Arr_Orchestration_On Anthology of Writings

Orchestration

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OrchestrationAn Anthology of Writings

EDITED BY PAUL MATHEWS

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For my parents, Charles and Bernadette Mathews

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Contents

Acknowledgments xiPreface xiii

SECTIONIThEEArlyNINETEENThCENTury:BEEThOVENSOrChESTrATION 1

OntheSymphony 4PartII,ChapterIIIofSchool of Practical CompositionCArlCzErNy

InstrumentsAddedtotheScoresofOldMasters 17ChapterXIIIof Travers ChantshECTOrBErlIOz

OntherenderingofBeethovensNinthSymphony 18rIChArdWAgNEr

InstrumentsAddedbyModernComposers:WagnerandBeethoven 37ChArlESgOuNOd

PamphletonMahlersEditionofBeethovensNinthSymphony 40guSTAVMAhlErANdSIEgfrIEdlIPINEr

BeethovensInstrumentation 41fromAn AutobiographyIgOrSTrAVINSky

SECTIONIIThElATENINETEENThCENTury:frENChANdgErMANOrChESTrATIONI 45

StatementsonOrchestration 47guSTAVMAhlEr

firstlesson:PreliminaryInstruction 53fromCours mthodique dorchestrationf.-A.gEVAErT

forewordtoBerliozTreatise on Instrumentation 58rIChArdSTrAuSS

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SECTIONIIIINTErludE:OrChESTrAlPOSSIBIlITESONThEEVEOfThENEWMuSIC 65

TheOrchestra 67fromTreatise on InstrumentationhECTOrBErlIOz,ANNOTATEdByrIChArdSTrAuSS

OrchestraTutti 77fromChapterXofA Course of Instruction in InstrumentationSAlOMONJAdASSOhN

ThegeneraldivisionsandClassificationofthePrincipalInstrumentsoftheOrchestra 93fromAnatomie et phisiologie de lorchestradElIuSandPAPuS

CompositionoftheOrchestra 97ChapterIVofPrincipals of OrchestrationNIkOlAyrIMSky-kOrSAkOV

SECTIONIVThETurNOfThETWENTIEThCENTury: frENChANdgErMANOrChESTrATIONII 117

AnInadequateMeansforMusicalExpression 120fErruCCIOBuSONI

TheOrchestra:diatonicandAtonalMusic 121fromVom Wesen des MusikalischenJOSEfMATThIAShAuEr

PossibilitiesoftheConcertWindBandfromtheStandpointoftheModernComposer 127PErCygrAINgEr

Instrumentation 133ArNOldSChOENBErg

TheBalanceofSonorities:VolumeandIntensity 139fromVolumeI,ChapterIIofTrait de lorchestrationChArlESkOEChlIN

Instrumentation 147fromConversations with StravinskyIgOrSTrAVINSkyANdrOBErTCrAfT

SECTIONVThEEArlyTWENTIEThCENTury:klANgfArBENMElOdIEANdTEXTurE 153

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klangfarbenmelodie 155fromTheory of Harmony [Harmonielehre]ArNOldSChOENBErg

lettertoheinrichJalowetzregardingtheSymphony,Op.21 157lettertohermanScherchenregardingtheTranscriptionofJ.S.BachsricercataANTONWEBErN

AntonWebern:klangfarbenmelodien 159ArNOldSChOENBErg

regardingklangfarbenmelodie 161IgOrSTrAVINSkyANdrOBErTCrAfT

TimbralrelationshipsandTheirfunctionaluse 162AlfrEdSChNITTkE

SECTIONVIlATErTWENTIETh-CENTuryINNOVATIONS 179

ProgramNoteforthefourthSymphony 182ChArlESIVES

InstrumentalCharacterandtheProblemoftheTuttifromFlawed Words and Stubborn Sounds 188EllIOTTCArTErANdAllENEdWArdS

OntheSizeandSeatingofanOrchestra 192STEVErEICh

SpatialMusicandOrchestration 194fromSpacedOutwithhenryBranthENryBrANTANdfrANkJ.OTErI

remarksonOrchestration 202MOrTONfEldMAN

TimbreandCompositionTimbreandlanguage 206PIErrEBOulEz

Bibliography 219Sources 225Index 227

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Acknowledgments

gratefulacknowledgementismadetopublishersforpermissiontoreprintcopyrightedmaterial.

Gustav Mahler v. 2. Vienna: the years of challenge (18971904),byhenry-louisdelagrange. BypermissionofOxforduniversityPress(www.oup.com).ToMaxMarschalk12April1896andTogiselaTolney-Witt from The Selected Letters of

Gustav Mahler translated by Eithne Wilkins, Ernset kaiser, and Bill hopkins. EditedbyknutMartner.Translationcopyright1979byfaberandfaber,ltd.reprintedbypermissionoffarrar,Strausandgiroux,llC.

Style and Idea: Selected Writings of Arnold Schoenberg,editedbyleonardStein. PermissionobtainedthroughtheCopyrightClearanceCenter.lequilibredessonoritis:VolumeetintensitinTrait de lorchestration,byCharleskoechlin. 1954byEditionsdurand(fundsMaxEschig)Theory of HarmonybyArnoldSchoenberg,translatedbyroyE.Carter. PermissionobtainedthroughtheCopyrightClearanceCenter.Die Reihe No. 2: Anton Webern,editedbyherbertEimertandkarlheinzStockhausenandtrans-

latedbyEricSmithandleoBlack. used with kind permission of European American Music distributors llC, u.S. and

CanadianagentforuniversalEditionA.g.,Vienna.A Schnittke Reader,editedbyAlexanderIvashkinandtranslatedbyJohngoodliffe. reprintedwiththepermissionofIndianauniversityPress.Flawed Words And Stubborn Sounds: A Conversation with Elliott Carter by Allen Edwards.

Copyright1971byW.W.Norton&Company,Inc.usedbypermissionofW.W.Norton&Company.

Writings on MusicbyStevereich. usedbypermissionoftheauthorandOxforduniversityPress.SpacedOutwithhenryBrant,byfrankJ.Oteri. reprintedwiththepermissionoffrankJ.OteriandTheAmericanMusicCenter;com-

pleteinterviewavailableat.Mortonfeldman,Give My Regards to Eighth Street,editedbyB.h.friedman. usedwithpermissionofExactChange.TimbreandCompositionTimbreandlanguage,byPierreBoulez,translatedbyr.robertson. reprintedwiththepermissionofContemporary Music Review:http://www.tandf.co.uk/

journals/titles/10799893.asp

Thepublishershavemadeeveryefforttotraceandacknowledgecopyrightholders.Wewelcomeadditionsoramendments.

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Preface

The 1844 publication of Berliozs Grand trait dinstrumentation et dorchestration modernes was a watershed moment in the history oforchestration. While there had been a number of useful books aboutinstrumentalpracticedatingbacktothesixteenthcentury,neverbeforehadaprominentcomposerwrittensoextensivelyaboutinstrumentation,andneverhadanywriterattempteddefineorchestrationasacraftbeyondsimpleinstrumentation.1

SinceBerlioz,manycomposershavewrittenaboutorchestration.Ibegancollectingthesewritingsasanaidtostudentsinmyorchestrationclasses.however,Irealizedthattheyalsopresentacompellinghistoryofthedevel-opmentoforchestralstyleoverthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturies.

Everyanthologyisselective.Earlyintheprocess,Imadeadecisiontouseonlytextsthatwerewrittenbycomposers.Asaresult,Ibelieveeachtext has a dual function: it presents a viewof historyand suggests howthatviewshapedthemusicoftheauthor.Inotherwords,eachtextmayultimatelysayasmuchaboutthemusicofthecomposerwritingthetextasitdoesaboutthemusicthecomposerisconsidering.Similarly,Idecidedtoomitexcerptsfromtwentiethcenturytextbooks,suchasthosebycom-posersWalterPistonandSamuelAdler.Moderntextbookshaveasenseofpurposethattendstominimizewritingsofamorespeculativeandlesstechnicalnature.

Theincludeditemsarearrangedandframedbyheadnotestoshowtheevolutionoforchestrationandorchestral thought in thenineteenthandtwentiethcentury,whichissummarizedinthefollowingparagraphs.

In the eighteenth century composers learned instrumentation: anunderstandingofinstrumentaltechnique.Tokeeppacewiththeincreaseofdramaticrhetoricandtexturalrichnessinnineteenthcenturychambermusic,composersmadegreaterdemandsoftheorchestra.Theenhancedorchestral praxis was increasingly called orchestration.2 Orchestrationsubsumestheconceptofinstrumentationbutisalsoconcernedwiththeallocationof instrumental timbreand instrumentalweight topartsofamusicaltexture.BerliozalludestothisdifferencebothinhistitleInstru-mentationandOrchestrationandinhisprefacetotherevisededition(1855),whichreadsinpart:

The object of this work is, therefore, to indicate the range of theinstrumentsandcertainfeaturesoftheirmechanism; thentoexam-

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inethenatureof their timbre, theirparticularcharacterandrange of expression mattersgreatlyneglecteduptonow;andfinallytostudythebestknownmethodsforcombiningthemappropriately.Togobeyondthiswouldmeantoentertherealofcreativeinspirationwhereonlyageniuscanroamandmakehisowndiscoveries.3

forBerlioz,hisdiscussionof thecombinationof instrumentsconsti-tutedtheorchestrationcontentofhisbook.hefoundthestudyofinstru-mentalcombinationssorelymissingfrominstructionattheConservatoireand from georges kastners Trait gnral dinstrumentation (1837).4Berliozapproached the issueof instrumental combinations through thegenerousselectionofexcerpts,largelyculledfromthefrenchoperacom-posersofhisgeneration.

CentraltoBerliozsdefinitionoforchestrationisthenotionofappropri-atecombinations,whichimmediatelydrawsadistinctionbetweenstyleandtechnique.WhiletechniqueiseasilydiscussedwitnessthenumberofinstrumentationtextbookswrittenafterBerliozstyleismuchhardertoaddress.forthepurposeofthisanthology,theorchestralpracticeofnine-teenthcenturycomposerscanbebroadlypartitioned into threeorches-tralstyles:thefrenchorchestrationstyle,thegermanorchestrationstyle,andtheNewgermanorchestrationstyle.Ingeneral,frenchorchestrationismarkedbypredominatelyhomophonic textureswhere linesareset inreliefby tonecolor,whilegermanorchestration ismarkedbypredomi-natelycontrapuntaltextureswherelinesareprioritizedbydoubling.Newgermanorchestrationmediates thedifferencebetweenthese twostyles,combiningthedramaandcoloroffrenchorchestrationwiththeclarityandcounterpointofgermanorchestration.Astheitemsintheanthologydemonstrate,contemporarycomposersunderstoodthedialecticoffrenchandgermanorchestration.5

Thevarietyofmusicalstylesandtechniquesinthetwentiethcenturyhaverenderedthetermsfrenchorchestrationandgermanorchestra-tion less relevant. however, the techniques and textural elements thatdefinedthesestylescontinuetoinformthepracticeofmoderncompos-ers.Thus,whenElliottCarterremarks,therealinterestofmusicliesinitsorganization,asopposedtocolor,wecanunderstandthisremarkinthecontextoftheaestheticsofgermanorchestration.Conversely,whenMortonfeldmancriticizesWebern forusingorchestration to revealhisstructuresandtopresenthiscompositionalideas,likealecture,withtheinstruments,wecanunderstandfeldmansdemurasanevolved,ifsome-whatradicalized,aestheticthatstemsfromlatenineteenthcenturyfrenchorchestration,bywayofVarse.

