{"id":1101,"date":"2013-08-19T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2013-08-19T06:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.henle.de\/blog\/en\/?p=1101"},"modified":"2015-06-15T09:12:44","modified_gmt":"2015-06-15T07:12:44","slug":"filched-melodies-%e2%80%93-sarasate%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98zigeunerweisen%e2%80%99-gypsy-aires-under-suspicion-of-plagiarism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.henle.de\/en\/2013\/08\/19\/filched-melodies-%e2%80%93-sarasate%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98zigeunerweisen%e2%80%99-gypsy-aires-under-suspicion-of-plagiarism\/","title":{"rendered":"Filched Melodies \u2013 Sarasate\u2019s \u2018Zigeunerweisen\u2019 (Gypsy Airs) under suspicion of plagiarism"},"content":{"rendered":"

The use of folk-music elements in art music has, as is well known, a long tradition reaching back to the late Middle Ages. In the 2nd <\/sup>half of the 19th<\/sup> century this practice obtained new qualitative significance against the background of rising nationalism. If it served so many composers as a demonstration of their rootedness in their homelands, and at the same time as a self-confident counterweight to the dominance of German-Austrian music at that time \u2013 we think, for instance, of Edvard Grieg or Anton\u00edn Dvo\u0159\u00e1k \u2013, then other musicians paraded with great success the exotic charm of foreign sounds.<\/p>\n

Benefitting like hardly anyone else from the fashion for such national idioms was the violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate (1844\u20131908), who in his own compositions borrowed from the folk music of numerous European countries and regions. As, for example, after the success of Georges Bizet\u2019s Carmen<\/em> (1875), the Spanish atmosphere was en vogue<\/em>, Sarasate wrote four series of Spanische T\u00e4nze<\/em> (1878\u201382) as well as a Fantasia sobre Carmen de Bizet<\/em> (1881), a potpourri on the opera\u2019s most popular melodies.<\/p>\n

Sarasate probably got the inspiration for his Zigeunerweisen<\/em> during his Budapest visit in the spring of 1877; the gypsy airs were published in the original scoring for violin and piano at the beginning of 1878 by the Leipzig publishing house B. Senff (the orchestra
\nversion followed in 1881). In Budapest Sarasate visited Franz Liszt, gave several
\nconcerts and heard \u2013 by his own admission \u2013 popular songs and dances played by
\nthe so-called gypsy bands, then circulating widely. Like all his contemporaries, Sarasate also identified Hungarian folk music with \u2018gypsy\u00a0music\u2019, thus the music of the Roma<\/em>
\nliving in Hungary. For his composition presumably originating in the summer\/fall
\nof 1877, he not only chose as quasi \u2018souvenir\u2019 of this Hungarian stay, the characteristic form of the cs\u00e1rd\u00e1s<\/em> with its slow beginning (\u2018lass\u00fa\u2019<\/em>) and faster, climactic continuation (\u2018friss\u2019<\/em>), but also borrowed all the themes from popular Hungarian music pieces.<\/p>\n

Whereas Sarasate, with this adopting of the dances and songs already arranged by folksong collectors and composers, further arranged them by means of ornamentation, runs, cadenzas and insertions, the case is different with the melody borrowed for the third part of his composition (Un peu plus lent<\/em>, mm. 45 ff.). Here the Spanish virtuoso came under suspicion of plagiarism a few years after the publication of the Zigeunerweisen<\/em>. This is at least what we are led to surmise from the extant letter of apology that Sarasate\u2019s piano accompanist and secretary, the German pianist Otto Goldschmidt, wrote at his behest to the Hungarian composer El\u00e9mer Szentirmay (artist\u2019s name for J\u00e1nos N\u00e9meth, 1836\u20131908).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Translation:<\/p>\n

Petersburg, 10 Dec. 1883
\nDear Sir,
\nMr Sarasate, who does not understand German, asked me to tell you that your wish concerning the printing of your so lovely song shall be dealt with. I have already written about it to Mr Senff.
\nWe herewith express our congratulations on your so lovely inspiration. Mr Sarasate had heard the melody from gypsies, & had been told that it is popular, which is why he used it
\nwithout further ado.
\nSo much the better that the fortunate author also has popular<\/span> songs<\/span>.*
\nVery sincerely yours,
\nOtto Goldschmidt<\/p>\n

* Folk songs<\/p>\n

Thus, Szentirmay did not want any compensation, but was merely adamant that he be mentioned as originator of that so-memorable melody. It derives from Szentirmay\u2019s song, Csak egy sz\u00e9p l\u00e1ny van a vil\u00e1gon<\/em> (\u2018There\u2019s Only One Lovely Maid in the World\u2019), composed in 1873, and was adopted, as comparison shows, virtually unchanged by Sarasate:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Szentirmay, Csak egy sz\u00e9p l\u00e1ny van a vil\u00e1gon<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sarasate, Zigeunerweisen<\/p><\/div>\n

Sarasate\u2019s apology that he had been told that the melodies were \u2018popular\u2019 and so had used them \u00a0\u2018without further ado\u2019, that is, without making enquiries about the author, seems at first glance plausible. At second glance, however, doubts appear. Szentirmay\u2019s song had, in fact, quickly become well known, but in 1877, only four years after the composition, it was, however, probably still firmly connected in its popularity with his name. There is also the likelihood that during his encounter with Liszt Sarasate expressed his interest in \u2018gypsy music\u2019. In this respect, it stands to reason that the old master introduced him to his pupil Ilonka von Ravasz, who himself had imparted to him Hungarian art and folk songs. Indeed, it is conceivable that Sarasate did not become acquainted with the song through \u2018a gypsy\u2019, but through Ilonka \u2013 she was, though, Szentirmay\u2019s niece.<\/p>\n

Sarasate kept his word, and the reprints from 1884 had the comment added at the beginning of the section in question in his Zigeunerweisen<\/em>, \u2018Melody by Scentirmay Elemir [sic] dala [= Hungarian: song by], used with the composer\u2019s kind permission\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The fact is that Sarasate did not worry about the creator of the melody or \u2013 still more perilously, in case he knew that it was not a folk song \u2013 failed to get his \u2018kind permission\u2019. At any rate, despite the clarifying footnote, he seems to have had a bad conscience. In the only recording of his Zigeunerweisen<\/em> available today, from 1904, he impulsively dropped this third part of his composition, with a brief cue to the pianist, and jumped directly to the closing Allegro molto vivace<\/em>:<\/p>\n