive ones, of mighty

and fully-developed creations from tiny and

fragmentary beginnings.

Evolution

phony are
into

fascinating

as

The embryo forms of symshowing the grains of

its

mustard-seed, the successors of which were to expand

mighty trees

the diminutive seed can be seen,

its

growth can be watched,

the ripeness of age can

majesty and splendour in

be enjoyed,

and

its

possible

withering and decaj can be commented upon.

It is

amazing

to think of the short

period in

the

history of musical art that elapsed between the perfec7

Story of
tion of Beethoven's

Symphony

"Eroica" Symphony and the unOnly a couple

balanced and scrappy fragments called "symphonies"

by Peri and his followers.

Dcvclopyears were the
the

of hundred years separate them, but those

vigorous youthful ones of

in

musical

art,

which

many

of

our

modern saplings shot upwards with wondrous strength and vigour.

There
is

some

difficulty

in

first

tracing the

word

symphony
Early use
of the
,
.

in its application to

a separate fragment of
^

instrumental music.

the term " Ritornello "

As before mentioned, was almost always

,

Y
the
early

employed
Venetian

by

the

earlier

composers
in the

for

passages of this kind, and

dramatic
Carissimi)

works of
(such
as

composers
the term

Cavalli,

Cesti,

and

Ritornello,

or

its

abbreviations,
It is

" Ritor," " Rit," make frequent

appearance.

very interesting to note, however,

Peri's Exiridice,

that in one of the earliest of operas,

dating from 1600,

^

there

is

little

melody

for

three

A collection
in

of pieces for 4, 5, and 6 voices, by Waelrant, appeared

title

at

Antwerp
uses

15S5 with the

the

"Symphonia Angelica," and

Sacros" for

in 1629
for

Schiitz

term

" Symphonies

compositions
in his

voices and instruments.

Purcell wrote a
in the

symphony

" Laudate

Ceciliam" (1683), and

introduction.

Ode

of 1692 he includes a six-movement

Peri's
flutes

"

Zinfonia

"

which

is

called

**

although afterwards
This

it is

Zinfonia" on its first occurrence, called " Ritornello."

may
is

not have been the earliest use of the name,

but

it

certainly a very early one,

and the music

is

here quoted as characteristic of the kind

of passage to which the term "

Symphony"

Interesting

Example

was

first

applied.
Peri.

Zinfonia. (Three Flutes.)

Symphonies of
ployed
writers

this interludial

character were em-

not only by opera

of
oratorio,

composers,
as

but also
del

by

such

Emilio

and Carissimi, and indeed by almost every composer of concerted vocal music. They were frequent in English
Cavalieri

Use in Church Music

church

music

of

the

time

of

Charles
for

"commanded such as composed

>

the

II., who ChapeP to

I.e.,

The Chapel Royal.

Story of
make
also

Symphony
to

Symphonies and Ritornellos

in the

many

of the

anthems
did

in use,

which were performed by a band of

Organ-Loft."

instruments placed

Such popularity

these instrumental interpolations gain that they

became frequent everywhere, and were a common feature Even after the of music both at home and abroad. orchestras had disappeared from church galleries the passages were still introduced but the name " Ritornello" was now dropped, and they were marked
;

*'

organ "or "sym."

An

illustration

from one of our

church composers of this period, Dr. Boyce, illustrates

this very simple device.

From

the

Anthem "The

Heavetis Declare".'
^
1

(sym.i

(Voices.)

DT W. Boyce J
I

He -w-eigheth. He wTlgheth Vhe waters by measure

as the

The word "Symphony" now commonly appeared title for introductions to many songs and extracts.
In almost every one of the older editions of

Interlude
in

songs by Handel, as well as

other

in collections of

Song
songs,

any

instrumental
is

portion,

whether introductory or otherwise,

indicated

"Sym."

Now

and then, however, as

lO

in

the Beggar's Opcra^ the

"
term " Vir

For the

Virginals

"

" (Virginals) is inserted, to

show what

the

accompanying- instrument

may

be.
is

An

interesting

feature of the following extract

the printing of the

is

instrumental portion on the same music stave as

allotted to the voice.

This was usually done to save

space and the expense of qjusic printing.

Air

XXXI from
(.Voice.)

the "Beggar's Opera'.'

Pepusch.

.^

.^

Vir.

Although instructive as indicating the growing use

of the
*'

title,

we must
:"

not linger upon these very scrappy

symphonies

the

preliminary movements

to

the

operas by such composers as Lully and Alessandro

Scarlatti

were growing

in

importance and
This form of
;

in

their

general shape and design.

Symphony

care

was now attracting much attention and considerable was often expended upon its construction. The plan of preceding an opera by a short, separate instrumental movement was practised from Operatic 4.U J f J the very early days of modern music. ^ ^ ^ Prelude by Peri's Euridice (1600) had a vocal pre- lyr <

lude, although

we have

seen that a tiny

*'Zinfonia" occurs elsewhere in the opera.

II

Monte-

Story of

Symphony
not called
'

verde's Orfeo (1607) has, however, a complete instru-

mental prelude.

This
is

is

S3'mphony," but

"Toccata," and
times:
it

directed to be played through three

etc.,

is

scored for trumpets,

and

is

in the

nature of a mere fanfare.

Monteverde's "Toccata',' instrmnental prelude to"0rfe9:'

(1607)

irf--

^^y^^y^^^^^
iffl-r

\\

.nJJ

cijv
^1
it

11

'.

Lully's Overtures
No
fresh

development of importance occurs

until the

time of Lully (1633-1687),

who

very

much expanded
usually
,

the

instrumental preludes to his operas, giving-

such pieces the

title

Overture.
.

He
.

Overture
_

of LuIIy

.,

adopted the form of overture

in vv^hich there

was

a slow introduction, followed by a brilliant fugato

movement.

This developed gradually into the modern

the opera house

overture, as used both for

and the

concert room, and

its

influence

upon the symphony was

enormous.
Lully clung to the term "Overture," but his con-

temporary, Alessandro Scarlatti (1659-1725), uses the

word Zinfonia

as well.

That

to his opera,
in

II Prigio7iiero foriu7iaio,

^rodncQd

1698,

has three movements (Allegro, Grave, and Presto), and

is

quite a

little

symphony

in itself.

Scarlatti,

however,

actually wrote chestra,

called

separate works for the or-

symphonies, which
in

will
It

be
will

touched upon
that

our next chapter.

be seen

when

orchestral

preludes to operas were

being

written in two or three contrasted sections, the

modern

form of symphony was being very rapidly approached. With the advent of Gluck's later works, and the
characterization in the overture of the actual subject-

matter

of the

opera

that

was

to

follow,

overtures

became more

distinct

from symphonies, and the two

Story of
classes

Symphony

works were meant for different audiences, and the private music-room of noble or patron more rarely, too, of course, for general
of
the

theatre audience
;

public performance.

At

first

only those symphonies from operas

were

played separately which had proved themselves most

interesting and attractive to the audiences

Symphony

and then men

to

took

to

writmg separate
to for their

works which had nothing

value and beauty.

do with stage performances,

and which were meant to be listened

by the progress now taking place
composition;

own

Such a procedure was

in the

facilitated

technique of

men were

finding themselves, as the result

of constant experiment, able to develop their

movements
to

more

perfectly

and consistently; they discovered how

of length,
tonality,

balance movements one against another, both from the

points
of

view

and character
in the

improvements

in the

mechanism and

playing of

various instruments enabled them both to enlarge their

orchestras and to emphasize the individuality of the

separate factors they contained.

All along the line

in

was

progress

advancement

in

form and design,

tech-

nique, and in wealth of ideas.

the birth of a

The days were ripe for new and mighty form of art-work, and
definite

thus such embryo forms emerged from indefiniteness

and uncertainty, and became

14

and

certain.

The

Experiments
symphony was no longer
just a

mere anything

in the

way
upon

of instrumental music, but a

work

of particular

design, based upon logical

lines

principles,

and developed
Experi-

which had proved their worthiness.

ment ceased
concerned
;

for a time, so far as general outline

was
were

improvements that were

effected

more

in the directions of texture

and of orchestration

than of architecture.

15

CHAPTER

III.

EARLIEST SYMPHONIES.
Suite and

instruments

Decay of dance forms Importance of stringed Bach and Handel Stamitz Other early masters Early programme works Dittersdorf Orchestras of the day Establishment of form Modern programmes have no room
Sonata
for

these symphonies.

In the early days of

allied

modern music

for the clavier

suite

and

keyboard instruments, two forms, the

and

Suite and

the sonata, were struofgling for supremacy. , l bemg- a much easier r The suite, l form in

Sonata

which to
a

write,

developed

its possibilities at

much

earlier period

than

opponent, the sonata.

of the latter
still

more complex and artificial Even after the safe launching

its

amongst recognized forms, composers suites. The chief difference between the two at first was the inclusion or omission of dance movements these were common and general in the
wrote many
;

suite,

and more rare

of

in the

sonata proper.
reflection
in

This difference found

orchestras
the

its

works
of

for

same

period.
i6

Many

the

old

Scarlatti
opera overtures, and symphonies before operas, contained dance

measures

but as composers perfected

the

themselves more fully

of symphonies, they sent to have omitted

in

construction

seem by general conall

dance movements.
of certain dance tunes, but

The
to

finale of

a symphony tended, in these early days,

lilt

have much of the

was mostly avoided. Hence there sprung a distinction between the symphony and other
the actual dance

forms, in which the advantage of dignity lay with the

former.

Alessandro Scarlatti,

much
busy

for

many forms

of music.

who was born in He was

1659,
active

did

and

in writing

both for the church, the opera-house,

and the orchestra.

stringed
capabilities

He gave
carefully,

very special attention to

their

instruments,

considering

most of
in

....

very

and
-

writing
Instruments

his important

passages for them.

state of

The imperfect and uncertain

his

wind instruments
which had

day accounts for

this

preference,

much influence upon the development of violin playing. His "Twelve Symphonies for small orchestra" were
produced
is

in 17 15,

and although the

style there
in

adopted

by no means advanced, or indeed which he employed

17

any way very

symphonies
2

different to that

in

(or

overtures), before his operas, these

works are

interest-

Story of
Ing, as they

Symphony
earliest of

must have been among'st the

this character written for the orchestra alone.

Bach and Handel wrote few symphonies as such,^ although both wrote overtures, suites, and concertos
in

which the
difference

same form was employed.

between the symphonies of

The
in the

Handel same direction, and even the earliest symphonies of such a composer as Haydn, is not in the number and style of movements, but in the way those movements are built up. Scarlatti and the great German
Scarlatti,

the works of Bach and

contrapuntists started with an idea, and presented that

idea practically throughout a movement, changing
its

key and sometimes

sionally a

its
is

manner

of presentation; occait,

new

idea

added to
from

but the prevalent

theme

is

utilized practically

start to finish.

The

real founders of

symphony saw
different

the desirability of using

and contrasting
and herein
lies

subjects with one another,

the point of cleavage between very

many

orchestral,

and indeed most instrumental, works

written before the time of

afterwards.

Haydn and

those written

There are, however, some contemporaries of Bach and Handel who show their knowledge of the value of
1

The

title,

"Symphony

in

F," occurs

for a

work published

in

vol.

xxxi. of the Bach-Gesellschaft.

i8

Stamitz
contrasted subjects.
J.

One

of the earliest of these

was

K. Stamitz (1717-57), a Mannheim concertmeister

before Haydn's

who wrote many symphonies

In the work began. some of these there is a
first

movement
and

of

Stamitz

definite

w'^^^-^""<"''^'^<"p^

gprnnd

c;nhjpr.t.

From

T9 3 of Six Symplroiiies
Stgs.

by'St&uta.

AWind.

lit Subject. 1st MoTcinent.

Stamitz wrote at least forty-five symphonies, some of

which have been reprinted.

followed in his
footsteps

His son Karl (1746-1801)

and wrote some

seventy

symphonies, which contain much excellence of form

and matter, but are overshadowed

Mozart
busily
in their

by Haydn
date
the

and

works of similar
their

date.

Amongst

other composers of this

who were
writing
of

developing

powers
19

in

Story of

Symphony

symphonies may be mentioned John Christian Bach (1735-82), Abel (1725-87), Galuppi (1706-85), Dittersdorf (1739-99), Schwindl (i7?-86), Wagenseil (1717-79),

Boccherini (1743-1805), Gossec (1734-1829).

It will

be noticed that although most of the abovealive

named composers were

all

when Haydn was

born,

save Gossec predeceased him by some years, during-

which years Haydn's powers developed very remarkably;

the symphonic

works

of

many

of these composers v/ere

extremely popular, as Burney's History witnesses.

particular,

In

the compositions of Dittersdorf attracted

great attention as having leanings in the direction of

programme-music, a phase of the

art

which was quite

new in his day. The symphonies

of Dittersdorf, indeed, claim

more

than a passing mention.

Dittersdorf

There had been some prein

cedent for entitled symphonies

^, "La Chasse
,,t
,,
, 1

Gossec's
\

(produced about 1770), and

11

the various hunting, battle, and peace symphonies of

such

men

as Leopold Mozart, Stamitz, and Wranitzky.

But Dittersdorf's aim was higher.

least twelve
titles

He composed

at

symphonies (somewhere about 1784) with of subjects taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses:

"The Four Ages of the World," "The Rescue of Andromeda," "Jason and the Golden Fleece," are examples of their names. The music of these works
20

\Photo by E. Biebcr {Berlin).

TSCHAIKOVSKY.

Early Orchestras
does not appeal to us of to-day,
later

who

are familiar with

pictorial

and more sensational representations of

But they are remarkable for their date, and although rather absolute music than programme music,
music.
as

we now understand

the term, they provide a wonder-

ful hint as to the directions into

which the symphony

the

was to follow subsequently. The orchestras employed by

tioned in this chapter
flutes<

composers men-

consisted

usually of strings,

oboes, horns, and sometimes bas soons.

There
ia=-

was. -jiDt

much attempt
The

at

contrasting groups of
the

alLumeats*-. probably

because
strings,

so unreliable.

wood-wind was therefore, had to play

throughout, and the oboes and flutes doubled the violin

parts from time to time, while the horns sustained the

harmonies.
/

In form there

was a general adherence

Stamitz,
Dittersdorf,

to the three-

movement
,

basis.

and others,

however, occasionally added a minuet and

.

trio to the

scheme, which thus became the

Form

same as
scherzo);
jof their
'arrived
tions

that employed by composers

{b)

of the classic
(c)

period: {a) allegro;

{d)
final

slow movement;

minuet (or

quick movement.

In the details

working much greater perfection was being at, more particularly in the balancing of the sec-

of a

movement.

The double bar during

21

the

Story of
first

Symphony
it

movement and
It is

the repeat occur with Stamitz and

is

others,

and the form

often as definite as

is

with

Haydn.
fropi

probable that these

men

learned

much

Haydn, but great credit is due to them for their pioneer work they did much that it was necessary should be done before the symphonic form could be
;

established

upon an absolutely

definite

basis

these

composers may be said to have dug a firm foundation upon which the greater masters were able to erect a
magnificent
edifice.

We
in the

never hear the music of these early composers

present day; there
that
is

so

much

that

is

excellent

has appeared since, and their thinly

, ,

To-day
,

scored symphonies would sound dull and -^.^ ^ unmterestmg to us now. Even the early
.

examples of Haydn himself are but rarely played.

The

orchestral music of
is

Bach

still

lives,

but that

is

because there
Itself;
in
it

so essential a difference in the music

has

its

own

vital

power, and

is

master-work

a direction in which the great Leipsic cantor was

essentially at

home.

The

parly <;ymphr>ni<;tgj on the

other hand, werg experimenting

form and of orchestratioa.

withnew problems of They were by no means

exploiting a well-trodden path

their steps were someThe methods of and th ways of

the the

what

tentative

and uncertain.
left,

polyphonic school had been

22

Past

Age Music

monodic were thorny. Hence their music can only showing the way to others. The be looked upon as great masters of a later date profited by the experiences of the pioneers, for
it

was

essential

that the

spade work should be done by some one.

therefore,

Although,

we may not
symphony

care to hear the

music of

these early
ally as

writers, except perhaps occasion-

a matter of curiosity,

we must honour them

symphony, and
for

for facilitating the progress of the

setting

it,

as a form, upon a firm foundation.

2X

CHAPTER

IV.

BIRTH OF THE MODERN SYMPHONY.

The modern symphony
instruments

His methods Use of wind Haydn Opportunities at Esterhaz Le Midi Early and late examples " Salomon" Symphonies "Father" of symphony Reasons for comparative
P. E.

C.

Bach

His

modulatory device

neglect of Haydn's symphonies.

The wofks of symphony composers hitherto dealt with may be said to have but an antiquarian interest to us
of the present day.

Symphony
best

may

be described

as

The modern symphony a symphony which

,
,
,

conforms
specimens
of

m
.

structure and design with the

type,

its

and

which^

moreover,

contains music that can be heard with interest and

delight in these days of
It
is

modern developments.
few
performances
are

true

that

very

ever

given to-day of the symphonic works of Carl Philip

C. P. E,
is

Bach

Emmanuel Bach. But this composer was so much ahead of his time, and his work

...
of

so far in advance
it

of

that

most of

his

con-

temporaries, that

is

impossible to regard him as a

fossilized relic of a

bygone age.
24

His influence upon

Emmanuel Bach
Haydn was immense,
and
orchestration.
especially with regard to

form

Johann Sebastian He has been from 1714 to 1788. Bach, and of the gallant termed "one of the chief propagators (elegant) style in instrumental music (so called in conthe third son of the great
lived

He was

tradistinction to the grave, contrapuntal style)."

dignified

The

and somewhat severe methods of contrapuntal music had been exploited to their fullest extent by his

mighty father; composers had to turn, as we knov/,

in

other directions.

The MpnodicL^gbool, with

possibilities of formal

its

often trivial forms of melody and accompaniment,

had

been evolved, and the

design in

Emmanuel music were now awaiting development. Bach was the greatest of the pioneers of this new movement, and he may be said to occupy a midway
position between
J. S.

Bach and Handel upon the one

hand, and

Haydn and Mozart upon the other. Emmanuel Bach wrote many important pieces for the clavier, some of them with fanciful titles a striking testimony to the new directions which were being

sought.

Eighteen works for the orchestra stand to his

are.

name, and very interesting they

employed,

The instruments

in addition to the strings, are usually flutes,

oboes, bassoons, and horns, with the addition of a line

^

Niecks.


Story of

Symphony
What

of figured bass for the cembalo.

portant

is

is more imwind instrum ents that he very often gives the

passages calculated to show

off their par-

Wind
Instruments

ticular characteristics

and
of

qualities;

they

ara

not

merely

some

number of
have

equally important and interesting contrapuntal parts;

their possibilities in the direction of tone-colour

been studied and understood, and

this feature alone

helps us to feel that his symphonies are more

"modern"

than those of the composers hitherto touched upon.

The following
his subjects

extracts will

show

the general style of

and treatment:
C. P.

Opening subject of Symphony inF. Allegro dijnolto

.

E.Bach.


Modulatory Link
There
of
is

one curious characteristic

in the

symphonies

Emmanuel Bach which must be mentioned.

little

He

has a

habit of e mploying a few modulatory chor ds

to .lead,

which we

from one mo.yement .IcLJJie-Othfir.^ a device find in Handel (as in the overture to Sanison)
fell

and other composers, but which

the classical period of music.
the

out of use during

is

Here

an example of

way Emmanuel Bach

leads us from

movement

to

movement:

Syminiony in D,

End of

> Alleerodimolto.

first movement, madnlating link, and beeinning of slow movement, c P. E. Bach

,

J?*

Story of

Symphony

did

And 'now for "Papa" Haydn (1732-1809). What Haydn do to merit the title "The Father of the Symphony " ? The answer may lie in the
statementJJjiaLJbLe-fQ}ind.ii.a.iLiiimiat,^^
j

liill^r.c.agj:uzed...orin4-JiJLeLat-ixx.thp.

prnud position

"^1

oLmonarch of instrnrneatal m u^ic- The merit for this was not Haydn's alone, for Haydn was enormously in fluenced in his finest and latest work by Mo^nrt.
But even without
this

'_

influence,

and before he had

come under
began by
of

its

sway, he had achieved much.

He

writing- little

symphonies
others, in

after the

Emmanuel Bach and

which the

manner first and

second violins were usually playing together, while the

violas, 'cellos,
all

and basses had very much the same work the way through. The style was light and un-

important, the musical contents neither very profound

nor very interesting.

But he lived

for

many

years at the palace of Prince

Esterhdzy, where he had an orchestra always at hand;

he was able to experiment with his band,

Opportunities at
,

to try en^ects,

rf

and
,

to
,

compose
to him.
, .

m
,-.

any manner
, . .

that appeared
rejected

good

Doubtless he

many unsatisfactory experiments; it is not every composer who has the opportunities of making them, or of hearing them when they are made. Haydn was very happy at Esterhdz. He says: "My
28


Haydn's Originality
Prince was always satisfied with my works; I not only had the encourag'ement of constant approval, but as

conductor of an orchestra

could

make experiments,
alter,
I

observe what produced an effect and what weakened

it,

and was thus

in

a position to improve,

make
to
!)

additions or omissions, and be as bold as

I

pleased;

was
I

cut off from the world, there

was no one
critics

confuse or torment

me "

(think

of that, ye

"and

that for

was forced to become orighiaW'' No wonder close upon thirty-three years the composer
in

remained

such congenial occupation.

The earliest symphonies, such as " Le Midi," which was composed in 1761, show perhaps but little advance upon the methods of Emmanuel Bach, It "LeMidi" is interestingf to note that many of them
have
titles;

besides " Le Midi" there

is

is

" Le Soir"

and " Le Matin"; there

there
is

the

"Philosopher," the

"Schoolmaster," "Maria Theresa," and "Mercury";

the "Military," the "Chase," the "Surprise,"

the "Farewell," and so forth;

some

of these were

designed to a programme, the majority probably not. The following quotation from " Le Midi" gives the
style of the early

symphonies:

First snbject of first Allegro. Allegro.

Orch.taBnigon

Subject of Finale.
Allegro.

Vio.I.An

29


Story of
This was written

Symphony
year in the service of the
Its

in his first

Esterhdzy family (1761).

simplicity

is

apparent,

and an
Early and
will

examination

of

its

orchestration
little

show what

a comparatively

way

the

Late

composer had progressed upon

the

road

upon which he afterwards travelled. What " a contrast between this work and the famous " Oxford
symphony, so called because
city
it

was performed

in that

on the occasion of Haydn receiving the degree

of Mus. Doc. there in 1708:

First sTibject of first Allegro Allegro spiritoso

In the very year in which this

I

was composed Mozart

symphonies.
less

wrote his
i

three greatest and

finest

From
in

these
"

Haydn

learned

much;

perhaps

Salomon " ^^^ direction of form than

in the

meihods

of orchestr ation and the general texture

and intensity of the musical thoughts.

last

Haydn's twelve
set
in

symphonies

(called the

"Salomon"

because

they were written specially for concerts given

London

30
'^'^''

/
/J \.

"
by a

Father

"

of

Symphony
in

violinist,

Salomon), are far

still

advance of his

earlier

efforts.

While

exhibiting

of light-heartedness and
istics

many of those features humour which are characterprobe the depths]

of almost

all

his music, they

of musical feeling to a far greater extent than those

penned before the influence of Mozart had been

firmer hand,

felt;

they are conceived in a loftier style, scored with a

and

in
in

some ways
Beethoven.

hint at ideas which

found development

Haydn

is

credited by

some

authorities with as

as one hundred and fifty-seven symphonies. these are only overtures and other works

many Many of

not really of symphonic dimensions.

...

Some

" Father "

give

have never been printed. Other historians e t ^ bymphony the number as one hundred and
eighteen.

number does not really matter such a composer as Brahms would probably have destroyed more than half of them, more especially
actual

The

those which were mainly experimental.

What

really

some eighteen to twenty of Haydn's symphonies are works of the finest character, and judging by these alone he must be acclaimed
concerns us
is

the fact that

as a master of the symphonic form

nay,

more, as a

founder of this king of forms.

Few

of these symphonies are heard in the concert

rooms of the present day.

31

The

public loves strong

Story of

Symphony
virile style
its

meat; the graceful, vivacious,

art
is

of Haydn's

hardly pungent enough for

loves
is

taste.

What

it

frenzy, excitement,
in rare

Neglect

Except

cases

it

and noisy tumult. prefers Wagner and

Tchaikovsky to
of the

Haydn and Mozart.

;

The orchestra
there
is

of the latter composers seems slight

a lack

sonority that comes from the employment of

much
there

brass and a

full

complement of wood-wind and

percussion; there are no climaxes of noisy outburst,

is

no jugglery and trickery of orchestration, no

|

sensationalism.
\

It is

music, pure music, and for this

most people really care little. All the more a tribute to the powers of Haydn is it that his symphonies are sometimes performed by our big orchestras; such
performances become more and more rare, but when
they are to be heard are a pure delight.
orchestras, and

For smaller
of untold
alive

more

especially for

amateur bodies,
is

the large library of

Haydn symphonies

value

and amateur conductors, as a

fact.

rule, are

to the

Interesting without being too

is

difficult,

the material they provide for study

of the best; not

very

many instruments

are required, but

good work
even an

must be done by the

approximate rendering.
orchestration,
analysis, the

performers

to

give

To

the student of elementary

and

to

those

who

study

form

and

Haydn symphonies
32

are ahke indispensable.

Usefulness of Haydn's
And some day
ciate these

Work

the general public will learn to appre-

works at their true value. Mid all changes of fashion and fancy they have never entirely dropped
out:
it

will

be a bad day for the art of music

if

ever

they are allowed to do so.

33

CHAPTER
MOZART.
The
symphony
becomes
a
serious

V.

matter

Mozart " Parisian "

flat,"

symphony

Three

great

symphonies:

"E

"G

minor,"

"Jupiter."

With Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91) we come to the last important composer who wrote a large
number
of symphonies. In
earlier

days
as

composers
prolific

apparently threw off symphonies with

pen as more modern writers turn out small pianoforte

pieces or songs.

But the composition of a symphony

dignified proceeding,

was now a more

so weighty, cance,
that
its

and with the

advent of Beethoven this form of musical art became

inherent contents were of such signifieight
or ten

few attempted more than

of The irresponsible musical platitudes, meant only to gratify for a time, were confined to works of less dimension than symNo longer do we find men producing one phonies.

during a

lifetime.

utterances

34

The

" Parisian

"

hundred and fifty-seven such works as did Haydn. It was beginning to be realized that if a symphony

was worth doing at all it was worth doing well. Composers began to live less in the present and more for the future, with an eye to longevity in their
output.
It is true that

this

number, although

Mozart wrote forty-one symphonies: far below that of Haydn, is a

prodigious one.

However, of these

forty-

one 'a great many of the earlier ones were

produced

in the

same manner
and not

as Haydn's, that

is

as

places d'occasion,
his
life

until the last twelve years of

do we

find

emphatically count.

Mozart putting forth examples that In 1778 he penned the "Parisian"

first

Symphony

in

D, the

of those which

show him

as

emancipating himself from convention, and giving to the world really individual and characteristic music of
this kind.

In his earliest symphonies Mozart had only

;

used three movements

the

later (in 1767)

he introduced

minuet, and henceforth

to

we

usually find the four

to the

movement form common

generally.

him and

symphony

o^
35

'

Story of

Symphony

The "Parisian" symphony has only three movements, but in many ways it is a pioneer production,
in its freer

treatment of the instruments,

" Parisian

Symphony

and
(for

in its

strength of form.
the

The boldness
can
be

the period) of

scoring-

noted from the following extract:

Ertractfrom Mozart's "Parisian Symphony" showijig the

composer's fondness for passages in double thirds.
CUrioets

BassooBB

Striofs.

Other important examples of a little later date are the " Lenz," the " Haffner," and the "Prague"
symphonies.
It
is

to the three last

symphonies that one's mind

in

always turns, however,

thinking of Mozart as a

symphony composer. These three marvellous works (in E flat, G minor and C major respectively) were written in Vienna in the summer of 1788, and were completed in six weeks. What marvellous genius had

Trilogy

Mozart to complete, in such a brief time, three works, any one of which a modern composer would be glad enough to produce in six years were he Three
able to do so
!

These works are so im-

Great

mensely important, and at the same time so Symphonies very varied, that we can quite understand

Haydn

learning

much from them.

They were

far

ahead of any contemporary music, both

in the strength

and dignity of and

in

their formal shape, in the intrinsic value

of the musical ideas expressed, in their emotional grip,

their

sure

and

effective
first

orchestral forces.

The

employment of the was described by Mozart's

of art exhausting

biographer, Otto Jahn, as " a triumph in beauty of

sound," the
its

minor as

"a work
(or

topic,"

and the third

"Jupiter") as "in more

than one respect the greatest and noblest of Mozart's

symphonies."

When

a Mozart symphony

is

played to-day

it

is

usually one of these three, although

some

of the earlier

works are by no means forgotten. There is nothing in the whole realm of music more absolutely charming
to the ear than the

symphony

in

flat

its

loveliness

is

so untroubled,
It

its

grace and elegance are so exquisite.

it

contains no problems, nor will

please the

hearer

who

revels only in an orgy of sound.

little

modern The score

is

looks quite a

one

there are no oboes, there

37

"

Story of
only one

Symphony

flute, and the brass is modestly represented by a pair of horns and a pair of trumpets. But every note is of importance there is no overload:

"

ing of the score with extensive doubhng-s, and with innumerable details which cannot be heard in

Flat

performance.
opening-

All

is

of crystalline clearness,
first

and the

theme of the

Allegro

is

typical of the

sweet simplicity of the whole.

Allegro

Examples of Mozart's fondness

double-thirds are plentiful in

for scale

passages
:

in

the slow movement

the
for

minuetto and

trio, in

pianoforte adaptation,
:

was

long a favourite school-girl piece

the finale

is

as bright

and cheery as any of Haydn, but with more refinement and eloquence.
38

"

The
The second
drums,
.