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The articles are reprinted here with little editing. Musical exampleshave been reset with reference to contemporary editions of the scores.Some musical examples have been moved closer to their correspondingreferencesinthetext;thisisespeciallytrueforrimsky-korsakovschap-ter,whereintheoriginal,themusicalexamplesareactuallylocatedinaseparatevolume.Somesmallerorredundantexampleshavebeenomitted,andtheseomissionsarecitedinfootnotes.Oldertranslations,especiallyEllistranslationofWagner,havebeenlightlyeditedwithreferencetotheoriginalsources.Asageneralrule,Ieditedthenomenclatureoforchestralinstrumentsandsections.forexample,whatwecallthestringsorstring sectioninEnglishmaybecalledthequatourinfrenchorthequintettingerman.Theliteraltranslationsquartetandquintettendtosuggestcham-ber music to the English reader. While contradictory nomenclature infrenchandgermansourcesmayalsoreflectthedifferenceinorchestralstyle,itmadeforunevenreading.Similarly,Ichangedthenamesofinstru-mentsandperformingexpressionsinmusicalexamplestomatchtheorig-inalsources.forexample,JadassohnsexamplesfromBeethovenlisttheinstrumentsandtempi indications ingerman; Ihaverestored theorig-inal Italian. however, where later composers have eschewed Italian, forexample,thescoresofWagneranddebussy,Ihavepreservedtheoriginallanguagesinthesources.

IamgratefultomanycolleaguesatthePeabodyInstituteoftheJohnshopkinsuniversity.JohnSpitzerandTomBenjaminhadimportantearlyinsightsthatshapedthebook.PaulOortsandSebastianVogtassistedwithtranslations.Sharonlevy,StephenC.StoneandEileenSoskinprovidedproofreadingandmoralsupport.Thesharpandmusicalstudents inmyorchestration classes have polished this book through their comments,and I have been fortunate to work with resourceful graduate assistants:Justinlavacek,Sarahkuzmak,SookPinWong,androsemaryMaeder.

SpecialthanksareduetoBetsyNelsonandthestaffattheArthurfried-heimlibraryatthePeabodyInstitute.fortheirhelpidentifyingraresources,Iamgratefulto:deborahBellmoreandVivianPerlisattheOralhistoryofAmericanMusicproject;SuzanneEgglestonlovejoyandthestaffattheSib-leyMusiclibraryatyaleuniversity;andMonirTayebatwww.hberlioz.com.

Iamfortunatetobesurroundedbyasupportivefamilyandhavebeenthebeneficiaryoftheirkindness.robertandSueAnnTablermadethetimelydonationofascannerandhavekeptmewell-suppliedwithbooks.CharlesMathewsJr.donatedacomputer.Aboveall,Ioweagreatdebttodebbie,wholoanedmemanyhoursIameagertorepay.ParkerandEmmahelpedtoo!

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Endnotes

1. A useful summary of instrumentation treatises before Berlioz can be found in AdamCarses Text-books on Orchestration Before Berlioz, Music and Letters 22 (1941):2631.

2. ItisgenerallyagreedthatheinrichChristophkochfirstusedthegermanwordinstru-mentirung in its modern connotation in his Kurzgefaten Handwrterbuch der Musik(1807).Themodernconnotationoforchestrationseemstobefrenchinorigin.BerliozsTrait isalmostcertainlythefirstbooktousethewordconsistently, ifnotalwayssys-tematically.SeeWaltergieslerandludwigk.Mayer,Instrumentation,inDie Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: Allgemeine Enzyklopdie der Musik.

3.hectorBerliozandrichardStrauss,Treatise on Instrumentation,trans.byTheodorefront(Newyork:doverPublications,1991),2.

4.foranexcellentsummaryofBerliozsimmediateinfluencesandhisrelationshiptokast-ner,seehughMacdonald,Berliozs Orchestration Treatise: A Translation and Commen-tary,(Cambridge:CambridgeuniversityPress,2002).

5. While composers wrote about these differences, they typically did not use the termsFrench orchestrationorGerman orchestration.rather,theyidentifiedthedifferencesastheresultofmedium(operaversussymphony)ortexture(homophonicversuscontra-puntal).ThesedifferencesarefurtherexploredinthehistoriesprovidedbygevaertandStrauss inSectionII. It isonly in the twentiethcentury that theseconceptshavebeengeneralizedasfrenchandgermanorchestration.Ihaveretainedthenationalist labelsbecausemostmusiciansarealreadyfamiliarwiththeseconcepts.

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SECTION I THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY:

BEETHOVENS ORCHESTRATION

InareviewofBeethovensCoriolanoverture,E.T.A.hoffmannnoted,theoverturemakesveryheavydemandsontheorchestra,likealmostalltheorchestralworksofthisextraordinarilythoughtfulcomposer,althoughnoindividualpartisespeciallytaxing.1hoffmannsobservationisanearlyexpression of the prevailing nineteenth century opinion of Beethovensorchestration:Beethovensorchestralmusicrequiresagreaterawarenessofthedifferencesinvolumeandintensitybetweenorchestralsectionsandagreatercoordinationofthesectionstomakethemelodydistinctfromoften-elaborateaccompaniments.

Among Beethovens symphonies, the orchestration of the Ninth wasparticularly challenging for nineteenth century musicians. The sheernumber of forces was prohibitive, and the correct preparation of thoseforcesprovedaformidablechallengetothosefewcompetentsoulsintherelatively new enterpriseof orchestral conducting. By the middle of thecentury, orchestras and orchestral conducting had improved such thatmoreperformanceswerepossible,butacompleteperformanceremainedsomethingofararespectacle.Withtheincreasedperformances,theworkachieved a mythic status, which created a problem for conductors: thegeniusofBeethovenandhisgreatsymphonywasatoddswiththepracti-caladjustmentsrequiredforanintelligibleperformance.Attheveryleast,dynamic adjustments were required. More intrusive changes includeddoublingandredistributinglinesforbalance.Inshort,theliteraltextoftheworkwasatoddswithBeethovenspresumedintent.

Thefollowingarticlespresentasummaryofthechallengesandsomeof the proposed solutions. Taken together, they reveal more than justattitudesaboutBeethoven:theyrevealagrowingcleftintheapproachtoorchestration that was increasingly argued along nationalist lines. Thegermaniccomposersargueforclarityatallcost:thecentralpreoccupa-tionofWagners suggestions.Thefrenchandrussiancomposers argue

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SectionI

foraliteralpresentationofthescore,whichmayresultinapresentationofsoundmassesandtexturesthattranscendlinearthinking.

CarlCzerny(17911857)wrotehisSchule der praktischen Tonsetzkunstin184950.CzernystudiedpianowithBeethovenattheturnofthenineteenthcenturyandlearnedinstrumentationintheperipheryofthatinstruction.InadditiontoattendingalltheearlyVienneseperformancesofBeethovensworks,CzernymadehisownscoresofBeethovensfirsttwosymphoniesbycopyingthemusicfromtheparts:apracticeherecommendstostudents.2In1805,Czernymadethepiano-vocalscoreofFidelioandlaterremarkedthathelearnedmuchaboutarrangingfromBeethovenssuggestions.3Intheexcerpt that follows,Czerny isparticularly concernedwith the rela-tionshipbetweenintricatemusicaldetailsthatinformkeyboardworksandtheexpandedforcesoftheorchestra.henotesthatthedifferenceinscalebetweenpianomusicandorchestralmusicisanalogoustothedifferenceinscalebetweenaminiaturepaintingandlargefresco,andhesinglesoutBeethovensfirstsymphonyasamodeloforchestralclarity.4

hector Berlioz (18031869) wrote Instruments Added by Modernsto the Scores of the Ancients, for the 7 April 1861 edition of Journal des Dbats.Thefollowingyear,Berliozincludeditinhisbook Travers Chants. Berliozs ire is particularly directed at the use of trombones inworks where he deems them inappropriate (or inappropriately applied).however, regarding his more general distain for the reorchestration oftheworksofearliercomposers,itshouldberememberedthathehimselforchestratedworksofWeberandSchubertandadaptedthecastratorolesofglucksOrpheandAlcesteforthecontraltoPaulineViardot.

richardWagner(18131883)wroteOntherenderingofBeethovensNinthSymphony for theMusikalisches WochenblattofApril1873.Thearticle was soon reprinted in journals all over the world. Wagners per-spective is primarily that of a conductor appealing to other conductorsandscorereaders.however,inhiscritiqueofBeethovensorchestration,herevealsmuchabouthoworchestrationchangedoverthenineteenthcen-tury.TheprincipleguidingallofWagnersrevisionsisthecentraltenetofgerman orchestration: clarity of line. however, unlike later composers,Wagnerdiscussesclarityoflineasalargerprinciplehecallsmelos,whichmightbedescribedasthelargermelodyputforthbythetotalityofacom-position.WagnersproposedrevisionsofBeethovensorchestrationbeganadebatethatragedwellintothetwentiethcentury.Wagnersleadwasfol-lowed most notably by Strauss, Mahler and Weingartner. Indeed in theearlytwentiethcentury,manyconductorstraveledwiththeirowneditionofthesymphony,inacontinuumbetweenWeingartnerslighttouchesandMahlersdoublingofthewindsandbrass.

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BeethovensOrchestration

Thesectionconcludeswiththreeshorterworks.Charlesgounod(18181893)wrotealettertoOscarComettant5afterreadingWagnersessayintheEnglishjournalThe Orchestra.gounodsletterwasfirstpublishedintheMay17,1874editionoftheLa Revue et Gazette Musicale de Paris,butlikeWagnersessay, itwassoonreprintedinnumerousjournals.gustavMahler (18601911) co-wrote a pamphlet on his edition of BeethovensNinthSymphonywithhis friendSigfriedlipiner.6Theywrotethepam-phlettoeasetensionscreatedbythereviewsafterMahlerconductedhiseditionoftheNinthataPhilharmoniaConcertinfebruary1900.unfor-tunately,thepamphletonlyexacerbatedthesituation.Ofthecontroversysurrounding theperformanceandpamphlet,henry-louisde lagrangehaswritten, Noother event inMahlersViennesecareerhadprovokedsuchfiercecontroversy.7finallyalaterperspectiveonBeethovenisfoundintheremarksofIgorStravinsky(18821971),excerptedfromhisAutobi-ography,ghostwrittenbyWalterNouvel.8here,Stravinskyprovesasur-prisingally,defendingBeethovensorchestrationagainstthosewhofinditflawedandthosewhodeclareorchestrationdoesnotmatter.

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On the Symphony

Part II, Chapter III of School of Practical Composition

Carl Czerny

Thefullorchestraconsistsofthefollowinginstruments,whicharedividedinto threedistinctclasses:namely,first,bow-instruments; second,wind-instrumentsandthird,instruments for enhancing the effect.9

1stViolin.2ndViolin.

Bow-instruments Viola.Violoncello.doubleBass.

2flutes.2Oboes.

Wind-instruments: 2Clarinets.2Bassoons.2horns(sometimes3or4).

2Trumpets.Instrumentsforenhancingtheeffect: APairofTympani.

2or3Trombones.

Buthereitiswelltoobserve,thatthefivestringedinstrumentsareconsiderablyaugmented,andtherefore,thepartsintendedforthemareperformedbyagreatnumberofplayers.foragainstsomanywindinstrumentsandinstrumentsofeffect,asimplestringedquartetwouldbescarcelyheard.Inafullorchestra,therefore,thestringedinstrumentsareaugmentedasfollows:

from6to12 firstViolins. from6to12 SecondViolins. from4to8 Viole. from4to6 Violoncelli. from3to4 doublebasses.

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OntheSymphony

Bythismeans,theequalityofpowerofallthreemassesisdulypreserved.Allthisisfullydescribedinthetreatiseoninstrumentation,formingPartIVofthiswork.here,theforegoingpreliminarynoticewassofarneces-sary, for the purpose of observing that the style of composition for theorchestralstringedquartet10mustnotbeexactlythesameasinthesoloquartet,becausemanyforced,difficultortoo-highpassagescanseldombeplayedcorrectlyandfirmlybysomanyperformerstogether;andthatthisconsiderationmustexerciseamaterialinfluenceontheinventionofideas,passages,andothereffects.

