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Ethel Smyth Dem Bild Einer Musisch Begabten, Aber Bescheiden Zu- Rückstehenden Tochter Aus Gut Bürgerlichem Hause Ent- * 23

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Ethel Smyth Dem Bild Einer Musisch Begabten, Aber Bescheiden Zu- Rückstehenden Tochter Aus Gut Bürgerlichem Hause Ent- * 23 Smyth, Ethel Ethel Smyth dem Bild einer musisch begabten, aber bescheiden zu- rückstehenden Tochter aus gut bürgerlichem Hause ent- * 23. April 1858 in Kent, England sprach, prägte das Image von Ethel Smyth. † 9. Mai 1944 in Woking, England Obwohl man ihr häufig vorwarf, sie würde sich zwischen den vielen verschiedenen Tätigkeiten „verzetteln“, hat sie Komponistin, Literatin, Suffragette. ein erstaunlich breites kompositorisches Œuvre hinterlas- sen: von Kammermusik aus der frühen Studienzeit über „Man sagt, ich sei ein Egoist. Ich bin eine Kämpferin.“ die sechs Opern bis hin zu der sinfonischen Kantate „The (Ethel Smyth: Ein stürmischer Winter. Erinnerungen ei- Prison“. Es gehörte zu Ethel Smyths Selbstverständnis, ner streitbaren englischen Komponistin, hg. von Eva Rie- nicht „für die Schublade“ zu komponieren, und so setzte ger, Kassel/Basel 1988.) sie immer große Energie daran, ihre Werke auch zur Auf- führung zu bringen. Dabei halfen ihr gute Kontakte, so et- Profil wa zu der in England im Exil lebenden Kaiserin Eugénie, Couragierte Komponistin, gefördert unter anderem von aber auch Dirigenten wie Arthur Nikisch, Bruno Walter Elisabeth von Herzogenberg, Kaiserin Eugénie, Queen oder Sir Thomas Beecham, die sich aus künstlerischer Victoria, befreundet unter anderem mit Virginia Woolf, Überzeugung für Aufführungen von Smyths Werken ein- Emmeline Pankhurst, George Bernard Shaw, engagierte setzten. sich zwei Jahre lang aktiv in der englischen Frauenrechts- Seit ihrer Ausbildungszeit in Leipzig sah Ethel Smyth bewegung, hatte als Schriftstellerin Erfolge. Mit 55 Jah- Deutschland immer als ihre künstlerische Heimat an. ren machte sich erstmals ihre Ertaubung bemerkbar, die Die politischen Animositäten zwischen England und bis zur Gehörlosigkeit fortschritt, weswegen sie ab 1939 Deutschland (u.a. hervorgerufen durch den Burenkrieg, das Komponieren gänzlich aufgab. später durch den Ersten Weltkrieg) machten es aller- dings immer schwieriger, als Engländerin in Deutsch- Mehr zu Profil land aufgeführt zu werden. Bekannt wurde Ethel Smyth als Kämpferin, ja Rebellin Als sich (ab 1913) ihre Ertaubung immer stärker bemerk- unter den Komponistinnen. Und tatsächlich engagierte bar machte, begann sie, als Literatin zu arbeiten. Sie sch- sie sich für zwei Jahre (1911-1913) in der englischen Suf- rieb zahlreiche, zumeist autobiografische Bücher, in de- fragetten-Bewegung, jener politisch-gesellschaftlichen nen sie ihre Probleme als Frau innerhalb der bürgerli- Bewegung, die das Frauenwahlrecht in England gegen chen Gesellschaft und des bürgerlich geprägten Kunstle- enormen gesellschaftlichen und politischen Widerstand bens beschrieb. Ihre Bücher geben daher einen guten durchsetzte. Auch als Komponistin war sie durchaus tem- Einblick in das gesellschaftliche und künstlerische Leben peramentvoll: von Jugend an sehr selbstbewusst und im- der Zeit. Smyth verstand es dabei, Zeitkritik mit Humor, mer um die Aufführung ihrer Werke und um die