Symphonies and Their Meaning Part 25

[Music: (Flute an 8ve. higher) (Oboe) _Largo_ _dolce_ (Harp with arpeggio groups of six to the quarter)]

intrude, with a sterner sense of omen, and yield to a full melodic utterance of longing (again with the

[Music: (Solo violin muted) (Horns) (Harp with arpeggio groups of six to the quarter)]

soothing play of harp), and in the midst a fresh theme of wistful fear.

For a moment there is a brief glimpse of the former vision. Now the song, less of longing than of pure bliss, sings free and clear its descending lay in solo violin, though an answering phrase (in the horns) of upward striving soon rises from below. The vision now appears again, the wondering monitor close beside. The melancholy chords return to dim the beauty. As the descending theme recedes, the rising motive sings a fuller course on high with a new note of eager, anxious fear.

All these themes are of utmost pertinence in this evident prologue of the story. Or at least the germs of all the leading melodies are here.

In sudden turn of mood to high agitation, a stress of wild desire rings out above in pairs of sharp ascending chords, while below the wondering theme rises in growing tumult. A whirling storm of the two phrases ends in united burst like hymn of battle, on the line of the wondering theme, but infused with

[Music: _Alla breve_ _Tutti_ (Ba.s.s doubled below)]

resistless energy. Now sings a new discourse of warring phrases that are dimly traced to the phase of the blissful melody, above the theme of upward striving.

[Music: (Theme in woodwind) _espress._ (Strings) (Answer in ba.s.ses)]

They wing an eager course, undaunted by the harsh intruding chords. Into the midst presses the forceful martial theme. All four elements are clearly evident. The latest gains control, the other voices for the nonce merely trembling in obedient rhythm. But a new phase of the wistful motive appears, masterful but not o'ermastering, fiercely pressing upwards,--and a slower of the changed phrase of blissful song.

The former attains a height of st.u.r.dy ascending stride.

In spite of the ominous stress of chords that grow louder with the increasing storm, something of a.s.surance comes with the ascending stride. More and more this seems the dominant idea.

A new paroxysm of the warring themes rises to the first great climax where the old symbol of wondering and striving attains a brief moment of a.s.sured ecstatic triumph.

In a new scene (_meno mosso_), to murmuring strings (where the theme of striving can possibly be caught) the blissful melody sings in full song, undisturbed save by the former figure that rises as if to grasp,--sings later, too, in close sequence of voices. After a short intervening verse--_leicht bewegt_--where the first vision appears for a moment, the song is resumed, still in a kind of shadowy chase of slow flitting voices, _senza espressione_. The rising, eager phrase is disguised in dancing pace, and grows to a graceful turn of tune. An end comes, _poco agitato_, with rude intrusion of the hymnal march in harsh contrast of rough discord; the note of anxious fear, too, strikes in again. But suddenly, _etwas breiter_, a new joyous mood frightens away the birds of evil omen.

Right in the midst of happenings, we must be warned against too close a view of individual theme. We must not forget that it is on the contrasted pairs and again the separate groups of phrases, where all have a certain common modal purpose, that lies the main burden of the story. Still if we must be curious for fine derivation, we may see in the new tune of exultant chorus the late graceful turn that now, reversing, ends in the former rising phrase. Against it sings the first line of blissful theme. And the first tune of graceful beauty also finds a place. But they all make one single blended song, full of glad bursts and cadences.

Hardly dimmed in mood, it turns suddenly into a phase of languorous pa.s.sion, in rich setting of pulsing harp, where now the later figures, all but the blissful theme, vanish before an ardent song of the wondering phrase. The motive of pa.s.sionate desire rises and falls, and soars in a path of "endless melody," returning on its own line of flight, playing as if with its shadow, catching its own echo in the ecstasy of chase. And every verse ends with a new stress of the insistent upward stride, that grows ever in force and closes with big reverberating blasts. The theme of the vision joins almost in rough guise of utmost speed, and the rude marching song breaks in; somehow, though they add to the maze, they do not dispel the joy. The ruling phase of pa.s.sion now rumbles fiercely in lowest depths. The theme of beauty rings in clarion wind and strings, and now the whole strife ends in clearest, overwhelming hymn of triumphant gladness, all in the strides of the old wondering, striving phrase.

[Music]

The whole battle here is won. Though former moments are fought through again (and new melodies grow out of the old plaint), the triumphant shout is near and returns (ever from a fresh tonal quarter) to chase away the doubt and fear. All the former phrases sing anew, merging the tale of their strife in the recurring verse of united paean. The song at last dies away, breaking like setting sun into glinting rays of celestial hue, that pale away into dullest murmur.