Thesymphony,likethesonata,consistsoffourmovements,namely:anAllegro(withorwithoutanIntroduction);anAdagioorAndante;aScherzoorMinuet;andaFinale.

The form,construction, conductof the ideas, chiefmodulations,anddevelopment,areallsosimilartothesonata,thatwecanonlyrefertothis,andthereforethesymphonymayproperlybetermedonlyasonataforthefullorchestra,afurtherproofhowimportantthestudyandpracticeofthisprincipalformis.

But if we compare the pianoforte arrangement of a symphony ofMozart,Beethoven,etc.withanactual,originalsonata,weshallfind,onthe contrary, in many other respects, a great difference between them,whichmustbeverycarefullyobserved.

Inthesymphony,theideasaremoresimpleandgrand,themodulationsclearerand lessartificial.Thelittleamplificationseffectedbyembellish-ments,passages,etc.,whicharemostlyofverygoodeffectinthesonata,areinadmissible,andgenerallyalsoimpracticableinthesymphony;inaword,thedifferenceisaboutthesameasbetweenalittlepicture,halfayardsquare,andagreat,colossalpaintingwhichcoversawholewall.hence,thereisscarcelyasonata(howsoevergreatitmaybe)outofwhichafinesymphonycouldbeformed;and,onthecontrary,symphoniesarrangedforthepianoforteinvariablymakeverydefectivesonata,althoughwemaytakepleasureinperformingthem,asareminiscenceoftheeffectswhichwehaveheardintheorchestra.Beethovenswell-knownsymphonyinCminorisjustlyregardedasoneofthegreatestmasterpiecesofthisclass.Buthadtheauthormerelywrittenthesameforthepianoforte, itwouldhardly have been reckoned (without considerable alteration) among hisgrandsonatas.

Theobservanceof thisdifferencechieflydependson the fancyof thecomposer.Onlyhewhocanformaslivelyaconceptionoforchestraleffectsinhisownchamber,asifhewereactuallysurroundedbyanorchestra,willbeabletoinventthoseideaswhicharesuitableforthiskindofcomposition;andthisabilityiscreatedandimproved:first,bythefrequenthearingof

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CarlCzerny

suchworkswellperformedbytheorchestra;secondlybyaveryattentivestudyof the scoresofgood symphonies,besideswhich it isparticularlybeneficialeventoscorethesameoneself;andthirdlybyawellgroundedknowledgeofinstrumentation.11

Itislikewiseadvantageous,ifweatfirstmakeasketchforthepiano-forte, of the ideas for the symphony that we intend to compose, beforeputtingitintocompletescore.

The composer must ever bear in mind, that he is writing for a greatnumberofinstrumentsandforponderousmassesofsound,andthatcon-sequentlyhis ideasmustnotbe trivial andunworthyof the same. Ifhedesires togiveamelody toaparticularwind instrument, suchmustbesuitedtoitscharacter.Buthemustavoidbecomingtooconcertante,andsocallingforth,totoogreatanextent,theexecutionofanyindividualper-former.Itisimportanttoobserveduemoderationinthisrespect,inorderthatthedignityofthecombinedeffectmaynotbeinjured.Anoppositefaultiscausedbytoofrequentemploymentofmassesofsound,andofthedeafeningcrashofthenoisyinstruments.youngcomposersinparticulardelightinthislevee en masseofsound.Butthisdemonstrateseitheralackoftrulygrandideas,orifsuchexist,theyaredrownedinthenoise.

[]The composer who makes his first essay in this style must naturally

possesbeforehandanextensiveacquaintancewithallgoodworksofthesameclass.haydn,Mozart,andBeethoven,progressivelyoccupythefirstplace,asthegreatesthithertounsurpassedmasters;neartowhom,maybenamedasdistinguished,Spohr,lachner,ries,andsomeothers.12

Ifitbehighlynecessary,inotherkindsofcomposition,thatthebegin-nerqualifyhimselfbymanyattemptsandimitations,previouslytobring-ingaworkbeforethepublic,itiscertainlystillmoresointhecaseofthesymphony:foranabortive,hastilyproducedworkofthiskind,willnatu-rallybeatoncecondemnedby thegreatpublic, andmay for the futuredestroyallfameandzeal.

here, then, thesurestwayofdevelopingreal talent is,atfirst, to imi-tatestrictly,andafterwardwithlessconstraint,thesimplesymphoniesofhaydn,orthelesseronesofMozart,beforeattackingtrulygrandcomposi-tionsofthisdifficultclass.Wegivehere,asanexampleoftheregularform,the first part of the earliest of Beethovens symphonies, in which he hasstrictlyadheredtothestyleofhaydnandMozart;showinghowever,atthesametime,howadmirablyhecouldunitewithithisownoriginalgenius.13

The introduction to this symphony is short, (12 bars) and properlyonlyakindofcadence.ThenatureoftheAllegrothememustdetermine

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OntheSymphony

whetheranintroductionshouldprecede,andwhetheritshouldbeshortorlong,simpleormodulated,softorloud,etc.

Theleadingthemeofthismovementisoneofthosehappilyconceived,shortandyetstrikingfigures,whichadmitofthemostvarieddevelopmentandapplicationwithoutthe leastconstraint; forthefirstthreenotesareemployedthroughout,astheprincipalandastheaccessorysubject,andalsoastheaccompanyingfiguretootherideas,inalltheparts.

Afterthepresentationofthetheme,(20bars),appearstheenergeticandfullcontinuation(20bars),whichwithoutmodulating,simplyconcludesonthechordofthedominant.Nowentersthegracefulmiddlesubject,inwhichtheoboeandflutealternatewitheachother(16bars),andwhichter-minateswithapowerfulcadence(8bars).here,thevioloncelloandbassestakeuptheideaofthismiddlesubject,ascendinganddescending,alwaysremainingpianoandmodulatingintovariouskeys,whilstanewcountermelody isperformedby theoboe, towhich theotherwind instrumentsareafterwardsadded,at theperfectcadence(11bars). In thebusy tutti,whichnowsucceeds,theprincipalthemeisagainemployed(12bars);andanewandveryshortfigureofmelodyconcludesthefirstpart,withthedescendingchordoftheseventhleadingbacktotheoriginalkey,andtotheprincipaltheme(10bars).

ThefirstpartoftheAllegro,then,consistsof97barsonly;andnotwith-standingthefullpowersoftheorchestrawhichareseveraltimesemployedintutti,itcontainsfourdistinctideasandmelodies,allofwhicharesonat-urallyconnectedtogether,thatthewholestandsoutwithexemplaryclear-ness,likeasuccessfulpicture.Nowhereisthisclearnessintheconductoftheideasmorenecessaryandimportantthaninthesymphony,asowingtothenumberofdifferentinstruments,confusionsoeasilyarises.If,onthepianoforteandinothersmallcombinations,thecomposermustpro-ceedasaminiaturepainter,so,onthecontrary,inthedesignoforchestralpieces,hemustmorecloselyapproximatefrescopainting,which,asiswellknown,isonlycalculatedtobeviewedasatadistance.

Thesymphonyhereconsideredis,asisknown,the first essayofBeethovenin this style,andwasmoreoverwrittenatanagewhenweare soeasilyledintothefaultofoverladingandconfusion.ButBeethovenadoptedthepropercourse,asheatfirststrictlytookhaydnandMozartashismodels,andtherebyacquiredthatcommandofform,bymeansofwhichheafter-wardcreatedhisgreatmasterpieces.

[]

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CarlCzerny

Beethoven. Symphony no. I, op. 26, mm. 1109.

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Tp.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

Flauti.

Oboi.

Clarinetti in C.

Fagotti.

Corni in C.

Trombe in C.

Timpani.

Violino I.

Violino II.

Viola.

Violoncelloe Basso.

Adagio molto. = 88

Adagio molto. = 88

Adagio molto. = 88

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OntheSymphony

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

Allegro con brio. = 112



Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Tp.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

RT76839.indb 9 8/31/06 10:08:54 AM

0 CarlCzerny

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Tp.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

RT76839.indb 10 8/31/06 10:08:56 AM

OntheSymphony

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Tp.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

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CarlCzerny

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Tp.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

RT76839.indb 12 8/31/06 10:09:03 AM

OntheSymphony

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

RT76839.indb 13 8/31/06 10:09:07 AM

CarlCzerny

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Tp.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

RT76839.indb 14 8/31/06 10:09:11 AM

OntheSymphony

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Tp.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

RT76839.indb 15 8/31/06 10:09:13 AM

CarlCzerny

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor.

Tr.

Tp.

Vl. I.

Vl. II.

Vla.

Vc.e Cb.

RT76839.indb 16 8/31/06 10:09:17 AM

Instruments Added to the Scores of Old Masters

Chapter XIII of Travers Chants

Hector Berlioz

In theduetofglucksArmide (Esprits de haine et de rage)at therecentconcertsoftheConservatoire,onenoticedthatthevoiceswereveryoftencoveredbythegreatcriesoftrombones,andthuslostmuchoftheireffect.ThesetromboneswereaddedinParis,bywhomIdonotknow,andinaratherinelegantmanner;evenmorewasaddedtothesameworkinBerlin.ItisworthnotingthatgluckdidnotwriteasinglenoteforthetromboneineitherArmideorIphignie in Aulide.14Itcanhardlybearguedthatheabstained from using trombones in Armide for want of trombonists attheOpra,sincetheyplaysignificantparts inthescores forAlcesteandOrphe, which were both produced before Armide. Trombones are alsofoundinIphignie in Tauride.

Itiscuriousthatacomposer,regardlessofhisstature,cannotwritefortheorchestraashehears it,andespecially thathe isnot free toabstainfrom the use of certain instruments when he considers it suitable. Thegreatmastersthemselvesoftentooklibertiestocorrecttheinstrumenta-tionoftheirpredecessors,towhomtheythusmadealmsoftheirscienceandtaste.Mozartreinstrumentatedtheoratoriosofhandel.divinejusticethendecreedthattheoperasofMozartshouldinturnbereinstrumentatedinEnglandandthatFigaroandDon Giovannishouldbestuffedwithtrom-bones,ophicleidesandbassdrums.

Spontinionceconfessedtomethatheaddedextrawoodwindsdis-creetly,tobesuretoglucksIphignie in Tauride.Twoyearslater,bit-terlycomplainingofsuchexcessesofabominablecrudenessaddedtotheorchestrationofthehaplessdeadwhocouldnotdefendthemselvesagainstsuchdefamation,IheardSpontiniexclaim,Itisindignant!ghastly!WillIalsoberevisedthuswhenIdie?SadlyIresponded,Alas,dearMaster,youyourselfrevisedgluck!

Not even the greatest symphonist who ever lived has escaped theseindescribableoutrages.InadditiontotheFideliooverture,whichhasbeentrombonized from end to end in England, where they have found thatBeethovenusedthetrombonestoosparinglyinthisoverture,someelse-wherehavealreadybegun tocorrect the instrumentationofBeethovens Fifth Symphony.

SomedayIwillrevealthenamesofthesedefilersofmasterpiecesinaspecialarticle.

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On the Rendering of Beethovens Ninth Symphony

Richard Wagner

AtaperformanceI latelyconductedof thiswondroustone-work,certainreflections touching what I deem the lack of distinctness of its renderingforcedthemselvessostronglyonmethatIsincehavemeditatedaremedyfortheillsIfelt.TheresultInowlaybeforeearnestmusicians,ifnotasaninvitationtofollowmymethod,atleastasastimulustoindependentstudy.

