Des Kaisers Nachtigall by Hans Werner Henze; Giulio di MajoReview by: Austin ClarksonNotes, Second Series, Vol. 19, No. 1 (Dec., 1961), pp. 162-163Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/894135 .

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be rented) but, as footnotes show, for performances with keyboard alone. In transcription, however, the spirited violin parts are only moderately effective.

EDWIN HANLEY

Luigi Nono: Sara dolce tacere. Canto per 8 soli, da "La terra e la morte" di Cesare Pavese, 1960. (Ed. AV-5.) Mainz: Ars Viva Verlag; U. S. A.: Associated Music Publishers, New York, 1960. [28 p., $4.00]

Sart dolce tacere is a text of thirty- four lines drawn from the poem La terra e la morte by Cesare Pavese and set for an eight-part mixed chorus. Nono has written several works for chorus and in- struments, but only this work and one other for an unaccompanied vocal en- semble. Since Nono's music is exten- sively organized prior to its final assem- bly ("prefabricated" might be a better term to use in this regard than "pre- composed") it is very intricate in mat- ters of rhythm, and the sonorities are sometimes very complex. Unfortunately, only a professional octet of singers with very accurate pitch could be expected to tackle it.

Reginald Smith Brindle has shown (The Musical Quarterly, Vol. XLVII, 1961, pp. 247-255) the schemes by which Nono planned an earlier work, Canto sospeso, which was performed with great success at the Venice Festival of 1960. It is not difficult to see that Sara dolce tacere was planned on very similar lines. The same number of divisions of the beat are used (the quarter-note is di- vided into from two to six parts), each of the four sections has its own tone- row, the text is presented word by word but in such a way that a single voice al- most never is given two consecutive syl- lables, and the whole work is apparently organized by a complex set of propor- tions that determine the incidence and duration of the tones. Line is created from a series of points contributed by several voices, but these points are often long notes which overlap one another. The result is that line and sonority be- come indistinguishable and almost synon- ymous. As a word is being presented some voices may sing the first syllable,

be rented) but, as footnotes show, for performances with keyboard alone. In transcription, however, the spirited violin parts are only moderately effective.

EDWIN HANLEY

Luigi Nono: Sara dolce tacere. Canto per 8 soli, da "La terra e la morte" di Cesare Pavese, 1960. (Ed. AV-5.) Mainz: Ars Viva Verlag; U. S. A.: Associated Music Publishers, New York, 1960. [28 p., $4.00]

Sart dolce tacere is a text of thirty- four lines drawn from the poem La terra e la morte by Cesare Pavese and set for an eight-part mixed chorus. Nono has written several works for chorus and in- struments, but only this work and one other for an unaccompanied vocal en- semble. Since Nono's music is exten- sively organized prior to its final assem- bly ("prefabricated" might be a better term to use in this regard than "pre- composed") it is very intricate in mat- ters of rhythm, and the sonorities are sometimes very complex. Unfortunately, only a professional octet of singers with very accurate pitch could be expected to tackle it.

Reginald Smith Brindle has shown (The Musical Quarterly, Vol. XLVII, 1961, pp. 247-255) the schemes by which Nono planned an earlier work, Canto sospeso, which was performed with great success at the Venice Festival of 1960. It is not difficult to see that Sara dolce tacere was planned on very similar lines. The same number of divisions of the beat are used (the quarter-note is di- vided into from two to six parts), each of the four sections has its own tone- row, the text is presented word by word but in such a way that a single voice al- most never is given two consecutive syl- lables, and the whole work is apparently organized by a complex set of propor- tions that determine the incidence and duration of the tones. Line is created from a series of points contributed by several voices, but these points are often long notes which overlap one another. The result is that line and sonority be- come indistinguishable and almost synon- ymous. As a word is being presented some voices may sing the first syllable,

be rented) but, as footnotes show, for performances with keyboard alone. In transcription, however, the spirited violin parts are only moderately effective.

