Herbert Compositions Pre Pittsburgh
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
News From VHSource, LLC Vol 4 April 2014 Herbert Compositions Pre Pittsburgh compositions which stand out, although to be totally Busy Musician Composer fair, these compositions are but the tip of the ice berg. Once a conductor heard Herbert’s composing skills, he et’s take some time to look at Victor Herbert’s was often asked, and/or simply felt the need to arrange compositional output for orchestra and band from a famous work by another composer for a particular Lthe time he arrived in Stuttgart, Germany as an orchestra or his own. orchestra member/student in 1881 until he was hired as conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony in the fall of Edward Waters, Herbert biographer, lists 49 different 1898. Keep in mind that prior to 1894 when our composers receiving the Herbert treatment, while the composer first penned an operetta for the Bostonians – Library of Congress also has 47 composers listed with Prince Ananais (pronounced An-na-nigh-us - emphasis a large number of anonymous Irish songs. Let’s look on the “nigh”), Herbert was a freelance musician: ready at one that has been requested of Shop VHSource on to play with any orchestra conductor who asked, ready several occasions. It’s a Herbert take on Franz Lizst’s to solo at any time: ready join a small ensemble (i.e., Liebestraum No. 3 (part of three Songs under the title string quartet), ready to serve as a music director (i.e., “Dreams of Love” Emma Juch’s Salon Concerts), and/or takeup the baton originally written as an assistant conductor. On top of all those possible by Liszt in 1850). actiities, he was always in the process of composing There was no date and/or arranging something for small to large ensembles. on the original Note the one thing not really on the list – theatrical handwritten composer. From 1886 until 1893, telling a story through Herbert score. It is his music was not really on the agenda. No, that agenda possible the work was filled to the brim with simply settling into a new wa done sometime country and city with his wife and finding their way between the around the New York City musical community. summer of 1882 and the Fall of Any one of these directions – soloist, composer, 1886. It might even ensemblist, conductor, music director – could have have been an forged a major career for the 27 year old Herbert. The exercise. Shop fascinating thing is that Herbert ended up taking all VHSource found those directions plus several other avenues that hadn’t the score for this work in the Library even been thought of during this period – never failing Liszt is his later years at anything he attempted. That fact alone makes Victor of Congress and Herbert a huge game changer. vendor Quade Winter restored the work resulting in a fine score and orchestra parts. No matter what its During this beginning of Herbert’s creativity, which exact purpose, this wonderful work was probably also began almost fully formed, there are several 2 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 4 April 2014 a tribute in honor of Herbert’s wonderful memory of a much musical art owes to him, not only for his own first hand exposure to Liszt in 1882. direct work, but for that done indirectly in championing worthy composers, notably the great Wagner. Herbert found Pittsburgh Post, July 28, 1902 h i m s e l f a participant in an Just to have been alive and invited to participate in th elaborate music such a gathering of 19 century giants has to have festival in been a stunning experience. Zürich during the first two One may well ask where and when Herbert, the weeks of July, student, learned how to score for orchestra and his 1882. Liszt was beloved cello. He was known to have actually taken the honoree and composition classes for only three years while in was actually in Stuttgart. However, while serving as conductor of the attendance at Pittsburgh Orchestra, the local newspapers loved to the age of 70, get their new conductor talking and thereby giving us offering his this insight into Herbert’s education: oratorio Die A very young Camille Saint-Saëns Legende von ... I cultivated early the art of scoring for the orchestra, and during the intervals that my cello der heiligen was silent in the orchestra, I listened acutely for the Elisabeth. The event had a profound effect on Herbert effect of the various instrumental combinations. as you can imagine. He often recalled it as the “greatest When results were unsatisfactory I learned at once experience of my life.” On the final day, Liszt and the reason. In this way I developed my instinct for Saint-Saëns played a four-handed arrangement of Liszt’s orchestral coloring, and gained practical Mephisto Waltz. For years, Herbert would tell the knowledge of the possibilities of the various following story: instruments. [Interview in the Pittsburgh Post, Jan. 13,1901] You should have heard that playing. We were afraid every moment the piano would go to smash under My teacher gave me a few simple melodies, with Liszt’s gigantic hands that came down like very the request that I harmonize them, and this before sledge hammers. He played primo and St. Saëns I had gone very far in my theoretical studies. First secundo, and though St. Saëns had the more powerful I wrote them for a male quartet, then for mixed end of the piano Liszt soon overpowered his bass voices, next for strings, and finally for a cello solo notes completely. with string accompaniment. Of course, my first work was crude. On paper the harmony seemed all The occasion was the “Allgemeines Deutsches right, but in playing it the sound was awful. And Musikfest.” Liszt was the star guest, a large number why? Well, my instructor [Seifritz] pointed out of his compositions were played, and the great pianist why. The parts were too far apart, the progression was fairly worshiped by all present. I was playing were wrong, the skips were large or the parts cello in the Royal Orchestra of Stuttgart, which had crossed. The evils were point out, and corrected, been engaged upon recommendation of Brahms, and and so before I had even partly mastered harmony never will I forget the impression Liszt made upon or counterpoint, I could treat a theme quite my youthful mind. satisfactorily. Next I was allowed to invent my own melodies, and early exercise the power of fantasy. I see his kindly, beaming face yet, his long white [Interview in the Pittsburgh Post, Nov. 19, 1899] locks, as sitting in a box listening to the orchestra and choruses, he would fall into a short doze, then It would seem that Herbert literally sprang almost suddenly wake up again. fully formed as a composer once he decided to “give it a try.” We’ve already discussed his first really major Liszt was a grand old man, the idol of all who knew him, work – Suite for cello and orchestra, Op 3 generous to the extent of prodigality, and a musician in premiered on October 23, 1883 with the composer as every fibre of his body. Few people wholly realize how 3 News From VHSource, LLC Vol 4 April 2014 soloist in Stuttgart. We can now safely assume it was During the first three years Herbert was in New York, with the same Royal Stuttgart Orchestra he mentions it was a whirl wind of his wife Theresa Forester above. This is the work in which Movement 3 Herbert (1861-1927) settling in as a major soprano “Serenade” was so appealing, that it became a stand diva for the Metropolitan Opera Company as well as alone work, known eventually as the famous Herbert’s Victor acquainting himself with his fellow members of Serenade (not to be confused with the operetta of the the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. One of the first same name). Fortunately, you may rent Movement 3, major new compositions he created in America was known simply as Serenade or Ständchen, Op 14, No. Serenade fur Streichorchestrer, Op 12 around 1889. 3 from Lucks Music Library in an orchestral version Theodore Thomas may have suggested compositions only. Lucks is a fine on-line music library located in for string orchestra as opposed to the full orchestra. Madison Heights, Michigan and is a great source of Thomas often composed for just strings, sometimes Herbert orchestral music, primarily for rent. If you are even leaving off the String Bass entirely. Trusting far a cellist interested in performing the entire work, Shop more in German publishing houses with offices in VHSource can help you out with the piano score and New York than in American ones, this work was solo cello part for the Suite. If you wish to involve an published in Berlin by Luckhardt. Herbert would orchestra, contact Alan Rafferty of the Cincinnati continue using German Publishers with offices in New Symphony who just performed the entire work with the York until he was won over in 1898 by Isidore Seven Hills Sinfonietta, William White, conductor. Witmark and his relatively new publishing company, M. Witmark & Sons, Inc. (incorporated in 1886). Herbert’s first full Concerto for cello and orchestra, Herbert and Witmark would remain lifelong friends Op. 8 was also written before arriving in America – and M. Witmark & Sons, Inc. would be his primary roughly 1884 or 1885. He premiered the work himself in publisher into the late 1910s. Stuttgart on December 8, 1885, again most likely with the Royal Stuttgart Orchestra.