In Memoriam: Mtys Seiber

Author(s): Milton Babbitt, Don Banks, Peter Racine Fricker, Lawrence Leonard, Anthony Milner,
Reginald Smith Brindle and Michael Tippett
Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 111, No. 1531 (Sep., 1970), pp. 886-887
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/956133
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In memoriam:MAtyas Seiber
MdtydsSeiberdied tenyearsago thismonth
If myintroduction-just beforeWorldWar II-to theirown solutions;thus a student'sown style
thenameand musicof MaityasSeiber,through his was not interfered
with. Personally I owe himso
Easy Dances,was to an onlyslightly representative muchfor openingmy ears and eyes to a whole
Seiber,my introduction to the man was to the rangeof music,and his emphasison analysisin
completely representativeSeiber. For at the 1952 depthwas a rarity
(and possiblystillis) in thetrain-
ISCM Festivalat Salzburghe was, at once, the ingofyoungcomposersin thiscountry.
complete composer-moving withgraceandappetite His own musicalwaysimpressedby its clarity
throughthe international societyof composers, andlogic,andoftenachievedgreatbeautyanddepth
the completecolleague-quiethero and mentor of of expressiveness
in suchpiecesas Ulysses,Three
theyoungcomposerwhilehonouredintimate ofthe Fragmentsfrom a Portrait of the Artist as a
older,and everthe husbandand father, forLilla YoungMan (listenhowhe producedsucha telling
and Juliaalso wereat Salzburg. workas thiswiththestrictest economyof means),
Two yearslater,in London,I saw Maityais in the TrePezzi forCello and Orchestra,and theSonata
full range of his extraordinary musicalactivity, forviolinand piano.
the'outsider'who,bycarrying withinhimthefully Many were privilegedto share his discoveries
understoodand experienced traditionof Central withhim,and we werefortunate thathe-together
Europeandparticularly thatmostrecent traditionof withEgonWelleszand themuch-lamented Roberto
the decisive,revolutionary 20s, had become the Gerhard-decidedto settlein thiscountry. His
most influential and respectedof 'insiders',as to musicallifewillnot be easilyfor-
contribution
teacherand,aboveall, as composer.And thatyear gottenand willcontinueto havefruitful
consequen-
his Ulysses and hisViolinConcertowereperformed. ces for a considerable time to come. DON BANKS
It is thememory and presence ofsuchremarkable
works, and the rememberedpresenceof that
remarkable manthat,in thosemoments of bitterly
futilebut inescapablecounterfactualizing, compel Perhaps,to a youngmusicianwhodid nothavethe
one to lamentthe even more remarkableworks privilegeof knowingMatyasSeiberand working
thatsurelywouldhave been,by himand-just as withhim,it willbe surprising thatso manypeople
certainly-because of him. MILTONBABBITT have paid tributeto his memory,and are still
devotedly remembering him.Afterall,hisoutputas
a composerwas notlarge-thoughit is pleasantto
see how steadilyhis namecontinuesto appearon
I first
metMatyAs Seiberin1950when,newlyarrived concertprogrammes. Nordidheproduce'standard'
fromAustralia,I wentto studywithhim on the textbooks on musictheory,or otherpublications
recommendation of ArthurBenjamin. My first whichmight beexpectedto keephisnamebeforethe
impressionswere of a physicallysmall, active public.
personwho ratherawed me by his intellectual Thereare verygood reasonswhyhis namecon-
presence.Witha devastating logiche analysedmy tinuesto livein ourhearts.First,he was lovedand
early attemptsat composition,and graduallyI respected byeverybody whoknewhim.In theworld
realizedthatherewas a reallyprofessional com- of music,thisis so rareas to deservespecialmen-
poser-a craftsman who not onlyknewbut could tion; I have neverheardanyoneat any timesay
teach the basic techniquesof composition. His anythingin disparagement of him. Second, his
own attitudewas clearlyillustrated by a talk he integrity was absolute and his professionalism
gavein Londonin 1955whenhe said: complete.In spiteof his vastknowledge of music
I believein a fewfundamental principles.First, and thewiderangeofhisinterests, he neverlosthis
thatlearning or teaching composition is a purely desireto ask questions,to learnmore,and to de-
practicalmatter.It's likelearninghow to make velop. In his concertworks,he did not compose
shoes. Justas a shoemaker learnsstepby step quickly,buthe wouldtakeinfinite painsto ensure
howto cuttherightsize ofuppersolesso as not thateach detailwas exactlyright-thesecondbest
to pinch,how to makejointswhichdon'tcreak was never good enough.
etc, so the studentmustlearnhow to present And third,he was able to communicatehis
ideas,howto lead fromone to theother,howto enthusiasm to the youngcomposerswho worked
makejoins. We all agreethatwe can't teach withhim. He had an uncannyabilityto getto the
inspiration,butwecan teachthetechnique ofhow heartof a score,to makeyoufindout foryourself
to makethemostof thatinspiration, if thereis wherethe weak places were,and whytheywere
any. The secondpointI believein is thatcom- weak. It is thesequalities,amongothers,which
positionis an entirely discipline.There
traditional makehimstandforeverin mymindas an example
is no shortcut-you have to go throughthe ofwhata goodmusician and a goodmanshouldbe.
techniqueswhichyour predecessors developed, PETER RACINE FRICKER
becausetheseare the entirefoundationof our
presentday techniques.
So we,hispupils,weresubjectedto thediscipline of Therewas a littleof Prufrock about Matyas. He
learning ourcraft-butthetechnique ofcomposition worehisstartling erudition lightlyand witha gentle
was alwaystreatedas a living,exciting thing,and resignation.'So howshouldI presume'he seemed
neveras a dry,academicseriesof exercises. He to be sayingwithgenuineinnocence. It was the
inspiredus all by his enthusiasm, and by his cur- one-tenth of MatyAsthat was above the surface
iosityin finding out how thingsreallyworkedin a speaking-alwayswitha certainmutedgaiety,his
pieceofmusic.He placedtheutmost importance on eyes everywhere and missingnothing,accepting
teachingpupilsto thinkforthemselves and to find lifeas it was witha quiet,slightlym6chant humour.
,886