EDWIN HANLEY

Luigi Nono: Sara dolce tacere. Canto per 8 soli, da "La terra e la morte" di Cesare Pavese, 1960. (Ed. AV-5.) Mainz: Ars Viva Verlag; U. S. A.: Associated Music Publishers, New York, 1960. [28 p., $4.00]

Sart dolce tacere is a text of thirty- four lines drawn from the poem La terra e la morte by Cesare Pavese and set for an eight-part mixed chorus. Nono has written several works for chorus and in- struments, but only this work and one other for an unaccompanied vocal en- semble. Since Nono's music is exten- sively organized prior to its final assem- bly ("prefabricated" might be a better term to use in this regard than "pre- composed") it is very intricate in mat- ters of rhythm, and the sonorities are sometimes very complex. Unfortunately, only a professional octet of singers with very accurate pitch could be expected to tackle it.

Reginald Smith Brindle has shown (The Musical Quarterly, Vol. XLVII, 1961, pp. 247-255) the schemes by which Nono planned an earlier work, Canto sospeso, which was performed with great success at the Venice Festival of 1960. It is not difficult to see that Sara dolce tacere was planned on very similar lines. The same number of divisions of the beat are used (the quarter-note is di- vided into from two to six parts), each of the four sections has its own tone- row, the text is presented word by word but in such a way that a single voice al- most never is given two consecutive syl- lables, and the whole work is apparently organized by a complex set of propor- tions that determine the incidence and duration of the tones. Line is created from a series of points contributed by several voices, but these points are often long notes which overlap one another. The result is that line and sonority be- come indistinguishable and almost synon- ymous. As a word is being presented some voices may sing the first syllable,

others may sing just the vowel from this syllable, and still others may then begin the second syllable before the first is quite completed. The intensification of the vowel content is accomplished with great subtlety and is an important ad- vance in the technique of setting text. Each section of the composition has its own characteristic chroma which is de- termined by its tone-row and extended by rotation of the pitch elements. Dynam- ics are not serialized but seem to be adjusted to expressive needs, the great- est contrasts of intensity occurring in the last section.

I look forward to hearing this work. It takes some regard for the expressive needs of a text and belongs to the class of composition which seems to be a proof for some proposition in number theory. Brindle suggests that "Nono's art is an ideal equilibrium of abstract and human- ist values" and he may well be right. One must simply realize the limits with- in which this equilibrium is achieved.

Hans Werner Henze: Des Kaisers Nachtigall. Pantomime von Giulio di Majo. (Ed. Schott, 5015.) Mainz: B. Schotts Sohne; U. S. A.: Associated, New York, 1960. [Study score, 31 p., $2.25]

Hans Werner Henze has written a de- lightfully whimsical and artful setting of Hans Christian Andersen's tale of the emperor restored to life by the constancy of a living nightingale after having been seduced and then deceived by a me- chanical one. The composition is to ac- company a pantomime in eight scenes and an apotheosis devised by Guilio di Majo and first performed at Venice in 1959. Only eleven performers are called for: flute (piccolo), celeste, marimba, piano, four percussion, bass clarinet, viola, and 'cello. The scoring is extremely delicate, attenuated, and pointillistic, but this does not prevent the composer from allowing the flute to represent the living nightingale, and the piccolo to represent the mechanical bird.

Pitch elements, at least, are organ- ized serially, but other elements seem to be freely disposed. The nightingale's song for the emperor is realized in a set

others may sing just the vowel from this syllable, and still others may then begin the second syllable before the first is quite completed. The intensification of the vowel content is accomplished with great subtlety and is an important ad- vance in the technique of setting text. Each section of the composition has its own characteristic chroma which is de- termined by its tone-row and extended by rotation of the pitch elements. Dynam- ics are not serialized but seem to be adjusted to expressive needs, the great- est contrasts of intensity occurring in the last section.

I look forward to hearing this work. It takes some regard for the expressive needs of a text and belongs to the class of composition which seems to be a proof for some proposition in number theory. Brindle suggests that "Nono's art is an ideal equilibrium of abstract and human- ist values" and he may well be right. One must simply realize the limits with- in which this equilibrium is achieved.