Ingeneral,IdrawattentiontothepeculiarpositioninwhichBeethovenwas placed as regards the instrumentation of his orchestral works. heinstrumentedonexactly thesameassumptionsof theorchestrascapac-ityashispredecessorshaydnandMozart,notwithstandingthathevastlyoutstripped them in the character of his musical conceptions. What wemayfitlydescribeastheplasticityinthegroupinganddistributionofthevariousinstrumentalsectionsinMozartandhaydnhadcrystallizedintoafirmagreementbetweenthecharacteroftheirconceptionsandthetech-niqueof theorchestraas formedandpracticeduntil then.Therecanbenothingmoreadequate,thanasymphonyofMozartsandtheMozartianorchestra:onemaypresumethattoneitherhaydnnorMozartthereeveroccurredamusicalthoughtwhichcouldnothavepromptlyfoundexpres-sion in their Orchestra. There was thorough correlation: the tutti withtrumpetsanddrums(onlytrulyeffectiveinthetonic),thequartettextureforthestrings,theharmonyorsoloofthewoodwinds,withtheinevitableduoforhorns.Theseformednotonlythesolidgroundworkoftheorches-trabutadraftforallorchestralcompositions.Strangetorelate,Beethovenalso knew no other orchestra than this, and he never went beyond itsemploymentonwhatthenappearedquitenaturallines.

It is astonishing to consider the distinctness the master manages togive toconceptionsofawealthandvariety far-removed fromhaydnorMozart,withanearlyidenticalorchestra.InthisregardhisSinfonia Eroicaremainsnotonlyamarvelofconception,butnolessawonderoforches-tration.however,herehealreadyexactedoftheorchestraamodeofren-deringwhichithasbeenunabletoacquiretothisday:fortherenderingwouldhavetobeasmuchastrokeofgeniusontheorchestraspartasthemastersownconceptionofthescore.fromthispointthen,fromthefirstperformanceoftheEroica,beganthedifficultiesofjudgingthesesympho-niesandtheobstaclestoenjoymenttheycontainanenjoymentneverreallyarrivedatbythemusiciansofanolderepoch.Theseworksfellshortoffulldistinctnessinperformanceforthesimplereasonthattheclaritytobeelicitedfromtheorchestralorganismwasnolongerguaranteed,asinthecaseofhaydnandMozart,butcouldbebroughtoutbynothingexcept

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OntherenderingofBeethovensNinthSymphony

a positively virtuosic effort of the individual instrumentalists and theirconductor.

Now that the opulence of his conceptions required far more variedmaterial and a much more minute distribution thereof, Beethoven sawhimselfcompelledtoexactthemostrapidchangeinforceandexpressionfrom one and the same instrumentalist, in the manner acquired by thegreatvirtuosoasaspecialart.forexamplethecharacteristicallyBeetho-veniancrescendo,endingnotinaforte,butinasuddenpiano:thissinglenuance,sofrequentlyrecurring,isstillsoforeigntomostofourorchestralplayers,thatcautiousconductorshavemadetheirinstrumentalistsreversethe latterpartof thecrescendo intoaprudentdiminuendo, to secureatleastatimelyentryofthepiano.Thesecretofthisdifficultnuancesurelyliesindemandingfromonebodyofinstrumentsanuancethatcanonlybeexecutedquitedistinctlywhendistributedbetweentwoseparatebod-ies,alternatingwithoneanother.Suchanexpedientisacommonpracticewithlatercomposers,atwhosedisposalstandstheincreasedorchestraoftoday.TothemitwouldhavebeenpossiblethroughthepresentfacilitiesofdistributiontoensuregreatdistinctnessforcertaineffectsdevisedbyBeethovenwithoutanyextravagantclaimsontheorchestrasvirtuosity.

Beethoven,on thecontrary,wasobliged tocounton the samevirtu-osityinhisorchestraashehimselfhadbeforeacquiredatthekeyboard,wherethegreatestexpertnessoftechniquewassimplymeanttofreetheplayerfromallmechanicalfetters,andthusenablehimtoconveyextremedistinctness from the rapidly changing nuances of expression, withoutwhichtheexpressionsoftenwouldonlymakethemelodyappearanunin-telligiblechaos.Themasterslastpianocompositions,conceivedontheselines,havefirstbeenmadeaccessible tousbylisztanduntil thenwerescarcely understood at all. Exactly the same remark applies to his lastquartets.here,incertainpointsoftechnique,thesingleplayerhasoftentodotheworkofmany,sothataperfectperformanceofaquartetfromthisperiodmayfrequentlymisleadthehearerintobelievinghelistenstomoremusiciansthanarereallyplaying.Onlyquiterecentlyingermany,doourquartetsappeartohaveturnedtheirvirtuositytothecorrectrenderingofthesewondrousworks,whereasIrememberhearingthesesamequartetsperformedbyeminentvirtuosiof thedresdenkapelle,lipinskiat theirhead,soindistinctlythatmyformercolleaguereissigermightholdhim-selfjustifiedincallingthempurenonsense.15

Thesaiddistinctness rests, inmyopinion,onnothingother thananextreme accentuation (heraustretten) of the melody. I have shown else-where16 how french musicians came to discover the mode-of-renderinghererequiredbeforethegermans:thesecretwasthat,asadherentsoftheItalianschool,theylookedonmelody,onsong,astheessenceofallmusic.

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0 richardWagner

Itisonlyonthissinglecorrectpath,discoveringandemphasizingthemel-ody,thattruemusicianswillsucceedinfindingtheproperrenderingforBeethovensworkswhichpreviouslyseemedpastunderstanding;andifwemayhopethattheywillfurtherbeabletoestablishitasanormalstandard,as Blow has already done with Beethovens piano sonatas: then in thegreatmastersstruggletomakethemostofthetechnicalmeansathandthepiano,thequartet,andfinallytheorchestrawemightperceivethecreativeimpetustoaspiritualdevelopmentofmechanicaltechniqueitself;andthenmightfollowaspiritualizingofexecutionneveryetdisplayedbyvirtuosi.17however,asIhereamdealingwiththeBeethovenianorchestraandthemainprincipleofensuringitsmelody,Imustnowconsideranevilthatatfirstseemsvirtuallyirremediable,sinceitcontravenesthatprincipleinawaynospiritedvirtuositycanpossiblyamend.

unmistakably,withtheadventofBeethovensdeafnesstheauralimageoftheorchestrabecamesofadedthathelostthatdistinctconsciousnessofitsdynamicvalueswhichatthesametimebecamesoindispensablebecausehisconceptions themselvesrequiredaconstant innovation inorchestraltreatment.WhereasMozartandhaydn,withtheircompleteconfidenceintheformaltreatmentoftheorchestra,neveremployedthesoftwoodwindinstruments in a sense demanding of them an equal dynamic strengthtothatofthepowerfulfullstrings,Beethovenonthecontrarywasoftenmovedtoneglectthisnaturalbalanceofpower(Kraftverhltnis).heletsthewindsandstringsalternatewitheachother,orevencombine,astwoequally powerful engines of tone. With the manifold extension of thenewerorchestra,itcertainlyispossibletodothismosteffectivelytoday;intheBeethovenianorchestraitcouldonlybeaccomplishedonassumptionsthathaveprovedillusory.Beethovendoessucceedattimesingivingthewoodwinds thenecessary incisiveness throughallyingwith it thebrass:buthewassolamentablyhamperedbythestructureofthenaturalhornsandtrumpets,theonlyonesthenknown,thattheiremploymenttorein-forcethewoodwindshasbeentheverycauseofthoseperplexitieswhichwefeelas irremovableobstacles to theplainemergenceof themelody.Ihavenoneedtowarnthemusicianoftodayaboutthelast-nameddraw-backs inBeethovenianorchestration, for,withournowuniversaluseofthechromaticbrass,hewilleasilyavoidthem;IhavemerelytostatethatBeethovenwascompelled to suddenlyarrest thebrass inoutlyingkeys,ortoletitsoundaharshnotehereandthereasthenatureoftheinstru-mentpermitted,utterlydistractingonesattentionfromthemelodyandharmonyalike.

Asitsurelyissuperfluoustofurtherarguethisassertion,IwillproceedtopresenttheremediesImyselfhavetriedinindividualcaseswheretheunintelligibilityofthemastersclearintentionhadatlastbecomeunbear-

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able.Oneobvious improvement Ihave found is a standingorder to thesecondhorn,orsecondtrumpetasthecasemaybe,togenerallydoublethehighernotemissingintheloweroctaveinpassagessuchas:

and

takingitthus:

whichisquiteeasytoexecuteonthechromaticinstrumentsonlyemployedinourorchestrasoftoday.Thissimpleexpedienthasinitselfrelievedgreatdifficulties.18lesseasilyimproved,however,arepassageswherethetrum-petshavedominatedeverythinguptoacertainpoint,thensuddenlybreakoffonlybecausethepassagethoughintendedtobeasloudasevermovesintoakeyforwhichthenaturalinstrumentshavenocorrespondingnotes.AsanexampleIcitethefortepassageintheAndanteofthefifthSymphony.19

etc.

herethetrumpetsandtimpani,whichfortwobarshavefilledthewholewithsplendor,pausesuddenlyforalmosttwobars,thenreenterforabaronlytostopagainforanother.Consideringthecharacteroftheseinstru-ments thehearersattention is inevitablydiverted to thiscolor incident,inexplicableonpurelymusicalgrounds,and is thusdistracted fromthe

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richardWagner

mainpoint, themelodicprogressof thebasses.TheonlyremedyIhavebeenabletodevisethusfar,istorobthoseintermittentinstrumentsofaportionoftheirglarebyorderingthemtoplay less loudly,whichatanyrateisadvantageoustoagreaterclarityofthemelodyofthebasses.AstothehighlydisturbingeffectofthetrumpetsinthefirstforteofthesecondmovementoftheSeventhSymphony,however,Iatlastarrivedatamoreenergeticresolve.hereBeethovenveryrightlyfeltthenecessityforthetwotrumpets,butunfortunatelytheirmechanicalsimplicitypreventedthemfromcooperatinginthefashionneeded.Imadethemplaythewholethemeinunisonwiththeclarinets.Theeffectwassoexcellentthatnooneintheaudiencefeltitotherthanabenefit,butnotasanychangeorinnovation.

I have not yet decided upon an equally thorough cure of a different,thoughsimilar,defectintheinstrumentationofthesecondmovementoftheNinthSymphony,itsgreatScherzo,becauseIhadalwayshopedtocom-passitbypurelydynamicmeans.Irefertothepassage,firstinC,thesec-ondtimeind,whichwemusttakeasthatmovementssecondtheme.20

heretheweakwoodwindstwoflutes,twooboes,twoclarinetsand

two bassoons have to assert a bold and trenchant theme against thewholeweightof thestringsaccompanying themincontinual fortissimowithafour-octavefigure.

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Thesupporttheyreceivefromthebrassisofthekinddescribedabove,i.e.anaturalnotestrewnhereandthere,whichrathermarsthanaidsthethemesclarity.Ichallengeanymusiciantosaywithaclearconsciencethathehaseverplainlyheardthismelodyinanyorchestralperformance,orthathewouldsomuchasknowitifhehadnotreaditinthescoreorplayeditfromakeyboardtranscription.Ourusualconductorsdonotevenseemtohavehitupon theobviousexpedient, thatof considerablydecreasingthefortissimoofthestrings;for,whateverplayersIhaveassembledforthissymphonyinvariablybeganthispassagewiththeutmostfury.however,Imyselfhadalwaysadoptedthisexpedientandbelieveditwouldprovesuc-cessfulenoughifonlyIcouldgetthewoodwinddoubled.21Butexperiencehasneververifiedmy theory,oronly inadequately, since itdemandedagreaterpenetrationoftonefromthewoodwindinstrumentsthanconsistswiththeircharacter,atleastinthepresentcombination.IfIhadtoconductthisSymphonyagain,Icanthinkofnobetterremedyfortheundeniableambiguity,ifnotinaudibilityinwhichthisextraordinarilyenergeticdancemotiveislost,thantodoublethethemewithatleastthefourhorns.Thismightperhapsbedoneasfollows.

