A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Vaterländische Künstlerverein

by Max Friedländer

VATERLÄNDISCHE KÜNSTLERVEREIN (Society of Artists of the Fatherland). A name which has become famous through Beethoven's op. 120. 'The Fatherland' here means Austria. Schindler (Life of Beethoven, ii. 34) says that in the winter of 1822–3, the publishing firm of Diabelli & Co. in Vienna formed a plan for issuing a collective set of variations for the pianoforte. No fewer than 51 composers, among whom were the first Viennese masters of the time,^[1] consented to contribute to the collection, which was published in two large oblong books (No. 1380–81) under the title of Vaterländische Künstlerverein, Veränderungen über ein vorgelegtes Thema, componirt von den vorzüglichsten Tonsetzern und Virtuosen Wiens und der k. k. oesterreichischen Staaten.' ('Society of Artists of the Fatherland. Variations on a given theme, written by the most prominent composers and performers of Vienna and the Imperial States of Austria.') It is an indication of the position held by Beethoven among the musicians of Vienna, that the whole of the first book is taken up with his variations, 33 in number, while the other 50 composers are represented by a single variation each. Beethoven's composition has the separate title: '33 Veränderungen über einen Walzer für das Pianoforte componirt und der Frau Antonia von Brentano, gebornen Edlen von Birkenstock, hochachtungsvoll zugeeignet von Ludwig van Beethoven. 120 Werk. Wien bey Cappi und Diabelli.' The work was published in June 1823. On the 16th of the month the following notice appeared in the 'Oesterreichisch Kaiserliche priviligirte Wiener Zeitung':—'We offer to the world in this work no variations of the ordinary kind, but a great and important masterpiece, worthy of being ranked with the immortal creations of the classical composers of past times, and of a kind that could be produced by none but Beethoven, the greatest living representative of true art. The most original forms and ideas, the boldest passages and harmonies, are here exhausted, all such characteristic pianoforte effects as are founded upon a solid style are employed, and a further interest attaches to the work from the circumstance that it is founded upon a theme which would not have been supposed capable of such treatment as our great master, alone among our contemporaries, could give it. The splendid fugues, Nos. 24 and 32, will delight every lover of the grave style, while Nos. 6, 16, 17, 23, etc., will charm brilliant performers; in short all these variations, by the novelty of ideas, the skill of their workmanship, and the artistic beauty of their transitions, can claim a place beside Seb. Bach's well-known masterpiece in the same kind. We are proud of the opportunity of presenting this composition to the public, and have devoted the greatest care to combining elegance of printing with the utmost correctness.'

The original manuscript of op. 120 is in the possession of Herr C. A. Spina of Vienna. Interesting information concerning the sketches for the composition is given in Nottebohm's 'Zweite Beethoveniana,' Leipzig, 1887. Beethoven was fond of presenting copies of the printed work to his friends, and the writer possesses two such copies with autograph dedications.

The second book of the variations appeared in the latter half of 1823 or early in 1824. Anton Diabelli, the composer and publisher, had meanwhile dissolved partnership with Cappi, and the name of the firm was now 'A. Diabelli & Co.' As in the first book (Beethoven's portion) so here the theme by Diabelli precedes the variations. It consists of 32 bars, and, although of slight importance in itself, is well fitted for variation-writing. The waltz is followed by 50 variations, as follows:—(1) Ignatz Assmayer; (2) Carl Maria von Bocklet; (3) Leopold Eustache Czapek; (4) Carl Czerny; (5) Joseph Czerny; (6) Moritz Graf Dietrichstein; (7) Joseph Drechsler; (8) A. Emanuel Förster ('his last composition'); (9) Jakob Freystaedtler; (10) Johann Gänsbacher; (11) Abbé Gelinek; (12) Anton Halm; (13) Joachim Hoffmann; (14) Johann Horzalka; (15) Joseph Hugelmann; (16) J. N. Hummel; (17) Anselm Hüttenbrenner; (18) Frederic Kalkbrenner ('written during his stay in Vienna'); (19) Friedrich August Kanne; (20) Joseph Kerzkowsky; (21) Conradin Kreutzer; (22) Eduard Baron von Lannoy; (23) M. J. Leidesdorf; (24) Franz Liszt ('a boy of eleven years old, born in Hungary'); (25) Joseph Mayseder; (26) Ignatz Moscheles; (27) Ignatz F. Edler von Mosel; (28) W. A. Mozart fils; (29) Joseph Panny; (30) Hieronymus Payer; (31) J. P. Pixis; (32) Wenzel Plachy; (33) Gottfried Rieger; (34) P. J. Riotte; (35) Franz Roser; (36) Johann Schenk; (37) Frank Schoberlechner; (38) Franz Schubert; (39) Simon Sechter ('Imitatio quasi Canon a tre voci'); (40) S. R. D.; (41) Abbé Stadler; (42) Joseph de Szalay; (43) Wenzel Tomaschek; (44) Michael Umlauff; (45) Fr. Dionysius Weber; (46) Franz Weber; (47) Ch. A. de Winkhler; (48) Franz Weiss; (49) Johann Wittassek; (50) J. H. Worzischek.

(The Graf Dietrichstein, mentioned under No. 6, was the leading aristocratic musician of the time. Schubert's 'Erlkönig' is dedicated to him. The initials S. R. D. under No. 40 probably indicate the name of some other aristocratic amateur). A long coda by Carl Czerny is appended to the variations. The MS. of Schubert's variation, No. 38, which is in the Imperial Library of Vienna, bears the date March 1821. According to this the later date given by Schindler for the inception of the plan must be incorrect.

[ M. F. ]

1. It is curious that the names of Seifried and Weigl are not in the list.