1. Presentation June 15, 2019

PLAINCHANT MELODIES

IN THE WORKSHOP OF

FRANZ LISZT

Ágnes Watzatka

Franz Karl Prassl

Klaus Aringer

Michael Heinemann

Liszt’s life and work (1811-1886)

● The young Liszt 1827‒1835

● „Nomadic years” 1835‒1839

● Virtuoso years 1839‒1847

● Weimar 1848‒1861

● Rome 1861‒1869

● Budapest‒

Weimar‒Rome 1869‒1886

ReseaRching Liszt’s woRk

Michael Saffle:

FRANZ LISZT. A GUIDE TO RESEARCH

Second Edition, New York & London, 2004.

VII. Liszt as Composer. Influences Exerted on Liszt by Earlier Composers and Styles

Nr. 851. Gregorian Chant

Sambeth, Heinrich:

„Die gregorianischen Melodien in den Werken

Franz Liszts, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung seiner kirchenmusikalischen Reformpläne”.

Musica Sacra 55 (1925)

Extant literature Doctoral theses:

● Heinrich Sambeth: Die gregorianischen Melodien in

den Werken Franz Liszts und ihre Bedeutung für die Entwicklung seiner Religiosität und Kunstanschauung.

(Münster 1923)

● Paul Merrick: Revolution and Religion in the Music of

Liszt (Sheffield 1987, Cambridge 1989)

● Nicolas Dufetel: Palingénésie, régénération et extase

dans la musique religieuse de Franz Liszt.

(Tours 2008)

argumentation of THE CHOICE ● The only comprehensive work in the field was written

96 years ago.

● More recent works only discuss parts of the topic.

● Liszt’s books connected to plainchant have not been taken into consideration.

● There is little information available about plainchant in the 19thcentury.

Research questions

Plainchant melodies

How was plainchant

in Liszt’s time?

I. Part

in the workshop of F. Liszt

How did Liszt work up the

plainchant melodies?

II. Part

Work and results. 1.

Studying

Liszt’s books

connected to

plainchant

A. Liturgical books

● Graduale Romanum [Lambillotte], Paris 1857

● Antiphonale Romanum [Lambillotte], Paris 1857

● Chants communs des Messes, Lambillotte, Paris 1858

● Paroissien Romain [Lambillotte], Paris 1860

● Paroissien Romain [Lambillotte], Paris 1860

● Paroissien Romain [Lambillotte], Paris 1860

● Graduel Romain, Digne 1864

● Vespéral Romain, Digne 1859

French liturgical books with square and modern notation

B. Manuals for accompanying plainchant

● Roquefeuil-Clément: Nouvel Eucologue, Paris 1851.

● Niedermeyer – d’Ortigue: Traité théorique et pratique

de l’accompagnement du plain-chant, Paris 1859.

● Moncouteau: Méthode d’accompagnement du

plain-chant, Paris 1864.

● Vervoitte: Choral liturgique, Rouen 1868.

Examples of harmonization at Moncouteau and d’Ortigue

● Mettenleiter: Enchiridion chorale,

Regensburg 1853.

● Mettenleiter: Manuale Breve,

Regensburg 1861.

● Witt: Graduale de tempore et de

sanctis, Regensburg 1872.

● Haberl–Hanisch: Organum comitans

ad Graduale Romanum,

Regensburg 1875.

● *Directorium Chori, Regensburg 1872.

c. Theoretic works about plainchant

1. General Theories

● Kloss: Allegemeine Kirchenmusik-Lehre, Wien 1854.

● Clément: Méthode complete de plain-chant, Paris 1854.

2. Works about ancient tonalities

● O. P.: Istituzioni di canto fermo, Roma 1844.

● Tiron: Études sur la musique grecque..., Paris 1866.

● Arnold: Die alten Kirchenmodi..., Paris 1878.

Musical examples in the books of Tiron and Arnold.

3. Writings and musical editions regarding

the restoration of plainchant

● Clément: Histoire générale de la musique

religieuse, Paris 1861.

● Raillard: Sur les quarts de ton..., Paris 1860.

● Raillard: Chant grégorien restauré, Paris 1861.

● Raillard: Mémoire sur la restauration du chant

grégorien, Paris 1862.

Overview of Liszt’s books

A. Liturgical books

France 8 pcs, 1857–1864

B. Manuals for accompanying plainchant

France 4 pcs, 1851–1868

Regensburg 5 pcs, 1853–1875

C. Theory books

On church music and plainchant 2 pcs, 1854

On ancient tonalities 3 pcs, 1844–66

On the restoration of plainchant 4 pcs, 1860–62

Work and results. 2. Reading about history and culture

in the 19th century:

● the 1789 revolution in France and the following

political events in Europe

● cultural trends in the 19th century: Historicism,

Romantism, religious awakening

● church music in the 19th century: Gallicanism,

Ultramontanism, Cecilianism

Work and results. 3. Drafting the plan of the

I. part of the thesis:

1. Plainchant in the 19th century

A. Historical background: „reforms” in the 16-17th ctr., Gallican church music

B. Liturgical books and singing practice at the beginning of the 19th century

C. Attempts for the restoration of plainchant in France

[1. Plainchant in the 19th century]

2. Liszt and the plainchant

A. A heterogenous experience: plainchant in Raiding, Paris, Weimar, Rome, Budapest.

B. Personal connections to French theorists: Fétis, D’Ortigue, Raillard.

C. Liszt’s books. Liszt’s notes in these books and elsewhere.

D. Trying to define Liszt’s ideas about plainchant.

plans 1– 28 July: research work in Weimar.

July 28 – August 3: IAH conference in Halle

October 11-12: conference of the Hungarian Musicological Society in Budapest

Thank you

for your

attention!