Talks With Great Composers

By Arthur M. Abell

Who does not ponder what inspires creativity? Why does one person excel as a doctor, another as an artist, and yet a third as a composer? Why do some fortunate people seem overly endowed with an abundance of creativity—this most precious of gifts—and others with little or none at all? Can creative inspiration be nurtured slowly and, suddenly, spring forth to mesmerize and enchant the world?

In the words of Emanuel Ax, we are given “fascinating glimpses into the innermost thoughts of some of our greatest composers” in this series of intimate and deeply felt conversations between Arthur Abell and Brahms, Puccini, Strauss, Humperdinck, Bruch, and Grieg. And through these revelations, one can understand with greater clarity the essence of genius.

In its entirety, the book is a paean to both the musical world and to those few who achieved greatness during the latter part of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century. We cannot fail to be deeply impressed by the intense outpouring of emotion demanded by great creative endeavor. And here, nothing is spared. We are privy to the highs and lows—the great triumphs and the wrenching failures.

Talks with Great Composers brings to life the thoughts, fears, self-doubt, inherent religiosity, and the unparalleled joys that, by the end of the book, we come to appreciate must accompany all of life’s greatest challenges and accomplishments.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hauraki Publishing
• Release date: Jan 27, 2016
• ISBN: 9781786258366

Arthur M. Abell

American music critic Arthur M. Abell (1868-1958) was Berlin correspondent for the Musical Courier from 1893 to 1918, and was a music critic for the New York Times and other publications until his death. He wrote the book Talks with Great Composers, his reminiscences of conversations with Brahms, Strauss, Puccini, Humperdinck, Bruch, and Grieg. He knew many musicians both obscure and famous, and as a former violinist himself, especially befriended other violinists.

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Text originally published in 1955 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2016, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