"

"Jupiter
G
"
,,

of this mighty trinity, the

minor,

is

written for an even smaller orchestra;

there are no

and the onlv brass

rr.,
.

is
r,

single
J and an

pair or horns.
original part for

There

is

one

^ G

^^

Minor

flute,

two oboes, but

later on,

when Mozart

had learned to appreciate the beauty of the clarinet as an orchestral instrument, he added clarinet parts to the
"score.
"an(3

Of

the three symphonies this

:

is

the saddest

the most passionate

it

has perhaps the most

characteristic musical ideas (note the strong boldness

of the opening subject and the wonderful

it

is

employed).

The theme

of the last

way in which movement is

first

very similar to that employed by Beethoven for his

pianoforte sonata.

The

**

Jupiter" Symphony, as the last of the three

is

is

called (although not by its composer),

a thoroughly

strong work.
of the

We

miss

in it

some

of the tUdrness

and even more the h uman inter est of It is god-like, sublim e, and so far as the greater part of its texture is concerned, remote For this from earthly loves, fears, and passions.

flat,

the

minor.

reason

it

is
:

apt to

move

us perhaps less than

its

pre-

decessors

there are too few glimpses of humanity to

please some, although passion creeps

now

,,

,,

and then into the slow movement, where

touches of sensuous beauty are not entirely absent.
39

Story of

Symphony
k

Allegro molto.^^
Wlad.

^J

\noUnI

VJoHn

II

40

"

Counterpoint " in excelsis

The
finale is

interesting-

as

combining the forms of

sonata and fugue, an experiment which Mozart repeated

in the overture to

The Magic Flute. Such passages as those quoted opposite, which seem to have been child's play to Mozart, have for long been held up as models
of deft

workmanship
the

to despairing students of counter-

point and canon.

With Mozart

symphony was placed on a

first

firm

foundation as an art form of the

importance.

His

genius pointed the

way

to the later

works of Haydn

and

led directly to the

still

greater and more wonderful

work

of Beethoven.

41

CHAPTER

VI.

BEETHOVEN: HIS FIRST FIVE SYMPHONIES.

A supreme master Why is Beethoven supreme? Beethoven

in the

" thinks "

medium

symphony Use of The "Eroica" Symphony in D A great Reasons A new line of thought A familiar theme Humour in the movement The funeral march A real "Scherzo" The variation Fourth Symphony The slow introduction The allegro A long love-song A new procedure The great "C minor" The blow of fate A beautiful slow movement A note of mystery A joyous

Haydn and
the

Different Mozart Earlier works The

of the orchestra
first

methods

to those of

first

drum

finale

for its title

finale

first

finish.

It

is

acknowledged on every hand that

its

in

Beethoven

the greatest and mightiest form of instrumental music

found

greatest and mightiest exponent.

So much

has been written upon Beethoven's powers as a writer

of

symphony
, ,

that

it
,

is

almost presumption
i

Supreme
Master
his

to

add ' yet more to But

in

this already '

volumuious

literature.

work on
large,
it

the

symphony
if

name must

necessarily

loom

and

nothing

fresh can be said

upon the

subject,

must yet be
its

presented with a degree of fulness due both to

importance and to the fact that the average student or 42

Way
'

Prepared
symphony by
it

amateur
It is

is likely

to hear a

this

composer

more frequently than perhaps by any

worth while enquiring why
'printefs

other.
is

that Beethoven

has

won

the proud position that has been assigned to

him as faciie

amongst symphonic
First

writers.
-""'.:;^
'

The reasons
foremost, he

for this are various.

and

was born

at

the right time.

.

S uprem e
'-*-^

ThL-exp-eximei3tal_Jffijari:_^n the
)\^^

syTnh^^
ij"^

hppn dnnp. by Haydn and Mozart:

:

.form JVas

and completely unde rstood the principles of orchestration, and the inclusion of certain instruments,
settle d,

were matters that had been determined quite

factorily: the great

satis-

composers who preceded Beethoven

had actually gone some distance upon the road towards introducing a certain amount of emotional material into
their music.

When

therefore the great genius arrived,

the

time was ripe for him and the path had been
all

opened by pioneers who had cleared

his
t ake

obstacles from

progress.

Consequently Beethoven was able to

:

the sy^lphonic_.iorm for^gTaioted

he was able to

Story of
experiment
in the

Symphony
its

enlargement of

boundaries without
:

any danger of being misunderstood

of his

he was able to
of beautiful

coacentrate his thoughts upon the emotional contents

music,
to

pour out his wealth

ideas with glorious effects of harmonic richness and orchestral colour, and to expand his
all stiffness

movements

until

and angularity of form had disappeared.

in respect of

Not merely

form does Beethoven hold

his

proud position as a composer of symphony: the kind

of musical thought welded by

him

into its boundaries is

altogether on a higher plane than any that had appeared

before.
If

we

consider

much
find a

of the

work

of

Haydn and
ot
its

Mozart we

tendency to similarity
-^
'

"Thinks"

,.^-.

..

inherent idea in any work, whatsoever

Very much the same style of music appears in these composers whether the work be string quartet, pianoforte sonata, or orchestral symphony.
mould.
,

Beethoven, on the other hand, realizes that in employing

the orchestra he
is

making use

of the

most complex
of his largest

existing
in
',

medium

for the expression of his ideas, and

a similar mannerj he reserves

some

and most weighty utterances

outlook
is

for his symphonies.

:

almost invariably big

is

the whole

The method of
force.

conception

one of grandeur and of Titanic

is,

Beethoven can be, and elsewhere often

he

less serious

may

be

now and

then even

trivial,

but in the sym-

44

The "Nine"
phonies there
is
little

trace of this

he approaches the
is

matter with seriousmien, and the outcome

great.

serenely

Thcre'afe^ but nine symphonies of Beethoven,

but they contain more music than do the whole forty

of Mozart or the one hundred and
fifty

of

Haydn.
of both in'

For Beethoven stands where two paths meet, the

classic

and the romantic; there

music we
find,

is

much

him;

in his

peeping through the classic

formulce, that "gravitation towards romanticism," as

Sir

Hubert Parry expresses

it,

**^whKrh

is

the recogni-

tion of the close relation of music to

humanity"; or
not defined

as he says elsewhere, "^the sense of expressing some-

thing external to music

in

music which

is

by words."

In

common
full
stiff

with

much

of his finest music

the symphonies are

of these unexpected traits of

its

romanticism; the
formal
lines,
is

Viennese period, with

rigidly

giving

way

to one

in

which human

thoughts, loves, hopes, fears are to be conveyed on

wings of song

all

the

more

beautiful because they lack

It is

the definiteness of words.

-^ conventional utterance

a personal rather than

which breathes- thrpugh, the

music of^he~greater Beethoven.

"Beethoven's mastery of the orchestra will be dealt
with in the account given of each of his great works;
it

is

by no means one of the

45

least of his merits as a

symphony composer

that he handles the orchestra of

Story of
his

Symphony
skill
:

day with such invariable

not only does he

is

use every instrument effectively, but he

earliest to think ow/f

one of the

passages that

will

be effective for

'the instrument.

The

difference
is

between

his
;

scoringf

Methods
/
A

,7 ^'^-riir"'r'^ the deft 1 c. even eclipses that of Mozart m .u

and that of Haydn

immense

it

-^

manner in which he makes every instuutient, even the drum participate in the thematic development. It is no longer music that might have suited various com,

binations

of instruments, but happens to have been

;

scored for the orchestra

for the orchestra,

it is

music originally conceived

and not properly to be interpreted

this

by any other means. We do not find Beethoven stepping at once into

exalted place as supreme master of symphony.

His
far

two

first

examples are often spoken of as being

;

inferior to the others

this

does not imply that they

are poor works, for even in these the touch

is

at
.

least
.

as

sure and strong as almost

.

Works

anything

in

Haydn

or Mozart, and, in

some

pajisageSj fields,o which-the^lder composers

had only

gazed from afar are explored.

But the significance of

these earlier works wanes in the light of the greater and

more advanced ones which Beethoven produced later on, and we are apt to find Symphonies I. and H.
neglected,

although

in

series

of

concerts

like

the

46


First

Symphony

Queen's Hall Promenades, or those given by Mr. Dan Godfrey at Bournemouth, in which the whole nine are
played arjnually, they find their rightful place.

The First Symphony, op. 21, stands in C major; it was written^hetween 1795 and 1800, and was first produced at Vienna in the latter year, its
First

composer then being

thirty years of age.

The movements
allegro

are four in number,

Symphony
an

an
adagio),

(preceded
in F,

by

an

introductory
trio,

andante

a minuetto and

and a quick

finale.

The orchestra employed is the usual one of the period, two each of the wood-wind instruments, two horns and
trumpets, timpani and strmgs.

The
theme

first
:

movement has

for its chief idea the following

Allegro con brio.

Vio.I,

a very straightforward

and

definite one,

and

its

other
in the

subjects are equally clear and melodious.

But

development section of the movement one traces more

clearly the

hand of the Bonn master.

47

Story of
The andante
is

Symphony
;

a great favourite
:

its

pleasing and

suave melody runs as follows

Andante
vio.n.
caiitat)ile

4:'

The

iKiP

nf the

drum

in this

movement
the

is

noteworthy,

as showing greater freedom of idea than had hitherto

prevailed.

But

in

minuet we find a
:

Use

of
still

Drum
minuet, and

of the
its

more work

individual Beethoven
is

this section

more nearly a scherzo than a

its

harmonies,

development, and

its

scoring must have sounded very

contrast with this
is

new

in their day.

In

the merry finale, quite in the style

of Haydn, the themes being very gay and spirited but

not specially distinctive.

few years

later, in

1802, appeared the second jjf

the symphonies, op. 36 in D.

is

The^orchestra employed

the

same
is

as in the
similar,

major, and the form

/ in

adopted

except that a scherzo

takes the place of the minuet.

is

The

intro-

ductory adagio

longer and more developed, but in

many

places the themes suggest an even earlier school

first

of composition than does the

symphony.

This

is

noticeably the case in the main idea of the opening

48

-'

/;

//

^r*

V'

/7
.u

('.

NOTE-BOOK EXTRACTS (BEETHOVEN).

j.:x>/r/

FROM NOTE-BOOK (BEETHOVEN).

^^X^ (---.


Second Symphony
allegro,

which

is

very square cut, and to our minds

to-day, unimaginative.
Allegro con brio
CUoB A Vlclas
VioHfli,

The second movement

theme
:

is

a larghetto, with a charming

Larghetto
Vio.I.

lyrical in style,

happy and serene, with some beautiful examples of orchestral device. / Yet even here we have little of the real Beethoven, who shows us more of his individuality in the bright and wayward scherzo which
follows.

In the

finale_

also

we

find a force

and abrupt-

ness which are much more characteristic, and which are at once apparent in the chief theme of the move-

ment:
Allegro molto.

Story of
This
is

Symphony
its

a g^reat finale even to-day, with

its

wonderful

coda, and
ality

evidences of emancipation from the form-

which lurks behind so many of the noblest works

of earlier composers.

VVe have here a hint

_,

Finale
to extend his

of the direction in which Beethoven

means
and

work; freedom of idea and of

itself

meiu3ds-Xxf-w_Drkin^[Jinked with a perfection-&-fara^

finish^hich

is

present without obtruding'

the second

unduly.

One seldom hears

played seriatim.

symphony nowadays,

except in series of concerts where the whole nine are

Yet there are those, such as Sir

find
it

George Grove, who

the

" though not the greatest,

It

most

interesting of the nine.

shows with peculiar

clearness

how

firmly

Beethoven grasped the structural

while
contains more

forms which had been impressed on instrumental music

when he began

to practise it;

it

than a promise of the strong individuality which possessed him, and in his works caused him to stretch

forms here and there, with6uf'T5'reaking the bounds which seem to be indispensable for really cothose
herent and satisfactory composition."^

of titles for his music;

Beethoven was not a composer who made much use now and then he would name

a work or a

movement from

a work, but he

nearly so industrious in this respect as

^

was not some of his

Grove, Beethoven and his Nine Symphonies.

(See Bibliography.)

50

" Eroica
editors,

"

who

invented such absurd and unauthorized

terms as "Moonlight" Sonata and so forth.

his third

But

for

symphony, which stands

title
*'

in

flat (op. 55),

he

uses the

Eroica."

Although

its

date of composithat
step
" Eroica "

tion does not stand very far

away from
its

of the second,

it

marks aii^enormous
its

forward, not only by reason of

length and impressive-

neSspbut by virtue of

glorious themes and the superb

it

beauty of

its

musical thought, which allow

after its

to remain,

more than a hundred years

composition, as

one of the masterpieces of musical creativeness.

The
marked

"Eroica"

will

always
of
its

stand

out

amongst
its

symphonies by

reason

mighty

strength,
its

individuality

and beauty, and

for the

historical

significance.

Beethoven took
.

theme

of his tone-painting a subject of no

mean

order

the grandeur and dignity of Napoleon,

the composer

for Title
It is well

the soldier and emancipator of his country.

known how angry

later that

was when he heard

title

Napoleon had assumed the

disgust.

of Emperor,

manuThe music, however, remains to us an imperishable monument to Beethoven's genius. The heroic mould is preserved throughout, and the.
hastily tore off the title-page of his
script
in

and how he

subsequent dedication "to the memory of a great

is

man "

pathetic,

and at the same time appropriate.

51


Story of

Symphony

The music, commenced in 1S03, shows us a Beethoven moving far away from the comparatively plain road of Haydn and Mozart; he has struck out a new
path for himself.

This he
^-

has hitherto
, , ,

New
of

Line

Thought

j-^u j u ^ treadmg- with caution and somewhat been ^

.

tentatively;

now

M he marches along bolaly

V

and confidently, sure of himself and of

his

own

strength.

We
(

have only to note the very considerable length of

the movements, ihe treatment of the subjects in the

opening allegro, and the soulful dignity of the^Funeral

March,

to see that

Beethoven was no weakling (was

y- he indeed ever this?), but that he had turned his back

on the models of his youth, and was manfully strik

/

ing

out

and

forcing

way

for

his

extraordinary

individuality-.

Those who know Mozart's

Bastien et Bastienne^
will

delightful

little

opera,

find

themselves
its

strangely
overture.
its

familiar with the introductoryIt

is

melody of

this

theme,

in all its simplicity,

and yet with

has,

wondrous

possibilities,

which

Beethoven

con-

sciously or otherwise, adopted as the keystone to the

opening allegro

Cello

52

Simple Phrase

This apparently simple meandering up and down the tonic chord becomes in his hands a thing of intense

have beauty and of extraordinary complexity. music as it progresses to discover only to listen to the

We

what a mine of wealth Beethoven can extract from it. As first played on the 'cellos it is short, and immediately succeeded

by a violin phrase; indeed, for the

present

it is

only slightly insisted upon, and the music

soon modulates towards the key of B flat, where a phrase for wind instruments is heard. This must be quoted, as much use is made of it in the development
section:

The key

of

flat

thus reached,

we come

to a

number

of themes which together make up the second subject.

The

first

of these, and perhaps the least important,

forms a kind of duet for violins and clarinets:

A more

melodious

and

plastic

phrase follows

in

beautiful and

harmonious passage, delightfully

53

alter-


Story of
most

Symphony
It
is

nated between wind and strings.

his
lyrical

Beethoven

in

and expressive mood:

crescendo brings about a joyous climax, where a

strongly

marked

idea,

also

much used

later

on,

is

jubilantly played by the violins

this

completing the principal ideas of the expository

section.

The development

is

on a large
it

scale,

and

is

notice-

able for the fact that

besides amply dealing with

makes what has gone

use of fresh

material
before.

The new melody, given

oboes,
is

to the pleading notes of the

in the

remote key of

E minor

54

"

Eroica
it

"

Funeral March
a counter-theme for the 'cellos.

and wedded to

is

This beautiful phrase

is

deftly

of the other subjects,

and

a bold and manly idea for

the orchestra
to
,

woven with presentations at length gives way before the 'cellos and basses, As
pianissimo., the ear
first
is

is

hushed to a
,

led

expect the return of the

.

subject,

this

bemg

tentatively

announced

in

humor-

Humour

ously premature fashion by the horn, at once followed

by a cadence and the

once again

'cellos as at the

opening.

The^
rejoice

recapitulation calls for no special

in the fresh

comment; we

beauty of the ideas and their

gloriously rich treatment.

But the coda, with

all

its

wealth of material,

is

important as creating almost a'

so lengthy and

new epoch
majestic

in

the history oF form,

is it.

New

devices in the shape of tripping an(

delicate figures for the strings decorate the oft-heard

themes, and constructive ingenuity

pitch
;

is

carried to a high

the whole coda forms a magnificent peroration.

Of the Marcia fimehre Beethoven spoke in later days, for, when told of l^j^apoleoji^sdeath^ he said he had composed the music for that occasion seventeen years before; otherwise he
.
, 1

made

,.

Funeral

little
^
,

March

reference to the original dedication of the

symphony.
upon a

It

is

a noble and solemn march, based

truly elegiac idea, first heard in the violins

and

then repeated by the oboe:

"55

Story of
Adagio assal
Vio.

Symphony

Its

second strain,
of

in the major, is

but the song

mourning

returns, rhythmically

one of greater hope, accom-

panied by reiterated notes of sombre character. The middle section of the movement brings us to a suggestion of resignation, of comfort

and

relief.

The

beautiful

melody allotted to the wood-wind, with delicate triplet accompaniments for the strings, commences thus

Bmb"?

and
is

is

continued

in similar fashion.

The

joy,

however,

soon turned once more

is

into sorrow, and the minor

key

resumed with the main theme of the march, now

broken up by the introduction of a considerable fugato, and by a lengthy episode founded upon a triplet basis.

To

this, again,

a mighty coda
is

is

appended.
:

The

final

appearance of No. 24

noteworthy
56

the violins,

'

A
sorrow.
is

Genuine Scherzo
it

heartbroken accents as

were, give

it

in interrupted

fragments, conveying the idea of extreme grief and

With

sad, almost despondent note, the end

reached.

With
in his

the scherzo,

however, comes an

irresistible

and abounding vivacity.

Beethoven

is

here
Scherzo

tl

mood, and at the date of the production of the symphony its music must

most

original

have been a revelation to musicians.

this

Where

before
fiA^

time could have been~1iear3^anything like the

pianissimo
string
figure

pattering

with

which

the

scherzo beg"ins ?

Allegro vivace
VI.

This motive,

full

of delicate surprises, lends itself to

most
with

effective treatment,

and the busy bustle of

is

it

is-

gaily continued.

The whole atmosphere

delightful
trio,

charged

gaiety

and a
in

abandon.

The same

mood

prevails
itself

the

a section which largely

concerns

with a subject for three horns

new

orchjestral featur e her efirst

employed by Beethoven:

57


Story of
Hns

Symphony
Ob
-1

f^teF '^^4

^^ ^
There
is

f?

^
~4J,tI

V-

^ f

"]^f

N ^ ^^ ^N^ ^ ^^
^-^ -f-ihFt=^
'=

rq

:*=

StgB.

brightness and geniality through both this and

scherzo,

the recapitulation of the

relief

and the necessary

is

from the sombre tension of the Funeral March

finale is constructed

well attained.
i

The
its

upon what was,

at the time

of

origination,

a comparatively

new
air

plan for a

symphonic movement

an

with varia-

Variation
tions.

vigorous passage for the strings

Finale

preludes this air

to be introduced later.

really a
first

bass to a theme

The

few variations correset

spond, both

in

theme and treatment, with a

of

earlier written variations for the pianoforte:

Allegro molto.
pizz.

Stgs

Two

versions of this precede the entry of a melody

(previously

used

by

Beethoven

in

his

Prometheus

music), which has distinct grace and charm:

Ob.

58

Fourth Symphony
The
variations

which follow take

to

many

forms, the

natural

sequence
"

which

is

beautiful

" poco

andante by many considered the gem of the finale upon an idea at once expressive and of noble mould.
Wind

Its

continuation

is

decorated with graceful arpeggi for

is

the. clarinet,

and

somewhat prolonged, a

beautiful

bridge-passage leading to the brief

final presto,

where
to a

with a brilliant series of passages the symphony, noble

and heroic

in

character from

first

to last,

comes
flat,

glorious conclusion.

The gay and

Op. 60,
is

delightful

Symphony

In

No.

4,

Beethoven

in a lighter vein,

exceptmg perFourth

haps the magnificent slow movement, which

possesses
all

the lofty attributes of dignified

It

Symphony

symphonic music.

bears the date 1806,

and was the first completed Symphony after the " Eroica," although the colossal C minor had been
partly written before this time.

The present work was

contents seems to have

a commission,

and from

its

found the composer

True,
critics,
it

in genial

and playful mood.

its

by no means gave satisfaction to

less a

early

and no

person than the composer of

Der

59

Story of
Freischi'itz

Symphony
penning- a
its

amused himself by

humorous and
and

not

altogether kind skit upon

originalities

Beethoven's coNsxixuTioNiL.
difficulties.

But even the great influence of Weber

lesser

and the scoffings of many

men

could not for long

obscure the bright freshness and 60

skilful

mastery of the


Reversion
ideas depicted.

tr

Older Methods
for

The symphony may not

it

have been quite so often played as

brethren, but in later days

its

some years more titanic

due place
it is

has taken

its

among
From
what

the immortals, and one from which

never

likely to be

removed.
it is

certain points of^.view

built

upon a some-

earlier

model than the

*'

Eroica."

We

see this in

the slow introduction that begins the work, and in the

use of the minuet after the truly Beethovenian

spirit

which the scherzo of the "Eroica" establishes. But these are minor details, and many of the qualities that
characterize

the

music of the Bonn master are as

in the

apparent here as

others of the "immortal nine."

.

We

have before mentioned the greatness of the slow

movement, and many parts of the opening allegro and /

'

of the finale are pure Beethoven.

The adagio which preludes the work is of noble and forms a suitable commencement to a movement of large proportions. Starting with a
dignity,

solemn unison phrase for the strings,

soon hear disconnected quavers, a presasre ^ f & of the idea to be developed in the allegro.
'

...

we
Intro-

duction

The detached quavers and

for material,

the unison idea serve amply and with a gradually quickening "rush

up

" of the violins

we

are soon launched

its

upon the merry

and joyous allegro, with

gaily tripping subject

6i


Story of
Allegro Tivace.
VI i
^i^

Symphony
vD
'

^i^y^''^
J

?
1

^^

n vlf

vr, ^
~f
1

in-^A.'i.\ vs vij' vp r-r r

jiv' ^' ^^J^^p-, V

*i
'1

Ob ,-^1 '^fr'yi^ r r \^ *t f)T r

\
1
1

r
is

iL-r

f ^
r r
1

o'^ "-o

^ i
.

The

presentation of this

succeeded by a number of

tremolo figures for the strings, while the bassoon trots

along
First

with

quaint

staccato

step

in

the
find

merriest
Allegro

possible

way.

Soon

we
in

another link with the introduction

the

form

of a unison phrase for the strings,

it

now

staccato,

which stalks along, as

fortissimo^
clarinet

were, from a pianissimo to a

for

and then conducts us to a pleasing canon

and bassoon

Clar

Q&iii^n

One

other idea

syncopated one for the strings

completes the material of this movement, and after the

usual repeat

we

enter

upon the development.

of remarkable beauty,
;

The
the
the

ending of

this

section, is

drum being used

as an harmonic factor
skilful

and

hushed chords lead by

enha rmon ic change^rom

62


Rhythm
the key of

to that of
is

flat.

The " rush up

" to the

main subject
the

even more exhilarating than at

first,

and

same mood

prevails in the regular recapitulation

all

which follows, the short coda bringing

conclusion.

to a

merry

gentler and deeper note

is

touched

in the

adagio-

a long love-song of tender expression

feeling.

and of intense
a

In

the

very

first

bar

we have
is

rhythmic idea^starte^d by the second violins

Love-Song
toi

which

is

of prime importance, and

allotted

every

instrument of the orchestra during the course of the

movement, not even excepting the_dxums. This is but' a preliminary to the lovely expressive melody now sungi
by the violins
Adagio.

mMMim
the last bar of which reintroduces the rhythmic feature

from whence the accompaniment

After a repetition by the
to
is

is

in part

derived.

wood wind, an
is

episode leading

flat

major conducts us to the second subject.

63

This

given to the clarinet, and

of a similarly tender


Story of
nature,
its

Symphony
in sextolets

accompaniment
and
gfraceful

by the strings

beinsf delicate

The movement
remarkable for

contains a wealth of loveliness which

is

permeates every bar, and the utilization of matter

its

resourcefulness as well as for

its

extreme beauty.

The minuet^^o
istics of

called,

has far more of the characterit

a scherzo than

had

in

th&4Ki4s-ef^Haydn
it

and Mozart.
^
,

In treatment, too,

has the

attributes of the lighter

style, especially in the

and more humorous

the

use

made
to

of the opening idea of

is

^ the

violins.

More

allied

the older minuet

section labelled trio, a

somewhat long one, which

leads

/'to a return of the minuet,

and then both_rio and

^ minuet are repeated

in their entirety

an

unusual pro-

S cedure which Beethoven also employed

in his^Seventh

Symphony.
For
finale

The movement

is

thus in five sections,

with a short coda to wind up.

we have

a busy bustling

movement on

running passages of semiquavers which seldom cease, 64


Fifth
forming- a figure of

Symphony

accompaniment when they are no

longer subject-matter
Allegro
vfT.

ma

non troppo.
r-1
ir

Vl.n*Viola.

Cel'.o&Biss,

melodic theme of importance

is

also heard

The movement
second subject

is in

orthodox form, and has a definite

given to the oboe, with a
triplet

in

accompaniment

for the clarinet.

The whole

finale is of

the most genial type, and forms a fitting ending to the

gaiety and spontaneous delight of the entire work.

Colossal in
essence, and

its

majestic power, romantic in

its

very^

tit3.nic in its

inherent ideas, the

C minor
C Minor

Symphony, op. 67, stands out as one of the r T^ noblest and most characteristic of Beet1

hoven's works.
his nine
side,

Coming
it

as

it

does

in the

mid-path of

symphonies,
its

is

unlike

its

fellows on either
its

and by

nobility

and majesty holds

it

proud
to

head aloof with a dignity which

sustain.
after

is

well able

Beethoven commenced work upon it soon the completion of the " Eroica," and the same
6q
^


Story of

Symphony
Various
with

deep seriousness and earnestness are apparent.

events caused
its

production to be deferred until 1808,

side

when

it

made appearance
It
is

by

side

the

"Pastoral" at a concert at Vienna

that year.

in the

winter of

genius, and

was gladly received as an exposition of generally held to be the most popular of

the symphonies with the public.

Its

most

distinctive features are the fierce_aild-abrupt

first

nature of the opening subject of the

movement,
This latter

and the weird mysticism of the scherzo.

movement runs

direct into the finale, being connected

its

by a curious bridge-passage, and

joyous movement which succeeds
/^

mysterious notes

are later on introduced into the directly contrasted and

it.

The opening Allegro con

brio begins

by the strings

i^

and

clarinets rapping out those four hard

and unsym-

pathetic notes, which, separated by pauses,

are unlike anything else in the whole realm

of
'^

'

Such

is

the

music. As Beethoven said of them, blow of Fate upon the door "

Allegro con brio.

They determine the character of the movement and dominate its hue from first bar to last. The main
66


Variations
subject
is

is

but a continuation of this idea, while contrast

afforded by the melodious character of the second

subject in

flat

tfii'r.

The development
manifold deyices

section, soon

followingf,

makes use
:

of no other material than

that already put forward

and disguises

there

are,

but the

subject-matter remains the same.

Alternate chords for

wind and strings gradually reintroduce the recapitulatory section, which is diversified by a short and
plaintive cadenza for the oboe.
for

Hereafter nothing calls

coda, the longest

comment

until

we

arrive at the
this

section of the

movemerrt ^ In

much

use

is

made

of fragments of the second subject in the minor key,

and a bold finish is reached. In the Andante con moto we have instances of Beet-S hoven's power as a writer of variations, and also an'
example of the
period.
limitationj^_oJ__th^e
is

orchestras of his

The

first

evidenced by the diversified treatsubject on

its

ment accorded
appearances
;

to the opening

various

the second by the fact that there were no

in the

horns or trumpets
therefore the

key of the movement, and that

little

composer introduced a
67

fragment

in


Story of

Symphony
The
is

the key ^f.C_ijQ..which they could play readily.

artistic skill

with which this

done quite condones for

the imperfections of the instruments of his day.

The
and

chief

melody
unison

is

at first

announced by the violas

'cellos in

continuation of this in the

leads us

same manner

for

wind and

violins

by a charming- modulation to the

passage above mentioned for the brass

Brass,

and by a

still

more

beautiful

harmonic device back to

the key of

flat

once again.

The

first

variation of the

theme now ensues in flowing- semiquavers, and the same harmonic progressions, all varied in orchestration and style, lead us to its third presentation, in demisemiquavers, by the violins.

This concluded,

there

is

wind alone, and further varied treatment, some part of which is

beautiful ritornello passage for

then
in the

68


Note of Mystery
minor key.
devices,

The

scoring- is rich

and

full

of contrasted

and

after some"no"ble
is

and "beauteous harmonies,

a triumphant conclusion

attained.

The succeeding

allegro

is

notable for the silent sweep

its

of the basses over the notes of

opening subject

a mysterious whisper,
inscrutable.

as

it

were, of things vast and

to
this

In

great

contrast

question-like phrase

comes the bold answer

Note of^
Mystery

of the horns, firm and confident, reliant and

strong
Hn.

As middle

section, in the

major key, occurs a fugaio

passage of a busy, rumbling nature, in which the lower strings enunciate short fragmentary passages of an
interjectural kind.

Then we have a return

in the

of the introIt is

ductory portion almost

tibe

nature of an echo.

same music, but very

slightly scored,

everything

being delicate, ethereal, and mysterious.

Suddenly we.

69


Story of
are launched upon

Symphony
A
flat,

a chord of

and the drum

mysterious
is is

commences
linking this

to reiterate the note C.

It is the

and unapproachable passage by

which Beethoven

movement
vi^ith

vi^ith

his finale.

crescendo
full

^-

made, and then

a great outburst of tHe

band,

to vi^hich for the first time in the history of

piccolo, double-bassoon,

symphony

and threeTrombones are now-

added,
last

we are hurled movement

into the march-like subject of the

the

The jubilant character moods of the earlier

of this

is

quite

removed from

part of the symphony, which

have been emotional and intense rather than exultant.

