The Standard Cantatas - Their Stories, Their Music, and Their Composers

George P. (George Putnam) Upton

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• Publié par: uffa
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 19
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Standard Cantatas, by George P. Upton This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The Standard Cantatas Their Stories, Their Music, and Their Composers Author: George P. Upton Release Date: May 4, 2010 [EBook #32248] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STANDARD CANTATAS *** Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Charley Howard and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) [1] THE STANDARD CANTATAS THEIR STORIES, THEIR MUSIC, AND THEIR COMPOSERS A Handbook BY GEORGE P. UPTON AUTHOR OF “THE STANDARD OPERAS,” “THE STANDARD ORATORIOS,” “WOMAN IN MUSIC,” ETC. CHICAGO A. C. M CCLURG AND COMPANY 1888 [2] C OPYRIGHT BY A. C. MCC LURG AND C O . A.D. 1887 [3] PREFACE. The “Standard Cantatas” is the third of the series in which the “Standard Operas” and “Standard Oratorios” have been its predecessors. Of necessity, therefore, the same method has been followed in the arrangement and presentation of the author’s scheme. As in the works above mentioned, short sketches of the music and stories of the cantatas are presented, together with biographies of their composers, some of which are reproduced from the other volumes with slight changes, the repetitions being necessary for the sake of uniformity. The sketches are prefaced by a comprehensive study of the cantata in its various forms, from its early simple recitative or aria style down to its present elaborate construction, which sometimes verges closely upon that of the opera or oratorio. The word “cantata” is so flexible and covers such a wide area in music, that it has been a work of some difficulty to decide upon the compositions that properly come within the [4] scheme of this volume. During the past two centuries it has been variously applied to songs, like those of the early Italian school; to ballads, like those of the early English composers; to concert arias, like those of Mozart, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn; to short operettas, dramatic scenas, cycles of ballads, and even to oratorios, whose subjects are more or less dramatic. It is believed, however, that the most important of the modern cantatas are included in the volume, and with them will be found several works, such as the “Damnation of Faust” and the “Romeo and Juliet” vocal symphony and others, which, though not in the strict cantata form, are nevertheless compositions belonging to the concert-stage for voices and orchestra, performed without scenery, costumes, or stage accessories. The author has paid particular attention to cantatas by American composers, and has selected for description and analysis those which in his estimation rank the highest in musical merit. It would be manifestly impossible to include in a volume of the present size all the compositions by Americans which have been called cantatas, for their number is wellnigh “legion.” Those have been selected which are creditable to American musical scholarship and are making a name for American music. It is possible some have been omitted which fulfil these conditions; if so, it is only because they have not come within the author’s observation. The Appendix has been a work of great care, labor, and research, [5] and wherever it was practicable the date of each cantata was verified. Like its two predecessors, the “Standard Cantatas” has been prepared for the general public, which has not the time or opportunity to investigate such matters, rather than for musicians, who are presumed to be familiar with them. On this account the text is made as untechnical as possible, and description takes the place of criticism. The work is intended to answer the purpose of a handbook and guide which shall acquaint the reader with the principal facts and accomplishments in this very interesting form of composition. The favor so generously accorded to the “Standard Operas” and “Standard Oratorios” leads the author to hope that this volume will also be welcome to music-lovers, and will find a place by the side of its this volume will also be welcome to music-lovers, and will find a place by the side of its companions in their libraries. G. P. U. C HICAGO , September, 1887. [7] CONTENTS. PAGE PREFACE THE CANTATA BACH ICH H ATTE VIEL BEKÜMMERNISS GOTTES ZEIT FESTA ASCENSIONIS C HRISTI EIN’ FESTE BURG BALFE MAZEPPA BEETHOVEN THE R UINS OF ATHENS THE GLORIOUS MOMENT BENEDICT ST. C ECILIA BENNETT THE MAY QUEEN THE EXHIBITION ODE BERLIOZ R OMEO AND JULIET THE D AMNATION OF FAUST BRAHMS TRIUMPHLIED BRUCH FRITHJOF SALAMIS FAIR ELLEN ODYSSEUS 3 13 29 31 33 37 38 44 45 48 49 53 56 57 62 64 66 68 70 74 82 83 86 87 92 93 95 BUCK D ON MUNIO C ENTENNIAL MEDITATION OF C OLUMBIA THE GOLDEN LEGEND