Kalliwoda: His Life and Musical Style
Serenades of Dvorak and Kalliwoda
Footnotes
About the Author
Kalliwoda: His Life and Musical
Style
During the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, musicians
were commonly employed by royalty. Their various duties at the
court included conducting the court orchestra, giving music lessons,
composing music, and providing an assortment of musical events
for entertainment. Those musicians who were employed at a court
located at some distance from major cultural centers often received
little recognition for their artistic accomplishments. One such
court musician of the nineteenth century was the Bohemian-born
composer Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda. Despite some notable symphonies,
some fine church and chamber music, and at least one opera, Johann
Kalliwoda received only modest attention during his lifetime and
remains an obscure composer with few enduring accomplishments
to his name.
Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda was born February 21, 1801 in Prague.
He was the son of Anton Kalliwoda, and had two brothers named
Carl and Franz. At age 10, Johann entered the Prague Conservatory
and studies violin with Bedrich Vilem Pixis. His curriculum also
included theory and composition studies with Dionys Weber. Kalliwoda's
training revealed his excellent potential as both a violinist
and composer. In 1816, Kalliwoda graduated from the Conservatory
and joined the Stavoshe Theater orchestra as a violinist under
the direction of Carl Maria Von Weber (1786-1826).
In addition to playing in the orchestra, Kalliwoda toured many
cities giving concerts. People marveled at his ability to play
violin wherever he traveled. At one of his performances, Johann
impressed Prince Karl Egon 11 of Furstenburg so profoundly that
the Prince offered Johann the position of director of musical
activities at Donaueschingen.1 Kalliwoda
readily accepted the post, and both Johann and his wife, Theresa
Brunette, moved to Donaueschingen in 1822. As "Hofkapelmeister"
Kalliwoda assumed many responsibilities: conduct the prince's
orchestra, supervise cathedral music, teach singing, and perform
as soloist.2 Also, he was permitted
two or three months study and a concert tour annually.3
At this point in his life, Kalliwoda had achieved significant
fame as a virtuoso violinist.
In addition to his reputation as a violinist, Johann became known
as a superb conductor. He developed the orchestra to a high degree
and raised the musical standards in that region.4
His success at Donaueschingen prompted offers for prestigious
positions at larger cities like Mannheim, Leipzig and Prague.
Kalliwoda declined these positions, however, to stay on at Donaueschingen.
As Kalliwoda's reputation increased, Johann became a member of
numerous music societies, and his friends included prominent musicians
such as Franz Liszt, Robert and Clara Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn.5
Kalliwoda's output of music for the court ranged from symphonies,
church music and chamber music to opera. He even wrote his own
opera entitled Prinzissan Christine von Wolfenburg in 1828. Aside
from his works composed for the court, Kalliwoda also staged several
major productions of operas by Mozart and Rossini.6
In fact, Johann's wife, Theresa, was a singer and sometimes sang
leading roles in these operas. Thus, Kalliwoda attempted to provide
a variety of musical events at the court.
Though Johann Kalliwoda had a successful career in the early years
of his life, it was marred in 1848 by the German Revolution. One
tangible loss during the violence of the revolution was the Stavoshe
Theatre. The destruction of the theatre resulted in the dissolution
of the court orchestra, and Johann's efforts to reorganize the
ensemble failed. Frustrated by this failure, Johann decided to
retire in 1866. He moved to Karlsruhe to live with his son Wilhelm.
Later that same year, he died of a heart attack.
Composing music for various occasions was one of Johann Kalliwoda's
career responsibilities at the court, but perhaps secondary to
his numerous other duties. Kalliwoda's only composition teacher
was Dionys Weber (17661824), a Bohemian composer whose musical
style was developed at Prague and reflected his admiration of
Mozart. As a result, Kalliwoda's compositional style is closely
associated with late eighteenth century German classicism.8 Some scholars classify Johann Kalliwoda
as a neo-classic composer because of his musical forms. On the
other hand, others regard him as an early Romantic composer due
to his melodic and harmonic content. According to Karl Strunz,
his style is conservative yet Romantic and comparable to Schumann,
Weber and Mendelssohn.9 Though Kalliwoda's
works did not appear to be as innovative as that of other famous
nineteenth-century composers, his early works were quite successful.