We should then have to try whether the theme was now sufficientlystrengthenedtoallowthestringstotakethefigureofaccompanimentinthefortissimoprescribedbythemaster:amatterofnolessimportance,forBeethovensideahereisclearlythesameexuberanceofspiritsthatleadstotheunparalleledexcessatthereturnoftheprincipalthemeinthefirstmovement,anideawhichhasfoundexpressioninonlyhismostoriginalcreations.forthisveryreasonIhadalreadydeemeditasorryhalf-mea-suretoemphasizethewoodwindsbydeadeningthestrings,asthatmusttamethepassageswildcharacterpastrecognition.Thus,myfinaladvicewouldbetogoonfortifyingthethemeofthewoodwinds,evenbybringinginthetrumpets,untilitplainlypiercesthroughanddominatesthestringsmoststrenuousfortissimo.Thetrumpetsinfactareintroducedatthepas-sages return in d, but again, in a manner that merely blurs the wood-

Oboe andClarinet

Horns in D

Horns in B

Bassoon

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richardWagner

winds theme, such that I here have found myself compelled, as before,to implement a characterless moderation of both strings and trumpets.Indecidingallsuchpoints,thequestioniswhetheronepreferstogoforsometimewithouthearinganythingofthetone-poetsintentionsclearly,ortoadoptthebestexpedientfordoingjusticetothem.Inthisrespecttheaudienceofourconcerthallsandoperahousesiscertainlyaccustomedtoaquiteunconsciousactofself-denial.

AtthelastperformanceIconducted,IdecideduponaradicalcureforanotherdrawbackintheinstrumentationoftheNinthSymphony,whichoccursfortheverysamereason.ItconcernstheSchreckensfanfareofthewinds and brass at the beginning of the last movement. here a chaoticoutburstofwilddespairpoursforthwithanuproarwhicheveryonewillunderstandwhoreads thenotesof thewoodwindfor thispassage tobeplayed as fast as possible; it will strike the reader as characteristic of atumultoftonesthatitscarcelylendsitselftoanysortofrhythmicmeasure.Ifthispassageisplainlybeatinthe3/4meterandifintheconductorsusualdreadofatempochange,thisistakeninthatcautioustempoheldadvisableforthesucceedingrecitativeofthebassesitwillsurelymakeanalmostlaughableimpression.ButIhavefoundthateventheboldesttemponotonlylefttheunisonthemeofthewindsandbrassstillindistinct,butalsodidnothingtofreethepassagefromthetyrannyofabeatthatishereahindrance.Againtheevillayintheintermittenceofthetrumpets,butitwasimpossibletodispensewiththemandstillobservethemastersinten-tions.Theseclamorousinstruments,comparedwithwhichthewoodwindsarelittlemorethanahint,dropoutofthemelodyinsuchawaythatonehearsnothingbutthefollowingrhythm:22

Theprominenceofthisrhythmwasinanycaseentirelyremovedfrom

themastersintention,asisplainlyshownbythelastrepriseofthepassage,wherethestringscooperate.ThusthelimitationsofthenaturaltrumpetshadhereagainpreventedBeethovenfromthoroughlyfulfillinghisinten-tion.Inafitofdespairquitesuitedtothecharacterofthisterriblepassage,I tookuponmyself thistimetomakethetrumpets joinwiththewood-windsthroughout,23playingasfollows:24

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etc.

etc.

Atitslaterreturnthetrumpetstookthepassageasthefirsttimeagain.lightwaswon:thefearsomefanfarestormedacrossusinallitsrhyth-

micchaos,andweknewatlastwhytheWordmustcome.Moredifficultthanthisrestitutio in integrumofthemastersintention,

isfindingaremedyforcaseswherenomerereinforcementorcompletion,butanactualtamperingwiththestructureoftheorchestration,orevenofthevoiceleading(Stimmfhrung),seemstheonlywaytorescueBeethovensmelodicobjectivefromindistinctnessandmisunderstanding.

foritisunmistakablethatthelimitsofhisorchestrawhichBeethovenenlarged in no material respect and the masters gradual inability tohearorchestralperformances,ledhimatlasttoanalmostnaivedisregardoftherelationoftheactualembodimenttothemusicalthoughtitself.Ifinobediencetotheancienttheoryheneverwrotehigherthan

for the violins in his symphonies, whenever his melodic intention tookhim above that point he took recourse in the almost childish device ofleapingdowntotheloweroctaveforthenotesthatwouldhaveoversteppedit,heedlessthathetherebybrokethemelodictrain,orevenmadeitposi-tivelymisleading.IhopethateveryorchestraalreadytakesthephraseforthefirstandsecondviolinsandviolasinthegreatfortissimoofthesecondmovementoftheNinthSymphony,notasitiswritten:

frommeredreadofthehighBforthefirstviolins,butasthemelodyrequires:

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richardWagner

Ialsopresumethefirstflutecannowtake:

insteadof

withoutalarm.

Thoughhereandinmanysimilarcasestheremedyiseasyenough,thereallyseriousdemandsformoreradicalchangeoccurinphrasesforthewindwhere themastersprincipleofavoidinganyviolationof thecom-passacceptedforaninstrument,andquiteparticularlytheflute,ledhimeithertoutterlydistorttheestablishedmelodiccurve,ortointroducethisinstrumentwithdifferentnotesthatcompetewiththemelody.Theflute,asextremeuppervoice,inevitablyarreststheearsosoonasitenters,andif themelody isnotsoundedclearlybytheflute, itnecessarily leads theearastray.Ofthisilleffectourmasterappearstohavegrowncompletelyheedless in course of time. for instance he will give the melody to theoboeorclarinetinsoprano,and,asifdeterminedtointroducetheupperregisterofthefluteregardlessofitsincapacitytotaketheactualthemeanoctavehigher,heassignsitothernotes,therebydistractingourattentionfrom the lower instrument playing the melody. It is quite another mat-terwhenaninstrumentalcomposeroftoday,withthemodernfacilities,desirestomakeaprincipalmotiveinthemiddleandlowerregistersstandoutbeneathacanopyofhighervoices:hestrengthensthesonorityofthedeeperinstrumentsinduedegree,choosingagroupwhosedistinctsonor-ityallowofnoconfusionwiththeupperinstruments.ThuswasImyselfenabled in the Prelude to Lohengrin, for instance, to plainly sound thefullyharmonizedthemebeneathinstrumentsplayinghighaboveitallthewhile,andtomakethatthemeassertitselfagainsteverymovementoftheuppervoices.

But it is no question of this practice to whose discovery greatBeethovenhimselffirst ledtheway,as toeveryothergenuine invention when considering the indisputable obstacles whose removal we havenowinview.ratheritisadisturbingornament,appearingasifbychance,whosehurtfuleffectonthemelodysclearnesswewouldfaintonedown.ThusIhaveneverheardtheopeningoftheEighthSymphonywithoutmy

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attentiontothethemebeingtroubledinthesixth,seventhandeighthbarsby theun-thematicentryof theoboeandfluteabove themelodyof theclarinet;whereas theflutesparticipation in thefirst fourbars,althoughnotstrictly thematic,doesnotdisguise themelody,because the latter isheregivenutmostprominencebythemassofviolinsinforte.Butthismis-chiefofthewoodwindsissoseriousinanimportantpassageofthefirstmovementoftheNinthSymphony,thatIwillchoosethatinstanceasmyprincipaltext.

Consider theeight-barEspressivowoodwinds,mm.138145, towardsthe end of the first section of the movementand returning ina similarfashion,mm.407414.Whocandeclarethathehaseverheardthispas-sage,withdistinctperceptionofitsmelodiccontent,atanyofourorches-tral performances? With that insight so peculiar to him, liszt was thefirst to set this melody in its proper light through his wonderful pianotranscriptionoftheNinthSymphony.disregardingtheflutesmostlydis-turbingnotesuntilittakesoverthethemefromtheoboe,helowersthatcontinuationafulloctave,andthuspreservesthemastersprimeintentionfromallmisunderstanding.Accordingtoliszt,themelodicphrasesreadasfollows.25

Now,itmightseempresumptuous,andnotincharacterwithBeethovensinstrumentationwhichhasitsmostlegitimateidiosyncrasiesifweweretoomittheflutealtogetherhere,oremployitasmereunisonrein-forcementoftheoboe.Ishouldthereforeleavetheflute-partessentiallyasitstands,onlymakingitfaithfullyconformtothemelodywhereittakesthelead,andinstructingtheplayertosubordinatebothforceandexpres-siontotheoboewherethelatterclaimsourfullattention.Accordingly,ascontinuationofitsphraseintheupperoctaveinthefifthbar,

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theflutewouldhavetoplaythesixthbarnot but

andthusthelineofmelodywouldbeevenmorecorrectlyfollowedthanwaspossibletolisztwiththetechniqueofthekeyboard.

Ifweweretodirectourattentiontothesecondbar,wecouldgivetheoboethephraseinfull,asitdoesinthefourthbar,thus:

insteadof

Then, all we should need to give the whole passage its due pronouncedexpression,entirely lostatpresent,wouldbetosomewhatslackenspeedandobservethefollowingnuanceswhichreallyarenothingbutcorol-lariesofthemastersownnotation.

Inbarssevenandeight,ontheotherhand,astrongcrescendowouldcre-ate theexpression thatwould lead to thebrightaccentsof thecadentialgesturesthatfollow.

Wherethepassagereturnsinthemovementssecondhalf,inadiffer-entkeyandregister,itwillbemuchhardertobringaboutanequalclarityofitsmelodicline.here,inthehigherregister,theflutenecessarilyplaystheprincipalpart;butevenitscompassdoesnotextendhighenough,andchangeshavebeenmadeinthemelodythatcompletelyobscureitandcon-tradictthatwhichissimultaneouslyplayedbytheotherinstruments.letuscomparetheflute-partinthescore:26

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wherethemelodymustbedecipheredfromacombinationofthenotesfortheoboe,theclarinetandthefluteitselftotheearlierformatthecloseofthefirstsection,namely:

Afterthiscomparisonwecanonlyregardthewrittenflutepartasaseriousdistortionofthemusicalthought,sinceitquitedistractsusfromthemelody.

A thorough restoration here seemed audacious, since it would havemeantthechangingofawholeintervaltwiceover,namelyinthethirdbaroftheflute:

insteadof

asalsoinitsfifthbar.

insteadof

liszthimselfabstainedfromtheboldattempt,andleftthepassageamelodicmonster,asitappearstoeveryonewhoattendsourorchestralperformancesofthissymphony,andhereexperiencesagap,i.e.completelackofclarityofthemelody,foreightbars.havingrepeatedlysufferedunderthesamedistressingimpressionmyself,Inowshoulddecide,uponoccasion,togettheseeightbarsplayedbythefluteandoboeinthefollowingmanner:

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0 richardWagner

The second flute would have to be omitted from the fourth bar, but intheseventhandeighth,bywayofpartialcompensation,thesecondoboewouldplaythus:

Beyond the nuances already recommended for the espressivo, in everysecondbarweshouldhavetomarkthemorestrenuous todojusticetothevariationinthemelos,whileaspecialmolto crescendowouldhavetoemphasizethelastoftheeightbars,therebyalsosettinginitstruedeci-sivelightthedesperatespringoftheflutefromgtothehighfsharp:

which I here consider to be in thorough keeping with the masters realintention.

