Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

562 SONG
Looking back on the past history of music
in Switzerland we find that the composers of
any note in this country have generally identified
themselves with other nationalities. Thus in
the 16th century the great contrapuntist,
Ludwig Senfl's' name appears among German
composers ; in the 18th, J. J. Rousseau is
claimed by France, just as Nageli, Kaflf, and
Sohnyder von Wartensee, nearer our own time,
are by Germany. But Switzerland has never
been without her own musicians, who have
striven in all ages to keep up the national
feeling, although their names are now scarcely
remembered.
The Reformation exerted a great influence
in French Switzerland. The Psalms of G.
Franc, the two Bourgeois and Davantes are
still heard around 'Geneva. Some of the
coraules of the Fribourgeois have beautiful
refrains, recalling the ecclesiastical sequences ;
and in many of the old songs used in the
peasants' Festspiele are traces of Goudimel's fine
hymns adapted to secular words. These festivalplays,
in which the peasants represent some
national legend or historic event by word,
dance, and song, are held in different districts,
and form a powerful factor in the musical life
of Switzerland. In recent years they have
incited some of the younger Swiss musicians,
such as Baud-Bovy, G. Doret, and F. Niggli,
to take down the songs sung on these occasions
by the peasants and to write simple popular
melodies in the same spirit. Whilst the
Church cultivated the taste for hymns and
chorales,^ the frequent wars gave rise to
innumerable songs of satire, strife, and politics.
Some of the earliest Frendi collections of these
songs were printed by P. de Vingle at Neuehatel
in the 16th century.^ He also printed many
books of carols (Noels Nouveaultx, 1533),
usually with very irreverent words set to
favourite sacred and secular tunes.
In the 17th and 18th centuries music-schools
were formed in the various towns of Zurich,
Basle, Berne, and Coire, and their libraries
have preserved numerous collections of songs
by Dillhern, Simler, Kruger, Brie^el, Musoufi,
theMolitors, Dietbold, Menzingen, and especially
L. Steiijer (bom 1688),—the first Swiss composer
to cultivate a love for his country's music.
J. Schmidli, who set Lavater's 'Chansons
Suisses ' to music, and Egli, who published
several ' Chansons Suisses avec melodies, ' followed
in his steps. After Egli's death in 1810, his
pupil Walder carried on his work, together with
Ott, Albertin, Bachofen (a special favourite)
1 Senft contributed largely to the various collectiona of the
16th century; and in one of these called Bicinia Gatlica. dnted
1545, there occurs the oldest icnown version of a Ram dee Vaches.
2 Towards the end of the 15th century L. Moser of Basle contributed
largely to the popularisation of the Church songs. Hie
book, Mn vaet nnthdflr/tiffe Jfateri, etc. contains a large number of
German songs adapted to familiar Church melodies. See Becker,
Siet. de la Musique Suieae.
3 !Ehe collection of 1509 contains the celebrated complainte on
the heretics burnt at Berne
' : Die war History von den vier Ketzer
Prediger ordens zu Bern in den Bydgenossenschaft verbrannt.'
Greuter, Felix Huber, Kuhn, and Zwinger, some
of whom were national poets as well as musicians
and collectors. J. G. Nageli (as much a
German as a Swiss song -composer) did much
to promote musical education in the country of
his birth. He was joined in this movement
by Kunlin, Waohter, Krausskopf, the to-others
Frbhlich, and Ferdinand Huber. As songwriters
Karl Attenhofer, F. Grast, and Ignaz
Heim should be especially mentioned, the latter
being perhaps the most popular. Zwyssig
composed the 'Cantique Suisse' (the national
hymn) and Baumgartner the fine chant ma
'
Patrie.' The names of Methfessel, 0. and F.
Munziger, G. Weber, A. Meyer, and F. Hegar
(who is principally famous for his choral songs)
may complete the list of that period.
During the latter part of the 19th century,
a new impetus has been given to Swiss music
by a ^oup of young and enthusiastic mnsicaans,
who have strongly felt the necessity of preserving
the traditional treasures of their country
and developing them with all the resources
of modem art. They have hereby endeavoured
to prove the essential unity of feeling in the
nation. Though composed of snch various races,
the same patriotism, love of liberty, and independence
have animated this little republic
in all times of its history. The leaders of this
movement are Hans Huber and E. Jaques-
Daloroze ; the former bears an honoured name
in other branches of music besides songs, and
the latter is a refined poet, as well as being
a prolific composer. His numerous volumes of
'
Chansons romandes,' ' Chansons populaires et
eufantines,' 'Chansons des Alpes,' 'Chansons
patriotiques,' etc. contain graceful little pictures
of national life, in which Jaques-Daloroze
cleverly introduces the types of melody, harmony,
and rhythm characteristic of the various
cantons.*
In the year 1900 the ' Union of Swiss
musicians \ was formed, which now numbers
over 300 members, and holds yearly festivals
for the performance of new works of all kinds
by these composers. Especial interest is
attached to those of the younger generation,
all of whom have included song as an important
branch of their art. The piincipal names are
as follows : E. Jaques - Dalcroze, V. Andrae,
Otto Barblan, E. Blooh, E. Combe, A. Den^reaz,
G. Doret, F. Klose, H. Eling, E. Reymond,
Fritz Niggli, J. Ehrhart, E. Ganz, F. Karmin,
J. Lauber, W. Pahnke, P. Maurice, W. Rehberg,
G. Pantillon, L. Kempter, etc.
The revelation of so much home talent may
surprise the world, but it proves that ' a Swiss
school of music is rapidly rising, and may in
time hold its own.' ^
4 Jaques - Dalcroze has done much to develop the rhythmical
element among his countrymen by his cborai. dance, and gamesongs,
and Gymnastiques Rhythmiques.' See also his strildng
'
'
article La pedagogia del iltmo ' in the Siviata Mvjficale Italiana
Anno xiii.
c E, Jaques-nalcroze, Die MusiJ; in der Schweiz.