"According to _Le Menestrel_, a complete libretto of _King Lear_ in
+Verdi's+ handwriting has been discovered among his papers. This
confirms the report that he had intended to write an opera on the
subject."
_Antonio Bazzini_, the eminent violinist, composed a fine concert
overture to _King Lear_, which was performed {52} twice at the Crystal
Palace--in 1877 and 1880. It is really more of a symphonic poem than
an overture, but it has no definite programme. Most of the work is
very sombre and grim, as befitting its title. I have rarely seen a
more restless work from the point of view of _tempo_, and its tonality
is constantly changing. It is not in the least the kind of work one
would expect from the composer of the popular "Ronde des Lutins" for
violin, which is the only piece of his generally known here; but
Bazzini was really a serious-minded composer, and was Professor of
Composition in, and subsequently Director of, the famous Conservatoire
of Milan. This overture is one of his mature works, and, though the
themes are obviously of Italian origin, the development of them shows
signs of German influence. The whole work is very interesting and
uncommon.
+Felix Weingartner+, whose symphonic poem _King Lear_ is, after
Berlioz's overture, the most important work on this subject, was born
at Zara (Dalmatia) in 1863, and is one of the most distinguished of
living conductors. The score was published in 1897, and performed in
England at the London Musical Festival on May 2, 1902. The composer,
in his own account of the work, says that it is not to be regarded as
depicting the march of events as they occur in the drama (after the
manner of programme music), its form being designed rather on the lines
of early examples of the overture. The poem opens with a broad
_fortissimo_ theme, showing the King in his pomp and state. This is
followed by a crawling theme, signifying the malignant attitude of many
at the Court. These two subjects struggle together, with a third, the
love theme, hovering over all. The _motif_ of the King in his glory is
repeated, but this time the evil influence music gets the better of it.
A beautiful theme follows--Cordelia; but the King does not understand
it, and soon Lear curses his daughter in a fine dramatic passage. This
section is succeeded by a terrific storm, with thunder and lightning;
the King's theme is {53} played in a wildly contorted form to show that
he has become mad. The beautiful Cordelia music now comes to comfort
him, and the two are reconciled, but their happiness does not last
long. The work ends most tragically. The whole is a very reverent and
masterly attempt on the part of a first-rate musician to set down in
musical notation the effect of this stupendous tragedy on a
finely-balanced brain.
{54}