Review: Curtain Material

Reviewed Work(s): Reading Opera between the Lines: Orchestral Interludes and Cultural
Meaning from Wagner to Berg by Christopher Morris
Review by: Arnold Whittall
Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 143, No. 1880 (Autumn, 2002), pp. 70-71
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1004556
Accessed: 20-02-2018 14:20 UTC

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of his
his own,
own, uniting
unitingthe
theLatin
Latincultures
cultures
of of perceptive
perceptive critics
critics as
as providing
providing the
thecon-
con-
Spain
Spain and
and France,
France,he
hedefended
defendedEuropean
European necting link
link between
between the
the modern
modernspirit
spirit
music's
music's 'racial
'racialborders'
borders'from
fromthe
the
hegemony
hegemony of Stravinskian neoclassicism and the

of the
the German
Germantradition,
tradition,and
andjoined
joined 'mystical' sixteenth century of Cabezon
Unamuno
Unamuno in
incondemning
condemningthe
therationalistic
rationalistic and Victoria, El Greco and Saint John
legacy
legacy of
of Protestantism
Protestantismwith
withitsits
lack
lack
ofof of the Cross. (An inconclusive discussion
'sensory
'sensory grounding'.
grounding'.During
Duringthe
the
Great
Great of the nature of musical mysticism
War,
War, El
El amor
amorbrujo
brujo- -a ahybrid
hybridscore
score
in in ensues, citing such authorities as Gilbert
its mixture
mixture of
ofgypsy
gypsymusic
musicand
and
more
more Chase and Higini Angles.) The concept
symphonic
symphonic style
stylewriting
writingeffectively
effectively of 'universalism' now marked Falla's

challenged
challenged the
thezarzuela's
zarzuela'sandaluscismo;
andaluscismo; spiritual journey towards purification,
in the
the eyes
eyes of
ofhis
hisnumerous
numerousdetractors,
detractors, self-renunciation and conquest of
however,
however, the
themodern
modernFrench
Frenchschool
school
had
had 'harmonic sensuality'. As Manuel de
now
now replaced
replacedWagnerism
Wagnerismasasthe themusical
musical Falla and modernism in Spain concludes
threat
threat to
to the
theSpanish
Spanishsense
senseofof'race'.
'race'. in 1936, on the eve of the atrocious
At this
this point,
point,the
thefirst
firstappearance
appearance Civil War which destroyed so much
in Spain
Spain of
of Igor
IgorStravinsky,
Stravinsky,followed
followed
byby of this artistic civilisation, there is little
further
further visits
visitsduring
duringthe
the1920s,
1920s,brought
brought discussion of the final, long gestated
a further
further dimension
dimensionofofthese
thesearguments
arguments and incomplete Atlantida, about which
into
into sharp
sharp focus
focus- -the
theaffinities
affinitiesbetween
between I'm sure Professor Hess would have a

