Women Composers Series by Amy Beach; Ccile Chaminade; Loqise Farrenc; Clara Wieck Schumann Review by: Susan

E. Erickson 19th-Century Music, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Spring, 1981), pp. 270-273 Published by: University of California Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/746701 . Accessed: 07/10/2013 18:08
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19TH

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ture, particularlypolitics and theology. Indeed, his frequent literary and sociological effusions may well prove intimidating to the general reader. Given these raw materials, Liszt's letters to Meyendorff deserved a better treatment than they have received here, so far below the standard set by the Prahics volume. How ironic too, that the Liszt collection Mrs. Bliss previously donated to Dumbarton Oaks-the letters to Marie Wittgenstein-should have suffered similarly. We can only continue to hope for signs of interest in a new complete edition of Liszt's correspondence, designed to fulfill the requirements of modern scholarship.
Exspectans exspectavi.

forts in reviving and performing composers of earlier eras-Frescobaldi, Zipoli, Kuhnau, Chambonnieres, and Francois Couperin, to name a few. They were almost alone in this endeavor (except for the sometimes unreliable assistance of F6tis), for the French critics and listening public at that time were unsympathetic to, if not actually scornful of, this "esoteric music." In the course of the project, Louise Farrenc grew interested in the performance of old music, and became one of the first to do researchin the field of performancepractice. Her introductory essay on ornamentation was published as part of the preliminaries of Le Trdsorand subsequently reissued separately as
Traitd des abrdviations in 1895 by Leduc. The

SUSAN E. ERICKSON
Women Composers Series: Amy Beach, Quintet in

F# Minor for piano and strings, op. 67; C6cile Chaminade,Three Piano Works;Loqise Farrenc, Trioin E Minorforpiano,flute (orviolin)andcello, op. 45; Clara Wieck Schumann, Selected Piano Music.New York:Da CapoPress,Inc., 1979. The women's movement of the last two decades has given rise to a renewed interest in the accomplishments of women in all fields of endeavor. Music is no exception: women's contributions as composers, performers, and publishers are now receiving increased attention. As part of this effort to make women's works more available, the Da Capo Press has issued reprints of music by four significant nineteenth-century women composers. JeanneLouise Dumont Farrenc(1804-75) is best known today as the editor, along with her husband Aristide Farrenc, of the monumental
Le Trdsor des pianistes. The project was con-

Traitd, relying as it does on the best primary sources, is still useful today. This same seriousness of purpose shows itself in Louise Farrenc's compositions. In her preface to the Trio in E Minor, the distinguished composer Miriam Gideon remarks on the generally superficial quality of musical life in the France of Farrenc's day; public taste tended almost exclusively toward opera and operetta, instrumental display pieces, and vocal romances. It is thus all the more significant that Farrenc's greatest strength as a composer lies in her chamber works, most of which date from the 1840s and 1850s. (She also wrote two orchestral overtures, three symphonies, and a piano concerto.) While still very young she had studied composition with Moscheles, Hummel, and Reicha. Her works were widely performedin such important centers as Paris, Brussels, Copenhagen, and Geneva, and praised by such critics as Berlioz, Schumann, and Henri Blanchard. The Trio in E Minor for piano, flute (or violin) and cello, op. 45, is a work of solid proportions. It opens with an earnest Allegro deciso in sonata form. The Andante which follows is a
1See her Ph.D. dissertation Louise Farrenc, 1804-1875: Composer- Perform er-Scholar (City University of New York, 1975). See also the Foreward to the Da Capo reprint of Le Trdsor des pianistes (New York, 1977) and the articles "Louise Farrenc (1804-1875): Composer, Performer, Scholar," Musical Quarterly 60 (1974), 257-74; and Louise Farrenc (1804-1875): An Appraisal," Centerpoint (1977), 52-57.

ceived and begun by Aristide, already renowned as a music publisher, in 1860. Bea Friedland has recounted how after his sudden death five years later, with only eight volumes finished, it was Louise who brought the full set to completion, twenty-three volumes in all.1 Much credit is due to the Farrencsfor their ef270

