ON THE ACTUAL STATE OF MUSIC IN BELGIUM, AND ITS PROSPECTS OF ADVANCE IN THAT COUNTRY.
[In a letter from M. Fétis to his Son.]
Bruxelles, June 8, 1833.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
WHEN proposals were made to me to return to my native land, to devote myself to regenerate the art of music, and to fill the honourable situation of maitre de chapelle to the king of Belgium, as well as director of the Conservatory of Music at Bruxelles, it was proper to examine if I could be more useful to the art I with passion cultivate, in endeavouring to suppress innovations, and in perfecting it, than in remaining in the capital of France, where my labours might not be followed by a beneficial result. To convince myself upon this point I took a general view of the state of Belgium, as regards music, from the middle age to the present, in order to ascertain whether I should find the necessary elements for the work they demanded; that is, a favourable organization for the culture of music in the Belgians, with suitable disposition to develope, by study, this organization, if it existed.
When the sensibility and genius of a people for the culture of the arts is the question, it is difficult to anticipate the future, if history has not informed us of the past. I own that the facts which I collected gave me a high idea of the future fate of the art in this country, if circumstances seconded the efforts I proposed to make. I shall cast a hasty coup d’œil on these facts, that the readers of the Revue Musicale may understand on what foundation I build the hope I have formed in coming here to try a regeneration, which equally flatters my self-esteem and patriotism.
In the fifteenth century a Belgian, JEAN TINCTORIS, (or the Dyer) of Niville, was the most learned theoretical musician of his period, and, at the same time, one of the ablest composers. He wrote many works on musical subjects, which have descended to us, and show that GAFORIO, and all other Italian theorists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, drew their science from him, and were his scholars and imitators. Becoming maestro di cappella to the king of Naples, Ferdinand d’Arragon, he was founder of the oldest Italian school of music; and composed masses and motets, which still exist, in manuscript, in the library of the Sistine Chapel.
In the following century, Adrien Willaert, born at Bruges, was maestro di cappella of Saint Mark, at Venice, and there established a musical school, where Zarlino was educated, the most learned of Italian theorists, and Cyprien Rore, another Belgian, one of the finest musicians of his time, who became maestro di cappella to the duke of Ferrara. Willaert also ranked among the best composers of his day; and Zarlino signalized himself as the inventor of Church Music in many parts. Cyprien Rore, of whom I have just spoken, Pierre de la Rue, Clement, surnamed non Papa, Jacquet, or Jacques, of Berchem, so called because he was born in the village of Berchem, near Antwerp, Jacques of Turnhout, and a multitude of Belgic composers, occupied places in all the European capitals as chapel-masters to kings and princes, during the sixteenth and part of the seventeenth centuries.
At this period all the singers of the Pontifical chapel were engaged from Belgium, and the greater part of the musicians in the service of the king of Spain left that country. The most celebrated composer of the latter half of the sixteenth century, who alone was qualified to struggle for glory with Palestrina, and who, like him, was called the Prince of Musicians, was Roland de Lassus[86], born at Mons; his renown was equally great in Italy, Germany, France, and England. His countryman and contemporary, Phillipe M. Mons, was likewise considered as one of the most distinguished composers of his time, and his works show that his reputation was deserved. I should never conclude, were I to name all the Belgian musicians worthy of being reckoned amongst the most able artists. You will observe that I do not mention many other composers and theorists, who,—born in that part of Flanders, reunited to France during the reigns of Louis XIII. and XIV., or in the northern provinces under the dominion of Prussia,—belong nevertheless to Belgium.
After the prosperous musical period of which I have just spoken, Belgium passed successively under the dominion of various rulers, was the theatre of all the plagues of war, and finished by losing its nationality, and saw vanish the glory of her musicians. Notwithstanding which, the genius of its inhabitants triumphed from time to time over the circumstances in which they were placed.
In modern days, do we not see Gossec (born in a village near Walcourt) convey the germ of a good school of harmony to France, after having studied in the cathedral of Antwerp, and obtained a justly celebrated name for the composition of symphony, before Haydn’s works were known to the musical world? This same artist became one of the founders of the Conservatoire de Musique in France, and member of the Institute, and powerfully contributed to the success of the French, from the part he took in compiling various elementary works, and by the scholars he produced. At the head of these Catel distinguished himself.
The most celebrated composer who shone in France in the eighteenth century was a Belgian: you at once know that I mean Grétry, born at Liege. The creation of a species which belongs to him, and more than fifty operas, of which the greatest number are filled with excellent things, either as respect melody or dramatic expression, speak more than my praises can to his honour. At the present period, the musical talent of the Belgians manifests itself in a way which leaves no doubt of success for the future, when, by a proper mode of instruction, their natural genius is well cultivated.
The Conservatoire de Musique at Paris has furnished some young Belgian composers to the Institute who are distinguished by their works, or who have been favoured by government with a pension. Such are MM. Mengal, Ermel, and Angelet. The Belgian violinists, among whom we notice Bériot, Roberechts, Haumann, Ghys Massart, the young Vieutemps, and many others, shine the first in rank of any in Europe. Antwerp awards the palm to M. Chevillarch, one of the first violinists of the present age. Young Servais promises fair to be another virtuoso on that instrument. The Belgians have the honour to have given birth to Drouet, the most astonishing of flutists. In fact, every species of talent is daily produced by this ancient country of art. There is, then, a guarantee for the musical regeneration about to be operated by the government of Belgium. This is what I perceived, and sufficed to convince me that my labours would not be bestowed on an ungrateful soil.
Belgium has re-conquered her nationality. Its government has secured a return to civilization, and the restoration of arts, which have long languished under foreign dominion. From this moment it gives the country those means of instruction which were wanting. Shortly it will secure, by adequate institutions, a succession of artists distinguished by talent. Thus the Belgians will recover that high rank they once held in art.
Such is my belief, and this has determined me to devote the rest of my days to my native country.
FETIS.