On Modernism in Estonian Music (1900–1940) Modernizmas Estijos Muzikoje 1900–1940 M
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Lietuvos muzikologija, t. 16, 2015 Mart HUMAL On Modernism in Estonian Music (1900–1940) Modernizmas Estijos muzikoje 1900–1940 m. Abstract Estonian music of the early 20th century, similar to that of the other Baltic countries, is characterized by the fact that the period of the formation of the professional musical culture chronologically coincided with the emergence of the so called “New Music”. Chronologically, the manifestations of modernism between 1900 and 1940 can be divided into three stages: 1. Pre-modernism, the preliminary stage (ca. 1900–1910); 2. Early modernism (ca. 1910–1919); 3. Mature modernism (ca. 1920–1940). In the “modernistic” works of the first stage, the idiom of the New Music was not yet predominating, but sometimes its influence was very remarkable. The leading composer was Rudolf Tobias (1873–1918). In ca. 1910 the first compositions in Estonian music based on the idiom of the New Music were created. The most prominent composer representing this trend was Mart Saar (1882–1963). Whereas Mart Saar turned to a more folkloristic idiom during the 1920s, the leading figure of modernism in Estonian music then became Heino Eller (1887–1970). In the 1930s, a group of young composers (Eller’s students Eduard Oja and Eduard Tubin) emerged, again connected with modernism in some way or another. Keywords: “New Music”, expressionism, Rudolf Tobias, Mart Saar, Heino Eller. Anotacija XX a. pradžios Estijos muzikai būdinga tai, kad čia, panašiai kaip ir kitose Pabaltijo valstybėse, profesionalioji muzikinė kultūra formavosi lygiagrečiai su kylančia vadinamosios naujosios muzikos banga. Modernizmo apraiškas 1900–1940 m. galima suskirstyti į tris etapus: 1) premodernizmą, pereinamąjį laikotarpį (~1900–1910); 2) ankstyvąjį modernizmą (~1910–1919); 3) brandųjį modernizmą (~1920–1940). Pirmojo etapo „modernistiniuose“ kūriniuose naujosios muzikos stilistika dar nėra dominuojanti, nors jos įtaka jau gana akivaizdi. Ryškiausias šio etapo estų kompozitorius – Rudolfas Tobiasas (1873–1918). Apie 1910-uosius Estijoje sukuriamos pirmosios kompozicijos, nuosekliai grindžiamos naujosios muzikos kalba. Iškiliausias šios stilistinės srovės atstovas – Martas Saaras (1882–1963). XX a. trečiame dešimtmetyje Saarui pasukus į labiau folkloristinį stilių, svarbiausia Estijos muzikinio modernizmo figūra tapo Heino Elleris (1882–1963). XX a. ketvirtame dešimtmetyje iškilo būrys jaunų kompozitorių (tarp jų Ellerio mokiniai Eduardas Oja ir Eduardas Tubinas), kurie vienaip ar kitaip taip pat buvo susiję su modernizmu. Reikšminiai žodžiai: naujoji muzika, ekspresionizmas, Rudolfas Tobiasas, Martas Saaras, Heino Elleris. Estonian music of the early 20th century, similar to a number of especially characteristic works written during that of the other Baltic countries, is characterized by the the first four decades of the 20th century. fact that the period of the formation of the professional Chronologically, the manifestations of modernism musical culture chronologically coincided with one of the between 1900 and 1940 can be divided into three stages: greatest revolutions in the history of European music – the Pre-modernism, a preliminary stage (ca. 1900–1910); emergence of the so called “New Music”. As a result, several Early modernism (ca. 1910–1919); layers of musical culture existed side by side; the stages, Mature modernism (ca. 1920–1940). which were passed gradually in older musical cultures, were passed here simultaneously. The stylistic contrast between different layers was very remarkable. The most radical trend I. Pre-modernism was represented by young composers who studied in the St. Petersburg Conservatory during these years, which was In the “modernistic” works of this period, the means of decisive for European music history. Through their works, expression of the “New Music” were not yet predominating, the “New Music” reached Estonia more or less at the time but sometimes their influence was very remarkable. Here of its origin (1908–1910). the leading figure was the first professional Estonian In this article, an attempt will be made to show the composer Rudolf Tobias (1873–1918) whose oratorio modernistic tendencies of Estonian music, exemplified by Des Jona Sendung written in 1909 – the largest one in 16 On Modernism in Estonian Music (1900–1940) its genre and perhaps the largest work in Estonian music II. Early Modernism at all – was for the first time (and very unsuccessfully) performed in Leipzig in the same year 1909, conducted by In ca. 1910 the first compositions in Estonian music based the composer himself. However, the German musicologist on the means of expression of the “New Music” were created. Hermann Kretzschmar said about it, that since Bach and up The stylistically predominating trend was expressionism. Its to our days, nobody had composed such a mighty work of main characteristic feature is “a strenuous spiritual attitude” sacred music (Kursk 1995: 181). His music possesses both and an aspiration