Spain
Spain and
and Russia,
Russia,previously
previouslyexploited
exploited Falla, by cartoonist
cartoonist Bagaria
Bagaria great deal of interest to impart. This an
by Glinka.
Glinka. Indeed,
Indeed,Falla's
Falla'steacher,
teacher, (La Tribuna,
Tribuna, 15
15 November
November 1914)
1914) essential book for Hispanists and anyone
the
the folklorist
folkloristPedrell
Pedrellhad
hadwritten
writtenofof with an intelligent interest in this insuf-
'Spain's
'Spain's deep
deeproots
rootsininancient
ancientByzantine
Byzantine both to select
select from,
from, and
and to
to maintain
maintain aa ficiently understood corner of Europe.
civilisation'.
civilisation'. Responsive
Responsivetotothe
theclimate
climate critical stance
stance towards
towards her
her sources,
sources, and
and
of religious
religious fervour
fervour(heightened
(heightenedbyby
the
the the result
result is
is aa book
book of
of civilised
civilised length.
length. At
At Andrew Thomson is author of monographs
experience
experience of
ofToledo
Toledoand
andthe
theEscorial),
Escorial), the same time,
time, her
her lucid
lucid and
and compelling
compelling on Widor and d'Indy.
Stravinsky
Stravinsky also
alsohad
hada ahigh
highopinion
opinion analyses maintain
maintain the
the integrity
integrity of
of Falla's
Falla's
of Falla,
Falla, who
whoininturn
turnsaw
sawthe
theRussian
Russian works amid
amid the
the shifting
shifting sands
sands of
of that
that
as aa model
model for
forSpanish
Spanishcomposers
composersinin era's critical
critical judgements,
judgements, inevitably
of both sense and nonsense.
inevitably full
full
Curtain material
his
his logic,
logic, balance
balanceand
andperfectionism.
perfectionism.
ARNOLD WHITTALL
Stravinsky's
Stravinsky'sown
ownself-serving
self-servingpropaganda
propaganda
in various
various magazine
magazinearticles
articlesprojected
projected hese authorial qualities are parti- Reading opera between the lines:
a new
new refined
refinedand
andcosmopolitan
cosmopolitan image
image cularly evident in the excellent orchestral interludes and cultural
of the
the country
countryof
ofhis
hisbirth
birth- -rating
rating discussion of the widely acclaimed El meaning from Wagner to Berg
Tschaikovsky
Tschaikovskyabove
above'The
'Themighty
mighty handful' retablo de Maese Pedro. Notable for its
handful' Christopher Morris
- in
in order
order to
tounite
uniteSpain
Spainand
andRussia
Russia non-andalucista approach to Spanish New Perspectives in Music History and
against
against the
the 'School
'Schoolof
ofBerlin',
Berlin',but
butinin
anan music, it was seen to embody the spirit Criticism

essentially
essentially non-folkloric
non-folkloricaesthetic.
aesthetic.
AtAt of Castille, regarded by the 'Generation Cambridge UP (Cambridge, 2002); xi, 219pp;
Diaghilev's
Diaghilev's instigation,
instigation,Falla
Fallatransformed
transformed of '98' as the cradle of pure national £45. ISBN 0 521 80738 7.

his
his costumbrismo
costumbrismo('daily
('dailylife')
life')pantomime
pantomime identity. Hess provides a searching
El corregidor
corregidoryylalamolinera
molinerainto
into
the
the discussion of Falla's reading of the O rchestral interludes in opera?
sophisticated
sophisticatedfull-length
full-lengthballet
balletTricorne,
Tricorne, chapter in question from Cervantes's Changing the scenery without loss
which,
which, with
withPicasso's
Picasso'scubist
cubistdecor
decor Don Quijote de la Mancha, showing that of dramatic momentum, enabling singers
and
and costumes,
costumes,became
becameananinternational
international the composer's use of pre-existing musi- to rest their voices, and audiences their
sensation
sensation at
at its
itsLondon
Londonpremiere
premiereinin cal sources mirrors the author's own eyes? What more needs to be said?
1919.
1919. The
The Spanish
Spanishcritics
criticswere
werepredictably
predictably literary borrowings and parodies. There's Plenty, the problematising musicologist
divided
divided in
in their
theirreactions.
reactions.While
WhileOrtega
Ortega an equally fine account of the score replies, especially if my reading extends
extolled the new 'dehumanised' aesthetic itself; by ending in the 'wrong key', from Wagner, Nietzsche and Freud to
autonomy, irony and cult of youth, Falla confirms Don Quijote's madness, Adorno, Kristeva, Lacan, Tomlinson and
Salazar on the other hand recognised undermining the dispassionate logic of Zizek. As Christopher Morris shows,
an intrinsically Spanish sense of his anachronistic philosophy of chivalry. there can be much intellectual stimulus
the grotesque, and Azana a vision of Indeed, Falla seems to be adhering in pursuing this topic in the company of
Spain enhanced by the cutting edge of to Unamuno's position that the Don's these thinkers. The organisation of the
modernism, the 'voice of blood, cruel exemplary madness is more authentic narrative, which embraces Debussy,
and terrible'. than the European liberal, secular and Delius, Massenet, Strauss, Pfitzner and
Thankfully, Professor Hess is much industrial civilisation advocated by Ortega. Schreker as well as Wagner and Berg,
too good a scholar and writer to be The Harpsichord Concerto, which might be too discursive for its own good,
overwhelmed by the mass of research met with a very chequered reception, and the balance between technically-
material; she displays the essential ability was seen nevertheless by the more based close reading and commentary