Aner- Selbstironie mit Weitsicht zu verbinden. kennung als Komponistin kämpfend. Orte und Länder Schon früh hatte Ethel Smyth erkannt, dass zur Realisie- rung ihrer Vorstellungen großer Wille und viel Durchset- Ethel Smyth wurde in Deutschland (Leipzig) ausgebildet, zungsvermögen notwendig war. Da war zunächst der Va- wirkte später vornehmlich in England. Sie unternahm ter, der nur durch Ethel Smyths Rede- und Hungerstreik ausgedehnte Reisen, u.a. nach Italien, Frankreich, Nord- dazu zu bewegen war, die Tochter nach Leipzig zum Kom- afrika. positionsstudium gehen zu lassen. Da war Johannes Biografie Brahms, der lieber über Ethel Smyths Namen Witze machte („Schmeißfliege“), als sich die Kompositionen Ethel Smyth wuchs in einem bürgerlich viktorianischen der jungen Kollegin anzusehen – was Ethel Smyth aller- Elternhaus auf, ihre Entscheidung, nach Leipzig zu ge- dings nicht daran hinderte, eine glühende Verehrerin hen, um am dortigen Konservatorium Komposition zu von Brahms’ Musik zu sein. Und da waren nicht zuletzt studieren, konnte sie erst nach langen Kämpfen mit ih- zahlreiche Versuche, auch Fehlversuche, ihre Musik zur ren Eltern durchsetzen. 1877 kam sie nach Leipzig, wo Aufführung zu bringen. Diese Hürden nahm Ethel Smy- sie jedoch bald vom Unterrichtsniveau am Konservatori- th mit dem ihr eigenen Temperament und der ihr eige- um enttäuscht war. Sie ging bereits ein Jahr später als nen Durchsetzungsstärke. Dass sie damit nicht gerade Privatschülerin zu Heinrich von Herzogenberg, zu des- – 1 – Smyth, Ethel sen Frau Elisabeth bald eine enge Freundschaft ent- Nina, geb. Struth, eine künstlerisch ambitionierte Frau stand. Durch den Musiksalon von Elisabeth von Herzo- aristokratischer Herkunft. Die Mutter Ninas hatte unter genberg lernte Ethel Smyth wichtige Persönlichkeiten dem Namen Madame de Stracey einen musikalischen Sa- des europäischen Musiklebens kennen, darunter Johan- lon in Paris geführt, in dem Frédéric Chopin, Gioacchino nes Brahms, Clara Schumann und Edvard Grieg. Rossini, George Sand und andere verkehrten. Unter dem Einfluss ihres Lehrers komponierte Ethel Ihre Kindheit und Jugend verbringt Ethel Smyth in länd- Smyth bis 1887 ausschließlich Kammermusik und setzte licher Umgebung, in Sidcup und Frimley. Die Erziehung sich intensiv mit der Musik Johann Sebastian Bachs aus- folgt dem strengen bürgerlichen Ideal. Allerdings findet einander. Peter Tschaikowsky riet ihr, sich intensiver mit Ethel Smyth früh Gefallen an Sport, Reiten und Jagd – der Instrumentierung zu beschäftigen, was sie auch tat. für ein Mädchen ihres Standes durchaus unüblich. 1890 gab sie mit der „Serenade“ in D-dur ihr Orchester- Musikalisch angeregt wird sie durch eine Gouvernante, debüt in England. 1891 komponierte sie die „Messe“ in D- die in Leipzig Klavier studiert hatte, und durch private dur, die nach langen Bemühungen und der Intervention Musikstunden bei Alexander Ewing. Von gelegentlichen von Queen Victoria 1893 uraufgeführt wurde. Der Erfolg (auch heimlichen) Konzertbesuchen in London ist die Re- der „Messe“ bestärkte Ethel Smyth in ihrem Vorhaben, de, bei denen Ethel Smyth u. a. auch ein Konzert von Cla- größere Werke - auch musikdramatische - zu komponie- ra Schumann erlebt. ren: Sechs Opern sollten bis 1924 entstehen und zu ih- 1872-1875 verbringt Ethel Smyth in einem Mädchen-In- rem