Part 15 (1/2)

[Footnote 181: For lack of space no one of these compositions is cited in the Supplement, but they are all readily available]

[Footnote 182: This tendency is prevalent in folk-music, especially that of the Russians and Scandinavians Schubert, however, was the _first_ to make such systematic and artistic use of the effect For a beautiful _,

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The Impromptu in A-flat major, one of several equally fine ones, is notable for the wealth of its iridescent enuine pathos and passion in the ht well say that his most inspired music came from his sorrows

The _Unfinished Symphony_ requires less comment and elucidation than perhaps any other symphonic composition The two movements are in definite Sonata-form--the first, strict, the second, with modifications; but the quality of the themes is quite different from that to which we have been accustomed in classical treatment Instead of the terse, characteristic ly bare, impresses us as its latent possibilities are revealed, we have a series of lyric, periodic melodies which s; thus in the first part of the Exposition of the Allegro we have _three_ distinct ure which has a melodic line of its own, and the first theme proper In any consideration of this work from a pianoforte version we must always remember how much the beauty and eloquence of the thened For Schubert was one of the first, as well as one of the greatest, of ”Colorists” By the use of this pictorial term in music we mean that the tone-quality of certain instru of the oboe, the passionate war in the sarass, the blue sky, the hues of a sunset--delight our sight A striking exa tone-color to suit structural needs is found in the transition beginning at le tone on the horn (with a ) announced _forte_ and then allowed to die away, _ie_, _sf_ [decrescendo sy a spirit of suspense and revery that this tone introduces the beautiful, swaying second theme more impressively than a whole series of routine h there is little polyphonic treatment, it holds our interest by reason of the harmonic variety and the dramatic touches of orchestration In Schubert we do not look for the developive ourselves up unreservedly to the enjoyment of pure htful tone-color The transitional passage of the Recapitulation (measures 231-253) illustrates Schubert's fondness for modulation just for its own sake; we care not what the objective point of the ical shi+fts of scene In the Second Movement, likewise, the chief beauty--especially of the second theme--consists in the lyric quality, in the color of the solo instruments, the oboe, clarinet and horn, and in the enhar_, where, in measures 80-95, the theme modulates from C-sharp minor to D-flat ue in this passage between the clarinet, oboe and flute The Development, based upon the second theme, with some effective canonic treat in polyphonic skill At any rate he can onders with the horn, for at the close of the Development (measures 134-142) by the simple device of an octave leap, _ppp_, he veritably transports the listener, _eg_

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The Coda has a dream-like quality all its own

[Footnote 183: So appropriately called by Berlioz the ”heroine of the orchestra”]

Weber's permanent contribution to musical literature has proved to be his operas--a form of art not treated in this book But the whole nature of his genius was so closely related to the Romantic spirit, as shown in the intimate connection between literature and music, in his descriptive powers and his development of the orchestra, that for the sake of coained with the essential features of his style Of Weber it may be said with conviction that there is hardly a coed rank in whoht is presented, so prevails over the substance of the thought itself There are few if any of Weber's melodies which are notable for creative power, and as a harly said, though with considerable truth, that all his melodies are based upon an alternation of tonic and dominant chords![184] But e consider what his themes are meant to describe, the pictures they evoke and their orchestral dress, we enius To quote Runciht thing in Weber's h I adreat qualities he finds in Mozart, Beethoven, or any of the giants, h expressiveness are alike wanting Weber's claist the coifts which he shared, even if his share was sreater masters ofand painting ina factor of the Roainst the tyranny of a world of footrules and ledgers, he lived in a world where two and two ht make five or seven or any number you pleased, and where footrules were unknown; he took small interest in drama taken out of the lives of ordinary ination lit up only when he thought of haunted glens and ghouls and evil spirits, the fantastic world and life that goes on underneath the ocean, or of hastly spells”

[Footnote 184: A striking illustration of this progression (surely Weber's artner; when, in his own orchestral arrangement of Weber's _Invitation to the Dance_, for the final cli themes in combination--an effect made possible only by their common harmonic basis]

[Footnote 185: This whole article is orth reading and h sos_]

Weber's present-day fame rests upon the Overtures to his three operas of _Der Freischutz_, _Euryanthe_ and _Oberon_, which are often played in detached concert forlow and for the brilliancy of orchestral effect By e melodies of the operas themselves Weber has created what e of what the titles imply, present us with realistic pictures For the use of special tone-color to enhance the dramatic situation Weber is the precursor of that type of orchestration which has reached such heights in Wagner and other moderns From the above comments it is evident that only the barest idea of the Overtures can be gained from a pianoforte version; we have selected _Oberon_[186]

because it suffers less than either of the others Everyone, however, should becoe in the introduction to _Der Freischutz_ (taken from the scene in the Wolf's Glen) and the Inters,[187] which accoenuine_ descriptive hostly_ (See Suppleiven in the Suppleeain the real effect the student is strongly advised to consult the orchestral score]

[Footnote 187: The genesis of so ner]

The _Oberon Overture in D ic horn, and then follows a passage for io sostenuto) and for delicate coives us a picture of the lens of fairyland, peopled with airy spirits The vision is dispelled by a sudden _ff_ chord for full orchestra which, frohly characteristic of Weber's penchant for draro con fuoco) opens with a dashi+ng thereat brilliancy, h we may feel that it has little substance (note the tonic and dominant foundation of the haror It is not alone the ponderous things which should inations; even a soap-bubble is a wonderful phenomenon The the froreat sonority and considerable harmonic boldness After some re-sustained dominant note introduces the second the, to be sure, but is just suited to thetheme borders on triviality; the Exposition ends, however, with soure of theDevelopment is rather flimsy and we need expend upon it no critical powder Weber was a great colorist but not a great architect These qualities are united only too seldom In the Recapitulation, which is shortened by the omission of the second theme--rather overworked in the Developround of rhyth orchestral color At the close we are convinced that the overture has acco the revels of Fairy-land

Although they are seldom[188] played to-day, no account of Weber would be complete which entirely passed over his compositions for the Pianoforte, _ie_, the four Sonatas, the concert piece in F inally conceived _Invitation to the Dance_, often played in the orchestral version of Berlioz which is so artner Weber is classed as one of the founders of the ”brilliant school” of pianoforte playing which, chiefly through the genius of Franz Liszt, has done so e the sonorous and coloristic possibilities of the instruain Weber's fa achievement; as to the importance of this influence, however, there can be no doubt

[Footnote 188: Perhaps the whirligig of time may restore them; who can say?]

The student will be repaid for infor Weber's career and artistic ideals, for he was a genuine though early exponent of Romantic tendencies Of marked versatility, of no netisht properly be considered a man of the world, as well as an artist, Weber was thus enabled to do pioneer work in raising the standard ofthe art of music and ordinary, daily life into closer touch

[Footnote 189: The life in Grove's Dictionary is orth while; there are essays by Krehbiel and others and, above all, the biographical and critical accounts in the two French series: _Les Musiciens Celebres_, and _Les Maitres de la Musique_]

CHAPTER XIII

SCHUMANN AND MENDELSSOHN