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Home , Eduard Hanslick, Max Kalbeck, Theodor Helm

New and the press: 1896-7, Bruckner, DvoiBk, the Laodiceans and Also Sprach Zarathustra

I I Sandra McColl

From 1860 to about 1900 the most feared per- in illustrating a wider trend in the Viennese men- sonage in the musical life of Vienna was Eduard tality which he encapsulates thus: Hanslick (1825-1904). Today he is remem- bered above all for having belittled Wagner, Two attitudes interacted in the outlook of most Bruckner and . Hanslick built his Viennese: lighthearted enjoyment of the , or prestige on feuilletons that appeared in the Neue aestheticism, and indifference to political and Freie Presse, two to five days after the concerts social reform, or therapeutic nihilism.) in question. .. . Like a kind of latter-day Alexander Gibbon, Hanslick indulged to the full the tastes and Johnston chronicles the decline and fall of the foibles of cultivated Vienna. He dressed like a Habsburg Empire. As is often found in histories, dandy, took snuff, courted the ladies while tell- weak rule or, as in this case, dynastic decline, goes ing the latestanecdotes,and delighted in playing hand in hand with a great flourishing of the arts. As Strauss waltzes. Whenever his vanity waspiqued, charm turned to sarcasm. Preferring Italian op- if to cover himself against the accusation that he era and French orchestral music, Hanslick nur- simply regards all interest in the arts as frivolous, tured implacable hostility to Wagner, whom he however, Johnston characterizes the aestheticism accused of debasing music.' which he considers so decadent as 'light-hearted'. This characterization of Hanslick is from a ma- And this is where the image of Hanslick the dandy jor text on intellectual history, William M. - and a fearsome old dandy at that -comes in so Johnston's The Austrian Mind. It is not very com- useful. plimentary; nor is it particularly accurate. Johnston Leon Botstein took Johnston briefly to task, fires slightly awry in characterizing Hanslick as arguing, among other details not relevant to the preferring Italian opera: certainly his operatic ideal present discussion, that: was Italianate in the importance it placed on vocal Johnston's description of makes melody, but theexemplar of this ideal was Mozart. the assumption that Hanslick represented the Hanslick's attitude to the nineteenth-century Ital- world of music journalism in the period. Music ian school was basically hostile and reflected, at criticism in Vienna was far morediverse and the influence and range of its writers greater than least in part, the basic Austro-German musical Johnston suspects. Hanslick did nor. rule Vien- chauvinism which characterized much of Vien- nese ta~te.~ nese in his time, when the Court Opera had My argument, however, is not so much with few nineteenth-century Italian operas in its reper- Johnston, or with any intellectual or social histo- tory. So far as instrumental music is concerned, his rian whose cursory treatment of music in Viennaat taste was basically Germanic, even if it did not the of the century leaves too much unsaid,but embrace all compositional trends in this category. with Johnston's (and many others') source. This Despite numerous contributions (such as the source is Max Graf (1873-1958), who opens his important one of Leon Botstein2)towards the res- Composer and Critic: Two Hundred Years of cue of Vienna from the reputation it has earned Muric Criticism with a presentation of his creden- from scholars such as Johnston, in English-speak- tials which begins: ingcountriesin particular the situation still persists in which an undergraduate who writes that Wagner From 1890 to 1938 I was a music critic in Vienna.* had no advocates in the Viennese press until Hugo- Wolf and that Hanslick ruled the roost in a culture Not continuously, however, since during the of frivolity cannot in fairness be marked down. period which I have taken as a core-sample - the After all, even William Johnston had made the fifteen months from October 1896 to the end of same mistake when using Hanslick as an example 1897 -there are no signs of his having been active

28 Context 5 (Winter 1993) in Vienna but plenty of his being active in Pari~.~ was characterized more by positi~ism,'~while This brief absence, however, is not sufficient cause Nietzsche's writings were taken up in literary to discredit his witness; his bias gives better cause. circles. Furthermore, in Composer and Critic, a How Graf saw the situation in 1897 may be de- work of his American exile half a century later, we duced from his 'Brahms Study', published in find a clue to what Graf had meant by 'metaphysi- Wagner Probleme und Andere Srudien.*It begins cal' in his reminiscences of 's with a critique of journalism: lectures: Modem culture begins in the world beyond Mysticism also prevailed in his lectures on har- journalism. Here I mean journalism in the broad- mony and counterpoint. The laws of tones and est sense of the term: the manner of conduct of their association were for him infinite laws. The life, the thought and artistic sensibility of bour- fundamental steps of the bass had in his mind a geois society. In the conduct of life joumalis~n cosmic importance. .. . They were the path to the appears as a total lack of any religious or meta- Kingdom of God." physical sensibility, any personal experience, oS any hearkening to inner or outer voices, of any Graf leaves us with no doubt that he wai capti- contemplation and any self-consciousness. In vated as much by Bruckner's personality as his thought it appears asasuperficial realism, which music. Bruckner dominated Graf's outlook in the takes things as they appear to the fleeting glance 1890s, to be superseded in 1900 by his attraction to and reckons their value according to the neces- the 'beautiful' and 'serious' eyes of Sigmund sities of the moment. In artistic sensibility: as a lack oyany feeling for the eternal wellsprings of Freud, which 'seemed to look at a man from the , which is indeed the sound- or form-generat- depths'." Thereafter Graf was a committed Freud- ing life-bloodof the artist. In a word, joumalisrn ian, analysing music and composers from a psy- as life, thought and sensibility is without per- choanalytic perspective of the most romantic kind." spective, without depth, wi~houtpresentimenl... Such is our principal eye-witness. Three things are characterislic of modern cul- It was under the influence of Bruckner, about ture. It is revolutionary: it must do battle against whom nothing, with the possible exception of his the most fearful might of the smallest, most music, was modern, that Graf resolved to become narrow-minded, most mendacious minds. It is a music critic. As he recalls: metaphysical: full of consciousness of the sanc- tity of everything in the world and the innermost I wanted to fight against the sensual conserva- streams of life. It is heroic, from an increased tism of Vienna, which tried to bar the great consciousness of the value of thc inncr life. All musicians of ourday,abusing WagnerandLiszt, the great leaders of the new culture display thcse deriding Bruckner, silencing Hugo Wolf. Con- characteristics more or less sharply. . . . They are servative music criticism-there was no other in all distinguished by the hatred and hostilily of the great Viennese dailies of that period-tried the journalistic world and its litcrary spokes- to place all modern music under interdict. . . . men.9 There was plenty of work needed to bring fresh Graf writes here with all the hot-headedness of air into the old musical city, where critics and youth, as a modernist seeking to defend the valid- musical society were one in imprudence and ity of his own artistic standards while the tastes of superficiality, in delight in easy pleasure, witty the previous generation still dominate. His tirade frivolity, and clever small talk. I was young, enthusiastic, excited, full of energy. So I fitted recalls 's own attacks on music my first arrow to the bow and began shooting. journalism and can be regarded as a deliberate use of Wagnerian imagery. This introduction, how- Graf then continues by describing his first arti- ever, is in the manner of a generalization prefacing cle, an attack on ans slick, and his second, an an attack on a particular target, ~duardHanslick, attack on , a man very much in who embodied all that Graf regarded as character- Hanslick's circle and a friend and later biographer isticof 'journalism', while he saw Brahms's friend- of Brahms. In his treatment of criticism in Vienna, ship with him as an inexplicable blot on the char- Graf mentions, in addition toHanslick and Kalbeck, acter of an otherwise great composer. , Richard Heuberger and Robert Perhaps the most problematic item in Graf's Hirschfeld. He mentions that: description of modern culture is his claim that it is At a time when Bruckner was still being laughed 'metaphysical'; this sharply contradicts the widely- at in Vienna, Speidel wrote poetic essays on the mar\lellous landscape in which Bruckner's mu- held view that thought of the turn of the century sic had grown up like a forest or an orchard.'"