THE VOYAGE OF C OLUMBUS THE LIGHT OF ASIA CORDER THE BRIDAL OF TRIERMAIN COWEN THE SLEEPING BEAUTY DVOŘÁK THE SPECTRE’ S BRIDE FOOTE H IAWATHA GADE C OMALA SPRING FANTASIE THE ERL KING ’ S D AUGHTER THE C RUSADERS GILCHRIST THE FORTY-SIXTH PSALM GLEASON THE C ULPRIT FAY THE PRAISE SONG TO H ARMONY HANDEL ACIS AND GALATEA ALEXANDER’ S FEAST L’ALLEGRO HATTON R OBIN H OOD HAYDN THE SEVEN WORDS ARIADNE HILLER SONG OF VICTORY HOFMANN MELUSINA LESLIE H OLYROOD LISZT PROMETHEUS THE BELLS OF STRASBURG MACFARREN C HRISTMAS MACKENZIE THE STORY OF SAYID JUBILEE ODE MASSENET MARY MAGDALEN MENDELSSOHN THE WALPURGIS N IGHT 101 103 106 109 114 117 123 124 128 129 134 136 140 141 143 144 146 147 149 153 154 156 157 161 163 166 173 178 186 187 191 194 198 201 203 205 206 209 210 215 217 221 226 228 232 233 237 241 242 246 248 ANTIGONE ŒDIPUS AT C OLONOS AS THE H ART PANTS THE GUTENBERG FEST-C ANTATA LAUDA SION MOZART KING THAMOS D AVIDDE PENITENTE THE MASONIC C ANTATAS PAINE ŒDIPUS TYRANNUS THE N ATIVITY THE R EALM OF FANCY PHŒBUS, ARISE PARKER, H. W. KING TROJAN PARKER, J. C. D. THE R EDEMPTION H YMN RANDEGGER FRIDOLIN RHEINBERGER C HRISTOPHORUS TOGGENBURG ROMBERG LAY OF THE BELL SCHUBERT MIRIAM’ S WAR SONG SCHUMANN ADVENT H YMN THE PILGRIMAGE OF THE R OSE THE MINSTREL’ S C URSE SINGER THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS SMART THE BRIDE OF D UNKERRON KING R ENÉ’ S D AUGHTER SULLIVAN ON SHORE AND SEA THE GOLDEN LEGEND WAGNER LOVE FEAST OF THE APOSTLES WEBER JUBILEE C ANTATA KAMPF U ND SIEG WHITING THE TALE OF THE VIKING APPENDIX INDEX 254 259 262 263 265 268 270 274 276 280 281 286 288 289 291 292 295 296 298 299 303 304 306 308 309 313 314 317 319 321 322 324 325 327 328 330 332 334 335 338 340 342 344 346 348 349 353 365 [13] THE STANDARD CANTATAS. THE CANTATA. The origin of the cantata is a matter of controversy, but it is clear that it had its birth in Italy. Adami, an old writer, attributes its invention to Giovanni Domenico Poliaschi Romano, a papal chapel-singer, who, it is claimed, wrote several cantatas as early as 1618. The same writer also asserts that the Cavalier da Spoleto, a singer in the same service, published cantatas in 1620. Hawkins asserts in one chapter of his “History of Music” that the invention is due to Carissimi, chapel-master of the Church of St. Apollinare in Rome, who unquestionably did an important service for dramatic music by perfecting recitative and introducing stringed accompaniments; but in a subsequent chapter the historian states that Barbara Strozzi, a Venetian lady contemporary with Carissimi, was the inventor, and [14] assigns the year 1653 as the date when she published certain vocal compositions with the title “Cantate, Ariette e Duetti,” prefixed by an advertisement setting forth that having invented this form of music, she had published them as an experiment. Burney takes notice of the claim made for Romano and Da Spoleto, but does not think it valid, and says: “The first time that I have found the term ‘cantata’ used for a short narrative lyric poem was in the Musiche varie a voce sola del Signor Benedetto Ferrari da Reggio , printed at Venice, 1638.” This, as will be observed, disposes of the Venetian lady’s claim, as it is antedated twenty years, and Burney states his facts from personal investigation. He mentions several cantatas written about this period, among them a burlesque one describing the leap of Marcus Curtius into the gulf. He concedes to Carissimi, however, the transfer of the cantata from the chamber to the church, and on this point nearly all the early writers are agreed. The cantata in its earliest form was a recitative, which speedily developed into a mixture of recitative and melody for a single voice, and was suggested by the lyric opera. Burney says: — “The chief events were related in recitative. In like manner they received several progressive changes during the last century previous to their perfection. First, they consisted, like opera scenes, of little more than recitative, with frequent formal closes, at which the singer, either accompanied by himself or another performer on a single instrument, was left at liberty to show [15] his taste and talents.” The form then changed to a single air in triple time, independent of the recitative, and repeated to the different verses as in a ballad, the melody being written every time, as the Da Capo was not then in use.[1] Choron defines the cantata as follows:— “It is a little poem, which, considered in a literary sense, has no very determinate character, though it is usually the recital of a simple and interesting fact interspersed with reflections or the expression of some particular sentiment. It may be in all styles and all characters, sacred, profane, heroic, comic, and even ludicrous, representing the action or feeling of either a single or several persons. It even sometimes assumes the character of the oratorio.” As applied to recitative, the new form was variously