Music and Gramophones

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 2, 24 March 1927, Page 14

Music and Gramophones

“BEETHOVEN The Master Musician CENTENARY ON SATURDAY In a secluded little cemetery at Wahring, near Vienna, a master musician lies buried. No ornate headstone marks the spot, but among the marvy noble tombstones and monuments may be seen one of stern and striking simplicity, a stone with but one word upon Beethoven. Marble and granite is unnecessary. By his works the great ton/s-poet has erected to himself a living monument which will perpetuate his name as long as music exists. This week marks the one-hundredth anniversary of his death, and on Saturday when the centenary falls due, the event will be celebrated throughout, the length and breadth of the musical world.

Ludwig Va.n Beethoven was born on December I*T, 1770, at the pretty town Bonn, on the Rhine, where his father, Jcsiann Van Beethoven, was tenor siryger in the Elector of Cologne’s private chapel. Of his infant life little is known, except that it was passed in the midst of misery and poverty aa a result of the 'drunken and dissolute habits to which his father was addicted. At a very early age Ludwig evinced a liking for the clavier, and with some idea of supplementing his income at some future date his father commenced to give him lessons on the instrument. Fortunately for the" wotfld Ludwig was afterwards transferred to the care of Pfeiffer, an excellent pianist, under whose instruction the child made wonderful progress. When the boy was nine years old he was placed under the care of Christian Gottlon Neefe, the court organist. From what Beethoven afterwards said, it did not f appear as if he was on very harmoni- . ous terms with him; and he also related that he did not profit by his instruction. Ludwig remained with Neefe until 1787. Although chiefly engaged in teaching he also filled the post of assistant organist at the : Church of St. Remigius and conducted rehearsals of the Grossman Operatic Troupe. MOZART’S VERDICT In the spring of 1787, young Beethoven visited tlie great art capital of Vienna where he was successful in obtaining an interview with Mozart. A theme was laid before him on which he was requested to improvise. Mozart was immediately struck by it and turning to a number of critics present exclaimed: “Take care of this youth; some day he will make a stir in the' world.” Such was the verdict of the great Mozart. Upon the death of his ' mother, to whom he was greatly attached, Beethoven was called upon to | support his younger brothers and sis- \ ters, and he was obliged to again re- 1 sume teaching, a task he intensely disliked. In 1792 he again proceeded to Vienna, this time to enrol himself ‘ in the list of Haydn’s pupils. The latter immediately perceived his marvellous talent, but after some time had j elapsed, Beethoven, not feeling satis- ; fled with the treatment he was receiv- j injg, took an early opportunity of severing the connection. Under Albrecht- c ! larger, he thoroughly grounded him- * self in the mysteries of fugue and , counterpoint, and it was during this < [ period of his instruction that the * young maestro first made the ac- * quaintance of Prince Karl Lichnowski, J one of the many dilettanti, who flocked * to hear him play. The Prince evinced 1 a very great interest in Beethoven and * expressed the wish that he would re- ® side with him at his palace. Beethoven P accepted the offer and it was there , that the three wonderful and unsur- a passed trios for violin, violoncello and ? pianoforte were first performed; also many of his quartettes, the appealing n Pathetique Sonata, his first Concerto in C major, for piano and orchestra, 1 and other works more or less import- ° ant. He remained at the palace till F the year 1795, when he appeared in P public as a virtuoso for the first time. , But 25 years of age, he was now acclaimed the greatest virtuoso of the S 1 day, and already over-stepping the w summit which others had reached as s ' composers. From that time to the a] year 1827, when he died, he never quitted for more than a. day or so the n ‘” town in which he made his debut. A GREAT AFFLICTION

In the midst of his triumphs Beethoven had foreboding-s of a fearful nature. Gradually the cloud crept nearer till in 1800 his fears culminated—Beethoven was deaf. How keenly he felt his affliction will be perceived by an extract .from his will in which he refers to it in the following words:—“Thus, with a passionate, lively temperament, keenly susceptible to the charms of society, I was forced early to separate myself from men,

