Indelible impression

England has seen many piquant musical might-have-beens: for instance, Mozart’s projected visit towards the end of his life, many years after his success in London as an infant prodigy, and Beethoven’s projected visit towards 1820. Suppose Weber had settled in rich, Philistine London for the prime of life rather than merely dying there in 1826 and being shipped back for permanent burial (1844) to the strains of his ardent follower, the young Wagner? Suppose Wagner’s political exile after 1848 had brought him to London again (he’d already enjoyed some success as conductor) rather than Zurich? And in the general diaspora of the late 1930s, that Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Hindemith, Weill, Bartók had ended up here, rather than in the United States; rather than the third-raters who didn’t cross the pond? And that Ligeti had escaped in 1952 to join an uncle in Reigate? And that the old Stravinsky, falling in love on a visit to Dartington in 1957 with English cathedral towns, had taken into actuality his expressed desire to relocate from Hollywood?

None of this happened; and perhaps none of it, if it had, would have changed anything. But Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn all made an indelible impression upon the land of Purcell and Elgar which received them with such ardour. Rather than nourishing Debussy-style resentment at ‘the foreign domination that has stultified our native genius’, we should in 2009 renew grateful thanks that we succumbed at such a high level.

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Paulo

February 27th, 2009 7:22pm Report this comment

Yes, well. Why not mention Delius? The only English composer I know of from that period. Elgar, of course was German - Oratorios, Symphonies, Concertos etc. Haendel was accepted because the King was German (did'nt speak English, even less than Haendel). Mendelssohn likewise- the consort Albert, don't you know. England is the home of music - its orchestras, its enthusiasm - but much of that is post-war refugee created. I think I exclude Dame Myra Hess.

JohnAnt

March 1st, 2009 12:24am Report this comment

The poet is James Thomson, not Thompson.

Martin Walker

March 13th, 2009 2:54pm Report this comment

I don't think Roberto Gerhard was a "third-rater", and prefer him to Hindemith by a very long chalk.
I think that Robin Holloway is writing off the top of his clever head here.

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