Robert Schumann

Author(s): Franz Liszt and F. Harling-Comyns

Source: The Musical Times , Jul., 1956, Vol. 97, No. 1361 (Jul., 1956), p. 377
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/937731

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July 1956 THE MUSICAL TIMES 377

Robert Schumann
The following extracts from an essay on Schumann by Franz Liszt, written in 1840, show how early and accurately
the one composer understood the other.-EDITOR
THERE are works of art that popularity spoils, at leisure'. Those of Schumann could only have been
whose growth it protects; but these works, too written at very great leisure. In form they are related
pampered, like flowers that burst into blossom on to the so-called ' Eroica ' variations, and to those upon
an April morning only to find their frail petals brokena waltz of Diabelli, of Beethoven. But new harmonic
by the first breeze from the north, fall and die beneath and rhythmical combinations abound. I refer readers
the first icy blast of the wind of the justice of posterity.in particular to the fourth, eighth, ninth, tenth, and
There are others that remain long hidden in the nineteenth pages.
shadow, revealing their veiled beauties only to the
attentive eyes of those who search for them with love Another characteristic work is the sonata op. 11.
and perseverance, but which entirely escape the For me the significance of the title is veiled in mystery. -
frivolous crowd. Finally, there is a third order, con- In France this heading might be looked upon as affecta-
sisting of a happy privileged section, which wins the tion, for here poetical conceptions are frequently
affections of the masses and the approbation of judges. confused with eccentricities and judged with the same
Of these works any criticism is almost uncalled for; biting words. In Germany this is not so. There the
for to list beauties universally admired is superfluous; public is not petrified by a flight of imagination of an
while it is almost the act of a rebel to point to the artist. On the contrary: it realizes that it ought not to
peccadilloes inseparable from all human works. cross swords with the genius who has presented it with
The compositions of the writer whom we are con- a work of art; and that, if this be really one of beauty,
sidering now belong to the second class; for, while we it must respect the sentiment or the caprice by which it
scarcely feel that they will ever succeed in tickling the was inspired....
ears of the vast crowd, an intelligent eye can see in We have invariably wished to believe that it is the aim
them at a glance exceptional merits and beauties of a of so-called descriptive music to rival the art of painting
quite uncommon order. Without stopping to consider and that it aspires to depict realistically a view across a
if Schumann is of the new school or the old school, of the forest, the ramblings of a brook in a valley, or any-
school that is just emerging on the horizon or of the thing else you wish-a supposition obviously absurd.
school that can say nothing, without claiming to classify It is clear to the meanest intelligence that the portrayal
him, as we classify objects in a natural history museum, of visible objects is not the sphere of music and that
I will merely say that the works of which I am about to the most elementary pupil in an art school will give us a
attempt a rapid analysis (and which I have selected asclearer representation of a countryside than the most
typical of the remainder, at any rate of his larger pieces) consummate musician with the resources of the largest
undoubtedly assign him a place among the host of of orchestras. Yet do not these same objects, when
composers-real or would-be-that abounds at the viewed in ecstasy by a meditative soul assume a singular
present time. We grant few men the honour of raisingaffinity with music? Does it not translate them into
them onto thrones as founders of schools, inventors ofits own mysterious language? If the imitation of the
systems; yet we find that we have today made a cuckoo, quail, and nightingale, can, harshly judged, be
deplorable abuse of great words and pompous considered puerile, are we for that to assume that
phrases regarding quite small things and quite little Beethoven was in error in communicating to us in the
people. Then, without placing into Schumann's hands 'Pastoral' symphony the emotions aroused in him
an inventor's testimonial-a possession that he himself by a smiling countryside and a village fete with its
would be the first to cast away-we will call the atten- sudden interruption by an unexpected storm? Again,
tion of musicians to this young pianist,* whose works, does not Berlioz, in his symphony 'Harold en Italie',
apart from those of Chopin, reveal the greatest amount vividly call to mind the spirit of the scenes upon the
of knowledge and originality of all that I have seen mountains and the devotional effect of the bells,
recently. gradually dying away as we pass beyond them in the
The first work that I have selected as typical is his turns of the steep paths?
opus 5: 'Impromptus upon a theme of Clara Wieck'. Translated by DR. F. HARLING-COMYNS
Rousseau once said: 'I write very good impromptus
*At the time of writing this essay, Liszt was not acquainted with tThe sonata bears the dedication: 'To Clara. From Florestan
the facts of Schumann's life. (Translator's note.) and Eusebius'.

The sixty-third Annual General Meeting of the increments in salaries. The B.Mus. does not. A sub-
Union of Graduates was held at Trinity College of committee has been set up to explore the modem
Music, London, on 19 April with the president, Pro- practice with regard to degrees. Members of this
fessor W. K. Stanton, in the chair. The hon. treasurer's committee are the President, Mr. Pfaff, Dr. Ian Parrott
Report and Balance Sheet were adopted on a pro- and Mr. Tobin.
position from the chair and carried unanimously.
Mr. John Tobin was thanked and congratulated for
making the Annual Roll self-supporting. Professor The Royal Amateur Orchestral Society under its
Stanton was re-elected president and Mr. Moore conductor Arthur Davison gave a concert in the Duke's
treasurer. The resignation of Mr. W. J. Comley as Hall of the Royal Academy of Music early in June.
hon. general secretary was received with regret and The soloists in Elgar's cello concerto and the Sinfonia
grateful thanks were expressed for his services. Mr. Concertante for violin and viola by Mozart were Christo-
Cyril A. Cork has been appointed his successor. Dr. pher Bunting, Sydney Humphreys and Quintin Bal-
lardie. In July the Overseas League Music Circle will
Ian Parrott drew attention to the fact that there is no
Professor of Music in the University of Wales thoughpresent a private concert in the State Apartments of
St. James's Palace. Rohan de Sarum, the young Cinga-
there are professors at various colleges of the Univer-
sity. He also remarked on the growing practice in lese cellist, and the Canadian pianist, Winifred Scott,
will be the soloists, and the orchestra will be conducted
Welsh Universities of a preference for the B.A. degree
in music with honours. This degree qualifies for by Arthur Davison.

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