found him mounted upon a new hobby, which he rode with yet greater self
satisfaction than his former ones. It was called “declamation!” He is
firmly convinced, and affirms it also with honest openheartedness, that
with the exception of himself, no composer, from _Mozart_ to _Bornhard_
has understood how to declaim a song properly, and to set it to music
as it ought to be. He has therefore taken compassion of that neglected
art-orphan, and written a number of pattern-songs! He had heard of
my new songs and urged me to sing them. But already at the second,
he found a reason to return to his own. Fräulein _von Goldner_ his
pupil, sang them, and really in a most charming manner. It is not to be
denied, that she declaims correctly, and has given a reading to several
of them both new and interesting in its kind. When executed besides in
so masterly a manner as they are by Fräulein _von Goldner_, the effect
is certainly very great. I readily admitted this, but did not conceal
from him at the same time what I thought objectionable therein: which
is principally, that he has frequently sacrificed both form, rhythm,
and melody to the right declamation. In order to avoid the fault of
many song-composers, who restrict themselves too stringently to the
rhythm of the poem, he has fallen into the opposite extreme. In order
to give every syllable its proper duration and accent, he frequently
changes the time in many of these songs, and thereby destroys the
rhythm as well as the melody. Thus, the hearer cannot follow, and feels
dissatisfied. I had further to object, that, the piano accompaniment to
most of these songs is too much obligato, and distracts the attention
from the song. Some sound like independant piano-fantasia’s, to which
the song has been adapted. The selfsatisfaction with which _André_ gave
us these songs to hear, was quite unbearable. For instance, he took
an old song of _Schulze_: “O selig, wer liebt” sang it burlesqued to
make it appear ridiculous, and then requested Fraulein _von Goldner_ to
execute his own on the same text. “Aha!” said every one of the company,
“You shew us the shadow first, that the light may have the greater
effect afterwards!” This ill treatment of an old meritorious composer
annoyed me so much, that I could not refrain from saying:
“Dear _André_, you seem to forget, that it does not redound to the
credit of your song, that it should require a piece of buffoonery to
introduce it; that this song of _Schulze_ was composed upwards of
five and twenty years ago, when the notions of song-composition were
very different from what they now are; that the melody, which appears
antiquated to us, was new at that time, and that you in the end have
made no happy selection for your purpose, since this song with all its
simplicity of form and melody is nevertheless correctly declaimed,
and in the repetition of the: “O selig, wer liebt” at the end of
every strophe, has some depth of feeling in it, whereas it is very
problematical whether our songs will impart so much pleasure after a
lapse of five and twenty years, as this song is still capable of doing
when it is _well_ sung.”
_André_ seemed somewhat ashamed, and from that moment evinced much more
discretion. I was now desirous to gratify his wish to hear some of my
Vienna Quartetts and Quintetts; but the accompaniment was so bad, that
I soon relinquished it, and gave no more than the first.
After dinner, Herr _Aloys Schmitt_ gave us a Fantasia upon the piano “A
sea voyage with a storm”. Although this trivial style of thing first
introduced by _Wölffl_, was not bad, yet from so clever a virtuoso on
the piano I should have expected to hear something more refined and
solid.
In the evening, _André_ took us to Herr _Ewald_, a great lover of
music, at whose house the Offenbach Singing-academy had assembled to
let him hear three compositions which they had practised with great
care. It was called “Die drei Worte” (The three Words) of _Schiller_,
set to music by _Aloys Schmitt_, a patriotic chorus by _André_, and
“Die Bürgschaft” (The pledge) by _Schiller_, also composed by _Aloys
Schmitt_, all with piano-forte accompaniment. The chorus numbered about
forty eight voices, and the performance succeeded well. The only regret
was, that the locality was not more spacious. The music to the “Drei
Worte” pleased me very much. It evinced a great talent for that kind
of lyrical composition. The poem is also right well adapted to it. The
second; “Die Bürgschaft” is less so. In this, the composer distributes
the persons represented as speaking, among the several solo-voices;
but it sounds very strange to hear these sing what the poet relates.
