BEETHOVEN 200 YEARS AGO TODAY: Wednesday, February 1, 1826

Today’s Leipzig Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Nr.5) at 80 includes a list of musical masses performed in Vienna during December 1825. One Beethoven Mass, presumably the Mass in C op.86, was performed.

Today’s Berliner allgemeine musikalische Zeitung (Nr.5) at 34-35 includes a substantial review by Ludwig Rellstab of Beethoven’s Bundeslied, with words by Goethe, op.122, published by B. Schott’s Sons in Mainz.

“Who would not be happy to read two such names on one title page, who would not be happy to be able to welcome Goethe’s courageous, joyful German drinking song in a new form!”

“First we must rectify the title. It suggests that only singing voices are performing the song. But the composer has added an accompaniment of two clarinets (in B-flat), two bassoons and two horns (B-flat Bassi).”

“This gives the song a completely different character than if it were taken freely, without accompaniment. We cannot help but find ourselves transported here, in a sense, to a merry banquet in the open air under green trees, where the loud, enthusiastic singing of the drinkers is accompanied by the sound of horns from the nearby bushes. For such a large space, for such a large gathering, the song had to be given a different style than that which was intended for the narrow confines of one room and only for a few cheerful friends.”

“In this way, the composer sought to elevate the originally pleasant popular song to the character of a hymn, and to bring it closer to that magnificent joy which is expressed in Schiller’s famous ode, although perhaps there with a little too much pathos. He therefore begins with a powerful Allegro in B-flat major, Common time, with the accompanying wind instruments alone, which begin piano but nevertheless bears the mark of strength, which it expresses even more clearly as it progresses through an effective crescendo until the solo voices come in. As these enter, the wind instruments limit themselves to a sharper accentuation of the rhythms in their most important sections, allowing the voices to develop freely. Only gradually does the accompaniment become more complete again, until it re-enters with renewed full strength in the reprise by the choir: ‘Uns hält der Gott zusammen‘ [‘God holds us together’] etc., giving the whole a magnificent, joyful sound.”

“In order to give the last verse a special elevation, the composer has made a change by adding an extension of two bars, like a fermata, to the line ‘und bleiben lange, lange, auf ewig so gesellt,’ [‘and we will remain so together for a long time, forever,’] on the word ‘ewig‘ [‘forever,’] while the first clarinet gives the passage a lively aspect with an up and down arpeggio. The same is repeated with the choir entering; the effect is unmistakable. As a final chorus, the slightly altered melody of the song follows again. The fermata is also repeated by the instruments, with the first clarinet making a trill on the double-note f, but the arpeggiating movement being assigned to all the other instruments. A lively, very original cadence leads to the end.”

“If a comparison can lead to a closer look, since we are not permitted to print the song itself here, we would like to find the song most similar in concept to Handel’s famous chorus from ‘Alexander’s Feast’, ‘Trinken ist der Krieger Labsal‘ [‘Drinking is the warrior’s refreshment’], although of course one should not think this a musical reminiscence. All sentimentality is avoided; in it there is the free, fiery power of joy. Hence the magic that lies in the fermata mentioned at the end, which can be compared to a kind of flamboyant fanfare that usually glorifies a toast to a great man or idea….”

“This song will certainly be received with great joy by all admirers of both Goethe and Beethoven. Therefore, we are all the more grateful to the publisher because he not only engraved it in piano score, which much could be misunderstood, but also in the complete score, and, in order to make it possible to perform it immediately, it has also been engraved in written-out parts. If only we could hear it at a celebratory gathering outdoors as spring approaches. Our singing groups and excellent musicians would certainly succeed in performing it superbly.”

Michael Tilson Thomas here conducts the London Symphony Orchestra, with the Ambrosian Singers, in a performance of the Bundeslied, op.122:

Schubert’s String Quartet D.810 “Tod und das Mädchen” is performed for the first time today, at the home of Josef Barth in Vienna.