The Influence of Adam Mickiewicz on the Ballades of ChopinAuthor(s): Dr. Lubov Keefer Source: American Slavic and East European Review, Vol. 5, No. 1/2 (May, 1946), pp. 38-50 Published by: The American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2491580 Accessed: 25/07/2010 22:41 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=aaass. 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The American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to American Slavic and East European Review. http://www.jstor.org But. an indictment of tyrannyso flamingthat the oppressorswerekindledby its furyto circulateit in Russian whispersmany monthsbeforeits printingin the vernacularPerceptiblyfewerballots are cast in favorof the whimsicallyphosphorescent Switeziankaand the relatedSwitet. rhapsodizesabout "thunderand surge. so meatyis the whole.as patternsforthecataclysmsunleashedrespectively in theF and A Flat Ballades.Leichtentritt's.fabulousgenii.thateach and everyChopinitehas succumbedto its lure. By almostunanimousvote theFirst Ballade is said to have been siredby Mickiewicz'sConradWallenrod. Readiestto indorsetheticketunreservedly are thevirtuosiCortot and Casadesus. whileaccordhas been reachedon thepoemswhichprovidedChopin with his musical imagery.But even amongproverbially prudentmusicologists forthe deviationsfromthisofficialroster(one avidlydisseminated edification of Chopindevotees)are rareenoughtobe cited.THE INFLUENCE OF ADAM MICKIEWICZ ON THE BALLADES OF CHOPIN By DR. Binental. LUBOV KEEFER one to confesstotal ignoranceconcerning an allegedtie betweentheBalladesofChopinand thepoetryofhisfriend-compatriot Adam Mickiewicz.humorousPan Budri.Hadden) wouldbe at a loss to tracethe list downto its origins.even Chopin scholars (Karasowski. As to the colloquial.Yet.as an imageof a cavortingtimidcolt and its comingof age WERE 38 .Hugo Leichtentritt readsinto the F Minorthe aspirationsnot of Mickiewiczbut of a lesserbard of autonomous Poland.so brimming withnational-patriotic-romantic potentialities." but secondsnevertheless the Wallenrodpedigreewith its "well-knitlogicalsentence.so plausibleon thesurface.tall fountain-lilies and slender-hipped maids. forone.Slowacki.only the mostcredulousand staunchacceptit as the sourcefromwhichflow the miasmicdepthsof the F Minor.Bidou. a canvass of such whiteheat fireand vehemence.flippantand arch.Fartherremovedfromthesphereof all-consuming patriotism areisolatedinterpretations oftheA Flat: again. he wouldbe forever ostracizedfromamongmusical conoscenti."Proceedingwithall of a scholar'scautionthreadingthe footstepsof another(Hoesick).Huneker.Only slightlyless flagrantan offensewould be the omissionofSchumannor perhapsLisztas reported go-betweens.varyingsolelythestresson thisor thatfacetand the reservebroughtto bear on it. Ganche. concernthefilm'sfootage. secrettreason".2 numopusofoneJeanStan.cit. To what lengthsof absurditythis teamingcan aspireis shownby themagentitledLes BalladesdeChopin. to weightthe scales These few dissentersare hardlysufficient Andifthe Germans. notes above husis femalevoice exactlyeight No does sedition need veil."spicedas theyare by unorthodox climaxes?As "the harmoniesrisingfromhushedsighs to stirring tribunalcrosses. he willresolvehis taskintoa ratioofmeasuresand ina herofighting verses. alone is the limit in verbatim poems - music .OnceassuredthatChopintranslated all of Wallenrod.as a dreamlit ballroomsafloatwith tenderavowals and. 45.1934.chivalrichopesand thepast of evereagerforvictoryand everbeaten. 1913). the "voice of thepeople. theopeningmassiveoctavesrepresent and reptile. Stan startswitha summaryof the bloodystrugglewaged by the TeutonicTemplarsagainst the Lithuanianswith Conrad at their tale. tistryofstyleand devotionto one's soilits onlyredeeming is givenaccuratelyenough.p. hiscompassgainsin authority." And tuckedsomewhere to say ofthe Ballade8 both Berliozand Heine have had something "singingof Ossianiclovesand heroes. than is an octave higher scale the male?Therefore.B Flat modulations. This harrowing features. Stan survives.plaintsofthe "perfidious ebriety.Stan resortsto a singu"Let us observethatthesecond lar). areat painsagainst an occasionalexcursion amongFrenchcolleaguessky bracketingChopinas photographer.if to followthisadventurousmaze in all ramifications.he remindsus that eightyears I 2 3 E.. Ganche. worldof brilliantly in thistriviality. 