On the third of December, we played before the Queen in her private apartments, where besides herself and the King, a few only of the élite of the Court were present. Both Sovereigns appeared to take great interest in our play, for they loaded us with civilities. Besides ourselves, Madame Dulcken, a distinguished artiste played also, with her daughter and pupil, a Rondeau by Steibelt for two piano-forti.
On the sixth, our public concert took place in the Redouten-saloon, which the Queen also honoured with her presence, a mark of distinction, that for many years had been shewn to no foreign artists. I derived a great satisfaction from hearing my compositions again performed with so much brilliancy.
In the Museum, I found the Musical-journal, and therein a notice of the last musical-festival at Frankenhausen, which also contains an opinion upon my Cantata: “The emancipation of Germany.” The writer adduced so many shallow and false objections to that work, that I was greatly inclined to reply to it, had I not come to the resolution since my paper-war with Mosel, never again to write an anti-criticism.
Würzburg, Dec., 26.
On our journey thither from Munich, we have given in ten days, in four different towns, four flying concerts, that we had previously made arrangements for, which were numerously attended, and returned a rich harvest; viz, on the 16. in Nuremberg, on the 18. in Erlangen, on the 22. in Bamberg, and yesterday, the first day after Christmasday, here. It was nevertheless an arduous exertion, particularly for Dorette; the continual packing up and unpacking, rehearsing and concert-giving! We will now give ourselves a little rest.—The day before yesterday, I let Herr Professor Fröhlich hear my two Vienna Quartetts, dedicated to Romberg, chiefly with the view that he might notice them in the musical-journal. They went off well, and therefore did not fail to make a favourable impression upon the hearers.
Frankfurt on the Mayne, January, 14. 1816.
Our stay here was but very poor in art-enjoyments. During the whole time, not a single concert besides our own, not one musical party! While eight years ago, on our first coming here we scarcely could find time to satisfy all the invitations to musical-soireés, now, not one of the Frankfurt musical amateurs (if indeed there are any left) takes it into his head to make a single demand upon our talents.
Even the theatre offered nothing very attractive, and only one, (for us new) opera, viz, “Carlo Fioras” by Fränzl, was performed.—Madame Graff in this opera, and as the countess, in the “Marriage of Figaro” proved herself a singer of an excellent school, gifted with feeling and taste. The remaining personnel of vocalists is of no importance, but the orchestra excellent, and worthy of its ancient repute.
On the twelfth, we gave a concert at the Red-House. Madame Graff sang brilliantly the grand scena from “Faust.” The orchestra accompanied with predeliction, and the greatest precision.
We passed a day rich in music at the house of André, in Offenbach. I found him mounted upon a new hobby, which he rode with yet greater self satisfaction than his former ones. It was called “declamation!” He is firmly convinced, and affirms it also with honest openheartedness, that with the exception of himself, no composer, from Mozart to Bornhard has understood how to declaim a song properly, and to set it to music as it ought to be. He has therefore taken compassion of that neglected art-orphan, and written a number of pattern-songs! He had heard of my new songs and urged me to sing them. But already at the second, he found a reason to return to his own. Fräulein von Goldner his pupil, sang them, and really in a most charming manner. It is not to be denied, that she declaims correctly, and has given a reading to several of them both new and interesting in its kind. When executed besides in so masterly a manner as they are by Fräulein von Goldner, the effect is certainly very great. I readily admitted this, but did not conceal from him at the same time what I thought objectionable therein: which is principally, that he has frequently sacrificed both form, rhythm, and melody to the right declamation. In order to avoid the fault of many song-composers, who restrict themselves too stringently to the rhythm of the poem, he has fallen into the opposite extreme. In order to give every syllable its proper duration and accent, he frequently changes the time in many of these songs, and thereby destroys the rhythm as well as the melody. Thus, the hearer cannot follow, and feels dissatisfied. I had further to object, that, the piano accompaniment to most of these songs is too much obligato, and distracts the attention from the song. Some sound like independant piano-fantasia’s, to which the song has been adapted. The selfsatisfaction with which André gave us these songs to hear, was quite unbearable. For instance, he took an old song of Schulze: “O selig, wer liebt” sang it burlesqued to make it appear ridiculous, and then requested Fraulein von Goldner to execute his own on the same text. “Aha!” said every one of the company, “You shew us the shadow first, that the light may have the greater effect afterwards!” This ill treatment of an old meritorious composer annoyed me so much, that I could not refrain from saying: