Rediscovering Two Lost Works: Joseph Joachim’s Hungarian and Irish Fantasies
Of Hungarian-Jewish descent, Joseph Joachim (1831-1907) was mourned in 1907 as a “Deutscher Künstler” and one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters of the 19th century. However, for a brief period in the early 1850s, he was also an aspiring composer of musical nationalism and national music. Thus, he composed in 1850 the Fantasy on Hungarian Motives and in 1852 the Fantasy on Irish Motives, both are scored for violin and orchestra. These fantasies were performed in some of
Joachim’s most significant concerts, such as at the London Philharmonic Society, and garnered reviews in The Musical Times. However, both pieces were promptly set aside after their premieres. In addition, they have been lost since World War II, hidden away in a library in Lodz, Poland, where I have recently rediscovered and examined these long-forgotten pieces.
In my lecture-recital I first sketch the history of the manuscripts and their curious journey to Lodz. Second, I describe and briefly analyze the music in terms of its nationalism and nationalist meaning. Third, I relate these compositions to similar compositions by Ernst and other virtuoso violinist-composers not typically associated with Joachim. My conclusion suggests that the recovery of the fantasies compels us to reassess our understanding of Joachim as a composer of the early 1850s. If history has conflated Joachim the performer with Joachim the composer – Tovey argued “Not a note is there for display [in Joachim’s compositions]” -- it is high time to separate the mature violin icon and “ideal” interpreter of Beethoven from the young violinist-composer of 1850-1852 and his early virtuosic forays in musical nationalism and national music. My presentation concludes with a performance of both fantasias in an arrangement for violin and piano.
Of Hungarian-Jewish descent, Joseph Joachim (1831-1907) was mourned in 1907 as a “Deutscher Künstler” and one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters of the 19th century. However, for a brief period in the early 1850s, he was also an aspiring composer of musical nationalism and national music. Thus, he composed in 1850 the Fantasy on Hungarian Motives and in 1852 the Fantasy on Irish Motives, both are scored for violin and orchestra. These fantasies were performed in some of
Joachim’s most significant concerts, such as at the London Philharmonic Society, and garnered reviews in The Musical Times. However, both pieces were promptly set aside after their premieres. In addition, they have been lost since World War II, hidden away in a library in Lodz, Poland, where I have recently rediscovered and examined these long-forgotten pieces.
In my lecture-recital I first sketch the history of the manuscripts and their curious journey to Lodz. Second, I describe and briefly analyze the music in terms of its nationalism and nationalist meaning. Third, I relate these compositions to similar compositions by Ernst and other virtuoso violinist-composers not typically associated with Joachim. My conclusion suggests that the recovery of the fantasies compels us to reassess our understanding of Joachim as a composer of the early 1850s. If history has conflated Joachim the performer with Joachim the composer – Tovey argued “Not a note is there for display [in Joachim’s compositions]” -- it is high time to separate the mature violin icon and “ideal” interpreter of Beethoven from the young violinist-composer of 1850-1852 and his early virtuosic forays in musical nationalism and national music. My presentation concludes with a performance of both fantasias in an arrangement for violin and piano.