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rondo in C major, the initial theme being varied on each of its returns, once in a minor form. The third movement consists of a resolute Scherzo in the tonic with a trio section in E major, which returns a second time as a coda. The Trio ends with an arch Finale in staccato eighth notes, a sort of perpetuum mobile. Farrenc has been aptly likened to Onslow. The second edition of this trio, of which the present Da Capo edition is a reprint, was published in Paris by Leduc ca. 1890, proof that its popularity had endured for some time. Also worthy of mention is Farrenc'srole as a performerand teacher. She was a Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire for more than thirty years-the only woman in the nineteenth century to have held such a prestigious position for so long. A remarkable number of her students achieved success as concert artists. Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-96) is already well known as one of the most influential performers of the nineteenth century, whose innovative programs played a large part in introducing the music of Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. Pamela Susskind, editor of the music at hand, has recently shed much light on this area of Clara'sactivity.2 Clarawas an editor as well; she prepareda complete edition of Robert's music (publ. Breitkopf & Hirtel 1881-93) and edited his letters dating from 1827 to 1840 (Jugendbriefe,publ. 1885). Clara Schumann was also a composer of considerable accomplishment, as these pieces show. Most of her published compositions were written between 1830 and 1853 (the Da Capo edition includes a list of all her works, with details of publication), and the pieces included here are reprints "of the first editions published in Leipzig and Vienna between 1836 and 1846 by Breitkopf & Hirtel, Hofmeister, and Mechetti." Susskind provides an especially
interesting introduction. The Quatre pidces caractdristiques, op. 5 and Soirees musicales, op. 6, both written in
2"Clara Schumann's Recitals, 1832-50," this journal 4 (1980), 70-76, and Clara Wieck Schumann as Pianist and Composer: A Study of her Life and Works (Ph.D. diss., University of California, Berkeley, 1977).

1835-36, show a strong Chopin influence, especially the Notturno (no. 2), first Mazurka (no. 3), and Ballade (no. 4) from Soirdes musicales. Robert borrowed material from both of these collections for his F#-Minor Sonata, op. 11, and Davidsbzindler, op. 6. He must have been less sympathetic to Clara's op. 8, composed for a concert tour in 1837, a brilliant set of variations based on "Ah non sempre odiata" from Bellini's II Pirata. The "cavatina" (actually a cabaletta) itself is preceded by a dramatic introduction, and the variations proceed in the best (or worst) virtuoso manner: scales in octaves, arpeggios, an Adagio quasi Fantasia a capriccio, octave leaps, and a presto conclusion. The Scherzo, op. 10, and Trois Romances, op. 11, from 1839, are less derivative and more satisfying, particularly the introspective first Andante of op. 11. The pieces discussed so far were all published before Clara's marriage to Robertin 1840; Drei Praeludien und Fugen, op. 16, dates from 1845 and came out of a study of counterpoint which she undertook with Robert. They are skillful exercises based on J. S. Bach. In her preface, Pamela Susskind contends that Clara Schumann was a "composer of remarkable promise," but that her compositional career was undermined by personal circumstances: her marriage to Robert, the demands of concert tours, and finally the prevailing attitudes toward women composers in the nineteenth century. That these obstacles did exist is well documented. Clara's own letters, quoted by Susskind, reveal her affinity for composing. Marriageto Robert was both a help and a hindrance to her composing. On the one hand he encouraged her, through joint study and composition (e.g., the songs which were published in 1841 as her op. 12 and his op. 37). On the other hand, his need for absolute quiet in the house-a need that he simply asserted and she accepted without questiondampened her own endeavors; Susskind points out that after 1848 she composed nothing until 1853, the year they moved to a larger house, with room for both to work undisturbed. After his death in 1856, the necessity of supporting seven children by strenuous touring precluded 271

REVIEWS

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any composition. There is no doubt that her youthful compositions had not received the critical attention they deserved, on account of male prejudice on the part of reviewers. (C. F. Becker remarked that Clara's piano concerto need not be taken seriously "since we are dealing here with the work of a lady." Alas, Berlioz too praised Farrenc for "a talent rare among women.") Susskind believes that Claraherself, by the time she was twenty, had absorbedthis prejudice against women and given up serious thoughts of composing. Whether or not all this explains Clara Schumann's not being a "great" composer, it does have to be taken into account. Most of the pieces in this collection were written when she was extremely young. They are undeniably attractive, and show considerable facility; they do not, however, exhibit a distinctive style such as that shown, for instance, by her older contemporary Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel (1805-47), whose productivity was also limited by similar circumstances. One sees the influence of Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, and Chopin. Perhaps Clara Schumann would have developed a more personal style later on, had circumstances permitted her to continue. Cecile Chaminade (1857-1944) is perhaps the most misunderstood composer of this group. Everyone has heard of her, generally as the composer of the once ubiquitous "Scarf Dance," but no one takes her seriously. The article in Grove's 5 by Gustave Ferrarisums up the popular view: "Notwithstanding the real charm and clever writing of many of Chaminade's productions, they do not rise above the level of agreeable drawing-room music." There is no article on Chaminade at all in MGG, and only nine lines in Riemann (including the Ergdnzungsbdnder), despite the fact that she was a very successful pianist (her recitals featured mainly her own pieces) and the composer of over five-hundred works,
including a ballet, an opera, and numerous chamber works. The Sonata in C Minor, op. 21, of 1895 will surprise those who know her only as a composer of "agreeable" salon music. The first movement, Allegro appassionato, begins with a dramatic introduction, followed by a three272

