June 13, 1980

NEW SOLIDARITY

Page 11

Music: Vivian Zoakos

The Case of Andreas Romberg

Germany's greatest poet Friedrich Schiller inspired a generation of musicians, exemplified by Beethoven and Andreas Romberg.

The insidious myth that Ludwig van Beethoven's genius in musical composition was some ineffable freak of nature can be exploded once and for all by examining the life and works of Beethoven's lifelong composer friend, Andreas Romberg.

Only three years older than Beethoven, by his death in 1821 Romberg had composed four symphonies, eight operas, and a full array of string and choral ensemble works, including some of the most remarkable settings of the drama and poetry of Friedrich Schiller. Song of the Bell Of these latter settings, his most famous was an oratorio based on Das Lied von der Glocke (The Song of the Bell), probably Schiller's greatest poem. It was especially popular in America, where it was sung by amateur choruses throughout the 19th century. To this writer's delight, an examination of Romberg's Bell oratorio reveals a fresh boldness of intent which immediately evoked Mozart's late works and Beethoven's early ones. It is only in Romberg's execution of these ideas that he could be found somewhat wanting in the epistemological rigor of his more famous friend. His work is well worth performing today. As the historical record shows, Beethoven and Romberg's similarity in compositional method are hardly accidental. Neefe's Influence While still in their teens, Andreas Romberg and his cousin Bernhard (a virtuoso violoncellist) first passed through Bonn in 1782 while on a concert tour. There they met Christian Gottlob Neefe, who had a tremendous influence in Beethoven's early intellectual and musical development. The Rombergs were only one of a number of brilliant young musicians who caught the eyes of Bonn elector Maximilian Franz's advisers. Beginning in 1788, the elector began to assemble a top-flight, orchestra to complement his resident opera company and build Bonn into an artistic center in its own right. Once fully assembled in 1790, the 31 orchestra members included some soon-to-be famous names: Joseph Reicha, director; Christian Neefe, pianist; Franz Ries and Andreas Romberg, violin; Ludwig van Beethoven, viola; Bernhard Romberg, cello; Nikolaus Simrock, horn; and Anton Reicha, flute. For almost three years, this core grouping intensely studied, discussed and performed the best music the world had to offer, all the while developing that quality of loving interaction so critical for the full unfolding of genius. One observer described how:

I was eyewitness to this orchestra's surpassing excellence. [The concert] was opened with a symphony of Mozart; then followed a recitative and air sung by Simonetti; next, a violoncello concerto played by Herr Romberger [sic]; fourth, a symphony by Pleyel; . . . sixth, a double concerto for violin and cello played by the two Rombergs; . . . I heard also one of the greatest of pianiststhe dear, good Bethofen [sic]. A Political Music Project So much for "Beethoven the lone creator"! Beethoven's genius, which only flowered after his Bonn period, was a result of the most intensely social (and political!) "music project" the 18th century had ever seen! With the French invasion of the Rhineland in 1793, all musical life in Bonn came to a standstill and this tight-knit grouping dispersed to all corners of Europe. While Beethoven went to Vienna, both Rombergs traveled north to Hamburg where they played a role in the popularization of Schiller's dramatic works. A fine example is Andreas Romberg's The Duke of Hapsburg, Op. 43. John Sigerson was the author of this week's column.