'The Music Makers,' by Edward Elgar Author(s): Ernest Newman Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 53, No. 835 (Sep. 1, 1912), pp. 566-570 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/907621 Accessed: 01-01-2016 02:53 UTC

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 204.235.148.92 on Fri, 01 Jan 2016 02:53:36 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 566 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-SEPTEMBER I, 1912.

nor skill, should have so utterlysucceeded in 'THE MUSIC MAKERS,' BY EDWARD his Success him. As throwingaway gifts. spoiled ELGAR. M. Claude Debussy once humorouslyremarked, 'he fella victimto the butterfly-playof fascinating Elgar's new work, 'The Music Makers'-a lady admirers.' Hence the monotonyof worksin settingfor contralto solo, chorus and orchestra,of * the greaterpart of which he sedulduslyresorts to Arthur O'Shaughnessy's poem 'We are the his favouritenever-failing devices. Hence, also, Music Makers'-is interestingand welcome not the 'superficial versatility.' For if the actual only forthe fine musical expression that abounds progress of musical art duringthe past fortyyears in it, but for certain very effectiveinnovations in leftMassenet unmoved (and indeed he has taken the matterof structure. no part in the evolution of modern music), the The 'motif' of O'Shaughnessy'spoem is the idea success of certainworks appears to have influenced that the poets-the music makersand dreamers- him not inconsiderably,inducing him to attempt are really the creators and inspirersof men and a number of changes in manner if not in style. theirdeeds, and the true makersof historyand of Thus, at a time when Wagner's dramas were human societies. Their dreams and their visions becoming the order of the day in Paris, he are the foreshadowingsof what the restof mankind wrote 'Esclarmonde,' in which the example of are predestined to work out in endless conflict: 'Lohengrin' is easily traceable. The popularityof to-day is the realisation of a dream of the Italian 'veristic' opera helps to account for the generationspast; to-morrowwill bring into being appearance in i894 of 'La Navarraise,' and in the dream of to-day: 1897 of 'Sapho'; and Humperdinck's ' Hinsel We are the musicmakers, und Gretel' seems to have prompted him to write And we are the dreamersof dreams, lone 'Cendrillon' (I899). Wanderingby sea-breakers, The earnest the thirstfor that And sittingby desolate streams;- ideals, progress World-losersand world-forsakers, are inseparablefrom genius remained unknownto On whom the pale moon gleams: him. He directed his ambitions towards a less Yet we are the moversand shakers Of the world for it distantgoal. He wrote forhis time, and his time ever, seems. has repaid his labours well, as appears fromthe Cities and empires,and the death of empires,are historyof his life and deeds. Avoiding arduous theirwork: Nineveh was built with their sighing, roads, well satisfiedwith what was withinhis grasp, and Babel withtheir mirth: he remaineduntormented doubt or by by longing. For each age is a dreamthat is dying, As a man he was not onlykind, but courteousand Or one thatis comingto birth. eager to court favour,lavish in praise upon all or artistswho came into contact Soldier, king, and peasant are their instruments youngcomposers in withhim. 'workingtogether one': He held the of Professorof Till our dreamshall becometheir present, position Composition And theirwork in the worldbe done. at the Paris Conservatoireuntil I896, his principal pupils being AlfredBruneau, Gustave Charpentier,These have no knowledge of the work they are Gabriel Pierne,Xavier Leroux, Paul Vidal, Georges doing; it lies alone in some man's dream,whose Marty,Lucien Hillemacher,and Augustin Savard. words kindle flame in men's hearts. The poet He can hardly be said to have exercised a conceivesand shapes: the busy,striving multitudes wholesome influenceas a teacher, and generally merelybring to pass: speaking,such of his pupilsas have displayedmore But we, withour dreamingand singing, than ordinarymerits as composersdid not follow Ceaselessand sorrowlesswe ! his example. In the worksof M. AlfredBruneau, The gloryabout us clinging for no trace of Massenet's methods is to Of theglorious futures we see, instance, Our souls withhigh music ringing: be found,except for a few melodic mannerisms. O men! it mustever be Not even as much remains in those of M. Piernd That we dwell,in our dreamingand singing, or M. Savard. A littleapart from ye. For we are afarwith the dawning And the sunsthat are In addition to the works mentioned above, not yethigh, And out of the infinitemorning Massenet wrote the following: 'Berangbre et Intrepidyou hear us cry- Anatole' (1876), 'Herodiade' (1881; London Opera How, spiteof your human scorning, Once moreGod's futuredraws House, I9I1), 'Le Cid' (1885), 'Le Mage' (1891), nigh, And forththe warning 'Le Carillon' (1892), 'Griselidis' 'Cherubin' alreadygoes (I901), That ye of the past must die. (1905), 'Ariane' (19o6), ' Bacchus' (1909), 'Don Quichotte' (19I1o; London Opera House, 1912). The poet hails the 'comers from the dazzling unknown shore,' bidding them renew the old The funeral of M. Massenet took place at worldwith the dreams of what is to be: Egrevilleon August 17, and in accordance withthe * Arthur O'Shaughnessy (i4 March, 844--30 Jan., i881) spent the composer'swishes, was simple in character. Only outer portion of his short life, from the age of seventeen, in the service membersof the familywere invited. Wreathswere of the Libraryand the Natural History Department ofthe BritishMuseum. His inner life is expressed in four volumes of verse-the 'Epic of sent by the Prince of Monaco, M. Gunsbourg Woman' (r870), 'Lays of France' (1872), 'Music and Moonlight' (1874), of the Monte Carlo and and 'Songs of a Worker' (published posthumously in i88i). For a (director Opera), by critical appraisement of him the reader may be referredto the article M. Carrd (forthe in the new edition of the Britannica.' Op~ra-Comique). 'Encyclopaedia

