The "Lobgesang." A Comparison of the Original and Revised Scores Author(s): Joseph Bennett Source: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 29, No. 545 (Jul. 1, 1888), pp. 393-396 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3360757 Accessed: 06-02-2016 19:10 UTC

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This content downloaded from 202.28.191.34 on Sat, 06 Feb 2016 19:10:08 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 1888. THE MUSICAL TIMES.-JuLY I, 393 (November 18, 1840) to Carl Klingemann in terms as THE MUSICAL TIMES thus:-- AND SINGING-CLASS CIRCULAR, " My ' Hymn of Praise' is to be performedat the end of this month for the benefit of old invalided 1888. JULY I, musicians. I am determined,however, that it shall not be produced in the imperfect form in which, THE " LOBGESANG." owing to my illness, it was given in Birmingham, so A COMPARISON OF THE ORIGINAL AND REVISED that makes me work hard. Four new pieces are to SCORES. be added, and I have also much improved the three IN the volume of this journal forthe year 1883 may sets of symphonies," which are now in the hands of be found a comparison of Mendelssohn's " " the copyist. As an introductionto the chorus, ' The as it was performed at the Birmingham Festival of night is departing,' I have found words in the Bible 1846 and the same work as finallypublished. It is as fine as can possibly be imagined, and admirably now proposed to treat the " Hymn of Praise " in like adapted formusic." manner, using for the purpose, besides Breitkopfand The "1Lobgesang," with all its additions and H~rtel's fullscore, a MS. copy of the original version, changes, and as we now have it, was first performed once the propertyof Mr. J. Alfred Novello, and now in in Leipzig, December 3, 1840. " The alterations," the possession of Messrs. Novello, Ewer & Co. writes Sir George Grove (Article, " Mendelssohn," Nothing can be more certain than that the task Dictionary of Music and Musicians), "were so serious entered upon here will-quite apart from the manner and so universal as to compel the sacrifice of the in which it is done-receive the interested attention whole of the plates engraved for the performance at of musicians and amateurs. The popularity of the Birmingham. Now, however, they were final, and " Lobgesang," the fascinationwhich surrounds every- the work was published by Breitkopf and Hdirtel thing Mendelssohnian, and the gratificationof satis- early in the followingyear. Before leaving this we fyingcuriosity about the formativeprocesses of great may say that the scene of the Watchman was works, all give assurance that the labour of com- suggested to him during a sleepless night, in which parison will not be in vain. Let us add that the the words ' Will the night soon pass ?'incessantly result must inevitably strengthenthe popular impres- recurred to his mind. Next morning he told Mr. sion of Mendelssohn's extremeconscientiousness, and Schleinitz that he had got a new idea for his the intensityof his conviction that nothing had been ' Lobgesang.' " done while anythingremained to do. We now enter upon the comparison. As a preliminaryit may be well to recall certain No. i.-Sinfonia. First movement. (a) Con moto historical facts connected with the " Lobgesang." The rnaestoso. work was composed fora commemorationof the inven- This introduction is scored for the same instru- tion of held in ments in both and the firstfour bars of the printing Leipzig, June 24, 25, 1840-- versions, an occasion for which, also, the " " came original agree exactly with those of the revised. But into being. Shortly afterits productionthe Birming- the second phrase fortrombones presents an import- ham Festival Committee, ever on the look-out for ant difference,as may be seen below:- attractive novelties, secured the " Lobgesang" for No. I. their solemnity of the same year, together with the Original. personal direction of the composer. The English performanceduly took place (September 23), and, at Revised. the close of the Festival, Mendelssohn returned to Revisd. his Leipzig, to resume labours as conductor of the #:J .- _ Gewandhaus concerts. There he was quickly called .-- --,, o __ upon (by the King of Saxony) to give his new work its second German hearing. Regarding this occasion, Mendelssohn wrote to his mother, under date The alteration, as a matter of course, extendea to the orchestral echo. fromthe removal of the October 27, Apart 1840:-- in bars and doubled " All the music was given with such precision that string parts 13 14 (where they those of the the other in the it was a real pleasure to listen to it. The King had pre- wind), only change Maestoso occurs at the where the two viously sent for me between the parts, which obliged cadence, stand thus- me to pass through a double row of ladies (you know versions the arrangement of our concert room) in order to No. 2. Original. - reach the place where the King and his Court were seated. He conversed with me for some time in the . most good-natured and friendlymanner, and spoke ..- .. .. very judiciously about music. The ' Hymn of Praise' . _ was given in the second part, and at the conclusion, just as I had quitted my music-desk, I suddenly heard people around me saying,' The King is coming to -- him this time !' and he was, in fact, passing through and came the rows of ladies, up to my desk (you Revised-from bar three of above. the universal this may imagine delight caused) -~ and spoke to me in so animated a manner, and with A such cordiality and warmth,that I did indeed feel it to be a great pleasure and honour. He mentioned the particular passages that had pleased him most, and, after thanking all the singers, he took his departure, while the whole , and the whole audience, made the very best bows and curtseys they could accomplish." (b) Allegro. In the original this is directed to be writtenas that The homage of crowds and the praise of kings did played Allegro vivace,and so each bar not blind Mendelssohn to what he regarded as the * This is Lady Wallace's translation. Of course the three sym. faults of his work. Hence we find him writing phonic movements are meant.

