Page 40 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2024. Glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes ▪︎ Music Criticism – Yesterday and Today. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 7
P. 40
glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes | music criticism – yesterday and today
As a precondition for these achievements Hoffmann considers a bal-
anced relationship between rationality and fantasy. Concluding these con-
siderations, Hoffmann states that Reichardt, when writing a sonata, missed
the support of poetry, which proved to be essential for him. Only real he-
roes of music are capable of writing autonomous, instrumental music, he
stresses. For this task, not only are insights into the artistic and harmoni-
ous structures necessary, but also a perfect understanding of the individu-
ality of each instrument, in order to use it according to its highest potential.
These requirements concern in particular the piano, which had recently
undergone so many changes, it could be considered a completely novel in-
strument. What Hoffmann reproaches in the following is not being con-
scious of these technical innovations by comparing Reichardt with some-
one lost on an island, and thus isolated and not in connection with current
artistic practices anymore:
It could be imagined that a brave piano player and composer from the
time of Bache, Wolfe, etc., by some coincidence would be transported to
an island (in the Indian archipelago or elsewhere), while saving his grand
piano and Sebastian Bach in solitude. Now he diligently composed so-
natas and toccatas, entirely in the artful, but with regard to the splen-
dor, which now came from the increased virtuosity of the players and the
magnificent instruments, which replaced those clattering, clanging pian-
os, poor manner, as it existed at that time, and would, as a passing ship
took him up, bring over the fruit of his labor. The appearance of his works
would be, if not exactly pleasing, yet certainly strange [...].11
With this comparison Hoffmann becomes ironic, but he doesn’t stop
here. Rather he accuses Reichardt of not even having known the historical
innovations concerning his instrument, the piano.
11 “Es ließe sich denken, dass ein wackrer Klavierspieler und Komponist aus der Zeit der
Bache, Wolfe etc. durch irgendeinen Zufall auf eine Insel (etwa im indischen Archip-
elagus oder sonst) verschlagen würde, indessen seinen Flügel und den Sebastian Bach
in die Einsamkeit hinüberrettete. Nun komponierte er fleißig Sonaten und Tokkaten,
ganz in der kunstvollen, aber rücksichtlich des Glanzes, der nun aus der gestiegenen
Virtuosität der Spieler und dem herrlichen Instrumente, das jene klappernden, klir-
renden Flügel ersetzte, hervorgegangen, ärmlichen Manier, wie sie damals bestand,
und brächte, als ein vorbeisegelndes Schiff in aufnahm, die Frucht seiner Arbeit herü-
ber. Die Erscheinung seiner Werke würde, wenn auch nicht gerade erfreulich, doch ge-
wiss merkwürdig sein […].” Cf. E. T. A. Hoffmann, “Grande Sonate pour le Pianofor-
te comp. - - par J.G Reichardt, Maitre de Chapelle de S.M. le roi de Prusse. à Leipsic,
chez Breitkopf et Härtel,” in Die Schriften über Musik, in Dichtungen und Schriften.
Gesamtausgabe in 15 Bänden, 12. Band, ed. Walther Harich (Weimar, Lichtenstein,
1924), 335.
40
As a precondition for these achievements Hoffmann considers a bal-
anced relationship between rationality and fantasy. Concluding these con-
siderations, Hoffmann states that Reichardt, when writing a sonata, missed
the support of poetry, which proved to be essential for him. Only real he-
roes of music are capable of writing autonomous, instrumental music, he
stresses. For this task, not only are insights into the artistic and harmoni-
ous structures necessary, but also a perfect understanding of the individu-
ality of each instrument, in order to use it according to its highest potential.
These requirements concern in particular the piano, which had recently
undergone so many changes, it could be considered a completely novel in-
strument. What Hoffmann reproaches in the following is not being con-
scious of these technical innovations by comparing Reichardt with some-
one lost on an island, and thus isolated and not in connection with current
artistic practices anymore:
It could be imagined that a brave piano player and composer from the
time of Bache, Wolfe, etc., by some coincidence would be transported to
an island (in the Indian archipelago or elsewhere), while saving his grand
piano and Sebastian Bach in solitude. Now he diligently composed so-
natas and toccatas, entirely in the artful, but with regard to the splen-
dor, which now came from the increased virtuosity of the players and the
magnificent instruments, which replaced those clattering, clanging pian-
os, poor manner, as it existed at that time, and would, as a passing ship
took him up, bring over the fruit of his labor. The appearance of his works
would be, if not exactly pleasing, yet certainly strange [...].11
With this comparison Hoffmann becomes ironic, but he doesn’t stop
here. Rather he accuses Reichardt of not even having known the historical
innovations concerning his instrument, the piano.
11 “Es ließe sich denken, dass ein wackrer Klavierspieler und Komponist aus der Zeit der
Bache, Wolfe etc. durch irgendeinen Zufall auf eine Insel (etwa im indischen Archip-
elagus oder sonst) verschlagen würde, indessen seinen Flügel und den Sebastian Bach
in die Einsamkeit hinüberrettete. Nun komponierte er fleißig Sonaten und Tokkaten,
ganz in der kunstvollen, aber rücksichtlich des Glanzes, der nun aus der gestiegenen
Virtuosität der Spieler und dem herrlichen Instrumente, das jene klappernden, klir-
renden Flügel ersetzte, hervorgegangen, ärmlichen Manier, wie sie damals bestand,
und brächte, als ein vorbeisegelndes Schiff in aufnahm, die Frucht seiner Arbeit herü-
ber. Die Erscheinung seiner Werke würde, wenn auch nicht gerade erfreulich, doch ge-
wiss merkwürdig sein […].” Cf. E. T. A. Hoffmann, “Grande Sonate pour le Pianofor-
te comp. - - par J.G Reichardt, Maitre de Chapelle de S.M. le roi de Prusse. à Leipsic,
chez Breitkopf et Härtel,” in Die Schriften über Musik, in Dichtungen und Schriften.
Gesamtausgabe in 15 Bänden, 12. Band, ed. Walther Harich (Weimar, Lichtenstein,
1924), 335.
40
