Mr. Pepys the Musician (Concluded) Author(s): Francis Hueffer Source: The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, Vol. 22, No. 461 (Jul. 1, 1881), pp. 351-353 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3358846 Accessed: 23-11-2015 08:08 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 and Singing Class Circular. http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 130.237.165.40 on Mon, 23 Nov 2015 08:08:16 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.--JULY I, 1881. 351 using. "Willingly,"replied Mendelssohn, "on con- the composerwhen accompaniedneither above nor ditionthat you send me yours." The exchangewas below by a salient idea. Still,whatever the fact on duly made, and with Berlioz' wooden sceptrewent this point,honour is due to the Royal thoughtwhich, the followingletter :- in giving(Wagner) completeand active protection, " To theChief Mendelssohn.-Great Chief, we have has, so to speak, saved a young artist giftedwith promised to exchange our tomahawks. Behold precious faculties." Aftergiving two concerts in mine! It is rough: thineis plain; onlysquaws and Dresden,Berlioz returnedto Leipzig forthe second pale-faces love decorated arms. Be my brother,of his concerts there, subsequentlyproceeding to and when the Great Spirit shall send us to huntin Brunswick,at the suggestionof Meyerbeer,and the land of souls, may our warriorshang our united meetingwith a success not far short of triumphant. tomahawkson the gate ofcounsel." Hamburg having been nextvisited, with the strange With referenceto the style of this epistle,there and unexpectedresult of discoveringboth an ophi- is reason to believe that Berlioz had been reading cleide and a harpist,the masterdescended upon the FenimoreCooper's " Last ofthe Mohicans." Prussiancapital. Here he assistedat a performance Mendelssohnbehaved, we are told,"like a brother" of Bach's great" Passion," and was muchstruck by in the affairof his friend'sconcert, and would seem the "attention,respect, and piety" with which a to have had his patience tried, since Berlioz was Germanaudience listens to such a work:- exigent about the orchestra, and offendedsome " Every one followedthe wordsin the book; there people by what was called his " insolent preten-was not a movementin the auditory,not a murmur sions." He wanted twenty-fourviolins, not sixteen of approvalor censure,not a sign of applause; one only, and three instruments-towit, a cor anglais, was at a sermon; hearingthe Gospel chanted; as- ophicleide,and harp-which practicallywere not to sistingin silence, not at a concert,but at a Divine be foundin Leipzig! What next,and next? But it service. It is just in thisway that such musicought was certainlycurious that in musical Leipzig, under to be heard. Here Bach is adored and believed in the reignof Mendelssohn,the only cor anglais was withoutsupposing for an instantthat his divinity so bad that Berlioz preferredgiving the part to a can be called in question. A hereticwould excite clarinet;the so-calledophicleide was a smallleathern horror; it is even forbiddento speak ofsuch a thing. affair,not at all like the properthing, while Men- Bach is Bach, as God is God." delssohn,when he wantedharps, had to obtainthem Two successfulconcerts were given by the master fromBerlin. Berlioz could not do withouta harp, in Berlin,after which he visitedHanover, and Darm- and his friendLepinski sent a M. Richter from stadt, and then returned to Paris, with feelings Dresden. So far good; but when an instrumenttowards Germanywhich could not be better ex- had been hunted up in the city and restrung,it pressedthan in a letterto Mr. G. A. Osborne:- was foundthat Richter,though a capital musician, " Here I am at length,my dear Osborne,at the could only play the arpeggios usually required end of this pilgrimage-the most difficult,perhaps, in theatrical orchestras. The upshot was that that a musician has ever undertaken,and the re- the borrowedinstrument went back with thanks, membranceof which, I feel, ought to predominate and at the performanceits musicwas playedon the duringthe restof mylife. I have consulted,like the piano by Mendelssohnhimself. In connectionwith religiousmen of ancient Greece,the Delphic oracle. the state ofthings thus revealed, it should,of course, Have I well understoodthe meaningof its response? be bornein mindthat harpswere not then so freelyAm I to believethat ofit whichappeared favourable used in orchestralmusic as now. The concertwent to my desires? Are