Ancient myths and miracles have always been favourite subjects for
operas, and the lover of music does not need to be told that several of
our dramatic composers have admirably succeeded in producing music of
the fairies and of other aÎrial conceptions of the fancy. It is,
however, not only in their great operatic works, but even in ballads
with the accompaniment of the pianoforte, that we meet with exquisitely
enchanting strains of fairy music. Take, for instance, Franz Schubert's
'Erl-King,' or Carl Loewe's 'Herr Oluf.' Nor have some composers been
less happy in music of this description entirely instrumental.
Mendelssohn's overture to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' his first
orchestral work of importance, and perhaps his best, seems to depict the
fairies dancing in a ring on a moonlight night. But, probably no
composer has written instrumental pieces which might be classed with the
fairy music, so beautifully as has Beethoven. The _Largo assai_ in his
pianoforte Trio in D major, Op. 70, is a remarkable instance. Beethoven
does not head this movement with words intimating that he intends to
tell a fairy-tale in tones. Very possibly he did not even think of the
fairies when he composed that wonderful music. Be this as it may, its
tremulous chords with their tenderly-vibrating passages, descending the
scale _pianissimo_, occasionally swelling to loudness and then subduing
again into their former soft ∆olian murmur--and, above all, its
mysterious and unhomely modulations--convey an impression more analogous
to the effect produced by some of our best fairy-tales than is the case
with many musical compositions which avowedly were suggested by such
stories.
[Illustration]
[64] Kiwi, or Apteryx; also called Wingless Emu. This bird is caught by
torch-light.
[65] 'Polynesian Mythology, by Sir George Grey; London, 1855.' P. 292.
[66] Almost literally from 'The Popular Superstitions and Festive
Amusements of the Highlanders of Scotland, by W. Grant Stewart; London,
1851.'
[67] 'Sagen, M‰rchen, Schw‰nke und Gebra¸che aus Stadt und Stift
Hildesheim, gesammelt von Seifart; Gˆttingen, 1854.' P. 30.
[68] 'Sagen, M‰rchen und Lieder der Herzogth¸mer Schleswig, Holstein und
Lauenburg, herausgegeben von Karl M¸llenhoff; Kiel, 1845.' Pp. 189, 300,
310.
[69] 'The White Wife, with other Stories;' collected by Cuthbert Bede;
London, 1865; p. 220. 'A Collection of Ancient Piobaireachd,' by Angus
Mackay; Edinburgh, 1838.
[70] 'Kinder und Hausm‰rchen, gesammelt durch die Br¸der Grimm;'
Gˆttingen, 1856. Vol. III. P. 192.
[71] 'Isl‰ndische Volkssagen der Gegenwart, gesammelt von Konrad
Maurer;' Leipzig, 1860, P. 277.
[72] Deutsche Mythologie, von Jacob Grimm;' Gˆttingen, 1854. Vol. I. P.
461.
[73] 'Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland. By T.
Crofton Croker.' London, 1862; P. 215.
[74] 'Niederl‰ndische Sagen, herausgegeben von J. W. Wolf;' Leipzig,
1843, P. 611.
[75] 'Niederl‰ndische Sagen, herausgegeben von J. W. Wolf;' Leipzig,
1843, P. 617.
[76] 'Beitrag zur deutschen Mythologie, von F. Panzer;' M¸nchen, 1848,
P. 184.
[Illustration]