Beethoven being unacquainted with the English language was obliged to
employ some person to write these letters for him. But, as he signed
them, he must be held answerable for their contents. Had he been able to
read them, he would probably have disapproved of the manner in which his
business transactions were conducted by his interpreter.
During the later years of his life it was a favourite idea with
Beethoven to visit England for the purpose of making money. In the year
1817 he corresponded (in German) with F. Ries, in London, on the
subject, in consequence of an invitation from the Philharmonic Society.
The conditions under which he was willing to accept the invitation he
carefully specified as follows:--
"1. I propose to be in London at the latest during the first half of the
month of January, in 1818.
2. I promise to bring with me two new large symphonies, which shall
become the exclusive property of the Philharmonic Society.
3. The Philharmonic Society pledges itself to pay me for the two
symphonies three hundred guineas, and for my travelling expenses one
hundred guineas. I expect that the journey will cost me much more than
the sum which I ask, because I shall necessarily require a travelling
companion.
4. In order that I may be enabled to occupy myself at once
uninterruptedly with composing those large symphonies, the Philharmonic
Society binds itself to pay 150 guineas of the above sum in advance, so
that I may procure without delay a travelling carriage and other
travelling equipments.
5. The conditions proposed by the Philharmonic Society as regards my
non-appearance in any other public orchestra than its own, about not
conducting the orchestra, and about suchlike matters for the advantage
of the Society, I consent to unreservedly. My feeling of honour would
have dictated them to me as a matter of course.
6. I dare to hope that the Philharmonic Society will oblige me with its
assistance in the preparation and promotion of one benefit concert, or
perhaps more....
7. I must beg that the conditions, or the agreement to the above, shall
be written in the English language, signed by three Directors of the
Philharmonic Society in the name of the Society, and forwarded to me."
Failing health prevented Beethoven from undertaking the journey. The
Philharmonic Society, believing him to be in want, which was far from
being the case, in a delicate way presented him with L100. Indeed,
Beethoven had every reason to feel gratified by the generous attention
shown to him by those Englishmen who were able to appreciate his merits.
In the year 1817, some of his London admirers gave him great pleasure by
sending him a new grand-piano of Broadwood's manufacture; and in 1826,
the kind-hearted Mr. J. A. Stumpff, in London, a German by birth, and a
harp-maker in by no means affluent circumstances, made him a present of
Arnold's edition of Handel's works, in forty volumes folio,--a gift
which was taken to the bedside of the dying composer, and which soothed
his last days of suffering.
Also Haydn received from England touching marks of veneration. Some
instances of homage offered by enthusiastic amateurs, must have caused
him amusement on account of their singularity, if for no better reason.
The worsted-spinner W. Gardiner, of Leicester, forwarded to him a
present of six pairs of cotton stockings in which he had worked the
notation of some popular melodies by Haydn,--such as the air "My mother
bids me bind my hair;" the theme of the Andante in the Surprise
Symphony; the tune of the Hymn "God preserve the Emperor," etc. W.
Gardiner was himself a musical composer, his mode of composing being
that of the Bavarian prince Joseph Clemens, who set about it "like the
bees which extract honey from the most beautiful flowers, and mix it
together."[40] Thus W. Gardiner "composed" a whole oratorio, which he
made up of choruses and airs borrowed from various masters, and more or
less distorted to suit them to their new place. Only the overture was
wanting. He wrote to Beethoven to induce him to compose one for this
oratorio, and offered to pay 100 guineas for it. Beethoven never
answered the letter.[41] Had he been really as greedy of gain as in his
correspondence with Birchall he appears to be, he would probably have
accepted the offer, which was rather liberal. Nevertheless, had he
accepted it, the result would very likely have proved the manufacturer a
more practical man than the composer. Be this as it may, it is quite
comprehensible that to Beethoven an attempt to associate him with
musical jobbery must have been especially repulsive.
Perhaps no opera composer had a better chance of becoming a rich man
than had Carl Maria von Weber. The success of 'Der Freischuetz' was
immense. The fascinating melodies of this opera were sung, played and
whistled everywhere, by musical and unmusical people. It would be
difficult to point out a civilized country in which 'Der Freischuetz' has
not been performed and listened to with rapture. Before the popularity
of the opera was fully established, Weber offered the pianoforte score
to the publisher Schlesinger, in Berlin, for sixty Frederick-d'ors
(L51). Schlesinger thought the demand exorbitant, and offered two
hundred and twenty thalers (L33), which Weber accepted.[42]
Nevertheless, in consequence of the many performances of 'Der
Freischuetz' in various towns on the Continent, from which the composer
derived some pecuniary advantage, the opera proved rather lucrative to
him. Still, it was more remunerative indirectly than directly, inasmuch
as its universal success induced Charles Kemble, the manager of the
Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, to engage Weber to compose 'Oberon,' and
to visit London for the purpose of conducting the new opera. Thus Weber
had an excellent opportunity of exercising his aptitude for business.