325.maps. a in one death. Paris Editions. Court. valse and lute-strains-frolics and what but -sly maneuvering. Ganche.sa vieet son oeuvre(Paris. Is it not knownthat the Conrad's. p.in tumult. any. Stan admonishesthe readernot to expectChopin Circumspectly His qualms."' a far-awaycountry.and a thunderouscadence consumesin Valhallaflamesthe savage story.notwithstanding againsttheMickiewicz-legend.thepalace stairway"and agonizingruns breakagainstinexorablecrashes(excitedly. ."3 wife are longer bandand Chaos is the watchword.modestly Operatingon theassumptionthatWallenrodand Chopinare one.-F.So. intonebuloushypothesis. or else.Chopin. soaked in hatredand revenge.and Ehlert's(pupil of Schumann).witharhead. a "dissimulation-motif" phrasesofsmilinglandscape lustforterrorhas bred"shortrecurring orrecollections ofearlychildhood.on the"Ballades" ofChopin AdamMickiewicz 39 to a fiercegallop. at tortured.op.Broughtto earth. Stan is just as adamant regarding a nostalgiafortheirgeographical pole.breathless he designatesLalo paroxismsand attacks.p. 1842. Feb.and.and that Mickiewiczhad triedhis musicalhand at the Willia Ballad.4as well as Ponchielli.chromatically reassurancesin major and minor-dechained sonorities. and tears.6 of the Pole unfortunately turneda completevolte-faceand manufortheF Major. jorcas'sspectershad nurtured As toldin Switezianka. in Stan's eyes.supremelyclothedin tones"7and.a half-page 4 Chap. If anything.ampleguaranteeof theproximity ofOp."It willbe easy. thatadulationof Mickiewicz Aftermaintaining merelybestowedprothisapostle digiousbreathand sweepon Chopin'sfantasy-legends. a detour.howlsand by day. ii.Dry. Stan manifests a morethanaccustomedlegerdemain. a degreeless glowing.5 If a commonbackgroundprovedthe authenticity of Wallenrodthe F Major that MaChopin.all toolsof retribution wroughtby a nobleprincess uponherfatherland's despoilers." claimsStan. . It to factured Switezianka-Baedeker a word-for-word the letteris appropriatedby Stan: "lake in repose. "to adjustthe musicto theversesor vice versa. blings. wholackedthestaminato pursuehissimileofa noddingflower.Ganche. a piquantrecitalof man's fickleness and nymph'scunning.he mustsettlean accountwiththe"all too numerouspianistswhojustify theirintellectualindolenceby slogan of pure music.sinisterrumterrified onlookers.awakenswithdarkto convulsions the clatterofarms. by the same token. 7 GazetteMusicale.an unequivocalrefutation of any possibletie-up with Heine's Lorelei. HavingpainlesslydisposedoftwoopusesStan can afford in theshapeof twocomments on theA Flat as playedby Chopinin the Salle Pleyel: Bourget's: "flexibleimagination. o Ganche. the lake.placid theLithuanianNovogrodek.So and so manymeasuresare allottedto the ruthless Wagnerianspritewhosesophistication derivesfromchangesof key. 47 to Switez. 168. forhe leanson whatwouldseemto be an impeccablesavant.For additionalreferences withLegended'Ys and Debussy'sCathedrale Engloutie.however." First. 1I Lituani (1874). LubovKeefer 40 separateChopin'sversionfromits model.Dr.wails. If Stan insistson discriminating betweennaiad-species.exactly150barsgo to thelove-duetofdoublethirds. 1. Schumann's.vitality and poetry. his method is unchanged." among them"Undinists"(Huneker.The sheerfactthat both had heardof Mickiewiczis.and Casadesus)oryetRubinstein."lovelystranger (in Plural). p. 9 Chopin(N.pedestrianand inane as theseclichesmay well be. Liszt's.thelattertakesviolentissuewithanothernarrative.hystericalMickiewicz. 1888).butfinally of assuagedin the Canon's triplets. spotsfour pages as airingof paternalire.His Life.Y. Ladislaus Mickiewicz.and a hostof stars in the Abbe's own quarters. 