Don Satz wrote:

>Although I don't claim any logic to this, I do hear this "Germanic core"
>and greatly identify with it.  I also can't do a good job explaining what
>is "common" in this music through successive time periods, but I'll try:
>
>1.  When the music is "happy," it still possesses an "edge" and tint of
>sadness or melancholy.
>
>2.  It has an "in your face" and blustering quality which, unexpectedly,
>significantly enhances its appeal.
>
>3.  Its heroic and militaristic traits are distinctive and greatly
>appealing.
>
>4.  An all-enveloping power, even during times of restraint.

Don, your stab at defining "Germanness" in music is quite interesting to
me, as another twig in the German "family tree." Perhaps I could add a bit
to help sharpen up your perceptions.

Your points 1 and 2 make sense to me, though of course you can find plenty
of counter-examples to them in the German repertoire, as in any country's
music.  But one good example that immediately comes to mind is Winterreise,
much discussed on this list.

"Der Lindenbaum" (No.  5) appealed so much to Germans that it became
almost the ideal Lied.  Although it is generally approached as a thoroughly
melancholy song, the past happiness the singer is remembering does come
through clearly to me in the quality of the melody and the calmness (except
when the wind blows in his face).  This strikes me as an instance of your
first point in reverse.

The blustering quality you mention shows up in several numbers, of course,
especially "Mut!" (22).

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "militaristic." It is true that
some martial motifs and episodes are woven through a lot of German music,
but I'm not sure that this is any less the case in music of other
nationalities.  Despite the well-deserved reputation Germany has earned
from Bismark through WW II, I think militarism is a curse shared by the
human race as a whole, as we are presently witnessing.

In any case, this is a topic I will continue to ponder.

Jon Johanning // [log in to unmask]