E. T. A. Hoffmann's Musical Writings: Kreisleriana. The Poet and the Composer. Music Criticism

Edited, annotated and introduced by David Charlton.

This book contains the first complete translation in English of E. T. A. Hoffmann's major musical writings, complementing the well-known Tales. It offers, therefore, a long-awaited opportunity to assess the thought and influence of one of the most famous of all writers on music and the musical links with his fiction. Containing the first complete appearance in English of Kreisleriana, it reveals a masterpiece of imaginative writing whose title is familiar to musicians (from Robert Schumann's piano cycle) and whose profound humour and irony can now be fully appreciated. This volume offers translations aiming at the greatest fidelity to Hoffmann, as well as musical accuracy in the reviews. David Charlton's three introductory essays provide extensive information on the background to Romantic music criticism; on the origins and internal structure of Kreisleriana; and on Hoffmann and opera. A concluding essay by the late Friedrich Schnapp lists Hoffmann's planned reviews and those mistakenly attributed to him.

CONTENIDO:

List of illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations

Hoffmann as a writer on music

Kreisleriana

Introduction to Kreisleriana
Prefatory remarks to individual essays
"Jacques Callot"
Kreisleriana. Part I
1. Kapelmeister Johannes Kreisler's musical sufferings
2. Ombra adorata
3. Thoughts about the great value of music
4. Beethoven's instrumental music
5. Extremely random thoughts
6. The complete machinist
Kreisleriana. Part II
1. Letter from Baron Walborn to Kapellmeister Kreisler
2. Letter from Kapelmeister Kreisler to Baron Walborn
3. Kreisler's Musico-Poetic Club
4. Report of an educated young man
5. The music-hater
6. On a remark of Sacchini's, and on so called effect in music
7. Johannes Kreisler Certificate of Apprenticeship

The poet and the composer

Introduction to "The poet and the composer": Hoffmann and opera
The poet and the composer

Musical criticism
-Letter from a monk to his friend in the capital
-Observations of Quaisin's "Le judement of Salomon", on melodrama and on the chorus in tragedy
-Review of Witt's Fifth and Sixth Symphonies
-Review of Fioravanti's "I virtuosi ambulanti"
-Review of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
-Review of Weigl's "Das Waisenhaus" (extract)
-Review of Gluck's "Iphigénie en Aulide"
-Review of Paer's "Sofonisba"
-Review of Spohr's First Symphony
-Review of Beethoven's Overture to "Coriolan"
-Review of Gyrowetz's "Der Augenarzt" (extract)
-Review of Méhul's Overture "La Chasse du jeune Henri"
-Review of Beethoven's Piano Trios, Op. 799 Nos. 1 and 2
-Review of Beethoven's Mass in C
-Review of Beethoven's Overture and Incidental Music to Goethe's "Egmont"
-Old and new church music
-Review of Riem's "Zwölf Lieder", Op. 27 (extract)
-Review of Boieldieu's "Le Nouveau Seigneur de village"
-Letters on music in Berlin. First letter
-Review of Mozart's "Don Giovanni", 20 September 1815
-Review of Méhul's "Ariodant", 1 June 1816
-Some observations on the comments made by the Royal Chamber Singer Herr Fischer...
-A letter from Kapellmeister Johannes Kreisler (Contributed by E. T. A. Hoffmann)
-Further observations on Herr Konzertmeister Möser's Concert on 26 March this Year [1820]
-Concert under the direction of Spontini, 3 August 1820
-Casual reflections on the appearance of this Journal
-Further observations on Spontini's opera "Olimpia" (extract)

Sources and suppositive reviews, by Friedrich Schnapp
Appendix: Catalogue of Hoffmann's music criticism
Selected bibliography
Index