52 into a classall itsown.Delacroix. as thenymphplungestheman intotheabyssto a chorusofseduction. 10 Chopin.whenChopin. the chastisement is proclaimedby "elegantly-cruel" bass streamsroaringwiththe sighsof the damned.9and even a fanciful rendezvouswithGoetheis not lacking. and Stan's musicological Coarse. Even as able a strategist as Stan is nonplussed by therefusalofthe F Minorto complyliterallywithBudri. True.AdamMickiewicz on the"Ballades" ofChopin 41 to Virgiliancoquetry. Fate strikesat thedoublebar.growsduly at departure meditative and dream. and.and Liszt.fickleness. 104.forthosedo not lie: harbingers celestialharmonyamongthe ravagesof winter.a gift.or the"superfluous" opening?The analystregains hisaplombin measure8. "' 1879).theylead intorambunctiousrioting:the apotheosis.unableto make Mickiewicz speak of Conrad. In Enault'saccountChopinseals hisfatalencounter withGeorgeby on thespota "Ballade written improvising by no poetbut resembling assemblesforthepurposea gusha Cavalier'sFarewell"."1 He holds that even Liszt's uncannymagnetismand facultyfor drawingto Musical Soireesthe ParisianWho'sWho. elates at the double-thirds.For one thing.In Memoriam. .8 Gronowitz ing Chopin.the narrativeof a warrior whoexpediteshis sonsto fighttheenemyonlyto findhimself facing triplenuptials. shorthandto conjugalbliss. visitingcardsofsireandoffspring.Somethingin the Ballade must invitethis grotesqueaccumulationof nonsense. melody.makeslightof "Conradian"echoes.'0So persistentis the allure that Karasowskiand Niecks are not belowreproducing portionsof thedata.equally 8 F. 1943). they attesta commonorientationstretchedad absurdum.pouredout his own woundedheartin golden On Hiller's testimonyNiecks discreditseveryinch of it.perplexedin theCoda."a refinement whichto Pugnoand CortotelevatesOp. pp." featis at an end.a wholeto the victim'sprotestations served underan enharmonic-Freudian sauce. and twinedchromatics. Chopinas a Man and Musician (London. 104-111. 108 and 138.pp. of a seance held withHiller. Novello.whatto makeof "thematicmodifications.A further bit of mud-flinging towardsthepedantswhogliblyreportthreedistincthome-comings as thoughChopincouldnotbolsterEroswith"conscientious objectors.: Novello. ii. 2.Letters and Works(London. Histoire Chopin(N.1924).'6 or holds up the Poles as thrust and in the romantic-classicduel.lodged in aspirations for pianistic primacy." "bent on poking his brain's nose into every pot wherein the good God cooks"'7 (literature. In any case. 1839." to whom the muse of his bereaved country dictated his songs. Nor could he ever subscribe to servilemimicking. Liszt shufflespoems and prose. 17 Berlioz. Lubov Keefer 42 odious to Berlioz'2 and Sand. p.a less blindinghalo gathered around the pianist's Nocturnes and Ballade (encored on the occasion). politics and religion). counter-thrust Now. culls the heterogeneouselements into a mood-pattern.For Liszt was indomitably. it was because unexcelledenergyof thoughtand depth of sentimentwere lavished on smaller forms and fewer faithfuls. .Chopin(London. 108. if thereever breathed a human not content to be a "placid player to citizens in comfortablenightcaps.July.In rapturesover the noble Polonaise as sung by Mickiewiczin Ancestors and Pan Tadeusz. p.Music and Musicians: Karasowsky: Chopin. R. this was Liszt. Jan. 10. On the programwas the G Minor Ballade. 1874). it is by no means easy to siftthe truth. 16 Chopin(Paris. but is not too sure that Chopin catches the spiritof the latter. 6. bellicoselyaverse to any kind of corporeal program. 12 13 14 To Liszt. Yet.What does Huneker do but enlargeonce more on Chopin's "hypnotic improvisation which animated the very house-furnishings?"'4 Some of this fable-atmospheremay be laid to the door of Liszt. throughthe ambiguityof protestationsof esteem and ill-concealedsuspicions. 1841.Liszt. punctuated with indelibly mysteriousaccents of wildnessand abruptness.1852). Not that this last holds water.1836: "Franz is the only artist in the worldwho knowshow to impart life to the piano". de Ma Vie. Escudier.: Scribner. 