This content downloaded from 204.235.148.92 on Fri, 01 Jan 2016 02:53:36 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.--SEPTEMBER I, 1912. 567

You shall teachus yoursong's new numbers, as symbolisingthe sadness and spiritualunrest that And that dreamed before: things we not the composer associates with the artist and his YTea, in spiteof a dreamerwho slumbers, And a singerwho singsno more. creativegift. It is followed a second theme: The as he tells us in an immediately by composer, introductory No. 2. note,has interpretedO'Shaughnessy's Ode broadly, tranquillo e cantabize. including among these creative dreamers and seers 'not only poets and singers,but all artists who feel the tremendous responsibilityof their missionto " renew the world."' Artisticcreation, PP dolce. as so many of the great artistshave told us, is a process of sorrowfulspiritual birth. Elgar speaks of the changingmoods of his musicto the poem-- cres. 'moods whichthe creative artistsuffers in creating withits or in contemplatingthe unending influence of which, pendant: his creation. Yes, suffers;this is the only word No.3. I dare to use, for even the highest ecstasy of " making,"is mixed with the consciousness of the sombre of the of the artist's dignity eternity BASS. G responsibility.' Hence the atmosphere of the F music is mainlysad, thoughthere are enthusiastic,is also associated with the poet's mission, but, as will with the more joyous, and even frenziedmoments. the melody indicate, consoling While the bulk of the music is new, the and hopeful aspect of this. Whereas No. I is composer has made apposite and eloquent use always used in the form of an orchestral of themesfrom other works of his, and of phrases commentary,Nos. 2 and 3 are sung by the solo of 'The Marseillaise' and 'Rule, Britannia.' The voice to various words,besides being heard in the theme of the ' Enigma' Variations is used more orchestraas accompanimentto certainchoruses. than once, the composer's reason being that 'it AfterNo. 3 has risento a climax and died away expressedwhen written(in 1898) my sense of the again, the 'Enigma' theme is heard singingin the lonelinessof the artistas describedin the firstsix 'celli and violas (affrettando): lines of the Ode, and, to me, it still embodies that No.4. sense. At the end of the full score of the Variations, I wrote: '"Bramo assai, poco spero, nulla This was true in chieggio (Tasso)." 1898, m afrettando. and mightbe writtenwith equal truthat the end of this work in 1912.' he ' The of' Finally says: mainspring O'Shaugh- Zo-r F- nessy's Ode is'the sense of progress,of never- ceasing change; it is the duty of the artistto see that this inevitable change is progress. With a deep sense of this trust,I have endeavoured to interpretthe Ode as shewing the continuityof ahfass. f art, "in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,And a singerwho singsno more."' T-75 The workcommences with an orchestralprelude. is into The firsttheme, which frequentlywrought its with snatches is and developmentbeing interspersed the later tissue, of a passionate troubled of No. i. The turmoilof the music is character: gradually tranquillised; and after a quiet ending to the No. i. the chorus strikesin with the first Afodrato e nobilmente. - -- prelude, softly d=138. Mlines of the poem :