Hans Werner Henze: Des Kaisers Nachtigall. Pantomime von Giulio di Majo. (Ed. Schott, 5015.) Mainz: B. Schotts Sohne; U. S. A.: Associated, New York, 1960. [Study score, 31 p., $2.25]

Hans Werner Henze has written a de- lightfully whimsical and artful setting of Hans Christian Andersen's tale of the emperor restored to life by the constancy of a living nightingale after having been seduced and then deceived by a me- chanical one. The composition is to ac- company a pantomime in eight scenes and an apotheosis devised by Guilio di Majo and first performed at Venice in 1959. Only eleven performers are called for: flute (piccolo), celeste, marimba, piano, four percussion, bass clarinet, viola, and 'cello. The scoring is extremely delicate, attenuated, and pointillistic, but this does not prevent the composer from allowing the flute to represent the living nightingale, and the piccolo to represent the mechanical bird.

Pitch elements, at least, are organ- ized serially, but other elements seem to be freely disposed. The nightingale's song for the emperor is realized in a set

others may sing just the vowel from this syllable, and still others may then begin the second syllable before the first is quite completed. The intensification of the vowel content is accomplished with great subtlety and is an important ad- vance in the technique of setting text. Each section of the composition has its own characteristic chroma which is de- termined by its tone-row and extended by rotation of the pitch elements. Dynam- ics are not serialized but seem to be adjusted to expressive needs, the great- est contrasts of intensity occurring in the last section.

I look forward to hearing this work. It takes some regard for the expressive needs of a text and belongs to the class of composition which seems to be a proof for some proposition in number theory. Brindle suggests that "Nono's art is an ideal equilibrium of abstract and human- ist values" and he may well be right. One must simply realize the limits with- in which this equilibrium is achieved.

Hans Werner Henze: Des Kaisers Nachtigall. Pantomime von Giulio di Majo. (Ed. Schott, 5015.) Mainz: B. Schotts Sohne; U. S. A.: Associated, New York, 1960. [Study score, 31 p., $2.25]

Hans Werner Henze has written a de- lightfully whimsical and artful setting of Hans Christian Andersen's tale of the emperor restored to life by the constancy of a living nightingale after having been seduced and then deceived by a me- chanical one. The composition is to ac- company a pantomime in eight scenes and an apotheosis devised by Guilio di Majo and first performed at Venice in 1959. Only eleven performers are called for: flute (piccolo), celeste, marimba, piano, four percussion, bass clarinet, viola, and 'cello. The scoring is extremely delicate, attenuated, and pointillistic, but this does not prevent the composer from allowing the flute to represent the living nightingale, and the piccolo to represent the mechanical bird.

Pitch elements, at least, are organ- ized serially, but other elements seem to be freely disposed. The nightingale's song for the emperor is realized in a set

162 162 162

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of two variations and a cadenza; further on, the contest between the nightingale and death provides the flute with three more solo passages. The song and demise of the mechanical nightingale does not culminate in a cadenza, but rather in a furious crescendo enlisting most of the percussion and all of the keyboards. The work shows a brilliant application of sonorous color to dramatic effect, but needs the services of a flutist of the high- est virtuosity.

of two variations and a cadenza; further on, the contest between the nightingale and death provides the flute with three more solo passages. The song and demise of the mechanical nightingale does not culminate in a cadenza, but rather in a furious crescendo enlisting most of the percussion and all of the keyboards. The work shows a brilliant application of sonorous color to dramatic effect, but needs the services of a flutist of the high- est virtuosity.

If, as at Hamlet's banquet, we must needs wonder why such a simple story was presented in pantomime for the de- lectation of the avant-garde at Venice, we might conclude that there is hidden here a plea for the life-giving qualities of non-mechanical musical invention and production. Even without ulterior con- siderations, Henze has written completely apt music for a delightful evening's entertainment.

AUSTIN CLARKSON

If, as at Hamlet's banquet, we must needs wonder why such a simple story was presented in pantomime for the de- lectation of the avant-garde at Venice, we might conclude that there is hidden here a plea for the life-giving qualities of non-mechanical musical invention and production. Even without ulterior con- siderations, Henze has written completely apt music for a delightful evening's entertainment.