23.If less brilliance.Y. Schumann. Elsewhere Franz laments Frederic's inability to embrace classicism. pp. 15To d'Agoult. No one was more au courant with literary-musicalentanglementsof the day than he. Liszt conjectures that Chopin was "frequently inspiredby it to harness his forces" in classic style. the "great poet. 103-107. whereare theSwitezesand Budris? At best.'3 would be impotentto secure such a coteriesimultaneously.'5Yet it was a lucky Providence which guided the Abbe to take over for E.a metamorphosiswith which he credits Mickiewicz's Ancestorsand ballads. p.Dr.Liszt held him up not to himselfbut to Mickiewicz. Chopin's fear lest his dazzling confrereleave him but a "corner of his vast empire" was not founded. Legouve April 26. 1837.Mendelssohn."21not admittedin the zone of erner.AdamMickiewiczon the"Ballades" ofChopin 43 And whatof Schumann?Where. the 'incredible' Ci CaremVariations."18 distinctly moreoftena "Sarmatian.Beethoven.just as any othermanifeswithmusicianship tationof partialityto him growsynonymous '8 "Not too inhuman".Beethovenhas givenhimcourage. 96. Aug.And in some intangibleway he remainsto the end a foreigner withina a "Pole.A lady would call it pretty."'20 the trulysublimeGermans. 27 23 . a M. 1836 and Dec.almosttoo daring unmatchedinsightintohis instrument. a M.Dec.when. ridiculesthe near-sighted finickycriticsof the "Pantouffel" Journal.Chopinmakes a less glamorusdebut in Schumann'swritingsthan the ecstaticgreetinghad promised.Schubert. 1832. Wieck. 2. 29 July10. to Novakowsky. July2.25and dartsto a concert neighborwho can not decide whetherit is good or bad. Z. 18. 20 Music and Musicians. 11.strangeyet an enthusiastwith an all-pervasivespokesmanof night-shadows.22 Nor is Schumannimmediately won over. "idiot"!26 BeforelongChopinis knighted "genius"and Davidite. 18. 21 M.Finck and Rellstab. wendinghisway "withdissonancethroughdissonancein harmonist."24 Nevertheless he directsClara to studythe "inspired"piece.somewhatofa "Muscovite. Her immaculaterenderingof Giovanni. M. '9 To Lipinski. is invariablyheld in check yet one whosevirtuosity dissonance.Nov. 10. 7. a daring.but I firmly hold that it is Op.the finaleof the E MinorConcertoand Trio."'" and "eastpale. 22M. 23 Leipzig."27 byfantasy. Field-mobility. 1834.28 Of Clara. Oct. 1. 1841. 1832.Schubert-tenderness.. Z. 1831.23 "Chopin'sOpus 1 is in my hands. Robertinquireswhethera certainB's eyes stillglisten and begsforthehighF oftheVariawhenhe hearsChopin'smusic. 30 Berliozcopies it withEstelle. M. 1836. Suspicionclouds the firstentryto F. 92.Jan. 1834.pp.29 tionsand foran electriccurrentto carryto her "tomorrowat 11 sharp"30the Adagio.. 83.. friendship? How muchliesbehindthealmosttoo familiar "Hats off"? As a matterof record. 11.Leipzig. 1836. 1834. 24 Allgeine Musikische Zeilung. sympathy. that fully twoyearsand twentyworksseparateit fromOp. 26A. 1841.and forwhat purposedid he deliverhimselfof the Ballades and Mickiewicz?And what were his credentialsby virtueof understanding. 25Finding faultwith Clara forplayinga man's diet. A. . 39 Sept. Nor does he figurein other letters bearingon the event.3' Above all Schumann yearns fora meeting.uniquely. At last.. Voigt."39 the omission of the G Minor is Since the whole is a retrospect.40 understandable. Curiously. 1836. a few hours spent in a narrow circle. 35 To brother Eduard." A less highfalutingvariant reads: "Chopin was here. Voigt: "Yesterday Chopin was here and played a Fantasy and new Etudes . 36 To Nauenburg. touchingly. 38.The pretextis the dedication of the F Major. I saw them float arm in arm.34Marienbad. To Burmeister.p. He played eloquently.33Dresden.velvet fingers.36He will postpone business. Sept. 10. the only referenceto Mickiewicz also graces a recollection. to Lenz: "Many delights. perhaps his most personal if not most finished.. and Robert's unpublished F Sharp Minor Sonata. He has bewitchedme as never before. 37 To Dorn. If need be.It materializedin Leipzig. October6.among them a flying visit of Chopin. 1834.. 