TALKS WITH GREAT COMPOSERS

BY

ARTHUR M ABELL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

DEDICATION 4

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 5

FOREWORD 6

A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER 8

ACKNOWLEDGMENT 9

CHAPTER I. 10

Brahms and Joachim Discuss Inspiration 10

Brahms Takes Beethoven As His Guide 11

How Brahms Contacted God 12

Brahms Takes Mozart as a Model 13

Brahms and the Invocation of the Muse 14

The Religious But Unorthodox Brahms 15

Brahms Quotes Matthew 7:7 16

How Laotze Appropriated Divinity 17

CHAPTER II. 19

Brahms and Jesus’ Miracles 19

Daniel Home Walks in the Air 21

Daniel Home Demonstrates His Powers in Paris 22

Blind Tom and Zerah Colburn 23

CHAPTER III. 25

Brahms’ Opinion of Atheism 25

Brahms’ Fascination with Tennyson’s Concept of Creation 26

Tennyson Discusses Creation with Darwin 28

Brahms’ Veneration for Tennyson’s Views on the Immortal Soul 31

CHAPTER IV. 36

Brahms’ Interest in My Home Town 36

Queen Victoria and Sitting Bull 37

Brahms, Tartini and the Devil 38

Brahms’ Reverence for Shakespeare and Milton 39

CHAPTER V. 42

Why Brahms Believed in Immortality 42

Brahms’ and Milton’s Invocation of the Muse 44

Brahms Stresses the Importance of Seclusion 46

CHAPTER VI. 48

The Barren Efforts of Most Composers 48

Brahms Berates Spohr’s Shortsightedness 49

Brahms’ Definition of Genius 49

Brahms’ Visions When In An Exalted Mood 52

Brahms, Williamowitch and the Thief on the Cross 53

Brahms Binds Me To Secrecy for Fifty Years 55

CHAPTER VII. 69

Joachim’s Reaction to Brahms’ Revelations 69

Joachim Analyzes Brahms’ Detractors 70

A Look at Some of Brahms’ Biographies 71

CHAPTER VIII. 73

Weimar and Richard Strauss in 1890 73

With Strauss in His Own Home 74

Strauss Discusses the Source of His Inspiration 75

I Hear Strauss Conduct Tannhaeuser 76

Weimar As A Cultural Center in the 1890s 77

I Meet The First Elsa and Telramund 78

Woman of Character 78

Composer’s Thanks 79

Historic Occasion 80

CHAPTER IX. 81

Richard Strauss Tells of Alexander Ritter 81

Strauss Takes Exception to Emerson 82

Lassen’s Reaction to DON JUAN 82

I Hear Strauss’ First Opera GUNTRAM 84

When Strauss was Composing Salome 84

CHAPTER X. 86

The ROSENKAVALIER Premier at Dresden 86

The ARIADNE Premiere at Stuttgart 88

Strauss’ Declining Years 88

CHAPTER XI. 91

I Meet The Composer of BOHEME, TOSCA and BUTTERFLY 91

The Great Fiasco of MADAM BUTTERFLY Premiere 91

Puccini Tells How He Appropriated Divinity 92

Puccini’s Setting of LA BOHEME 94

CHAPTER XII. 96

Torre del Lago and the Maestro 96

How Puccini Composed LA BOHEME 97

Puccini’s Glowing Tribute to Toscanini 98

Music and Libretto at Strife 99

Puccini Stresses Sadness in the Major Key 99

CHAPTER XIII. 101

A Fundamental Italian Characteristic 101

Puccini Tells How He Composed TOSCA 102

How The Play BUTTERFLY Fascinated Puccini 103

CHAPTER XIV. 105

Humperdinck Tells How Richard Wagner Composed 105

Wagner Takes His Cue from Shakespeare 107

Humperdinck Belittles Himself as a Composer 108

CHAPTER XV. 110

Max Bruch and His G Minor Violin Concerto 110

Max Bruch Discusses Inspiration 111

Bruch’s Estimate of Brahms 112

Max Bruch in His Old Age 114

CHAPTER XVI.—Edvard Grieg and His Norse Idioms 116

Ole Bull Frees Grieg from Niels Gade’s Influence 116

Jadassohn’s Pupils Play a Joke on Him 117

CHAPTER XVII. 119

Jadassohn Criticizes Grieg’s Methods 119

Grieg’s Response to Jadassohn’s Criticism 120

Grieg’s Reaction to Brahms’ Views 121

Grieg’s Impressions of Ole Bull’s Playing 121

Grieg Quotes Longfellow’s Tribute to Ole Bull 122

Grieg Refuses a Fee of $25,000 for a Single Concert 123

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 126

DEDICATION

TO MY DEAR FRIEND OLIN DOWNES

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Plate I Brahms and Joachim 1860

Plate II Johannes Brahms in 1896

Plate III The Devil Fiddling to Tartini

Plate IV The program of Grieg’s last two public concerts

Plate V Joseph Joachim holding his favorite Stradivarius violin

Plate VI Richard Strauss at Weimar in 1890

Plate VII Letter written by Richard Strauss to Arthur M. Abell on February 25, 1941

Plate VII Richard Strauss in 1930

Plate IX Reception given in honor of Humperdinck, the composer of Hansel and Gretel by Arthur Abell at his Berlin home in 1906

Plate X Max Bruch playing the adagio of his G Minor Concerto with Arthur Abell at the latter’s home in Berlin in 1911

Plate XI Edvard Grieg in 1892

Plate XII Ole Bull in 1853

FOREWORD

During my long residence in Europe, from 1890 to 1918, it was my privilege at various times to discuss the subject of Inspiration with Brahms, Strauss, Puccini, Humperdinck, Bruch and Grieg. These pages contain detailed accounts of the disclosures made to me by those famous composers concerning their intellectual, psychic and spiritual experiences while composing and the manner in which they were moved by the soul forces within when they felt the creative urge.

The discussion with Brahms which occurred in the late Fall of 1896 was made possible only by the intercession of Joseph Joachim. He was Brahms’ most intimate friend and it was his magnificent playing that inspired Brahms to compose the violin concerto. Acting upon Joachim’s advice, I secured through the American Embassy in Vienna the services of an expert bi-lingual stenographer who made a verbatim record of that three hour conversation.

This was not the case with the other five composers but they were all so interested in the subject that they allowed me ample time to make notes concerning their mental and spiritual processes, hence their remarks are also preserved, word for word, in my English translation.

Why then are these revelations of six so famous composers now published for the first time? This question is certain to be asked and the answer is that it was Brahms’ peremptory demand that his disclosures not be published until fifty years after his death. His reasons for that stipulation are given in Chapter VI.

Since the expiration of the time limit, on April 3, 1947, world conditions have been of such a calamitous nature as to dampen my enthusiasm. With the constant talk and dread of a third world war, surprise atomic and hydrogen bomb attacks on New York and other great American cities, germ warfare, and the possible destruction of our civilization, it did not seem worthwhile to publish material of so spiritual a nature, as it seemed out of harmony with our times.

I recalled the historic speech by General MacArthur which he made on the battleship, Missouri, on September 2, 1945, just after the Japanese surrender. He said:

Military alliances, balances of power, League of Nations, all in turn have failed. We have had our last chance. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character, that will synchronize with our almost matchless advance in science.

These were wise words, but unfortunately this spiritual renaissance has not been forthcoming. On the contrary, the outlook until quite recently grew steadily darker, but in the last few months, the prospect for peace seems somewhat brighter. Therefore, I have finally come to the conclusion that material of this spiritual nature may be a welcome addition to the literature of our day.

In doing so, I am prompted also by a consideration of the tremendous changes time has wrought in the evaluation of Brahms’ music. For instance, in 1880 Joseph Hellmesberger, the famous Viennese violinist, teacher of Fritz Kreisler and Franz Kneisel, declared that the violin concerto was "nicht für sondern gegen die Violine geschrieben", [written not for but against the violin], and he predicted that it would speedily be consigned to oblivion.

