Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

SONG 615
ality of conception in the poetry of the folksongs
of his own and otlier countries were a
strong incitement to him, and were reflected
in his music with unsurpsissable truth. Even
where .he uses Hungarian or other idioms,
his language is always his own.^ His use of
the old modes and of complex rhythms which
had long fallen into disuse,^ show he had
drunk deeply of the past in music, but he ever
amalgamated it with his own living musical
utterance. Brahms's fuU, rich accompaniments
have also a character of their own. It is clear
that he attached the highest importance to the
fundamental bass, and there are many songs in
which the bass alone is sufficient to support
the voice. Again, whilst his consummate skill
in the contrapuntal line is shown by the melodic
Bfe he has given the inner parts, his complete
mastery over every technical resource of his
art is visible in the multifarious rhythms and
exquisite harmonies he employs.^ His accompaniments
sometimes lead, sometimes follow
the voice, or they pursue their own independent
course. Many instances of these occur in the
magnificent song-cycle from Tieck's Magelone.
The poetical and intellectual qualities of
Brahms's songs, as well as their more serious and
spiritual properties, have been fully described
elsewhere ; and it suffices to say that the songs
of this great artist make it hard to believe that
the highest development of the German Lied
has not been attained.
Turning to a side-group of composers who
have worked more on the lines laid down by
Mendelssohn, we find the iiames of Curschmann,
Taubert, F. Lachner, F. Ries, Eckert, Rietz,
Eeinecke, Raff, and Fanny Hensel. Then- best
work is unpretending and simple, but they lack
the higher qualities of song-writing. Far more
interesting, and very different names are those
of Cornelius, Jensen, Briickler, Herzogenberg,
and Lassen. Jensen was richly responsive to
the vein of tender sentiment brought into prominence
by the romantic school. The exquisite
' Dolorosa ' cycle, the brilliant
'
Spanisches
Liederbuch ' and gay student songs have won
success for him. Both he and Hugo Briickler,
whose posthumous songs Jensen edited, possessed
the true lyric feeling for melody, and both
wrote elaborate and interesting accompaniments.
But in each of these song-writers we find a
want of self-restraint and self-criticism, and an
over-feverish imagination. Heinrich von Herzogenberg
did not err in this respect ; his
refined and thoughtful songs, if lacking in
spontaneity, are carefully worked out, and
^ To show the power Brahms had to limit this form to its own
compact stractnre, and without change evolve fresh meaning for
every
'
verse, see the pathetic VoUislied Schweaterlein.' And that
he conld equally raise it to the highest development of the art-song
is exemplified by his treatment of the Wendic folk-song ' Von ewiger
Lieba*
3 Compare his use of the Tumiolia with those which occur in
Handel's
'
Duetti da Camera.' Spitta. Zwr Sfuxik.
3 See, for example, 'FrUhlingstiost'and'O wUssf ichdoch,' from
op. 63.
appeal to those who care for the intellectual
side of song-writing. The number of E. Lassen's
songs is great, and they vary much in merit.
He had a sensitive feeling for the aesthetic side
of art ; and the slightness of means and material
wherewith he obtains his effects is admirable.*
But his over -sentimentality and desire for
popularity place Lassen on a far lower level
than the above-mentioned composers. P. Cornelius
stands on a wholly different plane, being
as much a poet as a musician, and having too
strong an individuality in thought and mode
of expression to belong to any school. In
Cornelius's personality there is a sti'ange combination
of subtle mysticism and transparent
simplicity, which imparts a rare charm to his
songs. 'The beautiful '"VYeihnachtslieder ' cycle,
with their childlike sincerity, and the exquisitely
poetical ' Brautlieder ' cycle represent
his best work, but all his songs need to be
intimately studied before they can make their
full impression.
The history of German song during the last
century bears witness to a continuous attempt
towards heightening, by means of melody,
hai-mony, and rhythm, the eifect of the words.
The musical idea, nevertheless, did not subserve
the literary, nor were the essentials of pure
musical art forgotten. The latest development
of German song has carried to the extreme
the tendency of giving a place of primary
importance to the words, and musical form is
sacrificed to literary construction. The composer
selects poems with regard to theii' literary
value ; the exigencies of verbal accent are enforced
; repetition or alteration of words and
other verbal licences countenanced in past days
are prohibited. Musically regarded, the importance
and independence of the instrumental part
has reached its climax ;
declamatory passages
have replaced melodic phrases ; all the resources
of modern music in modulation, in harmonic
and rhythmical combinations have been expended
on the song-form with a lavish and often
undiscriniinating hand.* Sounds, musically
chaotic, are tolerated by the aesthetic principle
which recognises no obligation save the obligation
to emphasise the mood or meaning of the
verse. Expression, not beauty, is now the
composer's ideal. This song -formula was
adopted by Hugo Wolf and Richard Strauss,
and carried to its apogee by Max Eeger
and others belonging to the same school of
thought— each engrafting thereon his individual
qualities and idiosyncrasies. TSo one
can deny the sincerity of these composers'
methods of writing. They have realised the
aesthetic value of complexity and ugliness, and
it needs no defence in their minds. And yet
4 See P. Bachmann's essay on Lassen in Die Jfvtik, Feb. 19il4.
s 'The application of Wagner's methods to the Song cannot here
he discussed, as he practically stood apart from this form, although
his indirect inHnence upon Song has been undeniable, and the few
examples he left are of great beauty.