'The Music Makers,' by Edward Elgar Author(s): Ernest Newman Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 53, No. 835 (Sep. 1, 1912), pp. 566-570 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/907621 Accessed: 01-01-2016 02:53 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. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 204.235.148.92 on Fri, 01 Jan 2016 02:53:36 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 566 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-SEPTEMBER I, 1912. nor skill, should have so utterlysucceeded in 'THE MUSIC MAKERS,' BY EDWARD his Success him. As throwingaway gifts. spoiled ELGAR. M. Claude Debussy once humorouslyremarked, 'he fella victimto the butterfly-playof fascinating Elgar's new work, 'The Music Makers'-a lady admirers.' Hence the monotonyof worksin settingfor contralto solo, chorus and orchestra,of * the greaterpart of which he sedulduslyresorts to Arthur O'Shaughnessy's poem 'We are the his favouritenever-failing devices. Hence, also, Music Makers'-is interestingand welcome not the 'superficial versatility.' For if the actual only forthe fine musical expression that abounds progress of musical art duringthe past fortyyears in it, but for certain very effectiveinnovations in leftMassenet unmoved (and indeed he has taken the matterof structure. no part in the evolution of modern music), the The 'motif' of O'Shaughnessy'spoem is the idea success of certainworks appears to have influenced that the poets-the music makersand dreamers- him not inconsiderably,inducing him to attempt are really the creators and inspirersof men and a number of changes in manner if not in style. theirdeeds, and the true makersof historyand of Thus, at a time when Wagner's dramas were human societies. Their dreams and their visions becoming the order of the day in Paris, he are the foreshadowingsof what the restof mankind wrote 'Esclarmonde,' in which the example of are predestined to work out in endless conflict: 'Lohengrin' is easily traceable. The popularityof to-day is the realisation of a dream of the Italian 'veristic' opera helps to account for the generationspast; to-morrowwill bring into being appearance in i894 of 'La Navarraise,' and in the dream of to-day: 1897 of 'Sapho'; and Humperdinck's ' Hinsel We are the musicmakers, und Gretel' seems to have prompted him to write And we are the dreamersof dreams, lone 'Cendrillon' (I899). Wanderingby sea-breakers, The earnest the thirstfor that And sittingby desolate streams;- ideals, progress World-losersand world-forsakers, are inseparablefrom genius remained unknownto On whom the pale moon gleams: him. He directed his ambitions towards a less Yet we are the moversand shakers Of the world for it distantgoal. He wrote forhis time, and his time ever, seems. has repaid his labours well, as appears fromthe Cities and empires,and the death of empires,are historyof his life and deeds. Avoiding arduous theirwork: Nineveh was built with their sighing, roads, well satisfiedwith what was withinhis grasp, and Babel withtheir mirth: he remaineduntormented doubt or by by longing. For each age is a dreamthat is dying, As a man he was not onlykind, but courteousand Or one thatis comingto birth. eager to court favour,lavish in praise upon all or artistswho came into contact Soldier, king, and peasant are their instruments youngcomposers in withhim. 'workingtogether one': He held the of Professorof Till our dreamshall becometheir present, position Composition And theirwork in the worldbe done. at the Paris Conservatoireuntil I896, his principal pupils being AlfredBruneau, Gustave Charpentier,These have no knowledge of the work they are Gabriel Pierne,Xavier Leroux, Paul Vidal, Georges doing; it lies alone in some man's dream,whose Marty,Lucien Hillemacher,and Augustin Savard. words kindle flame in men's hearts. The poet He can hardly be said to have exercised a conceivesand shapes: the busy,striving multitudes wholesome influenceas a teacher, and generally merelybring to pass: speaking,such of his pupilsas have displayedmore But we, withour dreamingand singing, than ordinarymerits as composersdid not follow Ceaselessand sorrowlesswe ! his example. In the worksof M. AlfredBruneau, The gloryabout us clinging for no trace of Massenet's methods is to Of theglorious futures we see, instance, Our souls withhigh music ringing: be found,except for a few melodic mannerisms. O men! it mustever be Not even as much remains in those of M. Piernd That we dwell,in our dreamingand singing, or M. Savard. A littleapart from ye. For we are afarwith the dawning And the sunsthat are In addition to the works