The Romantic Hoffmann.

I have sat with this paper by E. T. A. Hoffmann on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in C minor and pondered on it for a few weeks now.  It has led me to more questions than answers.  Questions like, “What is hermeneutics and semiotics?  How much of the author as a Romantic novelist has informed his writings?  What is Romanticism?  And who is E. T. A. Hoffmann?” In this essay I begin with the latter.  It is my guess that knowledge of the author, and particularly his literary works, will pave the simplest path for the task at hand.  The task is to expound the grounds of Hoffmann’s assertion that Beethoven’s music is romantic. A question I will not attempt to answer is who Beethoven is.  I will indeed make references to his music where necessary, as this is what the task demands.  This will of course aid in answering the first question too, “What is hermeneutics?”  What concerns this writer particularly is Hoffman’s assertion that,

“…If we are speaking of music as an autonomous art form, instrumental music—not vocal music—is what truly counts: the more removed from language and from the sensible world, the better” (Cassedy, 2010:2).

Is it true that music with words or lyrics is unromantic or at very best, less romantic that instrumental music?  Perhaps this scholarly endeavor will assist in answering the question.   

A point must be added here, this process did not include reviews of Hoffmann’s review, save for Beethoven the Romantic: How E. T. A. Hoffmann Got It Right by Steven Cassedy and this was only due to it’s title which is the same as the initial title of this current paper.  Indeed there has been much written and discussed about it by scholars and academics.  The intention is to take a subjective understanding of the review and use that as a catalyst for finding information that will help strengthen the opinions the reading has given.  It is an attempt to avoid external influence in the reading of the review.   

E. T. A. Hoffmann, born Ernst Theodore Wilhelm Hoffmann in what is now Kaliningrad, Russia in 1776, was a writer and a composer, among other artistic aptitudes.  He wrote two novels The Devil’s Elixir and The Life and Opinions of Kater Murr, with a Fragmentary Biography of Conductor Johannes Kreisler.  The former is a typical example of a romantic novel.  As Ronald Taylor puts it, The Devil’s Elixir has, as it’s deepest meaning,

“…Redemption through pure, transcendental Love – the Romantic doctrine proclaimed by German artists and philosophers from Schelling to Richard Wagner” (Taylor, 2008:v).

This is the departure, to view the esteemed review of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in C minor by Hoffmann as an extension of the same Hoffmann who wrote The Elixir.  To use this particular novel is to review a work that was created around the same period as the review.  The novel was started in 1814 and later published in its’ entirety in 1816 while the review was published in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung in 1810.  The time span between the two publication dates does not surpass a decade, so it gives a glimpse of the thinking of the author around the time. 

Hoffmann begins his account with a warning for the reader not to “…take it amiss if he exceeds the limits of conventional appraisals.”  It is this paper’s contention that these are the words of a man aware of his own propensity towards the romantic, a propensity to flights of fancy.  To quote Taylor again, romantic literature at this point in European history was obsessed,

“…With the hidden, apparently uncontrollable forces acting upon the human mind, above all in moments of powerful mental stress.  It is with the portrayal of the grotesque, bizarre forms of experience produced by such moments that the name of E.T.A. Hoffmann has come to be primarily associated” (Taylor, 2008:v).

This is a fitting start to a review that is filled with colourful language and emotive phrasing in its elaboration of ideas,

“Haydn’s compositions are dominated by a feeling of childlike optimism… Mozart leads us deep into the realm of spirits… Beethoven’s instrumental music unveils before us the realm of the mighty and the immeasurable” (Hoffmann, 1810:237- 238).

These definitions fit comfortably into the style of fiction works by a man, who could scribe such words as,

“…What we call simply dream and imagination might represent the secret thread that runs through our lives and links its varied facets; and that the man who thinks that, because he has perceived this, he has acquired the power to break the thread and challenge that mysterious force which rules us, is to be given up as lost” (Hoffmann, 1816:4).

  Essentially, the review comes through as a romantic writer writing romantically about what he views as romantic music.  This explains the style and opinions of the writer.  Perhaps this explains Hoffmann’s view that,

“When music is spoken of as an independent art the term can properly only apply to instrumental music… It is the most romantic of all arts – one might almost say the only one that is purely romantic” (Hoffmann, 1810:236).

It strikes as the scripting’s of one whose artistic ability lay in various forms, whose mastering was that of writing more than composition, and thus in his yearning to become the composer he so wished to be, Hoffmann made his view of instrumental music as such.  In other words, Hoffmann feels music with lyrics or words is not romantic because words are his forte and such devices should not interfere with the art form he most wishes to master, music.

