MUSIC
On May 21st the Bach Choir and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Reginald Jacques, celebrated the ,fiftieth anniversary of the death of Brahms by giving a concert devoted entirely to his music. The German Requiem and the violin concerto were the main works performed. It is misleading to curtail, as is usually done now, the title of the German Requiem, for, as Dr. Ernest Walker has pointed out, it was Brahms's intention to break away from all ecclesiastical associations and the German Requiem is no more a requiem than Delius's Moss of Life is a mass. The com- poser chose his own text, and categorically refused to include or add any dogmatically Christian element. Dr. Walker, with agnostic passion, even gces so far as to call the work "a herald of revolt" in the late 'sixties. However that may be, the tone of the work is one of philosophical reflection, sombre for the most part but interrupted by a passionate plea (" Lord, make me to know the measure of my days ") and a promise of comfort (" Ye now are sorrowful ") which are inexplicable in an agnostic, and seem to argue at least a theistic belief. It is just possible to maintain that the com- parative poverty, the suave, rather Mendelssohnian convention of the favourite, "How lovely is Thy dwelling place" is a circumstantial proof of his doubts of a future life, though (on the same level of evidence) Brahms did say to Debussy that he hoped to meet the composer of Carmen "in a better world."
In any case the parts of the work which obviously inspired the composer with the most passionate conviction are the negative—those dealing with the frailty and transience of human existence and the vision of death as a release and a repose. It is only possible to speak of the " Protestant-Bachish " quality of the work in the sense that Brahms's text represents a further step in the process of negation, another milestone on the road from Catholicism to agnosticism in which orthodox Protestantism represents the first stage. The Protestant believes much less about the future life, confesses himself more agnostic, than the Catholic, though he may believe in the reality of that life with complete conviction. Brahms believes less than the orthodox Protestant (how much less, for example, than Bach!), and so it is not surprising to find the temperature and the colour-scheme of the German Requiem low. Belief generates warmth and suggests colour, whether it is the belief of a Catholic or a Communist. Agnosticism is the coolest of states of mind, and Brahms is at his most passionate when proclaiming that all flesh is as grass, a fact which must impress believer and unbeliever alike but naturally impresses the unbeliever more.
The violin concerto was played by Max Rostal, a fine player and, with a single reservation' a good artist. His abuse of portamento- or in the vulgar tongue his tendency. to "scoop "—again and again spoiled a phrase and transported me forcibly from the concert-hall to the restaurant. The first is to me the finest movement of the concerto, though the amateur of the very sweet wine may well prefer the slow movement. The last is frankly one of Brahms's less suc- cessful hongroiseries, and what that means was explained to me by my Hungarian companion in no uncertain terms.
I have not space to deal with Jennie Tourel's first concert at the Albert Hall on May 25th, but I shall hope to deal in full with her recital at Covent Garden on June 22nd, whith no lover of a beautiful
voice and beautiful singing should miss. MARTIN COOPER.
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