for “an emphasised intensity of the artist’s impressionistic and expressionistic features. The former can self-expression” (Lamp 1978: 43). As we know, the notion be found, for example, in his vocal ballad Sest Ilmaneitsist of expressionism in music has usually been connected with ilusast (The Beautiful Maiden Ilmaneitsi, 1911). The the works of Arnold Schoenberg and his students. However, latter, which are especially characteristic, are manifest in it was not primarily the music of Schoenberg and his school his Walpurgis-Burlesque for piano (1910–1911?) and in a but rather that of the “late” Scriabin (also having some points number of piano miniatures (Prelude in C-sharp minor, of contact with expressionism) that served as a direct pattern 1905–1910; Melancholie and Nachtstück, 1910; see Humal for Estonian composers. 1990: 643–644), as well as in his only violin piece Durch The most prominent composer representing this trend die Nacht, written ca. 1914. was Mart Saar (1882–1963), whose solo song Must lind According to Tobias’s first biographer, Riho Päts, this (Black Bird) and piano piece Skizze, both of them published piece is “an impressive, mysterious, intense musical picture, in 1911, have been labelled as the first atonal compositions painted in rough colours, with an original violin melody in Estonian music. and an accompaniment, interesting both in terms of One of Saar’s most interesting early piano pieces is the harmony and timbre”. (Päts 1968: 131) The most striking waltz Quasi allegretto for piano (1911) – a typical work harmonic feature of this piece, written in the weakly of the era of Musica futuristica. (A manifesto bearing this centralized D minor, is the recurring sustained major title was published by Balila Pratella in the same year in second D–E (sometimes also C–D; see bars 1–5, Example Italy.) Its elementary ternary form, consisting of two 16-bar 1). Eventually, after a number of deceptive solutions to a sections (see the first section, Example 2) and a somewhat half diminished seventh chord or to the second-inversion expanded recapitulation, makes a grotesque contrast with tonic triad, it resolves, at the moment of culmination, to the extravagance of its harmonic idiom – a weakly centralized root-position tonic triad which had never sounded up to chromatic tonality, where the beginning C-major triad that moment. At the end of the piece, however, the major is followed by chords belonging to F-sharp major and second returns, being then abruptly abandoned, without a “proper” solution. Example 1. Tobias, Durch die Nacht, bars 1–5 Example 2. Saar, waltz Quasi allegretto, bars 1–16 17 Lietuvos muzikologija, t. 16, 2015 Mart HUMAL G-sharp minor, with a tonally ambiguous whole-tone since the fourth bar, the music will be increasingly influenced ending. This piece has some features in common with the by the whole-tone scale (in both of its two versions), which young Prokofiev, who, however, had completed only a few also entirely predominates the midsection (see Example early works (Opp. 1–3) by 1911. Therefore, although it is 3b). These harmonic features impart an ambiguity to known that Saar and the nine years younger Prokofiev not the harmony, enhancing the mystical mood of this music only knew each other well, but also used to play piano four resulting also from the low register and the unusual metre hands, it is likely that their modernist experiments took 7/8. According to the Estonian musicologist Karl Leichter, place independently from each other. “the piece somewhat tends towards the sphere of Scriabin’s Saar’s most famous early piano piece Skizze (1910) is philosophical problems” (Leichter 1964: 38). Nevertheless, written in a ternary form a1ba2 (12 + 24 + 11 bars). Its it cannot be easily compared with any of Scriabin’s works – melody is based on the whole-tone motive e flat–f–g–b Scriabin’s mysticism is more refined and its expression is more double flat along with its various modifications (inversion, stylized. The complicated texture of Saar’s piece is perceived extension, augmentation, diminution etc.). The outer as a masque, and although its music possesses a number of sections of the piece begin in the chromatic D-flat major expressionistic features, it is not purely expressionistic: rather with the raised fourth degree (see Example 3a). However, than “an emphasized intensity of self-expression”, it features a play of some mystic, obscure forces (see Score 2). Saar’s two piano preludes written in 1911 were labelled by the composer as “tonally instable”. A characteristic feature of the first of them Poetico,( con delizio, Example 4) is an oscillation between two remote tonalities – C major and E-flat minor. The prelude concludes with an unusual plagal cadence (flattened VI–I) in C major. On the other hand, the first phrase of its initial period concludes on the dominant of E-flat minor (bar 4) and the second – on its tonic (bar 8). Yet there is no modulation in this piece – both tonalities exist in parallel from the outset (with the key of C major predominating in the odd bars and that of E-flat Example 3a.