The joyous sweep

of the violins through rushing semi-

quavers, the bold arpeggio flights of the basses,

the fanfares of the brass
delight, the
light
all

and

emphasize the unbounded

Quite

glorious all-embracing happiness.

is

and playful

the string melody, accompanied by

triplets, that serves for

second subject

70

Joyous Finish
The movement
development
dignified
is

is

in

orthodox binary, form, and the

chiefly

on the

triplet idea,

with

much
\>-

employment of the trombones.

allusion
to the
is

Before re-

capitu lation_ an
sc herzo)

preceding allegro (or

made^_ Then once more the joyous notes of

the march are resumed, and a splendid and lengthy

coda

is

added.
is

The

final

presto

is

accompanied by a

bass which

reminiscent of the opening four notes of

the whole symphony.

tonip

With

a glowing reiteration of
in the Italian style,

and dominant chords, quite

is

an

emphatic end
concludes
in

reached, and the great

"C

minor"
last.

triumph, noble and majestic to the

71

CHAPTER

VII.

BEETHOVEN: LAST FOUR SYMPHONIES.

Schopenhauer

on

Beethoven's
titles

symphonies

A
of

"titled"
the

work

The slow movement Realism A village band The storm Thanksgiving Symphony in A Early criticisms The opening introduction "The apotheosis of the dance" A solemn, slow movement A characteristic scherzo The Bucolic finale A "little" symphony Lightness of mood A poor reception Small orchestra employed A straightforward movement An airy allegretto A return to the minuet Originality in the finale The Choral Symphony Incongruous elements Beethoven's doubts Greatness of the whole First performance The allegro themes The second movement The adagio The curious "connecting link" Turkish music.
Beethoven's views on
picture of nature

Headings

movements

Its

Schopenhauer,
Schopen-y-*
(*''

in

Die Welt ah Wille und Vorstellung^

symphonies.
"If," he says,

has some pertinent remarks on Beethoven

hauer
that

and

his

"we
notice

'S

look at pure instrumental music,

irN-iJie

we

symphony of
72

Beethoven the

greatest


Schopenhauer
disorder reigns, and yet beneath
all is

the

most absolute X

order:

the most violent strife, which immediajtely \^ becomes the sweetest concord. Itis-rerumconcordza^

</z>aJ>'j:r~a~TrTre&ft^complete picture

of the essential

nature of the world, which

rolls

on

in the

measureless
itself

complexity of numberless shapes, and supports

At the same time alljiuman passions and emotions speak from this symphony joy and sorrow, love and hate, fear and hope, all in the abstract only, and withotrt any particularity; it is
by constant destruction.
:
.

really

the

form of emotion, a

spirit-world

without

matter.
realise
flesh
it

It is true,

however, that we are inclined to

it it

while listening, to clothe

to behold in

in

our fancy with

and blood, and

and of nature."

the varied scenes

of

life

True as
general,
op. 68
in

this is of the

symphonies of Beethoven

in

it is

most

specially true of the Sixth

Symphony,

F, for here

we have
is

the great Beethoven

title

condescending to the bestowal of a

"Pastoral" the symphony

its

to

be,

upon his work. and moreover

proper

various

movements have each a

sub-title, so that

our thoughts
direction.
his
title,

may be
it

definitely turned in the

Let "

be noted that the composer adds to

painting;" therein

^1P^^ an expression _ o f feeling than a lies much of the force of SchopenBeethoven has here descended some73

hauePs remarks.

Story of
what from
his

Symphony

his rare concessions to

mighty pedestal, and has made one of human weakness in providing"

us with a key to his ideas.

No
flTe

longer

is

he concerned
in

with
Ore

the
^^

profound contemplation of a hero, as

en

Kroica,"

rrith

mighty
as
in

emo tional
I

stor ms a nd passions,

wo rkings of the C minor:

to

/^we are
6

led to a quieter, calmer

mood,

a musical

interpretation

of

his

much-loved

Nature,

with

all

4
/

her

soothing charms, her soft caresses, her simple

elemental joy.
In 1815 Beethoven

saw a good
told
in

deal of an Englishman

named Neate
_,
,

him he

that he seldom
his mind.

worked

without a picture
or

This

may

may

not have been so, for Beethoven was

fond enough of mystifying his hearer, and

deceiving him as to his real intentions.
are certain, that out of
all

But of

this

we

the

mass

of his compositions,

Beethoven
to fewer,

"named"
the

but few, attached programmes

and never gave a complete idea of the picture

listener

he

desired

to

hear,
to

even
so

if

he

saw
and

one himself.
sonatas,

such

The fancy names as "Dramatic,"

many

of the

"Moonlight,"

"Pastoral," are so
lishers,

many

fictitious inventions of pu*^

and are thus designated without Beet " we

notice
^'reatest

authority.

On

one of these rare occasions, then, when

74


Fancy Names
does vouchsafe some explanation, there devolves upon
the hearer
all

the

more need
or episodes.

for care in the hearing-.

in

Let him not expect a panoramic vision

scenes, incidents,
call

so

many
.to

Be^4>evefi-jjdshes

up a series of impressions
to in the right spirit,
for

the

work must be
to

liste'ned

but the listener must

hearken

himself,

and not expect

which

have every

detail pointed out to him.

Even
meats,

of

these

sub-titles

head the move-

Beethoven was
forms

not so

very confident
__

they

exist in several

in his

various manu-

Movements

scripts

and sketches, thus showing that he

was a little doubtful as to the exact wording of them. As finally modelled they stand as follows
:

First Movement.

The
in

cheerful impressions aroused

on arriving

the country.

By the brook. Third Movement. Peasants' merrymaking. Fourth Movement. Storm. Fifth Afoveme7it. Shepherds' Hymn. Gratitude
Second Movement.
thanksgiving after the storm.
his

and

tic
_

..

^ is
re

our synopsis
it is
-'

we
75

have here no drama

'

in

u nauer s
'

-^

merely a series of incidents, and without

the

movements would be equally

beautiful


Story of
and
delightful.

Symphony
as

But
do,

yet,
let

we have
mind
for

Beethoven's

authority

so

to

us cast ourselves into the

of
listening

properly

receptive

state

to

them.

We
with

must divest our minds

turmoil,
its

of

all

thought of town
its

life,

its
its

strife, its

business,
s imp le

pleasures,
g'uileless ,

and

cares.
in the

We

must beco me

and

basking
flowers

sun of God's heaven, listening to the

singing of sweet birds and enjoying the smell of fragrant

childlike, happy, and

,_
.

trustful.
If not, let

Are we yet
to
its

in this restful in

moodr

us listen

interpretation

the simple theme with which

the

opening
:

allegro

commences

without

further

prelude

Allegro
VI. I.

ma

non troppo

How
Nature
to

slight

and simple and pleasing

all this is

We

are sitting under trees on the fresh grass,

Picture of

with nothing to disturb us, and no sounds

but those of Nature's voices.

And how true

Nature the music

is

For 76

five

hundred and twelve


Voice of Nature
bars this wonderful
either with material

movement develops and proceeds

from
it.

this

melody or from subjects

sanie.iiLNature
;

absolutely allied to

It is_thLe_

the

same sounds
them.

are reiterated again and again and again

hundreds, thousands of times, and

we never weary

of

Bars such as the following

are

repeated and repeated, but the ear never

is

palls.

There

justification for every note,

and

all is

true to

the idea represented.

From
of

the formal point of view this

:

absolutely regular

the second subject, in

first
;

movement C major,
it

is is

much

less

importance than the

foil

is

only a

contrast and a

to the

more

alluring

charm of the

chief rhythmic idea.

In the coda the pastoral feeling

becomes stronger than ever. Just towards the end clarinet and bassoon hold a comical duet, which the
rest of the

strain of

band promptly squashes it is the distant some rustic musicians, perhaps, but the sounds of Nature soon shut them out. Well, then, we are in the country, and we have received many pleasant impressions upon our first
77


Story of
arrival.

Symphony
dale,

Our
over

feet
hill

have led us through cornfields and

pasture,
trees,

and

and

beneath
rest us

rustling

until,

somewhat wearied, we
is its

"by

the

brook."

Very gentle

murmur

Andante molto mosso.

Violins

4 VlolM.

lOllo* aa octave

This figure

semiquavers

sometimes quavers, like Tennyson's brook,

in
it

sometimes
is

in

inclined
all

to
this

"run on for ever." There lengthy movement in which

prevailing impression
is

are few bars in

is

not present.
in the first
;

The
move-

the

same as

ment

^joyousness,
all,

calmness, contentment

and here,

above

quiet, rest,

and peace.

The

allied

themes

Bassn.

are in the

same

vein.

Our
78

siesta

by the brook

is

long one,

we

are soothed to refreshing slumber, from

Realistic Effect
'

which the coda rouses us by a piece of realism as

vivid

and

startling- to the

critics

of Beethoven's day
in

as

the

bleating-

sheep

and wind-mills
its

,,

Strauss'

Don

Realisms

Quixote are to modern ears.

imitation

Indeed, this coda, with

quail,

of nightingale,
to

and cuckoo, proved an almost insuperable bar

the presentation of this

existence.
all

symphony
is

in its early

days of

Musically
it,

it

exquisitely apportioned to
its

that precedes

and, but for

having been labelled

in the score,

might have passed almost unchallenged.

rejoice in its elegant simplicity

To-day we can

and

its

singular appropriateness:

Ob. (Quail)
Flnte (Ktghtingalff)

The third movement, the merrymaking of the

is

peasants,
Village

light

and

dainty scherzo.

After

delicate

opening we come soon to a quaint

Band

/mitation of a village band; the oboe starts

a theme

all

out of time to the accompaniment of violins

and bassoon, thus

79


Story of

Symphony

crcsc.

Then we
All
this
is

are suddenly hurled into a tumultuously

scored rustic dance, a representation of noisy revelry.

quite

boisterous,
is

and the return

to

the

delicacy of the scherzo

very acceptable.

Suddenly, without any warning, the scherzo ceases,

and a rumbling, muttering sound of tremolo notes

the strings
is

in

Storm
of the storm.

heard

it is

the distant rumble

staccato passage for the

violins suggests the pattering of the rain.

Trombones

and piccolo are added to the score, fearsome chords resound, and the 'cellos and basses growl very much

at cross purposes with one another

on

short scale

passages

which produce an

effect of

confusion and grimness.

little

The storm
violins

increases;

jerky passages on th\

suggest lightning, while the rumble of thunder 80

Seventh Symphony
'is

generally present.
is

Chromatic scales indicate that the

;

storm

at its height

then the noise of the tumult

quietens down, the thunder dies into silence,

and a happy, solemn phrase leads us

the final

into
.

movement
and horn,

giving

of joy

and thanksgivmgf.

The theme
clarinet

of this,
is

a kind of pastoral jodelling of

of a kind that one

may

hear in the
of

Bavarian Alps or
the

in

Tyrol to-day.

The main theme

movement

and

its

variations are the chief material employed for

this finale, which, like the

whole symphony,

is

a model

of exquisite elegance of detail and charmingly calculated

effect.

As a motto

for the

work we might

well quote

from Browning
"God's
in

His heaven

All's right with the world."

"A

grand Symphony

in

A, one of

my

best works."
it

In these terms

quite
.

unusual for him, be

this

noted

Beethoven spoke of
/ritten in i8i^.

work
.

in a letter
in

Posterity has set the seal

his

of approval
in the

upon

own verdict, and

81

rejoices

romantic, glowing, vivacious

"No.

7," op. 92.

Story of
Penned
in

Symphony
and gives and upon

1812,

it

comes, after a somewhat lengthy

interval of four years, next to the " Pastoral,"

evidence of the development of

ality,

its

composer's personlife

his

more humorous outlook upon

his

C-the world, and

In form

complete emancipation from the

/ earlier influences of
it

Haydn and Mozart.

But
is

contains no real point of originality.

although the shape and mould of the symphony

conventional lines, the treatment of ideas
is

on

altogether

novel for the perio^, and some features proved stumbling-

blocks

in the

path of

its

original success.

The Seventh Symphony, however, had not to battle for favour quite so hard as some of its predecessors. True it is that amongst the more reserved musicians of Northern Germany it was long Criticisms r m gammg a foothold. ^. sapient critics The
,

of Leipsic declared that such music as that of the

first

and
one

last
in
''

movements could only have been composed by

an unfo rtunately drunken conditi on," wh er eas Weber is said to have exclaimed that Beethoven was now ripe for the madhouse. These, after all, were but a
comparatively small number of hostile and mistaken
criticisms,

and the
its

work

speedily
in

found

favour
in

in

Vienna, and upon

the hands

production

London

1817 at
the

of the

Philharmonic Society.

Even
first

least friendly critics

found beauty at a
82

hearing


First
in

Performance of
allegretto,

''

No.

"

7
in
its

the lovely

and were unanimous

praise.

The length
it

of the

work was objected

But
its

to by

some, and

is,

with the exception of the "Choral,"

beauties are
in the

the longest of the mighty nine.

characteristic,

and may truly be said to abound

first

score from the

bar to the very

first

last.

Beethoven

himself conducted the

performance

in

Vienna on

December
with. but
the

8th, 1813, at a concert given

by Maelzel, the

inventor of the metronome.

little

The last-named person,

feeling for incongruity, introduced into

same programme
most successful,

Mechanical Trumpeter.
this,

two Marches for his own The Symphony was, spite of' and the allegretto was encored,
and
gratification.

much
ludial

to Beethoven's delight

Nobility and dignity are the chief features of the preintroduction,

here developed on
successively

grand

lines.

The

wind-instruments

and
.

imitatively start on a

theme derived from the

chords at intervals.

auction
violins

arpeggio, the

full

orchestra commenting and

full

supporting with

The

then begin to ascend through soft scale-passages, and

worked up, arpeggio and scale figures being here combined. After some treatment of this motive, a new one of melodic charm is heard in the unrelated key of C, and is thus announced by the
a crescendo
is

oboe
83


Story of
Poco eostennto.
Ob.

Symphony

dolce

When

this

is

replayed by the

string's,

the oboe and

bassoon, by reiterated statements of a single note, give

a hint as to the importance of such reiterations in what
is

to follow.

The
It is

material

now

set forth

is

repeated in

other keys.

worthy of note that there seems to be

this introduction

no attempt to use the subject-matter of

for

Symphony. In this it differs from the more modern methods of procedure, and one regrets that the lovely theme above quoted is no more
any
later part of the

to

be heard.

After

its

final

presentation in F, the

orchestra

commences

that wonderful series of repetitions

first

of the dominant (E) which the critics at

found so
fragin

hard a

pill

to swallow.

Twice broken
it is

in

upon by

mentary snatches of melody,

the use of the idea
vivace.

soon heard alone

dialogue form between strings and wind.

is

Musically

to lead from, the sostemUo to the

This

is

effected

by rhythmic changes
flute

and

devices,

and we are almost insensibly drawn

into the

swing- of the f

movement, when

and oboe establish

the fact that the quick section has begun.

The

jovial,
is

easy-going principal theme, lightly accomflute

panied,

heard on the

alone

84


Apotheosis of the Dance

Its continuation is

little

broken up by imitations of
after a

the strings, which

in their turn,

pause,

give

vigorous presentation of the same melody.

A
is
,

feature not to be overlooked at this point

'

the rhythm set going in the basses and

, , . , .

f^'^ of the
p, Alice Xy

the brass, which

is

hardly ever relinquished

the

whole way through, and

which

has

helped to establish for this work the reputation of the

Wagner

most rhythmic of the Beethoven Symphonies, and led to describe it as " the Apotheosis of the Dance." There is very little of the usual episodical working
Beginning
in

towards the second subject or second set of themes,

these occurring almost immediately.

sharp minor and soon modulating to E, the chief of

these

may
VI.

be quoted


Story of
The development
in
its

Symphony
is

section

wonderful and masterly

never
escape

workmanship.

We

from
is

the

prevalent rhythm, but the variety of treatment

vellous.

mar-

Sometimes
in

in soft

whispering scale-passages,

sometimes
wind,
yet in

boisterous imitative arpeggios,

now

in the
;

now
all

in the strings, it is

always with us
is

and

this

long movement there

no feeling of

monotony. Through all the mazes of the working out, and of the regular recapitulation which follows, it holds sway, and Beethoven seems to glory in it. Only in the coda does he seek other devices when, with a fine
crescendo, he gives ten repetitions of this ornamental

pedal-bass

i
Even above this the rhythm asserts its sway at length, and the triumphant peroration to the movement is
almost entirely concerned with
it.

The
and

allegretto, the

second section of the symphony,

is

really the
its

slow movement,
march-like

undoubtedly one of
Its
its

composer's most ideal utterances.

Movement

solemn

opening
.

theme,

ponderous heavy tread,

simple and double counterpoint), 86

its

consummately
contrasted

lovely counter-theme (a triumph in the practical use of

and

its

Combined Melodies
middle section are
all

imperishable

in

their

beauty.

After an indefinite chord for the wood-wind, the main

idea
is

announced, and

will

be seen to be one of pulsating;

rhythm rather than of melody

Allegretto.

It

is.given to the lower strings, the violoncellos being

its first

divided, and, after

its

presentation,

is

re-stated with

beautifully contrasted counter-theme

As more and more

capable
of being
up.

of the orchestra enters with one or

it

other of these melodies (which,

inverted),

may

be seen, are

a
first

lengthy

crescendo
is

is

worked
brings a

Then, while the

pizzicato.^

rhythm

maintained

by the basses,

a change of key to the major

new theme

for the clarinet

and bassoon

87

Story of
This affords
relief

Symphony
its triplet

and contrast, especially by

accompaniment.

We

are

then

quite
first

ready

for

resumption of a discussion of the

themes, which

now

take more animated form, eventually leading- off

into 3ifugato for the strings.

repetition of the

major

strain ensues, after

which the chief idea returns

Moreover,
its

finally,

and
it is

this

time alone.

treatment

is

changed:

played sectionally by different parts of the orchestra

(the strings pizzicato).,

sad, indefinite

and concludes with the same

of a chord with

inversion

which the

movement opened. The third movement,

named,

a scherzo,

although not so

is in Beethoven's most characteristic manner, and strongly reminds one of the similar sections of his "Eroica" and "Pastoral" Symphonies. The intro-

ductory bars will suffice to give an indication of

Prosto

its style:

The contrast

of the loud

commencement,

with the

tripping grace of the measures that follow, offers plenty

of material, of which the composer

, ,

makes
is

splendid use.

Specially interesting-

his

c. , Scherzo

modulatory
'

scheme,

which
section

is

bold

and

effective.

The middle
88

is

unlike any-

thing else in the realm of music, although

its

source

is


Pilgrims'
said to have been a

Hymn
Austrian pilgrims,
for the

hymn sung by
chords

Beethoven uses

it

in full

wood-wind,
the

accompanied
string's

by long holding notes for

upper

Wind

The

little,

unimportant-looking figure of the

is

last

two

bars of our extract

soon transferred to the horn,

where
in

it is

made

to serve as a kind of perpetual

It

accom-

paniment to the second part of the melody.

pace as the crescendo
is

increases

worked

up, after which the

full

orchestra sonorously sings through

it is

the melody.

Then

heard again

in the

gradual resumption of the

presto.

The

wjiolejof_the foreg^oing'

both ^esto and

This
is

middle section

is

now

repeated in extenso.

unusual, and had only once been done before.

the plan

Later

was developed by Schumann, who, however,

on repetition.
This
is

supplied a fresh middle section

concluded, the whole presto

restated for a third time,

whereupon the
and that

major melody starts once more.

quite

We
it,

begin to think that

we have heard Beethoven has made a

enough of
This

mistake.

is,

however, one of his surprises, for after four bars only


Story of
he brushes
the
it

Symphony

aside with a few bright, quick chords, and

movement is over. The finale, tremendously vigorous, almost

bucolic,

is

a joyous rush of bright, tumultuous notes,

Bucolic

Finale

much marked by

false accents

pated accompaniments.
theme, foreshadowing the style

and syncoHere is the chief of the whole

This and
quieter

its

developments, some of which are of a

(although the
lead to a

character
felt)

rhythmic vigour

is

always to be

more graceful and

playful

second subject

in

sharp minor.
is in

This exhilarating finale

orthodox sonata form.

The

recapitulation

is

regular, and only in the coda does

the wild impetuosity

of the music
is

more
settle

restrained.

This

effected by the

become somewhat employment

pedal,

of legato passages for the strings, which eventually

down over another ornamental

is

of which

noble use
ant

made.
hurries

After a weighty climax, this buoy-

finale

along

to

its

end,

joyous

and

tumultuous to

its final

cadence.

"A
ously

little one." Thus affectionately and half humorwas Beethoven inclined to speak of his Eighth

90

Eighth Symphony
Symphony, op. 93, in F, Truth to tell, it is no little one if sound work and exquisite musicianship be considered.
It
is

the

shortest of the

nine,

and moreover does not contain an example

of those

" Little"

Symphony

mighty slow movements which must have cost their creator so much in thought and in feeling. So that it is, perhaps, of slighter calibre than the other symphonies, but none the less a work

most distinctive feature is the sho rt allegretto whlctTTakes tlTe place of the ordinary slow movement, and which is of a
of genius and of superlative merit.
Its

9^

piquant nature, somewhat unusual with

its

composer.
form, the

The

third

movement

returns

to

the

old

minuet,

more usual scherzo. Certainly it is the most light-hearted and playful of all the symphonies, and there is not a single movement
in place of the
1 ,
1 1 ,

which exhibits that tre mend ous earnestness ' ^" n ' and depth wh ich Beethoven usually incorT-,

Lightness

r?^>a'
''""

porates with his more serious outpourings.

reason for this

in

may perhaps
it

be found

in

the short

space of time

which

matured

four months.
very
gradually,

With-

Schubert, Mozart, or Mendelssohn this would perhaps

have been a long time, but Beethoven's usual manner

was
them

to

collect
:

his

materials

very

selectively
until

to prune
in their

them, modify them, and alter

final

metamorphosed shape they

91

Story of
bore
little

Symphony

external resemblance to the orig-inal idea.

Traces of such careful work exist also jn connection

with the Eighth Symphony, but not nearly
fusion as
is

in

such pro-

usual
to

and as a matter of
the final touches

fact the

whole
of

work seems
stowed

have been completed

in the

summer

1812, very soon after

had been befiner

upon the much grander Symphony.

and

Seventh

The
its

fact

that the

work

is

lighter in

texture than

predecessors by no means presupposes that any

is

apology for such

necessary.

Beethoven's work
is

may

now and

then have been unequal, but there

no

falling

symphony in quality of idea, or in delightful and consummate mastery. Perhaps the composer was
off in this

little

wearied after a striving with such Titans as the

C minor and A major Symphonies.

reason, in this particular
fresh,
spirited,

Whatever the
to us a

work he has ceded

of
it

and magnificent piece

orchestral
his last

writing.

Save the Choral Symphony,

life

was

essay in this direction, and the remaining fifteen years

of
his

witnessed no

further

purely

orchestral

symphonies.
It differs

from any other of

in

his later

works on a large
in

scale

by

its

easy light-heartedness

(common enough
humorous

Beethoven

a single movement, but not often carried

its

through an entjre work), by

playful,

ideas,


Use of the Drums
and by the absence of any
first

real slow^
in

production took place

Vienna
to
it

movement. Its in 1814, and a

circumstance

poor reception was accorded

perhaps due to the
fact that its

performance was almost

immediately preceded by that of the Seventh Symphony,

a work of so unlike calibre that
to
it

would be calculated

throw an audience into a

little "

that in which the "

mood to Symphony should be heard.

different kind of
little

Beethoven's special characteristics were but

of his musical ideas

under-

stood, and his half-wayward, half-humorous treatment

fell

flat

for

want of knowledge
recognition
of

of

his

moods, and

for

lack

of

the the

extraordinarily diverse qualities of which he

was

possessor.

Only a small orchestra no trombones), but

tuning of the drums
for

is

employed (one pair of horns,

peep out
in the
finale,

traits of originality
in

octaves for the

a departure

which there was no precedehf.^'TTatwithstanding

is

that most of the orchestration

masterly, one some-

times longs for more power

in

the bass department

the return of the main subject in the 'cellos and basses

in the first

movement,

for example,

although marked
amidst the more

fff, being almost indistinguishable

powerful reiterated chords of the brass and wood-wind.

The opening

allegro

is

founded upon a very straightviolins, the

forward and singable subject allotted to the

93


Story of

Symphony

wood-wind having the second phrase. It is regular, rhythmic, and square-cut, and at once by its unpretentious character gives a key to the whole work
ci.

aolce

This

is

immediately followed by an episodical passage

full

of a rhythmic nature for the

still

orchestra, the violins

taking the lead with a definite, although a less

distinctly melodic, idea.

An

abrupt pause, and a modu-

lation to the

key of

brings us somewhat suddenly to

the second subject

also

given to the violins

in C.

mencing

in

and finishing

comAs accompaniment

the bassoon trips quaintly along

Vlns.in DCtates

With some tremolo passages, and mysterious arpeggios

founded on the chord of the diminished seventh, the
94

Some Doubtful Scoring

music takes a more dramatic turn, and new melodies,
mostly based on the scale, occur for the wood-wind,
outbursts
of
full

chords occasionally intervening.

climax
the

in the

key of

is

reached, and the

first

part of

movement comes
is

to

an end with an important

is

octave passage of which

much use
is

made

later.

The
itself

opening section

then repeated.
not long, concerns

The development, which

almost entirely with the
the dropping octaves.
is

first
it

bar of the

movement and

As

continues, wonderful use

made

of both

little

fragments, the former especially

being employed with amazing ingenuity.

Devices of

imitation at close distance between the upper and lower

strings

increase
'cellos,

the

excitement,

and

at

length

in

bassoons,
It
is

and basses the main subject reappears.

the climax

here that one sighs for a trombone,

to

seeming

need more power.

The wood-wind then

Beethoven continues

repeats the subject, after which

his melodic treatment of the bass instruments, but

now
the

contrives a
violins

new and
is

beautiful counter-theme

in

above them.

Before the return of the second

subject there
is

again an abrupt pause, and the melody

heard

first in
is

flat

and then

in F.

All the succeeding

matter

regularly recapitulated, and the important

first

coda, like the development, freely employs the

of

bar

the

movement.

After

much development,

rising

95


Story of

Symphony
ending
is

to a great pitch of exultation, the actual

soft, pizzicato

quite

chords for the strings alternating with

the tiniest effects for wood.

In place

of the usual

slow movement comes an

In

allegretto scherzando.
"pTirases,

Berlioz,

one oFTiTs liappy

speaks of this as "having fallen

its

Airy
Allegretto

from heaven straight into the brain of

author."

This charming Gallicism

is

not
contrue

actually a fact, as the notebooks prove, but the

veyed suggestion of spontaneity

enough.

and grace

is

Delightfully piquant and light,

this

fairy

music might almost hav e emanated from the pen of a

nineteenth-century

French

composer.

It

has

the

sparkle of Rossini or Auber, and a delicate airiness that

quite removes
chief motive
is
it

from the plane of Symphony.

The

thus announced in the strings, accom-

panied by light staccato chords for wood-wind

"Die

most Beethovenish feature

of bo isterous

is

the occasionaljnter-

lec tion

chords.

dialogue

between

violins

and basses

Ts kept"~up^

one answering the other

in a pert

and frolicsome manner.

having the same figure of accompani96

A new theme


The
ment beneath
it

Finale
movement runs
little

now

appears, and the

regular course, winding up with a charming

coda,

which has, however, a noisy ending.

The
fts

third

movement agai n
is

difFers_ Jqm Jhe,_stgr.Q-.^

typrfJinnrl

^nd t*"'" '^n^tf^ad nf a srher: melodies are suave and flowing rather than disn
nuiniT^^-

tinctive.

The
that
is

final

characteristic,

material.
triplets,

movement, allegro vivace, contains much and a wealth of development of The main feature is a persistent rhythm of
first
is

present almost from

to

last
is

and the

ingenuity with which this idea

treated

astonishing.

As

first

heard

in the violins

it

runs as follows

Its

continuation proceeds quietly and simply until

we

are startled by a sudden loud outburst of the orchestra

on

sharp,

a note apparently quite foreign to the

tonality.

This for the present leads nowhere, and

the key
of F.

we
a

return

to

The
97

triplets

continue,


Story of

Symphony
;

dropping arpegfgio figure supplying contrast

and

after

working towards the key of C, the second subject appears in the unusual key of A flat,

the key of

charming melody.
of a slower rate

C being resumed when the wind take up the The triplets now become triplets of
of

crotchets instead of quavers, thus giving the impression

movement.
section
with.

Then with a short

terminates,

syncopated

figure
is

this

and the
re-

development

proceeded

This

and the

capitulation are regular but interesting, especially in

the unusual tuning of the

drums
is

in octaves.

The

coda,

which follows

after

a pause,

long and important,

from the use of a new sustained theme employed against the persistent triplets. Dignity and weight, features that have hitherto not been prominent

more

especially

in

the finale, characterize

this idea.

After a while,

however, we come back

to the octaves of

bassoon and
seen to have

drum, and

this time the curious

sharp

is

sharp minor

harmonic significance, for it takes us into the key of F a remote tonality from which trumpets and horns drag us back into the key of F. Here we

98


Ninth Symphony
seem
to

be

nearing-

finish,

but

Beethoven

has

another surprise

in store for

us

now

in the

shape of the

second subject, which appears both

(later) in the basses.

in the violins

and

Another pause, and then matters

are hurried on, soft phrases and chords for the

wind
us

mostly restatements of previous material

to a
final

leading
125, in
in

cadence of oft-reiterated

chords,

and the

Symphony closes with a joyous outburst. The Choral Symphony of Beethoven, op.
minor (No.
9), is

one of a small class of works

which

the intetest centres partly in the orchestral,

partly in the choral portions.
to a

symphony
,

m
.

'. ^ ; , the ordmary sense of the

,

As opposed Symphony

term

where

the interest

is

throughout orchestral
the

or

to a choral cantata

where

voices reign supreme,

the orchestra having only the subsidiary role of accom-

paniment
in

we are here
is

compelled to give our attention

in

one part of the work to the instrumental, and

another part to the vocal features.

