Modern French : I. How They Are Encouraged Author(s): M. D. Calvocoressi Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 62, No. 938 (Apr. 1, 1921), pp. 238-240 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/909393 Accessed: 04-11-2015 08:30 UTC

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This content downloaded from 130.237.29.138 on Wed, 04 Nov 2015 08:30:43 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 238 THE MUSICAL TIMES-APRIL I 1921I

Ex. 5. I , opinion of posterity,it is not unlikelythat most of us would be overwhelmed with surprise- - - as most of Kiss me and take my sol in exactly Beethoven's contemporaries . would have been had theyknown what his ultimate standingwould be. Even withoutattempting to deliverjudgment as to the comparativemerits of the modern French school, there is one statementthat can unhesi- tatinglybe made: of all countries that have constantlytaken an interestin , none has rit. hoco oPP duringthe past hundred yearsor so made greater headway than France. Apart from the general causes that led to her keep - ing, Since I must progress during the 19th century and after-a synopsis of which > I will be found in the Auisical Times for September, 1913, P. 574 - we must, when jhoco iit. dim. attemptingto investigate the circumstances in which the French School pursued its evolution, take into account the fact that in France a systematicpolicy of encouragementto musicians Sa is tempo, pursued both by the State and by private initiative. Naturally enough, the methods by go, . . now day is near. whichthat policy is carried out are not altogether flawless. A brief descriptionwill show how far theyare efficient,and how far theyfall short. To begin with, the would-be ,instru- a temlo. mentalist or vocalist, receives his professional -- -A education free in the Conservatoiresof Paris, or of the provinces. Competitions- whose results are neithermore nor less infalliblethan those of In the thoughtfulpoise of the few chords used, othermusical contests-regulate his or her progress in the balance of tonality,and in therhythm of the in the ranks. The highestaward forcomposers, the melody extending without straining that of Prix de Rome, ensures several years of modest the verse,we findan epitome of Parry's art as a independence (enough for the composer to make song-writer. a good start),and carrieswith it the certaintythat an or othersimilar work from the composer's will some be under the best MODERN FRENCH COMPOSERS: pen day produced available conditionsat one of the State-subsidised I.-HOW THEY ARE ENCOURAGED theatres,the Opdra or the Opera-Comique. By M.-D. CALVOCORESSI These theatres,in exchange forthe grant-in-aid which they receive, are compelled, among other Which of the modern schools of music has things,to produce a determinednumber of works achieved the most and deserves best is a question by French composers,and speciallyby laureates of often asked, almost as often answered-and a the Conservatoire. More recently, the Gaite perfectlyfutile question: not only because com- Lyrique, subsidised by the City of Paris, has come parisons of the kind seldom serve any desirable to widen the fieldthus offered. purpose, but because time alone can supply the Here, again,the methodsof selection-methods true answer. Counting the works of a given strictlydetermined by officialregulations-are not school is useless unless one is able to weigh infallible. Indeed, the list of highclass worksby them. The Hungarian school, whose prominentFrench composers which remained neglected-if representativesare but two, Bela Bart6k and not permanently,at least for a time-by the Zoltan Kodaly (possibly three, if Nikolaus managersof the Paris theatres,is strikingenough. Radnai, whose works prior to 1914 were full of Saint-Saens' 'Samson and Delilah,' Chabrier's promise, has further made good), may be 'Gwendoline,' Vincent d'Indy's 'Fervaal' and considered no less importantin purportand in 'L'Etranger' were produced abroad before being potentialinfluence, and perhapseven more so, than introducedto the French public. On the other many a school whose representativesare more hand, the number of importantworks produced numerous. The contemporaryGerman composers under the same regulationsis not small. are many: but may be the small group headed The great defectof this system is that it con- by Arnold Sch6nberg will be found to carry stitutesan artificialand altogetherdisproportionate greatersignificance than all the remainder. Were stimulusto opera-writing.The catalogue of new we able to discover to-day how many of the works by French composers produced during contemporarycomposers of anycountry will endure, the past twenty-fiveyears or so is a most depressing and which of them will stand foremost in the document. It shows that a considerable number

This content downloaded from 130.237.29.138 on Wed, 04 Nov 2015 08:30:43 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES-APRIL I 1921 239 of composers who had neitherthe slightestnatural regulationsmerely stipulated that the total time to inclinationnor genuine capacity for writingoperas be devoted in the programmesto the production have been induced to attempt the impossible; of new French works should be three hours per that their energies, which might have been annum. better employed in other directions, have been An interestingsidelight on that regulation is wasted,as well as the sums expended in producing provided by the deliberationsof the committeeof and in publishing their still-bornworks. Even the Concerts-Lamoureuxin 1908, whenthe question efficient opera-writerssuch as Saint-Saens or was debated as to whetherit would not be more Massenet have obviously overwrittenthemselves, advantageous to give up the grant-in-aid(then many a score from their pen faringno betterthan S5,ooo francs,or ?6oo) and be released fromthe the average effortof the average 'Prix de Rome.' obligation to produce the three hours of new Not long ago the composer of concert-musicmusic. The decision, however, was that the received very differenttreatment. No officialgrant-in-aid be retained. encouragementwas provided for him. The very Anotherfactor of importancewas the foundation education given at the State Conservatoires of substantial prizes (Prix de la Ville de Paris, converged exclusively towards opera-writing,and Prix Crescent,prizes awarded by the Societe des no provisions similar to those mentioned above Compositeursde Musique, &c.) for concert-music were made to ensure the performanceof instru- of various kinds, all of which prizes carry with mental workswritten either by laureates or others. them a public performanceof the successfulworks. But in proportionas the modern French school But far more vital was the evolution,from the late progressedthings began to improvein that respect. 'nineties onward, of musical education-both for The firstgreat step was taken by private initiative. professionalsand for the public. In 1871 a number of composers and music-lovers Here again the initiativewas taken by private founded the Socidtd Nationale de Musique, with enterprise. While the Conservatoire pursued its the object of performingnew works. This Society inadequate and obsolete course, three musicians has pursued its course withthe greatest steadiness -Vincent d'Indy, Charles Bordes, and Alexandre and efficiency. The annual subscription(2 5 francs Guilmant-decided to organize 'a school of before the war) entitleseach memberto free seats music fit to meet the requirements of the at all the concerts; the average number of time.' They speedily carried out their purpose, concertsgiven each year is about eightof chamber and in I894 the Schola Cantorum was opened music and one or two of orchestralmusic. The for the double purpose of providing courses services rendered by the Society to the French of education and of giving concerts devoted to school and to others are enormous. Together works of all schools and periods, but chiefly with its younger rival, the Societe Musicale to old masterpiecesoverlooked by other concert Independante, it remains the centre where the institutions. Works by Monteverdi,Marc-Antoine moderncourse of musical art can best be followed. Charpentier,Bach, and Rameau, were by the That both the Societe Nationale and the Socie6teactivities of the Schola Cantorum added to the Independante are reallylive organizationsis shown usual pabulum provided forParisian concert-goers. not only by their programmes,but by interestingFor the students, Vincent d'Indy devised a initiatives taken by them. For instance, the method of teaching, partly historical and partly Societ6 Nationale provides, for the benefit of analytical, of which his published 'Treatise of inexperienced composers, orchestral readings of Composition' gives a full synopsis. The influ- works judged too crude for public performance.ence, direct or indirect,of the Schola Cantorum The Societd Independante, in order to protest soon proved far-reaching. To that influencecan againstthe (alleged) prejudiced attitudeof concert- be ascribed the remodellingof the Conservatoire, goers and critics-or, to put it more charitably,in to the directorshipof whichwas appointed Gabriel order to prove that opinions on new works were Faurd, a peerless instructorwhose pupils stand often influencedby the composer's name-gave a foremostamong the youngergeneration of French concert the programmeof which remained silent composers. as to the authorshipof the works produced-with As regards the education of the public, the the result that most of the criticsrefrained from propaganda workaccomplished by the foundersof mentioningthe affairat all. the Schola Cantorum (one of whom, Charles It was at a much laterdate that the French State Bordes, had previouslyorganized the 'Chanteurs extended to concert-musicthe advantages provided de Saint Gervais' in order to propagate old for and lyric dramas, stipulatingthat the a cappella by the Socidt6 Nationale, and by music), symphonyconcert associations which received a the Socidte Ind6pendante,has achieved precisely grant-in-aidshould be compelled to produce each all that could best serve the cause of the modern yeara determinedproportion of new French music. French school and of modernmusic in general. It That measure, it is true, came at a time when has created a widerand deeper interestin music; modernFrench workswere by no means overlooked it has accustomed concert-goersto the idea that it by conductors,and it is doubtful whetherit was is a mistaketo restricttheir interestto the works reallynecessary. One of its consequences was an of masters acknowledged as household classics, increase in the number of indifferentworks or possibly to extend it only to the worksof a few produced-chiefly short pieces or excerpts,as the modernwriters raised, perhaps prematurely,to the