40 It was printeda year later. He plays exactly as he writes. I told him I loved it best and he emrphatically remarked that it was his favored too. Lubov Keefer all of old Kalkbrenneris not wortha particleof theyouthfulFr'd'ric. lay aside writing. July2. and he.March 33. and so excitingwas the interviewthat I am still under its spell. "Chopin was here: Florestan rushed up to him. To Moscheles.Lysch. early August.incur the wrath of familyor chief.treated to a Nocturne. 1835.. 13.and childishsimplicity." The visit only whetted Schumann's appetite." and a memorial to H..35 or wait for him in Leipzig. 1836. some Etudes. But Eusebius did not speak. 33 3' .by his high tension. Great urgencypulsates in these pathetic calls. 1837. In awe beforethe genius shiningthroughevery letterof its circum31 To 32 H.14.to his mother. the very idea lamed him. have cut into the routine.Sept."38 Still no mentionof Mickiewicz. 38 Originally acceptedas Op. not writtenbefore1840.an interestingman and even more absorbing player . and Wieck should be proud of Chopin's mantle. I have fromhim a new Ballade. 1836. 1835. the red-letterday!37"Chopin dropped in day beforeyesterday. 212."32Once moreClara obligedwiththe Concerto's Finale. in return.March 8.which Clara ruled "too capricious. he will followthe Pole to the Dusseldorf Festival.44 Dr. one recognizesat everypointthe settingto the Carnival. and Waltzes and hearherraptureis ecstasy. Heller.1837.42 But anotherdeepermeaningresidesin theselines.To Sluzevo. re.Mazurkas. arrangedby the editor of the "Newest" Journalforhis daughters.the eruditelove-lorn Ambrosiaand irresistibly lovelyBeda.But if Chopin'sinfatuation sponsiblefor the vehemenceof the G Minor."Hardlymore illuminantis the observationthat the Ballades are imbuedwith supremepoetry. Beda werefoundon his death.Davidite.beautifully tied a pink ribbonand inscribed:Moja her letters with and deep. mi. To dance with Beda the Polonaises. refusalof matrimony three-fourths Lisztian poem."and insatiablydrinksin everydetailofhis playingup to his way of caressinga sobbingkeyboard. neverhave I enviedyou as now!" exclaimsRobert.songs.This thenis theslenderbridgeholdingthefireworks of speculation!Its trustworthiness gets moredim if we remember thatonlyone and a halfBalladeswerefinished at thetime.insteadof sober statement of fact. ill at the time.her home. fallsin love with Robert. Beda swoonsat his veryname. Leipzig. la.he is "brushfor hiskisses.Fromhere firstaudition. the arenaon whichhe and thepoet Whatof Chopin'snationalism.Therefollowsa in defianceof a "romanticist. Beda .not Jean qui rit or Jean qui pleurt.AdamMickiewicz on the"Ballades" ofChopin 45 scribedvocabulary.Si.stillwaitingforhis Clara. Jeanqui-ritin Augsburg. Needlessto say. miraculousluminosity.provocativepropheticgaze.Robertrulesthat halfof Frederic'sstrides. downto the dedicationof thepiecevia Hellerto Chopin.therecitaloflacerationswroughtby an unsympathetic father forMarie was rewas doublypathetic.inviteHosannas. AflameforChopinwhomshe has neverseen.4'Reviewingthe same year some Chopindances.Schumanngives. 41 42 .in ornament and courting eschewing grace.a figurative literary-historical ball.minusthe effeche passes to the "well remembered" tiveA Minorcadence.admittedinto his holyprecincts.and of his person:revolutionarylips.you wonderful heart-thief. To Schumann. Serpentin.the composerfledin thought.The pain went thithergo a piano. bound books.S. and could awaken sympathetic responsein an outsidersome monthslater. But thereexistsanotherdocument. "Chopin.For Beda (misery) is a pseudonymbestowedby Chopin on Marie Wodzinskaafter theirrupture.and casuallydrops:"He also said thathe was led to the Ballades by severalpoemsof Mickiewicz.Bolero." Faust.wellworththeunexpected emergence of a Cossack with his whip. Knapp-Banck.the StanWallenrodstockis due fora decideddrop.because. pungencyofrhythms and colorsnot cognizantof East and West. .notepaperand pen in his hands.an abortivescheme. to Pott. 31. 13. delicacy. 48 Hiller's MemorialPoem..Hiller.43 Step by stephe waxesinto no longerregional.to Klitsch.Dec.1 1842. 