New music and the press: Vienna 1896-7 This is the only concession he makes to the Despite the dominance of the Christian Social existence of support for Bruckner prior to his own party in contemporary politics, the largest circula- entry intocritical activity. As it was, Speidel, while tion figures are to be found in the liberal group of otherwise as 'conservative' and anti-Wagnerian as papers. The Viennese, it seems, kept their taste in Hanslick, had been a consistent admirer of Bruckner journalism separate from their political views. The since he first encountered him as an organist. Illustrirtes Wiener Extrablatt was a tabloid with Heuberger formed a trio with Hanslick and Kalbeck pictures, the only true pictorial among its contem- and the three are often mentioned together; an poraries, and doubtless owed its large circulation engineer turned composer, he was not their match to that. The Neues Wiener Journal, while more a as a writer, but one should not write him off. broadsheet in format, was a 'women's' paper of Finally, we have Robert Hirschfeld, of whom Graf largely tabloid content, with the odd engraving writes respectfully as 'the first critic who dared to here and there. At the opposite end of the intellec- cross swords with Hanslick',15 without explaining tual and literary spectrum, the Neue Freie Presse that the pamphlet in which he did so (Das kritisclze and Nerles Wiener Tagblatt were serious broad- Verfahren Ed. Hanslick's, 1885) concerned pri- sheets which took great pains to maintain a high marily Hanslick's expressed opinions on Renais- literary standard. The music criticism of these sance vocal music; everything in the context given latter was dominated by and Max by Graf would lead the reader to suppose that Kalbeck, close associates of Brahms (and indeed Hirschfeld was taking up arms on behalfof Wagner of each other), so Graf is at least right when he or of . Graf admits that 'these men were complains that 'conservative music criticism' was all solid musicians and brilliant writers'.'"hen he all there was to be found.in 'the great Viennese demolishes their credibility: dailies'. The 'great' dailies, however, were not the Like every refined society that has taste and a only papers, and their critics, who, regardless of tradition, Viennese society between 1867 and their opinions were arguably the best writers in the 1914 was responsive to , to the personal in Viennese critical community at the time, were far writing, to grace and wit. Readers were inclined from the only critics. The following table lists in to lay less stress on accurate judgment than on order of age the critics about whom such a detail stylistic graces. . . . They even preferred a quite unprincipledcynicism spiced with literary charm can be known: to the utmost learning without literary grace. Wit and intelligence of the kind that shone and Table 2: Critics by Age at Birthday in 1896 entertained at cafes and social gatherings were never absent from Vienna's newspapers. Nor 70+: Hanslick, 7 1; were they lacking among Vienna's music crit- 60+: Woerz, 67; Speidel, 66; ics. It was precisely this superficial Vicnnese wit 50+: Schoenaich, 56; Scheu, 55; that, being itself sterile, regularly turncd againsl Helm, 53; such great artists as Wagner, Bruckner, and 40+: Gaigg von Bergheim, 48; Mahler. But Vienna loved to play; and even Heuberger, 46; Kalbeck, 46; Bricht, 44; seriousness had to smile in order to impress.I7 Kralik, 44; Graf proceeds to grant an inordinate amount of Kauders, 42; Kapff, 4 1; 30+: Hirschfeld, 39; Lvovski, 39; Horn, 36; space to the critical career of Hugo Wolf, which Wallaschek, 36; Steininger, 35; Keller, 34 ; ran for only three years in the mid-1 880s. Apart Puchstein, 3 1; Reinhardt, 3 1; Karpath, 30; from his veiled reference to Speidel's attitude to 20+ Schenker, 28. Bruckner and hisconfusing mention of Hirschfeld, this is the only acknowledgement he makes of the In general, the papers with the most healthy existence of critics who took a line opposed to that circulation figures and which offered critics the of Hanslick. best opportunity to disseminate their views put That Hanslick was not the only music critic in 'senior' men in charge of music criticism, a prac- Vienna can be seen from the Table 1 of the fifteen tice which would tend to lead to 'conservatism' dailies, five weeklies and three specialist music simply because their views were the views of an journals which published music criticism in the older generation. Given the highly Wagnerian tone period under consideration, with the names of their of Graf's protest against 'journalism', it is instruc- most prominent critics (see Table 1 ).la tive to categorize them according to their opinions

30 Context 5 (Winter 1993) Journal Approx. Circulation Music Critics

i Specialist Music Journals Deutsche Kunst- und Musikzeitung 3000 Otto Keller Otto von Kapff Neue Musikalische Presse Robert Hirschfeld Gustav Schoenaich ~sterreichischeMusik- und Theater-Zeitung Brzetislav Lvovski Theodor Helm

ii Daily Papers (a) Liberal, Non-Political and Progressive lllustrirtes Wiener Extrablatt Dr. K. St. Neue Freie Presse Eduard Hanslick Richard Heuberger ~sterreichischeVolks-Zeitung Balduin Bricht Wiener Allgerneine Zeitung K. Anders (=A. Kauders) (b)Official (Govt.) Fremden-Blatt Ludwig Speidel Wiener Abendpost Robert Hirschfeld (c) Social-Democratic Arbeiter-Zeitung Josef Scheu (d) Christian-Social Rcichspost Fritz Gaigg von Bergheim (e) Catholic-Conservative Das Vaterland Richard Kralik (0German Nationalist Deutsches Volksblatt Carnillo Horn Hans Puchstein Deutsche Zeitung Theodor Helm Ostdeutsche Rundschuu Hagen

iii Weeklies Extrapost Moriz Baumfeld Conrad Dohany Heinrich Reinhardt Wiener Neueste Nachrichten Emil Maria Steininger Wiener Salonblatt Various, generally pseudonymous Wiener Sonn- und Montags-Zeitung 24,000 Hofrat J.G. von Woerz Die Zeit Richard Wallaschek

