New-York tribune., 1902-03-19
IIANDEL's HARMONIOUS BLACKSMITH"


The fact that NJ Gilbert sang a song called
''Chauson de Clement Marot," which proved to
have the melody famiary known Handers
Harmonious Blacksmith the concert OF
Chansons popuaires FRANCHISES night before last,
was commented upon briefly in this journal yester-
day. The beauty and popularity Of the old air and
the mystery surrounding its origin may justify a
recurrence the subject Is the air an original
composition Of HandeTs? II not who wrote it?
How came il TO be associated with the song which
II Gilbert sang last Monday? Whence came the
title by which it is popularly known? These are
interesting questions which have long puzzled curl
investigators. but have never been satlsiac-
tOrily answered.
The Harmonious Blacksmith" is from of
HandeVs Lessons for the Harpsichord, or
suites de Pieces pour Ie Clavecin." Originally 1t
formed the last movement of the fifth suite Aside
from its charm Of melody, it has interest as Illus
tratng brilliant style Of variation introduced into
the suite by the composer and for this reason II
has remained on the programmes OF to-day whence
nearly everything else Of Handels has ned lradl-
ton has wrapped an ample cloak Of fiction about
the composition. The familiar story runs that
Handel was once caught a rainstorm while walk
ing through the village of Edgeware on his way TO
Cannons He took refuge in the shop OF a black
smith. who sang q song while at work ana kept
time 10 his music with his hammer on the anvil
Handel remembered the tune, and on reaching ms
lodgings wrote variations II. This tune after
ward came TO be known as The HARMONIOUS
Blacksmith vast deal Of labor has been spent
in investigating the story, even the hammer ana
anvil which figure IL having been hunted up ana
preserved II has been observed that the Anvil
Creyerentially printed in the books with capital
Al when hit by the Hammer with big I'D gives
out the tones and Z, which are respectively tonic
and dominant OF the key in which the air stands;
but unhappily for the lovers Of musical romance,
nothing has been found TO substantiate the story.
II the early editions of HandeIs suites the move
ment has 10 other designation than Air ct
Doubles'
It is not NkeIy that Handel composed the melody,
but that it was in existence when Clement Marot
lived seems ar utterly absurd belief Such melodies
were unknown in the sixteenth century Moreover
the song sung by Gilbert IS not to be found In any
collection Of Marots poems 1t is a love song be-
ginning Plus ne suis que jai etc" in which the
poet iar1euts that the spring and OF HIS life
are past and he longer serve the god or love
as he would DO were he born again:
Amour tu as etc mon maitre,
j. tai servi sur tous les dieHx:
An, 81 je pouvais deux fois naitTe
William Chsppeu writing in the appendix to
Groves Dictionary intimates that the air and the
poem falsely credited TO Marot first appeared In an
anthology Of French songs published in Paris in
lls. But Mr. Chappell seems to have ignored the
Fact that words and music printed eight years
cartier in a volume entitled "Choix de Chansons
commencer de Thibaut de Champagne edited by
somebody named Moncrif and published in Paris In
I35l NJ NeckeTlin the admirable musical antiquary'
VINO Is the librarian OF me rams AoIlsei Edto'S' Al
eluded it without question in his 'Echos du Tempo
passe. Recuen de Chansons Noels. etc. Du l2me.
su lsme Steele Upon being questioned as TO the
authenticity the melody VI. Weckerlin unhesitat-
igly expressed the opinion that words had been
adapted 20 Handels melody and expressed regret
mat he had known il in time 10 make state
ment 70 that effect ia his book. Moncrifs book,
nom which WeckeTlin borrowed, came out in l761;
Handels suite was published in 1920. but composed
much earlier
W Handers boeTaphers Scholcher and Rockstro
seem inclined accept the story OF the singing
blacksmith, which Chrysarder ridcules. II IL is true,
men the melody Is certainly not original Dr.
cioieh, who traced the source Of many Of Handels
Dofro"ings claimed to have seen the air In n
"Afpsichord piece composed by Wagenseil. who was
contemporary of Handles but lived In Vienna II
= IL Ia singular that has ever found the
piset since. Scholcher does not believe the story,
Dseause he cannot understand how Wagenseil could
NAG hVea hfty years more after Handel published
ms hfth suite and never put In a claim for the
SpoIsnip Of the air had IL been his. But was
"saeo Ia this journal some weeks ago. less i'm