Most of Johann's early works were impressive, containing beautiful
melodic phrases and a degree of originality.10
In fact, from 1825 to the middle of the century, Kalliwoda's works
were widely performed. Works on a larger scale included his seven
symphonies. The First Symphony, one of his best known works, won
much acclaim for its fresh, new style. Music scholars felt his
counterpoint and themes were comparable to Schumann and Beethoven.11 Karl Strunz suggests that Kalliwoda's
best compositions were his seven symphonies and church Music.12
By the middle of the century, Kalliwoda's fame as a composer began
to decline. His music disappeared from repertoire lists and his
new compositions became routine and traditional. Unfortunately,
Kalliwoda's later works showed very little creative and original
ideas. In fact, Kalliwoda's critics began to call him a "repetitive
writer."13 This lack of creativity,
vitality, and substance obviously weakened Kalliwoda's music considerably.
"Many of his pieces succumbed to the fashionable demand for
mere prettiness and fell into the category of popular music."14
Perhaps Kalliwoda's sheltered life at the court isolated him from
new works ad necessary exposure to prominent composers. Also,
composing at the court could have become routine, and he may not
have felt compelled to continue writing at a high artistic level.
One must remember that Kalliwoda primarily wrote music for entertainment
at the court, and audiences consisted of predominantly musically
unsophisticated people.
Despite Kalliwoda's declining reputation in his later life, his
output of works was impressive, numbering almost two hundred and
fifty compositions, many of which have never been published. Finding
some of these unpublished manuscripts have resulted in
additional literature, particularly for wind instruments.
Serenades of Dvorak and Kalliwoda
Many new developments were taking place in music during the nineteenth
century. The orchestra expanded to a new dimension, and composers
began writing more complex harmonic progressions. Most composers
focused their attention on the orchestra or on solo literature,
but chamber music was also important in the nineteenth century,
particularly that which called for unusual or non-traditional
instrumentation. For example, both Antonin Dvorak and Johann Kalliwoda
wrote serenades for such chamber ensembles. By comparing works
by these composers, one can illustrate the range of musical profundity
and formal structures possible in works called serenades.
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) became a prominent Czech composer whose
works are still acknowledged and admired today. His Serenade
in D minor, Opus 44 (1878) was written early in his career
and scored for two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon,
three horns, cello and double bass. Despite the odd grouping of
instruments, the piece was very successful.
Examining the compositional structure of Dvorak's Serenade
is essential in determining why this work is a significant piece
in the wind literature. A study of the work reveals that Dvorak
uses traditional forms of the day. Movements one, two and three
use ternary form while the fourth movement incorporates a rondo
structure. Dvorak employs simple forms, but his creativity and
development of the forms keep the Serenade from sounding repetitive
and uninteresting to the listener.
Dvorak effectively uses unifying themes and motives which appear
throughout the Serenade. John Clapham specifically points
outs the following unifying devices:
1. A rising 4th begins nearly all the themes.
2. The main theme is similar to the first movement. (March)
3. The March returns near the end of the fourth movement.
4. The coda has re-occurring themes.15
Key relationships play an important role in the structure of Dvorak's
Serenade. Many modulations occur throughout each movement,
which once again makes his Serenade
more complex and captivating to the audience. His key modulations
usually involve the parallel major and minor, or the subdominant
and dominant.
The opening movement, marked Moderato quasi Marcia, features
ternary form. An opening theme recurs at the end while a secondary
theme is introduced by the first horn midway through the first
movement. Scholars agree that this opening movement is a March.
Tempo di Menuetto marks the second movement. This movement
is a well-balanced minuet which contains a scherzo-like trio that
incorporates hemiola, a favorite device of Dvorak.16
In addition, flowing rhapsodic lines are exchanged between the
clarinet and oboe, while the answering motive played by bassoon
and horn serve to make this movement light and lyrical.
The third movement is entitled Andante con moto. John Clapham
claims that it is the most expressive movement due to the original
Romantic melodic lines shared by the clarinet and oboe.17
The movement becomes dramatic and intense but then relaxes when
the lyrical opening thematic material returns.
