A Study of Songs
A charming study, not only for a musical club but also for any other, is that of songs. The field is practically limitless, but by careful selection of a program which covers only a part much may be learned and enjoyed. It is essential that the life and times of each composer should be studied, and some of his songs sung. Later on, various periods, or certain themes, may be illustrated by the songs of different composers. Perhaps for some of these records on a good phonograph may be used.
To introduce the subject have a paper on folk songs, which in every nation precede what are known as art songs. Many of these folk songs have come down from very early times, either just as they were or woven into art songs. Follow this with a second paper on the minnesingers and troubadours and their songs. A third paper may speak of an interesting theme which may be called the local color of songs. The Laplander has his reindeer songs; the Alpine peasant, his songs of the mountains, with the yodel; the Russian has songs of the steppes; the negro, his plantation melodies; the sailor, his chanty; the soldier, his songs of battle and prison. Hunting songs, love songs, funeral dirges, songs of nature, of childhood, of home, of country, all have a literature of their own.
One meeting may take up the subject of the first art songs—which originated about the time of the first operas and were part of them.
I—THE GREAT GERMANS
The lied, or lyric song, was practically invented in Germany, and by Schubert, the great master of lyric song, though Handel, Haydn, Gluck, Mozart, and Beethoven all wrote arias, or songs, of great beauty and importance. Illustrate by giving one or more songs from each.
The life of Schubert and his genius should have at least one meeting devoted to them. Read the chapter in Finck upon him. Notice what he accomplished in his thirty-one years. Beethoven said of him: "Truly Schubert has the divine spark." His hundreds of songs are sweet and tender, yet strong and noble. Sing "The Erl-King," written when he was only eighteen, "Hark, Hark, the Lark"; "Death and the Maiden"; "Who is Sylvia?" and "Margaret at the Spinning Wheel."
Mendelssohn's songs, long admired, are now considered rather mediocre with the exception of a few. "On the Wings of the Wind"; "The Volkslied"; "The Venetian Gondolier," and others, are distinctly bright and sunny, fresh and graceful.
Schumann, unlike Schubert and Mendelssohn, wrote songs often sad and even gloomy, but many of them, especially in his song cycles, are gems. Sing, "Du bist wie eine Blume"; and "Der Nussbaum."
II—FRANZ AND GRIEG
Robert Franz, though totally deaf from early in life, wrote songs which other musicians term immortal. His work is strikingly original, the accompaniment woven with the melody of the voice. The simple old folk songs often suggested them and his style, like that of Wagner, is often declamatory. Read his life, and sing "Leise zieht durch mein Gemueth"; "Bitte"; "Es ragt der alte Eborus," and, "Im Mai." Following the work of Franz take up Brahms, Jensen, Wagner, and Strauss, and the many other German song writers.
Grieg is called "the king of Scandinavian song writers." His work is often half wild, half melancholy, but always original. He followed the spirit of the folk songs of his country. He is sometimes spoken of as the Norwegian Chopin and is also compared with our own MacDowell. Sing, "The First Primrose"; "The Minstrel's Song," and others.
III—SLAVIC COMPOSERS
Hungary gave Liszt to the world, and his sixty songs are of exceeding value. His music closely represents the words of his songs, suggesting falling rain, or sighing winds, or even the hum of bees. Sing "Kennst du das Land?" "The Lorelei"; "King of Thule"; "Wanderer's Night Song."
Chopin, born in Poland, wrote fresh, charming little folk songs, dramatic lyrics and romantic melodies. The seventeen which we possess have an emotional range wider than that of any other composer's songs. "Poland's Dirge," one of his most famous works, is called the most funereal song in existence.
Paderewski, also a Pole, has only recently begun to write songs, but those he has done are charming—quaint, romantic and full of national color.
Rubinstein belongs both to Poland and Russia, but is chiefly identified with the latter country. He wrote many songs, not all of them works of genius, but many most beautiful and strong. See his cycle of "Persian Poems;" "The Earth at Rest;" "Good Night."
Tschaikowsky and Dvorak have also written Slavic music, rather sad, suggestive of folk songs and full of power. See the former's "None but a Lonely Heart," and, "The Czar's Drinking-House;" and the latter's "Gipsy Songs."
IV—FRANCE, ITALY AND ENGLAND
France, unlike Germany, has never had genuine art songs. Of chansons, romances and other light songs there is an abundance, but its serious work has been rather in the line of opera. Gounod, however, has many lovely things, some of them popular: "Oh, That We Two Were Maying;" "Maid of Athens," and others, are well known. Delibes shows a distinct German influence in his song-writing. "Nightingale," and "Regrets," have high merit. Godard has more than a hundred songs to his credit, many delightful: the "Arabian Song;" "Farewell;" "The Traveler," are among the best. A French woman song writer, Mdlle. Chaminade, is distinctly popular to-day, but her work is not considered by critics to be strikingly original.