part fugato, which introduces the second theme. This archaic device is more convincing here than one would expect, and indeed the formal aspect of this sonata is one of its stronger points. The second movement is a quite substantial Andante in Ab major;despite its length, it manages to sustain a melodic interest throughout. The shorter Allegro which follows is a bravura movement in perpetual motion, with a rousing climax. Doris Pines has recorded this sonata handsomely for Genesis Records (GS 1024), and one hopes that more pianists will rediscover the piece. Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944) has the distinction of being the first American woman symphonist. She was a member of what has been called the Second New England School, the group of composers which included Arthur Foote, George W. Chadwick, John Knowles Paine, and Horatio T. Parker.In an informative preface to the Quintet in F# Minor for piano and strings, op. 67, Adrienne Fried Block states that some critics considered Beach the "most gifted of the entire group" and that at least one Berlin critic called her "the leading American composer." Block does not, however, express her own opinion one way or another about these interesting claims. Born in Henniker, New Hampshire, Amy Cheney later moved to Boston, where she became by all accounts a brilliant pianist, after studying piano with Ernst Perabo and Karl Birmann. Although her only formal music study besides this was one year of harmony with Junius W. Hill, Beach also turned herself into a productive and successful composer. Practically all of her works (which include 152 opus numbers) were published in her lifetime. They include the Gaelic Symphony of 1896, 120 songs, sixty-eight choral works, over seventy works for piano, a piano concerto, numerous chamber works, and a one-act opera. Block suggests that the late Romantic style of Beach's compositions accounts for their
neglect in recent years. This is probably true; the Fg-Minor Quintet was actually "one of the staples of the literature for about ten years" after it was published in 1909. The first movement, Adagio-Allegro moderato, has an almost Wagnerian chromatic introduction, leading into a restless first theme which features the

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piano in a virtuoso display of octaves. This movement also incorporates folk-song melody, one of Beach's favorite devices. The overall style of the piano writing is Brahmsian. The second movement, Adagio espressivo, features even more ingenious chromatic harmonies, with a great rhapsodic upsurge at its conclusion. The final movement, Allegro agitato, is marked by the same use of chromaticism which typified the opening movement. A fugato leads to a grandpause and a return of the introduction from the first movement, serving to unify the work. One has to admire the skillful construction of this piece. The devices, however, do wear a bit thin, and one is left with the impression of an overripe style. Nor are the ideas as strong as, for instance, those of the same composer's violin sonata. Although the sonata is also somewhat derivative (like much of the Boston school), the whole flow of the piece is more convincing. It dates from 1896, before Beach's style became so overladen with complexity. The piece has remained popular in some circles, and one hopes that Da Capo will consider issuing a reprint of this as well. These Da Capo reprints are all handsomely done, with fine introductions to the Farrenc, Schumann, and Beach (one wishes there were an introduction to the Chaminade, too). These women are all skillful composers and their works are worthy of renewed attention. Da Capo has announced four other releases in their Women Composers Series: Ethel Smyth, Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel, Rebecca Clarke, and Louise Reichardt.

CHARLOTTE GREENSPAN
Howard Bushnell. Maria Malibran: A Biography of the Singer. University Park and London: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 1979. xix, 266 pp.

Malibran, nde Maria Felicita Garcia, was one of the most admired, most adoredsingers of the nineteenth century. Her ability to stir an audience was the envy of FranzLiszt. When Rossini was asked who were the greatest singers he had known he replied, "Many singers of my time were great artists but there were only three geniuses: Lablache, Rubini, and that child so spoiled by nature, Maria Felicita Malibran." Malibran's image was painted, sculpted, and engraved. She received some of the highest salaries envisaged at that time. She even had a theater named afterher, the Teatro Malibranin Venice. And all- this in a career that lasted barely a decade: Malibran died in 1836 at the age of twenty-eight. Howard Bushnell's recent book Maria Malibran: A Biography of the Singer makes one wonder about the best way to relate the life of a diva. The ancient Greeks and Romans tattled on their gods and goddesses with considerable enthusiasm and relish. Medieval writers, with greater modesty, perhaps, bent their biographical efforts toward lives of the saints. The energy of a present-day biographeris likely to be channeled into the less imaginative pursuit of data and documentation, no matter how numinous the subject. But in writing about a nineteenth-century prima donna he may share some of the same frustrations as Classical or Medieval biographers; those things which made her most worthy of adulation-the sound of her voice, the excitement she generated on stage-cannot be known to him firsthand. There is no lack of primary documentary material on Malibran-her own letters, accounts and memoirs written by people who knew her, and of course contemporaryreviews and descriptions of performances.Bushnell has been brave in his pursuit of these resources; his bibliography reveals that he has consulted one Belgian, fourteen British, thirteen French, one German, five Italian, and seven American periodicals or newspapers. Reviews are valuable for the description they give us of Malibran's voice-to the degree that any verbal account can give a notion of a sound we have not heard. They give a better idea of her acting style and perhaps most of all, of the effect she had on her audiences. "Her triumph was un273

REVIEWS

Diva: goddess. The life and career of Maria Malibranwere of just the sort to make one seek for some such more-than-human designation.

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