f sonoramente ,Pcres. afiass. We are the mu - sic ma- kers, And

- - - " - -

we are the dreamers of dreams, Ioco rit. a tempo. R I pp~---- In some of its later statementsit undergoes a I-- p change of mood, but in the main it may be taken

This content downloaded from 204.235.148.92 on Fri, 01 Jan 2016 02:53:36 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 568 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-SEPTEMBER I, 1912.

At the word 'dreams' the orchestra breathes (The same phrase is twice again used as a sort gently the theme with which the 'Dream of of leitmotiveof mortality,-at the words 'And Gerontius' opens: o'erthrewthem with prophesying,'and ' Ye of the must No. sa. past die.') During this chorus the opening phrases of 'Rule, Britannia' and 'The Marseillaise' are given out with great effectby the orchestra,pointing certainmorals in the words. The succeedinglines : while the two succeeding lines of the chorus We,in theages lying (quoted above) are orchestrallyaccompanied at In theburied past of the earth, ' sea-breakers' by a quotation fromthe music of Built Ninevehwith our sighing, one of the 'Sea-Pictures,' and followed by a soft AndBabel itself in ourmirth, and expressiveecho of the 'Enigma' theme. The contemplative mood of the chorus is are set spiritedlyand characteristically,the words maintainedin the two next lines, but at the words 'And o'erthrew them' being accompanied, as 'Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the already remarked,by No. 7. It is impossible to world . . .' the expression hardens, and illustratethis part of the workby quotation,or the the music culminates in an fff outburstfor the free and flexiblechoral writingin the succeeding voices, accompanied by a themein the orchestra: stanza. The meditative mood of the commencement No. 6. Alla ,?andi. comes uppermostagain with a returnof No. i, and the chorus strikesin once more witha slightly modified version of what may be called its fv- - rg,i frr 'motto' theme (No. 5). - The settingof the lines immediately following, still lauding the creativepower of the poets and music- makers,is again too varied for eitherquotation or that is used later as a symbol of occasionally detailedanalysis. (The firstpart is largelyfounded power. on the themes as No. 2 and No. Once the mood becomes quoted more,however, tinged Mention must be made, however, of a striking3)- withsadness : the theme steals in 'Enigma' again choral and orchestral passage at the words towardsthe end of the stanza,and is followedonce seeming': it figuresthus more No. 'Unearthly, impossible by I. in the orchestralpart The lines that followdescribe the building of cities and the of great glorious empires by might No. 8. - 72. the poet's dreams. They are mostlyset to vigorous choral music (allegro,con fuoco), the rhythm,and pp- occasionallythe melodies,suggesting those of the A original 'Music Makers' theme (No. 5). Both No. I and No. 6 are worked into the orchestral ,I tissue at differenttimes. 1. .P- The words: Andthree with a newsong's measure Cantrample a kingdom down. This theme is put to expressiveuse in the final pages of the Ode. are accompanied by a mightypassage in contrary At the words: motion (fff), the upper melody being writtenin a whole-tonescale: They * had no visionamazing Ofthe goodly house they were raising, No. 7. stringendo molto. the solo contraltotakes up the thought,mostly to :V 2 one of --.S - ' - - the strain of Nos. and 3. Then comes the most movingmoments in the work. I if' _ The composerhas not hesitated,here and there. to reinforcethe general ideas of the poem by associatingthem with particular instances. Here, at the words: But on one man'ssoul it hathbroken, .. . # ,, iw -[ i ' I ' A lightthat doth not depart; And his look,or a wordhe hathspoken, iS Wrought flamein anotherman's heart, _.tt_.l - . - , . .i v- i J i ' ,- . , _ * i.e., Soldiers, kings, peasants, and other of the world's workers.