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i:

Koddly(centre)withhis composers'class, Budapest 1925: Seiber is thirdfromthe right

The othernine-tenths wrappedhim,happyand me mostforcibly was theman'scompletehumility,

enclosed,in the cocoon of his own spiritualand not onlythehumility ofa foreigner in a landwhere
intellectuallife. I thinkthatit was becauseof this polishand bombastso oftengo together, but hu-
complexinteriorlifethat Maityais practisedgreat mility,almostdisinterest, regarding his own work
economyof language. 'What are you writing, and aboutitsinfluence on Britishmusicin general.
Mityas?' I once asked. 'Letters',he said, witha We metseldom.In fact,Seiber'speriodofascen-
guiltygrin. dancycoincidedwithmyownyearsin Italy,so our
He movedwithgreatease and self-confidence meetings wererare. ButwhenI didmeetthisfamed
throughmanylayersof our professional world. man,hewaswonderfully kindanduncondescending.
Whether he was conducting theDorianSingersor a He wouldmeetme at thestationand walkme up
hard-bitten sessionorchestra, takinga composition to his home,whereI was receivedwithhonour. I
class or joininga committee of fellowcomposers; would tryto gethimto talkabout his music,but
thelittlefigure camejauntilythrough thedoor,took hewouldonlyaskaboutmine,whatwasI doingand
offhat and coat, rummagedin a huge brief-case why? Composers,even unsuccessful ones, are
and quietlyassumedresponsibility. The practical inevitably self-centeredindividuals,yetherewas a
Mityas had takenoverand the ancestry was un- manwho seemedto disregard his own work,even
mistakable-Papa Seiber! LAWRENCELEONARD thoughithadsetsucha newcourseforBritish music.
The otherthingwhichstruckoneso in Seiberwas
the breadthof his culture,expressedwith such
quiet maturity and confidence-sodifferent from
MichaelTippettintroduced me totylis whenI
Man othersI have known,whose oppressiveculture
was 19 yearsold; I studiedwithhimforoverfour suffocates and silences. His gave one a sense of
liberation.He wouldstimulate a wonderful surge
years. I owe so muchto his teachingthatit is ofgreaterfeelingandperceptiveness: a kindofmore
difficultto writeanything adequatein a fewwords. intense participationon a higheraestheticplane
From the firsthe impressedme with his wide than one's norm. It was perhapsthisgiftas a
knowledge ofmanykindsofmusicbutespecially of stimulatorwhich,running all hisworkand
contemporary works. Whenteaching he seemedto through
knowineachpiecewhatI wantedto do andto guide teaching, made his influence so profoundand his
me unerringly towardsachieving it. He demanded personalityso unique. REGINALD SMITHBRINDLE
rigorousself-criticism to obtainstylistic consistency
in a work,and continualawarenessoftheshapeof
the wholein workingout details. His two basic I firstmet
Mhtyas SeiberthroughWalterGoehr.
questionson an incomplete piecewere'How willit Duringthewarwe metconstantly and oftenin the
end?' and 'Whatcomesnext?', leadingto searching publishing houseofSchott, London.HugoStrecker,
analysisand discussionofwhathad beendoneand English-born son of one of theSchott Mainzdirect-
recommendations forcontinuing.Whenheapproved orswasalso ofourparty, untilhe wascalledup into
a worktherewereno limitsto hisefforts inpressing theBritishArmyto fighthisGermancousins. We
forperformances. Thusmyop 1,Salutatioangelica, werea gay and cheerful group,who managedto
was firstheardunderhis directionat an SPNM turnthe Schotthouse upside-down whenever we
rehearsalin 1950; he conductedthe firstpublic metthere-buttherewasgreatgoodwilltowardsus.
performance at MorleyCollege in 1951 and the We talkedincessantly on everything, but chiefly
firstbroadcastin 1953. He was stillpromoting it aboutmusic.
severalyearslater,as shownby his conducting of When I becameDirectorof Music at Morley
anotherbroadcastin 1958. He was a greatteacher Collegein 1941 I persuadedGoehrto collaborate
and a generous friend. ANTHONY MILNER withmeintheMorleyCollegeConcertsSocietyand
Seiberto giveclassestherein composition.For it
was clearthatMatyaswas a superbteacher. He
seemedto me to have an encyclopedic knowledge
Ifanymanheavedup thiscountry outofthedouble of compositionaltechniques, old and new,without
rutsofneoclassicism and nationalism, itwas Seiber. any dogmaticprejudices.His mindwas rigorous
He was pioneer,innovatorand teacher,all rolled but generous.The climaxof our relationship was
into one, whilethe foreigninfluences he brought the premiereof UlysseswhichGoehrgave under
withhimwerethegreatest forcesBritish theMorleyaegis. A finework. MAtyas
fertilizing couldwell
musichas feltformanydecades. Yet whatstruck have been spared. MICHAELTIPPETT
887

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