Italy has never been interested in art song; indeed, except for the folk songs of the street, there are few, if any, except such as are found imbedded in operas and are distinctly a part of them. Tosti, to be sure, has written many songs and so have other Italian composers of our day, but nothing which stands among the great lyric songs of the world.
In England the ballad is the musical form of the song, and here this nation excels. The ballads are strong, sincere and beautiful. Clubs should have a number of meetings on the ballads of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Sullivan has written some lovely songs, and so have Goring Thomas, Stanford, and Cowen. There is a new English school of merit, with fresh and original ideas. Sing Thomas's "Spring Is Not Dead" and "A Summer Night." "La Belle Dame Sans Merci," by Stanford, is an excellent piece of work. Mackenzie has followed Brahms more or less; sing "Hope," his best song.
V—AMERICAN SONGS
Until recently we in America, like the English, have written but few lyric songs. But to-day we have a large number of such composers, and there are those in other nations who think that the best work of our time is being done in this country.
Prof. John K. Paine has written only a few songs. Among them are: "Moonlight," and "The Matin Song," both charming.
Arthur Foote has written forty songs—among them, "On the Way to Kew," and, "In Picardie"—and is sometimes compared with Franz. Clayton Johns has a hundred songs, his "Winter Journey" being suggestive of Russian music; "Were I a Prince Egyptian," is good. Reginald de Koven is called the most popular of America's song writers; his settings of verses by Eugene Field are familiar, and his best known song, "Oh, Promise Me," has had great popularity.
G. W. Chadwick, the director of the New England Conservatory, has written seventy-five songs, some of them most original. "Allah" is the best known and probably his strongest; but, "Before the Dawn;" "Bedouin Love Song;" and "Green Grows the Willow," are also fine.
Ethelbert Nevin is a well-known and admired writer of lyrical songs. Walter Damrosch, Horatio Parker, the late Gerrit Smith, Victor Herbert, and many others have been steadily turning out good work.
Edward MacDowell, however, is America's most distinguished song writer, and his early death was lamented as a national calamity among music lovers. Like Grieg in having a Scotch strain in his blood, his work also shows a certain resemblance to that of the Norwegian. His music is highly polished, always interesting and never imitative. Two lovely settings of old words are noticeable: "Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Doon," and "Kennst Du das Land?" "The Pansy" and "The Mignonette," are the best of a group of six flower pieces; "Menie" is remarkable for its tender sadness and delicacy; but his most popular song is "Thy Beaming Eyes." Critics consider his most scholarly work to be his eight settings of verses by Howells, and "The Sea." See "National Music of America and Its Sources," by L. C. Elson (The Page Company), and "American Composers," by Rupert Hughes (The Page Company).
VI—INTERESTING SONGS
In addition to studying this great subject by countries, and by special treatment of the masters of song writing individually, clubs may be interested to look up and sing many of the old English songs suggested under such heads as these in H. K. Johnson's "Old Familiar Songs" (Henry Holt):
Memory: "Ben Bolt;" "I Remember, I Remember."
Home: "My Old Kentucky Home;" "The Suwanee River."
Exile: "Lochaber No More;" "My Heart's in the Highlands."
Sea: "A Life on the Ocean Wave;" "Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep."
Nature: "The Ivy;" "The Brook."
Sentiment: "The Last Rose of Summer;" "Stars of the Summer Night."
Unhappy Love: "Kathleen Mavourneen;" "Bonnie Doon."
Happy Love: "Annie Laurie;" "Meet Me by Moonlight Alone."
Humor: "Comin' Through the Rye;" "Within a Mile of Edinboro' Town."
Convivial: "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes;" "Landlord, Fill the Flowing Bowl."
Martial: "Scots Wha Hae;" "March of the Men of Harlech."
National: "Rule Britannia;" "Hail Columbia."
Books to consult: "Songs and Song Writers," Henry T. Finck (Chas. Scribner's Sons); "Makers of Song," Anna A. Chapin (Dodd, Mead & Co.); "Stories of Famous Songs," S. J. A. Fitzgerald (Lippincott).
Collections of all the songs mentioned here, and many more, may be found by writing to music publishers. Public libraries have also cyclopedias of music which will help in writing the biographies of musicians. See "Great Composers and Their Work," by L. C. Elson (The Page Company).