MUSICAL LIFE IN GERMANY.
LEIPZIG.
BEFORE entering upon our regular correspondence concerning present musical life in Germany, we think that the readers of the Scottish Art Review will be interested in a general account of the history of music as it has been cultivated in the ancient town of Leipzig. The name of Leipzig is associated in the minds of most people with its fairs, its book and music trade, its Conservatorium, its Gewandhaus Concerts, and possibly even with its larks ! The latter we may dismiss from the list, while duly appreciating their songs ; seeing that there is no longer the danger of their being de- stroyed to satisfy the appetite of the gourmand, they having been placed under the protection of the Magistrates. The Gewandhaus Concerts and the Conservato- rium must be first noticed, seeing that these consti- tute the centre of musical activity at Leipzig, and to some extent the musical life of Germany also. The institution of the concerts is ancient, the first dating as far back as November 1781. Their origin may be traced to the year 1701, when Telemann is said to have founded the ' Collegium Musicum,' the conductors of its concerts having been — from 1705- 1715,Melchior Hoffmann ; 1715 to 1719, Joh. Gott- fried Vogler ; 1719 to 1729, Balthasar Schott ; 1729- 1736, Johann Sebastian Bach ; 1736-1746, Gerlach ; 1746-1781, Johann Friei, and others. These concerts afterwards gave place to those of the Gewandhaus, to the first of which allusion has already been made. The programme of this concert was as follows : — Part 1st. Symphony by Jose|)h Scliraidt. Hymn, set to music by Reichardt. Concerto for Violin, played by Herr Berger. Quartett. Part 2nd. Sympliony by J. S. Bach. Aria by Tacchini, sung by Madame J. Podleskar. Symphony by C. W. Wolff'. The end and aim of these concerts from the first has been a serious one. By some the management may have been considered to be too conservative in its character. But this accusation is unjust in face of the fact that the Gewandhaus never closes its doors to any productions of real merit, and has brought them into publicity, regardless of any pre- conceived opinion that may have been opposed to them. The statistical reports more than confirm this assertion ; although there are those who com- plain that the compositions of Wagner, Liszt, and Berlioz have not had that prominence given to them which their merit ought to have secured. For our own part, our opinion quite accords with the direc- torate in the course they have taken ; for it must be borne in mind, in reference to Wagner, that he wrote little which was adapted for the concert-room, while all his works, with the single exception of Par- sifal, are very frequently given at the Opera House. With regard to the artistic value of the programme music of Liszt and Berlioz, no satisfactory conclusion has yet been arrived at by musical critics, and we may wait a long time before the question will be decided between the directors of the Gewandhaus and the defenders of the new German School. Never- theless, it must be borne in mind that we find Wagner's music has been performed some fifty times, while the name of Liszt occurs still oftener on the programme, and it was only last winter that we heard the overture to King Lear by Berlioz, and a year before that the Corsair by the same com- poser, while his symphony Harold in Italy has been repeatedly performed.
Returning to the history of the Gewandhaus Con- certs, when under the direction of Johann Adam Hiller, we find the orchestra is composed of six first violins, six second violins, three violas, four basses, two flutes, two oboes, two flagiolets, two horns and trumpets, and cymbals. Notwithstanding the modest pretensions of this assemblage, they appear to have entered at once into the study and performance of the most celebrated works of the day both for orchestra and chorus, introducing also both vocal and instrumental soloists, amongst whom appears the name of the distinguished Corona Schroter. The composers who in that day were most esteemed were Hasse, Naumann, Schickt, Phil. Em. Bach, Rolle, Cimarosa, Tomelli, Pergolesi, Gretry, Paisiello, Piccini, Salieri, etc., etc. From 1785 to 1810 the concerts were conducted by Schickt (cantor of the Thomaschurch). Under his direction music was performed by Campagnoli, Aug. Eberhard, Muller (known as Caprice Muller), Dotzaner, Dussek, Fredrich Schneider, and others, and we soon notice the now familiar names of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Cherubini, Paer, Reiche, A. Romberg, Mehul, Spontini, Neukonim, etc. Mozart himself gave a concert on Tuesday, May 12, 1789. Besides other works performed on this occasion was his Symphony
