Musical Vienna in 1800 A LIFE Institute Course Fall 2018 Bob Fabian LIFEcourses.ca
From the memoirs of the Irish tenor Michael Kelly (1826) His description of a 1784 party during preparation of an opera by Giovanni Paisiello: in the interim Storace gave a quartett party to his friends. The players were tolerable, not one of them excelled on the instrument he played; but there was a little science among them, which I dare say will be acknowledged when I name them The First Violin Haydn. Second Violin.Baron Dittersdorf. Violoncello..Vanhall. Tenor Mozart. The poet Casti and Paesiello formed part of the audience. I was there, and a greater treat or a more remarkable one cannot be imagined.
Session Plan Chamber music that could be performed at home One of Mozart s Haydn string quartets One of Vanhal s string quartets One of Haydn s Baryton trios Music that would showcase the soloist, typically the composer as pianist CPE Bach keyboard concerto Beethoven piano concerto Beethoven 32 variations in C minor
Chamber Music There were no professional string quartets in 1800 in Vienna Quartets were performed at home (be it ever so grand), by amateurs There was a growing market for all types of sheet music to be performed at home We enjoy the mixed benefits of having our chamber music performed by professionals
Mozart s 5 th Haydn Quartet The Hagen Quartet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbzln_uc87a
Johann Baptist Wanhal 12 May 1739 20 August 1813 Wanhal had attributed to him 100 quartets, at least 73 symphonies, 95 sacred works, and a large number of instrumental and vocal works. After 1780 Wanhal contented himself with writing piano music for the growing middle class, and church music. He counted Haydn, Mozart and Dittersdorf as his friends
To be played at home... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkp7pvj4pws
The Baryton Favored instrument of Prince Nikolaus Esterházy, Haydn s patron Haydn wrote 126 trios using the baryton for his patron Six string viol, augmented by strings plucked in the back
Haydn s Birthday Baryton Trio 1 st Movement, Baryton Trio Valkkoog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up613tbaa6q
Musical Economics No real copyright, but some control of copies was possible But copyists could make copies for their benefit Copies for use at home were widely sold Amateur chamber music groups Music used to study an instrument Star pianist/composers were popular Got paid to perform in patron s salon Sold full and reduced copies of works Public concerts started to make a profit
CPE Bach 1714-1788 Bach s 3 rd son, (Telemann was his godfather) Often overlooked today, but in his day considered more important than his father Wrote the book on keyboard technique Haydn & Beethoven admired him and collected his music. Mozart said, "Bach is the father, we are the children." He pioneered abrupt musical changes
Leading the way... Spring Light Chamber Music Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhzzxyxecqo
Imagine the young Beethoven... Daniel Barenboim, soloist and conductor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zns6-njnqb8
Popular Beethoven folly Beethoven 32 Variations in C Minor - Evgeny Kissin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fizwpbcz6cq
April 2, 1800 1. A Grand Symphony by the late Kapellmeister Mozart. 2. An aria from The Creation by the Princely Kapellmeister Herr Haydn, sung by Mlle Saal. 3. A Grand Concerto for the pianoforte, played and composed by Herr Ludwig van Beethoven. 4. A Septet, most humbly and obediently dedicated to Her Majesty the Empress, and composed by Herr Ludwig van Beethoven for four stringed and three wind instruments, played by Herren Schuppanzigh, Schreiber, Schindlecker, Bar, Nickel, Matauschenand Dietzel. 5. A Duet from Haydn s Creation sung by Herr and Mlle Saal. 6. Herr Ludwig van Beethoven will improvise on the pianoforte. 7. A new Grand Symphony with complete orchestra, composed by Herr Ludwig van Beethoven
not quite typical... The length, at 3+ hours, was right The mix of resources was typical: Orchestra, solo voices, solo piano, concerto, wind ensemble Having only three composers was not Common to find bits and pieces of works that included something for every taste And the audience would mill around, talking among themselves when the music didn t hold their attention
Beethoven s 1 st Symphony Wiener Philharmoniker, Christian Thielemann https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm60y5idu_q
Our experience is different Listening to music is much less of an event than it was in 1800 Music is almost too present in our lives; music becomes background; we loose focus The audience in 1800 was much closer to the music Often the composer was an important part of the performance Often the music was performed by the audience Amateur pianists, string quartets, etc.
Our Hearing Hearing, and playing, the patterns in music takes time and thought Is that why too many performances of JS Bach s music are boring? One of Beethoven s greatest compositions, his Grosse Fuge, was viewed as unfit to be the concluding movement of his 13 th quartet His publishers demanded a less demanding final movement, and he agreed Has our hearing improved?
In case you haven t heard it lately Beethoven: Grosse Fuge, Op. 133 (Danish String Quartet) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmir-7z3xdy
Next Week: Other compositions, other composers A toe in the opera ocean Haydn, Salleri, Mozart Leopold Mozart Trumpet Concerto Albrechtsberger Beethoven s teacher Ferdinand Ries Beethoven s student Carl Czerny the piano teacher Paganini the violin master