Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

;
the short allegorical, mythological, and pastoral
plays then much in vogue. Van der Straeten i
gives as a characteristic example, a pretty
little 'Bergfee Flamande,' from Lambrecht's
'
Vlaemsche Vrede - Vreucht ' ; but whether it
was original or an adopted folk-song is an open
'
question. Le Voegge de Chofontaine,' an operabouffe
by the Liege composer G. Noel Hamal,
contained the favourite couplets and dances in
the district in which- it was written.^ By
degrees, however, these unimportant local operas
died out,' and composers sought their laurels iu
Paris. Both Belgium and France lay claim to
Gossec and Gr^try as national composers ; and
similarly Grisar, C^sar Franck, and many others,
who, although Belgians by birth, are practically
regarded as French composers, having identified
themselves with the French school.
Belgium.—The year 1834 witnessed the
constitution of Belgium as a separate kingdom,
and the formation of a Belgian nationality.
Up to that date there are no songs worthy of
mention, with the possible exception of La
BEABAN90NNB, the national song of Belgium,
composed by Yan Campenhout in 1830. The
generality of composers had hitherto continued
to use indiscriminately French and Flemish
words for their songs, until within recent years
a small group of musicians arose who avowedly
are endeavouring to give Flemish art once
more d, national character. This has been
designated the mouvernent flamingatit, and the
foremost personalities belonging to it were
P. Benoit, whose songs set to Flemish words
are full of life and colour, and Edgar Tinel.
The latter is an interesting composer with a
strong individuality, but his songs are few.
Many other excellent musicians, who have
all written ballads and songs, joined this
movement, such as Lenaerts, Wambach, and
Jan Blockx, the most brilliant of them all.
Mention must also be made of Blockx's pupil,
Vleeshower, and of Van den Eeden, who succeeded
Huberti as director of the Mons Conservatoire.
Less exclusively Flemish songwriters
are Eyken and Tilman, who chiefly
confined themselves to sacred songs ; Mii-y,
C. Meerens, and A. Goovaerts, who wrote for
the most part nursery or school songs ; and
Van Gheluwe, J. Radoux, A. Samuel, J. Meertens,
G. Huberti, and E. Mathieu, who are the
best-known names. Mathieu has set many of
Goethe's ballads, in which the accompaniments
are highly elaborate, and the melodies at times
expressive. But they lack proportion and
unity, and their great length detracts from
their effect. In Mathieu's shorter songs the
interest is better sustained. Meertens and
Huberti have written songs both graceful and
I
La Musique aux Fays-Bag, E. Yander Straeten, iij. 22.
^ The opera wee revived a short time ago in Paris, edited by L.
TeiTy.
' In 1810 Van der Ginste wrote an opera with Plemiah words
and later Miry, Van den Acker, and Heertens attempted Flemish
vandevilles, achieving, however, only local success.
SONG 591
melodious, and of a simple character ; whilst
those of Jan Blockx, G. Lekeu, Paul Gilson,
and the younger school of composers, if somewhat
eclectic, manifest originality, novelty, and
boldness of invention. The curious phase of
thought and the peculiar qualities shown in the
literature of Belgium by the writings of Maeterlinck,
Rodenbach, and Verhaeren, cannot fail
to leave their mark also on the music of the
period.
Holland.—After the numerous song-books
which appeared in Holland between 1600
and 1700, Dutch composers devoted themselves
principally to instrumental music.
Even on the title-pages of vocal pieces we
find mn te singen of te spelen ; and Sweelinck's
skilful organ and clavier variations on
the songs were greater favourites ihan the
songs themselves. As lutenists, organists,
carillonneurs, or theoreticians, Dutch musicians
held a high place in Europe ;
* and although
among the works of various members of musical
families (and music in Holland was an essentially
hereditary gift) we find incidental mention
of songs or song - collections, it is evident that
this form of art was on the wane. Hooft's
anonymous publication, 'Emblemata Amatoria,'
is the last collection of any value in the 17th
century, though Jacques Vredeman (a member
of the Vredeman family of lutenists) is known
to have written some cansoni and mllcmelle to
words in the Frisian dialect.
To the 18th centm-y belong De Koninck
and Snep, who were the authors of some
' Nederlandsche liederen met een en twe
Stemmen,' with figured bass, but these are
of no musical value. The same may be said
of the vocal works of the following composers
who lived in the early part of the
19th century: A. Ten Gate, J. G. "Wilms,
G. Hutschenmijter, G. W. Smits, J. Boers,
and D. H. Dijkhuijzen. Their names still
appear in all popular collections of school
and pati'iotic songs, together with those by
composers of a later date and higher rank, such
as J. Viotta, J. Antheunis, Van Eyken, Richard
Hoi, S. de Lange (the elder), Prudens van
Duyse, and J. van Riemsdijk. The songs of
the last-named composers are best described
under the German term volkslhumlich, though
some of them have shown more interesting and
original work, as, for example, Riemsdijk in
his ' Tranenkruikje ' and ' Sant Jans Gheleide.'
from the Loverkens.^
The most typical Dutch composers of the
last century, the words of whose songs are in
the vernacular, were undoubtedly Richard Hoi,
J. Verhulst, and "\V. F. G. Nicolai. The first
named is better known for his patriotic songs
and choruses. Nicolai, who was a prolific
4 D. F. Schenrleer gives an interesting picture of musical life in
Holland, Amaterdmn in de i?de eeuwe. Bet Muziek leven, The
Hague, 1904.
s Hoffmann von Falleralehen's Loverkens were favourite words
with Dutch composers.