HERMANN HESSE AND THE DIALECTICS OF TIME Salvatore C. P. ...
HERMANN HESSE AND THE DIALECTICS OF TIME Salvatore C. P. ... HERMANN HESSE AND THE DIALECTICS OF TIME Salvatore C. P. ...
music aesthetics but in addition involves some fundamental sociological considerations. While Bach, Haydn, and Mozart for the most part wrote music on commission, and only their artistic craftsmanship not their Weltanschauung— attracted attention, Beethoven is one of the first examples of an independent artist able to compose with the main purpose of expressing his inner self. 39 As a result of Beethoven's example, the composer begins to come to the fore and the classical expression of universal ideals is progressively overshadowed by the Romantic emphasis on individuality.40 The substance of a piece of music, as Hesse states in his letter of 1932 to Finckh (see above), becomes inextricably linked with the artist's personality by way of the composer from Bonn: Mit Beethoven beginnt in der Musik das, was in der Literatur mit Schiller etc. und in der Politik mit der Pariser Revolution begann und was genau das Gegenteil zu allem Goetheschen Wesen ist. (Musik, 157) The shift in emphasis to the individuality of the composer, inaugurated by Beethoven is, for Hesse, taken to the extreme by Wagner and the epigones of Romanticism. Individuation and individuality are also discriminating factors with regard to another aspect of Hesse's connection to music: his ambivalent attitude towards virtuosi and their performances, which he often regarded as social more than musical events. Although he, as a child, dreamt of becoming a violin virtuoso (see SW 14, 95), later in his life he maintained ambivalent, sometimes sceptical, views on the role of virtuosi and questioned their artistic merits. Hesse's fascination with their exceptional skills was contrasted by the thought that their virtuosity might divert the listener's attention from the music they were performing. Hesse's observations on a 'Virtuosen-Konzert' (1928) go some way to capture his mixed feelings: Wahrend dieses ganzen Abends waren zwei Personen in mir, zwei Zuhorer, zwei Mitspieler. Der eine war ein alter Musikliebhaber mit unbestechlichem Geschmack, ein Puritaner der guten Musik [...] Der andere in mir aber war ein Knabe, der folgte dem sieghaften Geigenhelden, wurde eins mit ihm, schwang mit ihm. (Musik, 57) 39 This is also apparent in the differing amounts of music these composers produced during their lives. Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies, a small number compared to the 49 and 104 composed by Mozart and Haydn respectively. 40 'In the classic sense, the work of art is a whole and partakes of all humanity; the more the idea of humanity shines through it, the higher it stands' (Blume, 9). 79
'Hesse had nothing against virtuosi, as long as they used their skills in the service of "good music" 7 (Schneider, 387) and admired musicians such as Fou Tsong and Sarasate.41 However, he felt that the renditions of virtuosi such as Casals were affected by what Hesse calls, in a letter of 1899 to Helene Voigt-Diederichs, their 'Virtuosenegoismus 7 (Musik, 132). 42 Hesse labels Wagner's and Strauss7 s music 'rauschend 7 and employs the word 'Rausch7 to describe the spellbinding, almost intoxicating effect of a virtuoso performance: Ich bin spater in den ersten Konzerten beriihmter Musikanten, die ich horte, allerdings fur eine Weile dem Zauber der Virtuositat manchmal wie einem Rausch erlegen, es war hinreifiend, die grofien Konner das Technische bewaltigen zu horen mit dem Anschein lachelnder Miihelosigkeit gleich jener der Artisten auf dem Seil und am Trapez. ('Engadiner Erlebnisse7, in SW 12, 606; my emphasis) The 'acrobatics7 of these performers do not, however, distract Hesse from the spirit of the music they are playing: aber es dauerte doch nicht allzu lange mit diesem Bezaubertsein, ich war gesund genug, um die Grenzen zu spiiren und hinter dem sinnlichen Zauber eben doch das Werk und den Geist zu suchen, nicht den Geist des blendenden Dirigenten oder Solisten, sondern den der Meister. (Ibid.) In a letter post-publication of Das Glasperlenspiel, Hesse links the outstanding and, in his view, problematic individuality of a virtuoso to the essence of his 'padagogische Provinz 7, Castalia: Das Problem beim Virtuosen ist dasselbe wie in Kastalien, die Personlichkeit ist Voraussetzung, es geht nicht um sie, sondern um ihre Fahigkeit zum Einorden in die Hierarchic. (1947; Musik, 185) The idea of service is indeed key to the poetics of Das Glasperlenspiel, which deals with Virtuosity7 and the difficult reconciliation between 'das Ideal der Anonymitat7 (SW 5, 8) and the strong emphasis on individualism implicit in the idea of virtuosi. 