70 THE MUSICAL TIMES / AUTUMN 2002

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on
on 'cultural
'culturalmeaning'
meaning'is is
sometimes
sometimes discourse
discourse on
on unity
unityand
andconsistency.
consistency. and cultural commentators are the main

awkwardly
awkwardlymanaged.
managed.But
Butthis
this
is still
is still
a a (There
(There are
are also
also overlaps
overlapswith
withhis hismore
more point of interest, the material on which
valuable contribution to the discussion detailed
detailed account
account of of'Nietzsche, Bayreuth they have opinions (whether Wagner
'Nietzsche,Bayreuth
of its subject - and might have been and the
the problem
problemof ofidentity'
identity'ininthe
the or other composers) secondary. My own
even more so had its focus been more Journal
Journal of
of the
the Royal
RoyalMusical Association, brief commentary here has deliberately
MusicalAssociation,
firmly rooted in its generative Wagnerian 127/1
127/1 (2002)).
(2002)). Much
Muchspace
spaceisisgiven
givenover
over stayed with what I see as the essentials,
soil. to assertions
assertions about
aboutwhat
whatisisregressive,
regressive, and despite my reservations about
In his Conclusion, Morris quotes concerned
concerned with
with withdrawal,
withdrawal, in
inthrawl
thrawltoto method I found it a rewarding as well as
Nietzsche: 'biologically, modern man Freudian
Freudian and
and Lacanian
Lacanianobsessions,
obsessions,and
and a provocative piece of work, by a writer
represents a contradiction of values; he there
there is
is too
too little
littlefeeling
feelingfor
forthe dialogue refreshingly willing to put his personal
thedialogue
sits between two chairs, he says Yes between
between opposites,
opposites,for
forthe
thepossibility
possibility judgements and aesthetic reactions
and No in the same breath' (p.201). that
that -- to
to put
put it
it crudely
crudely- -Wagner
Wagnercancanbebe on the line. Dr Morris should now
So why not explore the ways in which felt
felt to
to offer
offer not
notonly
only'escape
'escapefrom', but undertake the fully-argued account of
from',but
the 'cultural meaning' - which implies, also 'advance
'advance into'.
into'.And
Andalthough Morris Nietzschean perspectives on Wagner and
althoughMorris
in part, the modernity - of Wagner's accepts
accepts that
that 'Wagner
'Wagnercancanbebeseen ] to modernity which he seems well suited to
seen[...[...] to
orchestral interludes can be illuminated construct
construct aa symbolic
symboliceconomy
economyininwhich which provide. But perhaps Zizek (at least) can
by reference to ideas of contradiction? neither
neither music
music nor
norlanguage privileged be left out of it next time?
languageisisprivileged
Morris doesn't rule out this strategy, as a guarantor
guarantor of ofmeaning'
meaning'(p.173)
(p.173)hehe
and it is clear that he knows Wagner's tends
tends toto foreclose
forecloseon onmatters
mattersofofmeaning
meaningArnold Whittall is Emeritus Professor of
works well enough to be regarded as an in his
his detailed
detailed commentaries.
commentaries.For Forhim,
him, Musical Theory and Analysis at King's
authority on them. But problems arise the later
later stages
stages of
ofSiegfried
Siegfriedcomprise
comprise College London.
partly from treating other 'authorities' 'what
'what is
is ultimately
ultimatelyaaraucous,
raucous,ham-fisted
ham-fisted
- Adorno, izek - too respectfully, love
love scene
scene in
in Wagner's
Wagner'smost
mostbrutal
brutalstyle'
style'
and from short-circuiting analysis of (p.179):
(p.179): end
end of
of analysis,
analysis,twisting
twistinganan
Was ist deutsch?
the Wagnerian materials from which element
element of
of truth
truthinto
intothe
thewhole
wholestory.
story.
the discussion stems. Morris
Morris touches
touches on
onmuch
muchof moment, ROBERT ANDERSON
ofmoment,
Take what Morris calls the Gotter- not least
least the
the dialogic
dialogictensions
tensionsinin German opera: from the beginnings
ddmmerung Trauermarsch: does this truly Wagnerian
Wagnerian music
musicdrama
dramabetween
betweenvocal
vocal to Wagner
exemplify Adorno's sweeping assertion and orchestral
orchestral 'presence'
'presence'- -though
thoughwe
we John Warrack
that Leitmotive are 'juxtaposed like have
have to
to turn
turn to
to his
hisJRMA
JRMAarticle
articlefor
for Cambridge UP (Cambridge, 2001); xv, 447pp;
discrete objects [...] replacing continuity an explicit
explicit Bakhtinian
Bakhtiniandimension.
dimension.But But £45. ISBN 0 521 23532 4.