1838. he frequently spottedthe resemblanceafterthe musicwas completed. 49EhlertAlbum.he discloses the old. 1835.Already. 51 A.48'49'50 a charmerwitha sorelyneedednoteof humor.Explainingthat an emblemofartistic. 3. iconoclasm. 46 To de Sire and Zuccalmoglio.says Schumann. 1838.imbibingthe birdcallsand perfumesof the Pastoral?5" Well may Schumannhave hailedthe ashes of Chopin'serstwhile M.Robertdid not see the highestgood in self-imposed If anything. 18. Jan.broad sympathy.Mazurwoulddareto dissectthefragrance a follyas kas and Etudes? Is not the idea alreadyprofanation.not Mozart. Aug.Dec.the seekingforan indefinable mystic. Z.Dec.ardor. Bergson.to Mangold. How could such an originaland independentcoloriststoop to othermen's thoughts?All throughlifeSchumannstubtranslating music'stranscendent domainby external bornlyrefusedto prostitute labels. he encouragesthenew: Chopin.Wolff. 1853.46 "caviar" of that. Sept.chaste. Bennett. M. veiled affinity between sister-arts.Polish power.evenLiszt. 1840. LubovKeefer were bound to measurestrengths beforeSchumann?Contraryto generalbelief. Amsterdam. 1849. 1854. 1849.44 RobertclassesChopin withthe petrels:Mendelssohn.Schbnberg-like. he rejoicesat Chopin'sgradual emancipation fromnationalchains:localisms. sacrilegiousas presentingBeethovenat the brook.revering librariesand anthologies.soa Let usnotmistakethetrait:inno way doesit runcounterto his literaryworship. 45 To Reinhold."towardsloftierreofthoughtprohibiting gions:independence a finisha la Rossiniwith "votrehumbleserviteur". Jan. 7. 19. are his pupilsin melodiousness. modernmusicstemsfromBach.eccentricity. Z. mating ofcreativewithrecreative.47 a healthyferment.45 Again. Lickl.Jan.give and take. 43 44 A. 1839. 1840. and Endemin. Dresden. 60a Prohibition of the FrauenkircheConcert. evenafterdeath.Chopin'sspiritualsphereis theglobe:Thalberg. geographical preferences.servantand master.to Smalt.And who oftheF MinorFantasia. stresson Polish courage.Hiller. 30.46 Dr. Henselt.Wielhorski. shallow virtuosity. 17. 50 Clara's RotterdamConcerts.Feb. 14. 47 Etudes.Kalkbrenner.Polish threats against"Corrplaisantmonarchsin the North. To Keferstein.. and Mozart-Album. June29.Rumorhas it thatarguments wereknownto reachalarmingpitch." Rev."56PresGaz.Even wherelove-painis the leitmotif in Witwicki'sMaiden's Wishand Bacchanalthe musichas a way of striking deeperthanundertheimpactof Poland'slaureate. H. 26 Diary of Madame Olivier."55 Mickiewiczhad less to jubilateover.but Mickiewicz'sare the flimsiest as bubblesof the anthology. 77.the poet Witwicki.Steffani.54 The plans died stillborn. Neverof exceptionalpoeticinstinct.PleadingwithFredericto giveup trifling his sister. highhandedness Op. lot at stake.but keepingshy of the poets. confidante.Eventually Thereare actual indications press-agent and Mickiewiczwillvoice anxietylest Sand.he of Spurredby theprofoundly theurn.de Mas.her undoing. 62 b3 .this German-bred offlamboyantly slavoSilesianhad risento thepostofchiefpurveyor heirof phileoperain theshamefulLw6wdays. 1854.Louis Phillipe'saide-de-camp.March 8 and 11.AdamMickiewiczon the"Ballades" ofChopin 47 patriotism!Not so Mickiewicz.ofWitwickitheeeryReturn. May. on yetanotherscore. the painter Kwiatkowski. Mus. of coolness.52 Therewas a immediately applythe same strokesto a music-drama.If Marie was "charmed"and thecontentedWitwickimovedto urgeFrederic to outshineItalian Opera by dintof "nationality.and Count de Porthuis. Opienski. morenationality. "Les premiersoperas polonais dans leurs rapports avec Chopin.Boguslavski. ssGanche.thus.sprinkling nowand thenwithKurpinski-Elsner tunes. 64 Chopin's pupil Mathias.Niemzevicz.Chopinwould have been horrified as in publishingthemat Slesinger'sposthumously.Kurpinski.To the ennuiof someand the gratitude it of most.Amongthesongs Mickiewiczwas frustrated dispatchedto Marie at Sluzevowereseveralby him.christenedthe "Polish on thescore Nestor.theyare outspokenly unfairto Mickiewicz.carriedthelargerresponsibility. his fervent be overcomeby the wholebruntof this "evil genius..53 were wasnottheonlyvoice. With only one other.Of ZaleskiChopingives the passionateLover desolateLithuanian and nostalgicGrief. Elsnerinsistedthathis youngpupil nationalveinofthe Mazurkas. and nationality.crossand torture. moralvampire. 