The chorus has its share in the text distributed in the same arbitrary
manner. It is nevertheless not to be denied, that several of their
_entreés_ have an extraordinary effect, as for instance, where it says:
“Und unendlicher Regen giesset herab”. “And neverceasing rain pours
down”, and later, where the exhausted wanderer hears the murmering
of a spring of water. The whole poem throughout is conceived and
rendered with much fancy, yet the music suffers from a want of form
through the frequent change of the tempi and measure. The repetition
of _single_ words which of themselves express no meaning is very much
to be reprehended, and sometimes sounds truly comical. The four handed
piano-forte-accompaniment is so rich in ornamentation, passages and
modulations, that with very little modification it would not require to
be rewritten for the orchestra. _André’s_ chorus was not distinguished
by any thing remarkable. At the conclusion, Herr _Hasemann_ of the
Frankfurt orchestra, who as violincellist accompanied me in my Quartett
in the morning much better than any of the others, astonished us with
his skill on the bass-sackbut! He played variations on the well known
song: “Mich fliehen alle Freuden” (All pleasures depart from me). But
it makes an unpleasant impression upon a hearer of taste, when an
instrument is constrained to produce what is neither natural to, nor
consistant with its character.
_Darmstadt_, 9. Febr.
Constrained to nearly a month’s stay by the illness of my good
_Dorette_, I have had ample time to inform myself on the state of
music here. Little satisfactory can be said of it. The Grand-Duke is
certainly very fond of music, and spends considerable sums of money
upon it; but this love of it is one sided, egotistical, and is limited
solely to Theatrical music. He takes a pleasure for instance in
enacting the Director of music, and Manager, in the Opera-rehearsals;
he therefore not only directs the orchestra from a desk in the
theatre, but directs also every thing upon the stage. As he considers
himself incapable of error in both capacities, nor will allow either
the director of the orchestra, or the stage manager to gainsay his
regulations in the least, as a matter of course many mistakes occur.
For, although of all Grand-Dukes he may be the best director of an
opera, that does not make him _a good one_! He clearly proves this
in his selection of the works which he allows to be performed in
his theatre. As he has so liberally endowed the theatre that the
management has no need to study the taste of the public for the sake of
the receipts, they might therefore procure a Repertoire of really good
and meritorious works, if he would only allow them the choice. But this
he reserves to himself, and therefore not only much of what is given
is of mediocrity merely, but many excellent works are wholly excluded,
such as the operas of _Cherubini_, because the Grand-Duke cannot bear
them. He may by chance let “Den Wasserträger,” (the Watercarrier) pass,
but only the first act of it. Neither do the operas of _Mozart_ seem to
please him any better; for when a few days ago the turn came again for
“Don Juan”, after nothing else had been given for thirty consecutive
nights but _Poissl’s_ “Athalia”, and that the orchestra relieved from
the distressing wearisomeness with which that opera had overcome them,
executed the first finale with great spirit, the Grand-Duke turning to
the director of the orchestra, said: “After _Poissl’s_ opera there’s no
relishing “Don Juan!”
Considering the large salaries paid by the Grand-Duke, the _personnel_
of solo-singers might be a much better one, with a few exceptions, than
it really is; but it is maintained, that he only wishes for middling
talents, so that they may yield more willingly to his regulations. The
chorus (thirty females and thirty men) is very excellent. The orchestra
is also very numerous, and comprises several very good artists among
its members; but there is also a good deal of ordinary talent among
them. The Grand-Duke may claim some credit for their _ensemble_, and
particularly in the _pianissimo_; but as regards pure intonation, and
clearness of expression, there is yet much to be desired. No orchestra
in the world is so harrassed as this is; for the whole of the members
without exception, must attend every blessed evening in the theatre,
from 6 to 9 or 10 o’clock. Every Sunday, there is opera; on two other
days in each week a play; and on the four remaining days the Grand-Duke
has his opera-rehearsals. These never fail unless he is prevented by
illness. Then no operas are given. A short time ago he was obliged to
keep his room for several weeks with a bad leg; during this time no
rehearsal dare be held, nor any opera performed. He seemed to beleive,
or wished others to beleive that without him, nothing could be studied.