there not deceptive oracles ? offvery well, and the " SymphonieFantastique," as The future,the futurealone, will decidethis. Be the usual, set the criticsby the ears; while,at the suc- result what it may, I must returnto France and ceedingperformance for the poor,the Offertoirefrom address finallymy farewellsto Germany,that noble Berlioz' " Requiem" stirredeven Robert Schumann second motherof all sons of harmony. But where out of his " habitualmutism," and promptedhim to shall I findwords equal to mygratitude, my admira- say, "That surpasses all." His Leipzig workdone, tion,and myregrets ? What hymncan I sing which the master fell ill; recovered,and paid his doctor's shall be worthyof her grandeurand of her glory? account, at the worthyman's request,with an auto- I only knowthat, in leaving, I incline myselfwith graph copy of the Offertoiretheme. Berlioz was respect,and say to her in heartfelttones, 'Vale, flatteredby thisincident, but angrywith himselffor Germania,alma parens!' " missing a prettyreturn. He wroteon the manu- (To becontinued.) script,"A M. le Docteur Clarus." " Carus, not Clarus," said the learned practitioner; on which Berlioz should immediatelyhave written,but did MR. PEPYS THE MUSICIAN. " Patientibus sed Clarusinter doctos." not, Carus BY FRANCIS HUEFFER. From Leipzig the masterwent to Dresden,where he met Richard Wagner, then Sub-Chapelmaster (Concludedfrom Page 293.) under Reissiger. His observationsupon the com- VII. poser of " Rienzi" and the " Flying Dutchman"- IT remainsto say a fewfinal words of a composer both then achieved-show customarydiscernment who, although little known in the annals of music,is and generosity. Berlioz heard only the second ofmore than ordinaryinterest to the Diarist,and, it part of " Rienzi," which it was then usual to play may be hoped,to the readersof these extracts. It is in two parts, and he hesitated to give an opinion perhapsscarcely necessary to add that the excellent about it. But of the "Flying Dutchman" he said: Mr. Pepys is the composer in question. Mr. Pepys "The workappears to me remarkablefor its sombre was not a conceitedperson in the vulgarsense, and, colour,and certainstormy effects perfectly indicated consideringhow much he did forthe furtheranceof by the subject; but I am boundto recognisealso an art and science-not to speak of his officialwork- abuse of the tremolo,the more to be regrettedas I he said remarkablylittle of his ownvirtues. At the had already noticed it in 'Rienzi,' and saw that it same time he was not withouta last debility,and indicatedin the authora certainindolence of spirit, his pride in his musical achievementsmay perhaps against which he cannot too carefullyguard. The be consideredas such. Ofhis grandideas forthe im- sustainedtremolo is of all orchestraleffects that which provementof musical notationand theorygenerally soonesttires; besides,it demandsno inventionfrom we have already heard something. We have also

This content downloaded from 130.237.165.40 on Mon, 23 Nov 2015 08:08:16 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 352 THE MUSICAL TIMES.--JULY I, 1881. seen him at work busily "1pricking" music of his corrected and developed version of it, is not suffi- own composition. The question now arises, of what ciently clear. kind were these compositions? and to that question Another song, and one of more importance, is that this final article will be devoted. commencing " It is decreed." In composing it, Mr. Neither the number nor the scope of Mr. Pepys's Pepys again went to work with the utmost delibera- compositions is very imposing. They are, indeed, as tion. The firstreference to it is a statement entered far as one can ascertain, essentially limited to three on April 5, 1666, to the effect: " I to the office all songs, all with very quaint words. The first,and the the afternoon till late, and so home and late putting quaintest as far as its poetry is concerned, is that notes to 'It is decreed, nor shall thy fate,' etc., beginning "Gaze not on swans." As to the chro- and then to bed." But, even before putting pen to nology of its origin we are well informed. It was on paper, Mr. Pepys had been for some days pon- February 11, 1662, that Mr. Pepys went "Home to dering over the tune, or, as he himself puts it musique, my mind being full of our alteracons in the (April 18, 1666) : " In all my ridingsin the coach and garden. At night begun to compose songs, and begin intervals my mind has been full these three weeks of