Reproduction of a proof before letters of an etching.
]
To return to his operatic compositions, there were some others during
this gloomy period of frequent failures which achieved success, among
them, “Vendome en Espagne” (1823), which he wrote with Auber, “Le Roi
Réné” composed for the fête of Louis XVIII., “Marie” (1826) and
“L’Illusion” (1829), which enhanced his reputation and paved the way for
the two works which were to be the crowning successes of his life.
“Zampa” was produced May 3, 1831, and aroused something like a furor in
Paris, though its most enduring success has been made in Germany. It
still keeps the boards upon the continent, and though rarely heard in
this country, its overture remains a conspicuous feature of concert
programmes. With “Zampa” Hérold’s success was firmly grounded, though
the work bears unmistakable indications of German influence and is
written in the broad, serious style characteristic of the German
composers. It is for this reason that it has been more favorably
received in Germany than in France, though its merit was fully
recognized by Hérold’s own countrymen. It restored the waning fortunes
of the Opera Comique, saved it from ruin, and made Hérold a popular
favorite. At this time he was chorus master, but a few weeks after his
success he was dismissed by the new director upon the excuse that it was
necessary to retrench. He had only a verbal contract, but he appealed to
the courts, and his appeal was sustained after nine months of
litigation, the courts holding that there was an implied contract. He
accordingly was reinstated, but soon the fortunes of the Opera were
involved in another financial crisis. The director sought to retrieve
them with a sensation and in 1831 brought out the musical play of the
“Marquise de Brinvilliers.” Scribe and Castil-Blaze wrote the text
together, and nine composers, whose names have been given elsewhere,
arranged the musical setting. The combined efforts of the collaborators,
however, failed to produce anything more than a nine days’ wonder, and
the doors of the Opera were reluctantly closed. Six months later a new
location was chosen and the opera once more made its appeal to the
public with a new work by Hérold, “La Médecine sans Médecin.” Its
success fell far short of that which “Zampa” had enjoyed, but it served
the purpose of keeping the Opera on its feet until Hérold had finished
another work which was destined to complete his fame and to restore the
Opera Comique to its old prestige. It was, alas, his swan song. “Le Pré
aux Clercs” was performed Dec. 15, 1832. It had a success of enthusiasm.
Unlike “Zampa,” it was a purely national opera, with an historical theme
treated with genuine French grace and spirit, and abounding in
characteristic French music which commended it to the Parisians. Its
reception was attended with a remarkable display of excitement and
popular acclamations. The audience rose to a man and called for the
composer but he was unable to make an appearance. The fatigues of
rehearsals and the tumultuous events of the evening were too much for
his already enfeebled condition. He was taken home, but had hardly
arrived there when he had a dangerous hemorrhage. He lived but four
weeks after his great success, dying of consumption Jan. 19, 1833, the
same disease which had proved fatal in his father’s case. His funeral
took place on the 21st. He was buried at Père la Chaise, near Méhul, and
addresses were made at the grave by Fétis and Saint-George. He left a
widow, Adèle Elise Rollet-Hérold, to whom he was married in 1827, and
three children, Ferdinand, an attorney, Adèle, and Eugenie who also was
a musician. “Le Pré aux Clercs” was not his last work in the list of
performances, for after his death the overture and four numbers of
another opera, “Ludovic,” were found among his papers. The work was
completed and produced with success by Halévy. His biographer, M.
Jouvin, says of it: “In what proportion did this posthumous child of
Hérold belong to its father and its godfather? I know not. I have not
the opera of ‘Ludovic’ under my eye. I have not been admitted into the
secret of the work done by the musician who two years later wrote ‘La
Juive’ and ‘L’Eclair’ without taking breath. I only charge myself to
report, without guaranteeing, a tradition which attributes to Hérold the
overture and four pieces in the first act of this lyric drama.”
[Illustration:
HÉROLD’S TOMB IN PÈRE LA CHAISE, PARIS.
