Re: GG: Beethoven/Liszt Fifth Symphony

[Tim Conway <tpconway@ozemail.com.au>]

Hello Junichi,

>     With this oft-stringent note let man now pause,
>     That who shall hear it, sounding thus, shall see,
>     That euphony's the one, sure, sacred cause,
>     And taking leave of octave doublings, flee
>     To that secured and effortless repose
>     Upon that tintinnabulating(*) key,
>     And with that quiet confidence which knows
>     Here was a note, here was a middle C.
>
>     *(ringen, klingen)
>                               'The Collected Klopweiser'
>                                           (Dent and Dent)

My impression is that here GG is at his most whimsically ironic. He's not 
really saying much more than 'be safe when orchestrating -- and when 
composing if possible stick to C-major'. GG seems to be putting very 
English words into the Germanic mouth of Prof Dr Heinkel, the words being 
a pastiche-parody of Poe ('To the tintinnabulation that so musically 
wells/ From the bells, bells, bells, bells'), Browning and similar 19th 
Century poets, all of whom took more words than necessary to get their 
message across. GG is saying 'be euphonious, don't use empty harmonies 
such as double octaves'. 

I haven't listened to the Liszt 5th Symphony for a while but I think it 
contains a number of double-octave passages, and no doubt Bradley Lehman 
can tell us which keys it roves through. In other words, the review is 
against Beethoven, Liszt and Gould, although it takes several readings to 
glean that meaning.

Dent (JM) and Sons Ltd (1888), Aldine House, 33 Welbeck Street, London 
W1M 8LX, England is a well-known publishing company. They publish a 
number of subjects, music being one of them.

I have no doubt whatsoever that other f-miners will have different 
interpretations. Although Gould was explicit, direct and straight in his 
playing, in his writing he was often (sometimes deliberately) obtuse, but 
at least there are no chandeliers in this passage. Good luck with your 
translation. (BTW, I took the poem at face value and didn't read the rest 
of the 'review' in GGR.)

Tim Conway
<tpconway@ozemail.com.au>
Upwey, Australia