The influence of Leipzig Conservatory in Nationalist music

by Paula Belzunegui

The musical nationalism happened in the XIX century, when many composers
educated in the Conservatory of Leipzig claimed with melodic twists and folkloric rhythms
their right to express their own countries’ essence.

In the early nineteenth century Paris was the European capital of music with the
Paris Conservatory (1795). Many composers such as Saint-Saens, Franck, Faure among
other emerged from the Conservatory.

France was very strong and unified with Napoleon III as its Emperor. Against this
arising of power of France, the German speakers started to develop themselves. The
industrialization brought economic power and railways to connect people who had started
to find cultural unity among themselves with artists such as Bach, Goethe and Schiller.
The 21 German states north of the River Main were joined together by Prussia to create
the Confederation of North Germany. However, the appointed chancellor of the
Confederation Otto von Bismarck wished to join the Catholic states of the South to create
a unified Germany. To achieve this he provoked the war between France and German-
speaker states by manipulating Napoleon III and turning the succession of the Crown of
Spain into an international crisis. France was afraid of being surrounded by two countries
ruled by the same family and asked Wilhelm I, king of Prusia, not to support the Austrian
candidate for the crown, but he denied it. Napoleon III declared war on Prusia in 1870.
Bismarck had the support of the Southern states thus all the Germans were united by the
same flag in the war. As a result, German-speakers won the war. After the war the
negotiations started with the Southern states and Bismarck’s vision of a unified Germany
became reality. The king of Baviera agreed to sell the state of Baviera to Prusia and in
1871 Germany was born. Wilhelm I was named kaiser of Germany and two months later
Bismarck was named Chancellor of Germany. The unification of Germany brought a very
strong sentiment of nationalism to Germans. This would be reflected in arts and in future
years in wars.
 This strong
feeling of German ExampleExample
1: F. Mendelssohn, Prelude and
2: F. Mendelssohn, Fugue
Prelude andOp. 35, N.
Fugue 1, bars
Op.35 N.1,1-4 (Prelude)
bars 1-
8(Fugue)
nationality is also
reflected in music. They
started to look back at their
musical history and took
Bach as a model; his Prelude
and Fugues became
particularly important. Felix
Mendelssohn revived Bach
and was inspired to use the form of the Prelude and Fugues in his compositions. Between
1827 and 1838 he composed twelve pieces containing the Six Preludes and Fugues
Op.35 that are a clear tribute to
Bach. A tribute that he completes
at the same time as the Three
Preludes and Fugues Op.37 for
organ. Nevertheless, the piano
was the instrument with which he
could express himself most
effectively in this form. He didn't exceed the number of Preludes and Fugues Bach
composed but these six are one of the best approaches to this forms since Bach.
Mendelssohn gives a new impulse to the Baroque content and adds signs of romantic
expression. In the Prelude and Fugue Op. 35 no 1, for example, the prelude has the
melody in the middle of the texture. This is a very Romantic approach which Thalberg and
Liszt use this a lot in their compositions (see Example 1). It has many markings like the
“Allegro con fuocco” at the beginning and expression marks like the sforzandos, leggiero,
legato marks and many others that Bach didn't use. This is also due first of all, to the
improvement of the instruments which had much wider range of range of dynamics and
second, to the Romantic spirit of expressing as much as they could and showing it on
paper. The beginning of the Fugue (see Example 2) follows the steps of Bach but rapidly it
is reorganized in a powerful and relentless crescendo (see Example 3) where the
polyphony brings more and more the individual qualities of the principal theme. This
crescendo leads into a final choral (see Example 4).
 Example 3: F. Mendelssohn, Prelude and Fugue Op.35 N. 1, bars 38-41.

Mendelssohn´s admiration towards Bach was such that he raised money to build a
statue of Bach in Leipzig, the city where he worked and died, and where nowadays the
statue can be found. In this very city in 1843 Mendelssohn founded the Conservatory of
Music and Leipzig became the main rival of the Conservatory of Paris in the European
musical culture which was until then the main place to study music. In 1800 Peters Edition
was founded in Leipzig which also helped spread Bach’s music to a wider public.
Along with Paris, Leipzig became the main cultural focus of Europe and students from the
entire continent studied there. Some of them would become the represents of their

Example 4: F. Mendelssohn, Prelude and Fugue Op. 35 N. 1, bars 104-113.

countries in terms of music.

