Page:Scottishartrevie01unse.djvu/201

Rh in D Major (without the minuet). Rochlitz relates a curious httle incident which occurred at the re- hearsal. Mozart displayed the most determined energy in his efforts to preserve the tempo, and whenever the instrumentalists retarded, he stamped the measure so violently with his foot that one of his shoe buckles fell to pieces ! To tliis day the symphony is called in Leipzig the ' Buckle Sym- phony,' and we have been told that it is still played from the same copies of the parts that were used on that occasion, and one of the first-violin copies is said to contain a remark confirming tlic trntli of tjiis incident. From 1810 to 182T T. P. C. Schulz occupied the position of conductor. Under his guidance de- menti played, and Mendelssohn's name first appears in connection with the performance of his own Sym- phony in C Minor, printed as 'Opus 11.' From 1827 to 1835 Pohlenz, the composer of the well-known song, ' Der kleine " Tambour Vert," ' conducted the concerts. Under his auspices Clara Schumann, then Clara Wieck, made her first appearance. In the year 1835 Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy rose to the zenith of his popularity, and with him as conductor the universal renown of the Gewandhaus Concerts begins. He was the first who conducted orchestral works from the desk, with the baton. Hitherto they had been directed by the Concertmeister from the first-violin desk, with a violin bow, and before that froni the clavicembalo. Under Mendelssohn's regime we encounter for the first time the names of Schumann, Gade, William Sterndale Bennett as composers. Few men were more fitted for the post of General Director than Mendelssohn ; nevertheless, he disdained the easy fame which may be gained by learning orchestral works by heart, so as to be able to conduct from memory. So remarkable was his capacity in this respect, however, that he was said to be able to write whole orchestral works in score from memory ! Alfred Doiff'el, in describing his powers as a pianist in his History of the Gewandhaus Concerts (to which we are indebted for the information contained in this sketcli), exclaims, ' How gloriously he rendered the Liedcr ohnc Worte ! How magnificently and grandly he revealed to us the genius of Mozart and Beethoven ! ' David took the place of conductor for a short time, but the post did not suit him ; he was, more- over, missed as an excellent Concertmeister, and Mendelssohn again resumed the baton. In the year 1843 Mendelssolni was called to Berlin, and his place was filled by Ferdinand Hiller. During his director- ship we first hear the name of Carl Reinecke, the present conductor of the Gewandliaus Concerts. He began his career as a pianist, and it is interesting to notice that he made his debut on the same day, and at the same concert, as Joachim. In less than a year Hiller left Leipzig, and his place was filled by the young Niels W. Gade who directed alternately with Mendelssolin for a short time. From 1848 to 1860 Julius Rietz held the position of Director, and proved himself well able to sus- tain the high reputation which by this time the orchestra had attained. AVe now meet with the names of Johannes Brahms, Carl Reinecke, Bargiel, Albert Dietrich, and other composers of the present day, whose fame is known and acknowledged. It was wlien Rietz removed to Dresden in 1860 that the present conductor, Carl Reinecke, assumed the direction of these concerts, and he has held the position for twenty-eight years, being longer than any of his predecessors in office. He has introduced works by Volkmann, Max Bruch, Hermann Goetz, Brahms, and others. Under his direction the con- certs have risen so high in popular estimation that a new concert-room has become necessary. The new Gewandhaus, which has now been in use for four years, is a magnificent edifice, and as regards acoustics is said to be quite unequalled by any other in existence. The present orchestra consists of twenty first violins, twenty second violins, twelve violas, ten 'cellos, eight basses, so that it numbers nearly ninety artists. Twenty-two concerts are lield every winter. These include four clioral concerts. The main part of the performances consist of a symphony and an overture, but other forms of music are also intro- duced, which give additional interest to the wjiole. Besides these concerts there are ten evenings for chamber music. The members of the orchestra have to undergo a rigorous examination previous to their admittance, and have then to stand a year of probation previous to membership. Amongst them are to be found men of very high talent, such as Henri Petri, the Concertmeister. Klengel Schrodu and Schultz, violincello players, Hinke, oboe player, Gumpert, horn, etc. ; and when we add that at the desks of the first and second violins there stand many young artists wlio can play with ease the violin concerto by Joachim, it will be easily under- stood that the assembly represents no ordinary amount of musical knowledge and talent.