LIEDERTAFELN.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2704, 9 November 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

LIEDERTAFELN.

A mpsjcal gentleman supplies a Southern contemporary with the following interesting history of Liedertafeln, musical societies that an; now becoming popular throughout the world : —The "original Liedurtafcln wort; societies of men who met together on fixed evenings for the practice of vocal music in four parts, driuking and smoking forming part ot the entertainment. They arose during the political depression caused by the first Napoleonic wars in Germany, and the first, consisting of 24 nicmnora only, was founded by Zulter in Berlin, in 1800. Others soon followed, in Frankfort and Leipsic. Gradually relaxing the rules of membership, these societies gave an immense impetus to nieu's part singing throughout Germany. Since then the word Liedertafeln has come to mean a social gathering of invited ladies and gentlemen at which the members perform pieces previously learned. They are in fact informal concerts, where the guests move about, eat, drink, and talk as they please, provided they keep silence duriDg the singing. Here is a description of a German singing club by a well known musician :—" On our way up the Ehine we spent a night at the little town of Neuwied, well known for its Moravain settlement and the admirable school connected therewith. In the evening when we were sitting on the balcony of our hotel, watching the twilight on the river as it changed to darkness, we were surprised to hear a fine burst of men's voice harmony from the room below. After listening for a minute or two we went down, and the landlord who happened to pass asked us in. We found ourselves in the presence of some twenty men, who were seated at table* arranged on three sides of a square, On the fourth side was an oblong grand piano, behind which the conductor sat. The scene was truly German. The men were all of middle age. Each had a bottle of wine at the side of his music, and each was smoking a cigar. The conductor, a grand matured looking fellow, one of the seniors of the party, was extemporizing dreamy uhords at the piano, making a sort of background for the buzz of conversation that filled the room. When the talk had goue. on for about ten minutes, this worthy called out the name of a piece, and played the lirst few bars on the instrument. Then he raised his short baton, and started the singing. There was no great refinement about the style ; the voices were not picked, but the singers had evidently a feeling for music, and that makes even a poor voice plesant. The first tenors had strong voices, they had evidently been accustomed to use their '• thin/' register from the time thtir voices changed, and now at middle ags it was strong and blended well with " thick." The second basses were, however, magnificient. They had voices like a double bass, that sent a thrill through the furniture in the room. The style of singing was rcmarable for the sudden changes from forte to piano, also for the accelerandos which the singers seemed instinctively give when the music rose in emotional force. When the first piece was was over there was another interval of ten minutes for conversation ; indeed this plan was pursued throughout the evening, so that from half-past seven to ten, when the meeting closed, only six pieces were sung. The name of the club, " Neuwiden Liedertafeln" was upon all the property. Such institutions are now to be found throughout Germany, and are to be met with in nearly every village." The Liedertafeln (literally song-tables") are purely German institutions, but they have found their way to nearly all parts of the globe, and are very popular, except in England, where the Glee Club take its place, and is a much older institution.