In Britain the Royal Academy of Music was founded in 1822 but their goal was to
send students to Leipzig to continue with their studies so there was nothing like English
composers generation. That is why in 1882 the Prince of Wales founded the Royal College
of Music, to create a generation of British musicians studying fully in England. Among the
ones who went to Leipzig are worthy to mention Sir A. Sullivan (1842–1900) and Delius
(1862–1934). In Germany, Wagner was composing major operas and England had
nothing comprable with works such such as the Ring of the Nibelung. The English
composers were taking this as the “Wagner challenge”. Wagner was even composing
about the Arthur legend in Tristan and Isolda and Parsifal, so British composers wanted to
create a major opera about this to bring the legend back to its home. Sir Arthur Sullivan
attempted this but didn't succeed.
 Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909) went to study from Spain to Leipzig in 1876 but he only
stayed for two months. Albeniz’s music is nationalism as it mixes with popular music. The
way he uses the popular folklore in his compositions vary very much showing a great
range of possibilities. He sometimes took a popular melody and inserted it in the piece as
well as with rhythms like the “fandango” and the “tango”. He used also the so called
“cadenza andaluza” or andalusian cadence made from the A minor chord, G, F, and E
(with the possible transcription). But other times he composed the folklore melodies, there
are not popular pieces but they look like ones.
One of the most representative pieces of Albeniz is the Suite Iberia. It was
composed between 1905 and 1909 while he was exiled. It Is the representation of
Albeniz’s memories of Spain with its music and culture. Messian himself said that “Iberia is
the wonder for the piano; it is perhaps on the highest place among the more brilliant pieces
for the king of the instruments.” The Suite Iberia is made up of four books in which each of
which has 3 pieces: “Evocación, El Puerto, El Corpus en Sevilla, Rondeña, Almería,
Triana, El Albaicín, El Polo, Lavapiés, Málaga, Jerez and Eritaña”. Most of them are
dedicated to the South of Spain with special mention to Sevilla (El Corpus en Sevilla,
Triana and Eritaña).
One of the pieces that best represent the evocative nationalism of Albeniz is the
Corpus en Sevilla. He tries to evoque the procession that happens in Sevilla which is a
Catholic celebration that happens 60 days after of the Resurrection Sunday. The
procession goes slowly and
rhythmically through the
streets which is why Albeniz
used a binary, regular and
constant rhythm. When the
“saeta” (religious song
typically sang in the
processions in Andalucía)
comes in the bass, the time
signature is 4/4 while above
the bells are sounding in 2/4.
This effect makes the rhythm
freer and expressive typical of the “saeta” (see Example 5).
The melody in the first section
is of the popular song “La
Example 5: I. Albéniz, El Corpus en Sevilla, bars 83-86.
Tarara”, is the only piece in Iberia that Albeniz uses a popular tune, he composes it in the
rest. The first time the melody comes the interpretation in staccato gives an inexpressive
appearance that evoques to the head of the procession where the militaries go. After the
“saeta” comes in the bass in octaves very solemnly and expressive. From a tonal point of
view, the melody is in F sharp minor but it has a modal character. This intends to describe
the procession. The very beginning represents the drums that can be heard when the
procession is approaching, the dissonances of the theme represents the dissonances of
the bands accompanying the procession, the ringing of the bells and the noise of all the
people while the “saeta”
is sounding in the
bass. At the end, F
sharp pedal evoques
the tranquility of the
Andalusian night. This
piece is a very clear
example of the
nationalism in Albeniz
that from the exile he
remembers Spain not only with the music but also with the popular events as it is the
Corpus Christi of Sevilla.
Another important set of folklore pieces is the Suite Española Op.47, composed in
1886 consisting of
Granada, Cataluña, Example 6: I. Albéniz, Asturias, bars 1-8.

Sevilla, Cadiz, Asturias,

Aragon, Castilla and Cuba, all of which are Spanish places (Cuba was part of Spain until
1898).
Asturias is probably the most famous piece of the set. Despite its title it has nothing to do
with the folk music from Asturias but is based on the Andalusian flamenco. It is written in G
minor but is combined with D phrygian mode. Asturias begins with a texture that it’s typical
of the preludes of Baroque in the beginning of the XVIII century. It is based in the repetition
of the unique design with a constant rhythm of semiquavers that have some melodic
changes with the change of the harmonic base. (Perpetuum mobile). The initial part is a
variable fragment (D-Eb-C-D-Bb) that is alternated with the D which is a pedal note. These
form the melody. The first note, G, is separated from the rest for the percussive effect that
it has (see Example 6).
 The central part of the piece
(with A-B-A structure) it’s
completely different, it’s a
“copla” a type of Andalusian
song (see Example 7) This
piece mimics a guitar playing
with the jumps of the chords.
It has later been transcribed
for guitar becoming part of the essential repertoire.

Example 7: I. Albéniz, Asturias, bars 63-75.