The Finale, marked Allegro molto, is in a march
style similar to the opening movement. More importantly, Dvorak
directly quotes the opening theme from the first movement, thus
reinforcing the march style and unifying the work.
Kalliwoda's Serenade differs greatly from Dvorak's Serenade
in D minor, Opus 44. Instrumentation for Kalliwoda's Serenade
is a quintet consisting of flute, oboe, bassoon horn and guitar.
The exact date of the composition is not known, but, because of
the Serenade's lack of creativity, repetitiveness and simplicity,
one can assume that this work was composed late in his career.
Kalliwoda's piece was intended for entertainment at the court
in which he worked.
The formal structure of Kalliwoda's Serenade is traditional
for the most part, but is not comparable to the four movements
that make up Dvorak's Serenade. Each of the four movements
is in ternary form. In movements one and two, the forms are more
developed and extended than the last two movements. In each movement,
Kalliwoda's thematic material is simply supported by chordal accompaniment.
Little change occurs in the texture nor does motivic development
appear evident. Though Kalliwoda uses ternary form,
his lack of creativity and development cause his Serenade to be
less profound and prominent than Dvorak's Serenade. Despite the
lack of creativity, Kalliwoda has composed an attractive work
designed for light listening.
Another contrast to Dvorak's work is the fact that Kalliwoda does
not employ unifying motives throughout the Serenade. His
only repetition of themes lies within each movement. Thus, the
Serenade lacks unity and does not compare to works of major
composers of the nineteenth century. In his defense, however,
Kalliwoda quite likely intended this work to function as incidental
music.
Kalliwoda's lack of contrasting key relationships is yet another
weakness in his composition. The first, third and fourth movements
all remain in the key of F major while the second movement modulates
to the dominant or C major. Unlike Dvorak, Kalliwoda did not take
the opportunity to modulate to the dominant, subdominant, or the
parallel major and minor keys within individual movements to make
the repetitious thematic material sound less redundant. Kalliwoda's
use of the same key and simple chord progressions make his Serenade
less harmonically colorful and less intriguing to the listener.
The first movement is marked Allegretto moderato with the
time signature in 3/8. This opening movement is a relatively short
minuet which moves on to the second movement without pause. The
minuet's thematic material primarily appears in the flute and
oboe, supported by chordal accompaniment. Occasionally, the bassoon
has the melodic line, but it functions mainly as an accompanimental
instrument.
Allegro non troppo is the second movement, which is also in 3/8.
This movement modulates to the dominant and is considerably longer
than any of the other movements. The bassoon and horn have the
opening thematic material, which is then heard in the flute and
oboe. Three prominent themes (measures 12, 32, and 79) occur repetitiously
until the end of the movement. Interrupting this thematic material
is a sudden change in the musical line. The music becomes rather
rhapsodic in measure 114. Flowing lines are interchanged among
all the instruments. Interestingly enough, Kalliwoda does use
fragments of the opening theme within the new section. Furthermore,
a guitar
cadenza ends this movement, a feature shared by none of the other
movements. As a result of the variety of unrelated sections within
the Allegro non troppo movement, this section of the Serenade
seems somewhat unbalanced and poorly planned.
The third movement, Moderato, opens with the horn playing the
theme. The key center returns to F major, the predominant key
of the entire work. Once again, this movement is relatively short
and moves to the last movement without pause. The thematic material
displayed is once again repetitive. A coda ends this movement,
and it contains fragments of thematic material that were stated
earlier in the movement. This section, like the entire work, becomes
repetitive and predictable.
In comparing Dvorak's Serenade with Kalliwoda's Serenade,
one can see many differences between the two works. Dvorak's composition
has traditional forms, makes use of unifying motives, and uses
well-planned modulations. His creativity and thematic development
serve to establish the Serenade as one of the major works
in the wind literature. On the other hand, Kalliwoda's Serenade
incorporates little or none of the more sophisticated innovative
compositional techniques that Dvorak uses. By comparing their
works, one can see why Dvorak became a prominent composer of the
nineteenth century, and why Kalliwoda remains obscure.
Fortunately, we have other examples of Kalliwoda's compositions
which show much more originality and substance. Two of these works,
Concertino and Morceau de Salon are available in
modern publications.