Now

this

necessarily a hybrid form, and even the

mighty genius of Beethoven has perhaps scarcely made

a success of
it.

The instrumental
their

sections (three move-

ments)

may

be enjoyed on

own

account, and are

choral section

often performed separately.

The

final

might perhaps be treated

two elements are

same way. But the somewhat incongruous, and although

in the

99

Story of
the power of Beethoven

Symphony
was such
sti ll

that

his

Choral

Symphony
result.

is

work

for all time, the

experiment ha^

rarely be en repeated^and

more

rarely with

g ood

Beethoven himself had previously experimented

with a little-known "Choral Fantasia."
this

in this direction

The

g-reatest followers in

path are Mendelssohn

with his

Hymn

phony,

where a

of Praise, and Liszt in his '-'-aaisfl^mchorus is employed. in_tli_Einale^

Mendelssohn's three movements, although absolutely

,

symphonic

in design, are

really but

an exceptionally

lengthy Prelude to a fully fledged Cantata with solos,

duets, choruses, etc.

Beethoven's work, however,

is

more akin to a symphony of ordinary mould, in so far as the movements are four in number, the last being^a
set of choral variations.
It
is

interesting to

know

that Beethoven had his

doubts, after the

as to the

the last

work had been written and performed, wisdom of the employment of the chorus in movement he even sketched an alternative
:

Finale, to be purely instrumental.

However, nothing

came

of

that his

might almost wish that it had, and setting of portions of Schiller's " Ode^p Joyi,"
it.

We

might have formed a separate work.

are

Of course
and

there

marvellously

beautiful

things

imperishable

moments
that
it

in this choral Finale,

but no one can assert

reaches the high plane of interest attained by the lOO

Vocal Ending
foregfoing-

movements.
last

These have

really

no connection

whatever with the

movement, and we know that

at

Beethoven was not at

his best as a writer for chorus.

He had had
difficulties,

in his

min d, ever_^iiig_garlj days

Bonn

the desire to

set Schiller's
it

words, but he had great

when

came

to the point, in the selection

of suitable portions, and in connecting his instrumental

movements with

his Finals.

For this purpose he tried various experiments, the outcome of which was the curious orchestral passage in which he seems to try over the ideas of all the previous

movements, and
purpose.

to

reject

them

all

as unfitted for his

On

this

we

shall

now

say a few words as to

comment later we would the Symphony viewed as a

finer in all

complete work.

There can be scarcely anything

the opening

music than

movement, so severely
in
its

simple,

and

at the
its

same time so majestic

marvellous, and
its

ideas.
is

Technically,
little

manifold manipulation of material

the Coda, are very great.

short

of

expressive qualities, especially in

The Scherzo

is

the longest
all

and
to

in

many ways

the

most noteworthy of
the Adagio,

Beetfail

hoven's achievements

in this direction.

Words

us

comment adequately upon

perfectly beautiful

one of the
writing

most

pieces

of orchestral

that can ever be penned.

The
lOI

Finale, as a setting of an

Story of
*'

Symphony
main joyous, and the
are
suitably clothed,
finest

Ode

to Joy,"

is

naturally in the
of the

different

sections

poem

solo voices
section,

and chorus

being"

introduced.
is

The

from a musical point of view,

in

the Andante
concluding-

Maestoso
portions,

major and minor.

The

although very vigorous and jubilant,

are

excessively tiring for the voices, and are very heavily

scored.

The

first

performance that ever took place was on

1824, in

May
-

7th,

Vienna

three
It is

years before Beet-

hoven's death.
First Pcr-

pathetic to

know

that

formance

he himself was so absolutely deaf at this

time that, although he stood

the midst of

the orchestra beside the conductor for the performance,

he continued to beat time after the whole work was

finished
:

one of the principal singers had to turn him

round to the audience

enthusiasm

who were

applauding him with

before

he realized what was happening.

The

Symphony was to the who commissioned the work, paying the composer ^^50 for it it was not, however, performed in London until March 21st, 1825, when Sir George Smart directed the proceedings. The First Movement begins with a soft muffled
original dedication of the

Philharmonic Society of London,

passage for the strings on the dominant chord, with

short interjectural phrases based on the opening subject


First
for the violins.

Movement Themes
Without any very long preliminary, the movement is soon announced by
It will

the chief idea of the

full

orchestra.

be seen that

it

is

largely

made up of the arpeggio of the

keynote
:

common

chord of the
is

indeed, a feature of this

Symphony

the

extent to which the ideas are based on chord or scale

passages
Allegro

ma non

troppo

After a repetition of the opening introductory idea

upon the chord of the

in

tonic,

and of the above phrase

flat,

there
is

is

a return to

minor.

The next point

in the

to notice

a tiny melody of great

charm

wind

which leads directly to the second subject of the move-

ment
Fl.CUr.A
iBassn.

=\

i^

i.

^^

Sigs.kU

in cctaves


Story of
This,
it

Symphony
is

should be noticed,

also in
in

flat

a slight
second

departure from regular form,

Its

which

the

subject would have been in the key of F.

Themes

There

is

this motifs
for the full band,

some working and development of and then comes a great outburst

succeeded by a sweetly simple, soft

phrase on the clarinets

CUr,

Full Orch.

Notice

now

the repetition of this idea, with a most

beautiful modulation into five sharps

t)f

fine

example

the early romantic in music.

There soon follows, while the characteristic rhythm

is

maintained, a

little

descending melodic passage

first in

the minor and then in the major

which
VI. II.

anon

becomes of great importance

Other subsidiary ideas are presented before the whole

of the exposition section is

completed, this part con-

cluding with a vigorous and rhythmic utterance of the

104

New
arpegfg^io of

Melodies
It

flat

major.

can be understood that,

with

all this
is

wealth and profusion of material, the usual

reach the middle section, in which these
First

repeat

omitted.

We

now

themes are developed and transformed.

of

all

comes a repetition of the opening muffled idea, working up to a statement of the first subject in G minor. In this key we soon have a beautiful and plaintive little
melody, henceforth of much importance
Ob

p espress.
This,
it

will

be seen,

is

derived from the thrrd bar of the

figures largely in the music
:

chief subject,

and

it

now
it.

indeed, for a long time the whole development seems to

be based entirely upon

The second
is

subject

is

also

used imitatively.
After a climax a return

made

to

the idea of the

introductory bars, and

all

proceeds as before until

is

we

reach a fine coda.

This

of great length

and im-

portance, and introduces a

new

feature in the shape of

^Tpoignantly expressive chromattclpassagfi^forjtrings

^^^ and bassoons

105


Story of
This
is

Symphony
is

played tremolando by the 'cellos and upper

strings,

and smoothly by the double-basses, and

many

times repeated.

The sorrowing

effect of this is

heightened by a

new

little

phrase for the oboe

in

which

it

will

be seen that the characteristic rhythm of

is still

the

movement

present.

With a

stern

and vigor-

ous restatement of the main theme the allegro comes

to a noble end.

The next movement, Molto vivace (D minor,

time), has all the characteristics of a scherzo

3-4
trio
;

and

there

is

little

prelude

of

descending

Second

Movement

octaves, in
in

which the 'drums (here tuned

an unusual procedure at
this"

octaves,

date) have one bar solo.

The second
subject:

violin then

announces the motif of the

scherzo, originally planned by Beethoven as 1 fugue

Molto vivace.

The instruments drop in one after idea is for some time insisted upon.
106

another, and this

We are

then led

Rhythmic
to the key of C,
is

Varieties

where a bright and graceful theme

all

given out by the wind, accompanied by

the strings

in

unison with the same

persistent descending octave

figure:
Wind

After

some extension

of this a repeat of this part

series of

is

made, and then through a

are

modulations we

led to the key of E minor, where the rhythm, which has hitherto been the ordinary one of four bars,

now becomes
trast to

that of three bars.

All this

is,

in con-

what has gone before, delicate and quiet, but even now the drum sometimes bursts in boisterously
with
its

persistent dropping octave.

It

is

as

if

the

orchestra said,

"Now
first

let

us be playful and gentle for

will not have it so, but down, and the scoring is

a while."

At

the

drum

after a time

it

is

quieted

charmingly delicate and piquant.

the normal four-bar rhythm
;

Soon we return
is

to

but suddenly there

great outburst, and the main idea comes back heavily scored and quite pompously.
in

Then we hear

(this
;

time

major) the second theme above quoted

the ex-

citement dies

down

to a pianissimo, the

rhythm being

throughout maintained.

This portion
107

is

now

repeated.


Story of

Symphony
in

We
there

next come to the alternative section,

is

which
are in

a change of both time and key;

in

we

D
is

ma|or^.and
the melodv:
Ob.&Clar

two minims

in

a bar (presto).

Here

the accompaniment to which

is

a tripping and staccato

scale passage in the bassoons.

,'

We

must notice some charming scoring,

especially

the delicate

way

in

which,

when

the horn takes charge

it.

y^

of our last-quoted melody, the strings accompany

These various accompaniments are

point,
[

in

double counter-

but
its

the

cleverness

of

its

use by no means

obscures

beauty.

After this very delightful interlude, the opening section (Molto vivace)
is

repeated in

its
is

entirety,

and a

coda (containing a hint of the presto)

added.

The slow movements

of Beethoven's

Symphonies
is

are unsurpassable, and that of the

^^*

"Choral"

no

exception to this rule: for sheer beauty of

idea there
is

little

in

the realm of music

that can approach this masterpiece of beautiful melody.

Its

ideas are so rich in their variety, so delicate in

their

ornamentation, and withal so profoundly symio8


Curious Link
pathetic, that he

must be a hardened
to
this

listener indeed

who can hearken

movement without some

this.

perception of a vision of the heavens opening, and of

a distant gaze into some world beyond

Here

we have Beethoven as an exponent of the sublime. The main theme is allotted thus to the violins:
Adagio.

feature not to be

overlooked

is

the rt'^ornello-Vike

echo of the ends of the phrases by wood-wind instrurnenJs^J

We

now come

to

the

second idea of the

time in the key

movement, an
of

entire contrast

in 3-4

D:
Andante moderato.

vi.n.

On

these two themes the

movement

(really a set ot

variations) is built.

We

now

arrive at the

most

interesting, because

most

unusual,

feature

of

the

Symphony

the
was

curious bridge-passage leading us from the

" Connecting Link "

Instrumental to the Choral Section.

this

It

connecting link

which gave Beethoven so much

109


Story of
trouble,

Symphony
First of
all

and was the subject of so many experiments.

his final solution of the problem.

Here
the

is

orchestra,

commencing with a

violent

discord,

plays a preliminary phrase, and then the 'cellos and

basses give utterance to a recitative-like passage in

unison.

protest once more.

in turn there

The orchestra again intrudes, and the basses Then the composer is reminiscent;
occur quotations from the
;

first

movement,
is

the second (scherzo), and the adagio

between each of
a
is,

these suggestions of what has gone befdreTHere

fresh

phase of orchestral

recitative.

Each idea
I

as

it

were, discarded; the orchestra says, "

do not

like this suggestion."

Then appear
:

four bars which

theme of the finale immediately the music turns into the major key of D, and the orchestral
hint at the real
recitative says as plainly as possible:
'* I

like this

very

much;

it

will

do very well."

There

is

a quite satisat once

is

factory cadence, and

we

are launched

upon

the straightforward diatonic melody which

of the final section:
Allegro aseai.

the basis

no


Schiller's
The extreme
of
all
it

"Ode

to

Joy"
the

simplicity,

coupled

with

majestic
First

dignity of this theme,

is

cannot escape notice.

announced

by

'cellos

and basses only.

Various instruments gradually enter with the theme,

the other parts continuing meanwhile with the
beautiful

most

counterpoints, which glorify and enrich the

tuneful melody.

The music
and
rises

increases in
to

complexity

and

in

power,
all

fine

instrumental

climax

this

being

preliminary

to

any

vocal

portion.

this

At length, however, the orchestra ceases to develop melody, and returns to its opening " discontented "

passage, whereupon the baritone soloist exclaims:

friends, not these sounds, but let us sing

"O

something

more joyous and more

full

of gladness;" upon which

the chorus immediately exclaims, " Freude," and the

soloist enunciates, to the

words of

Schiller's ode, the

melody we have already quoted, which the chorus then Variations upon the same theme follow, carries on.
all

in the_kfiyefE>-

major.

Here are verses of

this

section:
" Sing then of the heav'n-descended

Daughter of the starry realm

Joy,

by love and hope attended,

Joy,

whose raptures overwhelm


Story of
"

Symphony
and
kisses,
;

Wine she gave

E'en the

to us,

Friends to gladden our abode

worm can

feel life's blisses,

And

the seraph dwells with God."

After the climax on the

word "God"
This

there

comes

a sudden dramatic pause, and another variation

this
as

time

in the

key of B
the "

flat

follows.

is

known

March of the Sun, Moon, and Planets," and was called " Turkish Music," on account _^ Music of its employment of the big drum, cymbalSj__ and triangle. The use of a different tonality and 6-8
,

time gives quite a fresh colouring to this portion of

the work, which
is in

the main orchestral.

The scoring
observe the

should be noted: apart from the use of the percussion

instruments just

mentioned,

we should

introduction of the double-bassoon, and also the great

use

made

of

the wind

and

bra.ss~ instruments,

the

strings being

practically silent until the introduction

oLthe chorus. the words

The tenor

soloist sings this section to

" Glad as suns, thro' ether wending,

Their flaming course with might pursue,

Speed

ye, brothers, glad

in

and

true,

Conquest

your train attending."

After a short chorus on the

same idea there

is

lengthy

and

important orchestral section upon this

I

12


'^

All- Embracing "

is

Theme
first

theme, which
the

a varied version of the

bars of
to the

melody of the Finale.

of

The change

is

made

key

D,

vt-hen the
is

music dies down, and a feeling

of expectancy

aroused by some soft notes for the

horns, with suggfestive phrases for oboes and bassoons.

The chorus suddenly then bursts in loudly and joyously to the same rhythm. We now come to the most impressive and the most mystic portion of the whole Finale upon these words
"

O
To

ye millions,

embrace ye
all

Here's a joyful kiss for

the power that here doth place ye.

let

Brothers,

us prostrate

fall.

ye millions, kneel before

Him

Tremble, earth, before thy Lord

Mercy holds His

flashing sword

As our Father we implore Him."

The theme stands

as follows

As

befits the dignity of these

words the music here takes

a majestic tone, the solemn notes of the trombones

emphasizing and strengthening the voice part.

113

For the
8

Story of
second stanza a change
is

Symphony
made
to the

key of

minor,

and the dramatic intensity

is

increased by the alternation

of loud and soft phrases, a great height of devotional

utterance being reached in the beautiful but trying

setting of the last line.

We now return to the bright key of D major, when

original

the

melody

is

once more used

is

in 6-4 time,

a counter-

subject being employed which

identical with our last-

section.

quoted phrase; the words used are those of the opening We are now nearing the climax of the whole
work.
trying

This portion

is

heavily scored, and written in a

manner

for the voices, constant use being

made

of the high notes.

Soon

the time quickens, and the voices

light, soft

have a new melody, accompanied by

in the strings.

quavers

Here another climax is worked up, at the end of which we have still further diversion in the form of the entry of four solo voices, which now execute
an
elaborate

cadenza.

To

this

succeeds

the

final
is

Prestissimo,

when

the whole weight of the orchestra

last

employed, and the

close Beethoven

cadences are elaborately accom-

panied by rushing masses of notes.

Even

at the very

shows
to

his preference for the orchestra,

with what has been " a series of rapid bangs, 127 humorously described as Howin number, upon the big drum and cymbals."

which he allows

finish alone

ever

we may view

the

interpolation

of

the

vocal

114

A
element
will

Mighty
is

Work
Symphony, no one

in this last section of the

deny that here

a masterpiece unequalled in the

its

tremendous vastness of
able for
beauties.
its

conception, and unapproach-

originality,

power, and lavishly scattered

"5

CHAPTER

VIII.

romantics: weber, spohr, and schubert.

The Romance School Weber Spohr Schubert The "Unfinished" Symphony The "glorious C major."

The great group of composers known

composers turned
their

as the

"Romantic"
the

attention to

the question of
:

deepening the means of expression

School
,

gradual growth of musical works from an

architectural

pomt

of view ceases after the

time of Beethoven.
is

His

last magnificent

symphony

the outcome

of years of laborious effort in expand-

ing and perfecting the fo7-m of this class of work.

Well may those who succeeded him have

impossibility

felt

the

of

further

progress Jn_tjiis_ direction;

wisely, they sought other

messages
(to
~

by means

of'

methods of conveying their more complex harmony, more

t3^aried and powerful orchestration, and by the adoption

a large extent) of a

programme
ii6

basis for

much

of

their

music

the symphonies which these composers

Weber
penned speak
in

a different language to that which

Beethoven uttered.

The shape
to equal
it

in

which he cast

his
it

works remained
they could not;

sufficient for their

hands:

surpass

was, generally, beyond their power.

But

the poetic

charm of

their music, the wealth of lovely

melody which they display, and the greater richness

possible

owing

to the increase in

ment
their

in perfection of the orchestral instruments,

number and developmade

little

work very acceptable

to the audiences of their

day.

At the present time we hear

or nothing of

the symphonies of
final

Weber and Spohr,

but Schubert's
likely to

works are constantly played and are

years to come.

be

for

many

Weber's name always leaps to the mind when the Romance composers are mentioned, because of his enormous influence over all German music Weber He was the of the nineteenth century. 1786-1826 pioneer in the new path or national expression, his music breathes a new atmosphere, and
*
,
,.
.

his genius has

remained unquestioned.

But so

far as

symphony is concerned his work is very unimportant his life work was opera, and by means of his operas
he exerted untold influence over
musical
art,

many

other forms of

such as the concert overture and the song.

in

He was weak, however,

the direction

of musical

117

Story of

Symphony
practically

form, and his two symphonies, written at the age of

twenty,
shelved
his
his

are

immature works, which are

in

now

favour of more interesting music from

pen

in other directions.

Although

this is the case,

commanding

personality must be acknowledged as

effect

having been not without

composers.

upon other symphonic

More importance attaches

efforts,
*

to Spohr,

who made
call

in-

teresting experiments with the symphony.

His earliest
for

though not without value, But

.

no special comment.

in

18-^2

1784-1859

menced

his

symphony
is

entitled

he com" The Power

at the

of Sound," by which he

perhaps best

known

present time.

He

also wrote an " Historic "

(for

symphony,
roll

a double symphony

two orchestras), and another

shape of symphony to an end.

work

entitled

"The

Seasons," which brought the

of his nine

works

in the

Some account of these For the moment it will

the

will

be found

in

Chapter XVII.

suffice to state that

Spohr had

very considerable influence upon the development of

symphony
of

as a

means

of depicting a definite pro-

gramme

in his "Pastoral" symphony, had, as we have seen, done something in

events:

Beethoven,

this direction, but Spohr's attempts

definite,

were much more

his

and were destined

to

have bearing upon much

day.

music that has been written since

118

Before

Schubert's " Unfinished

leavlngf Spohr,
it

"

may

be of interest to note that be

was

the. first in

this

country to conduct with a baton.

in

This he did at a Philharmonic Society's concert

orchestra from the clavier or pianoforte.

1820, the previous custom having been to direct the

Greater than either of these men, because more rich

in the

possession of musical thought of undying beauty,

, . ,

comes Schubert, the great lyric genius. He Schubert, commenced writmg symphonies at the age ^ ^ 1797-1828 of sixteen, and by the time he was one-and-. twenty had written six, the most widely known of which is that entitled "The Tragic." This fine work
.

contains

some notable pages, especially in its slow movement, which approaches in majestic dignity some But we of the finest movements of Beethoven. remember Schubert mostly for his eighth and ninth
symphonies.

The former of these, in B minor, was written in is known as "The Unfinished," consisting Why as it does of two movements only. "Unfinished" . u ^ u u u it was not finished we shall perhaps Symphony never know; fragments of a third movement exist, and so it may be assumed that he had some intention of completing it; but the six remaining
1822 and
fi

years of his
it is

life

were

filled

with other work, and perhaps

as well that no attempt

was made by him

to

match

119


Story of

Symphony
their

those two unequalled manifestations of his genius, for

their beauty

seems unapproachable,
useful
is

charm imof lengthy

is

possible to matck, and, to speak from a practical point of view,

how

it

in

these days

symphonies, when
this short
all told.

one

that

takes

an hour

not

considered over long, to include in one's

programme

and beautiful work of some eighteen minutes

Schubert uses here the ordinary orchestra of Beet-

hoven with the addition

from that of
his
is

of

three

trombones
his

but

although his orchestra does not

great

differ

very materially

predecessor,

method of
scale.

employing

it

on a much more varied

He

has in this work "discovered" certain instrumental

combinations with which we are sufficiently familiar

in the present,

but which were absolutely

new

in their

day.

We

find

passages displaying orchestral colour

of a kind fresh to the world: soft chords for the trom-

bones, alternating passages for wood-wind and strings,

and lovely melodic phrases

instrument
is

in

which the genius of each

fullest

displayed to

its

advantage.

On

paper
these:

it is

impossible to suggest what exquisite love-

liness is

conveyed to the ear by such fragments as

I'20

Some

of

its

Themes

Opening of Slow movement. Andante con moto.

DoobleBass
pizx.
S-

Extract from Slaw movement.

Stg;s.pi>z.

Somewhat
account of
its

less

frequently performed,

perhaps

on

great length, but almost equally

121

fine,

Story of
is

Symphony
C
major," as his last symcalled.
It

Schubert's " Glorious

is

phony
'*

often

affectionately

was comyears

menced in March, 1828, only a few months

Glorious

C major "

before

his

death,

and lay

for

un-

amongst his papers until the discerning eyes of Robert Schumann first fell upon it. His enthusiasm for the work was unbounded, and this
regarded

enthusiasm he conveyed
result that, in 1839, the

to

Mendelssohn, with the

first

symphony was

performed

under the

latter at Leipsic.

Mendelssohn,

still

burning

with zeal, brought the work with him to London, but,

shame
it

to say, the

members
it.

of the orchestra treated

with such scorn and contempt that he indignantly

refused to perform

This neglect and ignorance of

since

we English has long

been made good.

Is

To-day Schubert's original

and beautiful swan-song

possessions, and

when

its

amongst our most treasured first romantic theme

is

heard on the horns, we

settle

down

for our

hour of

solid enjoyment,

and "our joy no man taketh from

122

Schubert's
us."
It
is

"C Major"
and that
his

sad to think that the composer himself

this

never experienced

joy,

own

ears

never heard, save in imagination, the lovely wealth of

two greatest more must we honour the classic genius which was his, and learn the lesson of patient labour which his unrewarded life
orchestral

device and colour which his

us.

symphonies display for

All the

can teach us.

123

CHAPTER

IX.

romantics: mendelssohn, Schumann, raff,

rubinstein.
Mendelssohn

"Reformation" Symphony "Italian" Symphony "Scotch" Symphony "Hymn of Praise" Schumann A late "Spring" Symphony A new departure C major Symstart phony "Rhenish" Symphony Raff Rubinstein Gade.

Mendelssohn's position as a composer of symphony

is

similar to his position in every form of musical art

in all

things he

is

a polished and exquisite

of

worker, the possessor

sohn,
1809- I 847
^
,

thoughts, but one who moves upon con^ ventional lines, adding little or nothing to
'

11,

many

beautiful

the real development of music, but content to

methods
his

laid

down by
:

those

who preceded

many

boyish essays

in the direction

work on Of of symphony
him.

nothing need be said

This stands

by the age of

fifteen

he had

written his thirteenth symphony, the earliest that

survives.
in

now

minor, and

is

dedicated to

the Philharmonic Society of London.

124

'

Mendelssohn
Six years later, in 1830, appeared the " Reformation"

Symphony, a work with some measure

basis,
illustratingf

of

programme
**

the

opposition

between
Reformation"

the older and newer forms of religious faith.

The "Dresden Amen," so much used in Wagner's Parsifal^ and the Luther Chorale, " Ein' feste Burg," make occasional appearance, and convey
the suggestion that the

composer looked upon the

first

as representative of the Catholic, the second

of the Protestant, faith

in the

Symphony

the latter

gradually develops from a

soft, tentative

utterance to

one of convincing authority and majesty.

Better

known

to concert
Italian "

audiences

is

the brilliant

and sparkling "

Symphony, the
to

result of a visit
^^

made by Mendelssohn
1830-31.
It
is

that country in

Italian

perhaps the most consistall

ently bright

and joyous of

great symphonies, even

if

a touch of comparative sadness breathes through the

Pilgrim's

March which forms

125

the

slow

movement.

Story of
The very vivacious
cludes
is

Symphony
which the work confeature.

Salterello with

perhaps

its

most characteristic
the
is

The longest and

Mendelssohn's works
inception
Scotch

the

most effectively scored ot "Scotch" Symphony, the

the

of which dates from

same
the

period as the "Italian," and which repro-

duces

in

glowingf colours the impressions

visit to

made on
less

composer by a
as

Scotland.

Perhaps

happy,

a whole,
it

than his supremely

still

beautiful

Hebrides

overture,

depicts for us in picturesque fashion

:

the sombre grandeur of the Scotch scenery

its

most
a
is

notable features are the opening introduction, the very

individual

Scherzo,

the theme

representation of the
really a version of

of which includes "Scotch Snap" (and which

is

" Charlie

my

darling").

and the
Little

final coda.

need be said of the three symphonic movements which form the prelude to the " Lobgesang," the well-

known and much

_
,

loved short oratorio which

to

Mendelssohn seems
lines of

have planned on the

Fraise

Beethoven's "Choral" Symphony.

126

Although sometimes reckoned as one of the composer's

Schumann
more on the vocal than the instrumental side, and it has had no real bearing upon the development of the symphony. Of far greater interest to musicians are the symIt is true that these phonies of Robert Schumann. have their failings, the most prominent of which is the somewhat cumbrous manner
symphonies,
its

importance

is

1810-1856

in

which the orchestra

is

employed.

Schu-

mann had not that genius for orchestration which is now the possession of many third or fourth-rate composers.
vital, his

But

his

musical ideas are so noble and so

conceptions are so poetic, and his develop-

ments

in

symphonic form are so legitimate, that he has

been well described as the most important symphonic

writer since Beethoven.

Schumann was
had gone
emotions been
of

nearly thirty before he started upon

the task of orchestral writing.

But long ere that he

expressing his

far in perfecting himself in

in

musical language, the pianoforte having

largely
his

very

medium.
well

The

transference

such emotions to the larger horizon of the or-

chestra
his

was wonderfully
one
time

accomplished, even in
op.
38,

delightfully fresh
at

first

symphony,

which

he

thought of calling the

"Spring"

Symphony.
In this

work Schumann gives an

127

indication of the

Story of

Symphony
to adopt, a logfical

method of procedure he proposes

a tiny phrase.
to

and consistent development of a whole movement from

This is much more allied manner of Beethoven than are the Symphony works of Schubert and Mendelssohn, and
the

the skill with which he builds almost the whole of the

first

movement from

a single phrase

Allegro molto vivace.

reminds one of the similar methods of Beethoven

in the

minor.

Yet another and more extended form of device

apparent
in the

is

Symphony

in

minor, op. 120, which

first.

appeared soon after the

Departure

Like

the

"Scotch" Symphony of Mendelssohn, it is meant to be played through without a break between the movements but the four movements are no longer independent and individual sections, they are united into a common whole by the fact that motives
;

and
in

themes

are

transferred
in

from one to

another,

thus linking together both

musical material and

emotional purport

those (formerly self-contained)

four

movements

of

which the
128

symphony has been

The "Rhenish"
shown
duced
to
consist.

into

the

The beautiful violin Romanza of the work

in

solo introis

another

notable feature.

The Symphony
vitality,

C,

op.

6i,

is

full

of rhythmic

contains a very striking introduction, a beautiful

slow movement, and,

first

in

common

with his

symphony, gives us a new device which Schumann introduces also into some of his

chamber music

that

of not merely repeating the trio

(or middle section) of the scherzo, but of writing

two
far

separate and well-contrasted trios, which throw the

three-fold

performance of the scherzo

itself

into

greater

relief.

Schumann's
*'

last

symphony,
in

generally

called

the

Rhenish," was written

1850,
is

and stands
due to

in the

key of
,

E
,

flat (op,

the fact that the

\^

q?). ^'^

Its

name
.

composer gives
is

us,

"Rhenish"

this

work, a series of pictures of impressions made upon

him by Rhine
produced
in

life.

It

in

five

movements,

the

additional (fourth) one being an expression of feelings

ment

at

him by witnessing a ceremonial enthroneCologne Cathedral, Besides these four works,

and Finale"
(op. 52),

there also exists the sparkling and delightful " Overture, Scherzo,

which

is

quite of

symphonic dimensions.

On

a far lower level than

Mendelssohn and Schumann,

129

Story of

Symphony
little

but yet symphony composers of more than a

the Romantic School.
'

eminence, are Raff and Rubinstein, late disciples of

Raff,

a vvondrously ^

1822-1882

prolific

composer, wrote ten symphonies, ^

.

givmg titles to them all. For many years his "Leonore" Symphony, a programme work based upon a familiar legend, was a popular favourite, and it
is,

thanks to

its

picturesque orchestration,
is

still

some-

times heard.
of dignity,

But Raffs music

the

suffering from the lack

lack

of care, and the lack of proper

it

thematic development which

rapidly
declining,

displays.
his

His fame

is

and soon perhaps

ever-green

"Cavatina" (so beloved of remaining monument.

violinists) will

be his only

Into a very similar category

the Russian pianist-composer.

falls

Anton Rubinstein,
is

His music

that of a
his

follower of Mendelssohn,
'

At one time
his

1830-1894

^ ^ ^ ^ orchestral work, was very frequently before

"Ocean" Symphony, perhaps ^

This was originally
in

finest

the public.

four

movements,

but Rubinstein eventually added two others, the

of the

mood

whole being dominated by the

is

title

chosen by the

composer, although the work

not based upon any

Of Rubinstein's four other symphonies programme. that called the "Dramatic" achieved some success in
its

day.

