Updated
on
August 23, 2017 |
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The recent surge of interest in Rott's long-forgotten
symphony has been occasioned, not only by the record companies'
search for new and untried repertoire, but by the question of
his influence on the work of Gustav Mahler. The two were students
together in Vienna, and testimony by Joseph Seemüller, as quoted
by Uwe Harten, indicates that Mahler not only saw the score
but apparently knew it well. Much is being made, in scholarly
articles as well as in various online fora, of Mahler's supposed
debt to Rott, citing subtle and not-so-subtle similarities between
Rott's symphony and Mahler's early works. In extreme instances,
Mahler is practically accused of strip-mining his fellow-student's
unplayed symphony for his own use. |
What’s the evidence? Well, Mahler does
seem to have lifted one of Rott’s themes more or less
whole: the theme introduced by solo trumpet and horn in Rott’s
Trio turns up verbatim in the Finale of Mahler’s Resurrection.
And the strong “family resemblance” between Rott’s
Scherzo and that of Mahler’s First Symphony, in their
lift, thrust, and overall structure, are unmistakable. The
veteran Mahlerian will undoubtedly encounter some familiar
landmarks. |
But plagiarism? Probably not. More likely, bits
of Rott’s music simply stuck in Mahler's brain, and he
used them, consciously or not, in the same way that he seems
frequently to “recycle” themes from Brahms, Handel,
and so forth. And certainly Mahler’s music, borrowings
and all, works to a unique effect, aesthetically and emotionally.
Mahler’s orchestral textures, perfectly clear even at
full tilt, sound utterly different from Rott’s brilliant
but sometimes overwritten ones. And, where Mahler’s expressivity
is direct and unabashed, Rott’s music, ardently as it
sings, maintains a certain reserve behind its affective gestures. |
Then, too, the general cross-fertilization among
composers of various nationalities and styles throughout the
Romantic period muddies the lines of influence altogether. In
some cases, the hommage was deliberate - how could a
Schumann, for example, ignore Beethoven's explosive symphonic
innovations? In others, we have simply gleaned such resemblances
from our always-reliable hindsight. (Thus, Dvořák's Sixth Symphony
is generally considered "Brahmsian," though his themes sound
utterly different, and the similarities among other compositional
elements are more easily intuited than explained.) And how are
we to account for Rott's apparent foreshadowing, in the Finale's
stark, passionate unison string theme, of Sibelius - a composer
who couldn't possibly have known Rott's score to borrow from
it? Better, in this case, not to worry about exploitation or
worse - let the shades of both Mahler and Rott rest in peace,
and just enjoy the music. |
Part 3 |
back to Part 1
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