It is a singular sight, to see the old gentleman already grown quite
crooked, seated at the desk in uniform with his star on his breast,
giving the time; ordering the chorus and the “statists” to recollect
this thing or the other, or calling out _piano_ or _forte_ to the
orchestra. If he but understood all this, there would be no better
director of an opera; for he has not only great zeal and perseverance,
but from his station also, as Grand-Duke, the necessary authority. But
his knowledge of scores extends no farther than at most to enable him
to read after the violin-voice, and as he once played the violin when
a young man, he continually harrasses the poor violinists with his
reminiscenses, without making things any better! On the other hand, the
singers may sing as false or with as little taste as they choose, or
the wind-instruments may be one beat before or behind,--and he does not
observe it!
It is just the same with his arrangements on the stage; but there the
manager can yet come in unobserved to the rescue, while the director
of the orchestra is not permitted the slightest reproval of any error
that may occur. That the operas, therefore, despite the numerous
rehearsals should come off badly, and invariably worse the more
rehearsals that have been held, is sufficiently accounted for above,
so that in the end both singers and orchestra become incapable of more
attention from sheer exhaustion and disgust. This was the case with
the opera “Athalie” of _Poissl_, which during our stay was rehearsed
every evening when no performance took place, and in which on its
representation at last, after thirty stage-rehearsals, faults still
occured, both on the stage and in the orchestra. Of the music of this
opera but little can be said in praise. It is too common-place, and the
same kind of thing too frequently heard before. Several of the musical
pieces are imitations of the most admired pieces of _Mozart_ and
_Cherubini_, yet without producing any other effect than recalling them
to mind: so for instance, the procession of Priests, with its single
strokes of the kettle-drum, is exactly like that in the “Zauberflöte”
(the Magic Flute) during the “fire and water ordeal.” In the same
manner also, the concluding Allegro of the first act, which contains
striking reminiscences from the finale of “Don Juan,” and so forth. The
first act is besides extremely tedious, from the circumstance that so
many slow tempi and prayers succeed each other so closely, so that in
point of fact, the opera has neither life nor action.
The Grand-Duke, who considers the music of this opera very fine,
perhaps merely, because it was written by a Baron, had the vexation
to find that the public considered it very wearisome, which was even
loudly expressed close to the box of the Grand-duke. This so much
enraged him, that he said in a loud voice: “All those who do not
comprehend this splendid opera should have the doors of the theatre
closed against them!” If what people say here, is true, that he compels
the servants of his Court and officers, to frequent the theatre, by
deducting without any ceremony the amount of the subscription for the
_entrée_ to the theatre from their salaries, he might readily carry out
his threat by releasing them from this soccage!
As the Grand-Duke refused to us the assistance of the orchestra for a
public concert, because as he expressed in his reply to my request,
he could not spare it from the theatre on any evening, we were on
the point of leaving without having played in Darmstadt, when the
directors of the Cassino proposed to us to appear in their _locale_,
for which they offered us a sum of twenty carolins.[16] This offer we
accepted. I played with _Dorette_ a sonata, and two concert-pieces with
pianoforte accompaniment; and _Dorette_ concluded with the Fantasia in
C-Minor. We met with a very sympathising audience. The violinists of
the orchestra, who much desired to hear me, and Herr _Backhofen_ the
former instructor of my wife who would have been greatly interested in
her present artistic skill, were however, not permitted to be of the
auditory; for the Grand-Duke had said on the previous evening in the
theatre: “Let me find nobody absent himself to-morrow evening!”
[16] One Carolin = 20 s, 4 d English.
_Heidelberg_, February, 11.
Notwithstanding the extreme cold that set in last night, we this
afternoon climbed the castle-hill, to behold once more the magnificent
ruins of the castle. I was pleased to find that since the last eight
years it has not been allowed to fall into further decay, and that much
more care is taken to preserve the ruins in their present condition.
The view over the town towards Mannheim, and into the valley of the
Neckar, is even in winter, beautiful in the extreme!
_Carlsruhe_, February, 26.