130

Other Romantics
Amongst other may be mentioned
followers
of the

Romantic School

the Danish

composer, Gade,

who
Gade,

wrote eight symphonies, and Goetz, whose

Symphony
latter is a

in

is

sometimes heard

the

charming and somewhat neglected

its

1817-1890

work, described by

writer as "springing from the

quiet and holy spaces of the heart."

131

CHAPTER

X.

" PROGRAMME " SYMPHONISTS.

Programme symphony Berlioz
L'Idee Fixe
phonists.

Harold

en

Italic

Episode de vie d'un Artiste Liszt Other programme symla

Beethoven started a somewhat dangerous ball rolling when he gave to the world his " Pastoral " Symphony. True it is that he was careful to explain it as an
" expression of the emotions rather than
"

painting,"

but

many

of

followed him have done

those who away with all

such reticence.

The symphonies
the

of Berlioz and Liszt idea of conveying a

are frankly designed with

definite story and not a mere impression; and without some knowledge of the story the music is apt to be

incomprehensible.

The arguments pro and con

in the
it

matter are too lengthy for insertion here,^ but

may
itself
of

be

briefly

said that the

symphony, being the expresits

sion of absolute music in

^

highest form, finds

some length
in

They may be seen

set

out at

Chapter V.

Professor Niecks' book,

Programme Music. 132

"

Berlioz
degraded by being linked with ideas which
freedom, which weaken
its intellectual

fetter its

basis,

and which

leave nothing to the imagination of the hearer.

Nevertheless, the symphonic works of Berlioz and

Liszt are
full

of

interest,

even

if

they appear
c or uhis
.

to-

day somewhat experimental and tentative.

rJerlioz
T3
,.
.

is

unconvmcmg u reason by

Berlioz,

poor

melodic

gift,

and

1803-69

limited

capacity

for legitimate

development of his ideas.

Yet

his un-

conventional methods and his mastery of instrumental

effect

have created for him a place of some importance

musical composition.

in the later history of

Although
not
of

not the earliest to shape musical work upon a pro-

gramme

basis, he is certainly
first,

among
the

the

first,

if

absolutely the

to

treat

majestic

forrn

symphony
Berlioz's

in this

manner.

best

known

instrumental

work,

"Sym^ Vic d'un

Artiste
.
,

phonie fantastique
Artiste,"

Episode
1830,
-^

de

la

Vie d'un
la

dates from

and attempts
It is in five

to depict an elaborate story. ^

movements,
I.

entitled

"Reveries

passions."

II.

"Un

Bal."

III.

" Sc6ne aux champs." IV. " Marche au Supplice." V. " Songe d'une Nuit du Sabbat."
133

Story of
The

Symphony
is

idea running" through the whole

is

that a

young

musician

haunted by a theme
is

[idee fixe)^

with the

memory
ball,

of which

associated always the vision of a

the whirling mazes of the

beloved woman.

Through

the calm, idyllic peace of the country evening,

through a ghastly nightmare of his imaginary execution,

and

through the

fantastic
its

hallucination

of

a
of

witches' sabbath, with

pain, wailings," the

"howls, laughter,
in variously

cries

same melody,

metamorits

phosed forms,

is

ever present with him.

Such
stand.

is

the story

upon which the music takes

as
it

The

leit-motiv,

may

be called,
.

i.s

one of
.

"L'idie
fixe"
in this
will

compared with many of the themes which ^ Wagner was afterwards to ongmate; but As respect Berlioz was something of a pioneer.
little

interest as

forcible

and

truly suggestive oo

be seen, this "guiding theme" contains

little

of

melodic beauty, rhythmic interest, or harmonic suggestiveness

it is

indeed of a strangely diatonic and obvious

character.
Allegro agitato.

The sequel
Berlioz's

to

this

work, " L61io,"

efforts.

is

not one of
interest

most successful

Of greater

134


*'

Programme " Work

is

and importance
in

the

second

symphony,
in

" Harold
"Harold
en
Italic

Italy,"

a record of a visit to Italy,

title-role is indicated

which the
earlier

throughout
is,

"

by a viola solo, and which

like

the
'^

work, largely dominated by an

idee fixe,''

which runs as follows:

The symphony
I.

is

divided into four scenes

" Harold

in the

mountains."
singing the prayer of

II.

"March

of pilgrims

evening."
III. III.

" Serenade."

" Orgy of brigands."

nature
of
;

The dramatic and programme

deal of the music
is is

a
the

very

much many

to the fore

good work
in its

masterly

in its orchestration

and picturesque

effects.

Yet, in spite of

imaginative and finely

its

conceived movements, the impression of

being
the

tire-

some music

is

often forced

upon one.

Much

same

may be

said of the

symphony,
135

"Romeo and

Juliet,"

Story of
into the seven

Symphony
of which both solo voices

movements
is

and chorus are occasionally introduced.

of this, "

The scherzo

Queen Mab,"

a delightful orchestral picture,

and is often played separately, and much of the " Sc6ne d'amour" is of the most passionate and beautiful character. But, as a whole, the work fails, its style being inconsistent and often incongruous.
Liszt
is

better

known
and

for his

symphonic poems than

former con-

for his symphonies,

his doings in the

nection will be dealt with in Chapter

*

XV.

1811-86

But his two great symphonies, "A Sym** ^ ^ ^ phony to Dante's Divina Commedia" and
'

"A
is

owe much

Faust Symphony," written between 1847 and 1857, to Berlioz. The programme nature of both
but

very apparent,

he

extends

the

methods of

Berlioz by having

many

representative themes instead

in

of one main one.

Thus,

the Faust

symphony he

has one set of themes for Faust, another for Marguerite,

and a third

for Mephistopheles; moreover, these themes undergo many changes and alterations according to

meaning which they endeavour These changes, or "metamorphoses of themes," are amongst the most original and fresh points of Liszt's work, and have had enormous inthe particular poetical
to

convey.

fluence
tion.

upon succeeding schools of musical composiBoth the Liszt symphonies employ a chorus.
136

"Rustic Wedding
The symphonies with programme
Raff
tendencies

by

and

Rubinstein have already been mentioned.

Amongst other followers of this class of Other J work may u named ^t. opera composer, be the Programme Carl Goldmark (1832-1915), whose symphony, "Rustic Wedding," standing in five movements, is much played Felicien David's symphonic ode, '* Le Desert," a work that made the
1

t,

composer famous, belongs

to the

same category.

137

CHAPTER
BRAHMS.

XI.

period of exhaustion

Brahms A new birth Brahms' orchestration C minor Symphony D major Symphony F major Symphony E minor Symphony Brahms' influence.
nineteenth century the
to suffer

About midway through the growth of symphony appeared

_
,

from a number

Exhaustion

Composers were turninsf from the pure and noble form of symphony bequeathed to them by the great
of paralyzing influences.

classic masters,
tions.

and were experimenting

in

many

direc-

Many

forsook the symphony altogether for the

less constrained

symphonic poem
and

and those who con-

tinued to write symphonies sought, as

in the case of Raff, Berlioz,

we have seen

Liszt, the adventitious

;

aid of the

title

and the programme

to the very

they gave definite

titles to their

works, even to the separate movements,

and sometimes

themes occurring

in

those

movements.
that the

Many

thinkers on the subject imagined

those

who

symphony, as a form, was exhausted, and still strove to work on the classical model

"

"

The Last of

the Classics

could produce only pale and banal imitations of the

g-Iorious masterpieces

which they sought to emulate.

was, however, whose star rose
doubtful

One master
half-recognized.

there

but slowly, and whose achievements for long went only

Indeed,

it

is

if

we have yet of the work

t

arrived at a

,-1.

full

appreciation

Brahms,
1833-97

of that noble North

last
is

German,
widely recognized

Johannes Brahms, "the

has been called, and

of the classics," as he

who

now

as the legitimate successor, in the realm of absolute

music, of Bach and Beethoven.

It

was even many years

after his

mastery of other

forms of music had been acknowledged that the world

accepted Brahms as a great composer of
orchestral music.

He was

New

Birth
until

late in

devoting
it

himself to this branch of the art, and

was not

1876 that he gave his

Its

first

symphony

to the world.

reception

was a very mixed one, both excessive

praise

and

e x'c e s s i V e

condemnation

being

extended
to
it.

After
of

a lapse

nearly forty

139

Story of
years one can

Symphony
it

now

safely proclaim

as one of the

noblest works in the region of orchestral music, and

with

its

birth

history of symphony.

seems to have dawned a new era in the True it is that it has no comgave a fresh

panions worthy of the name, save possibly the other

symphonies by the same composer, but

it

impetus to serious music just when such an impetus

was

sorely needed,

to the influence of

Brahms.

and many earnest minds owe much His mighty chain of great

works stands,
heights as

like

a row of snow-clad peaks, pure and

noble in distant whiteness;

we may never

rise to

such

we

see in them, but they remain, a noble

and enduring monument, an example of what can be

done, an encouragement to those

who

believe

that

the pure, the beautiful, and the great in art yet be exhausted.

may

not

Brahms' symphonies are only four

they

in

number, and

may perhaps
,

be said to lack that glowing richness

of colour in their orchestration to which

we have become accustomed

.

with Berlioz,
etc.

Orchestration

the
are, not

modern Russians, Dvordk,

it

There

merely here and there, very beautiful bits of

scoring in Brahms, but

this

must be remembered that

composer always pays

itself

more attention

to

the

thought
tion of

rather than to the picturesque presenta-

it.

Those who seek the great beauty of these

140

Similarities
symphonies must not look for it in effect of colour, it must tricks of orchestration, and obvious devices
;

be sought

in the

inherent and subtle qualities of the

music

itself.

The fi rst symphony, in C minor, op. 68, often called the "Tenth" symphony by those who claim it as the
direct follower of Beethoven's nine, clings
.

closely to classical form,

'

and
sj

>

is in
;

the usual
-'

fduTTnovements, with a
to the first

ow

C minor _ Symphony
is

in troduction

and

last.

The

place of the scherzo

taken

by a charming
finale

allegretto.

The main

subject of the
last

undoubtedly brings to mind the

movement

of Beethoven's

"Choral Symphony,"^ the theme

Allegro non troppo.

recalling

the

earlier

work both

in

style

shj,pe,

and

manner of

repetition of its phrases.

^

See the theme quoted on

p.

no.

141

Story of
The second symphony,
far the

Symphony

in D major, op. 73, is by most "popular," it being the one that makes This the fewest demands upon the hearer.

major

does not mean that

it

lacks profundity, but

the g-raceful elegance and suave, flowing themes with

which
find

it

abounds cannot
for

fail

to captivate those
first

who
as
first

the more austere methods of the

symphony

too
this

much

them.

Such

melodic

fragments

quotation from the second

subject of the

movement,
AJlcgTo non troppo

or the theme of the fascinating Allegretto,

Allegretto grazloso
Ob.

must carry conviction with them.

142

Influence of

Brahms

The Symphony in F, op. 90, is bold and resourceful, and displays more orchestral device than we sometimes Its four movements are ^ find in this master. F ma.] or
on the regular plan.
that
his
It

should be noted
the scherzo in any of
his

Brahms does not employ

symphonies
he
;

indeed,
to

in

all

work
other

in

cyclic

forms
third

appears

prefer

some
three
the

kind

of

movement.

In

the

first

symphonies he
an Allegro

writes

an Allegretto, and

in

fourth

Giocoso.

The Symphony
received
the
full

in

minor,
of

op.

98,

has not yet

v^'elcome

measure

public

to

which the others have long been admitted.

This fourth symphony of Brahms
is

E minor

un-

doubtedly a somewhat hard nut to crack, although

study or re-hearing will
It
is

materially assist
device,
is

the

task.

is

full

of

contrapuntal
;

and

its

ingenuity
the

remarkable
of

but

there

not

here

same
earlier

measure
works.

spontaneity

which
is

marks
of

the

The slow movement

last,

great

beauty,

but the form of the

tions

a set

of elaborate varia-

upon a "ground bass," militates against the Although success of the work, taken as a whole.
dignified,
this
last

grand and

movement
felt

is

apt to

leave one cold.

The

influence of

Brahms has been

143

perhaps more

Story of
widely
in

Symphony
example of one working'
Italian,

other directions than in that of symphony.

But even here the noble

effect,

on the highest plane has not been without

and the

Sgambati, and the

of

foremost
school of

representatives

our

English

symphony

writers, such as Stanford, Parry,

little

and Elgar, owe not a

to

Johannes Brahms.

144

CHAPTER
BRITISH SYMPHONY COMPOSERS
British vocal

XII.

FROM BENNETT TO ELGAR.

late start

phonists

music Church music The of English sym Bennett Bennett's followers Parry Stanford Cowen Elgar Younger composers.

British composers have, during the history of music,

often been

famed

for their

achievements

in

vocal forms.

The Madrigals
Vocal
__

of the seventeenth century

:

are second to none

the oratorio u^riting

it

is

Music

often fine, even though *'

'

shows the mfluence

of

of

Handel
is

and,

later,

Mendelssohn.

Their school of opera

not without merit.

But instru-

mental music, at any rate for the orchestra, cannot, up

to the nineteenth century, be said to be very remarkable.

Purcell and others wrote well for the orchestra

is some fine chamber music of The symphony, however, was a form which developed at a time when English composers

of their day,

and there

an early period.

strove, for the

most

part, for

eminence

in

music for
10

the Church. 145

Story of
The composition
and
dig-nity

Symphony
is

of church music
it

a task of nobility

at
all,

least

should be so.

But
;

it

is,

after

only a side track of music

its

Church
,

associa-

tion with

words prevents

it

from ranking

amongst
which music
on
itself.

those high forms of the art in

relies for its

beauty and worthiness wholly

necessarily limited to those of

Its
it

appeal
is

is

one creed,

but an
itself,
its

adjunct to a thing

higher
bear
its

and nobler

than

and

it

does

not well

transportation from
influence over

own

sphere.

Moreover,
is

other forms of the art

but slight,

and
by

it

is

not necessarily influenced

other

very materially

forms. However great, therefore, work of that noble army of church composers whose names loom so large in the British

such
be

may

the

mind, their prestige

of of

is

but small outside the borders

their

our
little

own

land,

and

achievements are but

use for our concert rooms, or even for our

homes.

The minds

of English composers being so centred on

it is

the music of the Church, or other vocal forms,

to realise

easy

why we have

so few fine instru-

Late Start

mental compositions.

A
on

very late start was

in the

made, and
their best

it

was not

until well

nineteenth
to put

century that our

own composers
146

felt

inspired

work

into the large instrumental forms.

The

Sterndale Bennett
start once

made, progress was good, and symphonic

in quality right in

productions have been improvingthe present day.

up to

But we have not,

into

our country, a

band of men who can leap

composers
in

fame as symphony

a decade,
is

as

had the Russians.

feel

Our
pro-

development

slow,

we

our

way

cautiously,

and

it

may

be some few years yet before

fine as

we
this

duce symphonies as
moderns, even
ticular line.
if

those given us by other

we

ever equal

them

in

par-

The
is

first

name

of any eminence that need be recorded

that of William Sterndale Bennett,

and

this

more
*

from the success of his

,

picturesque

and
1816-75

elegantly conceived overtures than from his , c u n mmor, op. one and only symphony G

m
'

43,

which was only moderately successful.

write orchestral music that
originality.

Nevertheless,

Bennett gave proof that an English composer could

was
in

full

of beauty and

Before

Bennett's

solitary

example had
in

come Macfarren's Symphony

1834, while
six

minor, produced
less

John EUerton (1801-73) wrote no

than

symphonies,

now

practically forgotten.

Bennett's example
Leslie's

was followed by

others.

Henry

Symphony Symphony

in

(1847), Barnett's in

minor
etc.),

(1864),
Cliffe's

Davenport's
in

two

symphonies
(his

(1876,

C minor
147

most esteemed

Story of

Symphony

work) dating from 1889, and a second from 1892, Prout's three works (1874, 1877, ^""^ ^^^5 respectively),

and works by both George and Walter Macfarren,

besides
Followers

others of
.

the British composer

and that
in

repute, show that was devoting attention. not without some considerable
less
, .

measure of success, to

this

branch of music.
in

Sullivan's

Symphony

E,

produced

1866,

gained
in

success

more perhaps from the composer's triumphs

branch of the art than from
these were by no
its intrinsic

another

merits, though

means

slight.

More importance attaches

are
still

to

the

works of three

composers born about the same time, whose symphonies

played, and who, moreover, are
Sir
still

writing for the orchestra.

Hubert Parry

wrote his
Festival of 1882
;

first

symphony

for the

Birmingham
in

his last, so far, is

one

minor,
in

produced

at

the

Philharmonic
Intermediate
the

Society's

Concert
as

December 19 12. "English" and

ones,

such

the

F (produced by
far
in

Richter),

have
pro-

been very frequently performed.

In his newest exdirection

ample Parry goes so

the

of

gramme
have

as

to
for

titles

his "four linked

movements."

Elgar
Sir Charles

Stanford has written symphonies during

of his
flat

the greater part

career as

a composer.

His
'

Symphony
(" In

in

Alexandra Palace
a few years

in

was produced at the 1876, and his latest

'

Memoriam," G.
back.

F.

Watts) dates from

representative

l8'i2

The most

of his

works
ability

in this direction is,

however, the "

Irish "

sym-

phony, op. 28,

to

in

which
in

his individuality,

and

his

happy

convey

his

music

the

impress of his

nationality are very marked.

Sir Frederic

Cowen's symphonies,

six in

number, are

characterized by the feeling of poetry, and by the spirit

marks so much of his work. Three of them have names. The "Scandinavian," the "Welsh," and the
of fairy-like grace which

'

Qt2

"Idyllic."

The

first

of these had a very considerable

its

vogue about the time of

Cowen's
pieces are

production (1880), but

many

delightful

overtures

and

symphonic

more frequently heard

in the

concert-room

than are his symphonies.

Unlike these composers, Sir Edward Elgar waited

until

he had achieved great eminence

//
yZ<.^^C<.

in

many

other

forms of music,

and had, moreover,

to

attained

very great

Story of

Symphony
His
1908,
first,

mastery over orchestral resource, before he ventured

upon the production of symphonies.

flat,

in

A
its

did

not appear until

when

Elgar,

1857
due

composer was over fifty years of age. Its success was phenomenal, a fact largely
which Elgar had already
be
seen,
is

to the great reputation

gained,

and

so

far

as

can

this
fine,

success

has been but short

the

lived.
:

The music

but not

necessarily symphonic

the mystic theme with which

work opens
Nobilmente e eemplice.

although particularly typical of

its

composer,

is
:

not
the
also

perhaps specially typical of the symphonic form

second symphony,
in

flat,

dating from 191

1,

appears to have gained but a meagre foothold on the

150


Modern English Composers
shore of success.

Great as are these works they are

neither so strong nor so convincing as

less classically

many

of Elgar's

conceived tone pictures for the orchestra.

Many

of our younger British composers are writing

orchestral

works of great

originality

and beauty.
by

The

symphonic
,
.

poem

is

much

practised

them, but few write actual

symphonies.
.

The followmg names may be mentioned here as composers of work which is symphonic if not in name
:

Composers
in

scope

William Wallace (i860-).

Edward German

(1862-).

Frederick Delius (1863-).

Granville Bantock {1868-).

Vaughan Williams

(1872-).

Josef Holbrooke (1878-).

CHAPTER

XIII.

RUSSIAN SCHOOL.

New

Tchaikovsky His early symphonies The E minor SymphonyThe "Pathetic" Symphony A comparison Rimsky-KorsakofF^Glazounoff Other Russians Finns and Poles.
Russian

composers

minor Symphony

false

The overwhelmingly
the last
fifty

rich

and powerful flood of music

that has been poured out by Russian composers during

years is one of the most extraordinary modern music. The influence of these men has been in the main upon opera, but in other branches of the art, and notably in symphony, they have also
features of
called

attention to themselves not only in their

country but throughout the civilized world.

of Rubinstein
(see to

Chapter IX.) are

of

own The works too German in

the

method and idea

but
with
the

rank as really Russian creations,

advent

Tchaikovsky
affirm
;

Russian

symphony becomes
There
music
is

a thing of reality.
that

are

many who

Tchaikovsky's
is

also not really Russian of the East

;

that he

of the

West

rather than

that the impress of

152

Tchaikovsky
German
This
is

Influence

is

so strongly

shown

in his

works

that he cannot be classed as a " nationalist" composer.

to

some extent

true, but his inclu'

sion of Russian melodies in his works, his

1840-93

employment of national dance rhythms, and above all the characteristic melancholy which
breathes through so
to place

much

of his output, incline one

him with

this school, spite of his

adherence to

some measure
to

of classical form and his non-adherence of the " Koutchka."^

of

many of the tenets The symphonies

Tchaikovsky

are

now

well

established in public favour.

and of these the

(1866),

first,

They are six in "Winter Dreams,"

minor,
op.

number,
op.

13

the

second, in

17

(1872),

and

the

third,

"The
its

Polish," op.

29 (1875), are seldom

played, although they contain

much

fine

music; the

second, with

many

Little

Russian themes, has been

"

described as "perhaps the most distinctively national

of
^

all

Tchaikovsky's works."
a

The " Koutchka" was

Borodine,

name given

to five nationalistic musicians,

Balakireff,

Dargomijsky,

Rimsky-Korsakoff,

and Mous-

sorgsky,

who formed

a kind of league with the determination to break

classic tradition in musical composition.
this,

away from formalism and

^

For a more complete account of

and of Tchaikovsky's other

symphonies, and for musical extracts from their pages, the author's

volume, Tchaikovsky

in

John Lane's "Music of the Masters"

Series,

may be

consulted.

Story of
The
known.
three
last

Symphony
minor, op. 36 (1877), dedibest friend"
.

symphonies are much more widely

The
, ,

fourth, in

F
\,

_ F minor
,

cated
,

"To my
.

Meek), was a favourite with

for

(Madame von ...

its

composer,

and was chosen by him

Philharmonic Society

performance by the London

It
is

in

1S93.

full

of interest,
his
It is

and has since been shown, by the publication of

correspondence, to have a
largely dominated by
full

programme

basis.

what Tchaikovsky

calls

" Fate,"

and alternative themes represent "hopeless despair" and " happiness." The second movement, song-like

and sweetly sad, represents "another phase of

ing "
;

suffer-

the third,

extraordinary

in

its

rapid pizzicato

and

its

contrast of the different sections of the oris

chestra,

"a

series of confused
fall

images which pass

asleep"; while the

through our thoughts as we

fourth,

wild and impetuous, with a folk-song basis,

depicts
sinister

happy scenes of shadow of " Fate

symphony,

rejoicing, with,
"

however, the
all.

imminent over
is

The
,

same kind of procedure

op. 64 in

adopted
minor,

in the fifth

E minor

in

which the

sad melody announced by the clarinet at

154

the very outset

The "Pathetic"
Andante.

Clar.

is

employed
that

in
is

each of the four movements with an

dramatic, and which evidently implies

effect

some programme in the composer's mind. The slow movement of this work is one of the most lovely
of
all

Tchaikovsky's many beautiful creations, and

is

specially noticeable for the richly varied

its

character of

orchestration.

The last of Tchaikovsky's symphonies is known "Pathetic." It was not so called at was only given this name after a compara^
. ,
.

the wellfirst,

and

tively
its

poor reception had been accorded to

performance.
(1893) of his
It
life,

B minor
the last

initial

was written during

and
his tragically

summer

sudden

death, combined with the fact that his last

work had

been thus named by him, aroused a good deal of sentimental interest not of the best kind.
lived

The work has

its

down

its

melodramatic and rather unfortunate

early

reputation,

and

is

accepted

now on

own

merits.

These are great, despite the somewhat over-

pessimistic

yp
/^

character
of
its

C^
.

/
^55

,.

last
;

1/

Uc/TicUf

ftr

movement

Story of

Symphony

such exquisite melodic passages as that given to the

clarinet in the first

movement,

Andante,

and such rhythmic charm as that displayed

in

the

famous

five-four

movement

are examples of features that have contributed to the

fact

that the

recently, the

symphony is, or has been until quite most widely "accepted" (in the popular
symphonies of Tchaikovsky cannot

sense) of

all

symphonies.

Of

course, the

be compared with those of Beethoven for pure beauty

or perfection of form, although they naturFalse
ally

exceed the examples of the German

in

Comparison

composer

their rich

and elaborate

or-

chestral colouring.
in

Nor can they be

156

said to equal,

dignity and real musical feeling, those of such a

[By Pcniiissiott of Messrs.

J.

&^ W. Chester.

N. A.

RIMSKY-KORSAKOFF.

Other Russians
modern master
is

of the

first

rank as Brahms.
particularly
it

Fate
with

not

very likely to

deal

kindly

the music

of Tchaikovsky, but

is

all

nonsense to

some do in the present day, and to down as merely a neurotic and emotional individual. Though not a composer of the very highest order, he yet has much to say to us.
decry him as
write him

Another composer whose symphonies have obtained

a wide following
is

Rimsky-Korsakoff.

His
^ as

first,

op.

i,

performed
J J produced
,

in or
r

1865,
^-

was one
.

of the earliest

native

u symphonies,
,

J and

Rimsky'

^r such had a great reception. Of subsequent works, his second symphony, "Antar,"
,

Korsakoff,
1844-1908
*'

afterwards revised
Suite,"
is

and announced as an

Oriental

the best known.

He

latterly,

however, gave

his attention rather to opera than to orchestral

work.
is

More famous

in the direction of

symphony

Alex-

ander Glazounoff.

His

first

was written

at the age

of sixteen, and up to the present he hsB penned seven others, the eighth (op. S^)

'

appearing a few years back.

titles to

We

find

no
is

the symphonies of this composer; he

of a

diff'erent

order to the majority of Russian composers

in that he works very largely on classical models and has been considerably influenced by Brahms. His harmony and orchestration are rich, and his power of

157


Story of

Symphony

il

developing an Idea very considerable.

sixth

His fourth and

symphonies are the most frequently performed.

quotation from the former

Andante.
CorAnglai*.
.

___

dolce

will

show

that

he

sometimes

exhibits

the
to

vein

of

melancholy which we have

now

learned

expect

from Russian composers.

There are many other successful Russian composers

of symphonies

whom

limits

of space

preclude from

more than a mere mention, and the reader must be The names of the referred to Appendix A for these. more prominent may be given here:
Borodine (1834-77).
BalakirefF (1836-1910).

Arensky (1862-1906).
Scriabine (1872-1915).

Rachmaninoff (1873
Gli^re (1874).

).

"
The
Russia
richness
into

Finlandia"
art

of musical

has overflowed from

both Finland and Poland.

Of Finnish

composers, Jean Sibelius (1865

has

won fame

for

much
Of

of

his

orchestral

music,

which includes

two

symphonies and the popular tone-poem "Finlandia."

Polish
birth,

the

celebrated

pianist,
in

Paderewski

(i860

),

numbers a symphony

B minor among'st

his compositions.

159

CHAPTER

XIV.

MODERN SYMPHONY COMPOSERS.

Smetana

Dvorak Saint-Saens Cesar Franck Scandinavian com Modern Germany Bruckner Mahler Sgambati American composers Modern orchestras.
posers

Smetana,

the

father

of

modern

Bohemian

music,

appears nowadays to belong to a somewhat remote

period of the art.

Yet his ideas are very

Smetana,
^"
'^

often post-symphonic
tion of

and tend

in the directitle

programme music.
:

His chief

to
is

fame

lies in

opera

but a most striking work of his

the fine symphonic poem,

in six sections,
itself.

"Mein Vaterland."

This

is

each of which forms a complete work in

These sections, a performance of individual numbers of which is fairly frequent, are entitled

"Vysehrad."
*

Vltava."

"Sarka." " Aus Bohmen's Hain und Flur."

'

Tabor."
60

"Blanik."
1


"

New World " Symphony

Bohemia produced, however, a pupil and disciple of Antonin Dvofdk, who easily outstripped his master in both name and fame, and Dvorak, whose symphonies, more especially that 1841-1904 entitled " From the New World," op. 95,
Smetana,
have won great popularity.
the

Of
;

his

five

symphonies

two

last are

much played
that
is

that in

major, op. 88,

contains

much

fresh

"New World" Symphony

the

and delightful, while the owes much of its charm to

it

many melodies

of Indian origin which

includes.

Dvofdk gathered his material very largely from the

American Indians, and, moreover, assimilated
style so happily to that of the
this

his

own

borrowed material, that

has become perhaps his most popular and esteemed

work.
time,

Two

extracts, one in quick, the other in slow

must suffice on which this very

to

show

the kind of melodic idiom

delightful

symphony

is

founded

Allegro molto.

'^^^^A'^^^^^^^'ZJ'";^^

161

II


Story of
Largo

Symphony

With

brief mention of

Napravnik and Fibich,

both

symphonic composers,

this list of

Bohemian symphonists
composer, Saintkind.

may

close.
still

In France

lives

the veteran

Saens.

With wonderful
world
'

versatility he has given to the

music

of every

His sym-

phonies, three in number, have not attracted

much

attention, although the third, which

contains parts for the organ and for pianoforte duet in

addition to the usual orchestral instruments, has had a

More interest has been good many performances. excited by his symphonic poems, all of which are frequently played. They are entitled
" Rouet d'Omphale," op.
**

31.

Phaeton," op. 39. " Danse Macabre," op. 40.

" La Jeunesse d'Hercule,"

C6sar Franck, a Belgian by
Cesar Franck,
1822-90

op. 50.

birth, is

ranked as a
his long
<.

French composer by reason of

residence
.

m that country.

..u

i.

tt-

His reputation

4.-

has only grown very gradually, and his works are only now beginning to be appreciated at
162


Cesar Franck
something- like their proper value.

His Symphony
life,

in
is

minor, written in
its

1899 at the close of his

proving

importance,

and

his

symphonic poems,
are
often
to

"Les Eolides" and " Les Djinns,"

heard.

be

Amongst other French composers

phonic works

of

modern sym-

may

be mentioned

Vincent d'Indy (1851

).

Gustav Charpentier (i860

Paul Dukas (1865).

).

Scandinavian composers have not been

idle.

The

name

of Niels

W. Gade

has already been mentioned.