That same year when Joachim introduced the work to Berlin, all the principal critics damned it unmercifully and the consequences of that fiasco were that for the next decade, the major Symphony Orchestras of Europe when engaging Joachim as soloist, did so with the stipulation that he must not play the Brahms concerto.

In striking contrast to that is the dictum of Eugene Ormandy, made to me on February 3, 1953, on which date I heard at Carnegie Hall an admirable rendition of the work by Zino Francescatti, with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Ormandy himself. After the performance that great conductor said to me in the artists’ room:

Mr. Abell, with my audiences and all the violinists who play under me, the Brahms is now the most popular of all violin concertos, not excepting the Beethoven.

Furthermore, a glance at the programs of our leading Symphony Orchestras today proves that Joachim’s prophecy made to me in 1896 has been fulfilled and that Brahms now rivals Beethoven in popularity.

A. M. A.

Hastings on Hudson N. Y.

A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

Who does not ponder what inspires creativity? Why does one person excel as a doctor, another as an artist, and yet a third as a composer? Why do some fortunate people seem overly endowed with an abundance of creativity—this most precious of gifts—and others with little or none at all? Can creative inspiration be nurtured slowly and, suddenly, spring forth to mesmerize and enchant the world?

In the words of Emanuel Ax, we are given fascinating glimpses into the innermost thoughts of some of our greatest composers in this series of intimate and deeply felt conversations between Arthur Abell and Brahms, Puccini, Strauss, Humperdinck, Bruch, and Grieg. And through these revelations, one can understand with greater clarity the essence of genius.

In its entirety, the book is a paean to both the musical world and to those few who achieved greatness during the latter part of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th century. We cannot fail to be deeply impressed by the intense outpouring of emotion demanded by great creative endeavor. And here, nothing is spared. We are privy to the highs and lows—the great triumphs and the wrenching failures.

Talks with Great Composers which happily is once again available, brings to life the thoughts, fears, self-doubt, inherent religiosity, and the unparalleled joys that, by the end of the book, we come to appreciate must accompany all of life’s greatest challenges and accomplishments.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I wish to express my gratitude to my friend, Robert Haven Schauffler, for his great interest in my manuscript, for the care with which he read it, and for his many helpful suggestions. His enthusiasm for the subject matter and for the way I have presented it greatly reassured me.

A special word of appreciation is also due my friend, the Reverend Frederick P. Mudge, a clergyman of more than fifty years active experience in the pulpit. His reaction to Brahms’ conception of God as the true source of inspiration proved extremely inspiring.

Finally, my thanks to my beloved wife, Louise Miller Abell, to my niece, Madeleine Abell Comstock, and to my typist, Florence C. Steinhauer, for their active cooperation in the preparation of these chapters.

CHAPTER I.

Brahms and Joachim Discuss Inspiration

ONE evening Johannes Brahms and Joseph Joachim sat in the workroom of the famous composer’s Vienna home, discussing the source of inspiration of great creative geniuses. It was in the late fall of 1896 and the meeting had been arranged by the famous violinist as a special favor to me, he being much interested in my plan to write a book about Genius and Inspiration.

I sat a spell-bound listener, for the theme was one that had always fascinated me and the setting was ideal since the conversation occurred in the very room which had witnessed the birth of so many of Brahms’ immortal works. Without Joachim’s active cooperation I never would have succeeded in persuading Brahms to reveal the secrets of how he composed, moved by the soul forces within him and illuminated by the Spirit of the Almighty Himself.

I had discovered by repeated futile efforts to draw him out that it was a sacred subject with him and that he was extremely reluctant to talk about it. Indeed, at the very start of the conversation that evening, Brahms addressing Joachim said,

Joseph, I have not forgotten that you and Clara Schumann often asked me the same questions that Mr. Abell has been pestering me about these last four years, and that I always refused to disclose to you my inner experience when composing. It is a subject that I have been most loath to discuss, but since Clara’s death last May, I have begun to see things in a new light. Moreover, I feel that the end of my earthly existence is rapidly approaching. After all, it may be of some interest to posterity to know how the Spirit speaks when the creative urge is upon me. Therefore, I shall now reveal to you my intellectual, psychic and spiritual processes when composing. Beethoven declared that his ideas came from God, and I can say the same. What do you think of the value of such a book as Mr. Abell intends to write, Joseph?

Why, Johannes, there can be no question of its value. Such a book based on your own experiences, would be of immense cultural significance, not only to the musical world, but also to anyone who is interested in higher aesthetic values. Inspiration pertains to all creative geniuses—to poets, painters, sculptors and playwrights, as well as to composers. Wouldn’t you like to read detailed accounts of the spiritual processes of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven if they had left us records?

"I certainly would, Joseph, and it is a pity that the rare glimpses they have given us are so scanty. Then you really think my own soul

Reviews for Talks With Great Composers

[markbstephenson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Abell relates interviews with Brahms, Joachim, Grieg, Bruch, Humperdinck, Puccini and Richard Strauss about the topic of inspiration in musical composition.