This content downloaded from 202.28.191.34 on Sat, 06 Feb 2016 19:10:08 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 394 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-JULY I, 1888. contains but half of the matterfound in each bar of the present " diminished" form.The principal subject cor- in both but its orchestration is fuller S _ responds versions, --_--" -_ in the second than in the first,and also more mobile. 1-0 These changes are not importantenough for illustra- tion. Coming to the expansion of the theme, altera- e- - t tions at once appear. Compare the following-- - No. 3. Original. . The note changed in the melody is, of course, the third,which now drops to F from A flat. Further changes are met with in the continuation. The first version gives a repeat of the theme to the flutes, violas (divisi), and celli (divisi), the violins taking up the arpeggio; the second gives it to the flutes and violins, with a new ending and no arpeggio. We find differencesof detail also in the passage leading to the Revised. ______peroration of the technical firstpart. Passing on to the " working-out" section, attention is at once arrested by a valuable after-thought. The reader, on turningto his printedscore (Breitkopf and Hdirtel,p. 23), will findthat, after discussing the theme of the Introduction, the composer takes up the leading subject of the present movement, in E flat major- The subsequent agree as to passages immediately No. 6. the string parts, but, as to the wind, the revised VI. version presents an immense improvement upon its predecessor, which is remarkable for leanness and sluggishness. The changes, however, are not mere thickening and motion, since the additions carry on the thematic idea, much as shown in bar z of the last This is whollyan interpolation. The original "work- extract from the revised. On arriving at the lead ing-out" does not once referto the theme just shown, into the Tutti following the exposition of the first and it may be that Mendelssohn, engrossed by the subject, we find that Mendelssohn has abridged it stately subject of the Introduction, made somewhat- the omission without intending it. If so, we can No. 4. understand why, on revising the movement, he Original. effectedthe change just pointed out. When the dis- cussion of the trombone motive is resumed, we find another great improvement. The character of this improvement can be seen by comparing the two _ LP versions at the point where the subject of the Intro- __--_ -:,+ ,4 - duction is resumed- No. 7. Original. Revised. V1. 2. Ob. Cl.

: ...... V--f -f I --L---, -__=_

Moreover, the wood-wind, formerly accompanying this passage, in an elementaryfashion, with sustained chords, is now given the theme, which the instru- ments brisklypass fromone to another, horns helping Cl.Fag. to fill in the harmonies. The noble Tutti, with its contrapuntalworking of the subject, remains much as when first written. Not so the statement of the second subject, though the melody is altered only in a single note. The differencelies in orchestration and accompaniment. As every amateur knows, the theme in the revised is given to , , AV violas, and finally , lightly attended by flutes, horns, and violoncelli. In the original only the clari- nets, bassoons, and finallythe oboes have the melody, to which the violoncelli and violas supply, during part of its course, an arpeggioof crotchet triplets- IW No. 5. Clar. Revised.

Lves.Fag. I. I VI.Violas. -,=',-T -----,-.--=---_

This content downloaded from 202.28.191.34 on Sat, 06 Feb 2016 19:10:08 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions MUSICAL THE TIMES.--JULY I, I888. 395 ' --L

- Str. Wind. Str.Wind. Cl.n- t -- ! -, . . .p- . __i_ --- .-- - .. . , . . Str. Wind. Str. id.