Hauptwerk avancieren. ternat, der Aufenthalt ist als „Strafmaßnahme“ gedacht, Für alle Opern erkämpfte Ethel Smyth eine Urauffüh- da die junge Ethel als schwer erziehbar gilt. Die Inter- rung, von denen drei - ihre enge Verbundenheit mit der natszeit wird für Ethel Smyth im Hinblick auf ihre ho- deutschen Musiktradition dokumentierend - in Deutsch- mosexuelle Neigung prägend. land stattfanden. Neben diesen zeitraubenden und anst- Nur durch Rede- und Hungerstreiks kann es Ethel Smy- rengenden Bemühungen um Aufführungen komponierte th bei ihrem Vater schließlich durchsetzen, dass sie 1877 Ethel Smyth mehrere Chorwerke und Lieder. nach Leipzig gehen kann, um dort Komposition zu studie- 1911-13 engagierte sie sich aktiv in der politischen Suffra- ren. Sie geht zunächst an das Leipziger Konservatorium, getten-Bewegung, ein Engagement, das sie 1912 für zwei ist aber bald von der schlechten Qualität der Lehre dort Monate ins Gefängnis brachte. enttäuscht und findet in Heinrich von Herzogenberg ei- 1913 brach sie zu einer Ägypten-Reise auf, während der nen engagierten Privatlehrer. Mit dessen Frau, der engen sie ihre vierte Oper komponiert. Auf dieser Reise machte Brahms-Vertrauten Elisabeth von Herzogenberg, verbin- sich erstmals ihr Ohrenleiden bemerkbar, das bis zur völ- det Ethel Smyth schnell eine enge Freundschaft. Sie lernt ligen Ertaubung (1939) fortschreiten sollte. 1915-18 arbei- im musikalischen Salon des Ehepaars Herzogenberg re- tete sie als Röntgenassistentin in einem französischen Mi- nommierte Künstler kennen, darunter Johannes litärhospital, 1919 erschien ihr erstes Buch: „Impressions Brahms, Clara Schumann, Edvard Grieg und Antonín That Remained“, sechs weitere Bücher folgten. Ihre sch- Dvořák. Während ihrer Studienzeit bei Herzogenberg riftstellerische Tätigkeit rückte immer stärker in den Vor- komponiert sie vor allem Klavier- und Kammermusik (St- dergrund, nicht zuletzt wegen des sich verschlechtern- reichquartette, Lieder). Ihr großes kompositorisches Vor- den Gehörs. An Kompositionen entstanden dennoch das bild ist Johannes Brahms. Konzert für Violine, Horn und Orchester (1927), „The Pri- Auf einer Italienreise lernt Ethel Smyth 1882 die Schwes- son“, eine Vokalsymphonie, sowie kleinere Werke. ter von Elisabeth von Herzogenberg, Julia, und deren 1910 erhielt sie die Ehrendoktorwürde der University of Mann Henry Brewster kennen. Henry Brewster verliebt Durham, 1926 diejenige der Oxford University. 1922 wur- sich in Ethel Smyth. Diese allerdings schätzt ihn als intel- de Ethel Smyth zur Dame Commander of the Order of lektuellen Gesprächspartner, erwidert seine Liebe jedoch the British Empire ernannt. nicht. Dennoch kündigt ihr Elisabeth von Herzogenberg aufgrund des Kontakts zu Henry Brewster die Freund- Mehr zu Biografie schaft. Ethel Smyth leidet sehr unter dem Verlust ihrer Als viertes von acht Kindern wird Ethel Smyth am 23. Ap- Freundin, die sie bis zu deren Tod 1892 nicht wiederse- ril 1858 in Kent geboren (andere Quellen sprechen von hen wird. London als Geburtsort). Ihr Vater, John-Henry Smyth, Ethel Smyth kehrt nach England zurück, erkennt aber ist Generalmajor der Königlichen Artillerie, die Mutter bald, dass sie sich weder im engen Familienkreis (mit – 2 – Smyth, Ethel der auf ihre künstlerischen Erfolge
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