Ifwereflectonhowuniquelyimportantitistoeverymusicalideathatthe melody holds us without fail, even though the art of the tone-poetoftendividesitintoitstiniestfractionsandthatthecorrectnessofthismelodiclanguagecaninnorespectlagbehindthelogicalcoherenceofathoughtexpressedinabstractverballanguage,withoutbewilderingusbylackofclarityasmuchasdoesanunintelligiblesentencethenwemustadmitthatnothingissoworththeutmoststudyastheattempttoclarifythemeaningofaphrase,abar,naymore,asinglenoteinthetexthandeddowntousbysuchageniusasBeethoven.Everytransformationfromabeingsoeternallysincere,howeverstartling,arisessolelyfromthegod-likedevotiontoclarifythedeepestmysteriesofhisworld-viewforwepoor

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mortals.Asoneshouldneverquitaknottypassageofagreatphilosopherbeforeoneplainlyunderstandsitandas,thisruleneglected,thefartheronereadsthelessoneheedstheteachersooneshouldneverglideoverasinglebarofatone-poemsuchasBeethovenswithouthavingdistinctlyunderstoodit:unlessoneproposestomerelybeattimeintheusualwayofourwell-appointedacademicorchestralconductors,bywhomIamquitepreparedtofindmyselftreatedasavainblasphemerwithoutregardforthesacrednessoftheletterofthetext.

despitethatfear,however,Icannotdesistfromtheattempttoprovebyafewmoreinstancesthatawell-consideredalterationofthehandwriting,hereandthere,maypromoteabetterunderstandingofthemastersintention.

My next example concerns a nuance of dynamic expression thatobscures the true intention in itsexecution.Thisstirringpassageof thefirstmovement:27

is immediately worked-out by two imitative statements of the melodicthoughtofthefirsttwobars,thusspreadingthecrescendooversixwholebars.Ofthesethemastergivesthefirstcoupletoadetachmentofwood-windstoplayquitepiano,andonlyletstherealcrescendoenterwiththethirdbarandtheaccessionoffreshwoodwindinstruments.finally, thethirdonsetofthesamemelodicthoughtisgiventothenowpredominantstrings,withforceemphaticallyincreasingtillitreachesafortissimoatbarseven.Now,Ihavefoundthatthecrescendoprescribedfortheascendingfigureofthestringsincontrarymotionatthesecondonsetofthewood-winds(bar3ofthissix-barpassage)wasdetrimentaltoanemphaticeffectofthepi crescendooftheviolinsatthethirdonset:

for itprematurelywithdrewattentionfromthewoodwindsandits forc-ibleassertionofthemainmelodicthought,andatthesametimemadeitdifficulttogivethethematicentryoftheviolinsinthefifthbaritschar-acteristicstamp,namelythearrivalofthetruecrescendo.here,wherethe

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mischiefisbutslightlymarked,itmightbealtogetherconqueredbyadis-creetpoco crescendowhichisvirtuallyunknownasyettoourorchestralplayers,butwhichmustnecessarilyprecedeapi crescendo.Oneofmyreasonsfordiscussingthispassageatlengthistocommendthatimportantdynamicnuancetospecialpracticeandadoption.

Eventhemostcarefulobservanceofthisprecept,however,wouldnotremedy the lamentable consequences of the masters missed intentionwherethepassagerecurs inthe lastsectionof thismovement,sincethedynamicdisproportionofthealternategroupsofinstrumentsheremakesit quite impossible to treat with a gentle hand the nuances prescribed.Thisremarkappliesinparticulartothefirsttwobarsofthekindredpas-sage,mm.363368,wherethefirstviolinswithalltheotherstringsstartacrescendowhichtheclarinet,takingitupwiththeansweringphrase,isquiteunabletocarryforwardwithdueforceandclimax.hereIhavehadtodecideonatotalabandonmentofthecrescendointhefirsttwobars,reservingitforthewoodwindstoexecute,andthatmostenergetically,inthetwobarsfollowing.Andthistime,asitalreadyreachesanactualfortewiththefifthbar,thestringsmayalsofearlesslysupportit.forthesamereasonofdynamicdisproportion,atthefurtherreturnofthepassage,mm.457462,thefirsttwobarsmustbetakenquitepiano.Thetwosucceeding,withastrongcrescendobythewoodwinds,aweakerbythestrings;andthestringswillcommencetheirrealswellofsoundwiththelasttwobarsbeforetheforte.

AsIdonotproposetopersistanylongeronthecharacterofBeethovensnuances of expression, or on what appears to me their proper mode ofexecution, and as I believe that the care with which I have detailed mygroundsforarareamendmentofthenuancesprescribedbyhimwillhavejustifiedmyopinionofthatmode,inthisregardIhaveonlyfurthertosaythatthesenseofthesesignsmustbestudiedasthoroughlyasthethemeitself,sinceinthemoftenliestheonlyguidetoanunderstandingofthemastersintentionwhenperceivingthemusicalmotive.yetImayaddthatwhen I advocated a suitable modification of Beethovenian tempi in myearlieressayonconducting,Icertainlyhadnoideaofrecommendingtheamusingmodeinwhich,asIhaveseriouslybeenassured,aBerlinupperkapellmeister conducts these symphonies. To make them piquant, so itissaid,certainpassagesarefirstplayedforte,nextpiano,asifinecho,atone time slower, at another faster: pranks that a kapellmeisters flow ofhumorwilldictatetohiminthescoreoftheFiglia del RegimentoorMar-tha,forinstance,butofwhichIshouldhavebeenthelasttodreamwhenmakingmyhardlyexplicabledemandsinfavorofaproperrenderingofBeethovensmusic.

[]

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Appendix

1. Ninth Symphony, First Movement, mm. 138145

Flauti.

Oboi.

Clarinetti in B.

Fagotti.

Corni in D.

Corni in B Basso.

Trombe in D.

Timpaniin D. A.

Violino I.

Violino II.

Viola.

Violoncelloe Basso.

LisztsTranscription

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richardWagner


Flauti.

Oboi.

Clarinetti in B.

Fagotti.

Corni in D.

Corni in B Basso.

Trombe in D.

Timpaniin D. A.

Violino I.

Violino II.

Viola.

Violoncelloe Basso.

LisztsTranscription

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Flauti.

Oboi.

Clarinetti in B.

Fagotti.

Corni in D.

Corni in B Basso.

Trombe in D.

Timpaniin D. A.

Violino I.

Violino II.

Viola.

Violoncello.

Basso.

LisztsTranscription

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Ninth Symphony, First Movement, mm. 92102 (Continued).

Fl.

Ob.

Cl.

Fag.

Cor. D.

Cor. B.

Tr.

Tp.

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Instruments Added by Modern Composers: Wagner and Beethoven

Charles Gounod

TheeditionoftheEnglishmusicaljournal,The Orchestra,forthe1stofMay,contains an article entitled re-scoring Beethoven; and though I agreewiththewriterinmostofhisreflections,Ibegyourpermissiontoofferafewobservationsonthissubject,whichmaynotbewithoutinterest.

IdonotknowBeethovensChoralSymphonyaccordingtoWagner;I know it only according to Beethoven, and I confess that I find thatenough.Ihaveoftenheardandoftenreadthisgiganticwork,andneitherinhearingnorinreadingithaveIeverfeltthatitneededanycorrection.Moreover,tobeginwith,whateverWagnermaybesupposingeventhatheisasecondBeethoven(andunquestionablyweshallneverseeasecondBeethovenanymorethanweshallseeaseconddante,orasecondMichaelAngelo)Idonotadmittherightofanybodytocorrectthemasters.youwouldnotthinkofalteringthedesignsofraphaelorleonardodaVinci,orofpaintingthemoveragain;itwouldnotonlybeapieceofsupremepre-sumption,butitwouldevenbeacalumnytosubstituteastrangetouchforthehandiworkofthosegrandandmightygeniuseswhoknew,Isuppose,whattheyweredoingandwhytheydidit.

But,tocomebacktotheparticularcaseoftheChoralSymphonyIcanseenofoundationforthepretencethatthetextneedstobemodified.Andfirst,asregardsthepurely instrumentalpartof theworkthat istosay, thefirst threemovementsandthewell-developedopeningof thefourthBeethovenhadsuchaprofoundknowledgeandprodigiousmas-teryoftheresourcesoftheorchestraandofthequalitiesandcontrastsofthedifferentinstruments,thatIcannotcomprehendhowanyoneshoulddreamforaninstantofofferinghimanyadviceonthathead.IttakesM.Wagnertodothat;hegiveslessonstoalltheworld,toBeethovenaswellastoMozartandrossini.IhaveheardtheNinthSymphonydirectedbyhabeneck,theillustriousfounderandconductoroftheSocitdesCon-certsduConservatoireatParis,andtheonlychangenotofthetextnoroftheinstrumentation,butofnuancewhichthislearneddirectorallowedhimself,wasthesubstitutionofamezzo-forteforaforteinthegrandunisonforstringedinstrumentswhichaccompaniesthesixthsandthirdsinthemelodicpassageoftheScherzo.28Thisslightchangewasmadesothattheflutes,clarinets,andbassoons,towhichthemelodicdesignisentrusted,mightnotbeoverpoweredby thegreatnumberofstringed instrumentswhosemutteringthundermarkstheprincipalrhythmbeneath.Asforthevocal part (solo and chorus) which ends the incomparable sublime anduniquelymajesticwork,Idenyabsolutelythattheexecutantsandthepublichavepronouncedagainstitadecisiveandirrevocablenon possumus.Non

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possumus is the expression of every first discouragement; it has greetedthefirstappearanceofeveryinnovation.Itwassetupagainstthesympho-niesofBeethovenwhentheybegantobeknowninfrance,andagainsttheworksofMeyerbeer,Robert le Diable,Les Huguenots,Le Prophte.IthasrecentlybeensetupingermanyagainstthelatestdramaticworksofrichardWagner,whichtheartistsandchorusdeclaredtobeimpossibleeithertolearnortosing.Ithasbeenpronounced,andisstillpronouncedbymanypersons,against the lastgrandquartetsofBeethoven.Timeatlastsmoothesawaythedifficulties,andinthisasinsomanyotherthings,whatseemedimpossibleyesterdayappearsperfectlysimpletoday.Itiscer-tainthat thevocalpartof theNinthSymphonyisdifficultofexecution,andthatthemannerinwhichthevoicesaretreateddemandsaskillandknowledgeofmusicmuchabove theaverageofartistsandchorus sing-ers.Nevertheless,Idonothesitatetosay,inoppositiontotheassertionsadvancedinthecritiquewithwhichItakeissue,thatinVienna,in1842,IheardtheChoralSymphonyperformedby1,200musicians(about450instrumentaland750voices),underthedirectionofOttoNicolaiandthattheexecutionwasadmirableineveryrespectintheensemble,infirm-ness,inprecisionofattackandofrhythm,inperfectaccuracyofintona-tion,andintheexactobservanceofthenuances,evenintheshrillestnotesand the most rugged passages.29 It is true that in germany the registerandtimbreofthesopranovoicetendthemselveswithpeculiarfacilitytoattackingandholdingthehighestnotes,andthisaccountsinpartfortheexcellenceoftheperformanceinrespecttoprecisionandpurityofintona-tion;but itmustbeaddedthattheknowledgeofmusicsogenerallydif-fusedingermanybytheobligatoryteachingoftheartinalltheschoolscontributesnotalittletotheaccuracyofexecution.Ihaverealizedinmyownexperiencehowuniversallytheteachingandknowledgeofmusicarefamiliartochildreningermany,andIoncebroughtoutatVienna,afterasinglelesson,arequiemofmyownwhichconsistedofnofewerthanfour-teennumberstheexecutionofwhichwasirreproachable,andthechildrenentrustedwiththefirstandsecondtreblepartsinthechorusesreadtheirpartsatfirstsightaseasilyasiftheyhadbeenreadingabook.Iremembera ladof12or13years,ashop-boyatabooksellerswhereIhadmadeapurchase;whenhebroughthomemybooksIsawhimlookwistfullyatmypiano,doyouplaythepiano?saidI.Oh,Sir,alittle,repliedhe,timidly,notmuch.Imadehimsitdownimmediatelyatthepiano,andheplayedforme frommemoryBeethovensgrandsonata infminor. It is rare tofindingermanyafamilywhosememberscannotexecuteapart-songatsight,notlikesingers,butlikemusicians.IfwewouldprovethenthatthevocalpartoftheChoralSymphonyisentirelypracticable,althoughitmaybe,asrossinisaid,badlyfingeredforthevoice,wemustdealwithcho-

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InstumentsAddedbyModernComposers

ristersandsingerswhonotonlyhavegoodvoices,butalsoknowhowtoreadmusic,anditmustbeadmittedthatthisconditionisveryimperfectlyfulfilledinEngland.

