Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1 New England Roots and Musical Ambitions
- 2 An American in Leipzig
- 3 Finding One's Voice
- 4 Orchestral Inspirations: Between Symphony and Organ
- 5 Struggling with Opera
- 6 “A very distinguished musician”
- 7 Chadwick's Impact as a Composer and Public Persona
- 8 Chadwick as a Pioneer: An American School of Music
- 9 Chadwick as “Zeitzeuge”: Autobiographer and Witness of his Time
- Bibliography
- Index
2 - An American in Leipzig
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of illustrations
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1 New England Roots and Musical Ambitions
- 2 An American in Leipzig
- 3 Finding One's Voice
- 4 Orchestral Inspirations: Between Symphony and Organ
- 5 Struggling with Opera
- 6 “A very distinguished musician”
- 7 Chadwick's Impact as a Composer and Public Persona
- 8 Chadwick as a Pioneer: An American School of Music
- 9 Chadwick as “Zeitzeuge”: Autobiographer and Witness of his Time
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The flourishing of academic institutions attracted scores of Americans to travel to the Old World for studying. For many the trip to Europe was an enterprise similar to the Grand Tour, which since the mid- Tudor era had been the traditional voyage made by upper class young men for the purpose of study and social education. In art and music, disciplines that dominated the cultural signature of the Old World, the professional standard of academic training in Europe became very important, first for studying, and second as a model for future American institutions:
Music has made so much progress within the last few years, that the importance of a more extensive and thorough course of education is beginning to be felt … The subject is better understood this side the Atlantic, and especially in Germany, where for many years music schools similar to our law, medical and theological schools, have been established….
This institution was founded in 1843, under the patronage of the King of Saxony, and with the valuable co-operation of the Capelmeister [sic], Dr. Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Its reputation spread so rapidly, both in and around Germany, that at the close of the first half-year it numbered forty-four pupils, thirty-three male and eleven female. At the commencement of the second term, the number had increased to sixty. These pupils are attracted thither not only from all parts of Germany, but from Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Russia, England and America.
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy himself had pushed the foundation of a conservatory of music in Leipzig that should support the training of musical offspring. The legacy of Dr. Heinrich Blümner (1765- 1839), a member of the municipal authorities and of the Board of Directors of the Gewandhaus, dedicated in 1839 for the foundation of a professional school of music, made this possible. On 2 April 1843, the Leipzig Conservatorium der Musik was opened, located in an annex to the Gewandhaus on the Neumarkt.
In the English-speaking world, the name of Mendelssohn bore a power of attraction. Not only in England, but also in the United States and Canada both the reception of the music and the worship of the person were outstanding.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- George Whitefield ChadwickAn American Composer Revealed and Reflected, pp. 23 - 45Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2015