Svensden, a Swede (1840-1911), Ole Olsen (1850

),

and Christian Sinding (1856

good work
composers

in

Norwegians, have done the direction of symphony.

),

Very interesting are the works of modern German

for

the

orchestra.

Like

men

of

other

nationalities the

the influence of
its

Germans have largely succumbed to the programme basis for their work and
But there
that the
in

natural resultant, the symphonic poem.

still

are

men working

Germany who believe

possibilities,

symphony, as a form, presents

forerunners.

and who

endeavour to carry on the work of

their great classical

Of

these the oldest

is

Anton Bruckner.
163

His nine

Story of
symphonies are
they are
Bruckner,
,

Symphony
in this

little

known
in

country,

though
a com-

much played

Germany.

He was

poser of very serious mien, whose work at

1824-96
his music,

one time was compared with that of Brahms. ^

Opinions vary much as to the real merit of
but most acknowledge that he was very
_

considerably under the influence of

there
is

Wagner, and
symphonies.
(181 1-85),

that

much

rich

romanticism

in his

Passing

over

Ferdinand

Hiller

Robert

Volkmann (1815-83), and Max Bruch (1838 ), we come to a more interesting personality in Gustav
Mahler (i860

),

small sensation.

whose symphonies have created no This is due to some extent to the

to

somewhat abnormal length

to the unusual

which they
in

run

(the

seventh takes seventy-five minutes

performance), and
in solo

employment of voices both

and

chorus.

(See Chapter XVII.)

His nine or ten sym-

phonies are colossal works, and excite

as to their merits.^
^

much

discussion

His themes are usually of great

of

considerable

amount

information

and

comment on
graphy.

the Symphonies of Bruckner and Mahler

much interesting may be read in

See Biblio-

Weingartner's

"Symphony

Writers since Beethoven."

164

Mahler
length, but here
is

Theme

an eight-bar subject from one of his

works.
Scherzo from MahleKs 6th Symphotfj'. Wachtig.

Other Germans of fame

in this

connection are FeHx

Weingartner (1863

Max Reger
early

(1873

),

Richard Strauss (1864

),

and

).

Strauss, although he wrote an

symphony, may be more properly considered as a composer of symphonic poems (see Chapter XV.). Italian composers of the last fifty years have devoted
far

more attention

to opera than to the

symphony, or

any other form of absolute music.

upholder
of
classic

Exceptions, and

notable ones, are Giovanni Sgambati (1843-1914), an

music

in

Italy,

and

Giuseppe
fairly

Martucci
;

(1856- 1909),

whose

symphonies are

well

known and much esteemed.

to the

American composers have not come very much

'

fore as symphonists.
little

MacDowell (iS6i-igo8) wrote

and did not get beyond the
Paine (1839-1906),
),

for

the

orchestra,

symphonic poem.

John Knowles George Whitfield Chadwick (1854

165

and others who

Story of

Symphony
own
country.
of

have written symphonies have not had much success

beyond the borders of

their

The instruments employed by composers

symphonies are many and varied.
as the foundation of the
All,

modern

however, take

orchestra the in

Modern
_
,

struments of the "Classical Orchestra

Beethoven.

.,

^.

,,

of

Orchestras

In addition to these, the tuba

is

now almost
is

uniformly present as a bass to the tromaddition to the wood-wind

bones.

The most important

in his

instruments

the cor anglais, so effectively employed

by Dvofdk

symphony " From

the

New

World."
in

The

clarinet

in

D, used by Richard Strauss

his

" Domestic Symphony," various forms of saxophones,

and other occasionally introduced instruments are not
yet regular constituents of the

symphonic orchestra.

Various percussion and special

effects are

now and
in

then

employed, such as the gong (or tam-tam)

Saens,
really

Tchai-

kovsky's "Pathetic Symphony," the cymbals (Saintetc.),

the xylophone,

celesta,

etc.

The only
orchestra

important

additions
(as apart

to

Beethoven's

from the musical

view

from the sensational) point of

the tuba,

are the cor anglais,

and the harp.

The organ and

the piano are also at times introduced

into their scores by

more recent symphonic composers.

(See Appendix C.)

66

CHAPTER XV.
SYMPHONIC, OR TONE POEM.

definition

How

Liszt

and Berlioz

from a symphony Means employed Their followers Russian composers Strauss.

it

differs

Mention has already been made on

of the symphonic poem.
Its rise

several occasions

and development has

been one of the most prominent features of present-

day music.
orchestra,

It

may

be described as a w^ork for the

in

amorphous
Its

form
of

but

of

symphonic
are

dimensions.
depicting
of

particular

characteristics

the

story
title

or

series

of

incidents

suggested by the
It differs

of the piece.

from the symphony, and from the closely by

a
its

allied concert overture,

absence of form.
is

We
from
,

have

already seen

that

symphony
.

almost always cast into a regular form or

shape, and though it may have a title, and ' ^_ at times a programme, this architectural
'
^

^,
differs
,

'a. bymphony
The symphonic
it

design

is

pretty generally adhered to.

poem

also

may be
classic

cast

into

the

recognized mould
is

framed by the

composers; but
167

much more

Story of
work

Symphony
it

often without definite plan of construction;

is

more

usual for each

to

attempt

to illustrate the picture

which the composer desires to conjure up before the

mind of the hearer; the individual fancy and

the work.

bias of the

writer also has a pronounced effect upon the shape of

The symphonic poem more

other elements which

often than not contains

it

differentiate

from the sym-

phony; much use

is

frequently made, for purposes of

definite delineation, of the leitmotif; the orchestration

generally seeks to be of a picturesque, and

is

some-

times of an extravagant order; and "effects" (occasionally of an experimental nature) are frequent.
is

It

usually in

one long movement, or

in

a series of

movements

of different time and style but linked up

by connecting bars, and played without break. The term was invented by Liszt, who has been called It was applied the " Father of the Symphonic Poem."
Liszt

and

by him to his twelve orchestral pieces which ... ^ had a programme nature, which were
, ,
. . .

Berlioz

ambiguous in form and m which the principle of the metamorphosis of themes was first seriously utilized. His chief works in this direction (Dante, Tasso, Orpheus, etc.) are better known than his symphonies and have more historical significance.
Berlioz,

although working much on the same 1 68

lines,

does not

Tone Poems
use the term.

His orchestral works which are not

symphonies are usually concert overtures.

Of
the

the older composers

who have

followed the lead

of Liszt
titles

may
of

be mentioned the Bohemian, Smetana,

His

disciple,

whose works have already been given. Dvofdk, also wrote many symphonic

poems

at the close of his career, but they have not

equalled in importance or interest the symphonies and

overtures in which he

was so

successful.

Saint-Saens'

four examples have been mentioned in Chapter

XIV.

Russian composers have to some extent adopted

the

term.

Balakireff

has given us

*'

In

Boheme,"

"Russia," and "Thamar": Borodine, "Dans

les

steppes de I'Asie Centrale "; Glazounoff,

Forest,"

"The
well

"The
is

Kremlin," "The Sea,"

Composers
is

_,

" Stenka Rasine," etc.; Glinka's " Kamarinskaja "

known, as

Noskowski's

"La

kovsky's

" Fatum," "Manfred," Rimini," and " Voievoda " also belong to

Steppe"; Tchai" Francesca da

this class

of composition. that
it

At

this

point
to
tell

it

may

be mentioned

is

little

hard

sometimes

whether
its

an orchestral work, unless specifically entitled by

composer, should be designated as a symphonic poem, a

tone poem, a concert overture, a fantasia, or a rhapsody.

The more modern symphonic poem owes

ence mainly to Richard Strauss.

its

exist-

His series of works

169

Story of
in this form, together

Symphony
his

'

with his operas, constitute his

chief

title

to

fame,

and have made

name now
,

almost a household word.

Strauss
to recognize to

The world has

,

not been slow to appreciate tne beauty, or

some extent

the extravagance of these

works, and they have been

played

latterly

in

this

country until they rank almost

as familiarly as

the

symphonies of Beethoven.
extremely free
in their

They

are very frequently

in texture,

harmonies, complex

The and surprisingly clever in their orchestration. earlier ones, such as " Don Juan," " Death and Transfiguration," and ''Till Eulenspiegel," have met with
more acceptance than
such recondite

examples

as

"Thus spake
The

Zarathrustra,"

"Don

Quixote," and the

" Domestic Symphony."

influence of Strauss has been widely
felt.

composers of the younger generation turn to

position of symphonic

Most the com-

symphonies.

poems rather than to that of The greater freedom of form, the stimulus
Debussy with his " L'ApresScriabine's "Divine Poem,"

of the "story," and the romantic nature of the whole,

make
midi,"

it

very attractive.

"Fetes,"
of the

etc.,

many

works of the young composers of our own

and other countries, are monuments to this influence. The very name of such composers is legion; for the most part their work is too near our own day to judge of
170

Scriabine
its

value or of

its

possible importance.

Their methods

of expression are to a large extent novel,

still

and to a

larger disconcerting.

But, speaking broadly, the

symphonic poem, though interesting, can never attain

the position which the
to express
definite

symphony

holds.

In striving

ideas, to carry out

a suggestive

programme, there is that great loss of dignity which the symphony, of all musical forms, has striven most to keep. But a discussion of this point must be
relegated to our next chapter, and one extract from

one of the most modern examples, Scriabine's " Divine

Poem," must
tained in so

suffice to

show

the kind of music con-

many

of these recent works.

From
Allegro

First movement.

CHAPTER

XVI.

FUTURE OF THE SYMPHONY.

Is

there

imaginary picture

Wagner's views These views criticized An What we should miss The symphonic poem Its appeal What of the future An answer.
a
future?
?

There

are

some who
and
its

believe that the

it

symphony has
its

no future;

that, as a form,

has been exploited to

fullest capacity,

that, in
tale of

common

with the fugue

is

and the sonata,

greatness

already told,
reflection of

modern works being but a

an erstwhile glory.

feeble

and pale

Nor

is this

idea one of the present day only; no less

a person than Richard

agner
s

Wagner

affirmed that the right

of composing symphonies

was abolished by

Beethoven's Ninth.
last

His words are:

"The

Views

symphony
It

is

the redemption of music

from her own peculiar element and her incorporation

in the

universal art.

is

the
it

human gospel
is

of the

art of the future.

Beyond

no progress

possible;

for

upon

it

there can follow only the perfect art-work

of the future, the universal drama, to which Beethoven

172

Symphony

since

Beethoven

has forg-ed for us the key."

did not conform to this opinion

That Beethoven himself is proved by the fact

for a tenth

that he himself

began sketches

symphony, /^
_^y
It
is

which unfortunately did not materialize.

In spite of
to
is

Wagner's dictum, composers subsequent

Beethoven have continued to write symphonies.

almost inconceivable, this idea that no progress

possible; such a

wondrous magician with the orchestra as Wagner must himself have realized, had he not been so busily engaged in attempting- to prove the
unprovable, that the wonderful advance in perfection
of orchestral instruments, and the consequent progress
in orchestration,

would cause

earlier

symphonies (even
his

those of Beethoven himself) to sound old-fashioned

and

comparatively thin.

Doubtless

mind was
rich musical
(to

centred more on the music than on the method of

presenting

it;

upon the serene glory of the

thoughts rather than upon the inefficiency

minds) of their representation.

modern

Even

then, however,

Wagner

could hardly have believed that the coming

generations would not find beauty in works of sym-

phonic form subsequent to the Beethoven period. Let us try to imagine a series of orchestral concerts
in the

present day which should include no symphonies

after Beethoven's.

We

should hear far more of the

\vork of Haydn and Mozart than we do, which would

173

Story of
perhaps be as well;

Symphony
I

Beethoven would,

suppose, be

played at every concert, and for occasional variety we might have some Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach, which would be interesting now and Imaginary ^^ ^nr agfam, and a work by some one like Wra^, &
.

Picture

-'

'

nitzky or Gossec (which

Side by side with this

we should have

Heaven forbid !). the most modern

orchestral tone-poems and rhapsodies, which by their

fulness of orchestration, their

complex modernity, and

their utter differences of style,

works to sound
than they should.

really

would cause the older more threadbare and jejune

First of
all

And what
we
could

should

we miss?

the

sym-

phonies of Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Raff.

Perhaps

get along without these,

sparkling

although

many

Symphony. would regret the Then the glorious works of Brahms, which are becoming more and more precious to concert goers; every
"Italian"
re-hearing of these confirms the feeling that they are

master-works,

fit

to stand side

by side with the works

of even the great

Bonn composer.

Next would go

all

the productions of the Russian composers, with their

very marked individuality, their wonderfully picturesque

orchestration, and their novel outlook.

These works

may

not perhaps rank on a par with the really great

symphonies, but they meet our needs of the day, and

174

A
as yet

Comparison
Finally,
in

we cannot

spare them.

we should miss

every sincere and noble effort

the

absolute music for

it must be admitted that, modern forms of orchestral suite, symphonic tone poem, and so forth may be, your really serious composer, when he wishes to put

orchestra alone
attractive

for

however

the

before the world his highest and best thoughts,

still

turns to the symphony.

And

here

it

will

be as well perhaps to state in what

is

ways the symphony

definite
.

superior to the symphonic poem.

it

In the first place, the fact that

has a
Svmr)fonir
.

and pre-determined shape, or form,

.

is

distmct

advantage

. ;

Poem

the

listener,
is

if

intelligent,

knows what

to expect; he

not constantly

disturbed by unexpected and partly incomprehensible

changes of mood.
appeals
to

He
by

listens to the
it

music as music,
;

without having to read into

extraneous ideas

it

him

its

own

merits,

and does not

This leads us
never on quite

depend upon meretricious influences.

to
*'

secondly"

which
when

is,

that music

is

so high a plane

depicting, or striving to depict,

external objects, incidents, or occurrences, as

is
it

when

it

merely concerned with an expression of the beautiful;

may

gain in picturesqueness,
it

it

may perhaps

rivet

the attention more,

may

indulge in the eccentric and

the bizarre; but

it

lacks the great dignity which

we

Story of
find in the best

Symphony
its

forms of absolute music;

is

appeal to

the imagination

direct rather than

by suggestion,

and
lose

it

lays itself open to abuse.

Thirdly, the music of

the symphonic
its

poem
;

tends,
it

in

following a story, to
in

individuality

approximates,

the

best

examples, more to the music of the stage, and

worst,

in the

more

to

the

music

of

the

cinema
level

But

it

rarely remains

on a consistently high

throughout,

although such beautiful examples as Strauss' "Death

and Transfiguration" may well rank with the best

pages of musical
literature.

And yet, of late years, the appeal of the symphonic poem has been greater, both to composers and to
audiences,

than

has

that

of

symphony.
feel

Doubtless there are

selves incompetent to
pit their

many who

them-

strength against that of

Beethoven and other great symphonists, and yet know

that they have something to say;

many

also find a

more

ready means of self-expression

offered
ful in

in the vivid
;

opportunities

by

title
*'

and programme

many

are

more successin the

the

single-movement" form than

lengthy

its diversity of movement which yet demands such unity of purpose. And practical and mundane as such a suggestion must be, many again

symphony, with

feel that

a symphonic poem, on a story that

may

appeal

to the public, will obtain

much more
176

readily

both a

Modern Tendencies
performance and a publication than would a symphony,

which would probably

shelf for years.

lie

dusty and neglected on a

But whatever the considerations, com-

posers certainly to-day lean

direction of tone

much more
of

readily in the

poem than

symphony; such comthe

in

posers as Glazounoff and Elg-ar are notable exceptions.

What
that
is

then of the future?

?

Is

symphony a form
a hundred years
, .

used up

Will audiences
, , .

time

feel, in listening- to
J-

a symphony, that
J

they have been enioymsf somethmgf archaic, J & ^ 6> as we do to-day when we listen to a

What

of

tj^g

Future?

sixteenth-century madrigal, or to a motet of Palestrina?

Will they

feel that the old is better

than the new, even

as we feel in hearing a Bach fugue after one of the more modern examples of fugal construction ? Or will another great composer of symphonies arise, one who will compare with the greatest of bygone days? This question is not easy to answer. Weingartner draws an imaginary picture of the future symphony composer, and shows what manner of man he must
be.

The task

is

no slight one, but there

its

is

not any
It
is

reason to despair of

being undertaken.

in-

conceivable that this magnificent form should not be

pursued

in

will arise.

How

rapid

some day the great man word is patience. was the development of the symphony from
the future, and

But

for the time being the

177

12

Story of
the early examples of

Symphony
to the ripe productions
!

Haydn
it

Progress was too rapid was quite a considerable time Now again before Brahms appeared upon the scene. we seem to be going through a period of interregnum,
of Beethoven and Schubert
to be maintained,

and

and. probably
one.

it

will

last longer

than did the earlier

if it

The day may never come, but

it

does

it

will

be a Titan that

will

bring with

it.

178

CHAPTER
CURIOSITIES

XVII.
IN

AND EXPERIMENTS

SYMPHONY.

Haydn "Farewell" Symphony Beethoven's "Choral" Voices as symphonic forces "Battle" Symphony Schubert's " Unfinished "Spohr The "Earthly and the Divine" " Historic" Symphony " Le Desert " Other experiments Conclusion.

Experiments
the form
interest

jiowadays

we should not consider such things very startling-. The "Surprise" Symphony is so called from the fact that in the slow movement a
very soft passage for the strings
is

in symphony were soon introduced after was once established. Among- the earliest of are one or two of Haydn's, althougfh ^ ^ Haydn
.

followed by a
all

fortissimo for the full orchestra.

will

" There

the

women

scream," said Haydn.

This was a device which

Beethoven employed very frequently, and to which we

are

now accustomed.
'en pianissimo
"*nally

Although at times
its

startling,

it

y
V.

not nearly so distressing as

after

converse, a very

a loud
that

passage,

when
in

it

is

occ.

discovered

the

unwary are

the

179

Story of
midst
of

Symphony
or

a vigorous

conversation,

are

possibly

indulging in a somewhat strident sleep

THE "surprise" SYMl'HONY.

Greater interest

attaches
its

to

Haydn's "Farewell"

Symphony, because of

biographical nature.
1

Haydn

80

"

Haydn's Hint
and his orchestral players
in

the

service

of

Prince

Nicolaus were being kept on duty at Esterhdz

longer than they liked, beinsf anxious to
return to their

much

homes and
gave

families.
his

The
a

" Farewell .

bymphony

composer

therefore
;

Prince

strong- hint

during the last movement of the sym-

" FAREWELL."

phony the players stop playing, get up and go out, until only two violins are left. It is satisfactory to know that the Prince took the hint and raised his
Court.

This symphony, with

i8i

its

amusing

finish, is

Story of

Symphony
find

great favourite at some of our seaside places and spas,

where the lighter works of the great composers

a footing denied to their

more serious achievements.

delightful

When
"Toy"

at Esterhdz,

Haydn played a very

;

practical joke

on his musicians

he brought back with

fair

him from a country

toys,

a collection of

which

included

a
a

Symphonies

"cuckoo,"
"whistle,"

a
a

"trumpet," a
in

"drum,"
For
this

"triangle," and a "quail."

combination he

wrote a symphony

three

movements, adding also

his score.

two

violin parts

and a double bass to

We
that

are told that the

performers laughed so

much

they could not keep their time.

This jeu d'esprit has

become very popular at school and other performances, as has a similar work by Romberg, which includes much the same instruments, as well as a rattle and
a bell (to say nothing of a part for pianoforte duet
!).

The
in

last
;

movement
it

of Haydn's

is

extremely humorous

effect

is

played three times, each time faster

than before, and ends with a scurrying presto.

To

include voices in the performance of a

for

symphony
tried

was an innovation
hoven.
Beethoven's
,
,,
it

which we have to thank Beet-

The composer had already

.

"Choral"
his

,,

in his

Fantasia for pianoforte, orchestra ^

and chorus, op. 80, before employing it in great " Choral " Symphony (see Chapter VH.).
182

..

Vocal Symphonies
Since his day the experiment has been tried over and

over again, but with more persistence by modern than

by the better-known composers.

In this connection one or

be

mentioned.

Liszt

two important names may and Berlioz frequently include

;

cltoruses in their

symphonic works
.
.

in his

second

_^ novelty

symphony MahleL, introduces

.

the

Voices as

Symphonic

of a solo song^ in addition to parts

foi^a _boys' choir-and-a three-part choir of

female voices^

In one of his latest symphonies,

"The

Song_of_E.arth7-'Hiiere are solos for tenor

and contralto.

The natural corollary to the employment of the chorus in symphony is the omission of the orchestra altogether an experiment which has been made by Granville

Bantock;
for

this

composer,

in

Atalanta in Calydon, writes

a choir of twenty parts, and has endeavoured to

provide by different groupings of his choral forces the

same kind of variety of tone colouring and contrast

which
is

obtained from the different departments of the

With Arnold Schon-

berg

we

find

the

solo

voice admitted into the

hitherto pure and classic

realm of the string

quartett.

Story of
orchestra.

Symphony
and a
successor which has

This work,
is

recently appeared,

certainly revolutionary in idea,

though

its

success appears doubtful.

To

return to Beethoven.

We

have already noticed

the tendency to description in the "Pastoral"

Sym-

phony.
" Battle" ^--

Symphony

Much more leaning: towards programme music is indicated in the same

....
it

composer's

" BatUe^' Syrnphony {not one

of the " immortal nine," nor a very great work).

The
battle

composer himself spoke of

although Niecks classes
pieces."
In this
it

as a piece of tomfoolery,

as "important

among

work "Rule Britannia" stands for the English forces, and " Malbrough s'en va-t-en guerre " for the French. The battle itself is noisily
theme being played
This experiment
is

indicated, the defeat of the French represented by their

in the

minor, and at the end comes

the King."

general jubilation, with

much " God save

not highly to be commended, even

though perpetrated by Beethoven. It has led to awful pianoforte pieces, such as the " Battle of Prague," and
to vulgar orchestral effusions, of which Tchaikovsky's

" 1812
and

"

Overture

is

a type.
as to the

The conventionality
their order in
qi>ite

movements a symphony, which had grown into

number

of

an accepted condition of things by the time of

pre-

Haydn, was disturbed, no doubt quite without

184

Spohr's Experiments
meditation, by Schubert,
orchestral
r

who

left

his

most exquisite
probably
1

work

"unfinished."
r
Ti
.

He

knew

nothing- of the precedent set in the late

pianoforte sonatas of Beethoven, and ' ^ some accident alone prevented the completion of his work.

Schubert's

,,,,,,,, .. "Unfinished"

obtains as
for

fourth

The older convention still largely to number of movements (more's the pity, movements are usually poor), but their
commove-

disposition has been considerably varied by later

posers, as by Tchaikovsky in leaving the slow

ment of his " Pathetic " Symphony to the end. To Spohr may be attributed the real "programme" symphony, his great work, "The Consecration of
Sound,"
dating-

from 1832, a date

a

at

which
in the

no previous attempts of importance

construction
of

Spohr
pro-

symphony with

definite

the

gramme basis had been made.^ Spohr directed that poem which the work illustrated must be distributed
^

Of

course, a

mere

title for

work

is

not enough to justify

it

as

a piece of

programme music.

Were

this the case,

the Dittersdorf

symphonies might be classed as programme symphonies, and Beethoven's

"

Pastoral " and other works might

fall

into the

same category.

What

is

here said of Spohr finds

definitely

its justification

in the fact that his

symphonies are

based on a programme of events of which

the music seeks to give an illustration, and this not merely as a piece
of occasional realism but as a definite whole.

"

Story of

Symphony
playall

to the audience, or else recited aloud before the

ing of the music.

This instruction should apply to

loses

programme music, which

beforehand.

much
it

of

its
is

meaning
grasped

unless the poetic idea on which

is

based

With

his

symphony
in

for

and the Divine

innovation.

Human

two orchestras, "The Earthly Life," Spohr made yet another

full

Eleven solo stringed instruments represent

orchestra stands for

the Divine, while the ordinary the

Earthly

each of the three

movements has

its

definite

title " Childhood,"

of the Divine."

"The Age

of Passions,"

"Triumph
movement
<

In the " HistGricIi-Syjtnphony Spohr writes the

in the style of

first

music of the period of Bach

'

Historic

and Handel (dated 1720); the second, period r ' -" the third, of Haydn and Mozart (1780) periodof Beethoven (1810); and the fourth,
;

period of his

own day

(1840).

S^et

another symphony

of Spohr's, called

"The

of and transitions

moods between Spring, Summer, Autumn,

Seasons," reflects the

and Winter.
Although not strictly a symphony, F^licien David's symphonic ode, " Le Desert," shows a further device
**Lc Desert"

that of connecting the various instrumental ^

and
;

vocal
the

movements
186

by

recited

{i.e.,

spoken) words ' \

.

speaking of words through the

Modern Extravagances
music (melodrama)
idea.
is

a more familiar form of a similar

In recent times composers have tried

tions.
is

Josef

many innovaHolbrooke's "Illuminated" Symphony

The music, which
is

one of these.

is

both orchestral and vocal,

French's

based upon

Experiments

man."
a large

poem, "Apollo and the SeaBut chorus and orchestra are hidden behind
screen,

upon which
illustrate

is

displayed a series of
the
ideas

pictures which thus

conjured up

by the orchestra or conveyed by the sung words.

nothing
is

Here

left to

the imagination, both eye and ear

are provided for.

innovation with which

From this it is but a step to another we are threatened the irradia-

tion of our concert halls

by colour combinations which

to be appealed to

are to reflect

the

various instrumental combinations

is

which are taking place; the eye

in exactly the

same manner
far

as

is

the ear.

The ingenuity

of

man

will

continue to invent things of this kind,

though how

human

nature will tolerate such ex-

periments remains to be seen.

When
that
it

all is

said

and done, however, we

still

realize

is

the music to which

.

we must always
,

return.

may please us for a time, Conclusion our imagmations may be kmdled, our sensations may be pandered to, all sorts of voluptuous
Freakish tricks
, ,

,,

187

Story of
attacks on eye and ear
it is

Symphony
but
in the

maybe made;

end

the pure, unsullied beauty of the music itself which

appeals: music, without adventitious aid; music standingits

firmly on

its

own

feet, appealingf to
;

our senses by

indefinable

charm

to our brains by its logic, its

its

perfection

of

construction,

clearness

of
is

outline.

There

is

always room for experiment, there

will

always

some one who

be attracted by a curiosity; but, for

stuff that will endure,

we must seek

that truthful

and
said

noble outpouring of spirit that characterizes the finest

music.
*'

Was
it

it

not Beethoven, after

all,

who

From

the heart this music has sprung, and to the

shall penetrate " ?

heart

88

Appendices.
A.

Chronological

List of the more important Composers of Symphonies.

B.
C.

Glossary of Terms.
Lists of Instruments employed in Symphonies

OF Different Periods.
D.

Symphonies

with Definite Titles grouped UNDER Alphabetical List of Composers' Names.

E.

Bibliography

189

.'A

{Photo hy C. Erase k (Berlin).

BRAHMS.

Appendix A.
Chronological

more important Composers of SymList

of

the

phonies.
1

17.

Hubert Waclrant (Brabant), 1517-95. A distinguished contrapuntal composer, whose " Symphonia Angelica"
appeared
in 1585.

They

are for voices only.

15

He was the originator of opera, as we Jacopo Peri. understand the term. In his Euridice (1600) appears a
little

Zinfonia for three

flutes.
1

1567.

Claudio Monteverde (Cremona),

567-1643.

powerful

personality in developing the resources of the orchestra,

and of the methods of writing

preludes to
overture,
1585.
'

for instruments.

The

had influence upon the which eventually expanded into the symphony.
of his operas

some

Heinrich Schutz (Kostritz), 1585-1672. A famous church composer who wrote a number of Symphoniae Sacras (published by Breitkopf & Hartel).

1587.

Samuel Scheldt (Halle-on-Salle), 1587- 1654. A German church composer whose works include seventy " Symphonien auf Concert-Manier."
191

Story of
1633.
for his

Symphony

Jean Batiste LtjIIy (Florence), 1633-87. Became famous works in the direction of opera, and his success in Paris. He invented a form of overture which was much in favour and was afterwards employed by Handel.

1658.

Henry Purcell (London),

1658-95.

This English com-

poser did remarkable work in many directions, chiefly in church music and in opera. His " Laudate Ceciliam"
(1683) contains a symphony, a maestoso in three-two time.
1659.

major in

Alessandro Scarlatti (Trapani), 1659-1725. This famous opera composer used the orchestra boldly, and very frequently wrote ritornelli in his arias, etc. His " Twelve Symphonies for Small Orchestra" appeared in 171 5.

1685.

Johann Sebastian Bach (Eisenach), 1685-1750. mighty list of works includes a Symphony in F
rule
his

His
;

as a

orchestral

works were

termed

concertos

or

suites.

1685.

George Frederick Handel

(Halle), 1685-1759.

Like his

great compatriot, Bach, Handel's orchestral movements,

though many, are rarely described by the name symphony. The short " Pastoral " Symphony in the Messiah
is,

of course,

known

to

all.

1686.

Niccola Antonio Porpora (Naples), 1686- 1766, employed the term " chamber symphonies " for his six works for two violins, 'cello, and continuo.

1690.

Guiseppc Valentini (Florence), 1690-1735. This Italian (whose birth is sometimes given as 1680) was an early composer of symphonies; his op. i is a set of Twelve "Sinfonie 3" (z>., in three parts, and not for
violinist
full

orchestra).

192

Appendix
1693.

A
His three

Christoph Forstcr (Thuringia), 1693-1745. hundred works include symphonies.

1698.

Johann Graun (Wahrenbriick), 1698-1771. Less famous than his brother, who wrote the famous " Uer Tod Jesu," but the composer of some forty symphonies.
Christoph Schrotcr (Hohenstein), 1699-1782. A famous Saxon organist, one of the claimants to the invention of He wrote sonatas and symphonies. the pianoforte.

1699.

1705.

Giovanni B. Sammartini symphony was produced in

in

(Milan),
1734,

1705-75.

His

first

and twenty-three others

followed; he has been called "the precursor of

Haydn

symphonie and chamber music."

1706.