iv Literary Journals Neuc Revue

Table 1: Journals publishing music criticism in Vienna, 1896-7

New music and the press: Vienna 1596- 7 of Wagner, who is generally regarded as the chief entered it, for there had never been any question of representative of the 'progressive' movement in Wagner's place in the repertory of the Court Op- music of the mid-century, when the oldest of the era. critics were beginning their careers. Bricht is a kind of moderate Wagnerian, writing Hanslick's opinion of Wagner is well known. in a tabloid, while Kauders is a politically liberal Woerz and Speidel were themselves of the anti- Wagnerian writing in a women'spaper. Kralik had Wagnerian persuasion, but remained independent survived a strongly ideologically Wagnerian youth, of Hanslick's 'party'. Speidel in particular is inter- proceeding from episodes of Marxism and nihil- esting on account of his support for Bruckner," ism to emerge as a Catholic-Conservative; he which represents an early break in the familiar retained his love of Wagner and for Lisz t Wagner-Bruckner nexus. Scheu, Schoenaich and as well as an obsession with Berlioz. Kapff does Helm, the men in their fifties, were all Wagnerians not seem to have anything against Wagner, but he and champions also of Liszt and Bruckner. In writes of 'Wagnerians' as if they constituted a addition, however, all were highly respectful of group to which he did not belong." Brahms, the darling of the 'conservatives'. The men in their thirties and (as in Graf's case) Schoenaich called Brahms the best composer after younger, if educated in Vienna, had learned their Wagner, thereby relegating Bruckner to a lower harmony from Bruckner and their from po~ition.~Welmadmitted a preference for Hanslick, with interesting results. Hirschfeld had Bruckner's symphonies over those of Brahms." been supervised by Hanslick when writing his He was a long-time champion of Bruckner whose doctoral thesis, but had always had an affection for existence Graf does not bother to admit at all. Wagner and Bruckner. His career has been cov- Helm's reputation was con~promised,however, by ered by Leon Botstein, who noted that his 'con- the unfortunate political associations of the servatism' increased as he grew older. Lvovsky', Deutsche Zeitung. As a strong supporter of young who was born and educated in , is probably composers, especially those who claimed Wagne- the most consistently modem in his musical taste, rian allegiance, he comes across as something of a independent of the ideological underpinning of Hans Sachs figure, supporting the right of young German-nationalist inspired Wagnerism. composers to write as they wish, while tending Wallaschek is the sole representative of the posi- himself at times to be more resigned than enthusi- tivist philosophical stream at the forefront of Vien- astic. nese thought; he was tolerant of Wagner's music Of the menin theirforties: Gaigg seems tolerant, but rejected his theories and regarded the state of even supportive, of Wagner, but tends also to write greatest musical perfection as lying in absolute in terms of 'classical form' and 'classical '; music. Horn and Puchstein are two very young in short, more evidence is required to categorize men (of whom Puchstein, the younger, held the him definitely. Heuberger completes the trio be- superior position) in a paper of moderately large gun by Hanslick and Kalbeck. He excited his circulation. The reason for this probably lies in the opponents by writing some uncomplimentarycom- fact that the strident and ugly German nationalism ments about Bruckner in obituaries; Kalbeck, like which the Deutsches Volksblattespoused was gain- Hanslick, had avoided writing an obituary for ing its following principally among the young; Bruckner at all. In 1896, Kalbeck was still firing they were far more at home in the Deutsches shots at Wagner, such as this one: Volksblatt than Helm was in the DeutscheZeitung. When one has not heard Wagner's Siegfried for A characteristic of this 1890s-Wagnerism is an a long time, one looks forward to the next long open hostility to Brahms unknown among the old pause in which one will not hear it. The enjoy- Wagnerians. ment granted us by some splendid parts of the Of the new music in Vienna, plenty was by great final duet is bought at too high a cost with minor (generally local) composers; what is re- the oppressive of the rest of the work. 0 to be able to sleep until the middle of the third markable is the way that critics seemed to recog- act like lucky Br~nnhilde!~~ nize minor composers and give them a polite, if lukewarm reception. Of course, most music by It might be argued that Kalbeck was having a minor composers does not survive beyond the joke more at his expense than Wagner's; he must generation in which it was written. Occasionally, have known that the battle had been lost ere he had

Contexl5 (Winter 1993) a critic seemed to find it necessary to remind his though there is scant evidence for the laughter, readers, or even himself, of this or a related fact. there is ample for the hissing. How the critics This, for example, is what Gustav Schoenaich had recorded the audience's reaction seems to vary, to say about Volkmann's Serenade no. 3 in D however, and Heuberger and Hanslick would have minor for Cello and Strings, performed at the first us believe that such applause as there was be- Philharmonic concert: longed not to the work but to the performers: Volkmann's piece, in many ways finely con- (Heuberger): The reception of the novelty was structed and well-sounding, belongs to that ge- quite peculiar .. . Then some dared to set about nus of superfluous music, with which we can applauding, upon which, hissing, then--as al- establish no proper relationship. It tells us noth- ways in such cases-more applause and more ing which we did not already know and much hissing; finally nearly the whole hall hissed, which we no longer believe.24 only then-as Richter pointed towards the Phil- harmonic,-just as unanimously to applaud." When the Gesellschaft der MusikJreunde per- formed excerpts from the oratorio Das (Hanslick): Tumultuously raged the unceasing Weltgerichtz by Josef Vockner, successor to applause, in the end softened by courageous Bruckner at the Conservatory, Kalbeck was moved hissing. For my part, the success was more to comment: attributable to the orchestra than to the com- poser; for I can hardly imagine that our public Vockner's eternal bliss, . . . a homophonic cho- can really draw enjoyment and inspiration from rus with fluteand harp accompaniment,has little this chaotic witches' cauldron.29 that is enticing, and the reunion of those awak- ened to new life is celebrated in quite a reserved Lvovski, in contrast, produced the smallest way, as if the composer shared the sceptic's estimate of the number of hissers in the audience: secret fear of meeting in the hereafter the same Not once could a couple of idiots who thought it professional representativcsol officially licensed good to hiss childishly in the storm of acclaim boredom who substantially ease our departure which this creation captured -not once could from this life. Only in the thematically interest- these intellectually crippled seedlings from the ing fugal 'Angels' Chorus', which also sounds conservative nursery spoil this impression for jolly good, did the musician come to promi- me. . . . Also sprachZarathustra isa magnificent nence who bears a piece of heaven in his breast success; the isolated hisses of the aforemen- and the man of whom one notes that he is called tioned street urchins were silenced by continu- to teach others because he has himself learned ally renewed storms of appla~se.'~ ~omething.'~ Hagen, whose reaction is a little nearer to luke- Poor Vockner! Nevertheless, he did rate a little warm than we might normally expect of such a praise at the end for having a piece of heaven- committed German-nationalist Wagnerian to a presumably the spark of genius-in his breast, composer identifiably in the same tradition, at- although the suggestion that he would make agood tributes the hissing to philistinism: teacher could well have been the last nail in the coffin of his composing ambitions. Kalbeck's skill There are still not a few musical Philistines for whom even the name 'programme music' is like at invective was such that he could have been even a red rag to a bull. Now, when the idea of a work more unrelenting had he wished. The essential of programme music is at all developed with of this music is its lukewarm blandness, a reckless boldness, as in Richard Strauss's Also quality which not only Kalbeck but also Schoenaich sprach Zurathustra, then the indignation of that and all the others seemed to notice. Music which narrow-hearted member of the party of the eter- nal yesterday knows no bounds. Who knows was sufficiently original to be important, however, whether the brilliant composer would could not be so lightly dismissed. not have been lynched, had he personally con- And so we come to the work which is the focus ducted in the last Philharmonic c~ncert?~' of this paper, Richard Strauss's Also sprach The accusation of philistinism is also invoked Zarathustra, whose first performance in Vienna by Helm, who suggests that the hissing was not was given on 21 March 1897 by the Philham~onic confined to the small number which Lvovski's under the direction of Hans Richter. The audience comment implies: 'laughed at the cock's crow of the trumpet and hissed at the end'."That, at least, is how Max Graf The work, whose unbelievable difficulties were surmounted by the Philharmonic in truly admi- (who was probably in Paris) remembers it. Al- rable fashion, would have had, on the average, a