Buthoweverthismaybe,letusnottouchtheworksofthegreatmasters;itisanexampleofrashnessandirreverenceonwhosedownwardcoursethere isnothingtoarrestoursteps.letusnotmeddlewiththeworkofthesehigh-bredhandswhosenobleoutlines,severestructure,andmajes-ticeleganceposterityoughttocontemplateunveiled;andletusrememberthatitisbettertoleaveagreatmasterhisimperfections,ifhehasany,thantoimposeonhimourown.

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Pamphlet on Mahlers Edition of Beethovens Ninth Symphony

Gustav Mahler and Siegfried Lipiner

Inasmuchascertainpublishedutterancesmighthavespreadthebeliefamongaportionofthepublicthattheconductoroftodaysperformancemight have undertaken arbitrary alterations of details in Beethovensworks,andinparticularinhisNinthSymphony,itseemsimperativenottowithholdafewexplanatoryobservationsonthissubject.

Owing to an ear complaint which ultimately left him totally deaf,Beethovenlosthisindispensableandintimatecontactwithrealityandtheworldofphysicalsoundattheverystageofhiscreativeactivityinwhichtheprodigiousincreaseinhispowersofimaginationimpelledhimtodis-covernewmeansofexpressionandtoachieveahithertounprecedentedlyvigorousmodeoforchestration.Equallywellknown is the fact that thelimitationsofthebrassinstrumentsofhistimequitesimplyrenderedthemincapableofproducingcertainsequencesofnotesrequiredforthedevel-opment of a melody. Since then the imperfections of these instrumentshavebeencorrectedanditwouldthereforeseemalmostcriminalnottousethemsoastoperformBeethovensworksasperfectlyaspossible.

richardWagner,whothroughouthislifefoughtpassionately,bothinwordandindeed,torescuetheinterpretationofBeethovensworksfromaneglectthatwasbecomingintolerable,explainedinhisConcerning the Execution of the Ninth Symphonyhowthissymphonyshouldbeperformedinordertoconformasnearlyaspossibletotheintentionofitscreator.Andallconductorssincethenhavefollowedthesamepath.Becauseofhisdeepconviction,confirmedbyhisexperiencewiththiswork,theconductoroftodaysconcerthasfollowedpreciselythesamecoursewithout,asfarastheessentialisconcerned,trespassingbeyondthelimitssetbyWagner.

Therecan,ofcourse,benoquestionofanyinstrumentalmodifications,alterations,orevenimprovementofBeethovenswork.Thelong-observedcustomofmultiplyingthestringshasresultedand, indeed,formanyyearspastinanincreaseinthenumberofwindinstruments;butthiswasmerelytoamplifythesoundoftheseinstrumentsandnottogivethemanewinstrumentalrole.Onthecontrary,theirnumberwasincreasedforthesolepurposeofamplifyingthesound.Onthispoint,asoneveryotherconcerningtheinterpretationofthework,bothinitsentiretyandindetail,theconductorcandemonstrate,scoreinhand(andthemoreonegoesintodetails,themoreconvincingly),that,farfromfollowinganyarbitrarypur-pose,butalsowithoutallowinghimselftobeledastraybytradition,hewasconstantlyandsolelyconcernedwithcarryingoutBeethovenswisheseveninseeminglyinsignificantdetails,andwithensuringthatnothingthemasterintendedshouldbesacrificedordrownedinageneralconfusionofsound.

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Beethovens Instrumentation

From An AutobiographyIgor Stravinsky

JustasinhispianisticworkBeethovenlivesonthepiano,so,inhissym-phonies,overtures,andchambermusichedrawshissustenancefromhisinstrumentalensemble.Withhimthe instrumentation isneverapparel,andthatiswhyitneverstrikesone.Theprofoundwisdomwithwhichhedistributespartstoseparateinstrumentsortowholegroups,thecareful-nessofhisinstrumentalwriting,andtheprecisionwithwhichheindicateshiswishesallthesetestifytothefactthatweareaboveallinthepres-enceofatremendousconstructiveforce.

IdonotthinkthatIammistakeninassertingthatitwasjusthisman-nerofmoldinghismusicalmaterialwhichlogicallyledtotheerectionofthosemonumentalstructureswhicharehissupremeglory.

TherearethosewhocontendthatBeethovensinstrumentationwasbadandhistonecolorpoor.Othersaltogetherignorethatsideofhisart,hold-ingthatinstrumentationisasecondarymatterandthatonlyideasareworthyofconsideration.Theformerdemonstratetheirlackoftaste,theircompleteincompetenceinthisrespect,andtheirnarrowandmischievousmentality. In contrast with the florid orchestration of Wagner, with itslavishcoloring,Beethovensinstrumentationwillappeartolackluster.Itmightproduceasimilarimpressionifcomparedwiththevivaciousradi-ance of Mozart. But Beethovens music is intimately linked up with hisinstrumental language, and finds its most exact and perfect expressionin the sobriety of that language. To regard it as poverty-stricken wouldmerelyshowlackofperception.Truesobrietyisagreatrarity,andmostdifficultofattainment.

AsforthosewhoattachnoimportancetoBeethovensinstrumentation,butascribethewholeofhisgreatnesstohisideastheyobviouslyregardallinstrumentationasamerematterofapparel,coloring,flavoring,andsofall,thoughfollowingadifferentpath,intothesameheresyastheothers.

Bothmakethesamefundamentalerrorofregardinginstrumentationassomethingextrinsicfromthemusicforwhichitexists.

This dangerous point of view concerning instrumentation, coupledwiththeunhealthygreedfororchestralopulenceoftoday,hascorruptedthejudgmentofthepublic,andthey,beingimpressedbytheimmediateeffectoftonecolor,cannolongersolvetheproblemofwhetheritisintrin-sicinthemusicorsimplypadding.Orchestrationhasbecomeasourceofenjoymentindependentofthemusic,andthetimehassurelycometoputthingsintheirproperplaces.Wehavehadenoughofthisorchestral

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dapplingandthese thicksonorities;one is tiredofbeingsaturatedwithtimbres, and wants no more of all this overfeeding, which deforms theentityoftheinstrumentalelementbyswellingitoutofallproportionandgivingitanexistenceofitsown.Thereisagreatdealofre-educationtobeaccomplishedinthisfield.

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Endnotes

1 E.T.A.hoffmann,reviewofBeethovensOverture toCoriolan, inE.T.A. Hoffmanns Musical Writings: kreisleriana, ThePoetandtheComposer, Music Criticismed.davidCharlton,trans.MartynClarke.(Newyork:CambridgeuniversityPress,1989),293.

2 Itwascustomaryforpublisherstoengraveandpublishpartswithoutascore.Thepracticeofpublishingascoreincreasedwiththeriseoforchestralconducting.

3 CarlCzerny,recollectionsfromMylife,trans.ErnestSanders,The Musical Quarterly,42No.3.(July,1956):310.

4 E.T.A.hoffmannalsomadeananalogybetweenorchestralmusicandfrescopaintinginareviewofSpohrsfirstSymphony.however,davidCharltonhasnotedthathoffmannmayhavecometotheanalogythroughreadingfriedrichWilhelmMarpurgsmuchear-liercommentaryonaworkbyJohannJosephfux(hoffmann,285).

5 (Jean-Pierre)OscarComettant(18191898),frenchmusiccritic.6 Siegfriedlipiner(18561911)wasalifelongfriendofMahlerandamemberofthePer-

nerstorferCirclethegroupofintellectualsinViennathatalsoincludedVictorAdlerandhugoWolf.

7 henry-louisdelagrange. Gustav Mahler v. 2 Vienna: the years of challenge (18971904)(Newyork:OxforduniversityPress,1994),237.

8 WalterNouvelwrotemostofStravinskysChroniques de la viewhileStravinskywasliv-ingwithNouvelbetweenJulyandOctober1934.SeerobertCraft,ed.Dearest Bubush-kin: the Correspondence of Vera and Igor Stravinsky, 192154, with excerpts from Vera Stravinskys diaries, 192271trans.luciadavidova(london:Thames&hudson,1985).

9 Translatorsnote(JohnBishop):Lrm-instrumente,literallynoise-instruments.10 Czernyreferstothestringsectionasaquartet.latergermanwriterswillreferthestring

sectionasaquintetbecausethegermanwordforstrings,Saiten,impliesallstringinstru-ments,includingtheharpandguitar.ThisisalsowhyCzernynamesthestringsectionthebow-instrumentsinhisdiagram.Asnotedinthepreface,allsubsequentuseofquar-tett,quintett,orquatorhasbeenchangedtostrings.IhaveleftquartetinthissentencetopreservetheflowofCzernysanalogy.

11 Czernymeansthatthewould-besymphonistshouldcopyascorebyhand,particularlyifthescorecanonlybecreatedfromtheparts,asCzernydidwiththefirsttwosymphoniesofBeethovenandotherworksbyMozartandhaydn.Seethenotesthatbeginthissection.

12 louisSpohr(17841859)composedninesymphonies.franzPaullachner(18031890)composedeightsymphonies.ferdinandries(17841838)composedeightsymphonies.

13 CzernyprovidesapianoreductionoftheexpositionofBeethovensfirstsymphony,mm.1109,withtheinstrumentsannotated.Theexpositionisgiveninfullscoreattheendofthisarticle.

14 Ironically, Berlioz mistakenly praised Glucks writing for the trombone in Iphignie en Aulide inhisseriesofarticlesoninstrumentationfortheRevue et gazette musicale.SeehughMacdonald.Berliozs Orchestration Treatise: A Translation and Commentary.(Cambridge:CambridgeuniversityPress,2002),224.

15 karolJozeflipinski(17901861),aPolishviolinist,composerandconductor,wasthecon-certmasterofthedresdenkniglichenkapellewhereCarlgottliebreissiger(17981859),washofkapellmeister.Wagnerregularlyconductedindresdenfrom1842to1849.

16 SeeWagnersAboutConducting,(ber das Dirigiren)inArt and Politics.trans.Wil-liamAshtonEllis(london:keganPaul,Trench,Trbner&Co.,1895),2923.

17 hansvonBlow(18301894)studiedpianowithbothfriedrichWieckandfranzlisztandmadeacelebratededitionoftheBeethovenpianosonatas.

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Endnotes

18 Quotingthispassage,Wiengartnernotes,Butthisgenerallygoestoofar,foritisjusttheseintervalswhichareoftensocharacteristic:andjustasagreatmastercanoftenturntoadvantagetheveryimperfectionofthemeansathisdisposal,soherethisstrikinguseofnaturalnotesoftencorrespondsexactlytothepeculiaritiesofBeethovensstyle,andanyattemptto improve itwouldonlyhave theoppositeeffect.felixWeingartner,On The Performance of Beethovens Symphonies.Translatedby JessieCrosland (Newyork:kalmus,n.d.),viii.Inhistext,WiengartnercitesexampleswhereBeethovencouldhavewrittenanoctavebutinsteadhasthesecondhornleaptoaunison,notingthatinsuchcases,Beethovenseemstohavepreferredthesharpersoundoftheunison(132.).

19 fifthSymphony,SecondMovement,m.114.20 Theoboeparts,mm,9396.Inthisandthefollowingtwoexamples,Wagneromitsthe

keysignature(oneflat).21 Itwascommonpracticetodoublethewoodwindswhenlargerworkswereperformedat

festivals.TheNinthSymphonywouldcertainlyqualifyassuchafestivalwork,asWagnerhimselfreportedinhisreportonthePerformanceoftheNinthSymphonyintheCityofdresdenin1846,reprintedinRichard Wagners Prose Works,vol7,In Paris and Dresden trans.WilliamAshtonEllis.(london:keganPaul,Trench,Trber&Co.1896).