! and lead a solitary life. If at times 1 sought to break myself from my solitude, how harshly I was repulsed by the renewed consciousness of my affliction; and yet it was impossible for me to say to people, ‘speak louder — shout —I am deaf!’ Nor could I proclaim an imperfection in that organ which in me should have been more perfect than in others. What humiliation, when someone near me hears the note of a far-off flute or the distant shepherd’s song, and I do not.” Gradually Beethoven was compelled to give up his piano-playing and conducting, for he could not hear sufficiently what he or others played, and settle down to composition for the remainder of his life. The first great work to which he directed his attention after his affliction was the Third Symphony in E flat major, better known as the “Sinfonia Erocia.” In this wonderful composition, considered by many to be the finest of his nine symphonies, Beethoven took tip the divine art where Haydn and Mozart left it, and carried it to a world in which neither they, nor any before or after them, had lived. After the massive “Erocia,” Beethoven ' published a few piano sonatos, trios and songs; then we come to that grand form of writing in which he has left one solitary specimen—the opera “Fidelo.” Why Beethoven wrote but one opera it is hard to conceive, considering his immense fertility in writing, unless for the reason that he would not submit to the whims and fancies of those who had the singing of his music. He was certainly not a man who would yield to singers, however great they might be. ¥ COLOSSAL WORKS From 1804 to 1814, styled by some writers as the “matured period” of Beethoven’s life, the composer wrote a list of colossal works. Among the most important are the music to Goethe’s “Egmon-t”—alone sufficient to have placed its composer in the first rank, had he written nothing more; the Fourth Symphony in B flat major, and the Fifth in C minor, the most splendid symphony ever written. The Sixth .Symphony followed immediately after. Better known by the title given tes it by the composer himself, “The Pastorale,” it is noteworthy as being one of the very rare examples of the great genius attaching a descriptive programme to his music. The Mass in C which followed breathes a grave and pathetic yearning, but a severity of treatment and conception not understood at the time, particularly following the masses of Haydn tnd Mozart, did not bring it into great popularity when it was first sung in LJ?3,O. Five years elapsed between the ‘Pastorale” symphony and the Seventh, during which a large list of somewhat smaller works flowed with>uf intermission from his prolific pen, ;ill the year 1813, when the Seventh Symphony in A major was given to he world. Of all the nine colossal ymphonies written by Beethoven this s the most majestic and powerful, afording a splendid example of his wonerful originality and power of comprehension. In the latter part of 1819 ieethoven commenced work upon a lass in D major, intended for the oc- I asion of the installation of his friend I lie Archduke Rudolphe as Archbishop f Olmuty, in the year 1821, but so en- | rossed in the work did the composer ecome that he did not complete it till vo years after the event which it was itended to celebrate. Beethoven condered it to be his most successful ork; by other musicians it was redded as one of the greatest works of rt ever created. The next and last neat work with which Beethoven’s a.me is associated is the .Ninth Symbony, better known as the “Choral ymphony,” or the “Jupiter.” It was during a visit to his brother ihg,nn in December, 1826, that BeetDven contracted an attack of inflam.ation of the lungs, from which he 3ver recovered. For three months 3 lingered on until the evening of .arch 24, when he lost consciousness, le continued gradually to sink till on e evening of March 26, when, in the ords of Crowest, “Nature sang a jquiem over him.” Amidst a fearful ;orm of thunder and lightning his lirit took its flight.

should be limited to two hours duration. Very few people are able to retain their interest for hour after hour, and one boring evening is liable to prove fatal from the concert-going point of view. Another welcome innovation which is rapidly growing in strength in New Zealand is the break-ing-down of the old encore convention. To obtain the necessary atmos- " phere it is desirable that numbers should be sung in groups, and even if this is not altogether possible in the case of assisting artists, the modified bracket of two numbers would certainly prove more convenient and artistic. Ranking with the greatest violinists of the day, Jascha Heifetz, whose return to New Zealand some time this year will be awaited with considerable interest, has the distinction —rare in the musical world—or achieving fame while yet on the threshold of life. He began playing at the age of three, at seven had completed the course at the Royal Music School in Vilna, and after study with Professor Leopold Auer in Petrograd was a mature artist at the age of ten. His technique is considered flawless; the intonation perfect, and the quality of his tone superb. Phenomenal mastery over bow and violin having been given him in childhood, it seems as if Nature for once was bent upon creating a perfect model. >