An instruBaldassare Galuppi (Burano), 1706-85. mental composer whose works, according to Burney, had more influence on English music than those of any other composer.
H. Blainville (Tours), 171 1-69. Wrote a symphony in the Phrygian (or Me) mode, which received the commendation of Rousseau.
Charles

171
^

1.

1711.

Ignaz Holzbauer (Vienna), 1711-83.

His works, which

include no fewer than one hundred and ninety-six symphonies, were warmly praised by Mozart.
1714.

Carl Philipp

Emmanuel Bach
J. S.

third son of the great

(Weimar), 1714-88. The Bach. His symphonies are

quite important as bearing

upon the work of Haydn and

Mozart.
1714.

Christopher Willibald Gluck (Weidenwang), 1714-87. His influence upon the operatic overture was great he strove to give, in the music of the overture, a foreshadowing of the emotional purport of the opera.
;

193

13

Story of
1715.

Symphony

G. C. Wagcnscil (Vienna), 1715-77. A favourite composer of his day for the clavier. His works include divertimenti and symphonies.
J.

1717.

K. Stamitz (Deutsch-Brod), 1717-61. An early and important composer of symphonies, favourably mentioned by Burney. A thematic catalogue of his fortysymphonies
exists.

five

1719.

Leopold Mozart (Augsburg), 1719-87. The father of the great composer, and himself the writer of important
musical works, including symphonies.
C. G. Toschi (Munich), 1724-88. A prolific composer whose "symphonies were favourites in Paris before Haydn's advent." His dates are also given as 1745-1800.

1724.

1724.

Pierre van Malder (Brussels), 1724-68. symphonies.

Wrote eighteen

1725.

Karl Frederick Abel (Coethen), 1725-87. One of those symphony composers who influenced Haydn in the
matter of "form."

1727.

Joh.

meister to the

Mecklenburg-Schwerin. wrote oratorios, sonatas, and twelve symphonies.

of

Wilhelm Hertcl Duke

(Eisenach),

1727-89.

Concert-

He
who

1730.

Franz Beck (Mannheim), 1730-1S09.

wrote some symphonies.

violinist

1730-

Ignaz von Beccke, 1730-1803.

Mozart, who symphonies.

friend of

wrote

an

oratorio,

some

operas

Cluck and and

1731.

Christian Cannabich (Mannheim), 1731-98. A popular composer of ballets, operas, and symphonies. Mozart praised him highly as a conductor.

194

Appendix
17

Friedrich Schwindl, 17 His symphonies were 1786. very popular in London and on the Continent about
1770.

1732.

J.

C. Friedrich
S.

J.

Bach (Leipsic), 1732-95. Ninth son of Bach, whose cantatas and symphonies enjoyed
of success.

some measure
1732.

Joseph

Haydn

(Rohrau), 1732-1809,

"The Father

of the

Symphony." His many (one hundred and fifty-seven) symphonies are not of equal importance, but in the last ones he worked with a very sure hand and his efforts
resulted in the firm establishment of the

an

art form.

variously

symphony as The total number of his symphonies is given, some of them not being distinguishable

from overtures.
1734.

F. J. Gossec (Vergnies), 1734-1829. Wrote twenty-seven symphonies (mostly for Paris) the first of these, published in 1754, antedated the earliest of Haydn's by five
;

years.
1737.

Michael Haydn (Rohrau), 1737-1806. Younger brother of Joseph Haydn he wrote much music, including about thirty symphonies.
J.
;

1737-

Joseph Mysliwcczek (near Prague), 1737-81. Wrote symphonies, operas, and oratorios. Mozart speaks v.ell
of his sonatas.

1738.

six

Franz "Weiss (Miihlhausen), 1738-95. This composer of symphonies was a member of the private band of George III.

1739.

K. D. von Dittcrsdorf (Vienna), 1739-99. One of the compose symphonies upon a programme basis or with a definite title. (See Appendix D.)
earliest to

195

Story of
1739.
J.

Symphony
1739-1813.

B.

Wanhal

(Neu-Nechanitz),

This
in

Bohemian wrote symphonies which were popular

their day.

than one hundred are given in the Dictionary of Boheiniaii Musicians. Burney speaks of
less

No

them
1741.
J.

as " spirited, natural,

and

unafifected."

G.

Naumann

(Blasewitz),

1741-1801.

Wrote many

operas and symphonies.

1741.

Giovanni PaisicIIo (Taranto), 1741-1816. A famous composer of opera, who devoted most of his life to that form of the art. He also found time to write twelve
symphonies.

1741.

W. Pichell (Vienna), 1741-1805. Left music, including eighty-eight symphonies.

mass of

1741.

His harmonies A. E. M. Gretry (Liege), 1741-1813. used to be spoken of disparagingly, and the remark was made "that one could draw a coach and four between the bass and the first fiddle." He was a very capable opera composer, however, and gave to the world also some six symphonies.
Luigi Bocchcrini (Lucca), 1743- 1805.

1743.

most

prolific

composer of chamber music.

symphonies.
1745.

He

also

wrote twenty

nection with Haydn,

Salomon (Bonn), 1745-1815. Famous for his conwho wrote the twelve symphonies called the " Salomon " set for the London concerts of the Bonn violinist.
J.

P.

1746.

Karl Stamitz (Mannheim), 1746-1S01. Asonof Johann Stamitz; his works include nine symphonies. Giovanni G. Cambini (Leghorn), 1746-1825. A prolific composer of symphonies which, however, were of little
value or importance.

1746.

196

Appendix
1749.

A
One
of the

Domcnico Cimarosa

(Aversa), 1749-1801.

most noted of early composers of opera.

include seven symphonies.
1749.

His works

Abbe Vogler, The

(Wiirzburg),

1749-1814.

dis-

His Symphony in C, one of his best works, was performed by Mendelssohn on two occasions at the Gewandhaus at Leipsic.
tinguished organist and theorist.
1750.

Franz Anton Roessler (or Rosetti), 1750-92. Wrote a symphony entitled " Calypso et Telemaque," and another called " La Chute de Phaeton."
great imitative

One
1750.

of

the

many composers, about

this

period,

of

"hunting" symphonies.

Antonio Salieri (Legnago), 1750-1825, was a well-known composer of opera after the manner of Gluck. He also experimented in symphony.

1750.

Abbe
day.

Stcrkel (Wiirzburg), 1750-1817. A very productive composer, whose ten symphonies were popular in their

1751.
*

Karl

J.

Birnbach

(Silesia), 1751-1805.

prolific writer;

ten symphonies are accredited to him.

1752.

Muzio Clementi (Rome), 1752-1832. Celebrated for his books of studies for the pianoforte; he composed symphonies and overtures.
Justin Heinrich a

1752.

Knecht

(Biberach), 1752-1817.

Wrote

of symphonies with titles; the most interesting of these, " Portrait musical de la Nature," has a proentirely

number

gramme corresponding almost

1752.

with

that

of

Beethoven's "Pastoral" Symphony.

L.

I F

Succeeded A. Kozeluch (Wellwarn), 1752-1814. Mozart as Court composer. He wrote a great number of works, including thirty symphonies. 197

Story of
1752.

Symphony

Johann F. Rcichardt (Konigsberg), 1752-1814. Was Capellmeister to Frederick the Great, and was one of the earhest to employ analytical programmes. He wrote seven symphonies, besides numerous operas and other
works.

^753-

Gactano Brunetti (Pisa), 1753-1808. Was a Court musician to Charles IV. of Spain; he wrote thirty-seven symphonies.
Pater
Sixtus

1754.

Bachmann

(Bavaria),

1754-1818.

An
his

organist

who

had, at the age of ten, a contest with

Mozart; he afterwards became a monk. works are some symphonies.

1754.

Amongst

Peter von Winter (Mannheim), 1754-1825. A wellknown composer of operas, many of them highly extolled
in their day.

Like his forty operas, his nine symphonies

are
1756.

now

forgotten.

(Salzburg), 1756-91. One of the most supreme masters of symphony. His last

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

three examples remain models of purity of style

and

elegance of symmetry.
1756.

August F. K. Kollmann (Hanover), 1756-1829. The composer of a programme symphony, " The Shipwreck."
Paul Wranitzky (Moravia), 1756-1808. One of Haydn's Esterhdz composer of chamber music and
;

1756.

violinists at

of twenty-seven symphonies.
1757.

Ignaz Joseph PIcyel (Rupertsthal), 1757-1831. As a boy he studied with Haydn, and later was the founder of the Pleyel pianoforte factory. His numerous compositions include twenty-nine symphonies.

198

Appendix
1760,

Maria Luigi C. Z. S. Chcrubini (Florence), 1760-1842. Best known now by his book on counterpoint, and sometimes remembered by his operas. He wrote a few
symphonies.

1760.

Franz Krommcr (Kamenitz), 1760-1831. A violinist conductor and composer of symphonies, quartets, etc.
F.

1760.

C.

Neubauer

(Horzin),

1760-95.

Wrote

twelve

symphonies.
1763.

Adalbert Gyrcwetz (Bohemia), 1763-1850. A friend of Mozart; he wrote thirty operas, forty ballets, and sixty symphonies.
Gottlob Bachmann (Saxony), 1763- 1840. opera and symphony.

1763.

Composer of
singing teacher

1763.

Franz Danzi (Mannheim),

763- 1 826.

who penned symphonies.

1765.
J.

B. Brcval, 1765-1825.

French

'cellist

who wrote

eight symphonies.
1766.

Francisco Basili, 1766-1850.

opera, oratorio, and symphony.

An

Italian

composer of
Gluck and sym-

1766.

Anton Ebcrl
and
of

(Vienna), 1766- 1807.

;

friend of

Mozart

is

remembered by

his operas

phonies. On one occasion his Symphony in E flat appears to have been placed in the same programme as Beethoven's " Eroica," and was criticized more favourably than that masterpiece
!

1767.

Andreas Romberg (Vienna), 1767-1821. A well-known composer, long remembered by his setting of Schiller's

"Lay

of the Bell."

His

six

symphonies are forgotten,

quite equals

but the popularity of his

that of Haydn's.

"Toy" Symphony

199

Story of
1769.

Symphony

Joseph Xavcr Eisner (Grottkau), 1769- 1 854. One of the teachers of Chopin, and a popular composer of Polish operas, besides many symphonies and other
works.

1770.

Ludwig von Beethoven

(Bonn), 1770-1827.
1770- 1836.

1770.

Anton Joseph Reicha (Prague), Bohemian theorist and friend

symphonies
harmonies.
exhibit interesting

of

A famous his Beethoven

;

experiments

in

their

1772.

Christian G. A. Bergt (Saxony), 1772-1837. Composer of popular Lieder as well as symphonies and sacred music.

1774.

Johann W. Tomaschek (Bohemia), 1774-1850. A composer whose works influenced Schumann he wrote one
;

symphony.
1776.

Ignaz

Seyfried

(Vienna),

1776-1841.

An

industrious

pupil of Mozart's,

who wrote numerous

oratorios, operas,

and symphonies.
1778.

Franz Weiss (Vienna), 1778-1830, who wrote symphonies and other works, was the viola player in the famous "Schuppanzigh " quartett which first performed' Beethoven's strmg quartetts under that master's direction.

1779.

Stefano Pavesi (Casaletto Vaprio), 1779-1850. composer of opera and symphony.

Italian

1782.

Blumenthal (Brussels), 1782-1850. A and pupil of the Abbe Vogler wrote some symphonic works.
Joseph

von

violinist,

1784.

Francois
ician,

J.

Fetis (Mons), 1784-1871.

was also a prolific composer. symphonies and overtures. 200

A famous theoretHis works include

Appendix
1784.

A
;

George Onslow (Clermont-Ferrand), 1784-1852. Devoted most of his life to chamber music he wrote four symphonies, one of them being penned for the Philharmonic Society of London upon his election as a member.
Ferdinand Ries (Bonn), 1784-1838. Beethoven; wrote six symphonies.

1784.

The biographer

of

1784.

Louis Spohr (Brunswick), 1784-1859. One of the most interesting of all who wrote symphonies, but one whom the world very largely forgets to-day.
J.

1786.

C.

F.
;

composer
phonies.
1786.

A- prolific Schneider (Saxony), 1786- 1853. he is accredited with twenty-three sym-

Carl Maria von Weber (Eutin), 1786-1826. A genius as regards opera, but his early symphonies are of little
account.

1788.

Johann F. Berwald (Stockholm), 1788-1861. Was a precocious violinist, who wrote a symphony at the age
of nine

1789.

Ramon

Carnicer (Catalonia),

1789-1855.

Spanish

composer of national opera and of symphony.

1789.

Fricdrich

Ernst

clever composer,

A Fesca (Magdeburg), 1789- 1826. whose symphonies, however, fail by

(Graz),

reason of their poor orchestration.

1794.

Anselm Hiittenbrenncr
of operas, symphonies,
his arms.

1794-1868.

Composer
in

and songs.

Beethoven died

1795.

J.

B. Birnbach (Bresiau),
other music.

his gifted pupil Nicolai;

Is famous for 1795-1879. he wrote two symphonies and

much

Story of
1796.

Symphony
;

of the Stockhohii Conservatoire

Franz Bcrwald (Stockholm), 1796- 1868. The director wrote symphonies and

an opera.
1797.

Franz Schubert (Vienna), 1797-1828. His " Unfinished" Symphony is perhaps more frequently played than any other in concerts of repute. Beethoven's "C minor"
runs
it

very close in popularity.

1798.

K. G. Rcissiger (Belzig), 1798-1859. Wrote easily and much, but his music, although very popular for a time, had no enduring merit his mass of compositions includes one symphony.
;

1801.

John L. Ellerton

(Chester), 1801-73.

An

early

com-

poser of English nationality to write symphonies of any importance; his five examples include a "Forest"

symphony.
1801.

Joseph Janssens (Antwerp), 1801-35. One of the earliest Belgian composers to cultivate programme music, as he did in his symphony " Le Lever du Soleil."

1801.

Johann W. Kalliwoda (Prague),

1801-66.

His many

compositions include six symphonies.

1802.

John Barnett (Bedford), 1802-90. Well known as the composer of the opera, "The Mountain Sylph"; wrote a symphony, which has remained in manuscript.

1802.

W.

B. Molique (Nuremberg), 1802-69. not outstanding all-round composer stands to his name.

A
;

good though one symphony

1803.

Alfred J. Becher (Manchester), 1803-40, who wrote one symphony, was shot as a revolutionary. 202

Appendix
1803.

Hector L. Berlioz (Grenoble), 1803-69, the "father of

modern

orchestration,"

is

important as a programme

symphonist.
1803.

Franz Lachner (Munich), 1803-90. At one time held a very honoured position amongst German musicians one of his symphonies (of which there are eight) received
;

high praise from Schumann.

1804.

Sir

Julius

Benedict (Stuttgart),
;

1804-85.

prolific

composer of opera wrote also concertos and symphonies. His long residence in this country caused him to rank as an English composer.
1804.

the
1806.
J.

Heinrich L. E. Dorn (Konigsberg), 1804-92. One of many opponents of Wagner; wrote a symphony.
F. KittI (Bohemia), 1806-68.

Was

a director of the
music, includ-

Conservatoire of Prague.
ing some symphonies.
1807.

He

wrote

much

Jan van
pianist

Boom

(Utrecht),

1807-72.

distinguished

who wrote mostly

for his

own

instrument, but

who
1808.

also

penned operas and symphonies.

Michael Costa (Naples), 1808-84. Wrote three symphonies his work, which was mainly done in England, was chiefly as a conductor, in which role he
Sir
;

attained to considerable fame.

1809.

Felix

Mendelssohn

"Italian" and frequently heard.

His

Bartholdy (Hamburg), 1809-47. "Scotch" symphonies are very

1809.

Adolf F. Hesse (Breslau), 1809-63.

director of the Breslau

For many years

Concerts, for which

Symphony

he wrote some works.

203

Story of
1810.

Symphony

Norbert Burgmullcr (Dusseldorf), 1810-36. A pupil of Spohr, who died at an early age; his two symphonies and other works showed great promise.
FcHcien David (Vaucluse), 1810-76. Is famous in the symphony by virtue of his very interesting symphonic ode, " Le Desert," which is, however, more

1810.

history of

of a cantata than a
fine operas.

symphony

proper.

He

also wrote

1810,

Ferdinand David (Hamburg), 1810-73. A famous violinwhose advice Mendelssohn took in the writing of his well-known violin concerto. David composed symphonies, but is best remembered by his much used
ist,

"Violin School."
1810.

Robert Schumann (Zwickau), 1810-56.

always very
effective.

His symphonies
is

contain glorious thoughts, but their orchestration

not

181

1.

Konstantin J. Becker (Freiburg), Saxon composer of symphony.

181 1-59.

Was

181

1.

Wrote three Ferdinand Hiller (Frankfort), 181 1-85. symphonies, one being entitled " Spring must come at
last."

181

1.

Franz Liszt (Raiding), 181 1-86. The master pianist; composed some interesting symphonies; he is accredited with the invention of the "symphonic poem," and left

many
1811.

fine
in

examples of such works, which

our concert-rooms.

still

find a

hearing

Vincenz Lachner (Rain), 1811-93. Though less famous as a symphony composer than his brother Ignaz, yet did good work. He conducted a season of German opera in London in 1842. 204

Appendix
1811.

A
91.

K. G. W. Taubcrt (Berlin), 181 1 symphonies, and chamber music.

Jos.

Wrote

operas,

1812.

K. Boers, 1812-96.

Is

one of the few Dutch com-

posers of symphony.
1812.

Hermann Hirschbach
;

(Berlin), 1812-88.

notable on

Schumann expected much from as well as of music him. He wrote fourteen symphonies, and in a preface
to

two of them

(op.

to the motives which induced

46 and 47) he writes interestingly as and which influenced his

compositions.
1812.
J.

and
18 12.

A. great editor of Mozart's Reitz (Berlin), 1812-77. Beethoven's symphonies ; himself wrote three

examples.
C. G. P. Gradener (Rostock), 1812-83. Spent most of Hamburg. He wrote two symphonies.
Sir G. A. Macfarren (London), 1813-87.
led a busy
life

his life in

1813.

A man

who

and
1813.

cantata.

and composed much, more especially opera His symphonies are good examples of

their kind.

Richard Wag'ner (Leipsic), 1813-83. This great master of music drama wrote a symphony in C major at the age of nineteen, confessedly on the model of Mozart and Beethoven it was played in 1833 at the Gewandhaus, and then the score was "forced" upon Mendelssohn,
;

who apparently

mislaid it. As long after that date as 1872 a set of parts was discovered, and in 1882 Wagner himself conducted a performance at Venice. The intense
interest taken in

Wagner's music

still

accounts for an
its

occasional performance of the symphony, which, howlittle merit of its own, and was described by composer as " an old-fashioned ouvrage de jeunesse."

ever, has

205

Story of
1815.

Symphony
1815-83.

F. R.

Volkmann (Lommatzsch),
some

A
;

composer
he wrote

of whose works

authorities speak highly

some seriously-conceived symphonies.

1815.

Henry Hugo Pierson

symphony,
is

(Oxford), 1815-73,

who wrote one

second

remembered by

his setting of the

part of Goethe's Faust.

1816.

William Stcrndale Bennett (Sheffield), 1816-75. one of the foremost English composers of the His one symphony stands in nineteenth century.
Sir

Was

G
1817.

minor,
1817-70.

Anton Berlyn (Amsterdam),

poser of opera and symphony.

A Dutch com-

1817.

A conductor of E. M. E. Deldcvcz (Paris), 1817-97. the Grand Opera. Wrote three symphonies.
The first of Niels W. Gadc (Copenhagen), 1817-90. the Scandinavian musicians to rivet European attention.
Wrote
eight

1817.

symphonies and some good orchestral

overtures.
1

81 7.

organist,

Lcfdbure-Wely (Paris), 1817-69. Was a very famous and achieved eminence for his improvisations. He wrote symphonies and many other works.
Fritz

1817.

Spindler

(Lobenstein),

1817-1906.

A
of

prolific

writer for the pianoforte,

1

who

also wrote symphonies.

818.

Antonio Bazzini

(Brescia),

1818-97,
in

some

whose

violin compositions are

much played

the present day.

Wrote
1818.

a symphonic poem, " Francesca da Rimini."

Jean Baptiste C. Dancia (Bagneres-de-Begoire).

four symphonies.

Wrote

Some

of his violin pieces are

much

esteemed,

206

Appendix
1818.

Heinrlch Esser (Mannheim), 1S18-72. Some of his symphonies (ops. 44, 79) are published and gain an
occasional hearing.
L.

1819.

T.

Gouvy

(Saarbruck),

1819-98.

Composed
Wrote

an

enormous amount of music, including seven symphonies.

1821.

August Conradi (Berlin), 1821-73. chamber music, and five symphonies.

operas,

1822.

Cesar August Francfc (Liege), 1822-90. One of the most interesting modern composers of absolute music; his Symphony in D minor is a fine work, and his symphonic poems are also of a fascinating description.
J.

1822.

Joachim Raff (Lachen), 1822-82. A composer whose some extent, set for many years his fine descriptive "Leonore" symphony was constantly played.
star has, to
;

1823.

Selmar Bagge (Coburg), 1823-96. writer of one symphony.

Composer and

critic;

1S23.

K. J. Bischoff (Ansbach), 1823-93. symphonies.

Composed

three

1823.

Giovanni Bottesini (Lombardy), 1823-89. Was a very famous double-bass player. Wrote operas, symphonies,
overtures, etc.

1823.

L. E. E. Reycr (Marseilles), 1823-1909. Wrote a fine symphonic ode in addition to an opera, " Sigurd."

1824.

Adolphe Samuel (Liege), 1824-98. A winner of the Grand Prix de Rome. Composed seven symphonies.

1824.

A Belgian Batta (Maestricht). poser of symphonies and overtures.

Jos.
J.

'cellist

and com-

1824.

N. Coencn (The Hague),

207

1824-99.

Composed two

symphonies.

Story of
1824.

Sym hony
;

leaders

Anton Bruckner (Upper Austria), 1824-96. One of the of modern German music at one time he
rivalled

seriously

Brahms, and

his

nine

symphonies

contain
1824.

some

fine music.

A symphony
1824.

G. E. Goltermann (Hanover), 1824-98. A fine 'cellist. by him was played in Leipsic in 185 1.

Carl H. C. Rcinccke (Altona), 1824-1910.

of very great industry and colossal output.

composer His many

works include three symphonies.

1824.

of

Friedrich Smetana(Leitomischl), 1824-84. The "Father Bohemian Opera" and the teacher of Dvofdk. Is
his very fine cycle

remembered in our concert-rooms by of symphonic poems.

1825.

G.

F.

violinist

Bristow (Brooklyn), 1825-98. An and composer of opera, symphony,

American
etc.

1825.

Adolf von Doss (Bavaria), 1825-86.

Wa
A

Jesuit priest

who wrote
1825.

three symphonies.
pupil of

L. Ehlcrt (Konigsberg), 1825-84.

Schumann
is

and Mendelssohn.

His "Spring" symphony

one of

his best compositions.

1826.

Jean Jos. Bott (Cassel), 1826-95. of symphony.

violinist

composer

1826.

Emil Buchner (Naumburg). Capellmeister of Meiningen and composer of symphonies.

1826.

Franz Coenen (Rotterdam), 1826-1904.

symphony.
E. Silas (Amsterdam) had a
in

Composed one
in

1827.

Symphony

performed

London on two

or three occasions, 1863-64.

208

Appendix
1827.

A
Wrote
several

Adolf Fischer symphonies.

(Pomerania), 1827-93.

1828.

Woldcmar Bargiel (Berlin), 1828-97. C is included amongst his works.

Pietro Bianchini (Venice)
of Italian writers of
is

A Symphony

in

1828.

one of the small number

symphony.
;

1829.

A. H. Dietrich (Meissen) was a pupil of Schumann he wrote a Symphony in D.

1829.

Louis M. Gottschalfc (New Orleans), 1829-69. Was at one time a very well-known pianist. He wrote an entitled symphony.

1829.

Anton G. Rubinstein (Wechwotynecz), 1829-94, who achieved eminence in so many musical directions, wrote

many symphonies,
known.
1830.

of which

"The Ocean"

is

the best

Hans von Bronsart

Hans von Bulow

(Berlin).

His symphonies include

of Fate."
critic,

two, entitled " In the Alps,"

"1830.

"Powers

(Dresden),

1830-94,

pianist,

conductor, composed
1830.

some symphonic works.

Best known by 1830-94. Faust music, wrote two

Edward Lassen (Copenhagen),

his

charming songs and

his

symphonies.
1831.

Henry

C. Banister (London), 1831-97.

well-known

writer of books

on music

he

also

composed symAnother com14

phonies.
1831.

Salomon

Jadassohn

(Breslau),

1831-1902.

theoretician, wrote over

one hundred and positions, including four symphonies.

thirty

209

Story of
1832.
J. J.

Symphony
;

Abert (Bohemia), who wrote a " Spring" Symphony, was much praised by Liszt he was a successful composer
of opera.

1832.

Leopold Damrosch (Posen), 1832-85. and Wagner, wrote a symphony.

The friend

of Liszt

1832.

successful

Karl Goldmark (Keszthely), 1832-1915, wrote a highly "Rustic Wedding" Symphony. The year
1830
is

also given as being that of his birth.

1833.

Otto Bach (Vienna), 1833-93.

Kapellmeister of Salz-

burg, and composer of operas and five symphonies.

1833.

Franz Bcndel (Bohemia), 1833-74. A pupil of Liszt, and composer of attractive pianoforte pieces, also wrote some symphonies.
Johannes Brahms (Hamburg), 1833-97. modern German symphonists.

1833.

The

finest of

1834.

A. E. A. Becker (Quedlinburg), 1834-99. His Symphony in G minor is amongst his finest works.
Peter Benoit (Harlebeck), 1834-91. One of the most Like Beethoven and recognized Flemish composers.
others, he wrote a "

1834.

Choral" Symphony.

1834.

Alex. P. Borodin (Petrograd), 1834-77. Was a great chemist as well as a musician. He is famous for his
operas, and his larger works include three symphonies and a symphonic poem.

1835.

Julius von Beliczay (Hungary), 1835-93. A pupil of Joachim, whose orchestral works include a symphony.
Jules E. D.

1835.

Cohen

(Marseilles),

1835-1901.

prolific

writer of song, also

penned some symphonic music. 210

Appendix
1835.

A
has
written

Felix A. B. Draeseckc (Coburg). A disciple of Liszt, was a revolutionary in principle, but has more recently
returned
phonies.
to

orthodoxy, and

three

sym-

1835.

gifted

This versatile and ^' Camille Saint-Saens (Paris). composer is often represented in concert programmes by his highly interesting symphonic poems ;

his
1835.

symphonies have commanded

less attention.

Ebenezer Prout (Oundle), 1835- 1909. Professor Prout was a voluminous composer. His four symphonies and many other works are now rarely played, but his
theoretical writings are of great value.

1836.

Mily Alex. Balakireff (Nishni-Novgorod), 1836-1910. One of the most interesting of Russian composers, and one whose influence has been considerable. He wrote a few symphonic poems and one symphony.
Robert

1836.

Emmerich (Hanau),

1836-1891.

A German
his

conductor, composed two symphonies.

1837.

John Francis Barnett (London), numerous works is a Symphony in

1837.

Amongst mmor.

1837.

Alfred Holmes (London), 1837-76. A famous violinist, who produced four titled symphonies, which were
played
in

Petrograd, Paris, and London.

1838.

H. Schutz-Beuthen (Upper Silesia). A disciple of Liszt, produced eight symphonies, several of which have titles.
(Cologne). A well-known German comHis first symphony was produced at the age of fourteen, and several have since appeared. 211

1838.

Max Bruch

poser.

Story of
1838.

Symphony
Composer
of four symla Paix."

Samuel David

(Paris), 1838-95.

phonies and a symphonic ode, " Le Triomphe de

1839.

follower of

Victorin de Joncicrc (Paris), 1839-1903. A critic, and Wagner, wrote two or three symphonies, including a choral symphony.

1839.

Friedrich Gernshcim (Worms).

his

symphonies

in

minor and B

flat

Jewish composer are described as

;

remarkable.
1839.

Edward Napravnik (Koniggratz). A Czech composer, who wrote a symphony, "The Demon."
Knowlcs Paine (Portland, U.S.A.), 1839- 1906. Was one of the foremost composers of serious music in America he wrote two symphonies and some symphonic poems,
J.
;

1839.

1839.

Joseph Rheinberger (Vaduz),

self to

1 839-1901. Devoted himcomposition of many kinds, especially enriching the organ with a fine collection of sonatas. Owed much

of his early success to his "Florentine"

and

" Wallen-

stein" symphonies.
1840.

Hamilton Clarke (Birmingham), 1840-1912. English composer of much music of various kinds. Wrote two symphonies.
James

1840.

Hermann Goetz (Konigsberg), 1840-76. The early death of Goetz prevented his fine Symphony in F from having a successor his single work in this direction is very highly thought of.
;

1840.

of the Romantic School.

Friedrich K. Rudorff (Berlin), 1840-1908. A follower Composed two symphonies.

212

Appendix
1840.
J.

A
single
in this

His S. Svcnsden (Christiania), 1840-1911. symphony (in D major) has been much played and other countries.
P.
I.

1840.

symphonies of

Tchaikovsky (Votinsk), this composer are

any

1840-93.

The

later

as well

known, and as

often played, as
1841.

at the present time.

Anton Dvorak (near Kralup), 1841-1904. One his most successful of modern symphonists World Symphony" is almost a household word.
;

of the " New

1841.

At one time he was 1841-91. considered as of importance amongst modern Italian composers. His Symphony in F displays some origin-

Franco Faccio (Verona),

ality.

1842.

Heinrich Hoffmann (Berlin), 1842-1902. "Frithjof" symphony.

Composed

1842.

Arthur

S.

Sullivan

(London),

1842-1900.
operas.

known as a composer of charming light one symphony during his mid-career.

1843.

So well Wrote

Asger Hamerik (Copenhagen). Has written six symHe was a pupil of Sade, and phonies, all with titles.
also studied orchestration under Berlioz.

1843.

H. von Herzogenberg (Graz), 1843-1900. A composer who was much influenced by Brahms. Wrote works of many kinds, including a symphony, " Odysseus."

