Zelter, Goethe and the Emergence of a German Choral Canon
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Zelter, Goethe and the Emergence of a German Choral Canon by Anna N.G. Rutledge A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Music University of Toronto © Copyright by Anna N.G. Rutledge 2011 i Zelter, Goethe and the Emergence of a German Choral Canon Anna N.G. Rutledge, Doctor of Philosophy, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, 2011 ABSTRACT This thesis examines the dialogue between Carl Friedrich Zelter (1758-1832) and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) on choral music and the role they envisioned for it within a national German repertory. The primary source for this examination is the voluminous correspondence between the two men, which spans almost 900 letters and over thirty years. In the correspondence, they discuss choral music both as an abstract and practical art. In addition, Zelter’s descriptions of concerts that he performed in and attended form a valuable record of musical life in Berlin in the early nineteenth- century. To show the importance of choral music within the correspondence, this thesis is divided into three parts: an examination of Zelter and Goethe’s engagement with (choral) music; their respective choral organizations; and two musical case studies that show the application of their discussions. The first segment allows for a fuller understanding of how choral music fit in Zelter and Goethe’s larger artistic endeavours. This context is especially important given their marginal musical legacies, which have contributed to the scholarly neglect of their discourse on choral music. The second segment examines Zelter’s work with the Berlin Sing-Akademie in detail, focussing on its performance practice, membership, and audience. This examination shows that contrary to the oft-repeated claim that the Sing-Akademie did not regularly perform in public until 1829, the chorus in fact sang for a wide audience on a regular basis from the early 1800s on. The third segment provides case studies on the music of J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel. Goethe and Zelter’s dialogue about the two composers is considered, along with ii their practical engagement with the repertoire. Further, the Sing-Akademie’s performance history of both composers is examined. In sum, this thesis demonstrates the central role of historical choral music in the correspondence of Goethe and Zelter; their interest in older German choral music is shown to have had a profound impact on the music performed by similar organizations across Germany. iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank all those people whose assistance was crucial to my completion of the dissertation. First and foremost, I am indebted to my co-supervisors, Mary Ann Parker and Robin Elliott, whose sharp eyes and careful criticism made this thesis much stronger. I would also like to thank my advisory committee members, Gregory Johnston and Willi Goetschel, whose insights were invaluable. I am also grateful for the financial assistance I received from the University of Toronto’s School of Graduate Studies and Professor Gerhard Dünnhaupt. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family. My parents’ encouragement was ceaseless and their enthusiasm is to be marvelled at; my husband, Tim, without whose patience and support I would never have embarked on this project; finally, my two dear children, Peter and Emma, who have brought such joy to my life and without whom I would never have completed this dissertation. Anna Rutledge Toronto, 2011 iv Contents: Abstract p. ii Acknowledgements p. iv Preface p. vi Introduction p. 1 Chapter 1: Carl Friedrich Zelter: Constructions of his life and work p. 14 Chapter 2: Zelter and Goethe’s correspondence: a closer examination p. 52 Chapter 3: Zelter’s Sing-Akademie: a labour of love p. 89 Chapter 4: Zelter’s Bach: ‘Ich habe dich wieder ans Licht gebracht’ p. 114 Chapter 5: The Sing-Akademie’s use of Handel: public and for profit p. 150 Conclusion p. 180 Appendix I p. 188 (Handel oratorios performed under Zelter by the Sing-Akademie) Appendix II p. 189 (List of the professions of Sing-Akademie members during Zelter’s tenure) Bibliography p. 191 Musical Examples: 1) Mus ms Bach P35 BWV 249, Easter Oratorio, Adagio, mm.7-11. p. 122 2) Mus ms Bach P57 BWV 38 “Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu Dir,” mm.15-24. p. 123 3) SA 4658 St. Matthäu, No. 4e “Da das Jesus merkete,” mm. 1-7. p. 127 4) SA 4658 St. Matthäu, No. 7 “Da ging hin der Zwölfen,” mm. 1-4. p. 129 5) SA 4658 St. Matthäu, No. 58a “Und da sie an die Stätte kamen,” mm. 1-27. p. 130 6) SA 4658 St. Matthäu, No. 8 “Blute nur, du liebes Herz,” mm. 9-19. p. 134 7) SA 4658 St. Matthäu, No. 62 “Wenn ich einmal soll scheiden,” mm.1-4. p. 137 8) SA 51, Messias, No. 23 “All we like sheep,” Soprano, mm. 1-5. p. 