New music and the press: Viennn 1896-7 middling success, had not some of the totally the majority understands just as little as do I. cultured, probably from annoyance that they Safety and security are only in shallowness, for had been disturbedoutof theirdigestivesnoozes, where it is truly shallow, there all dunderheads believed that they must vent their outrage through feel well. What I do not understand and the hissing. The result was the sudden breaking off crowd does not understand is nothing! Why go of a storm of applause.32 to any trouble? Truly I say to you, the simple in spirit are the majority, and I am the critic for the Such evidence as there is for laughter is to be majority. I stand high over the critics who in found in more poetic sources. Kalbeck responded their self-conceit of understanding look down to Zarathustra by devoting an entire feuilleton, arrogantly on the crowd.-I teach you the some 1500 words, to a parody of Nietzsche, called Supercritic. Music is something which must be 'Zarathustra and Struthiocamelus', in which overcome! and I, the Supercritic, am in my job, for I satisfy the chief prerequisite: I have ears, Struthiocamelus, or Strauss, appears after but they hear not. Zarathustra, or Wagner, becoming the 'Supermusician': They have something of which they are proud. They call it education; it distinguishes them Struthiocamelus,the Supermusician, had tocome from the goatherds. But I, the Supercritic, have to finish the holy work of Zarathustra. . . . thrown this something from me and I can be- come rough and common like a goatherd! The Supermusician needs no education and re- spects no law. He makes inroads into the most 'I pronounce laughter holy.' foreign , violates euphony and mur- Thus spake Zarath~stra.~~ ders melody; as he is the lord of his an and can make with it what pleases him." And so we meet the familiar taunt of the advo- At the end of the feuilleton Kalbeck described cates of new and difficult music, that those who the audience's reaction: don't like it don't understandit. Such a taunt easily silences all but the most foolhardy opposition. Many lost their hearing, many their reason, and all their patience. For the world-redemption of Also sprach Zarathustra is probably the most the Supermusician was very fundamental, de- radically 'modern' work to have been performed tailed, thorough and deep. ('Yes, indeed, joy in Vienna in 1897. Although this led in the main to wants eternity! ') When the double bassists had critical reactions which belong more in the discus- finally dronedout their low C, which still did not sion of aesthetics than of Wagnerian artistic poli- want to resolve with the B of the rest of the orchestra and blend with the perfect harmony of tics, an examination of its reviews from the latter the unison, the gentlemen and ladies looked standpoint still bears some fruit. Helm, for exam- baffled. What Zarathustra spakc and what ple, quite clearly attributed the adverse audience Struthiocamelus poeticized in tones, no-one had reaction to its conservative composition. taken in. The mouth of Zarathustra and Allegiance to Wagner, which had been the stand- Struthiocamelus was not for these ears. But some 'higher men' had at least learned laughtcr ard ticket to membership of music's progressive from the orchestra, so that the Supcrmusician 'party', was no longer necessarily enough to in- attained one of his mystic purposes. spire a similar loyalty to Strauss, at least to the 'I pronounce laughter holy.' Strauss of Zarathustra. While Helm and Horn3"n Thus spake Zarath~stra.~~ the German-nationalist press are, as might be ex- pected, full of praise, Hagen is clearly uncomfort- Such arrogance from a critic in condemning the able with the work, although mindful of where his perceived arrogance of a composer was not left allegiance should lie. He praises Strauss's techni- unanswered by Strauss's supporters. Arthur Barde, cal ability (as does nearly everyone else), but is the resident poet of the ~sterreiclzischeMusik- concerned that the technique of instrumentation und Theater-Zeitung,was enlisted by Lvovsky to 'which should be only a means, has become an end respond in kind. He produced in his article a in itself'." When he describes the Dance Scene as parody of some of Kalbeck's parody, which ended 'the Venusberg music translated into like this: Cannibale~e',~"tseems as if he is barely restrain- Then adeaf, funny little fellow stepped forward, ing himself from breaking ranks. held his hands over his ears, so that one might The matter of means and ends is frequently believe him to be insulted in his hearing, and raised in criticism of new music. In the specific said: I speak to the majority, for I presume that case of Strauss, not only his skill at orchestration,

Confext5 (Winter 1993) but also his general-and undisputed-technical that he can do,' and hopes that this kind of accomplishment aroused critical responses which musical will remain only an interesting episode, a test of strength of orchestral expres- are interesting in their variety. Otto von Kapff, for sive capability in Dvoihk's ~reativity!~ example, viewed Strauss's technique with: The following description, by Kalbeck, of not only a respect for the external structure and technique of the working-out, for the violins, Dvoisik's op. 107, demonstrates how, to the 'con- frequently divisi 98, the violas and cellos 86 and servatives', form was the necessary companion of the double basses 94 etc., for the colossal orches- colour: tral apparatus, which was enlarged by the organ, The arduously brushed-together or even boldly a glockenspiel and a bell, before the sovereign daubed tone of the much admired and purposeful mastery of all harmonic and modem colourists must pale before the instru- contrapuntal devices, but also for the strong mental luminosity of The Water Goblin; for here musical-idealistic will, which was expressed in the fiery radiance breaks through from within these strong material capabi1itiesP9 and the colour is what it should always be, Despite all attempts at claiming otherwise, how- warmed and quickened form.43 ever, Kapff limits his praise to technique alone. For Returning to Also sprach Zarathustra and bear- critics who were less concerned with being polite, ing in mind the importance of form, we may regard who were not afraid of the reproaches of the form as present in spirit as the element which progressively-inclined, respect for technical ac- Hanslick regarded as improperly replaced by col- complishment soon turned to reproach of artistic our: arrogance. For, just like virtuosic display for its The composition, uncommonly weak and tor- own sake by performers, demonstration of creative tured as a musical invention, is actually just a skill by composers harnessed to no apparent-or cunning orchestral piece, a resounding intoxica- no approved-artistic end, be that the expression tion with colour. Certainly the piece is interest- of extramusical ideas or the articulation of a cogent ing and entertaining as a brilliantcombination of and rounded musical form, was generally regarded new and original, but also adventurous and of- fensive sound effects. But this fabulous orches- as a debasement of music. A composer had to use tral technique was, I feel, less a means for the his skill in the service of art; he must not use art as composer than an end and chief purpose." a vehicle for display of his skill. Thus we find And so the argument returns to the matter of Hanslick praising DvoiBkYsString Quartet, op. means and ends. The improper subordination of 105, as: the former to the latterresults, as Hirschfeld saw it, Sound, clear and impressive, without becoming in anarchy: banal, brilliant without vain bizarreness, this work belongs among the best of thiscompo~er.~~ All head fist, head last, feet first, feet last; finally B major and C collide, so that one can The notion of the bizarre and sensationalism is take a C for a B and a B for a C, what in Strauss's also found in Kalbeck's lament over a perceived circles is known as 'the world-riddle'. From squandering of talent in some of Strauss's songs: such explosions we are to read Nietzsche's 'Su- perman'! Indeed, even sparksofgenius,lit up by What a shame that so much young talent, in this musical blasting operation, flash out over seeking to gain a reputation among the sensa- the madness of the symphonic hinterworldlings. tion-hungry crowd, has abandoned itsclf to bi- But this brilliance arouses horror; for we are at zarre fatuousne~s.~' the end of music, with a music which seems Even Dvoi&, the darling of the 'Brahms-party', ultimately to have been created only for Zarathusua's serpent and eagle. We are not yet was not immune to criticisn~,especially when he mature enough for this 'dance', and if we come ventured into programme music. The Philharmon- to maturity-what use is it to us? Then another ic's performance of the symphonic poem Tlze Superman sat down again on these Supermen Noon Witch, op. 108, prompted Hirschfeld to de- and divided the violins into thirty-two, blew nounce Dvoidk's display of technique for its own sixteen horns and let the tubas trill. . . . Suauss says proudly: "This is my counterpoint!" And sake in the following terms: no-one can argue this counterpoint away. In a Dvoihk has reached such a levcl of technique whileothers will comeand say, "This isalsoour that in defiance of all aesthctics hc proclaims,'l counterpoinl!" and before you can turn round, it can do everything I want to do.' OF course. will be everyone's counterpoint. The 'stay- aesthetics replies,'But I do not want cverything behinds' who cannot fly after the Capellmeister

