CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY henry williams sage Music library Cornell University Library ML 700.B58 1899 3 1924 021 741 891 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis bool< is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021741891 A HISTORY OF THE PIANOFORTE AND PIANOFORTE PLAYERS A ISTORY OF THE PIANOFORTE AND PIANOFORTE PLAYERS TRANSLATED AND REVISED FROM THE GERMAN OF OSCAR BIE BY E. E. KELLETT, M.A. AND E. W. NAYLOR, M.A., Mus.D. WITH NaMEROUS PORTRAITS, ILLUSTRATIONS, AND FACSIMILES LONDON J. M. DENT & COMPANY NEW YORK E. P. BUTTON & COMPANY MDCCGXCIX S All rights reserved De^>tcate^ TO EUGENE D'ALBERT Editors' Preface This work does not profess to be so much a literal translation as a somewhat free version of Dr Bie's " Das Klavier." The author, writing as he does for a German public, naturally uses a more philosophic style than would be generally intelligible in England. Availing themselves, therefore, of Dr Bie's kind permission, the Editors, with a view to making the book more acceptable to English readers, have allowed themselves consider- able liberty both in omission and in addition. For all portions of the text which are enclosed in square brackets they hold themselves responsible. The footnotes, except a few which are specially marked, have been added by Dr Naylor. E. W. N. E. E. K. Contents Page I. Old England—A Prelude ..... i The Domestic Character of the Piano, p. 2. Queen Elizabeth at the Spinet, p. 3. Shalcespeare and Music, p. 5. Mediseval Church Music, p. 7. Ecclesiastical use of Folic Songs, p. 8. Popular Con- trapuntal Music, p. 9. The Folk Song and the Instrument, p. 10. The Organ and the Lute, p. 11. The Clavier and Secular Music, p. 12. Italian influence in England, p. 13. Cultivation of Music in England, p. 15. First Books of Clavier Music, p. 16. Classes of old English Pieces, p. 17. The Virginal, p. 18. History of the Clavier, p. 19. The^Clayichard, p^^i. The Clavicymbal, p. 23. Virginal Pieces, p. 26. Thomas Tallis, p. 27. William Bird, p. 28. John Bull, p. 32. Other Composers, p. 38. II. Old French Dance Pieces . .40 England and France, p. 41. The Dance, p. 43. The Dance and Common Life, p. 43. The Dance and the Stage, p. 45. The Dan- seuses, p. 45. Allusions in Dance Names, p. 48. Old Programme- Music, p. 49. The Titles, p. 51. Chambonniferes, p. 52. Couperin, p. 53. Rameau and others, p. 65. III. Scarlatti ....... 68 A Preface by Scarlatti, p. 68. His Life, p. 70. His Style and the Italian Musical Emotion, p. 71. Technique, p. 73. Love of Adven- ture, p. 74. The Opera, p. 75. The position of Music, p. 77. Chamber Music, p. 78. Clavier Pieces, p. 79. Frescobaldi and Pasquini, p. 80. Corelli, p. 82. The Da Capo Style, p. 84. Scar- latti's Sonatas, p. 86. Other Italians, p. 89. IV. Bach ........ 91 German Music, p. 91. Kuhnau, p. 92. Bach and Musical History, p. 93. Bach's Life, p. 94. His Formal Principle, p. 95. The Inventions and Symphonies, p. 97. The Toccatas, p. 98. The Fugues, p. 100. The Wohltemperiertes Klavier, p. 101. The Original Editions, p. 102. The Suites, p. 104. The Fantasias, p. 109. Bach's Forms, p. ill. Technique, p. 116. The Hammer Clavier, p. 121. Bach and the Modern Pianoforte, p. 112. Contents Chap. " " V. The Galanten . The Change of Taste, p. 127. The "Professional Musician," p. 129. Spread of Clavier Music, p. 131. Musical Periodicals, p. 131. Piano- forte Factories, p. 133. Stein and Streicher, p. 134. Handel, p. 137. PhiHp Emanuel Bach, p. 138. Haydn, p. 149. Mozart, p. 151. VI. Beethoven ....... Beethoven Contrasted with the old Composers of the Empire, p. 159. Cosmopolitan Life of the Pianist, p. 161. Viennese Pianists, p. 160. Public Contests of Pianists, p. 161. Dussek, p. 164. The Sonata of the Time, p. 165. Beethoven's Nature, p. 167. Music as a Speech, 167. The "Development" of Motives, p. 171. Rise of the Tragic Sonata, p. 172. The Sportive Beethoven, p. 173. His Forms, p. 175. His Archaism, p. 177. His tendency to the "Galant" style, p. 179. His Last Works, p. 181. VII. The Virtuosos ..... Beethoven's Technique, p. 183. The Clavier Schools of this period, p 185. The groups of Technicians, p. 189. The Life of the Virtuoso p. 192. Concerts and Improvisations, p. 196. Compositions, p. 197 Piano and Opera, p. 201. The Etude, p. 203. Clementi, p. 208. Cramer, p. 210. Hummel, p. 211. Czerny, p. 216. Kalkbrenner, p. 218. Weber, p. 218. Moscheles, p. 221. VIII. The Romantics . ... Romance, p. 224. Franz Schubert, p. 225. Robert Schumann, p. 231. Early Works, p. 231. Jean Paul, p. 232. "Davidsbund," p. " 235. Private Life, p. 237. The Neue Zeitschrift fiir Musik,'' p. 238. " Davidsblindler Tanze," p. 238. "Carnival," p. 240. F sharp minor Sonata, p. 241. " Fantasie Stiicke, p. 242. ]fetudes Symphoniques," p. 242. Bach and E. T. A. Hoffmann, p. 244. Kreisleriana, p. 245. Op. 17, p. 246. " Novellettes," p. 248. Men- " delssohn, p. 249. Faschings-schwank," and later Works, p. 254. Chopin, p. 255. His Art, p. 257. His Life, p. 258. George Sand, p. 259. Works, p. 261. Style of Playing, p. 264. Field, p. 265. Chopin's Method, p. 266. [Sterndale Bennett], p. 268. IX. Liszt and the Present Time Liszt and the three Types of Artists, p. 272. Life, p. 274. Liszt and Thalberg, p. 277. A Pianist's Creed, p. 281. Paganini and'Liszt, p. 282. Liszt's Concerts, p. 286. Piano Works, p. 287. The Inter- Contents xi Page preters, p. 292. Virtuosos of Older Style, p. 293. Rubinstein and Bulow, p. 294. Virtuoso and Teacher, p. 299. Tausig and d'Albert, p. 301. Modern Virtuosos, p. 301. Risler, p. 301. The Pianist's Profession, p. 302. The Piano as a Social Factor, p. 303. Piano Instruction, p. 305. The Practical and Theoretical Schools, p. 306. The Common or " C major " keyboard compared with the "Janko," p. 308. Present-day Piano Factories, p. 310. Steinway and Bechstein, p. 311. The Piano as a piece of Furniture, p. 313. Pianos de luxe, p. 315. The Market for Piano Literature, p. 316. Modern Piano Works, p. 317. Alkan, p. 317. The Post-Romantics, p. 318. The French School, p. 319. The Russians, p. 320. The Scandinavians, p. 321. The English and Americans, p. 322. The Germans, p. 322. Jensen, p. 322. Brahms, p. 322. Raff, p. 323. Living Germans, p. 324. Conclusion, p. 326. Author's Postscript : and Errata . -328 Index . -329 List of Illustrations . -334 Guido of Arezzo and his protector, Bishop Theodal, playing on -A Monochord. Vienna HofbibUothek. Old England: a Prelude [The drift of the remarks immediately following, which the author en- titles a " Prelude," is, that Music is at the present time flourishing more at home than in public ; that the playing of chamber compositions is more popular than the representation of huge operas ; and that therefore it is a suitable time to consider the history and scope of the instrument which, more than all others, has made possible this cultivation of domestic music. He begins then by contrasting the huge performances of Wagnerian drama at Bayreuth with what he calls the " intimate " character of a private pianoforte recital at home.] Those were great days in which the foundation-stone was laid at Bayreuth. Days in which the creative philosopher of the stage threw his sceptre over the Ninth Symphony ; days when choice spirits met together, who tremblingly passed through the moment 2 Old England: a Prelude reality days in which they saw something never heard of become ; of a joyous intoxication when Liszt and Wagner embraced each happiest he had other with tears ; days that Nietzsche calls the ever spent, when something brooded in the air that he could trace nowhere else—something ineffable but full of hope—those days, that music which alas ! return no more. In those days music, the million greet with cheers, of rapture, stood enthroned on the Stage, which gives to art its public hold upon the world. The living, new-creating music has to-day once more fled to the concert hall, to the haughty and more select rows of aristocraticj amateurs who listen to the symphonic poems of Richard Strauss.j These are tender and delicate creations beside the dramas of Wagner. They are elves, they elude us, and there are those who see them not. We have been driven to them as the highest musical expressions of our time. Since the trumpet-notes of Bayreuth died away we have conducted our musical devotions on a smaller, more intimatei' scale. Already, beyond the concert hall, we see opening the private chamber, holiest of all, and the chamber music, which is to the music of the stage what etching is to painting. It is the old ebb and flow. As we passed from the single instrument to the orchestra, from Beethoven's orchestra with its travail for expression to Wagner's stage with its world-embracing aims, so we are now passing back from the stage to undiluted, music first before thousands of listeners, then before hundreds only. And now, if I had my way, I would bring the pianoforte before a small audience, say of ten persons, not in the concert' hall but in the home, where the artist may give his little concerts, in the fitting hour of twilight, playing to a company every one' of whom he knows.