166 9) SA 51, Messias, No. 8 “O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion,” Soprano, mm. 23-33. p. 167 10) SA 51, Messias, No. 22 “And with His stripes we are healed,” Soprano, mm. 1-16. p. 169 v Preface This thesis grew out of a deep interest in nineteenth-century culture in Germany; through my undergraduate and graduate degrees I have enjoyed gaining ever more insight into a period that in many ways continues to define our musical landscape. My engagement with Zelter, which developed first as an interest in the Berlin Lieder school, has allowed me to examine music and cultural practices that were previously unknown to me and I am grateful for the opportunity. There are some consistent abbreviations and spellings that deserve mention. First, in this dissertation the Sing-Akademie zu Berlin will be called the Sing-Akademie. Although German articles often use “Singakademie” I have chosen to follow the model of Lorraine Byrne Bodley’s recent Zelter and Goethe: Musical Dialogues. Second, when citing the correspondence of Zelter and Goethe, I will provide only an abbreviation. The abbreviation consists of Z (Zelter) and G (Goethe), an indication of to whom the letter is addressed, and the date. For example: Z to G, 14 September 1812, indicates that the letter is from Zelter to Goethe and that it was dated 14 September 1812. All German letter quotations are drawn from: Hans-Günter Ottenberg, Sabine Schäfer and Edith Zehm, eds, “Briefwechsel mit Zelter” vols 20.1; 20.2; 20.3 in Karl Richter, ed., Goethe Sämtliche Werke nach Epochen seines Schaffens (Munich: Hanser Verlag, 1985-1998). Third, the German and English passages will appear side by side wherever possible. Further, the translations are my own, unless otherwise cited. Finally, I would like to remind the reader that many of the German spellings reflect period variations. vi Introduction You also deserve gratitude for explaining the important musical principles in your last letter. Resolve to do the same from time to time and you yourself will be storing up a treasure in my books. I am happy with my table as a naked but well- structured skeleton to which a genuine artist might add the necessary flesh, skin and entrails and bring it to life through practice and thought. By this means I look across in a wonderful way to a region in which I was not supposed to find enjoyment, let alone find joy in reflecting on it [...]1 Carl Friedrich Zelter (1758-1832) and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s (1749-1832) voluminous correspondence, which spans almost 900 letters, has long been the subject of academic interest. Since the initial publication of the correspondence only two years after their deaths, scholars have studied their unlikely friendship, their musical criticism, and their attempts at collaboration. 2 These studies have, however, failed to examine Zelter and Goethe’s many discussions of choral music as an art form. Their other musical exchanges have received scholarly attention, with articles on their discussions of composers such as Beethoven and Mozart, but oddly their views on the music they discussed most often have remained largely unstudied. This poses an obvious question: given the number of scholarly texts devoted to Goethe and Zelter, why have their conversations on choral music been ignored? The most likely explanation for the oversight is the status of choral music itself; unlike other genres, 1 Lorraine Byrne Bodley, Goethe and Zelter: Musical Dialogues (Farnham: Ashgate, 2009), 436. “Sodann sollst Du gleichfalls vielen Dank haben für die Entwickelung der wichtigen musikalischen Grundsätze in Deinem Letzten. Entschliesse Dich von Zeit zu Zeit zu dergleichen, Du sammelst Dir selbst einen Schatz in meinen Heften. Ich freue mich meiner Tabelle als eines zwar nackten aber wohlgegliederten Skeletts, welches der echte Künstler allein mit Fleisch und Haut überkleiden, ihmEingeweide geben und ins Leben praktisch und denkend einführen mag. Ich sehe dadurch auf eine wundersame Weise in eine Region hinüber, in welcher ich nicht einmal geniessen, geschweige geniessend denken sollte.” G to Z, 17 May 1829. 2 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Briefwechsel zwischen Goethe und Zelter in den Jahren 1796 bis 1832, ed. Friedrich Wilhelm Riemer (Berlin: Hermann Böhlau, 1833-1834). 1 choral music is still perceived as largely the domain of dedicated amateurs. While studies on the sociology of choral music have begun to appear, there remain large gaps in the scholarship. This dissertation attempts to fill in one such gap. Over the course of five chapters, this dissertation will show that within Zelter and Goethe’s correspondence lies a wealth of information about choral music in the first half of the nineteenth-century. Their letters shed light on the repertoire and performance practice of the period, with details on specific concerts attended and directed.