The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume IIThayer, Alexander Wheelock
History
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume II
Thayer, Alexander Wheelock
Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827
On his journeys through Germany, France and Italy, as a consequence
of his approved knowledge of mechanics and music, Herr Mälzel had
repeatedly been solicited by the most celebrated composers and
conservatories to devote his talent to an invention which should
be useful to the many, after many efforts by others had proved
defective. He undertook the solution of the problem and succeeded
in completely satisfying the first composers of Vienna with the
model which was recently exhibited, which will be followed soon
by the recognition of all others in the countries mentioned.
The model has endured the most varied tests which the composers
Salieri, Beethoven, Weigl, Gyrowetz and Hummel applied to it. Court
Chapelmaster Salieri made the first application of this chronometer
to a work of magnitude, Haydn’s “Creation,” and noted all the
tempos according to the different degrees on the score, etc. Herr
Beethoven looks upon this invention as a welcome means with which
to secure the performance of his brilliant compositions in all
places in the tempos conceived by him, which to his regret have so
often been misunderstood.
The “Allg. Mus. Zeit.” of December 1st devotes some two pages to the
instrument, from which a few words of description are enough for our
purpose:
The external parts of this chronometer ... consist of a small lever
which is set in motion by a toothed wheel, the only one in the
whole apparatus, by means of which and the resultant blows on a
little wooden anvil, the measures are divided into equal intervals
of time.
That “chronometer” was not what is now known as Mälzel’s “metronome.”
[Sidenote: CANON AND ALLEGRETTO SCHERZANDO]
It is now to be seen whether Schindler’s account of the Allegretto
Scherzando will bear examination. It is this:
In the Spring of the year 1812, Beethoven, the mechanician
Mälzel, Count von Brunswick, Stephan von Breuning and others,
sat together at a farewell meal, the first about to undertake
the visit to his brother Johann in Linz, there to work out his
Eighth Symphony and afterward to visit the Bohemian baths--Mälzel,
however, to journey to England to exploit his famous trumpet-player
automaton. The latter project had to be abandoned, however, and
indefinitely postponed. The time-machine--metronome--invented by
this mechanician, was already in such a state of forwardness that
Salieri, Beethoven, Weigl and other musical notabilities had given
a public testimonial of its utility. Beethoven, generally merry,
witty, satirical, “unbuttoned,” as he called it, at this farewell
meal improvised the following canon, which was at once sung by the
participants.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account