C----__------.---- _ Cl. Fag. Str. Wind. Str, Wind. Str. Wind. Str. pizz. iv- 4

Continuing in this spirit, Mendelssohn severely re- vised the beautiful lead into the second subject of the A llcgroJ No. 8. :1 - Original. ri.

I --- . S---1 .. -g Tromboni. Wind. Str. Wind. Str. dim. The second subject is given in the original to flutes, violas, and violoncelli ; in the revised the flutes and violins have it. Passing on to the lead into the reca- pitulation,we finda very great change. If the reader will turn to pages 32-3 of the present score he will find that this lead is constructed upon the first subject of the Allegro,has a dominant pedal, and con- Win.Str.. Wid Str. tinues for thirteen bars. The lead in the original Wind. Wind. took the same theme, but in how differenta fashion - - _t_-- let the - - - - subjoined quotation show- No.9. ; Is- Str. Str. Wind. C1Str. Wind. ,tr. Wind.

I -- ,--.--I,----t dj , 1T -~- -- --

Ob._ - o, - . I I !. tr. Lind. Str. P i S W II- , I " --?-Str.=------?-- -.- ~II------___ ------

Str. Wind. - i pizz. Fl. & C1. -- - - .... A, -- --

Revised. I " I I V1. 8ves.

Strr__ i --

Wind. ' . dir. ! I

_____ 'Wood Wind. -

-~--..-

Celli. kVlas Wind. WWind. Str. Wind.Fll Str. Str.

This content downloaded from 202.28.191.34 on Sat, 06 Feb 2016 19:10:08 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 396 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-JULY I, 1888.

, Wood. cr-es.Celli. V-I _ - -L-I -- --

- - dim. -!-'..1 -

Truly, Mendelssohn was the champion reviser-a fact of which we shall be more and more convinced Str. as the comparison proceeds. JOSEPHBENNETT. (To be continued.) 2- THE MATERIAL OF MUSIC. (Continuedfrom page 335.) VII. THE origin and growth of all the formsin music involves in their examination a sort of resumi of a large section of the whole history of the tonal art. It is reasonable to assume that so soon as men become sensible of the emotions excited in their minds by the operation of the passions, that they In the recapitulation changes were made correspond- should strive to give utterance in language to the ing to those in ------the first statement, while the ---- impressions created. Thus poetryhad its beginning. of the movement was entirelyCod- re-written. The In casting their thoughts in the mould of speech original, in which there is no return to the Maestoso differentto that which was necessary forthe transac- con moto,stands as below- tion of the ordinary affairsof life, they were probably to to certain words which but No. Io. impelled give emphasis expressed their feelings. Out of this emphasis came - accent, out of accent came rhythm,and out of rhythm - _-- 6 song. The two great divisions of music are sound and measure, commonly called tune and time; or, as in the present instance it is convenient to call them, 1 and I, , , melody rhythm. Musicians define melody as a succession of sounds without harmonies, arranged according to certain accepted or implied rules, forthe purpose of producing effectsmore or less agreeable. A melody is said to - - be complete when it realises a satisfactory result T-1- upon the ear, or when it succeeds in illustrating a peculiar sentiment. It is oftenfounded upon relative harmonies, but it is completely distinguished from harmony,in being independentof other accompanying notes to make it perfect. A tune or air is called a I- --- melody, but in some instances melodies are only parts of tunes or airs, inasmuch as they are wanting in rhythmnecessary to the complete fulfilmentof the requirements of tune. Other successions of notes may be produced which, having no regard to pitch, I II I- --k I, cannot be classed in the category of melody. A true melody,then, requires not onlyan agreeable succession of notes, but an observance of the relations of pitch and rhythm. By pitch the ambitus, circuit or compass of the melody, is regulated with regard to the voice or instrumentwhich is called upon to performit. By means of rhythm melody is arranged in forms of ever-pleasing variety, and by the judicious employ- Cor. Str. ment of the rules of rhythmthe musician is enabled PH- so far to husband his ideas that they can be presented in many formsall more or less agreeable or suitable. The rules of rhythmin music were doubtless suggested

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