New music and the press: Vienna 1896-7 of new will clamour in vain. Admoni- tion does not help and is ridiculous. Art must Strength must we summon up, and high assurance, lookafter itself. If it won't or can't, then the way And what's to come, let come, with fm endurance. is very free for the Strausses. Hail!4' Indeed your courage ever has been high. Most frightful fate approaches, to afflict us; Such arrogance, it seems, is not the proper attitude Men, and posterity will contradict us: of a composer. Write down true record that shall testify:9 Kralik, as much a Wagnerian as Hirschfeld, was also uncomfortable with Strauss's latest creation, Two months before the Zarathusrra premiere, beginning with its extramusical inspiration; he Kralik had expressed his views concerning mu- made use of the rift between Nietzsche and Wagner sic's future. He regarded modem composers in to serve his Catholic-conservative ends, opposing general as having become bogged down in stulti- Wagnerismrather than Catholicism to the philoso- fying epigonism: pher of the Superman, remarking on Strauss: These modems do not see that even they, in the The funniest thing is that now arepresentative of same way as the classicists and the romantics, hyper-Wagnerian music should make music, have sunk into an epigonism of genius which is, with all the extravagance of every artistic means like any epigonism, untrue, affected, put on, and trick, out of the philosophy of this opponent transitory. They believe themselves to be mak- ofall profound music, this modest admirer of the ing now the , but all they are shallowest of musical treats.46 making is the music of the past--of the forties and fifties. What was true and living then is now He is ready to admit that Strauss, Richter and the no more so. If geniuses such as Liszt, Wagner Philharmonic are 'artists', but denies that and Berlioz could be reborn today, surely they Zarathustra is a : would do anything rather than imitate them- selves. On the contrary, they would seek and The performance of the tone poem Also spruch find new means of expression and new ideals for Zarathustra by Richard Strauss must have the new age. And they would probably have to opened eyes to the characteristic one-sidedness undergo the same sort of martyrdom as before of our time: aquite unprecedented development until they had persuaded loyal and staunch of all technical, external, formal and virtuosic Lisztians and Wagnerians that the time had means, an effeminate abandon to all nervous come to tune the lyre to the new and different. .. . sensation,but with it an absolute lack of sensible But it is necessary, as in all an, that not a man of moderation, of a deep consciousness of a goal, action, but a genius go to the head of a new of a mastery of self and of the uncontrolled rn~vement.'~ artistic medium, of feelings and urges, the lack of a manly strength of will, of an artistic ethos. However he may have disapproved of the Ina word, we havesplendidly schooled, virtuosic 'progress' made by Strauss, Kralik seemsresigned and highly receptive artists, but we can neither to the expectation that a real musical innovator, a see nor hear any work of art. Everything is there, pioneering genius, will not meet with immediate rich and overflowing, but the essence is lacking, acceptance. the core, the insight, the feeling and the gravity, which are its point of focus. We breathe the air Replying to the numerous detractors of Also of the studio, but not the breath of truth. It is sprach Zarathustra, Lvovsky argued: coquetry with art, but not love."7 As far as the musical structure of this tone-poem He can find only one good thing to say about the is concerned, not even the most determined music of Strauss: 'it is not boring, it is even opponent would beable toaccuse it ofconfusion and formlessness. The thematic working-out is e~~tertaining'.~'Despite this final ironic quip, how- executed with clarity and compelling logic and ever, Kralik was not being superficial; he had a it is astonishing how Strauss managed to press deep respect for music's sanctity and a profound all these enormous contrapuntal and thematic sense of the critic's, as well as the composer's, combinations into the service of his ideas?' responsibility towards art. When commenting on Thematic relationships, in particular the trans- the nature of the critic's role, in response to a formations of the opening motive, dominate in question asked by the Neue Musikalische Presse, underpinning his argument. To justify a new mu- Kralik argued that the critic should be not the judge sical work by employing any kind of analysis is an and executioner of art, but its director of protocol, admission at least in part of the theoretical under- while his motto should always be the following pinning of the aesthetics of Hanslick and the sup- lines of Goethe: porters of 'absolute' music. What Lvovsky does is

Context 5 (Winter 1993) to confront Hanslick and the conservatives with a have acquired everything that a new age has demonstration that Zarathustra 'works' in 'abso- invented for new methods. His symphonic po- lute' musical terms. This is in stark contrast with ems are evidence of this. They are dramas with- out a stage, acts without singers. Just bring on hisview of DvoZik's Water Goblin, whichLvovskf the singers and the opera is complete. When one (in direct opposition to Kalbeck), regarded as thinks of this thoroughly musical nature at the aesthetically deficient because its musical struc- service of opera, inwardly attached to form but ture will not stand on its own but must be propped freed from formalism-what rich and beautiful possibilities of musico-dramatic forms disclose up by its programme." Lvovski steps far out of themselves to our ! Perhaps musical history conservative territory, however, when he suggests still has an important chapter to write: 'Antonin that: Dvorik and dramatic music'.s9 Even he whocannot agree witheverything which Wallaschek, inspired by Also sprachZarathustra Suauss wrote down in this work-who withoul to write an article on programme music in general, knowledge ofthe score will find many combina- tionsof sounds unbeautiful at first hearing, must concluded that: recognize that since Berlioz no composer has I for my part would like to see whether perhaps entered the scene who has known how lo win the future will set me right. but for the time being from the orchestra such quite unprecedented I believe, along with Richard Wagner, that, if a new features?' programme really must be bound up with music, there is only one form which will support the The admission of the 'unbeautiful' in the name total impression and keep the composer from of progress is extremely rare. It is an early instance wishing to do more than he can: of breaking with the 'metaphysics of the beautiful What was a little bit true of Dvofik, who had yet in music'54which had for so long, it seems, decreed to write Rusalka, was, of course, many times more that for music to be good it had first to be beautiful. true of Strauss. While Hirschfeld reacted with alarm to Also sprach And so, at least some of the critics were right at Zarathustra, warning that, 'Art must protect it- least some of the time. Nevertheless, it is still true self'," Lvovski was moved to proclaim that 'A that the overwhelming majority remained unwill- new musical era is knocking on the door, so open up!'56Lvovskf was, however, the spokesman for a ing, or unable, to embrace the most modem music with anything more enthusiastic than resignation, progressive minority. Nevertheless, regardless of whether or not pos- and that many responded with outright hostility. Of course, even Beethoven had attracted critical terity agreed with their opinions, some critics hostility in his day, a fact which certain of the more came close to predicting the nlusical future. In the 'progressive' critics raised against their conserva- context of discussions of DvoiAk's symphonic tive colleagues once in a while as an alternative to poems, we have the following suggestion from the usual accusations of deafness or Hirschfeld: incomprehension. To condemn the conservatives For Dvoiik has come to a point wilh his phe- on these grounds, however, is to disregard the nomenal orchesual technique where pure form- complexity of the problems facing composer and ing and colouring, which he commands with ease, no longer gives him pleasure, where in the audience alike at the turn of the century. Contrary consciousnessofhis strength he had to be pushed to Graf's claim, the best musical journalism towards poeticizing and pictorial music. Who- including that of the conservatives-was not lack- ever wants to 'rescue' him and preserve him ing in perspective, depth or presentiment, and only from the programme-devil ought to give him a good operatic librett~.'~ a superficial reading of it could result in the con- clusion that it was itself superficial. Beneath the Speidel also perceives in DvofAk a superabun- rhetorical flourishes there is considerable serious dance of technical ability, but is more insistent on thought. Thought here is at least part of the prob- his detection in The Noon Witch of 'an astonishing lem. Much of the most 'modern' music of the time mimic talent'.s"o far as Speidel can see: could be included under the heading 'programme Antonin Dvorfik wants to go on stage. Or, better, music'-yet much modern thought rejected it.61 he would like to return to the stage, but as a The metaphysics which Graf claimed to be miss- different man from the one who left it. He had ing from journalism-in his case the metaphysics composed for the stage in the old manner and with little success. Since then he has appeared to of Bruckner's mysticism- was likewise hardly in

New music and the press: Vienna 1896-7 3 7 tune with modem currents of thought. Neverthe- Journalismus als giinzlicher Mangel jedes religi6sen oder less, there is plenty of evidence for a less mystical metaphysischen Empfindens, jedes personlichen Erlebens, jedes Horchensauf innereund %ussereStirnmen, jeder Einkehr metaphysics of the type underlying Kalbeck's und jedes Sichbesinnens. Im Denken als oberfliichlicher 'warmed and quickened form'. The critics may Realismus, der die Dinge so nimmt, wie sie dem fliichtigen have written humorously at times, but they were Blicke erscheinen, und ihren Wert nach den momentanen not frivolous. Far from lacking any feeling for 'the Bedurfnissen abschiitzt. Im Kunstempfinden: ds Mange1 eternal wellspring of art', they were concerned at jedes Fuhlens der ewigen Quellen der Kunst, die ja ein Lebendes, das ton- oder formgewordene Blut des Kiinstlers what they perceived as an arrogance of composers ist. Mit einem Worte, Journalismus als Leben. Denken und who revelled in their own technical skill without Empfinden ohne Perspectiven, ohne Tiefen, ohne regard for or humility before the classical tradi- Ahnungen.. . tion. And of course they were not all conservative. Drei Dinge charakterisieren die moderne Cultur. Sie ist That they did battle with each other in print is most revolution&; da sie gegen die furchbarsten Machtmittel der kleinsten, borniertesten, verlogensten Kdpfe zu Mmpfen fortunate for us, since we are left with a rich source hat. Sieist metaphysisch; volldesBewusstseinsder Heiligkeit of musical opinion, as well as fascinating artefacts aller Dinge der Welt und der innersten Suijme des Lebens. of a far more literary and literate culture than our Sie ist heroisch, auseinem gesteigerten Wertbewusstsein des own. That there were so many critics means that inneren Lebens heraus. Alle grossen Fiihrer der neuen Cultur there was a great diversity of opinion; the greater zeigen mehr oder weniger scharf bestimmt jene Ziige. . . . Alle werden ausgezeichnet durch den Hass und die the diversity of expressed opinion, the less likely it Feindschaft derjournalistischen Welt und ihrer literarischen ~ is for any one critic and his opinion to become Wortfuhrer.' ~ dominant. In any case, the critics only really had ''Carl Dahlhaus, for example, went so far as tocharacterize power over what people read, not what they lis- the latter half of the nineteenth century as having apositivist tened to. Those who fought on the losing side must Zeitgeist, which contrasted with the maintenance of roman- ticism in music (Between and Modernism not be discounted; they may be regarded as devil's (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980), p. 7 ff.). advocates who could perhaps have provided a " Graf,Composer and Critic, p. 22. necessary irritant either spurring composers on to I2Peter Gay, Freud: A Life for our Time (London: Dent, defiant or inspiring reference by com- 1988), p. 156. posers to their artistic consciences. And, if once in ''This is evident in two of Graf's publications Richard Wagner irn ..Fliegenden Hollander": ein Beitrag zur a while on their rhetorical rambles they strayed Psychologie kiinstlerischen Schaffens (Leipzig & Vienna: into the domain of Thalia, one should not condemn Franz Deuticke, 191 1)and Die lnnere WerkstattdesMusikers them on that account, but remember the wisdom of (Stuttgart: Ferdinande Enke, 1910). The latter work forms the philosopher: the basis of his From Beethoven to Shostakovich: The Psy- chology of the Composing Process (New York: Philosophi- Das Lachen sprach ich heilig. cal Library, 1937), a work of his American exile. Also sprach Zarathusua. l4 Graf, Composer and Critic, p. 27 1. I5Graf,Composer and Critic, p. 274. I6Graf,Composer and Critic, p. 274. NOTES "Graf, Composer and Critic, p. 275. 'William M. Johnston, The Austrian Mind: An Intellectual "Estimates of circulation figures are based on those given and Social History 1848-1938 (Berkeley: University of in Kurt PaupiC, Handbuch der Osterreichischen California Press), pp. 132-3. Pressegeschichte 1848-1959: Bandi: Wen(Vienna: Wilhelm Leon Botstein, 'Music and its Public: Habits of Listening Braumuller, 1960) and H. Sperling, Adressbuch der and the Crisis of Musical Modernism in Vienna, 1870-1913' Deirtschen Zeitschriften undder hervorragendenpolitischen (Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI, 1985). Tagesblaner: Hand- und Jahrbuch der deutschen Presse, 3Johnston, The Austrian Mind, p. 115. xviii (1898). 4Leon Botstein, 'Music and its Public', p. 122. "This point is made abundantly clear in Charlotte Pinter, 'Max Graf, Composer and Critic: Two Hundred Years of 'Ludwig Speidel als Musikkritiker', (diss., University of Musical Criticism (London: Chapman & Hall, 1947), p. 15. Vienna, 1949). 'Articles written by Graf from Paris were published in the 20NeueMusikalische Presse, 11 April 1897, p. 4. Viennese journal Die Zeit. 2'Deutsche Zeitung, 9 April 1897, p. 1. 'Max Graf, 'Brahms-Studie' in Wagner Probleme und 22NeuesWiener Tagblau, 11 December 1896, p. 9: 'Wenn Andere Studien (Vienna: Wiener Verlag, [1900]). man Wagner's ,,Siegfried lange nicht gehdrt hat, so freut Graf, 'Brahms-Studie', pp. 100-1 : 'Jenseits des man sich immer wieder auf die nachsle Iangere Pause, in der Journalismus beginnt die moderne Cultur. Ich meine hier man ihn nicht horen wird. Der GenuB, welchen uns einige Journalismus im weitesten Wortsinne: die Form der Prachtstellen des grokn SchluBduetts gew&ren, wird mit Lebensfuhrung, des Denkens und Kuns~empfindensder der druckenden Langweile des ubrigen Werkes vie1 zu burgerlichen Welt. In der Lebensfuhrung zeigt sich der theher bezahlt. 0,wer die dritthalb Acte verschlafen kdnnte

