Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

614 SONG
The founder of the true Ballade in music
was J. C. G. Loewe, who caught, as it were instinctively,
the exact tone and form it required.
His method was to compose a very short,
distinct, though fully-rounded melody for one
or two lines of a stanza, and then repeat it
throughout with only such alterations as were
demanded by the narrative. This secures
unity for the Ballade, but it necessitates a
richly-developed accompaniment to contribute
to the dramatic colouring of the incidents.
The simpler the metrical form of the Ballade,
the better will this treatment suit it. Take,
for example, TJhIand's Der Wirthin ' Toehterlein.'
All Loewe's music to it is developed
from the melody of the first line ; though other
resources are brought into play as the tragic
close draws near, the original idea is never lost
to view, and the character with which the accompaniment
began is preserved intact to the
end. Still more importance is given by Loewe
to the pianoforte part in the gloomy Northern
Balladen Herr Olaf and 'Der Mutter '
Geist,'
and to his wonderful setting of Edward,'
'
' Archibald Douglas,' and the
'
Erlkbnig.' But
his popular Balladen are Heinrich '
der Vogler,"
' Die Glockeu zu Speier, ' and Goldschmieds
'
Tochterleiu.' These have fresh and genial
melodies, accompaniments full of characteristic
expression, and, stroke upon stroke, they effect
a vivid presentment of animated scenes.
Mendelssohn never touched the Ballade form
for the solo voice ; and Schumann greatly preferred
the Bomanze. To his subjective lyrie
cast of mind the underlying thought was of
more concern than external &cts. In his
beautiful music to Kerner's ' Stirb, Lieb' und
Freud' ' he treats the melody as a Eomanze, and
puts the Ballade form into the accompaniment.
On the same plan are his Entflieh' mit mir,'
'
'Loreley,' and 'Der arme Peter,' from Heine.
More developed is the powerful Lowenbraut,'
'
and the most perfect as regards unity in variety
and impressiveness is Die beideu Grenadiere.'
'
When Schumann essayed to treat the Ballade
melodramatically he failed. Singing, in his
opinion, was a veil to the words ;
whenever,
therefore, he wished them to have emphatic
prominence he left them to be spoken or ' declaimed,'
and attempted to illustrate the
narrative of the song by the musical accompaniment.
Still the Ballade form was too small
and contracted for this kind of treatment,
which is better s«ited to larger and more
dramatic works aided by the orchestra. Subsequent
composers have used the *Ballade and
Kqmanze form in various ways,^ but with the
exception of Martin Pliiddemann none can be
said to have devoted themselves exclusively to
it. Pliiddemann was at first under Wagner's
influence : in his musical phrases he attempted
to introduce the peculiarly pathetic declamatory
1 See Brahms's
'
Balladen und RomanzeQ.'
utterances, and the
' leit-motiv ' (see, for
'
instance, Volkers Nachtgesang' or 'Jung
Siegfried '). But, later, he recognised lioewe to
be the only true exponent of this form, and on
Loewe's methods Pliiddemann achieved his greatest
success. It is a vexed question whether the
repetition of the melody for every verse, or its
variation throughout is the better structure for
the Ballade ; but the former arrangement would
seem to be the best adapted for short and simple
pieces, and the latter for lengthier ones. If
the melody be repeated for every verse in long
Balladen, and unless the varied instrumental
part be of paramount importance, an impression
of monotony is apt to be created, and the
necessarily varying aspects of the poem are
imperfectly represented in the music.^
The lyric song continued to hold in Germany
the high place to which it was raised by Schubert
and Schumann, and their traditions have been
worthily sustained by their successors, Robert
Franz aiid Johannes Brahms. Franz devoted
himself almost exclusively to the Song, which
was the form of music best suited to his lyrical
temperament. His favourite poets are writers
of quiet, pensive verse like Osterwald, Lenan,
Geibel, and Eichendorff. There is no lack of
melody in his songs, but the chief interest lies
in the accompaniments, which are as finely
worked out^ and highly finished as miniatures.
Franz's songs are frequently akin to the old
Volkalied and Chorale, as the modal harmony
and peculiar sequential structure of the melody
in his ' Zu Strassbui^ an der Schanz ' (Dorian)
or ' Es klingt in der Luft ' (Phrygian), among
many other examples, will prove. Most are
strophical as regards the voice -part, but the
richness and fulness of the instrumental part
grow with each successive stanza ; or else the
harmony is slightly altered to suit the words,
as in the subtle change that occurs in the
second stanza of Des Abends. ' ' Indeed, the
perfection of truth with which Franz renders
every word is one of his highest merits. There
is not, perhaps, enough spontaneity and passion
in Franz's compositions to carry us away in a
transport of enthusiasm, but the finish of his
workmanship compels om- deliberate admiration.
All the best tendencies of the 19th century
were summed up in the songs of Johannes
Brahms. The perfection of formal structure,
the high distinction of melody, the beauty and
fitness of the accompaniments, the depth of
thought, and throughout the ring of truth and
sincerity place his songs among the immortal
works of the great classical masters. At all
times Brahms gave earnest attention to the
Volkslied.* The simple sentiment and origin-
3 Bee Viachei'a AeUhetik, pt. lii. p. 996 ; Albert Bach's The Art
SaZtad ; Reissinann's Das deuiscjte lAiid, p. 236 ; and M. Bunze'a
SdnOer Tend dia Balladenmu^k ^Die Muttk, 4. Jahr. Heft 16).
3 In hie akilfnl polyphonic accompaniment, such as 'Matter,
sinff mlch znr Buh',' Franz showa his dose, loving study of Bach'a
methods.
* P. Spitta, Zur Musik.