AUSTIN CLARKSON

KEY TO ABBREVIATED IMPRINTS (U. S. agents are given in parentheses)

(Date of publication is omitted if the year of issue is 1961)

KEY TO ABBREVIATED IMPRINTS (U. S. agents are given in parentheses)

(Date of publication is omitted if the year of issue is 1961)

Associated - ....N.Y.: Associated Music Pub- lishers

Augener ------- London: Augener (Galaxy) Augsburg -....... Minneapolis: Augsburg Pub.

House Baerenreiter ....-Kassel: Baerenreiter Beekman ....---.. N.Y.: Beekman Music

(Presser) BMI-C Toronto: BMI Canada

(Associated) Boosey --....... . ..N.Y.: Boosey & Hawkes Breitkopf

(Wiesb. ) Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Hartel (Associated)

Brooklyn ....... Brooklyn, N. Y.: Brooklyn College (Leeds)

Catholic Washington, D. C.: Catholic Education Press

Chappell -....--- N.Y.: Chappell & Co. Columbia ..----.- N.Y.: Columbia Univ. Press Composers -- Composers Press (H. Elkan) Concordia St. Louis: Concordia Pub.

House Crown -...-.... ..N.Y.: Crown Publishers Delhi ....-.........Delhi Publications (Willis) Doubleday ----- Garden City, N. Y.: Double-

day Elkan .Philadelphia: Henri Elkan Elkan-Vogel ....Philadelphia: Elkan-Vogel

Co. Elkin ...... ..---- London: Elkin & Co.

(Galaxy) EMB ...... ...Budapest: Editio Musica

Budapest (Boosey) Emerson ---------N.Y.: Emerson Books Engstrom ......... .Kobenhavn: Engstrom &

Sodring (Peters) Fischer ....------ N.Y.: C. Fischer Galaxy --... -----N.Y.: Galaxy Music Corp. Gershwin ----.---Gershwin Pub. Corp.

(Chappell) Gray ..-.. . .---. N.Y.: H. W. Gray Gulbenkian .---. Lisboa: Fundacao Calouste

Gulbenkian (Baerenreiter) Harms . -......-- N.Y.: T. B. Harms Henle --------.. -Miinchen-Duisberg: G. Henle Highgate .------ Highgate Press (Galaxy) Hinrichsen ..... London: Hinrichsen

(Peters) Humphries ------Boston: Bruce Humphries

Associated - ....N.Y.: Associated Music Pub- lishers

Augener ------- London: Augener (Galaxy) Augsburg -....... Minneapolis: Augsburg Pub.

House Baerenreiter ....-Kassel: Baerenreiter Beekman ....---.. N.Y.: Beekman Music

(Presser) BMI-C Toronto: BMI Canada

(Associated) Boosey --....... . ..N.Y.: Boosey & Hawkes Breitkopf

(Wiesb. ) Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Hartel (Associated)

Brooklyn ....... Brooklyn, N. Y.: Brooklyn College (Leeds)

Catholic Washington, D. C.: Catholic Education Press

Chappell -....--- N.Y.: Chappell & Co. Columbia ..----.- N.Y.: Columbia Univ. Press Composers -- Composers Press (H. Elkan) Concordia St. Louis: Concordia Pub.

House Crown -...-.... ..N.Y.: Crown Publishers Delhi ....-.........Delhi Publications (Willis) Doubleday ----- Garden City, N. Y.: Double-

day Elkan .Philadelphia: Henri Elkan Elkan-Vogel ....Philadelphia: Elkan-Vogel

Co. Elkin ...... ..---- London: Elkin & Co.

(Galaxy) EMB ...... ...Budapest: Editio Musica

Budapest (Boosey) Emerson ---------N.Y.: Emerson Books Engstrom ......... .Kobenhavn: Engstrom &

Sodring (Peters) Fischer ....------ N.Y.: C. Fischer Galaxy --... -----N.Y.: Galaxy Music Corp. Gershwin ----.---Gershwin Pub. Corp.