Context 5 (Winter 1993) wie die gliickliche Briinnhilde! ' durch stetserneute BeifallsstiirmezumSchweigen gebracht.' "For example,Delusche Kunsr- und Musikzeitung ,1April 310~tdeuf~cheRundschau, 24 March 1897, : 'Es gibt nicht 1897, p. 83, describing a concert of songs by Hugo Wolf: wenige musikalische Philister, auf welche schon der Name 'Der Componist begleitete alles selbst und konnte mit dern ,,Programmmusik" wirkt wie ein rothes Tuch auf den Stier. ihm von den Wagnerianern bereiteten Erfolge zufrieden Wenn nun gar die Idee einer Programmmusik mit der sein .' riicksichtslosen Kuhnheit durchgefuhrt wird, wie in Richard 24 Neue Musikalische Presse, 15 November 1896, p. 6: StrauB's ,,Alsosprach Zarathustra", dann kenntdieEnaiistung 'Das Stuck Volkmann's, vielfach fein gemacht und jener engherzigen Parteigiinger des Ewig-Gesmgen keine wohlklingend, gehdrt zu jener Gattung uberflussiger Musik, Grenzen. Wer weiB, ob der geniale Munchener Tondichter zu der wir ein rechtes Verhiiltniss nicht finden konnen. Es nicht gelyncht worden wiire, hiitte er im letzten sagtunsnichts, was wirnichtschon wussten, und Vieles, was philharmonischen Concert persbnlich dirigirt?' wir nicht mehr glauben.' 32Deutsche Zeitung, 27 March 1897. p.1: 'Das Werk, =The Viennese Academy of Fine An possesses a simi- dessen unglaubliche Schwierigkeiten von den larly-named triptych by Hieronymus Bosch as one of its Philharmonikern in wahrhaft bewunderungswurder Weise chief treasures; no critic mentions this with reference to iiberwunden wurden, hiitte, dern Durchschnittseindruck Vockner's piece, however, so it is uncertain whether it entsprechend, einen mittelstarken Erfolg gehabt, wenn nicht provided his inspiration. Given Kalbeck's description of the Einige von den ganz Gebildeten, wahrscheinlich aus Aerger music, this is probably not the case. daruber, daB sie aus ihrem Verdauungsschlummer gest6rt Neues Wiener Tagblatt, 17 February 1897, p. 1: 'Die wurden, ihre Enuiistung durch Zischen iiukrn zu mussen ewige Seligkeit Vockner's, ein ebenfalls homophoner Chor geglaubt hatten. Die Folge war das plotzliche Losbrechen mitFlbten- und Harfenbegleitung, hatwenig Verfuhrerisches, eines Beifallssturmes.' und das Wiedersehen der zum neuen Leben Erwachten wird " Neues Wiener Tagblatt, 24 March 1897, p.1: ziemlich reservirt bejubelt, als thcile der Componist die 'Struthiocamelus, der Uebermusiker, muBte kommen, um geheime Furcht des Skeptikers, im Jenseits denselben das heilige Werk Zarathustra's zu vollenden. . . . berufsmaBigen Vertretern behordlich concessionirter Der Uebermusiker braucht keine Bildung und achtet kein Langweile zu begegnen, die uns den Abschicd vom Diesseits Gesetz. Er bricht in die fremdesten Harmonien ein, schiindet so wesentlich erleichtern. Erst in dem thematisch den Wohllaut und mordet die Melodie; denn er ist der Herr interessanten, fugirten ,,Chor dcr Engel", der auch recht gut seiner Kunst und kann mit ihr machen was ihm beliebt.' klingt, kommt der Musiker zum Vorschein, der ein Stuck "Neues Wiener Tagblatt, 24 March 1897, p. 2: 'Mancher Himmel in der eigenen Brust Wgt, und der Mann dmu, dern verlor das Gehor, mancher den Verstand, und Alles die man anmerkt, daR er berufen ist, Andcre zu bclehren, weil er Geduld. Denn die Welterlosung des Uebermusikers war eine selbst etwas gelernt hat.' sehr grundliche, ausfuhrliche, eingehende und tiefe. (,,Lust 27Ma~Graf, Legend of a Musical Cify, (Philosophical will ja doch Ewigkeit!") Als die Contrabassisten ihr groks Library, 1945; rpt New York: Greenwood Press, 1969), p. C, das mit dern H des iibrigen Orchesters sich noch immer 186. nicht versohnen und zu der vollkommenen Harmonie des =Wiener Tagblatt, 23 March 1897, p. 2: 'Die Aufnahnie Einklanges verschmelzen wollte, endlich ausgebrummt der Novitiit war ein recht eigenthiimliche. . . . Da wagten es hatten, sahen sich die Herren und Damen verdutzt an. Was dennEinigemit Applauseinzusetzen,darauf:Zischen, dann- Zarathustra sprach und was Struthiocamelus in Ttinen wie immer in solchen Fallen-wider Applaus und wieder dichtete, hatte Niemand vernommen. Zarathustra's und Zischen; endlich zischte fast der ganze Saal, um dann -als Struthiocamelus' Mund war nicht fur diese Ohren. Einige Richterauf diephilharmoniker wics -ebenso einmuthig zu ,,hohere Menschcn" aber hatten wenigstens das Lachen vom applaudiren.' Orchester gelernt, so daB der Uebermusiker einen seiner 29 Eduard Hanslick, Am Ende des .lahrhunderu: [1895- mystischen Zwecke glucklich erreichte. 1899.1 (Der ,,Modernen Oper" VIII.Tei1): Musikalische ,,Das Lachen sprach ich heilig." Kritiken und Schilderungen. 2nd ed. (Berlin: Allgemeiner Also sprach Zarathustra.' Verein fur Deutsche Litteratur, 1899); rpt as The Collected " Osterreichische Musik- und Theaterzeitung, 1 April Musical Criticisms of Eduard Nunslick, vo1.8 (Westmead: 1897,p. 5: (with original emphasis) ,,Da trat ein taubes, Gregg, 197l), p. 27 1. NeueFreie Presse, 23 March 1897,pp. putziges Kerlchen hervor, hielt sich die Ohren 1-2: 'Tumultuarisch raste der endlose Applaus, schliel3lich zu, damit man glaube, sein Gehtir sei beleidigt von behenten Zischlauten gemildcrt. brige ens schien mir worden, und sprach: Ich rede zu der Mehrheit, der Beifall mehr noch dern Orchester zu gelten als dern denn ich setze voraus, dass die Mehrheit Komponisten; denn ich kann mir kaum dcnken, daB unser ebensowenig wasversteht, wie ich. Schutz und Publikum wirklich GenuB und Begeistcrung aus diesem Sicherheit ist nur bei der Seichtigkeit, denn wo wusten Hexenkessel geschopft habc.' es recht flach ist, da fiihlen alle Flachkopfe 30 Osterreichische Musik- utzd Theaterzeitung, 1 April wohl. Was ich nicht verstehe und die Masse nicht 1897, p. 4: 'Nichteinmal, die paar Dummkopfe, diees fur gut versteht, das ist nichts! Zu was sich muhen! Wahrlich, fanden, inden Beifallssturm,dendiese Schijpfungentfesselte, ich sage euch, die Einfaltigen im Geiste sind so recht bubenhaft hinein zu zischen-nicht einmal diese die Mehrheit, und ich, ich bin der Kritiker fiir geistig verkruppelten Pflanzschcn aus dcr conscrvativen die Mehrheit. Ich stche hoch iiber den Kritikern, welche Baumschule, konnte mir diesen Eindruck vcrkummern. . . . im Eigendunkel des Verstiindnisses hochmuthig auf die ,,Also sprach Zarathustra" hat einer grossartigen Erfolg; das Masse herabsehen.- Ich lehre euch den Ueberkritiker. vereinzeltezischen der schon erwahntcn Gassenjungen wurde Die Musik ist etwas was iiberwunden werden