mentioned above, not yethigh, And out of the infinitemorning Massenet wrote the following: 'Berangbre et Intrepidyou hear us cry- Anatole' (1876), 'Herodiade' (1881; London Opera How, spiteof your human scorning, Once moreGod's futuredraws House, I9I1), 'Le Cid' (1885), 'Le Mage' (1891), nigh, And forththe warning 'Le Carillon' (1892), 'Griselidis' 'Cherubin' alreadygoes (I901), That ye of the past must die. (1905), 'Ariane' (19o6), ' Bacchus' (1909), 'Don Quichotte' (19I1o; London Opera House, 1912). The poet hails the 'comers from the dazzling unknown shore,' bidding them renew the old The funeral of M. Massenet took place at worldwith the dreams of what is to be: Egrevilleon August 17, and in accordance withthe * Arthur O'Shaughnessy (i4 March, 844--30 Jan., i881) spent the composer'swishes, was simple in character. Only outer portion of his short life, from the age of seventeen, in the service membersof the familywere invited. Wreathswere of the Libraryand the Natural History Department ofthe BritishMuseum. His inner life is expressed in four volumes of verse-the 'Epic of sent by the Prince of Monaco, M. Gunsbourg Woman' (r870), 'Lays of France' (1872), 'Music and Moonlight' (1874), of the Monte Carlo and and 'Songs of a Worker' (published posthumously in i88i). For a (director Opera), by critical appraisement of him the reader may be referredto the article M. Carrd (forthe in the new edition of the Britannica.' Op~ra-Comique). 'Encyclopaedia This content downloaded from 204.235.148.92 on Fri, 01 Jan 2016 02:53:36 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.--SEPTEMBER I, 1912. 567 You shall teachus yoursong's new numbers, as symbolisingthe sadness and spiritualunrest that And that dreamed before: things we not the composer associates with the artist and his YTea, in spiteof a dreamerwho slumbers, And a singerwho singsno more. creativegift. It is followed a second theme: The as he tells us in an immediately by composer, introductory No. 2. note,has interpretedO'Shaughnessy's Ode broadly, tranquillo e cantabize. including among these creative dreamers and seers 'not only poets and singers,but all artists who feel the tremendous responsibilityof their missionto " renew the world."' Artisticcreation, PP dolce. as so many of the great artistshave told us, is a process of sorrowfulspiritual birth. Elgar speaks of the changingmoods of his musicto the poem-- cres. 'moods whichthe creative artistsuffers in creating withits or in contemplatingthe unending influence of which, pendant: his creation. Yes, suffers;this is the only word No.3. I dare to use, for even the highest ecstasy of " making,"is mixed with the consciousness of the sombre of the of the artist's dignity eternity BASS. G responsibility.' Hence the atmosphere of the F music is mainlysad, thoughthere are enthusiastic,is also associated with the poet's mission, but, as will with the more joyous, and even frenziedmoments. the melody indicate, consoling While the bulk of the music is new, the and hopeful aspect of this. Whereas No. I is composer has made apposite and eloquent use always used in the form of an orchestral of themesfrom other works of his, and of phrases commentary,Nos. 2 and 3 are sung by the solo of 'The Marseillaise' and 'Rule, Britannia.' The voice to various words,besides being heard in the theme of the ' Enigma' Variations is used more orchestraas accompanimentto certainchoruses. than once, the composer's reason being that 'it AfterNo. 3 has risento a climax and died away expressedwhen written(in 1898) my sense of the again, the 'Enigma' theme is heard singingin the lonelinessof the artistas describedin the firstsix 'celli and violas (affrettando): lines of the Ode, and, to me, it still embodies that No.4. sense. At the end of the full score of the Variations, I wrote: '"Bramo assai, poco spero, nulla This was true in chieggio (Tasso)." 1898, m afrettando. and mightbe writtenwith equal truthat the end of this work in 1912.' he ' The of' Finally says: mainspring O'Shaugh- Zo-r F- nessy's Ode is'the sense of progress,of never- ceasing change; it is the duty of the artistto see that this inevitable change is progress. With a deep sense of this trust,I have endeavoured to interpretthe Ode as shewing the continuityof ahfass. f art, "in spite of a dreamer who slumbers,And a singerwho singsno more."' T-75 The workcommences with an orchestralprelude. is into The firsttheme, which frequentlywrought its with snatches is and developmentbeing interspersed the later tissue, of a passionate troubled of No. i. The turmoilof the music is character: gradually tranquillised; and after a quiet ending to the No.