SubmittedFriday, 03 May 2019
Kalischt in Bohemia
He was born at Kalischt in Bohemia, and became a pupil of Anton Bruckner at Vienna, and afterwards Hofoperndirecktor («Director of the Opera») there. I hope one day to study this artist’s work in greater detail, for he is second only to Strauss as a composer in Germany, and the principal musician of South Germany.
His most important work is a suite of symphonies; and it was the fifth symphony of this suite that he conducted at the Strasburg festival. The first symphony, called Titan, was composed in 1894. The construction of the whole is on a massive and gigantic scale; and the melodies on which these works are built up are like rough-hewn blocks of not very good quality, but imposing by reason of their size, and by the obstinate repetition of their rhythmic design, which is maintained as if it were an obsession. This heaping-up of music both crude and learned in style, with harmonies that are sometimes clumsy and sometimes delicate, is worth considering on account of its bulk. The orchestration is heavy and noisy; and the brass dominates and roughly gilds the rather sombre colouring of the great edifice. The underlying idea of the composition is neo-classic, and rather spongy and diffuse. Its harmonic structure is composite: we get the style of Bach, Schubert, and Mendelssohn fighting that of Wagner and Bruckner; and, by a decided liking for canon form, it even recalls some of Franck’s work. The whole is like a showy and expensive collection of bric-à-brac.
The chief characteristic of these symphonies is, generally speaking, the use of choral singing with the orchestra. «When I conceive a great musical painting (ein grosses musikalisches Gemälde),» says Mahler, «there always comes a moment when I feel forced to employ speech (das Wort) as an aid to the realisation of my musical conception.»
Mahler has got some striking effects from this combination of voices and instruments, and he did well to seek inspiration in this direction from Beethoven and Liszt. It is incredible that the nineteenth century should have put this combination to so little use; for I think the gain may be poetical as well as musical.
In the Second Symphony in C minor, the first three parts are purely instrumental; but in the fourth part the voice of a contralto is heard singing these sad and simple words:
«Der Mensch liegt in grösster Noth! Der Mensch liegt in grösster Pein! Je lieber möcht ich im Himmel sein!»[194]
The soul strives to reach God with the passionate cry:
«Ich bin von Gott und will wieder zu Gott.»[195]
Then there is a symphonic episode (Der Rufer in der Wüste), and we hear «the voice of one crying in the wilderness» in fierce and anguished tones. There is an apocalyptic finale where the choir sing Klopstock’s beautiful ode on the promise of the Resurrection:
«Aufersteh’n, ja, aufersteh’n wirst du, mein Staub, nach kurzer Ruh!»[196]
this was: Kalischt In Bohemia
go to next chapter: Man lies in greatest misery