Our stay here was made very agreable, from our meeting with old
acquaintances. It afforded us also some art-enjoyments. It is true
we did not hear any good orchestral-music; for the orchestra here,
although latterly several distinguished artists have been engaged, is
still very middling. A few good members cannot cloak the weak points
of the rest. On the other hand, we heard two good female singers,
Demoiselle _Bahrenfels_ and Madame _Gervais_. On the 21., when we
played in the private apartments of the Grand-Dutchess, the former
sang an aria; and a few days before, the soprano-soli in _Romberg’s_
“Glocke” (the “Bell”) which was right well performed by a society of
dilettanti in the museum. Demoiselle _Bahrenfels_ has a fine voice,
good taste and great ease of execution, but overloads her singing too
much with ornamentation. Madame _Gervais_, who is also a distinguished
actress, I heard in _Weigl’s_ pretty opera: “Adrian van Ostade” in
which she sang a Cavatina in a very brilliant manner. We then heard
her sing in our concert on the 24. the grand scena from “Faust” with
universal applause. She has also a fine voice, is of a good school,
has feeling, and great execution, but embellishes also too much at the
wrong place, and now and then sings out of tune....
I frequently played my Quartetts and Quintetts; twice at Herr _von
Eichthal’s_ and once at Messrs. _Freidorf’s_ and _Brandt’s_. I was
excellently accompanied in them by Messrs. _Fesca_, _Viala_, _Bönlein_,
and _von Dusch_. _Fesca_ played also a new Quintett of his composition,
which had many new and beautiful points in it. In the last passage
there was nevertheless something far-fetched.
_Strasburg_, March, 6.
I must first speak of that which strikes the eye of the traveller even
before he has crossed the Rhine,--I mean the Cathedral! Far beyond
Kehl we saw its colossal and yet graceful form towering high into
the air. It has been so often and so well described (and poetically
also in Baggesen’s travels) that I shall not attempt it. But I must
say, that nothing I had ever seen before, awakened in me so much the
sentiment of the sublime, and the holy, as that wonderful structure!
What stateliness of form, what elegance, what richness of decoration,
and what imposing grandeur are here united! All that the Iconaclausts
damaged during the time of the revolution has again been restored, and
the new statues that have been placed in the room of those which were
destroyed have more artistic merit than such of the old ones as were
then spared. The building is very carefully kept in repair throughout,
and 20,000 francs annually are set apart for the external repairs
alone. Such care is nevertheless doubly necessary with this structure,
on account of its delicacy of ornamentation, as the slightest damage
would readily entail a greater and more dangerous one; for the gigantic
tower has no foundation wall running round its base but is built
upon piles, between which deep in the ground below flows a navigable
canal. Half way up, where the structure separates into two halves,
one of which unfortunately, is finished only, every part throughout
is so, aërial, so elegant, and permits the eye to see through it so
completely, that here, where when one pillar is the support of the
other, the least damage, if not immediately re-established, might
readily entail the falling in of the whole tower.
After we had sufficiently satisfied our feeling of admiration of the
bold, gigantic structure; the telegraph which extends its arms upon
the roof of the Cathedral attracted our attention. At that moment
the telegraph was being worked, and we were greatly amused with the
ease and rapidity of its movements. As we were desirous to understand
the mechanism, we ascended to it, but only reached it just as it
had ceased, and we alone saw the Despatch about to be transmitted,
in the curious characters still standing wet upon the paper. I was
desirous to know whether these characters of which there might be
about twenty four at the utmost, represented the letters of the
alphabet, or separate words, or whole sentences, and I put a few
questions to the telegraphist upon the subject. He, however, gave me
but little information, either because he durst not, or did not know
himself, which is the most probable, as the director alone is allowed
to possess the key to the characters. According to him, each sign or
character expresses a word. But this is very improbable, as it would
be impossible to communicate with sufficient clearness with four and
twenty words, even supposing the intervening missing words might be
for the most part guessed at. On the other hand, that the meaning of
one or more of the signs must have been known to him, was evident from
the circumstance, that in order to shew us the mechanism, he gave the
_signe d’attention_, by which was asked, whether in the course of the
day another Despatch was to be expected, and if each telegraphist
was to remain at his post. This sign was immediately taken up by the
next telegraph, as we could see through the telescope affixed to the
wall, and then also by the next one, although it could be seen less
distinctly. After a lapse of 7 or 8 minutes the reply came back from
Paris: “Every body must remain at his post.” This sign was immediately
taken up also by our telegraph, and then all were again at rest. The
mechanism is very simple. Three large wheels in the telegrapher’s room,
over which run cords of twisted copperwire set the three limbs of the
telegraph in motion. Smaller wheels, affixed to the larger ones set
in motion a smaller telegraph in the interior of the room, by which
the mechanist sees whether the signs have been correctly made above,
on the roof. A third moderately sized telegraph outside of the room,
directed towards the residence of the director, serves to impart to him
the signs coming from Paris. The whole contrivance is very ingenious
and does credit to man’s creative mind. The telegraphists have a very
onerous duty. From the first dawn of day-light to night fall, they must
be at their posts. The slightest negligence is immediately punished
with dismissal from the service.
