A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Postillons

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A Dictionary of Music and Musicians
edited by George Grove

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From volume 3 of the work.

2230598A Dictionary of Music and Musicians — PostillonsGeorge GroveGeorge Grove

POSTILLONS. 'Symfonie allegro Postilions' is Handel's autograph inscription to the piece of orchestral music which precedes the entry of the Wise Men in 'Belshazzar,' and begins as follows:—

${ \override Score.Rest #'style = #'classical \time 3/4 \key bes \major \relative b' { \stemDown bes8 bes'4 bes,8[ bes' bes,] | bes'4 bes, r | bes8 bes'4 bes,8[ bes' bes,] | bes'8 bes,4 bes8[ bes bes] | bes'4. bes,8 bes'4 ~ | bes8 bes, bes' bes, bes'4 } }$

It is written for the strings, with oboes in unison; no horn is employed; some of the later passages resemble those which can be played on the ordinary posthorn; but there is nothing to say whether this was the origin of the indication, or whether it refers to the haste in which the Wise Men may be supposed to have arrived, or contains some allusion now lost.

Sebastian Bach, in his Capriccio describing the departure of his brother, has introduced an 'Aria di Postiglione' and a 'Fuga all' imitazione delle cornetta di Postiglione.' One of the figures in the former has some likeness to that quoted above.

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \key bes \major \relative b' { \repeat unfold 4 { bes8[ bes'16 bes,] } } }$

Beethoven, in a sketch-book of 1812, quoted by Nottebohm (Mus. Wochenblatt, April 25, 1879), has quoted a flourish of the 'Postilion von Karlsbad':—

${ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \override TupletNumber #'stencil = ##f \override TupletBracket #'bracket-visibility = ##f \relative c' { c8[ c16 c] c8[ c] \times 2/3 { e[ c e] } \times 2/3 { g[ e g] } | c4. g8 \repeat tremolo 2 { c8 g } | \times 2/3 { g g e } \times 2/3 { c c e } g4 \bar "||" } }$

But this is a mere ordinary phrase, and may be heard from many a postilion or driver in Germany of less renown than the one from whose instrument Beethoven is supposed to have taken it down. (See Thayer, 'Beethoven,' iii. 183, with the remarks of Nottebohm, as above.)

[ G. ]