New music and the press: Vienna 1896-7

zu klirnmen. Sie bildet sich ein, daB man den Genius durch " Neue Musikalische Presse, 28 March 1897, p. 5: 'Die seineeigeneMitteliiberuumpfenkdnne. Sie wilhntvielleicht, Kunst muss sich selbst schiitzen.' daB ihr dies bereits gelungen sei. Das ist einfach ein 56 ~sterreichischeMusik- und Theaterzeitung, 1 April theoretischer und kunstgeschichtlicher Irnhum.] Diese 1897, p. 5: 'Eine neue musikalisches Aera pochte an die Modernen sehen nicht, daB auch sie, ebenso wie die Pforten, so sei ihr dann aufgethan!' Classicisten und Romantiker einem Epigonenthum des Ge- "Wiener Abendblatt, 31 December 1896, p. 2: 'Denn nies verfallen, das wie jedes Epigonenthum unwahr, gespreizt, Dvoiik ist mit seiner phiinomenden Orchestertechnik auf aufgestellt, verginglich ist. Sieglauben noch Zukunftsmusik einen Punkt gelangt, wo ihm das reine Forrnen und Filrben, zu machen, und machen doch nur die Vergangenheitsmusik das er spielend beherrscht, nicht mehr Freude macht, wo er der Vierziger- und Fiinfziger-Jahre. Was damals wahr und in seinem KraftbewuBtsein zur poetisirenden und malenden lebendig war, ist es jetzt nicht mehr. Wenn wirkliche Genies Musik gedrangt werden muBte. Will man ihn durchaus wie LiBt, Wagner und Berlioz heute wieder neugeboren ,,retten" vor dem Programmteufel bewahren, so gebe man wiirden, sie wiirden gewiB Alles eher thun, als sich selber ihm einen guten Operntext.' nachzuahmen. Sie wiirden im Gegentheile fiir die neue Zeit "Fremden-Blatt, 28 January 1897.p. 6: 'Anton DvoiAk . . . neue Ausdrucksmittel, neue Ideale suchen und finden. Und zeigt in seiner ,,Hexe6' ein erstaunliches mimisches Talent.' sie wiirden wahrscheinlich ein ebensolches Manyrium wie 59 Fremden-Blatt, 28 January 1897, p. 6: 'Anton Dvo%k zuerst durchzumachen haben, bis sie ihre geueuen und will auf die Biihne. Oder vielmehr, er will auf die Biihne gesinnungstiichtigen LiBtianer und Wagnerianer uberzeugt zuruck, aber als ein Anderer, als der er von ihr geschieden.Er hatten, daB es an der Zeit sei, nunmehr das Saitenspiel neu hat damals in der alten Weise geschaffen und mit wenig und anders zu stimmen. ... Es ist aber, wie in aller Kunst, Erfolg. Seitdem scheint er sich Alles angeeignet zu haben, nothwendig,daBnichtein Macher, sondern ein Genius an die was eine neue Zeit an neueren Mitteln erfunden. ZeugniB Spitze einer neuen Bewegung trcte.' dafur sind scinesymphonischenDichtungen. Sie sindDrarnen " Osterreichische Musik- und Theaterzeitung, 1 April ohne Buhne, Mimus ohneden Sanger. Man gebeden Sanger 1897, p.4: 'Was den musikalischen Aufbau dieser hinzu, und die Oper ist fertig. Nun denke man sich diese Tondichtunganbelangt, so wird auch der verbissensteGegner durchaus musikalische Natur im Dienste der Oper, innerlich Verworrenheit und Formlosigkeit dcrsclben nich~zum an die Form gebunden, aberbefreit vom Formalismus -und Vorwurfe machen konnen. Mil Klarheit und zwingender welche reichen und schonen Moglichkeiten musikalisch- Logik vollzieht sich die thematische Arbeit und es ist dramatischer Gestaltung eroffnen sich vor unserem Blicke! erstaunlich, wiees Suauss verstanden hat, all' dicseenormen Vielleicht hatdie Musikgeschichte nochein wichtiges Kapitel contrapunktischen und thematischen Combinationen in den zu schrciben: Anton DvoiAk und die dramatische Musik.' Dienst seiner Ideen zu stellen.' 60Die&it, 27 March 1897, p. 203: 'Ich fiir meinen Theil 52 Osterreichische'' Musik- und Theaterzeitung, 1 Decem- will sehen, ob mich vielleicht die Zukunft eines besseren ber 1896, p. 5. belehrt, vorlaufig aber glaube ich, mit Richard Wagner, dass, "bsterreichische Musik- und Theaterzeitung, 1 April wenn schon ein Programm mit der Musik verbunden werden 1897,p.4: 'Auchder, welchcr nichtmit Allem einvcrstanden muss, es nureineForm gibt, dieden Totaleindruck unterstutzt I sein kann, was R. Suauss in diesem Werke nicderschrieb- und den Componisten selbst davor bewahn, mehr zu wollen I welcher ohne Kenntniss der Partitur manche als er kann: das Drama.' ~ Klangcombinationen beimersten Anhorcn fiir unschon findcn 6' Another critic who rejected programme music was the wird, muss anerkennen, dass scit Bcrlioz kein Compon~st young Heinrich Schenker, who had contributed an essay den Plan beueten hat, welcher dem Orchester so ganz ('Unpersonlichc Musik') on this problem to the Neue Revue unerhorte neue Seiten abzugewinnen wusstc.' (9 April 1897). It is published in uanslation by Horst B. "Carl Dahlhaus, EstheticsofMusic, uans. William Austin Loeschmann in Hcinrich Schenker, 'Three Essays from (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1982), p. 1. Neue Revue", Music Analysis 7.2 (1988). p.134-8 .

New music and the press: Vienna 1896-7