Chopin Nocturnes

Author(s): Ewald Zimmermann

Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 109, No. 1504 (Jun., 1968), p. 535
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/952548
Accessed: 15-11-2015 08:40 UTC

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 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
CHOPIN NOCTURNES somebodyhas workedfor many years on the
In hisreviewoftheHenleeditionof the nocturnes acousticaleffects ofthesepartsto avoidtheimposi-
of Chopin (editedby myself),Mr Hedley wrote tionof theirownideason therestoration; and it is
(MarchMT, p.266): frustrating for a good woodworkerto put back
Dr Zimmermann has goneastrayby givinghis fragments ofold wood,thoughthisis theonlyway.
readersan incomplete and inaccurate versionof A fewofus havehadtheopportunity ofhearing a
whatChopinhimself (not his sisteror friends) Kirkman,withitsoriginalstrings and quills,which
wrote. had survived unusedand virgin from1770. It was a
MrHedleyis right;butI shouldliketoexplainwhy. revelation.It mademostmodernrestorations seem
I reproduced thenocturne in C sharpminorin two far too coarse, the hard brilliancebeing over-
versions,accordingto theautographand according emphasizedand themellowness beinglost. Some-
to a copy made byChopin'ssisterLouiseJendrze- timesit is possibleto find,in an unrestored instru-
jewicz. The sourcematerialforthesecondversion ment,theexactadjustment of theslidesand keys;
was a good photostaticcopyof Louise'scopy. A whenthishappenseverything fallseasilyintoplace.
facsimileof theautographreproduced in thebook It is moredifficult to be sureof one's information
Chopin in der Heimat (edited by Kr Kobylafiska; whendealingwitha restoredinstrument, and it is
Cracow, 1955) servedas a basis of the original necessary to investigatevirginones. Eventhepub-
version. Knowingthat the autographis in the lishedlists of stringgauges are not yet entirely
possessionof Mr Hedleyand thatit is not quite accuratewhencomparedwithsomeexisting instru-
easy to cast a look at thisobjectof value,I was mentsin whichtheevidencecan be confirmed. This
satisfied
withthefacsimile.Afterthevolumehad evidenceis quicklybeinglost.
appearedMr Hedleywas kindenoughto writeme All over the world,restorersare puttingon
thatthereareintheautograph a number ofdynamic stringswhichwill strainthe instruments.Iron
markswhichare missingin myedition. But they plates are beingadded to clavichordswhilethe
arenotto be seenin thefacsimile.OfcourseI shall originalstring gaugemarkings are beingobliterated.
makethenecessary correctionsin thenextedition, In Englandthereis nowverylittleevidencewhichis
expressingdue thanksto Mr Hedley. original.I have investigated severalItalianinstru-
Duisburg EWALD ZIMMERMANN mentsonlyto findthattheyarea collationofparts,
someoriginal, someaddedlaterin thiscountry.
Onegroupofrestorers seemtohavekeptthequills
OPERATIC SURGERY but have increasedthe brillianceto harshnessby
putting on strings sometimes fivetimestheoriginal
I am extremely surprisedbyyoureditorialcomment tension;theseinstruments haveall nowgotbroken,
on cutting theamountof
(AprilMT, p.318). Firstly, bentsidesand soundboards.Otherrestorers, who
cuttingand what is cut should not be governed mayhave beenmakinggood moderninstruments,
merelyby how muchone thinksan audiencecan tendto replacethequillswithleather, whichgivesa
take,ratherby (and not makingnonsenseof the completely differentharmonic spectrum and allows
composer'sforms)thatwhichis in the dramatic therigidity of bothsoundboardand case to be in-
interest ofthework. creased,givinga tone moresimilarto a modern
It is possiblewith verymany da capo arias, instrument.
especiallythosewitha verylongA section,to cut Today,a lot of new evidenceis comingto light
somewherein A to B, afterB returningto the second aboutthelargevariations instructure. I believethat
halfof A. In greaterdetail,then. Somewhere in A we arefinding thisevidence,butmustdo so quickly
sectionof an A-B-A aria one usuallyfinds(but not beforeit is obliterated by restorers.If an instru-
always)a closein eitherthedominant orsubdomin- mentis goingto be usedto studythecorrect styleof
ant. Ifthekeyoftheariais,say,F majorand theB playing itis goodthatsomeshouldbe restored inthe
sectionis in A minoror someothercloselyrelated lightof our presentknowledge, thoughcopiesmay
key,thenit is a simplematterto continueafterthe be morepracticalforplaying.It mightbe betterto
closein A withB, returningto thelatterpartofA at leave the restfora fewyearsas a depository of
theend. knowledge untilmoreevidenceis collected.
Theformoftheariais thenacceptable butwithout Hurley,Berks MICHAEL
THOMAS
repeatedmaterialwhichtends to drive modern
audiencesinsaneandwhichcan be a greathindrance
to thedramaticdevelopment ofa work. OLD BRITISH ORGANS
Chatham LESLIE H. PENNING
Lady Jeans'sletter(April,p.336) raisestwo clear
points,bothofconsiderable interest.
The proposalfortheestablishment ofa historical
OLD HARPSICHORDS commissionfor old organs raises a numberof
You have recently publisheda letterclaimingthat problems.For one thing,a churchwhichownsan
therestorationof organsis a technicalmatterand organis farmorelikelyto listento theadviceofits
thateveryinstrument shouldbe keptas closeto the own musicianthan to any outsidebody. This
originalas possible. I feelit is also necessary
to problem hasalreadyarisenintheChurchofEngland,
protectold harpsichords, and to ensureauthentic wherethe OrgansAdvisoryCommittee sometimes
restorationdownto thelast detail. Everypieceof has greatdifficulty
in ensuringthattherightthings
wood in a harpsichord has not only a structural aredone. A moreseriousproblemliesin themem-
functionbutalso a considerable effecton thetone, bershipof sucha commission.Withoutwishing to
whichvarieswiththesize ofthewood,thestrainin seem immodest,those organ builderswho are
it, thegrain,and the quality. It is difficult
when interestedin historical
restorationcannothelp,by
535

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