1929. 92-98. Song and exultantPolish Dirge. 74.Too fastidious to includethe youthfuland casuallyjotted down sketchesin the at Fontana's definitive edition.to a legitimate But his the mightytriumvirate Kamenski.For one Elsner.pp.op.Chopin. 1842.."and Mickiewicz. cit.p.ifnot of rift.Chopindecidedto cultivatehis own garden.Hopes vested in Fredericas Slav Messiahweredue at leasttwo gravesetbacks.. to thedivergence of theircreeds. 63 Ganche. Here the commongroundwas Poland'splight.64 From the firstthingsstood betterwithSand. March 18. Legouv6. Hadley." Mickiewicz'sdeep immersionin music could hardlyresolvethe discords.What a far cryfromtheStuttgartletter. a dazzlinglinguist.3."67On his returnas "I Chuiko.pennedat the newsof Warsaw'sfall. at his disposal"to death" and forever. For monthsMickiewicz's Aristocratshad triedto crashthe Porte St. p.1899). 63 To Odynic. p. 62 Dambrowski'sand Slowacki's visits."to thepointofbeingsuspectedoftreason. he invariablyspottedsham: and enthusiasm forPeter'sintellectdid notblindhimeitherto theTsar's cruelty.Aug. VoyagesavecChopin(Paris.On meetingthepoetat M-ame d'Agoult's65 she putsat once herhouse.yetslavesoverthepiano-lisping ofmanya titledMuscovite 58 No forcecan inducehim to play his Funeral March.or howevermuchhe worshipped Pushkin. 33. he. p.59 nonentity ofPoland'sdisaster. 1926). 1839.60 to Blue-Booklistsof fadedbellesand cheap gossip!" His reactions were always fannedby purelyfortuitous"2 eventsand burneduntil the sound of Polish or mentionof non-gratacompatriotsbecame anathema.57 The devotionis reproduced in an unforgettable tableauof the Ancestors. 64 Mickiewiczhad marriedthe daughterof the pianist Szimanowska.Sand to M. How different Chopin!The talentedLenz he rebukesforbeing Russian.and could never be withouta piano."who couldnot findwordsto expresshis ownhumility.(Moscow. SomzeNoteson Chopin (1937).Her help was solicited.thegenius.The fewlocalismsironedout. 65Hist.swore"eternalgratitude"and a promise to cherishthe "dear tracesof charmingnails. 17. 6 Nohant. 1837. A. 48. 22. 1941).International Liter. 80 81 T.yethe tradesthebarricadesand battlereminder fieldsof his scorchedland forflowered vestsand violets. VIII. Marliani. Boy-Zelinski.66 Soon the friendship was to be tested."SevernyiVestnik(1838).p. 68 Lenz.Russia's "strongest pillar. Martin.on Russian earth. carriedrespectand admirationfor his jailers. Lubov Keefer entlytheirviews clashedon manyfronts.Mickiewicz. 99. Yet. . 54. lionizedby the Russianeliteand aglowoverthe country'sartisticprogressiveness. 67 June.was overcomeby hereulogies. 328. 5. Apr.herall. 37. 1837. the "most talentedracein Europe.48 Dr. 1847. de ma Vie. Chopin (Schirmer. b9 E. 16. p. His unstintedfriendship was given Pushkin.Jan.SoixanteA ns de Souvenirs."Mickiewicz v RusskomObshchestve. thestaggering versatility of curiousoftheWhyand How oftheUniverse. Yet. Fromhisunadulterated esteemofthemusicianone couldexpectmore of the diary.a noncommittal societythan.to thetempleofthesoulknowingno victorsor vanquished. her to apply her talentsto Krasinski'sUndivineComedy. 195. G."kind.just as the patriotic excessesofhis son manyyearslater.approachthe seethinglava ofhatredrockingtheAncestors and Conrad.on the"Ballades" ofChopin AdamMickiewicz 49 Slav lecturerat the College. his very presencebringsout a highlypertinentphenomenon. As artistand humanshe rankshimalongsideof EugeneDelacroix. Sand. we have a firesidegroup-portrait idol. akin to thatof her Frederic. Socrates.Dante. "realityseen throughthe prismof mocking demonism.hisworldrisesoverreality-gantletsthrownto tzaristicdespotism.69 Her pullingof stringsin his behalfredoubled. p.intimacywaxed.Adam Mickiewiczi.Yet.Sainte-Beuve.1839.Byronand Goethe.writ.1898). availed himselfof Parisianintellectualwealth to the extentof one V.unableand unwilling essay. Beer.that is.1841.sweet. JoanofArc."nor Manfredthe dreamer. hisNapoleoniccult.are masksforMickiewicz.All-inclusive trinsic. John. Ampere.an illness particularly Eventuallyhisfanaticism.a hospitalchart. In Impressions of the Menage.at homein lettersand music. 