with a thoroughly undynamic series of by giving

giving much
much more
more prominence
prominence toto
moments'? And does this musical eulogy, cultural
cultural than
than musical
musicalcommentators,
commentators,hehe am grateful to John Warrack for three
constructing not a vulnerable, ultimately leaves
leaves the
the consequences
consequences of
ofraising
raisingthisthis main reasons: a half century ago, when
innocent hero, but 'a figure who exceeds topic
topic in
in limbo,
limbo, especially
especiallywhen
when sosomuch
much I was riding a motorbike on the edge
all doubt, all resistance', merely throw space
space is
is devoted
devoted to toworks,
works,like Schreker'sof the Suez Canal in constant fear of
likeSchreker's
light 'on the contribution of the figure Der Schatzgraber
Schatzgraberor orDelius's
Delius'sAAVillage
Village tumbling in, he introduced me to Wagner
who delivers the eulogy, a virtual author Romeo
Romeo and
and Juliet,
Juliet, which
which might
might bebeless
less at his local Education Centre; since
figure who now attracts unwelcome well-known
well-known to
to the
the reader,
reader,and
and also
alsoless
less then he has given Weber the stature he
attention' (pp.110-11)? Is the perceived well-regarded,
well-regarded, than
than Tristan,
Tristan, Pelleas
Pelleasoror deserves; and now he has written an
'exaggeration' of the Trauermusik merely Wozzeck.
Wozzeck. However
Howeverinteresting ask omniumgatherum of a book with the
interestingititisistotoask
(if unintentionally) 'alienating', with the question
question 'do
'do the
thefive
fivehours Tristan supreme virtue of containing not a single
hoursofofTristan
no element of the kind of exaltation and [with
[with all
all that
that singing]
singing]really
reallylive
liveupuptoto footnote. Perhaps I should confess equal
fulfilment for the listener which has less what
what the
the prelude
preludedelivers
deliversininits
itssuper-
super- gratitude on a matter of shameful statis-
to do with being cynically manipulated concentrated
concentrated ten
tenminutes?'
minutes?'- -my answer, tics: of the 226 operas mentioned in the
myanswer,
by a hysterical hypnotist - with 'isolated by the
the way,
way, is
is 'yes'
'yes'--even
eventotoask
askititinina a course of the book, I have seen precisely
passivity', or with succumbing to the book
book of
of this
this kind
kind suggests
suggests a a
pandering
pandering totoeleven; and among the eighty composers
'herd mentality' - and more to do with the sweeping
sweeping and andthethesuperficial
superficialwhich,
which, treated, I have heard of only forty-nine.
that 'strange consolation', emanating while
while not
not borne
borne out
outas
as unambiguously
unambiguously I cannot claim to have investigated the
from personal perceptions about the as it is in some of Morris's favoured plots described here of all the operas I'm
'transfiguring potential of tragedy', which contextualisers, casts a pall over what convinced will not come my way; but I
Nietzsche himself once recognised? could have been a more consistently can regain a little ground in the matter of
The allegation that Wagner's works evolving argument. Schubert's Alfonso und Estrella. Warrack
conspire against their audiences is not The book is more successful in rightly considers the outcome of the
adequately debated here, and as often suggesting a network of interacting Schober-Schubert collaboration 'chaotic',
as Morris approaches an account of topics and initiatives concerning Wagner but he has added to the confusion by
the 'tensions'
'tensions' and
and '(unacknowledged)
'(unacknowledged) and post-Wagnerian opera than in allotting hero and heroine to the wrong
contradictions at the heart of the music framing a well-focused debate. It will parents in his account.
drama' (p.159), he retreats to the safer offer most to readers for whom the Singspiel made its debut in Renais-
musicological ground of a contextualised perspectives of its attendant philosopherssance Germany, with a strong element

THE MUSICAL TIMES / AUTUMN 2002 71

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