1843.

the
1843.

^ brother of Gustav Jensen (Konigsberg), 1843-95. more famous Adolph Jensen. Wrote one symphony.
;

Giovanni Sgambati (Rome), 1 843-1914. Was one who upheld the lamp of classical musical art in Italy he contributed important examples to the list of symphonies.

213

Story of
1843.

Symphony
1843-91.

Jules
'cellist,

de

Swcrt

(Louvain),

well-known

and the composer of operas and symphony.

1844-1908.

1844.

N. A. Rimsky-Korsakoff (Tichwin),
phonies, mostly on
orchestrated.

of the excellent Russian composers of opera.

programme

lines,

Another His symare extremely well

1844.

Josef Rebicek (Prague), 1844- 1904.

ductor.
Left

Symphony

in

D A

A well-known conminor as his chief

brilliant

composition.
1845.

Anastasius Drezzcr (Poland). composer of two symphonies.

Gabriel Faur6 (Pamiers).
poser.

pianist

and

1845.

prominent French comin Paris in 1885.

Wrote a symphony, produced

1845.

Charles Marie Widor (Lyons). The distinguished French organist. Has written two orchestral symphonies, besides some so-called symphonies for the
organ.

1846.

August Bungert
Bordier,

(Miilheim).

A modern German follower

composer of symphonic Frenchmen to champion

of the symphonic poem.

1846.

Jules

1846-96.

A
first

poems. Was one of the the cause of Wagner.

1846.

Silas G. Pratt (Addison, U.S.A.). A distinguished American composer of symphonies and symphonic
suites.

1846.

Thomas Wingham
symphonies.
Francis
theorist

(London),

1846-93.

Wrote

four

1847.

W. Davenport (near Derby). and composer of two symphonies.

214

musical

Appendix
1847.

A
Wrote
a

August
"

Leonore

Klughardt (Cothen), 1847- 1902. " and four other symphonies.

1847.

for string orchestra

Robert Fuchs (Frauenthal). Has written some serenades which are much played, and also a
in C.

f
1847.

Symphony

Wrote (Paris), 1847-1903. three entitled symphonies, which were very successful in
Paris.

Augusta Mary Ann Holmes

1847.

L. Philipp Scharwcnka (Samter), whose pianoforte compositions are so multitudinous, has composed two symphonies.

1847.

G. B. Salvayre (Toulouse).

noted French- composer.

Has
1848.

written a "Biblical"

Symphony.

Noszkowski (Warsaw). contemporary orchestral composer.

Sigtsmund
Sir

distinguished

1848.

Hubert

cellent

symphonies,

Has written exParry (Bournemouth). in addition to works of almost every

Wrote
six

other description.
'1849.

phonies,
1849.

Benjamin Godard (Paris), 1849-95. some of them with titles.

sym-

^' ^. Ivanoff (Moscow). Has composed symphonies.

pupil

of Tchaikovsky.

1850.

Zdenko Fibich (Bohemia), 1850-1900. A nationalist composer and one who did much in opera. Also wrote
three symphonies and

numerous orchestral

pieces.

1850. Ole Olscn (Hammerfest). An ultra-modern, who has written a symphony and various tone-poems.
1850.

F. X.

written a

Scharwenka (Samter). Brilliant pianist. Has symphony possessing PoHsh characteristics.

215

Story of
185
1.

Symphony
A
Has
prominent member of the written important sym-

Vincent d'Indy (Paris). modern French school. phonic works.

185

1.

Victor E. Bendix (Copenhagen). forte music and of symphonies.

writer of piano-

1852.

Hans Hubcr (Schonewerd, Switzerland). Wrote a wellknown Symphony in E minor which is an eulogy of a Swiss painter (Bocklin) the last movement is based
;

upon a
pictures.

series of suggestions derived

from eight of his

1852.

Sir

Frederick
entitled

H.

Cowen

(Jamaica).

Has

written
or-

several

symphonies, and

many

brilliant

chestral works.
1852.

Sir C.

scholarly

V. Stanford (Dublin). Has done dignified and work in the direction of symphony. More

recently he has written orchestral rhapsodies.

1852.

Max
J.

pieces are quite popular.

1853.

Vogrich (Transylvania), some of whose pianoforte Has written some symphonies.

His symphonic poems, and his
entitled

A. Nicode (Posen).

symphony with solo, chorus, orchestra, and organ, " The Sea," are highly thought of.
1854.

George Whitfield Chadwick (Lowell, Mass.).

of the foremost of American composers.

Is

one

He

has written

three symphonies.
1854.

Alex, Kopyloff (Petrograd). composers of symphony. Alex. Winogradsky (Kieflf). composed symphonic works. 216

One

of the

many Russian
Has

1S54.

famous conductor.

Appendix
1855.

Was one of the Ernest Chausson (Paris), 1855-99. most prominent of modern French composers. He wrote one symphony and three symphonic poems.
G. Martucci (Bologna), 1856-1909. Shared with Sgambati the honour of upholding music of the best kind in His symphonies have occasionally been his native land. played in England.

1856.

1856.

A Norwegian comChristian Sinding (Kongberg). poser of eminence; his Symphony in D minor is very
well

known.
Taneieff (Vladimir).

1856

S. I.

well-known

pianist.

Has

written several symphonies.

1857.

Sir

Edward Elgar (Broadheath). The hopes

of English-

men

are largely centred in this composer, although his

in

two symphonies have not gained the esteem

his choral writings are held.

which

1857.

Frederick Cliffe (Bradford). His Symphony in is amongst his most important works.

C minor

1859.

Camille Chevillard (Paris), 1859-1903. symphonic composer.

S.
in

A notable French
a

1859.

Liapounoff

(Jaroslavl).

Has published

Symphony

minor.

1859.

Algernon Ashton (Durham). Is an English composer and grim determination, whose symphonies, like many of his larger works, have not met with a great measure of success.
of pertinacity
Is perhaps the most inGustav Mahler (Bohemia). teresting of modern German composers of symphony. His works are of great length and employ very large

i860.

217

Story of

Symphony
Opinions are divided

orchestras for their performance.

as to the value of his works.
i860.

Gustavc Charpentier (Dieuze).

Is

much

better

known

Jj^iifi. by his delightful opera, "Louise," than by his orchestral

and symphonic works.

i860.
I.
J.

Paderewski
Includes a

pianist.

The world-renowned (Podolia). symphony amongst his compositions.

i860.

"
1

William Wallace (Greenock). Has written a symphony, The Creation," and several symphonic poems.

86 1.

N. von Rcznicefc (Vienna). A Czech composer of Has composed a " Tragic " and also an " Ironic " symphony.
E.

opera.

1862.

Has written A. A. Arensky (Novgorod), 1861-1906. some symphonies, but his name is more familiar to lovers of chamber music.
J.

1862.

Edward German (Whitchurch), whose

light orchestral

Has also written works in /ija%., niusic has so many admirers. 7 the more dignified form of symphony.
1862.

Leon Boellmann composer. Has

orchestra.

(Alsace),

1862-97.

written

symphony

for

famous organ organ and

1863.

F. Blumenfeld (Kovaleska).

has

written

symphony,

A "A

Russian composer who la memoire de chers

defunts."
1.863.

1 ^
'

Is a most important Frederick Dclius (Bradford). present-day composer of symphonic works, although he has written no symphonies so called. His writings are

mostly of the order of the symphonic poem.

1863.

Felix Weingartner (Zara). published two symphonies.

Great

conductor.

Has

218

Appendix
1864.

A
Contemporary Russian

Alex. Gretchaninoff (Moscow),

composer of symphony.
1864.

Richard Gcorg Strauss (Munich). His symphonic poems have created one of the sensations of recent years; his "Domestic Symphony" is, however, not one
of the happiest of these.

1865.

Paul Gilson (Brussels). A composer of opera. written a symphony, " La Mer."

Has

1865.

Paul Dukas

(Paris).

Widely known by

his orchestral

work, " L'Apprenti Sorcier."

Has

also written a

sym-

phony and a symphonic poem.

1865.

A.

Is probably the most Glazounoff (Petrograd). prominent of modern Russian composers of symphony. His numerous works in this direction are classically

conceived, and yet contain

many

features

of present-

day
1865.

interest.

Jean Sibelius (Tavastehus). This Finnish composer has done much orchestral composition of a high order. His

symphonies and symphonic poems are not yet as well

known
1866.

as his popular tone-poem, " Finlandia."

Basil Kilinnikoff (Voina), 1866-1901.

Russian com-

His poser whose first symphony was well received. early death prevented this success from being followed
up.
1867.

Mrs. H. H. A. Beach.

who has
1868.

talented American composer written a " Gaelic " symphony.

Is interesting for his Granville Bantock (London). attempts to write symphonies for voices only. He has also written orchestral symphonic works.

219

Story of
1868.

Symphony
Composer
of opera

Max

Schillings (Diiren).

and of

symphonic poems.
1869.

Armas
poems.

Composer of Jarnefelt (Viborg). orchestral " Prccludium." Has also written

popular

symphonic

1870.

Sigismund Stojowski (Strelce). This Polish musician has published a symphony and certain symphonic works.
S.

1872.

von Hausegger. A German author and composer. His symphonic poems are well spoken of.

1872.

Paul Juon (Moscow).

Has

written two symphonies,

the First having been played at least twice in London.

1872.

written a
1872.

Has Ralph Vaughan Williams (Down Ampney). "Sea" symphony and other orchestral works.
A. N. Scriabine (Moscow), 1872-1915. One of the most His earlier widely discussed of modern composers.

his "Divine Poem," Further interesting brought to a hearing. developments were arrested by his early death.

symphonies have been eclipsed by

recently

1873.

Composer of the S. V. Rachmaninoff (Novgorod). famous pianoforte " Prelude." Has written some symphonies.

1873.

Max

Reger (Brand).
for his

An

ultra-serious

musician, rea sym-

nowned
phony.
1874.

organ works.

Has composed
symphony
in

Reinhold Gliere

(Kieff).

A
A

flat

was

played in London in 1906.

1874.

Josef

Sufc

(Krecovic).
in

Bohemian

violinist.

Has

written a

symphony

minor.

220


Appendix
1877.

A
fine
is

A Ernst von Dohnanyi (Pressburg). His symphony in D minor composer.

largest works.

modern

one of his

1879.

George Fitelberg (Diinaberg). Symphony m D mmor.

Has

also

published a

1883.

Rather a classic in Maximillian Steinberg (Vilna). style. His Second symphony has recently been played in London.

If.

Among other contemporary composers of symphony and symphonic poems may be mentioned:
Arnold Bax. W. H. Bell. Frank Bridge. Yorke Bowen. A. von Ahn Carse.
J.
J.

A. Hinton. Holbrooke. Emmanuel Moor. Malichivsky.

M.

Phillips.

B.

McEwen.

H. Balfour Gardiner.

M. Esposito.
Goedicke. E. Halsey.

Wassilenko. Wischnegradski. Zemlinsky.

Zolatarefif.

Walter Rabl.

221

Appendix

B.

Glossary of Terms.
Music depending entirely upon its own Absolute Music. appeal, and independent of surreptitious aids, such as those supplied by titles, programme, or words.
Arco.
in

Played with the bow.

Used

for stringed instruments

opposition to the term pizzicato.

(or

Air with Variations

frequently used in
days.

Theme

with

Variations),
especially
in
is

a form
earlier

Symphony, more

The

Finale of Beethoven's "Eroica"

a good

instance.

Brass. The trumpets, trombones, tuba, and other brass The horns, although of instruments of the orchestra. brass, are usually included with the wood-wind.

Canon, a composition
or instrument
is

in

which an idea started

repeated
in

in

one voice

strictly

distance of time and interval.

another at a certain good instance occurs in

Beethoven's Fourth symphony.

Cembalo

(Italian).

See Clavier.
(See Appendix C.)

Classical Orchestra.

222

Appendix B
Clavier, a predecessor of the pianoforte.
In early days the conductor used to direct the performance from the clavier, the baton not being in use.

Contrapuntal, employing the devices of counterpoint.

Coda, the
matter

final
is

part of a

usually developed
its

movement, in which the and treated in a

subjectdifferent

manner
coda
is

to

much emphasised
is

former presentation. The importance of the in Beethoven's works.

obtained (by analogy) by the employment Orchestral colour arises from

Colour

in

music

of certain characteristics.

the blending and contrasting of the various instrumental

forces.

Concert Overture, a work in a single movement, generally entitled, but written on the plan of the first movement of a symphony.
Counterpoint. The art of adding melodies to one another, as opposed to the mere filling up of harmonies.

Development Section.
ment.

The

portion of a

movement

in

which

themes previously heard are subjected

to variety of treat-

Divertimento, originally a "diversion," a term occasionally applied to early symphonic works.

Fantasia.
Orchestral works which are not in definite shape

are sometimes so called.

Finale, the last

movement

of a work, and

generally

the

weakest portion, though there are notable exceptions.

numerous examples are Folk Song, a song of the people introduced into their works by modern Russian and Eng;

lish

composers.

223

Story of
Form.

Symphony

The

architectural design or shape of a musical work.

Fugato. Passages in the manner of a Fugue. Notable examples occur in the slow movements of Beethoven's "Eroica" and A major symphonies.

Ground Bass.

variety of treatment.

harmonies and Sometimes the theme of the bass is transferred to a middle or top part. The Finale of Brahms* Fourth symphony employs this device.
reiterated bass, with varying
pitch,

Instrumentation deals with the

compass, and quality of

the various orchestral instruments.

Interlude.

short passage linking together

more important

parts of the musical structure.

Introduction.

very

common
The

procedure

in

preface the opening quick

movement

with a
in

symphony is number

to

of
;

bars in slow time.

in

introduction

may be
;

of any length

Haydn it is often a few bars only Seventh Symphony occurs a very long and
introduction.

Brahms,

in

Beethoven's fully developed his First symphony, has lengthy

introductions both to the

first

movement and

to the finale.

Lcit-Motif, or

guiding theme.

distinctive

fragment

of

melody

(or possibly

harmony
in the

or rhythm) largely used by

Its

Wagner
phony
is

for purposes of characterisation.

use in symLiszt.

demonstrated
of

works of Berlioz and

Metamorphosis
matter.

Themes.

Varying treatments of subjectetc.,

The themes

are altered in tempo, rhythm,

Liszt

to gain diversity in unity.

employs

this device.

Minuetto, a dance of stately character, which held place as the third movement of a symphony, until Beethoven supplanted it by the scherzo.

224

Appendix B
Modulation, the process of passing from key
to key.

Monodfc.
place

A
is

term applied to a kind of writing in which chief given to the melody, and little use is made of

contrapuntal devices.

Opus.

A work.
i,

Its

abbreviation op.
etc.) in

order (op.

op. 2,

is used to indicate the which the printed works of

composers are published.

Orchestral Suite.
(See Suite.)

Orchestration, the art of combining the various instruments of

the orchestra.

Overture, the instrumental beginning of an opera, from which the symphony took its rise.
Partitur (German).
Score, q.v.
etc.,

Percussion, the drums, cymbals, gongs, triangle,

orchestra.
Pizzicato.

of the

Strings

plucked with the

finger.

An

excellent

example of the whole stringed orchestra playing //>^/ra/o

occurs in the scherzo of Tchaikovsky's fourth symphonj'.

Polyphonic music is that in which all instruments or voices taking part have music of an equal degree of importance. It is opposed to Monodic music.
Recitative, a kind
definite

of musical
or melody.

rhythm

declamation, or music without Both instrumental and vocal

last

examples of it occur in the " Choral Symphony."

movement

of Beethoven's

Rhapsody

is

another term for orchestral works of no

lilt

set design.

Rhythm,
[e.g.,

the swing or

of the music.
others.

Certain

the

first

allegro in Beethoven's seventh

movements symphony)

are

much more rhythmic than

Story of
Ritornello.

Symphony

Scherzo.

A short instrumental fragment. (See Chapter II.) A jest. A very quick and, generally, playful move-

ment, which developed from the minuet. Most symphonies include a scherzo as either their second or third movement.
Score.

The printing of the music in such a way as what every instrument or voice has to do.
Another term
for orchestration.

to

show

Scoring.
Strings.

The

violins,

violas,

violoncellos,

and double-basses

of the orchestra.
Suite.

collection
built

of pieces, generally

all

in

one key, and

largely

upon dance forms.

suite.

The symphony and

dimensions,
is

sonata grew out of the

Symphonic Ode.
example.

work

of

symphonic

but

including a chorus.

David's " Le

Desert''

a typical

Toccata, a brilliant showy piece, generally of quick running

notes.

Tone Poem,
Trio.

name

often given to the

symphonic poem.
;

An

alternative section to the minuet

later,

it

became

an alternative to the scherzo. Beethoven in his fourth and Schumann seventh symphonies has it played twice develops this idea by having two different trios. In either
;

case the scherzo proper

is

played three times.

clarinets,

Wood-Wind. The With these are

Anglais,
etc.).

flutes,

oboes,

and

bassoons.

often reckoned the horns.

Modern com-

posers often add to this section of the orchestra (Cor

326

Appendix C.
Lists
in

of

Instruments

Employed
Different

Symphonies

of

Periods.
1.

The

''

Zinfonia

" in

Peri's " Euridice " (1600).

3 Flutes.
2.

C.

P.

E,

Bach and the

earliest

symphonies of Haydn

(Circa 1756).
2 2

Oboes. Horns.

Strings.

3.

late
I

Haydn Symphony, "The

2

Military" (1794).

Flute

Oboes. 2 Bassoons. 2 Horns.

2

Trumpets. Timpani.
Strings.

Haydn sometimes The clarinets are not present here. employed them, but they were not in general use in his time. Mozart also omits them from his earlier symphonies, but includes them later, after having heard some works in which
they were employed.

227

Story of
4.

Symphony

The

" Classical," or

plified in that master's

" Beethoven " Orchestra, as exemSeventh Symphony (18 12), became the
years.
2

accepted model for

2 Flutes. 2

many

Oboes.
Bassoons.

Horns. Trumpets.

2 Clarinets.
2

Timpani
Strings.

etc.,

The trombones (three or four), horns, the double bassoon, were occasionally introduced by Beethoven. With the works of Schubert and other romance composers we find the four horns and the trombones accepted as regular members of
5.

the orchestral force.

6.

Brahms'

First

Symphony,

op. 68,

is

scored for the usual

orchestra of the period (1876).

2 Flutes.
2

2 2 3

Horns

in

flat.

Oboes.

Trumpets.

2 Clarinets.

2 Bassoons.

Trombones (last movement only).

Double Bassoon. Horns in C.

Timpani.
Strinsfs.

As an example of the large orchestra sometimes 7. manded by composers of the present day may be instanced sixth symphony of Mahler.
4 Flutes.
4 Oboes. Clarinet in
^

de-

the

Glockenspiel.

flat.

3 Clarinets in

B
in

flat.

Heerdenglocken. Xylophon. Bass Drum.

Triangle.

Bass Clarinet 3 Bassoons.

flat.

Side Drum.

328

Appendix C
I

Double Bassoon.

Cymbals.

Horns. 4 Trumpets.
8 3

Tambourine
Harps.
Celesta.
Strings.

Trombones. Bass Tuba.

Timpani.

229

Appendix D.

List

of

Entitled

Symphonies,

grouped

under Alphabetical List of Composers' Names.

in

who did not use Opus numbers was not the custom of the classic composers to give names to their symphonies; with the rise of the Programme and Romantic Schools, however, it became a very common procedure, although some moderns, such as Brahms, Glazounofif, etc., have preferred to let their works remain under As a// symphonic poems the general title of "Symphony." have names, they are not included in the following list. In some cases names for symphonies have not been bequeathed by
the case of Haydn,
extent,
it

Except

to

any large

their composers, but, as in the case of Schubert's "Unfinished,"

cling to

them by general consent.

^

Abert
Bazzini

" Spring." "

Senacheribbo' (Choral Symphony).

Beach
Beethoven

" Gaelic." " Eroica."

" Pastoral."

" Choral."

There

is

also

" Battle "

Symphony

230

Appendix

Bell

Benoit
Berlioz

Another work attributed to Beethoven, which was unearthed a little time back, has been called the "Jena'' Symphony. "Walt Whitman." Choral Symphonies, "The Reapers'' and "Hucbald." " Harold in Italy." " Funeral and Triumphal." " Romeo and Juliet."
" Fantastic." " A la memoire de chers defunts."

Blumenfeld
Bronsart
Cliffe
-

"In the Alps "(Choral). "Powers of Fate."

"A Summer

Night."

Cowen

"The Idyllic." "The .Scandinavian." " The Welsh."

Le Desert " (Symphonic Ode). Symphonic dans le genre de cinq nations." Twelve symphonies on subjects from Ovid's Meta}norphoses "Orpheus," "Ajax and
" "

David
Dittersdorf

\
Draeseke
-

Ulysses,"
-

etc.

"Tragic."
"
"

DvoMk
Ehlert
Ellerton

From
The

the

New

World."

"Spring."
Forest."

Franck
Gilson

" Psyche." " La Mer." " Legendary." " Gothic."

Godard

"Oriental."

Goldmark

" Rustic

Wedding."
231

Story of
Gossec
Gottschalk
-

Symphony
.

"The Chase." "Le Nuit des Tropiques."

"Poetic," "Tragic," "Lyric," "Majestic,"

Hamerik

"Serious," "Spiritual."

Haydn

very large

number
;

have names
well,"

of Haydn's works the chief are " The Fare-

"The

Oxford,"

"The
Herzogenberg
Hiller
-

Clock," and

"The Surprise," "The Military."

"Odysseus." "Spring must come

" Life

at last."

Hirschbach

Struggles," " Recollections of the

Alps," etc.

Holmes

"Jeanne d'Arc." " The Youth of Shakespeare." " Robin Hood."

Holmes

"The Siege of Paris." " The Argonauts."

" Lutece."
"

Hofman
Huber
D'Indy
Janssens
Jonciere

Orlando Furioso." " Frithjof "

"Bocklin."
" Tell."

"Jean Hunyade." " Le Lever du Soleil." "Romantic."

"La Mer"
Klughardt
-

(Choral). " Leonore."

la

Knecht Kollmann
Leslie
Liszt

"Portrait musical de
"

Nature."

The Shipwreck."

"Chivalry." " Dante."

" Faust."
:

Mahler

"The Song

of Earth."

2 JS

Appendix
Mendelssohn
" Italian."

"Reformation."

Mozart

" Scotch." " Jupiter," " Haffner," " Linz^' " Parisian," " Prague," etc.

Napravnik Nicode
Paine Parry
Raff

"The Demon." "The Sea."

"Spring." "The Cambridge."

"The

English."

"Leonore,"

"Im

Walde,"

"An

das Vater-

land," etc., etc.

Rheinberger

Reinecke Reznicek

" Florentine." "Wallenstein." " Hakon Jarl."

" Ironic." " Tragic." " Antar." " Toy." " Dramatic." " Ocean." " The Resurrection."

Rimsky- Korsakoff

Romberg

Rubinstein
Salvayre
-

Schubert

"Tragic."

"Unfinished" (not so named by the com

poser).

Schulz-Beuthen

"Fair Elizabeth,"
" Rhenish."

etc.

Schumann
Scriabine
-

Spohr

"Spring." " Divine Poem." "The Earthly and the Divine."

" Historic."

"

Power of Sound."
233

" Seasons."

Story of
Stanford
Strauss
-

Symphony

"Elegiac."
" Irish." " Domestic."
" Polish."

Tchaikovsky

" Pathetic."

Vaughan Williams
Wallace
-

"Winter Day Dreams." "A Sea Symphony."

"The

Creation."

234

Appendix E.
Bibliography.
All
histories of

music and

with the Story of Symphony.

devoted to the subject or

many other works, deal incidentally The following are either specially may be particularly recommended
:

M. Michel Brenet. "

Villars, Paris.)

Histoire de la Symphonie."

(Gauthier-

2s. 6d.

only, with special

Goes up to the time of Beethoven reference to Gossec and other composers

of France.
Berlioz. "A

(In French.)

Critical Study of Beethoven's Nine Symphonies." Translated by Evans. (Reeves.) 4s.

(" Proceedings Paper on C. P. E. Bach. Musical Association,'' vol. .xxxiii. Novello.) 21s.

Daymond.
E.

of

von
-

Elterlein.

"Beethoven's
Translated

Significance.'
3s.

Symphonies in by F. Weber.

their

Ideal

(Reeves.)

6d.

Laurence Gilman.
5s.

"Stories of Symphonic Music." (Harpers.) Gives accounts of many modern programme works, and relates the stories they depict.
his

Grove. " Beethoven and

6s.

Nine Symphonies."

(Novello.)

^35

Story of
Niecks.

Symphony
(Novello.)
i6s.

" Programme Music."

is

book

more than

its

title

implies

it

really

plete history of

music and opens up much

This masterly forms a comnew ground. (Clarendon

"Oxford History
Parry.

of Music."

Volumes

iv., v., vi.

Press, Oxford.)

Each,

15s.

(Macmillan.) in Grove's "Dictionary," vol. iv. Quite of book dimensions, and a splendid survey of the history of symphony up to the time of Brahms.
21S.

Article

Tectgcn.

" Beethoven's
3s.

Symphonies

Critically

Discussed."

(Reeves.)

6d.

Wagner.

"Art

Work

of the Future."

Translated by Ashton

Ellis.

Wcingartncr. " Symphony Writers since Beethoven." lated by A. Bles. (Reeves.) 6s.

Trans-

2-j6

\Z2

Index
Abel, 20 Arensky, 158 Auber, 96

Dance

tormsi I7

Davenport, 147 David, Felicien, 137, 186 Debussy, 170

Delius, Frederick, 151

Bach, Carl

Philip Emmanuel, 24, 25-27, 28, 29, 139, 174 John Christian, 18, 20, 22 Johann Sebastian, 25

D'Indy, Vincent, 163

Dittersdorf, 20, 2i-

Balakireff, 158, 169 Bantock, Granville, 151, 1S3 ;Barnett, 147 Beethoven, 31, 41, 42-115, ,118, 119, 128, 139, 172, 173,^178, 188 Bennett, William Sterndale, 147, 143

Dukas, Paul, 163 Dvorak, Antonin, 140, 161, 166,

169

Elgar,

Sir I50> 177

Edward,

144,

149,

EUerton, 147
Esterhazy, Prince, 28

B^tlioz, 133, 136, 138, 168, 185

Boccherini, 20

FiBiCH, 162 Franck, Cesar, 162

Borodine, 158 Boyce, Dr., 10

Gade,

Niels

W.,

131

Brahms, 31, 59, 60, 61, 65, 66,

67. 72, 73. 139. 140, 143. 144 British symphony composers, 145

Galuppi, 20, 163

German, Edward,

vocal music, 145 Bruch, Max, 164 Bruckner, Anton, 163, 164

151 Glazounoff, 157, 169, 177 Glinka, 169

Gluck, 13 Goetz, 131

Goldmark, Carl, 137

Carissimi, 9 Cavalieii, Emilio del, 9 Chadwick, George Whitfield, 165 Charpentier, Gustav, 163 Cowen, Sir Frederick, 149
Gossec, 20, 174

Handel,
Haydn,
237
5,

10, 18, 27,

145

18, 19, 22, 25, 28, 30,

3i 32. 35. 37,

38, 43. 44. 45>

Story of
46, 52, 64, 82, 179, 184, I 86
180, 182,

Symphony
Parry, Sir Hubert, 45, 144, 148
Peri, 3, II

Ferdinand, 164 Holbrooke, Josef, 187

Hiller,

Philharmonic Society of London,

102, 124, 154

Programme symphony, 132

jAHN, Otto, 37
Leslie, 147
Lis^'t,

Purcell, 145

Rachmaninoff, 158
100, 136, 138, 168, 183
Raff, 130, 137, 138, 174 Reger, Max, 165 Rimsky-Korsakoff, 157 Ritornelli, 2, 6, 8, 9, 10 Romantic School, 116, 131 Romberg, 182

Lully, II, 13

165 Macfarren, George and Walter, 148 Mahler, Gustav, 164, 183 Martucci, Giuseppe, 165

MacDowell,

Rossini, 96

Rubinstein, 152

Anton,

130,

137,

Mendelssohn, 100, 122, 124, 125,

126,

128,

129,

130,

145,

174,

Saint-Saens, 162, Salomon, 30, 31

Schopenhaner, 72
Schubert, 178
119,

166, 169

184, 185

Scarlatti, Alessandro, 13, 17, 18

Monodic School, 25
Monteverde, 11, 12 Mozart, 19, 25, 28, 30, 32, 34-41,
'is, 44, 45, 46, 52, 64, 186 Leopold, 20

120,

122,

l:

Schumann, Robert,
174 Schwindl, 20

122, 127, i:

Scriabine, 158, 170, 171

Napravnik, 162
Neate, 74
Nicolaus, Prince, 181 Niecks, 184

Sgambati, 144
Sibelius, Jean, 159 Sinding, Christian, 163 Smart, Sir George, 102

Noskowski, 169

Smelana, 160, 161

Spohr, 118, 119, 185, 186 Stamitz, J. K., 19, 21

Olsen, Ole, 163

Orchestras, early, 21 " Organistrum," 2

Stanford, Sir Charles, 144, 149 Strauss, 165, 166, 169, 170 Stringed instruments, 17 Suite and Sonata, 16

Svensden, 163

Paderewski, 159
Paine, John Knowles, 165

Symphony,

uses of the term, I -3; derivation, 3 ; use as interlude,

338

\Photo iy

Draycott.

DVORAK.

; ;

Index
4
;

meaning of the word,

offshoots,

6; its evolution, its rapid developnaent, 8 7 early use of the term, 8 interesting example, 9 use in church music, 9 interlude in and dance measures, song, 10 is there a 17 ; modern, 24 future ? 172
its
; ; ; ; ; ;

"Toy" symphonies, 182 Turkish music, 112

volkmann,
164

Wagenseil, 20
Wagner, 32, 172, 173 Wallace, William, 151
Weber,
1

17

Tchaikovsky,

32, 152, 153, 155, 156, 157, 169, 1S4, 185

Weingartner,"l65, 177 Williams, Vaughan, 151 Wind instruments, 26 Wranitzky, 20, 174

239

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