70 Revuedes deux Mondes.her et Souvenirs. Mickieto understand Aghastat theFrench. Karenin.in the firstinstallments column.the poet's geniusall but engulfedher. 68 69 .Jesus.later.7'who taire'sDictionnairePhilosophique. 71 Many doubt even these. Chopin's mental selfSand is pitilessin brandingit and nevertiresto oppose sufficiency. glitter. p.Balzac. talk and. forthe moment.-8She hardlymisseda by Michelet.bothselfand insacrificeand rage. 390. VestnikEvropy (1907).self-disciplined. peer of St. and a few Polish poems.whereshe theirlethargy in a metaphysical wicz.to theonesidedness Volthatotherwhosereadingsbeganand endedwithherownworks.highlighting the well-nighincrediblesweetnessand with humilityof the poet in contrastwithChopin'spreoccupation withmorebile in Elle etLui.in the conviction And theirmutual that "no line of his was uselessor insignificant." As specialfavorhe begs esteemsurvivedthefiascoofhisbrain-child.and she titleshim "the sole ecstaticto cross her path.will frighten her.Mickiewiczund seine Weltanschauung (Stuttgart.Whatis more.shechallenges Her verdictis drawsa parallelbetweenhim. ofthepainter. surrounded was knownto steal the show.70 that neitherFaust. reproduced It is a thousandpitiesthatDelacroixcrossedChopin'spathso late. p. an introducofthetypeperpetrated tionto Mickiewicz.and startwhereKarasowski78 to seek hereallegory.74 Ofcourse.with2 Ballades finished.Fear and terror. whylookfor Let us cherishthe Ballades.viz. p.history.neverto leave hisbedside.. thatit is "foolhardy politics deductions.Ingreshe found stiff. a M. 78 Karasowski.SketchesofG.as resemblances? and Bronarskiwiselyhad left music. 76 To Fontana. 149. 343 and L.p." Strongestof the aris theimmediacy and spontaneity ofChopin'sspeech. ViII.Liszt it was who diagnosedChopin'ssympathyas conditionedsolelyby When Heller submittedto him the Carnival.He read it to Sand. insists77 thatno one shudderedmoreat linkChopin'sconsciousness. As to thededicationoftheF Major. BALTIMORE.and.a bargainin whichthe Preludesand Pleyel could be substitutedat will.March 17. 524. 75 M.turnedit downwiththe judgment Neverdidhe teachanything that"it wasnotmusic. mysteries of Bach and Mozart.he congenialtraits.as theywereto religion.thisapathyextendeditselfto musicand itspriests. pp." or philosophical JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. Also Mathias.and couldnotbe budgedto attendtheBonnunveiling On Delacroix'requestthepianistdivulged ofBeethoven'smonument. Sand (Chicago."Kwarlalnyk musyczny.Sand. 1849.For raignments intoeveryfibreof thatmatter.Yet anypigeonholing by Stan and his readydisciplesbelongsin thenursery. 1839. 1934. 72 73 ." 74 To Hadden. graftedon old superstitions.no matterhow cursory.396-412.accordingto some.75 withSchlesinger's foundpraiseonlyforthe cover.And a loverof Chopinshouldhave. the veryquintessenceof Chopin's deals the mortalblow to the Mickiewiczians. So. off.initiatedby herownadmission. also to Grzymala.50 Dr. April 10. 88. Wiener. 77 istoirede ma Vie. Negativeevidencemay not be as conclusiveas its opposite. LubovKeefer play (Oedipus). confronted suggestionof a Frenchedition. werehis only responseto Michelangelo and Rubens. Majorca.Z.it was a perfunctory impersonal gesture. ing etherealsoundwithconcretematter. aristocratic fragrance. 99. PEABODY CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC. "Look not on the meat but look on the man. who foundit "charming. the onlybooksever requestedby Chopinwerethe Ancestors and a lentcopyof Witwicki. To Fontana. Bronarski.72 More. 260-271. L."Stosunek Schumanna.but asked nothing. London. 3.. 1892).73 bothdestined. This intellectualisolationism. March 6. II. 1839."76 by Schumann. everynote of them.
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