In Strasburg I made the acquaintance of three distinguished _artistes_
and of several passionate lovers of music. The former were: Herr
_Spindler_, director of the Cathedral Orchestra, the successor of
_Pleyel_, who previously held that appointment, Herr _Berg_, _pianiste_
and composer, and Herr _Kuttner_ also a pianiste and a singer. Of
_Spindler’s_ Ecclesiastical-compositions a Requiem is very much
praised; of his dramatic works an Opera: “The Orphan Asylum.” Spindler
sent the score and the libretto of this opera, which was also his
property to the directors of the Vienna Court-theatre. It was not
accepted and returned under the pretence, that the song-parts would not
suit the operatic-personnel there. But a copy was thievishly taken of
the libretto, and _Weigl_ then composed music for it also. As shortly
before, his “Schweizerfamilie” had been very successful, this new work
soon became popular at all the theatres in Germany, while _Spindler’s_
composition up to the present time has only been heard in Strasburg.
For this dishonest transaction he nevertheless obtained some slight
satisfaction, for when _Weigl’s_ composition was given here last year
by a German operatic-company, it pleased infinitely less than his.
_Spindler_ is a well educated and extremely modest artiste. Among
the ardent lovers of music the Advocate _Lobstein_ ranks first. He
is Director of a well assorted Amateur-Concert-society; the numerous
Orchestra of which consists for the most part of dilettanti, and they
do not give badly such compositions, as are not too difficult and which
they have sufficiently rehearsed. As in France since the Revolution a
law is still enforced, which requires that every person who gives a
Concert, if he publicly announces it by bills, and takes money, shall
pay over one fifth of the receipts to the Directors of the Theatre of
the town; Herr _Lobstein_ made the proposal to me to give a Concert in
the same place and on the same day as the Amateur-Concert-Society, by
which means I avoided the impost. The Concert was announced privately
only, but was nevertheless so well attended that above one hundred
persons were unable to find further room in the by no means small
saloon. This as well as the enthusiastic reception that our play met
with, induced me to give a second and a public Concert after having
come to an understanding with the manager of the theatre to pay over a
fixed impost of eighty francs; but it was not so numerously attended
as the first, probably owing to the price of admission being raised
to three francs. The Orchestra was the same in both, half composed
of dilettanti and half of skilled musicians; the string-instruments
tolerably good, the wind-instruments for the most part bad. As the
latter have a good deal to do in my compositions, they therefore got
sadly mishandled. My Quartetts and Quintetts which I frequently played
at private parties, were on the other hand very well accompanied.
Upon these occasions Messrs. _Baxmann_ (first Violincellist of the
theatrical Orchestra) and _Nani_ (Violinist) especially distinguished
themselves. Although the Strasburghers are much behind the inhabitants
of the larger towns of Germany in the cultivation of music, and know
little or nothing of our newest music and its spirit, they yet appear
to relish well my compositions. My stay here therefore served to make
my compositions in demand, few of which only were known here, and they
were now frequently written for to the music sellers.
While we were in Strasburg Messrs. _Berg_ and _Kuttner_ gave together
a public Concert, in which both shewed themselves good pianistes, and
Herr _Berg_ a talented composer. He gave an Overture, a Pianoforte
Concerto and variations for two Piano’s. The allegro of the overture
pleased me especially, on account of its natural flow and the manner in
which the theme is carried out. But Herr _Berg_ is not free from the
complaint common to all modern composers, who are always striving after
effects, and in so doing miss the carrying out of their ideas.
We went a few times to the theatre, and with the exception of the
Prima Donna Madame _Dufay_, found the Opera very bad, but the Comedy
and Vaudeville excellent. I became again convinced, how greatly the
French excel the Germans in the two last kinds of entertainment. The
company here, which is generally considered but very middling, perform
nevertheless their Comedies with roundness, and life like truth, such
as is seldom seen on the stage of the best theatres in Germany.
_Münster, near Colmar_, March, 26.