This content downloaded from 130.237.29.138 on Wed, 04 Nov 2015 08:30:43 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 240 THE MUSICAL TIMES-APRIL I 192I rank of classics ; it has taught these concert-goersif given a fair trial, be most highlyesteemed in that even unknowncomposers, or composerswhose France and abroad. Among the formermight be works have given rise to adverse criticism,may named AlbetricMagnard, whose music one may like deserve the same amount of attention,of patient or not, but whose loftiness of purpose and and unprejudiced investigation,as is bestowed uncompromisingfaith in his ideals cannot be withone consentupon the most famous composers denied; Paul Dukas, less austere,but equallyearnest of the past. and genuine; Paul Ladmirault, spirited and Anotherinstitution founded by privateinitiative, poetic; Charles Koechlin, powerfuland glowing, theEcole des Hautes tEtudesSociales, has also done the composer of many works that have not yet a great deal to disseminate that fundamentalbut come into their own. Among the latter I would often overlooked principle,and to supply more name Vincent d'Indy first,although it is hardly positive elementsof knowledgerelative to modern accurate to describe him as little known. He is music. Its Art section comprises a music school well-knownenough, but he shares withat least one which provides a wide range of public lectures other very great composer, Franz Liszt, the and concerts. Ever since its foundation (1902, misfortuneof beingthe victimof a fewcatch-words. or thereabouts) the School has devoted special The world's repertoireof lyric drama comprises ' attention to the study of contemporaryFrench few finerworks than his Fervaal,' and indeed few works. In 1904, forinstance, M. Laloy delivered that are as fine. Many of his orchestralworks are a course on the evolution of the French farless knownthan theydeserve to be. lyric drama, as illustrated by the works of In furtherarticles I shall referto thesecomposers Vincent d'Indy, Alfred Bruneau, Debussy, and more fully,and also to other representativesof Charpentier. Works by Ravel, , the modernFrench school. Deodat de Severac,Inghelbrecht, and manyothers, were performedand commentedupon during the subsequentyears. And it may be added that the THE ORGAN WORKS OF BACH courses on modern music have included the per- By HARVEY GRACE formanceand study of many works by foreign March number 1age 165.) composers,such as Sch6nberg,Stravinsky, Scriabin, (Continued from Ornstein, Bart6k, Kodaly, Binenbaum, Egon VII.-THE CHORAL PRELUDES IN THE and Senilof. ' WAellesz,Gniessin, 'CLAVIERUBUNG A systematicsurvey of all that has been done in France to encourage native composers,and to The 'Clavierdibung'is a comprehensivework in increase the receptivityof the public, ought to fourparts, the first of whichappeared in I731 and the comprise many names and the record of many fourthabout I742. Bach borrowedthe title from deeds. Enough has been said to show that a Kuhnau, who produced a 'Neue Clavieriibung' considerableamount of initiativeand perseverance (New Clavier Exercises), in j695. Part 3 of has been devoted to that duplicate task, with Bach's work (i739) consists of organ music- results on the whole as satisfactoryas could be the great Prelude in E flat, followed by twenty- expected. Any composer-whether a laureate of one choral preludes,the whole being rounded off the Conservatoireor not-has a reasonable chance by the Fugue in E flat popularly known as of having his works performed,and perhaps 'St. Anne's.' Special interest attaches to the attentivelyconsidered. Strong partyfeeling, it is ' Claviertibung': it shows Bach at his best both as true,prevails, and does a good deal of harm,new organ and clavier composer, and it was almost works being not infrequentlyjudged from the certainlythe firstof his works to attain the glory point of view of the tendencies they embody-or of print. Impatient young composers of to-day, are supposed to embody-rather than on their withsomewhat less to say than Bach, may profit- actual merit. Independentcomposers, who appear ably reflecton this latterpoint, remembering also in the fieldwithout followers, occasionally run the that John Sebastian was at that time well past his risk of encounteringindifference, or, maybe, of fortiethyear. findingall cliques, great or small, united against Considerationof the E flat Prelude and Fugue them. But that,when all is said and done, is a maywell be deferreduntil we come to the final minormatter. group of works in that form. It is not easy to two movementswere included in a The r6pertoireof modernFrench music-even see whythese excludingall that was not writtenin pursuance of collection of pieces based on chorale melodies. a genuine artisticpurpose-comprises so wide and The Fugue is not out of place, because its subject so varied a range of works that we need not be mightwell pass for the opening strainof a chorale, surprised if, even under the comparativelyvery but the Prelude is obviously an intruder. It is favourable conditionsobtaining in France, a good earlierin stylethan its companion,and belongs to many have not received due recognition, and the self-containedconcerto type of movement some are totallyor almost totallyunknown. There rather than to the prelude family. Perhaps the are composers of great merit who, for various two movementsgot in by chance. The conjecture reasons,or forno particularreason, remain in the is by no means wild, for this part of the 'Clavier- background. Others are known only by a few of fibung,' planned to contain organ works only, theirworks, and perhaps not the worksthat would, contains also four duets for clavier-really two-

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