22 Thefirstfourmeasuresofthefourthmovement.23 Actually,inthefifthmeasure,WagnerfollowsBeethovenandunitesthetrumpetswith

thehornsonasoundingd.Weingartneropinesthattheycompletelydrownthewood-windtowhichthemelodicallyandharmonicallyimportantnotesareentrusted,sothatthese, even if doubled, only give a little chirping sound as against the crashing brassnotes(177).Seethenextnote.

24 ThesearethetwoSchreckensfanfarenfromthefourthmovement(mm.17and1624).InWagnerscompleteworks,aswellas theEllis translation, there isameasuremissingfromeachoftheseexcerpts.Ihaveattemptedtorestorethesemeasures,herebracketedandmarkedwithanX,basedonWeingartners remarks.Weingartnerwrites,In thefirstfanfareWagnerleavestheoriginaluntouchedfromthefifthbaronwards....Inthesec-ondfanfare...Wagnerletsthetrumpetsplayinunisonmelodicallytotheend(177).

25 first Movement, mm. 138145. Because of the extended discussion of this passage, itappearsinanappendixwithlisztstranscription.

26 firstmovement,mm.408411.ThismayalsobefoundintheAppendix.27 firstMovement,mm.9294.Thewholepassageconsideredhere,mm.92102,appearsin

theAppendix.28 ThisisthepassageforwhichWagneradvocatesdoublingthewindswithfourhorns:sec-

ondmovement,mm.93109.29 OttoNicolai(18101849),composerofthepopularcomicoperaDie lustigen Weiber von

Windsor.NicolaiwasappointeddirectorofViennashofoperin1841.Thefollowingyear,hebeganthelegendaryPhilharmoniaconcertsconcertswiththehofoperorchestrawhichwerenotableforperformingBeethovenandMozarttotheexclusionofmodernworks. The March 1842 performances of Beethovens Ninth to which gounod alludesweresaidtobethefirstgreatperformancesofthework.

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SECTION II THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY:

FRENCH AND GERMAN ORCHESTRATION I

Bythelastquarterofthenineteenthcentury,thedialecticoffrenchandgermanorchestralstyleswasfirmlyestablishedinthecontemporarylit-eratureaboutorchestration.Moreover,themediatingNewgermanstyleof orchestration was increasingly subsuming german orchestration inorchestral practice. Wagners prose works, especially Oper und Drama,suggested key distinctions between french and german orchestrationwhileWagnersownorchestralstylebecamethemodelofNewgermanorchestration. In the articles that follow, the composers gustav Mahler,f.-A.gevaert,andrichardStraussframethedivisionoforchestralstylesalongsimilarlines.

gustavMahlerlivedonthethresholdofmoderntimesbutdiedbeforehisthoughtsandhisperformingartcouldbedocumentedinanenduringway.Inanagewhencomposerswereincreasinglywritingprose,Mahlercontented himself with correspondence and discussion. Much of whatisknownaboutMahlersorchestral thinkingcomes fromthe journalofNatalieBauer-lechner,aconservatoryacquaintanceofMahler,andshemayhave fancieda romanticprospect.frauBauer-lechner, a cham-bermusicianofsomerenown(aviolist),reacquaintedherselfwithMahlerafterherdivorce,whenMahlerwaswritinghisThirdSymphony.foroversevenyears,shetooklongwalkswithMahler,carefullydocumentingtheirdiscussionsinajournal.Contemporarymusicologyhasprovedherareli-ablesource.Intheexcerptsthatfollow,Mahlerbroachesavarietyoftop-icsincludingBeethovensorchestration,thebalanceoforchestralsections,andthemistakenemphasisyoungcomposersplaceontoneandcolor.Of

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SectionII

particular interest is the letter togisellaTolney-Witt,anamateurmusi-cologist,abouttheincreasingforcesoftheorchestra.

franois-Augustegevaert(18281908)wasanotedscholarandoperacomposerandspentmuchofhiscareerinhisnativeBelgiumasdirectoroftheBrusselsConservatory.hewaschieflyknownforhisfirstbookonorchestration,theTrait gnral dinstrumentation(1865),whichwaslaterrevised and expanded as Nouveau trait dinstrumentation (1885).1 Thistext,largelyforgottennow,wasoneofthemostinfluentialinstrumentationtreatisesofthenineteenthcentury.Tchaikovskytranslatedthefirsteditionintorussian,hugoriemanntranslatedthesecondeditionintogerman,2andrimsky-korsakovadvisedstudentstostudygevaertthoroughly.WithhisTraitandhissecondbook,Cours mthodique dorchestration(1890),3gevaertinfluencedawholegenerationofcomposers.hissurveyoforches-tralpractice inCours mthodique is averitableoutline for laterwriters,especiallyCoerne,Bekker,andCarse.4

richardStrauss(18641949)undertooktherevisiontoBerliozsclassictreatiseonthecommissionofC.f.Peters.5TheBerlioztreatisehadbeentheprincipalorchestrationtextingermanysince1864,6butrapidchangestoinstrumentsandinstrumentaltechniquehadrenderedsectionsoftheBerliozTraitobsolete.7Straussforewordisanotherprimarysourcefordelineatingthreeschoolsoforchestration.Straussadoptsgevaertsdistinc-tionbetweendramaticorchestration(mostlyfrenchcomposers)andsym-phonicorchestration(mostlygermancomposers).heexpandsgevaertsdistinctionbynotingthatsymphonicorchestrationisnotablypolyphonicand dramatic orchestration is predominantly homophonic. Strauss andgevaertbothrecognizetheNewgermanstyleoforchestrationasthesyn-thesisoffrenchandgermanorchestration.however,gevaertstressestheroleoffrenchcomposersandparticularlyBerliozinWagnersevolu-tion.StraussfindsBerliozsmusicinsufficientlycontrapuntaltobeviewedasan importantprecursor toWagner,andrathernotunlikeWagnerhimselfstresses the importanceofCarlMariavonWeberandfranzliszt.8

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Statements on Orchestration

Gustav Mahler

Mahler to Frau Bauer-Lechner on Orchestration

ItistruethatallBeethovensworksneedacertainamountofediting.forlookhere,hesaidexplainingwiththeaidofthescoreofthePastoralthathehadbeforehimBeethovencountedonartists,notartisans,fortheconductingaswellastheplaying.hedidntwriteeverythinginsuchminutedetailasrichardWagnerwaslatertodo,norwashesoexperiencedinorchestraltechniqueasnevertomakeamistakeinnotatingthesoundhewanted,particularlylateronwhenhelostcontroloverthisbecauseofhisdeafness.Soinorderthatthemusicshouldbeplayedasitwasmeanttosound,onehastoaddallsortsofdynamicindicationstotheparts,sothat the principal voice stands out and the accompaniment retires intothebackground.Onemusttakecare,too,thatthebowingandexpressionproducetheeffectthatthecomposerwanted.

Inthisconnection,hesaidofhisownmannerofnotation:youwouldntbelievehowanxiouslyandcarefullyIproceedinmycompositions.Infact,I have worked out quite a new orchestral technique the direct resultofmylongexperience.forinstance,whenthemusicalmeaningrequiresconsecutivenotestobeplayeddisconnectedly,Idontleavethisuptothecommonsenseoftheplayers.Instead,Imightdividethepassagebetweenthe first and second violins, rather than leave it entirely to the firsts orseconds.IfIwantaparttoretreatintothebackground,Ihaveitplayedbyonlyone,two,orthreedesks,asneeded.Onlywhenallthestopsneedtobepulledoutiseverybodyincluded.Also,inheavilyscoredpassages,Itakecarethatthestringsbeartherightrelationtothewindandpercussion,sothatallpartsarewellbalancedwitheachother.Ihaveobservedthatthemoreaccuratetheintonationofthestrings,theloudertheysound.InorderthatthereshouldnotbetheslightestinaccuracyIhaverackedmybrainstonotateitaspreciselyaspossible.Thus,Iavoidindicatingtheshortnessofnotes,orthespacebetweenthem,bydotsorotherstaccatomarks.Instead,everythingisspelledoutindetailbymeansofthenote-valuesandrests.

[]

AfteraperformanceofCarmen,whichIhavenowheardthreetimesinhamburg,ItoldMahlerthatIfeltoneshouldnothearthisworkofgeniustoooftenoronemightbecometiredofit,asofatoohighlyspiceddish.Thatwillneverhappen,herepliedbecauseofthewonderfulorchestra-tion.Thisisoneofthemostmeticulouslyworked-outscoresthatyoucanpossiblyimagine.Italwaysgivesmethegreatestpleasure.WhenIamcon-

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gustavMahler

ducting,Iobserveandanalyseallitslittledetails;Iamconstantlylearningsomethingnewfromit,findingouthowthisorthateffectisturnedtothebestadvantage.

Inthisconnection,hesaid:Themostimportantthingincompositionisclarityofline[der reine Satz]thatis,everyvoiceshouldbeaninde-pendentmelody,justasinthevocalquartet,whichshouldsetthestandardhere.Inthestringensemble,thetextureistransparentenoughinitsownright.Thisbecomes lessand less trueas theorchestragrowsbigger,buttheneedforasimilarclaritymustremain.Justastheplantsmostperfectforms, the flower and the thousand branches of the tree, are developedfromthepatternofthesimpleleafjustasthehumanheadisnothingbutavertebrasomustthelawsofpurevocalpolyphony[der reinen Fhrung des Vokalsatzes]beobservedeveninthemostcomplexorchestraltexture.

Inmywork,thebassoon,thebasstuba,eventhekettle-drummustbetuneful! And this has always been true for all genuine artists, especiallyrichardWagner.unfortunately,becauseoftheimperfectionsofthenaturalinstruments,earliercomposersoftenhadtoresorttomakeshiftdeviceswhichledtosloppinessinthepart-writing,evenwhereitcouldhavebeenavoided.

A Letter of Advice to a Younger Composer

MaxMarschalkundated.[hamburg,12April1896]MydearherrMarschalk,

yourpackage arrived justwhen the rushing tideof lifewas roaringitsloudestallaboutme.Ihadtopostponereplying,thoughallthatissopurelyhumaninyourlettercalledforanimmediatereply.SoyoutoohavetroddenthepathofsufferingthatItooknowsowell.TherewasindeedsomethinginyourfacethatmademesenseitevenbeforeIreceivedthisconfirmation.

Well, first and foremost: your opus,9 which I should best like to gothroughwithyouatthepiano.hereIshallconfinemyselftoafewgeneralhintsthatyouwillperhapsbrieflyconsider.Whatstruckmemostisthefeaturethatyoualsoemphasizeinyourletter:atpresentyouarestillgoinginverymuchfortoneandcolour!Thisisthemistakemadebyallgiftedbeginnersnowcomposing.Icouldshowyouasimilarphaseinmyowndevelopment.Mood-musicisdangerousground.

Believe me: we must for the time being keep to the good old princi-ples.Themes thesemustbeclearandplastic,sothattheycanbeclearlyrecognizedatanystageofmodificationordevelopmentandthenvariedpresentation,holdingtheattentionaboveall throughthelogicaldevelop-

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StatementsonOrchestration

mentof the inner idea,butalsoby thegenuineoppositionof contrastingmotives.

Thatisallstillblurredinyourwork.Next,youmustshakeoffthepia-nist! None of this is a movement for an orchestra it is conceived forthepianoandthenrearrangedfororchestrawithoutgettingfreeofthetrammelsofthatinstrument.

Isufferedfromthatailmentoncemyself.Allofusnowadaysstartoutfromthepiano,whereastheoldmastersoriginslayintheviolinandthevoice.OfcourseIamnowspeakingonlyincrudegeneralizations.Noteverythinginyouroperacouldbeassessedbythesecriteria.

Iamfirmlyconvincedthatyouaretalented,andIverymuchlookfor-wardtohearinganother

Arr_Orchestration_On Anthology of Writings

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