Part 9 (2/2)
”Following the example of celebrated vocal virtuosi whom he had formerly known, and availing himself of the license then permitted, the master (de La Madelaine) has introduced several alterations (_changements_). These, however, in no sense clash with the original character of the air itself.
”That the introduction of such ornaments has caused an outcry, is not surprising. We should remember, however, that the _Freischutz_ was written at a period when, in certain places, the composer left the field entirely open to the singer, permitted him to make such changes as he might deem necessary. It must not be thought that in so doing the interpreter corrects the composer: he simply seeks to express, to the utmost of his abilities, the intention of the author.
”The operas of Bellini, of Rossini, and, in general, of all the Italian masters, are full of these intentional gaps (_lacunes_) which were filled in by the singers. Nay, in the earliest days of the Neapolitan school, still greater liberty was allowed; the recitatives were all improvised by the executants, and were not even noted down.
Each singer made his own, which the _maestro al cembalo_ accompanied with a few simple chords.
”In the cavatina in _Norma_, each _cantatrice_ introduces her own changes on the recurrence of the princ.i.p.al theme, and the public applauds. Why then this outcry against the same procedure in _Der Freischutz_?
”_That this custom or practice might lead to great abuse and that it is necessary to uproot it gradually, is our opinion._ But this radical reform can be realized only in forthcoming works; those of the ancient school ought to be interpreted by following the conventions which the composer himself has respected.
”That the _changements_ written by M. de La Madelaine for the air of the _Freischutz_ are permissible, is proved by the fact that Weber himself has sanctioned and approved them, as, if need be, a great number of contemporaries can attest.” (FRANCK-MARIE.)
Whoever has had the good fortune to hear Mme. Marcella Sembrich in the role of Amina, in Bellini's _La Sonnambula_, will have heard an excellent example of remarkable technical skill or virtuosity, with irreproachable taste regulating its display. The ornaments and changes used by her in the _rondo finale_, ”_Ah, non giunge_,” are models of their genre. What else could be expected of an artist so gifted as to be able to perform the lesson-scene in Rossini's _Il Barbiere_ (introducing therein the air with variations by Proch) in Italian; and in the course of the same scene sing, in German, ”_Ich liebe dich_,”
by Grieg, and play the Andante and Rondo Russe, for violin, by de Beriot, and a valse by Chopin on the piano?
The opera, _La Sonnambula_, requires much rearrangement both of the music and of the verbal text, to which it is badly fitted. The greater part of the music written for Elvino has to be transposed, mostly a third lower, in order to make it practicable under existing conditions.
No effect whatever could be made were a cantatrice to follow implicitly the written notes of this opera, such being merely a rough sketch, as it were, of the composer's ideas, which the singer is supposed to complete. Several instances from the andante ”_Ah! non credea mirarti_,” will suffice to prove this. The following is the printed version.
[Music:
Ah non credea mirarti, S presto estinto, o fiore.]
This is but a suggestion of the composer's idea. The artist will therefore not follow too closely the printed version; but following the evident indications for a pathetic and expressive _cantabile_ will perform it thus:
[Music:
Ah! non credea mirarti, S presto estinto, o fiore.]
Again a brief outline, as printed:
[Music: Pa.s.sasti al par d'amore, che un giorno, che un giorno sol dur.]
which, if sung as follows, fills in the details:
[Music: Pa.s.sasti al par d'amore, che un giorno, che un giorno sol dur.]
Also the pa.s.sage in the same aria, where Amina sobs as she slowly lets fall to the ground the blossoms given her in the first act by Elvino, requires an entire rearrangement of the syllables to bring out the composer's meaning.
[Music:
Che un giorno sol dur, Pa.s.sasti al par d'amor, d'amor.]
Let any one go over this pa.s.sage carefully, and he will be convinced that it is, as I have said, merely a sketch of the composer's idea. As it stands in the published version it is impossible of execution, and if it were possible, would be devoid of all effect: the syllables being wrongly placed, no opportunity for breathing is given the singer, and the final cadenza is marred by being allotted to the word ”amore.” Here is a revision of the latter, the cadenza being one I wrote for a pupil, Mme. Easton-Maclennan, of the Royal Opera, Berlin:
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