This content downloaded from 204.235.148.92 on Fri, 01 Jan 2016 02:53:36 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-SEPTEMBER I, 91r2. 569

No. . No. he makes a pointed and eloquent referenceto his ii _12 old friend A. J. Jaeger: the noble 'Nimrod' - Variationis given to soloist,chorus and orchestra, the melody mergingimperceptibly into a theme fromthe Finale of the second Symphonythat has dolce.- always been a joy to manyof us:

And his look, or . a word ..... No. 9.--- - , ---- -U the tissue is a allara themedoElgarian that is

t --i - --

he .. hath spo - ken, No. 12 dolce."-_ " - l~i i-'--' ,_ - ---=F G F B A The lines: For we are afar withthe dawning, No9- 4 And the suns that are not yet high, And out of the infinitemorning In the succeedi workigstanzas the poet again Intrepidyou hear us cry- describes the realisation of the music makers' begin on the patternof the original'artists'' theme dreams in human8,r ife, and the setting is (No. 5), but culminate in an exultantcry to the appropriately strong and animated. Prominent in appropriatelystrong and animated. Prominentin strainof the main themeof the firstSymphony: * the tissue is a typical Elgarian theme that is No. 13. nzoltoallargando. a temfo. afterwardsemployed several times to symbolise And out of the in - - - fi-nite morn - the fulfillingof the dream: A no. Io.s CVI

=76.,--- a- oAsor- n - i -atna

ing, In -trepid .youhearus cry,

The troubled theme of the commencement (No. i), when it recursat thispoint, also takes on a sort of fiery exultation. The main 'artists" original'music makers-'theme (NO- 5) theme (No. 5) is naturally the foundation of massmre-entryof of-is given furtherpoint by two quiet the lines : And alreadygoes forththe warning That ye ofthe pastmust die, thoughthere is a pause and a sudden hush at the last two words,followed by the ghostlydownward- trailingline of the theme quoted as No. 7,--now, of course,pianissimo. Then the contraltotakes up the strain again. Apart from a burst of enthusiasm at the must by his nature be 'a little apart ' from the * These quotations fromearlier works necessarily occupy a prominent space in this analysis, but the reader must be warned against thinking that they form anything more than episodes in the work as a whole. quotationsfrom the Violin concerto:wingchorus The great bulk of the music is quite new.