Still one returning paroxysm, of wild striving for eluding bliss, and then comes the close. From lowest depths shadowy tones sing herald phrases against dim, distorted figures of the theme of beauty,--that lead to a soft song of the triumphant hymn, _tranquillo_, in gentlest whisper, but with all the sense of gladness and ever bolder straying of the enchanting dream. After a final climax the song ends in slow vanis.h.i.+ng echoes.

The poet Ritter is said to have added, after the production of the music, the poem printed on the score, of which the following is a rather literal translation:

In the miserable chamber, Dim with flick'ring candlelight, Lies a man on bed of sickness.

Fiercely but a moment past Did he wage with Death the battle; Worn he sinks back into sleep.

Save the clock's persistent ticking Not a sound invades the room, Where the gruesome quiet warns us Of the neighborhood of Death.

O'er the pale, distended features Plays a melancholy smile.

Is he dreaming at life's border Of his childhood golden days?

But a paltry shrift of sleep Death begrudges to his victim.

Cruelly he wakes and shakes him, And the fight begins anew,-- Throb of life and power of death, And the horror of the struggle.

Neither wins the victory.

Once again the stillness reigns.

Worn of battle, he relapses Sleepless, as in fevered trance.

Now he sees before him pa.s.sing Of his life each single scene: First the glow of childhood dawn, Bright in purest innocence, Then the bolder play of youth Trying new discovered powers, Till he joins the strife of men, Burning with an eager pa.s.sion For the high rewards of life.-- To present in greater beauty What his inner eye beholds, This is all his highest purpose That has guided his career.

Cold and scornful does the world Pile the barriers to his striving.

Is he near his final goal, Comes a thund'rous "Halt!" to meet him.

"Make the barrier a stepping, Ever higher keep your path."

Thus he presses on and urges, Never ceasing from his aim.-- What he ever sought of yore With his spirit's deepeth longing, Now he seeks in sweat of death, Seeks--alas! and finds it never.

Though he grasps it clearer now, Though it grows in living form, He can never all achieve it, Nor create it in his thought.

Then the final blow is sounded From the hammer-stroke of Death, Breaks the earthly frame asunder, Seals the eye with final night.

But a mighty host of sounds Greet him from the s.p.a.ce of heaven With the song he sought below: Man redeemed,--the world transfigured.

_DON JUAN. (TONE POEM.)_

A score or more of lines from Lenau's poem of the same t.i.tle stand as the subject of the music.

O magic realm, illimited, eternal, Of gloried woman,--loveliness supernal!

Fain would I, in the storm of stressful bliss, Expire upon the last one's lingering kiss!

Through every realm, O friend, would wing my flight, Wherever Beauty blooms, kneel down to each, And, if for one brief moment, win delight!

I flee from surfeit and from rapture's cloy, Keep fresh for Beauty service and employ, Grieving the One, that All I may enjoy.

My lady's charm to-day hath breath of spring, To-morrow may the air of dungeon bring.

When with the new love won I sweetly wander, No bliss is ours upfurbish'd and regilded; A different love has This to That one yonder,-- Not up from ruins be my temple builded.

Yea Love life is, and ever must be now, Cannot be changed or turned in new direction; It must expire--here find a resurrection; And, if 'tis real, it nothing knows of rue!

Each Beauty in the world is sole, unique; So must the love be that would Beauty seek!

So long as Youth lives on with pulse afire, Out to the chase! To victories new aspire!

It was a wond'rous lovely storm that drove me: Now it is o'er; and calm all round, above me; Sheer dead is every wish; all hopes o'ershrouded,-- It was perhaps a flash from heaven descended, Whose deadly stroke left me with powers ended, And all the world, so bright before, o'erclouded; Yet perchance not! Exhausted is the fuel; And on the hearth the cold is fiercely cruel.[A]

[Footnote A: Translation by John P. Jackson.]

In the question of the composer's intent, of general plan and of concrete detail, it is well to see that the quotation from Lenau's poem is twice broken by lines of omission; that there are thus three princ.i.p.al divisions. It cannot be wise to follow a certain kind of interpretation[A] which is based upon the plot of Mozart's opera. The spirit of Strauss's music is clearly a purely subjective conception, where the symbolic figure of fickle desire moves through scenes of enchantment to a climax of--barren despair.

[Footnote A: In a complex commentary William Mauke finds Zerlina, Anna and "The Countess" in the music.]

To some extent Strauss clearly follows the separate parts of his quotation. Fervent desire, sudden indifference are not to be mistaken.

The various love scenes may be filled with special characters without great harm, save that the mind is diverted from a higher poetic view to a mere concrete play of events. The very quality of the pure musical treatment thus loses n.o.bility and significance. Moreover the only thematic elements in the design are the various "motives" of the hero.

_Allegro molto con brio_ begins the impetuous main theme in das.h.i.+ng ascent,

[Music: _Allegro molto con brio_ (Unison strings) (Doubled in higher 8ve.)]