with ' Gaze not on Swans.' " But the course of com- setting in musique 'It is decreed.' " But in spite position with Mr. Pepys did not run as smooth as of these strenuous effortsthe work proceeded slowly; might have been desired, and friendlyaid had accord- more important business, perhaps, intervened, and inglyto be called in. At this time Pepys was the pupil we find that as late as August 22 the song still of Mr. Berkenshaw, and according to his own showing remains unfinished. At last, however, the great an anything but pliable disciple. Mr. Berkenshaw task is accomplished, the egg is perfect, and Mr. had his own ideas of the theory of music, and, Mr. Pepys immediately raises a triumphant cackle: Pepys being in the same predicament, an occasional "Anon to church," he writes, November 12, 1666, clash of opinions was inevitable. Here is an amusing "and after church I to my chamber, and there did scene of contest between master and pupil:- finishthe putting time to my song of ' It is decreed,' " Feb. 27th, 1662. This morning came Mr. Ber- and do please myself at last, and think it will be kenshaw to me, and in our discourse I, finding that thought a good song." he cries up his rules for most perfect (though I do No sooner has this happy consummationbeen arrived grant them to be very good, and the best I believe at than Mr. Pepys, like other composers, is anxious to that ever yet were made), and that I could not persuade hear his new work, and he accordingly hurries to the him to grant wherein they were somewhat lame, we house of Mrs. Knipp, the pretty actress, gets rid of fell to angry words, so that in a pet he flung out of her objectionable husband in as polite a manner as he mychamber, and I never stopped him, having intended can, and takes her home " to some good victuals that to put him offfor to-day, whether this had happened we could not put off,that was intended for the great or no, because I think I have all the rules that he dinner of my Lord Hinchingbroke's if he had come. hath to give." After dinner I to teach her my new recitative of ' It Little squabbles of this kind could, however, not is decreed,' of which she learnt a good part, and I permanently shake Mr. Pepys's esteem for Mr. do well like it, and believe shall be well pleased when Berkenshaw or his theory; and as late as 1665 we she has it all, and that it will be found an agreeable find the Diarist trying to compose ("While I staid thing." for the barber ") " a duo of counterpoint,and I think Mrs. Knipp's professional engagements having pro- it will do very well, it being by Mr. Berkenshaw's bably prevented her doing such justice to " It is de- rule." creed," as the composer thought was due to its merits, How seriously Mr. Pepys took the task of learning Mr. Pepys looked fora humbler exponent of his inspi- music generally, and composing the aforesaid song ration, and we find him accordingly "teaching my in particular, is apparent fromthe followingamusing girle Barker part of my song, ' It is decreed,' which extract,dated three days before the formidable battle she will sing prettily." It seems, indeed, to have already referredto:- been amongst the duties of Mrs. Pepys's maid to " Long with Mr. Berkenshaw in the morning at learn the famous song, for as late as January, 1668, my musique practice, finishingmy song of ' Gaze not we find Mercer engaged in studying the same ditty, on Swans,' in two parts, which pleases me well, and "and she will do it well." But, in spite of this I did give him 51. for this month or five weeks that hopeful prognostication, Mr. Pepys seems to have at he hath taught me, which is a great deal of money, last despaired of findinga worthyinterpreter amongst and troubled me to part with it. Thence to the the sex, and he accordingly, a few months later, Paynter's and set again for my picture in little, and retires " to my chamber to prick out my song, ' It is thence over the water to Southwarke to Mr. Berken- decreed,' intendingto have it ready to give Mr. Harris shaw's house, and there sat with him all the after- on Thursday when we meet, forhim to sing, believing noon, he showing me his great card of the body of that he will do it more right than a woman that sings musique, which he cries up for a rare thing, and I better, unless it were Knipp, which I cannot have do believe it cost him much pains, but it is not so opportunityto teach it to." And this is the last we useful as he would have it. Then we sat down and hear of " It is decreed." set ' Nulla, nulla sit formido,' and he has set it very But even the glories of this wonderfulproduction finely." must fade before the splendour of another song, Mr. From a subsequent statement in the Diary it Pepys's opus magnum," Beauty, retire." To this he re- would appear as if Mr. Berkenshaw's assistance in curs again and again with paternal fondness; and in the composition of the song had been very consider- his portrait, by Hales, where he is represented in a able; for on March 14 in the same year we find gown ("which I hired to be drawn in"), he holds Mr. Pepys "trying over the two songs of 'Nulla, in his hand a roll of music, which by the initiated nulla,' etc., and 'Gaze not on Swans,' which Mr. will be recognised as " Beauty, retire." A photograph Berkenshaw set for me a little while ago. I find of it appears in the third volume of Mr. Mynor them most incomparable songs as he has set them, Bright's edition. According to the editor's statement of which I am not a little proud, because I am sure it was bought by Mr. Peter Cunningham at the sale none in the world has them but myself,not so much of the Pepys-Cockerell collection in 1848, and it was as he himself that set them." purchased by the trustees of the National Portrait Whether this setting of the words by Berkenshaw Gallery in 1866. The words are taken from the was altogether independent of Mr. Pepys's, or only a fourthact of Sir W. Davenant's " Siege of Rhodes,"

This content downloaded from 130.237.165.40 on Mon, 23 Nov 2015 08:08:16 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.--JLY I, 1881. 353 and are to this effect: Solyman being the speaker, aberrations which stamp Verdi's Requiem as a work and Roxalana the beauty addressed :- intended not for the church but for the theatre. Beauty, retire; thou dost my pity move ; Bottesini's third and most recent work is "La Believe my pity, and then trust my love. del This work constituted one of Att firstI thought her by our prophet sent Regina Nepal." As a reward for valour's toiles, the novelties of the last winter season in Turin, and More worth than all my Fa-ther's spoiles; had been expected with considerable interest by the But now she is become my punishment. friends and who are But thou art just, 0 Pow'r di-vine; composer's supporters, perhaps With niew and painfull arts nowhere more numerous than in that city. The Of studied warr, I break the hearts was on the with excellent and Of half the world, and she breakes mine, opera put stage effect, And shee, and shee, and shee breakes mine. had been carefully rehearsed by Signor Pedrotti, the able and conductor of the Teatro Of Mr. Pepys's setting it would be unnecessary to energetic Regio; it cannot be that it met with speak, as it will shortlybe published in THE MUSICAL and yet said anything like an enthusiastic It is true that Italian TIMES froma copy of the original manuscript in the reception. audiences are and that an Pepysian library. Only a few remarks as to the extremely capricious, which a total failure in Turin genesis of the song may follow here. Like all Mr. opera may prove may works, " retire" was the result of achieve a brilliant success in Milan, or vice versad; as Pepys's Beauty, " mature consideration. He carried it in his mind, was exemplifiedin the case of Boito's Mefistofele," almost is carefully wrote and rewrote it, and discussed its which, though universally accepted, only in Milan. as merits with congenial friends; thus Mr. Hill, whose just beginning to make its way But name the reader will remember, " likes the whole regards the opera under notice, it is not so much the music as the libretto that caused very well, but excepts again two notes in the base." disappointment. The latter is and no Mr. Pepys's female admirers, Mrs. Colman and Mrs. by Signor Tommassi, although libretto has ever been more Knipp, were immediately set to practise it. Mrs. probably got up elegantly and more even the musical Knipp more especially " sings and makes it go most lavishly-for leading are no means atones the rarely, and a very fine song it seems to be." The lady subjects given-it by for indeed seems to have proved a true friend on this inherentweakness of the drama or for the absence of merit. The dramatic is occasion; she "spread abroad" the song wherever poetical action, which spread a she went, and soon was able to tell the delighted over prologue and three, happily short, acts, may be told in a few words. author that "it is mightily cried up, which