 From the Scandinavian zones Grieg (1843-1907) went to study in Leipzig.
He is also considered a nationalist composer. His music uses parallelism, modality, many
times the Lydian mode and dominant sevenths with no resolution. In those days, writing in
the great forms of the past gave them authority, they had to achieve greatness with the
great forms like Sonatas and Concertos.
Grieg went to Leipzig Conservatory at the age of 15 (1858). He studied piano with
Louis Plaidy and Elve Wenzel and composition with Ernst Friedrich Richter, Papperitz and
Moritz. The musical education of Grieg was very solid for that period and he could also
follow the career of very important musicians like Liszt, Wagner and Clara Schumann.
When he went to Copenhague (1863) he met Niels Gade, the most important
Scandinavian composer at the time. He advised Grieg to compose a symphony which he
did in 1864. This was typical of the time as they thought that in order to achieve greatness
they had to compose in the great forms of the past. He also composed a sonata and a
concerto for piano. Grieg had many influences of the Scandinavian composers such as
Gade, Stenhammat, Alfven, Sibelius and Nordraak (who composed the national anthem).
He wrote a collection of short pieces called “Lyric pieces” which are based on typical
Norwegian dances like the “Halling” (this is traditionally a fast dance), “Sprindanse” and
“Gangar” (these are more walking dances) and other with typical Norwegian melodies like
“ Folkevise” or “Norsk”.
The music of Grieg was also inspired by the emerging literature of the Scandinavian
countries. He read about the Norwegian literature its the legendary themes. His studies in
Leipzig made him live in German Romanticism and his style is based on this genre. The
best of Grieg is in small forms for voice and piano or for piano solo; it is more intimate
nationalism. In his Ballade in G minor for piano he uses a popular norwegian melody, “The
Northland Peasantry”. It starts with chromatic chords, slowly; the theme is a combination of
nationalism and the pianistic technique of Schumann. Then continues with variations. The
variations are not just small pieces with no connection, they have a strong feeling of
connection with a dramatic direction that makes the piece into a emotional trip.
As the piece advances it is
possible to hear that Grieg
Example 8: E. Grieg, Ballade Op. 24, bars 50-54.
was inspired in the singing of
the Norwegian violin.
Throughout the piece the
theme becomes a funeral
chant and the piano imitates
the echoes of the bells. To end
the piece he takes fresh energy with a rhythmic final variation. The Ballade is technically
challenging for the performers specially the last variations. At the very last moment Grieg
introduces once again the opening theme but after hearing the entire work it is not the
same thing; it is clear his words about it are clear : “with my life’s blood in days of sorrow
and despair”. Grieg never performed his Ballade. Schumann’s influence on him can be
also seen in his Concerto for piano in a minor. In the third movement of the concerto Grieg
returns to Norwegian influences. The impact of studying in Germany can be also seen in
the use of the melody in the thumb, already used by Thalberg, Liszt and Mendelssohn
(see Example 8).

Leos Janacek (1854–1928) was a Check composer, he went to study to the Leipzig
Conservatory in 1879. He is on of the most representative composer of the Bohemian
nationalism. Janacek’s music does not have the melodic sense of another very important
Check composer like Dvorak. Dvorak looks for beauty while Janacek looks for truth.
Janacek was a nationalist and he studied the national music. He searched and catalogued
popular songs of his homeland. His music was influenced by his researches and shows a
very deep nationalism. The Lachian Dances (1889/90) are the first result of his folkloric
researches. It is divided into six dances: Starodávný, Požehnaný, Dymák, Starodávný II,
Čeladenský, and Pilky. This last one is inspired in a popular song about the preparations
of a peasant family for the winter.
In Janacek’s vocal music the listener has to know the Czech language to identify
with it. Janacek is between being a Post Romantic composer and Modern composer in his
later works. His armories are intense but there are not considered modern, at the same
time there are not conventional so they go away from the post Romanticism. His operas
and vocal music expresses a declamatory Nationalism, peculiars of the song and popular
language. In his operas the singers declaim more than sing. His piece Misa Glagolitic
(1926) brings the listener to the primitive Slavic world.

In conclusion, it is clear that the Conservatory of Leipzig had a very important role in
the education of the musicians that were born in the XIX century. Germany had started to
gain great economical power particularly after the unification in 1871 and thanks to the
cultural background with Bach, Beethoven and then Mendelssohn, Schumann and many
others the spirit of German nationalism was strong. It was a very appealing country to go
and study for young composers. The European composers went there to learn about
German roots and when back in their original countries they would wished to compose
with a nationalistic language, perhaps because they missed their country or because they
wanted to internationalize their countries’ music. Nationalists like Albéniz (Spain), Grieg
(Norway), Sir A. Sullivan (Britain) and Janacek (Czech Republic) went to study in Leipzig
and launched their careers composing nationalist music and are remembered nowadays
for this reason. However, there were not the only nationalist composers of their countries,
in Spain for example, Granados, Turina and Falla were also composing nationalist music
partly inspired in the work of Albeniz specially Turina and Falla as they were born later.
The influence of the Leipzig conservatory goes more than for just one generation as the
composers have inspired one to another.
Other important place for nationalist music was Russia with the group “The Five”:
Balakirev, Cui, Borodin, Musorgski and Rimski-Korsakov. For their nationalist music they
used whole tone scales, pentatonic scales and Symphonic Poems - such as Sherezade by
Rimski-Korsakov. They were educated in a different school to the rest of Europe.
French people started to realize that Germans were taking a lot of protagonism in
European music education and culture so Bussine and Saint-Seans founded the Societe
Nationale de Musique in 1871. This society had as its goals promoting French music and
giving the opportunity to young French composers to start their careers. They didn't want
to do anything German but there was appreciation towards German music. They were
almost copying to Germans with the structure, models and form but they didn't sound
German; they had another language. For example Franck composed the Prelude Chorale
and Fugue, this is a typical German form from Bach also followed by Mendelssohn but it
does not sound German. Many great composers emerged thanks to the Societe Nationale
de Musique such as Debussy and Ravel.
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