41 Fou Tsong, a Chinese pianist, impressed Hesse for his rendition of Chopin's music: 'es mahnte an Warschau und an Paris, das Paris Heinrich Heines und des jungen Liszt, es duftete nach Veilchen, nach Regen auf Mallorca und auch nach exklusiven Salons, es klang melancholisch und klang mondan' ('An einen Musiker' [I960]; SW 12,680). 42 '[Hesse] praised a concert by the "gediegensten aller Cellisten", Pierre Fournier, for its "Reinheit und Konzessionslosigkeit" but found fault with Pablo Casals because, in addition to serious pieces, he played light, showy ones (SW 12, 604)' (Schneider 2009, 387). 80
- Page 35 and 36: ejection entails an act of the mind
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- Page 69 and 70: Drin eins das andre halt, Zeigen si
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'Hesse had nothing against virtuosi, as long as they used their skills in the service of<br />
"good music" 7 (Schneider, 387) and admired musicians such as Fou Tsong and<br />
Sarasate.41 However, he felt that the renditions of virtuosi such as Casals were<br />
affected by what Hesse calls, in a letter of 1899 to Helene Voigt-Diederichs, their<br />
'Virtuosenegoismus 7 (Musik, 132). 42 Hesse labels Wagner's and Strauss7 s music<br />
'rauschend 7 and employs the word 'Rausch7 to describe the spellbinding, almost<br />
intoxicating effect of a virtuoso performance:<br />
Ich bin spater in den ersten Konzerten beriihmter Musikanten, die ich horte,<br />
allerdings fur eine Weile dem Zauber der Virtuositat manchmal wie einem<br />
Rausch erlegen, es war hinreifiend, die grofien Konner das Technische<br />
bewaltigen zu horen mit dem Anschein lachelnder Miihelosigkeit gleich jener<br />
der Artisten auf dem Seil und am Trapez. ('Engadiner Erlebnisse7, in SW 12,<br />
606; my emphasis)<br />
The 'acrobatics7 of these performers do not, however, distract Hesse from the spirit of<br />
the music they are playing:<br />
aber es dauerte doch nicht allzu lange mit diesem Bezaubertsein, ich war<br />
gesund genug, um die Grenzen zu spiiren und hinter dem sinnlichen Zauber<br />
eben doch das Werk und den Geist zu suchen, nicht den Geist des blendenden<br />
Dirigenten oder Solisten, sondern den der Meister. (Ibid.)<br />
In a letter post-publication of Das Glasperlenspiel, Hesse links the outstanding and, in<br />
his view, problematic individuality of a virtuoso to the essence of his 'padagogische<br />
Provinz 7, Castalia:<br />
Das Problem beim Virtuosen ist dasselbe wie in Kastalien, die Personlichkeit<br />
ist Voraussetzung, es geht nicht um sie, sondern um ihre Fahigkeit zum<br />
Einorden in die Hierarchic. (1947; Musik, 185)<br />
The idea of service is indeed key to the poetics of Das Glasperlenspiel, which deals<br />
with Virtuosity7 and the difficult reconciliation between 'das Ideal der Anonymitat7<br />
(SW 5, 8) and the strong emphasis on individualism implicit in the idea of virtuosi.<br />
41 Fou Tsong, a Chinese pianist, impressed Hesse for his rendition of Chopin's music: 'es mahnte an Warschau<br />
und an Paris, das Paris Heinrich Heines und des jungen Liszt, es duftete nach Veilchen, nach Regen auf Mallorca<br />
und auch nach exklusiven Salons, es klang melancholisch und klang mondan' ('An einen Musiker' [I960]; SW<br />
12,680).<br />
42 '[Hesse] praised a concert by the "gediegensten aller Cellisten", Pierre Fournier, for its "Reinheit und<br />
Konzessionslosigkeit" but found fault with Pablo Casals because, in addition to serious pieces, he played light,<br />
showy ones (SW 12, 604)' (Schneider 2009, 387).<br />
80