Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-09-10
MUSICAL.

Few people outside of the ranks of
professional musicians are aware of the
many musical forgeries which pass cur.
rent as genuine works. Many works
attributed to great composers are often
not by the alleged composers at all,
or, if they are. then they were originally
written under quite different titles
"Rousseau's Dream" by Beethoven,
is probably by that composer, although
it is not by any means certain, but it
decidedly never received that title from
Beethoven and its christening came
about in the following curious manner:
Somewhere between 1910 and 1850 one
of Thackeray's great novels was APP
pearing in monthly parts, probably it
was Vanity Fair" or "Pendennis T"
Incidentally, the author refers to one
of his characters playing that ex-
Beethoven" This was an absolute in
vention on Thackeray's part.
On the very morning of this serial
part appearing Messrs. Cramer & Beale,
of Regent street, the foremost musical
publishers of the day, were inundated
with inquiries for the piece in question.
Frederick Beale, the then head of the
firm, was at his wits end about the
piece, which he had never heard of be-
fore, and which, as matter of fact,
did not exist At last he said to his
managing clerk. IF the public really
want the piece so badly they've got to
have it. Go and get one of Beethoven
least known pieces, have it turned out
with the title of 'Rousseau's Dream
and sell it as fast as you can" This
was done, and the piece is sold to-day
under the same fictitious title.
"Weber's Last Waltz" which is sup
posed to be by Carl Maria Won Weber,
and is always sold as one of his COM
positions, il really by distinguished
but less known composer named R~is-
siger; but, of course, it sells better as
being by Weber. 1.-THE Moonlight
Sonata" by Beethoven, was never
christened so by him, and he would
never have recognized it under that
title 1t simply bore an opus number,
and some enterprising and imaginative
English music publisher dubbed it
Moonlight" for want of better name.
Again, Beethoven's waltz, lie De-
SIR" is not by Beethoven at all, but by
Franz Schubert. The real composer is
unmistakable from the character of the
piece. and its consistent attribution to
Beethoven is mystery. Mendelssohn's
Songs Without Words" were written
and originally published with no names
or titles, but simply prefixed with dis
tinguished number.
Since his death, however, names have
been put to a good many of them by
publishers without the slightest right or
authority. For instance, the one
known as the Funeral March" is So
called because after Mendelssohn' s
decth it was scored for a brass band by
Ignace Moscheles, and played at the
great composers funeral. Previously
it had only borne a number like all the
rest
Mendelssohn was very fond of Eng
land and everything English; he spoke
and wrote English luently, and paid
frequent visits to this country. Once,
when staying with Mr. Taylor, in
North Wales, he wrote series of three
pieces. which ne called "TrOis Fantasies
GU Caprices." Op. Is. No. of these,
an andante in E, was taken bodily
from the series and after his death pub
lished separately under several different
titles, such as THE Rivulet." THE
Brooklet, . The Streamlet." and several
other diminutives. according TO the in
dividual taste Of the publisher.
But perhaps the most serious case Of
all is that Of Handlers so-called "Har-
monious Blacksmith" To begin with,
Handel never called his set Of yaria-
tions by any such title, and, as matter
OF fact. they were ayowedly founded on
a popular French air Of the period.
This has been proved by the researches
of the late William Chappell. In Han
dels lifetime his arrangement was
known simply as Suite de Pieces. F"
Various stories, all equally unauthen-
ticated, have been promulgated as TO
the origin Of the title One tale circum-
stantially relates how Handel was stay
ing with the Duke of Buckingham and
Chandos at Edgware, and being caught
.. in shower OF rain, he sought refuge In
the village smithy. Here he heard the
blacksmith humming the air on which
he afterward wrote variations
Another version OF the story tells Of