“He found it hard to decide on a calling.  He made a humble beginning by writing poems.  It was indeed quite humble. In those of his works written be- tween 1807 and 1812 there is virtually no lyric poetry, despite their obvious or titular connection with music” (Porterfield, 1941:44).

   After some colourful, or should it rather be said romantic, toing and froing, Hoffmann goes into a structural, theoretical analysis of the symphony.  Which it must be added, is very skilfully done, in terms of the breakdown of form, harmonic analysis, description of the orchestration and the articulation of motivic and thematic movement (which of course ties in with the rhythmic dissection). 

At this point, Hoffmann, the romantic poet and novelist, rears his head.  His appearance again brings up the question, “What is hermeneutics?”  In his description of the second half of the first allegro, chords that prepare for the introduction of a new theme, at the end of the second mentioning of the half’s restatement of the original theme, from bar 168,

Hoffmann describes these chords as,

“…Sounds that depict the breast, constricted and affrighted by presentiments of enormity, struggling for air.  But like a friendly figure moving through the cloud and shining through the darkness of night, a new theme now enters…”  (Hoffmann, 1810:242).

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines hermeneutics as,

“The art or science of interpretation, esp. of Scripture. Commonly distinguished from exegesis or practical exposition” (OED, 2013).

While the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP) begins by explaining it as,

“The term hermeneutics covers both the first order art and the second order theory of understanding and interpretation of linguistic and non-linguistic expressions” (SEP, 2005).

The encyclopaedia then goes on to explain hermeneutics during romanticism, as advanced by Friedrich Schleiermacher,

“Understanding others involves an openness towards the fact that what seems rational, true, or coherent may cover something deeply unfamiliar. This openness is only possible in so far as we systematically scrutinize our own hermeneutic prejudices” (SEP, 2005).

On inspection of this definition, it is quite clear that Hoffmann was unable to fully explore his personal hermeneutic prejudices.  It becomes obvious when looking the elaboration of the chord progression beginning in bar 168.  What he did do however, is adhere to the following,

“…Grasp the meaning of [Beethoven’s]…texts, [by focusing] on both aspects of [his] language-use, the shared resources or grammar and syntax as well as individual application” (SEP, 2005).

  This the reviewer did by substantiating his surreal interpretations with theoretical analysis.  In other words, he took his knowledge of the language, which was composition, harmonic analysis, classical and romantic styles and romantic literature, to come to a subjective description.  Indeed this review is an exercise in,

“A method or principle of interpretation” (Merriam-Webster, 2013).

Semiotics on the other hand is concerned with,

“A general philosophical theory of signs and symbols that deals especially with their function in both artificially constructed and natural languages” (Merriam-Webster, 2013).

It is also,

“The science of communication studied through the interpretation of signs and symbols as they operate in various fields” (OED, 2013).

In this case one can view, for instance, dynamics as a sign or symbol and their description as ominous or eerie as the interpretation (Hoffmann, 1810:243).  Or the signs and symbols could be phrase lengths while the interpretation is,

“…A swelling torrent whose waves breaks higher and higher – until the beginning of the Allegro is heard once more…” (Hoffmann, 1810:244).

Hoffmann’s review has taken certain signs and symbols (or the lack thereof – as in vocals or lyrics) in music, to mean things that imply a heavy subjectivity.  He has used the signs he has found and identified, juxtaposed those with his knowledge of musical syntax, grammar and an understanding of Beethoven’s text to, again, create a subjective and more importantly, romantic conclusion.

So what then is romanticism?  E. T. A. Hoffmann is of the assertion that Beethoven’s instrumental music is romantic because it,

“…Unveils before us the realm of the mighty and the immeasurable…sets in motion the machinery of awe, of fear, of terror, of pain, and awakens that infinite yearning which is the essence of romanticism” (Hoffmann, 1810:238).

He describes Beethoven as a one who does not allow his imagination alone take control of the creative process, but can be compared to Haydn and Mozart when it comes to,

 “…Rational awareness, his controlling self detached from the inner realm of sounds and ruling it with absolute authority” (Hoffmann, 1810:238).

 It would seem the reviewer is concerned with both the inner structure of the music and the emotions and mental images such structuring evokes.  Intuition elicited by a lay reading of the “meanings between the words” written by Hoffmann suggests his own belief that Beethoven used the process of composition to achieve a specific ambience.  This is how Hoffmann sees Beethoven’s music as romantic, a deliberate emotional evocation through musical syntax.

