Page 80 - 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
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glasbena kritika – nekoč in danes | music criticism – yesterday and today
ly musical endeavours should be contrasted for a time with the absorp-
tion of music in poetic inwardness, with the monotonous spinning off
of an insignificant motif, with formlessness.15
Even after Ludwig Bischoff left the editorial office, the Rheinische
Musik-Zeitung continued to pursue a critical line against Zukunftsmusik,
for example when a Mozart review spoke of the “shocking diminished sev-
enth chords, whose nonsensical use in so-called Zukunftsmusik has become
not only disgusting but truly sacrilegious.”16 Musical authorities are readi-
ly quoted, such as Ludwig Rellstab in a report from Berlin, who, with re-
gard to the followers of future music, said in the Vossische Zeitung that “the
new chaos composers” had “ just arrived at the creation of future music,”17 or
François-Joseph Fétis, who, referring to the classics, especially Mozart, op-
poses the principle of progress among the followers of future music.18
With his newly founded Niederrheinische Musik-Zeitung, Ludwig Bi-
schoff takes an even sharper line against future music, so it is quite under-
standable that the term has been attributed to him.19 Already in the first vol-
ume in 1853, Bischoff ironically refers to Richard Wagner:
O enviable alliance of the artists of the future, the apostles of the sung
drama with the prophets of absolute religion and the aesthetic cult! [...]
A sinister spirit runs through the house of German art and literature!20
In the second volume, an article on “The Opposition of Southern Ger-
many to the Music of the Future” is printed.21 A biblical comparison is used
here:
Until now [...] Baal has not yet performed a miracle, no matter how
much his prophets prophesied of signs and wonders that Baal would
perform at his great festival in Karlsruhe; and therefore we Swabians
faithfully honour our old gods and do not want to desecrate their sa-
15 G. E., “Berliner Briefe,” Rheinische Musik-Zeitung für Kunstfreunde und Künstler 2,
no. 93 (1851/52): 738–40, here 739.
16 Echo., “Die Briefarie im ‘Don Juan’,” Rheinische Musik-Zeitung 6, no. 7 (1855): 373.
17 Anon. “Berlin,” Rheinische Musik-Zeitung 6, no. 49 (1855): 390f.
18 Anon., “Ein ausländisches Urtheil über unsere neue Opernrichtung,” Rheinische
Musik-Zeitung 7, no. 47 (1856): 369.
19 Christa and Peter Jost, “‘Zukunftsmusik.’ Zur Geschichte eines Begriffs,” Musikthe-
orie. Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft 10, no. 2 (1995): 119–35. According to this, the
term was first used by Johann Christian Lobe in 1852.
20 S. in S., “Stoppellese,” Niederrheinische Musik-Zeitung 1, no. 5 (1853): 38.
21 J. B., “Die Opposition Süddeutschlands gegen die Zukunftsmusik,” Niederrheinische
Musik-Zeitung 2, no. 4 (1854): 29f.
80
ly musical endeavours should be contrasted for a time with the absorp-
tion of music in poetic inwardness, with the monotonous spinning off
of an insignificant motif, with formlessness.15
Even after Ludwig Bischoff left the editorial office, the Rheinische
Musik-Zeitung continued to pursue a critical line against Zukunftsmusik,
for example when a Mozart review spoke of the “shocking diminished sev-
enth chords, whose nonsensical use in so-called Zukunftsmusik has become
not only disgusting but truly sacrilegious.”16 Musical authorities are readi-
ly quoted, such as Ludwig Rellstab in a report from Berlin, who, with re-
gard to the followers of future music, said in the Vossische Zeitung that “the
new chaos composers” had “ just arrived at the creation of future music,”17 or
François-Joseph Fétis, who, referring to the classics, especially Mozart, op-
poses the principle of progress among the followers of future music.18
With his newly founded Niederrheinische Musik-Zeitung, Ludwig Bi-
schoff takes an even sharper line against future music, so it is quite under-
standable that the term has been attributed to him.19 Already in the first vol-
ume in 1853, Bischoff ironically refers to Richard Wagner:
O enviable alliance of the artists of the future, the apostles of the sung
drama with the prophets of absolute religion and the aesthetic cult! [...]
A sinister spirit runs through the house of German art and literature!20
In the second volume, an article on “The Opposition of Southern Ger-
many to the Music of the Future” is printed.21 A biblical comparison is used
here:
Until now [...] Baal has not yet performed a miracle, no matter how
much his prophets prophesied of signs and wonders that Baal would
perform at his great festival in Karlsruhe; and therefore we Swabians
faithfully honour our old gods and do not want to desecrate their sa-
15 G. E., “Berliner Briefe,” Rheinische Musik-Zeitung für Kunstfreunde und Künstler 2,
no. 93 (1851/52): 738–40, here 739.
16 Echo., “Die Briefarie im ‘Don Juan’,” Rheinische Musik-Zeitung 6, no. 7 (1855): 373.
17 Anon. “Berlin,” Rheinische Musik-Zeitung 6, no. 49 (1855): 390f.
18 Anon., “Ein ausländisches Urtheil über unsere neue Opernrichtung,” Rheinische
Musik-Zeitung 7, no. 47 (1856): 369.
19 Christa and Peter Jost, “‘Zukunftsmusik.’ Zur Geschichte eines Begriffs,” Musikthe-
orie. Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft 10, no. 2 (1995): 119–35. According to this, the
term was first used by Johann Christian Lobe in 1852.
20 S. in S., “Stoppellese,” Niederrheinische Musik-Zeitung 1, no. 5 (1853): 38.
21 J. B., “Die Opposition Süddeutschlands gegen die Zukunftsmusik,” Niederrheinische
Musik-Zeitung 2, no. 4 (1854): 29f.
80