How he acquitted himself of the task, may be gathered from his rejecting
at the outset the terms offered by Kemble,--which were L500, and all his
expenses paid,--and proposing his own terms, which, with the help of
some one acquainted with the English language, he had penned as
follows:--
"At my arrival at London I will first of all preside at the piano in six
representations of the 'Freischuetz'; for the first five you will give me
every night a pecuniary compensation of two hundred pounds, and the
sixth as a benefit for me. During this time we will prepare 'Oberon' and
I will preside at the piano also the first six representations at the
same conditions. I must be assured that all this be settled in three
months, otherwise I should claim an adequate indemnification. The music
of 'Oberon' (Partition, and adapted by me for the Piano) is then your
property for Great Britain. The poem and the music are mine for all the
rest of Europe."
According to this proposal Weber would have realized in the course of
three months L2,400. But he soon experienced that one may also be too
practical. His shattered health rendered the journey to England
exceedingly fatiguing, and the trouble, excitement and disappointments
connected with the rehearsals and representations of 'Oberon,' and with
the necessary preparations for his concerts, accelerated his
dissolution. He died in 1826, when he had been about three months in
London, and the proceeds of his toil during the time amounted to about
L1,100, or less than half the sum which he at first demanded from
Kemble.
The musical student, in perusing the master-works in his art, has
continually occasion to admire the careful consideration which the
composers have given to every bar so as to produce great effects by
simple means, interesting variety in unity, thus achieving as nearly as
possible a perfect work of art. Also, their remarks upon their
compositions show how thoughtfully they laboured, considering and
reconsidering every step they took. It is unnecessary to illustrate this
fact by quotations, as instances will probably occur to the reader.
Suffice it to notice a remark by Mozart, which shows how cleverly he
contrived to make concessions to the popular taste, in as far as he
could accomplish this without deterioration to his compositions as works
of art. In a letter to his father, which he wrote from Paris, he thus
describes the performance of a new symphony, which he had been requested
to compose for the _Concert Spirituel_:--
"In the middle of the first Allegro is a passage of which I knew well
that it would please. All the auditors were transported by it, and there
was great applause. As I knew, when I wrote the passage, what its effect
would be, I introduced it once more towards the end of the movement.
Then they demanded a repetition of the entire Allegro. The Andante
pleased also; but especially the last Allegro. As I had been told that
it was the usual custom with the composers here in Paris to commence the
last Allegro of a symphony, like the first, with the full orchestra,
generally in unison, I commenced mine with only the first and second
violins, _piano_ through eight bars. Then came suddenly _forte_.
Consequently, the auditors made first, as I had expected,--hush! and
then the _forte_ surprised them so greatly, that they applauded as a
matter of course."
Is this not thoroughly practical in an artistic point of view?
[Illustration]
[26] 'Biographie von Ludwig van Beethoven, verfasst von A. Schindler;'
Muenster, 1845; p. 246.
[27] 'Biographische Notizen ueber L. van Beethoven, von Wegeler und
Ries;' Coblenz, 1838; p. 34.
[28] 'Historisch-Kritische Beitraege zur Aufnahme der Musik, von F. W.
Marpurg.' Vol. II., Berlin, 1756; p. 575.
[29] 'Franz Schubert, von H. Kreiszle von Hellborn;' Wien, 1865, p. 272.
[30] L8.
[31] 'Franz Schubert, von H. Kreiszle von Hellborn;' Wien, 1865; p. 388.
[32] Op. 114.
[33] L6.
[34] 'Franz Schubert, von H. Kreiszle von Hellborn;' Wien, 1865; p. 442.
[35] 'Biographie W. A. Mozart's, von G. N. von Nissen;' Leipzig, 1828,
p. 584.
[36] See above, page 23.
[37] Barbaja, the Impressario of the San Carlo Theatre at Naples.
[38] 'Aus dem Tonleben unserer Zeit, von Ferdinand Hiller; Leipzig,
1868.' Vol. II., p. 22.
[39] 'Jahrbuecher fuer Musikalische Wissenschaft, herausgegeben von F.
Chrysander.' Leipzig, 1863, p. 434.
[40] See above, p. 45.
[41] 'Music and Friends, by William Gardiner.' Vol. III., London, 1853,
p. 378.
[42] 'Carl Maria von Weber, ein Lebensbild,' von Max C. M. von Weber;
Leipzig, 1864. Vol. II., p. 270.
[Illustration]