The Oxford Companion to Music (OCM) states,

“…In all its manifestations Romanticism emphasized the apparent domination of emotion over form and order” (OCM, 2013).

This is an apt, undemanding and concise explanation of the idea that is romanticism, which is why it has been inserted here.  This differs from Hoffmann’s feelings because, as stated above, he is of the opinion that emotion is portrayed by the form or structure.  The difference is settled when reading on,

“This was often more apparent than real, since the disciplines of Romantic music needed to be no less secure than those of Classicism in order to express ideas effectively. But new value was set on novelty and sensation, on technical innovation and experiment, and on the cross-fertilization of ideas from different disciplines, both within and without the arts” (OCM, 2013)

The course of research for this paper has had the writer at pains to find a choral symphony with vocals, but no words, during the era in question.  Such works would help in advancing the idea that music with vocals – not necessarily with text – can be used as a romantic tool.  This brings to mind the words of Richard Wagner in his short story A Pilgrimage to Beethoven.  In it he speaks about vocal music or rather the human voice as just an intricate a part of music as any other orchestral instrument,

“The human voice is not to be gainsaid. Nay, it is a far more beautiful and nobler organ of tone, than any instrument in the orchestra. Could not one employ it with just the same freedom as these? What entirely new results one would gain from such a procedure! For the very character that naturally distinguishes the voice of man from the mechanical instrument would have to be given especial prominence, and that would lead to the most manifold combinations” (Wagner, 1840:16).

One similarity that Wagner has with Hoffmann is this,

“The instruments represent the rudimentary organs of Creation and Nature; what they express can never be clearly defined or put into words, for they reproduce the primitive feelings themselves” (Wagner, 1840:16).

He goes on to explain that the difficulty that comes with using the voice as an instrument, finding the right words to make the amalgamation of instruments and voice respectable would be no simple task,

“…How hard I found it, to get over the incompetence of Poetry to render thorough aid” (Wagner, 1840:17).

The aim here is to say that vocal music or at least instrumental music with vocals is not the scorn of romanticism that Hoffmann makes it out to be.  If used correctly it can and will have astounding musical and romantic results.  The course of research for this paper has yielded no results for an orchestral piece with vocals, but no text.  Naturally, this is not to say none such piece exists.  The existence of such a work would go a great length in research into the romanticism of the voice as an instrument. 

It is this papers contention that text should not be seen as a hindrance to romanticism, but rather an enhancer thereof.  Indeed we all have an idea of what the word “spirit” relates to, but what it is or looks like cannot be pinned down to one thing.  The word itself does not automatically render the idea of a “spirit” to being outside of the romantic.  More likely, the word will add to the feeling of, “…A propitious spirit that fills our breast with comfort and hope…” (Hoffman, 1810:244).

Restrictions have made it so the explorations in this paper are kept concise and not too extensive. 

There are the writings of Berlioz on the Beethoven’s ninth symphony, in which he saw unity in the finale of said symphony,

“…And that unity was primarily expressive: each section of the finale shows a different aspect of joy” (Wallace, 1990:122). 

This again shows the extent of romanticism in text.  How more romantic can one get than exploring the various facets implicit in joy or happiness?  Of course this process requires much subjective interpretation.

Questions around the different aesthetics of romantic music elsewhere in Europe have not been answered here.  The idea of romantic music, more specifically the role voice played in said music, was different in France than it was in Germany,

“…What seems to characterize French musical aesthetics generally during the early nineteenth century is not an antipathy to abstract composition, but a sensitivity to the unique properties of vocal vis-à-vis instrumental music…” (Wallace, 1990:123).

There is also the question of musical syntax that appears in this discourse, which cannot be adequately handled in this paper.  What or how do we translate certain musical codes into a feeling and what informs what that feeling is or what image one conjures up when hearing the code?  These questions could perhaps be handled in a longer more critical and research friendly task.

To conclude, I agree Hoffmann that romantic music should arouse intense emotion and feeling, as it should create transcendental images of outer body or even extra terrestrial bodies.  The premise, however, that text somehow reduces the “level of romanticism” in a piece of music cannot be taken at face value and needs more research to be conducted on it.  The irony becomes more glaring when one considers that romanticism came to literature before it married music.  This paper has been able to expound Hoffmann’s reasons for calling Beethoven’s music romantic and it has looked at the deeper philosophical questions raised by his viewpoint, from the study of musical signs and symbols, to how music is interpreted.  It has looked at how different groups have defined romanticism in music and how the romanticism of one man might have influenced his take on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. 

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(Thabiso Nkoana 2013)