This content downloaded from 204.235.148.92 on Fri, 01 Jan 2016 02:53:36 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 570 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-SEPTEMBER I, II92. commencement,her music is couched in a mood THE FUTURE OF CHAMBER-MUSIC. mostlyquiet and thoughtful. The words: By RUTLAND BOUGHTON. Bringus hitheryour sun and yoursummers, I. And renewour worldas of yore; Of late yearsit has been a subject for frequent You shall teachus yoursong's new numbers, commentthat chamber-music has ceased to And thatwe dreamednot before : develop. things &c., From Haydn to Tchaikovskyit grew side by side have as their thematic basis the themes quoted withthe symphony;all the greatsymphonists were as Nos. 2 and 3. The chorus strikes in with also writersof stringquartets and pianofortetrios; the words: their powerfulemotions were expressed in full in O men! it mustever be orchestralcolour, their more intimate emotions the delicate tintsof the and its That we dwell,in our and stringquartet congeners. dreaming singing, But then comes a in chamber-music. A littleapart from ye, distinctpause The symphonictree sends out all sorts of fresh and soloistand chorus jointlydevelop these ideas branches in the form of symphonic-poemand at some length. Then we reach the finallines of choral symphony;and the same broadly-sweeping the poem. The tempo changes to moltolento, and instrumentalspirit spreads itselfinto the domain the soloist sings the words: of opera, for in the works of Wagner more we are facedwith a musical Yea, in spiteof a dreamerwho slumbers, especially development Anda singerwho sings no more, which is as symphonicas it is dramatic. When declared that the of words to the shown as No. while the Wagner incorporation grave melody 8, with the symphonic-formhad sounded the death- orchestraanswers with the 'Novissima hora' theme knell of the as it was then known, he from 'Gerontius.' The takes symphony followingquotation was much derided; and to this day wiseacres are the at the whereit ceases No. up melody point in 8, not wantingto point out that Brahms and others and showsthe exquisiteaptness of the 'Gerontius' have since writtenvaluable music in that same citation: form. But greatminds intenton an obvious main No. 14. principleare no sticklersfor details of exception, J= 66, 76. and Wagner's dogma is sufficientlysubstantiated - by the facts as they stand. From Haydn to Beethoven the symphonydeveloped as a form. No symphonywritten since Beethoven offersany further constructive in the same And a sing er who sings no development - more,-- direction. Brahms, the most perfect of the post-Beethovensymphonists, gets no furtherthan the systematised four movements, with their orthodoxdetails of firstand second subjects, free fantasia,and the rest; and in the othersthe disin- - tegrationof the symphonic-form,already present -J in the later works of Beethoven, proceeds with considerablerapidity. Liszt, Berlioz,Tchaikovsky, and Richard Strauss deal with the form in such a way that the title ceases to have any --- least heterodoxof the - .. meaning. Tchaikovsky, four, writesworks which might as fitlybe called French overtures or suites (in the Bach sense) as The chorusmournfully echoes thewords 'no more,' symphonies(in the Beethoven sense). It is not and the orchestra steals in with the gray-tingednecessary to labour the point; nor, indeed, need theme quoted as No. i. The 'Gerontius' theme it have been referredto at all, if some quite is again dwelt upon impressivelyfor a moment; unnecessarydust had not been raised in anti- then the chorus brings the work to a solemn Wagnerianquarters with a view to discreditingthe and barely perceptible end with the softest of dramaticvalues, as opposed to the purelysensuous reminiscencesof the opening words-' We are the values, of music. This fact stands out clearly: music makers,' &c., sung to its original setting that in making music the more ready vehicle for (No. 5). expression of human feeling, Beethoven was ERNEST NEWMAN. obliged to violate the formulas of sonata or The Music Makers' will be for the symphony-form;and as he dealt more completely [' performed withemotional so did he find himself firsttime, on Tuesday evening,October I, at the expression, gettingnearer and nearerto the realm of definite BirminghamMusical Festival. Sir Edward Elgar will conduct, and Miss Muriel Foster will external thought, until he made that colossal sing of the withthe the alto solo part. experiment uniting symphonic-form definite intellectual concepts of poetic art. Personally,I thinkWagner was rightin regarding Mr. C. H. Moody,organist of Ripon Cathedral,has been the ninth as the end of 'pure music.' appointedconductor of the HuddersfieldGlee and Madrigal symphony Society,one of the oldest organizationsof its kindin the T'hat Beethoven proceeded thereafterto write country. anotherordinary symphony proves nothing. From

This content downloaded from 204.235.148.92 on Fri, 01 Jan 2016 02:53:36 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions