Maria Chiara Mazzi – Andrea Parisini, A motto in music

The article describes a recent acquisition of the Liszt Institute in Bologna (Italy), consisting of a manuscript score by Carl Czerny for voice and, presumably, piano, dedicated to a certain Mr. Grabner-Hoffmann. The text, a citation from Schiller’s Wallenstein that was very popular in Germany in the Nineteenth century, is a source of inspiration for Czerny to develop a non-trivial short melody (eight bars in all) written in a choral style and with an interesting harmonic structure that seems to be intended to match and connect with the Schiller’s reference to the importance and beauty of a wise and thoughtful lifestyle. Dated 1856, the manuscript belongs to the last years of Czerny’s activity; due to its style and cultural reference, this brief composition significantly contribut to our understanding of a musician who is far too often almost only known for his didactic activity.

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