I not the of has been defeated in a little proud of." Equally complacent references to Giamnshid, King Nepal, the of Persian and the song might be multiplied, but perhaps by this battle by Elbis, general the army, dies in the arms of his Mirtza his time the reader has grown weary of Mr. Pepys's daughter and faithful who to his harmless prattle, and the best he can do is, like minister Sinmar, swear avenge defeat and Both are led in to Beauty, to retire. death. captivity Teheran, where they are kindly treated by Nekir, the Queen of Persia, who at the same time rewards Elbis, for services him her "LA REGINA DEL NEPAL": OPERA BY her general, his by making husband and Faithful to her Mirtza G. BOTTESINI. king. pledge, resolves to stab the vanquisher of her father, but SIGNOR BOTTESINI has long been prominently when face to face with him her dagger drops; and in before the public in Italy as a double-bass virtuoso a subsequent moonlight scene in the palace garden without equal, and to his fame in so unique a at Teheran she confesses her love to him, whilst he, capacity he has of late years added considerable with oriental weakness and treachery, promises to success in composition. In this field his reputation restore her to her father's throne, and to that end is founded more especially on his opera " Hero and heads a conspiracy of the Indians in captivity at Leander," which was brought out in Turin, and sub- Teheran. Simar, however, finding himself deceived sequently performed with success in Milan, Rome, by Miirtza, to whose hand he aspired, promptly and Naples. The work, moreover, derived special reveals the plot to the Queen, who surprises the interest fromthe fact that the libretto was furnished conspirators when on the point of executing their by Arrigo Boito, who originally proposed to set it to scheme. After the usual exclamations of horror music himself, but, unable to complete his task from the populace, and the Queen's reproaches for during the vicissitudes of his early career, made it treachery and ingratitude,Mirtza has nothing better over to Bottesini. If Bottesini thus started with the to do than stab herself with the identical dagger enormous advantage of having a libretto by so which was originally intended for Elbis, whilst this eminent a writer,he was, on the other hand, placed excellent general evidently gets offcheaply, for,as is at a disadvantage; for not entirely without truth usual in such cases, the jealous Queen contents her- was it said that if Boito himself had composed the self, apparently, with the death of her rival. " Il opera, he would have produced a work very superior faut toujours chercher la femme." to that produced by Bottesini. However, "Hero It would be difficultto say of which opera, this and Leander" as it stands is a charming work, and libretto savours more strongly: of " L'Africaine," of has earned applause wherever it has been given. " Aida," of the " Reine de Saba," or of the " Roi de Another work which added to Bottesini's reputation Lahore"; at all events the conclusion is irresistible as a composer-independently of compositions of that Bottesini might have done better than waste his minor importance-was a Requiem, or "Missa talent on so hackneyed and worthless a subject. Of Solennis," executed for the firsttime at the Teatro course the drama affordsample scope forspectacular Regio of Turin on Good Friday last year; and if he display, which on the Italian stage of the day, as did not attempt to copy, much less to vie with, Verdi elsewhere, is more than ever a source of attraction, in the rather theatrical effects of the latter's more and an indispensable requisite of success. However, popular work of the same name, he attested not only in the case before us, even this profuse oriental his desire, but also his ability, to contribute to the splendour, and such seductive moonlight scenes as reform of sacred music in Italy. His "Missa that of Mirtza being picturesquely suspended in a Solennis," as pure in style as it is lofty and classical modern hammock fromthe palms in the palace gar- in conception, is vastly superior to the wretched so- den at Teheran, do not make up for the dulness of called sacred compositions of modern Roman choir- the story or the wretched verse which the author has masters, whilst it is free from those sensational patched together.

This content downloaded from 130.237.165.40 on Mon, 23 Nov 2015 08:08:16 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions