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April 2005 Program Notes
A Kozeluch World Premiere
by Mary Burke
Tonight's program features works by three immortals of the Classical era, and by a fourth who, though unfamiliar to us, was as famous as the others in their own time. The repertoire ranges from optimistic chamber music to an intensely brooding symphony.
In the last quarter of the 18th century, Vienna was to music what New York City is to American theater. It attracted many of the most talented players and composers of the day, who might come for a brief period of study with a master, or to make a career for themselves. In addition to the myriad opportunities for concerts, commissions, and court appointments, the city also boasted many music publishers, including the legendary Artaria—everything a composer could desire.
One reason for this thriving musical scene was Vienna's long history as a center of commerce and an international crossroads. By the late 18th century, its economic strength had contributed to the development of a large middle class with disposable income and a desire to be entertained. They were avid consumers of music, whether in a concert setting, in the theater, for dancing, or simply for home use. Vienna also stood in a strategic position politically, with royal residences and every flavor of aristocratic household located in or near the city. Although music had been democratized to a significant extent by this time, the patronage, or at least the approval, of the nobility could still play a decisive role in a musician's success or failure.
The world of Viennese music was a tangle of friendships, feuds, favoritism, politicking, and jockeying for position. Musicians relied on networking and self-promotion at least as much as on actual ability (and in some cases, more so). They coveted any connection with a noble family that might get them noticed by the kind of people who commissioned works or kept their own musical establishments. Sometimes a talented young squirt would arrive in town, fully prepared to take it by storm, only to crash into a wall of hostility. An imperfectly obsequious attitude or a failure to be seen at the right salons could cripple even the most brilliant composer, forcing him to settle for second-tier jobs or try his luck elsewhere.
In this rich but precarious environment, the most revered figure was Haydn, though others enjoyed almost equal respect: Vanhal, Kozeluch, Salieri, Hoffmeister, Dussek. Not exactly household names today (except Salieri, albeit for the wrong reasons), but the Viennese adored them. The talented young squirts Mozart and Beethoven, however, encountered considerable difficulty in winning over the public, largely because of friction with the Establishment. Although Haydn recognized their brilliance and supported them, the other leading composers, as well as the social elite, viewed both men with suspicion. Some felt threatened (and rightly so) by the young upstarts, others simply found their music too wild to be entirely acceptable.
To give some idea of the intricacy of the Viennese scene, here is a partial list of the connections among tonight's four composers: Mozart and Beethoven both studied with Haydn; Beethoven took a few lessons with Mozart, and would have done more if Mozart had not died, forcing him to settle for his second choice of a teacher—Haydn. Kozeluch did not study with Haydn, but did publish his music, as well as Mozart's; all three also had works published by Artaria, as did Beethoven. Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart all knew Kozeluch, but didn't like him. Beethoven didn't think much of Haydn as a teacher, but was polite to him; Haydn had his doubts about Beethoven's music, but was polite in turn. Kozeluch badmouthed Haydn to Mozart, and Beethoven to Haydn.
Unlike the other three, however, Kozeluch had not begun as a musician. Like a surprising number of composers, he first studied law, but subsequently decided to devote himself to music. He moved from Prague to Vienna in 1778, and within a few years had attained high stature as a keyboard virtuoso, composer, and teacher. In 1784 he branched out into publishing, founding the Musikalisches Magazin house. He was, by numerous accounts, a thoroughly unpleasant person—Beethoven referred to him as "Miserabilis"—but his connections with influential patrons made him someone worth cultivating, or at least tolerating.
One more trait links these four composers: All were prodigious keyboard players who made considerable contributions to the repertoire for the piano. Tonight we will hear three works for piano four hands (i.e. two players at the same keyboard), a very popular form during the Classical era. Much of the one-piano duet repertoire, including both original works and transcriptions, was intended for home music-making; however, some composers produced more demanding, concert-quality pieces. The present Kozeluch work, receiving its modern premiere here, is a relatively rare example of a full-scale concerto for this configuration.
Haydn will be represented tonight by a symphony rather than keyboard music. The 49th symphony, aptly nicknamed "La Passione," displays his most dramatic side. All four movements, apart from the trio section of the minuet, are in the dark key of F minor. Even the slow movements have a feeling of angst and tension, while the quick ones roil with turbulent emotional energy.
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