]
The peculiarities of Hérold’s style which distinguished him from the
other operatic composers of his period were the freshness and
originality of his ideas, the grace and refinement of his conceptions,
which are displayed to special advantage in his ballets, the variety of
his melodies, and the highly emotional and imaginative character of the
man himself. He was the legitimate successor of Boieldieu and reflected
his romantic moods, and it will be remembered coöperated with him in his
first work after his return to Paris from Italy. With these purely
subjective qualities he combined an instrumentation that is always rich
in color and dramatic in effect, an intimate knowledge of the stage and
its resources, and a superior degree of literary taste and culture,
though the latter distinction did not always save him from accepting
commonplace and sometimes worthless libretti. The reason for this is
probably to be found in his prodigious activity, which induced him to
accept such poor books in the hope that his music would excuse them,
rather than spend his time in idleness. Though possessed of undoubted
originality if not of actual inspiration, he was greatly influenced by
the works of the composers, though in no sense can he be considered a
copyist. During his Italian visit he was much impressed with Paisiello.
In a letter to his mother about the year 1815 he says: “I have fallen
into one error here—that of neglecting M. Paisiello.... I can say that I
study much the music of Paisiello and find it delicious.” The Italian
influences did not last long however. Upon his return to Paris he was
devoted to the music of Méhul, with whom he had studied in the
Conservatory. Rossini influenced him greatly for a time and how far he
had studied Mozart is shown in “Zampa,” which was constructed upon the
lines of “Don Juan.” In this connection, M. Scudo, in his criticism of
“Zampa,” makes the following pertinent remarks: “The side of this work
that stands open to criticism is, as nearly always with Hérold,
confusion of styles. The austere and sober phrase of Méhul is found in
company with Italian bravura. The chansonette disperses with its
importunate cockcrow all the phantoms worked from the supernatural.
Mozart, Méhul, Weber, Rossini, Auber, how many more?—may be found in the
hybrid formation of this superb monster. Under the mobile structure of
that orchestra, so full of presentiments and mysteries, you distinguish
Weber. Those duets, those Venetian colored finales, conceived, worked
with the vigorous authority of a master, speak to you of Rossini, while
here and there the small details, the grace, the spirit, the lively and
piquant features murmur in your ears the names of Boieldieu and Auber.”
His own thoughts which he committed to paper, however, and which were
found among his documents after his death, will give a clue to his style
and to his ideas of what constituted artistic excellence. Among many
other things he says: “Melodies must come from the soul to reach the
soul of the auditors.” “Try to find a just medium between the vague
music of Sacchini and the vigor of Gluck. Think often of Mozart and his
beautiful _airs de mouvement_.” “Lean always to the side of melodies
free from platitude.” “In all arts, and particularly in music for some
time past, people are skilful in finishing and polishing without
reflecting how much more important is a good general design.” “Of melody
as much as possible.” “Declaim with truth and strength.” “Find themes
which bring tears.” “‘Great sorrows are silent’ observed Seneca. Thus
Hero seeing the floating corpse of Leander held her peace. He who goes
to the Opera only to hear the music had better frequent the
concert-room. The musical tragedian ought above all to sing but ever in
agreement with the situation.” And then, as if to answer the comments of
some of his critics: “Why not use several styles in a great work? A
chief priest can sing in the ancient manner, the others in the modern.”
“Church music ought to pray for those who listen to it, as said
Salieri.” M. Gustave Chouquet, the keeper of the Museum of the Paris
Conservatory, has well summed up the characteristics of Hérold in his
analysis of “Zampa”: “In a word we recognize in ‘Zampa’ the hand of a
master, who to the spirit of Italian music unites the depth of the
German and the elegance of the French School.”
The principal works of Hérold include twenty-two operas, one cantata,
five ballets, three sonatas, three string quartets, two symphonies,
seven caprices, seventeen rondos and divertissements, seven fantasies
and three variations. Of the operas the following have been the most
successful: “La jeunesse de Henri V.” (1815); “Charles de France”
(1816); “Les Rosières” (1817); “La Clochette” (1817); “Le Muletier”
(1823); “Vendome en Espagne” (1823); “Marie” (1826); “L’lllusion”
(1829); “Zampa” (1831); “La Médecine sans Médecin” (1832) and “Le Pré
aux Clercs” (1832). Though none of these works can be called familiar in
this country, it can hardly be doubted that the two operas “Zampa” and
“Le Pré aux Clercs,” which saved the Opera Comique, and which paved the
way for Ambroise Thomas, Bizet, Massenet and the modern French school,
would repay revival and achieve fresh popularity.
[Illustration: Geo. P. Upton]
[Illustration:
Fac-simile musical manuscript written by Hérold.
]
[Illustration:
Fac-simile autograph letter from Hérold to his mother.
]
[Illustration: