Evening star., 1936-11-14


the part OF the leaders as on the.:
part OF the followers Of the two diff
ferent parties. This, In turn, eyentu-
ally made for more definite and
deeper cieavages between the factions
and what they stood for.
The music itself, even, was con-
sidered to be heinously at fault The
protagonists Of the Schumann-Men-
delssohn- Brahms faction called their
idols music pure music" This
meant originally music without a
literary connection, such as the List
symphonic poems with an underly-
ing poetic idea). the Berlioz Sym
phones with so-called "idee-fxe"D
and the Wagner music dramas had.
But eventually pure music" became
in the minds of many the opposite
of impure music" II only by impli-
cation, through a kind of musical
whispering campaign. However, In
the end, both factions found that
talent was not to be controlled by
either arguments, gossip, calumny,
personal enmity, or even critical con-
demnation.
CTRAUSs, starting as q "Brahmsi-
- amer" already at q comparatively
early age broke away and became
"Zukunftsmusiker" musician OF the
future), following in the paths which
List had opened up. 1t was at a
psychological moment, when the
Brahms followers had announced that
the music Of the future was on its
last legs, that don Juan" Tod und
verklarung" and Till Eulenspiegel'
appeared as very living proof to the
contrary. Music full of vitality and
ideas. From the point of view OF
melody and harmony q decided and
fresh inspiration was, together with
superb-yes, sumptuous-instruments-
ton, Strauss great contribution TO
the music of the late nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries.
OF the three works which I have
mentioned above, Tod und Verkla-
rung" is in a way the most poetic. 1t
describes vividly in tones the suffering
and struggle of a dying man who
achieves victory in death when the
soul becomes liberated from the body.
It is based on poem by Alexander
Ritter.
It seems strange to us now, when
we consider this music of q contem-
porary composer as comparatively
simple, that it should have created
the turmoil which was its share at
the first hearings. Today we have
accepted the work not only as one
OF Strauss finest, but also as one OF
the master creations Of all musical
literature.
A RARELY played work by Strauss,
"a and one which. as far as can
find out, has not had a performance |
In its original version in Washington,
is the "Burlesque" for piano and or
chestra.
The role of q solo instrument found
its apogee in the concerto form in
works by List, Tschaikowsky, Saint
saens, ETC., where the performer could
give free rein to his fantasy as well
as to his technique. Later on. Brahms
created a different medium for a So
loist; one might say. a more musical
one, inasmuch as then solo part
became more closely allied to the
orchestral background, which in the
works by the previous masters had
remained of less importance. In the
Brahms works the orchestra occa-
sionally has even more to say than
the solo instrument, with the result
that they are sometimes. and rightly,
regarded as symphonies. However,
with these two versions OF the solo
role, the medium Of the concerted per-
former had become nearly complete.
The only other way still possible was
for the performer to become sub
ordinate part of the creation. and this
Is what Strauss and. later on, other
composers have done whenever they
did employ a solo instrument. I need
but remind of the cello roles in
Strauss Don Quixote" and Bloch's
"Schelomo," and the piano part in
Nights In a Garden" by de Falla Ito
name but few, in all Of which the
solo instrument is more like strain
in a tapestry and fulfills a so-called
obbligato role.
The "Burlesque" by Strauss reminds
one nearly Of chamber music in its
closely-knit Intervening of all the
different instruments, including the
tympani. This undoubtedly is one OF
the reasons why the work has not
become more prominently known.
It also has much of the spirit Of
the symphonic poem IT'LL Eulensrie-
GEL" in its humor and nearly Flemish
quality of vigor and peasant virility,
and Is very difficult from a technical
point of view. Naturally the virtu-
oso performer prefers to Shine in a
work in which he is the whole show"
which is more grateful" from the
ordinary point Of view. All the more
credit to Miss Renard for taking
part in the "Burlesque," and thereby
acquainting the Washington public
with a rarely heard work
OF WAGNER we will play the So
called Finale" of the "Meister-
singer" consisting of the introduction
to the third act and the Dance OF
the Apprentices. which leads into the
Entrance of the Mastersingers"
themselves, and the final apotheosis,
the Homage" to Hans Sachs, which is
the very last part Of this perennially i
young work.
Then he will play the Love Song"
which Siegmund sings to Sieglinde IN
the first act of "walkure," music full
of the spirit of tenderness and youth
and Springtinie enchantment and
victorious young love. And then we
will in contrast play excerpts from
what Is universally and rightly con-
sidered to be the greatest and most
tragically passionate drama Of love
In the entire musical literature, the
Prelude and Love Death" Of Tristan
and Isolde"
Wagner himself wrote to Mathilde
Wesendonck, the woman who was his
-