(Chappell) Gray ..-.. . .---. N.Y.: H. W. Gray Gulbenkian .---. Lisboa: Fundacao Calouste

Gulbenkian (Baerenreiter) Harms . -......-- N.Y.: T. B. Harms Henle --------.. -Miinchen-Duisberg: G. Henle Highgate .------ Highgate Press (Galaxy) Hinrichsen ..... London: Hinrichsen

(Peters) Humphries ------Boston: Bruce Humphries

Kentucky --------Lexington, Ky.: Univ. of Kentucky Press

Lawson ...---.. --Lawson-Gould Music Publish- ers (Schirmer)

Leeds ...N.Y.: Leeds Music Corp. Litolff - ........... Frankfort: Litolff (Peters) McLaughlin --Boston: McLaughlin & Reilly Marks ----------. N.Y.: E. B. Marks Corp. Melrose N.Y.: Melrose Mercury -..----.-N.Y.: Mercury (Presser) Mills ---- N.Y.: Mills Music Morley -..----.---Morley Music (Morris) Morris .-........ .N.Y.: E. H. Morris Musica Rara --London: Musica Rara

(Presser) Novello --..... ..London: Novello (Gray) NYPL ...-------N. Y.: New York Public

Library (Peters) Oxford -----...... ..London & N.Y.: Oxford Peters N.Y.: C. F. Peters Corp. Presser ......... Bryn Mawr, Pa.: T. Presser

Co. Ries ---....-- ----- Berlin: Ries & Erler

(Peters) Schirmer- ..... N.Y.: G. Schirmer Schonborn ------ Wien: Schinborn Schola

Cantorum . ...Paris: Ed. Musicales de la Schola Cantorum (Elkan- Vogel)

Southdale .......Southdale Music Corp. (Schirmer)

Stainer ---....- -- London: Stainer & Bell (Galaxy)

Stratford --...... Stratford Music Corp. (Chappell)

Vieweg .B-- -Berlin-Lichterfelde: C. F. Vieweg (Peters)

Volk ------...-- K81n: Arno Volk (London: Oxford)

Wayne ....... - Detroit: Wayne State Univ. Willis Cincinnati: Willis Music Co. Wood .------..--- N.Y.: B. F. Wood Yale-M -....----- New Haven: Yale Univ.,

Dept. of Music Graduate School

Zanibon -......-.Padova: Guglielmo Zanibon (Peters)

Zimmermann..- Frankfort: Musikverlag W. Zimmermann (Peters)

Kentucky --------Lexington, Ky.: Univ. of Kentucky Press

Lawson ...---.. --Lawson-Gould Music Publish- ers (Schirmer)

Leeds ...N.Y.: Leeds Music Corp. Litolff - ........... Frankfort: Litolff (Peters) McLaughlin --Boston: McLaughlin & Reilly Marks ----------. N.Y.: E. B. Marks Corp. Melrose N.Y.: Melrose Mercury -..----.-N.Y.: Mercury (Presser) Mills ---- N.Y.: Mills Music Morley -..----.---Morley Music (Morris) Morris .-........ .N.Y.: E. H. Morris Musica Rara --London: Musica Rara

(Presser) Novello --..... ..London: Novello (Gray) NYPL ...-------N. Y.: New York Public

Library (Peters) Oxford -----...... ..London & N.Y.: Oxford Peters N.Y.: C. F. Peters Corp. Presser ......... Bryn Mawr, Pa.: T. Presser

Co. Ries ---....-- ----- Berlin: Ries & Erler

(Peters) Schirmer- ..... N.Y.: G. Schirmer Schonborn ------ Wien: Schinborn Schola

Cantorum . ...Paris: Ed. Musicales de la Schola Cantorum (Elkan- Vogel)

Southdale .......Southdale Music Corp. (Schirmer)

Stainer ---....- -- London: Stainer & Bell (Galaxy)

Stratford --...... Stratford Music Corp. (Chappell)

Vieweg .B-- -Berlin-Lichterfelde: C. F. Vieweg (Peters)

Volk ------...-- K81n: Arno Volk (London: Oxford)

Wayne ....... - Detroit: Wayne State Univ. Willis Cincinnati: Willis Music Co. Wood .------..--- N.Y.: B. F. Wood Yale-M -....----- New Haven: Yale Univ.,

Dept. of Music Graduate School

Zanibon -......-.Padova: Guglielmo Zanibon (Peters)

Zimmermann..- Frankfort: Musikverlag W. Zimmermann (Peters)

163 163

This content downloaded from 91.229.229.86 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 14:52:07 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions