Friedrich Richard Faltin (5 January 1835, Danzig – 1 June 1918, Helsinki) was a German-born Finnish composer, educator, organist, conductor, and music critic. In 1870, Faltin succeeded Fredrik Pacius as the director of music at the Imperial Alexander's University of Finland (now the University of Helsinki), and in this position, he was a titan of the Finnish artistic scene.[1] His responsibilities included teaching, conducting the Academic Orchestra and Choir, and composing pieces for various ceremonies at the university. In addition to this post, Faltin held other important conductorships: from 1869 to 1870, of the New Theatre (later the Swedish Theatre); and from 1873 to 1879, of the short-lived, itinerant Finnish Opera Company. As a musician, Faltin was from 1870 to 1913 the organist at St. Nicholas's Church (now Helsinki Cathedral).
Faltin's two most notable students at the university were Robert Kajanus[2] and Martin Wegelius,[3] in whose feud he "maintained a lofty neutrality".[1] He was also an early advocate for Jean Sibelius, who for a time studied law at the university before enrolling in Wegelius's Helsinki Music Institute; nevertheless, Sibelius became the concertmaster of Faltin's university orchestra in the spring of 1886.[4] In 1896, Faltin's retirement from the university set off a bitter clash for his prestigious chair between Sibelius (who as Faltin's chosen successor initially won the position) and Kajanus (who controversially obtained the position on appeal to the chancellor).[5][6]
Life
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Schooling in Germany and immigration to Finland
editWho were the parents? Richard Faltin was born 5 January 5 1835 in Danzig, West Prussia (now Gdańsk, Poland). He began his music studies in Dessau under the auspices of the German composer Friedrich Schneider. Faltin identified with the so-called 'New German School' of Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt, but had to keep this secret from his musically conservative teacher.[7] From 1855 to 1856, Faltin studied at the Leipzig Conservatory; his teachers included, among others, Ernst Friedrich Richter (organ and music theory), Julius Rietz (composition and orchestration), Moritz Hauptmann (counterpoint), and Ignaz Moscheles (piano).[8] Upon graduation, Faltin moved to the Grand Duchy of Finland in the fall of 1856, settling in Viipuri (Vyborg). There he worked as a music teacher at a German boys' school and, more importantly, founded an orchestra and singing association, which—through a series of concerts—he used to "raise the musical life in [Viipuri] to unusual heights".[9] In 1863, he married Ola Holstius and started a family shortly thereafter.[8]
In the summer 1869, Faltin moved to Helsinki to pursue new career opportunities; to this end, he also obtained Finnish citizenship.[8] The music scene in the duchy's capital was in a state of transition, as three positions had opened: first, director of music at the Imperial Alexander's University of Finland (now the University of Helsinki) following the retirement of Fredrik Pacius;[8] second, the organist of St. Nicholas's Church (now the Helsinki Cathedral) following the unexpected death of Rudolf Lagi;[8] and third, the conductorship of the New Theatre orchestra (now the Swedish Theatre)[8] following the retirement of Carl Gottfried Reinhold Littmarck.[9] Given that music education in Finland was still in its infancy, there was a prevailing sense that "no [native] Finn [was] qualified" for these positions, and having trained in Imperial Germany, Faltin was a strong candidate. He applied the cathedral job in the summer of 1869 and for the university job in the spring of 1870. For the latter, he had to gave an academic lecture (he selected as his topic the development of instrumental music since Beethoven) and submit a portfolio of compositions.[10] As he waited for the decisions, he conducted the theatre orchestra on a one-year contract and served as interim organist at St. Nicholas.[8] According to Pacius, Faltin was the only candidate qualified for the university post. He was successful, and succeeded Pacius on 24 December 1870. The organist job, too, became his on 1 May 1871.[10]
Titan of the Helsinki music scene
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his position was a prestigious one that was comparable to " in England.[11]
Faltin's first task at the university was, in some respects, to revitalize the position, as Pacius had had little interest in teaching and conducting—in other words, the two aspects of job description in which Faltin was most accomplished—and had focused, instead, on his composing. Faltin, in contrast, lectured weekly on music theory and taught private lessons on organ and piano.
university's music activities were precisely defined in the University Act: the band, or orchestra, was made up of students and other amateurs who were interested in the subject, led by a music teacher hired by the university. The music teacher's job description included organizing music for the university's festive events and practicing and leading the band at these events. In addition, the music teacher had to take care of the university's musical instruments and sheet music.
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leading the Academy's singing club (Akademiska Sångsällskapet, since 1846 the Akateeminen lauluhidstys) and the Helsinki Musical Society (Musikaliska Sällskapet i Helsingfors), the Helsinki Symphony Society (Symfoniföreningen i Helsingfors) and the Academic Orchestra Association.However, Pacius' successful concert life was built on high school students and other amateur musicians and was sometimes in a slump for years. Pacius had left the full-time practice and management of the Akateemines lauluhydisto to others as early as 1846, but Pacius's efforts met with a final collapse in 1853, when the Akateemi-nen orchestra society also ceased its activities. As a result, August Meissner, a German-born cellist living in Helsinki, even conducted several academic concert performances on behalf of Pacius in the 1860s. (Vainio 2009, 232−235.) Pacius himself conducted the orchestra only occasionally in concerts held under his own name (Lappalainen 2009, 83). When Faltin started his work as a university music teacher in 1870, academic music practice had therefore been in a slump for more than 15 years. 18--19
Already during Pacius's time, the university's music activities were precisely defined in the University Act: the band, or orchestra, was made up of students and other amateurs who were interested in the subject, led by a music teacher hired by the university. The music teacher's job description included organizing music for the university's festive events and practicing and leading the band at these events. In addition, the music teacher had to take care of the university's musical instruments and sheet music. (Vainio 2009, 77.) During Pacius's time, the position of music teacher had only included a small amount of teaching work, because Pacius did not really care about playing music or lecturing about music, but focused mostly on his own composing work along with conducting the orchestra and choir (ibid., 441). Faltin, on the other hand, made a name for himself in Helsinki specifically as a music pedagogue. When planning to fill the post of music teacher again after Pacius, in addition to the previous requirements, the qualification requirement was such knowledge and skills that the post holder is also capable of lecturing general music theory and theory. In addition, for a separate compensation, the music teacher had to teach harmony to the most advanced students who wanted it (Hel-singfors Dagblad 4.2.1870; Vainio 2007, 43). 19
At the university, Faltin gave weekly lectures on music theory and general musical knowledge (KK, Coll.52.18, 15) and in addition gave quite a large amount of private lessons in piano and organ playing and music theory. 19
Faltin taught his best students Selma Kajanus, Ingeborg Hymander and Elise Selini for free. Women did not get the right to study at the University of Helsinki until 1901 (Klinge 1968, 7), so for many women private tuition was for a long time the only way to become a musician. In 1882, the Helsinki Music Institute (Helsingfors Musikinstitut, now the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts) was founded in Helsinki, after which many private students moved to study there. Faltin was one of the founding members of the music college and [19] worked as a teacher of organ playing, piano playing and music theory at the college for 24 years in the years 1882−1906 [20] wrote recommendations and directed many of his students to study at foreign music schools, often at the Leipzig Conservatory, where he himself had studied both in the 1850s and 1860s. with figures. These students included Martin Wegelius, Robert Kajanus, Ilmari Krohn, Karl Flodin, Nikolai Achté and Oskar Merikanto. Faltin's contacts with his former degree program were good and the students he recommended were usually accepted with pleasure. The director of the conservatory, H. C. Schleinitz, who had once recommended Faltin for the post of music teacher at the German boys' school in Vyborg, continued to help him in many ways. [20]
Relationship with Sibelius
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Later years
editOn 1 June 1918 in Helsinki, Faltin died of a stroke at the age of 83.[9]
Åbo Underrättelser obituary
editOnce again, Finnish musical art and culture have suffered a palpable loss.
The nestor among our country's musicians, Professor Richard Faltin, he, who took up the fallen mantle of Fredrik Pacius in the days of Spohn and Mendelssohn's romanticism, died of a stroke last Saturday at the age of 83 in Helsinki, where for many decades he had versatilely practiced and represented the musical art and created a respected name in the pages of our cultural history.
Born in Danzig, 21-year-old Faltin came to Viborg where he founded a singing and orchestra association and worked as a music teacher. In 1869 he moved to the capital, where together with his countryman Pacius, he lifted the musical life to a previously unheard of height and after his death continued his fertile work to the forefront of the musical arts.
For many years, Faltin worked as an organist at St. Nicholas Church and during that time had the opportunity to reform church music in our country.
Skilled pianist, Faltin as an experienced accompanist shined at domestic and foreign artists' concerts during memorable years.
Among Faltin's numerous compositions are mentioned here the Promotion Cantata from 1890, Cantat to the Topelius Festival, Prayer for Finland, Till Sylviasången, solo songs and numerous male quartets, he has arranged a large number of Finnish folk songs for four-in-part mixed and male choir. F. has published several editions of chorale books, of which the one from 1903 is a significant work, which assures its author a notable place in our church music.
Faltin's multi-faceted disposition was also expressed in his practical life as he continued to pursue an extensive piano and organ hobby.
Faltin remained true to his beautiful calling, his high ideals, to the last.
Even recently, the music veteran bent by the weight of years with the venerable white hair was seen in the concert hall.
Along with Pacius, Faltin, with all the zeal of an idealist, worked the soil from which the young Finnish tone art sprouted.
As a thorough music theorist and prominent composer, he contributed a great deal to the development of musical life in our country. After Littmark, Faltin took over the leadership of the orchestra in the capital and functioned as opera conductor. After Pacius, he took over the management of the singing association and for a long time performed masterpieces in the field of oratorio.
For the musical education of the academic youth, he carried out a pioneering activity as a conductor of the academic orchestra and the singing society. Countless are the student concerts, at which "uncle" Faltin led the young people's rapturous singing with a proven hand. When the music institute was founded, he became one of its supporting pillars.
During his active life, Faltin always kept in touch with the development of music in the world. Eagerly admired by Richard Wagner, he helped to canonize the master's genius creations here as well and he himself traveled to Bayreuth to meet Wagner, Liszt and others. of the greats of music. In spiritual letters to his new homeland, he described his exuberant impressions from his artistic study trips.
Hufvudstadsbladet obituary
editProfessor Richard Faltin died here yesterday in his 83rd year. A stroke ended the life of the aged musician, who to such a large extent owns our country's music and its development.
Born in the same country as Fredrik Pacius, Germany, Richard Faltin also brought to his second homeland significant musical gains from the great cultural country from which he was born and where he was raised.
Born in Danzig, after completing his music studies he came to Viborg already at the age of 21, where, in addition to his music teaching activities, he founded a singing and orchestra association with the help of which he gave a series of large concerts and raised the musical life in the town to unusual heights . In 1869, he moved to Helsinki and here completed the works of Fredrik Pacius during a long and varied musical career.
A prominent organist and pianist, skilled theoretician, busy musician and important composer, Richard Faltin put all his energy into the development of the capital's musical life, partly as a much-requested teacher of organ and piano playing as well as music theory.
When Richard Faltin took over the direction of the orchestra and the opera after Kapellmeister Littmark [ Carl Gottfried Reinhold Littmarck, died 1899, and was kapellmeister of the Swedish Theatre], he also showed his commanding ability and his solid musical education in these areas.
Already when he conducted for the first time, he prepared the audience and the critics a pleasant surprise with the excellent performance of the overture to Don Juan. Such a game had not been heard since the days of Pacius. It heralded the coming of great times. And they came too. Faltin aimed even further and higher.
Similar to what he had done in Viborg, Faltin also founded a singing association here, with which, with the help of the orchestra and a group of prominent soloists from home and abroad, he performed a number of the highest masterpieces in the field of oratorio over a long succession of years.
Other
editand from 1896–1897, Sibelius took on teaching commitments, an academic lecture, and various commissions related to the university as a means to enhance his candidature. Faltin favored Sibelius as his successor, and he initially won the post in a vote of 25–3 (the committee had written, "A composer of Sibelius's standing would indeed be an adornment to any university"). A subsequent written appeal by Kajanus—the polemical nature of which hurt Sibelius, who considered his friend's actions a betrayal—succeeded in convincing the university chancellor to overturn the committee's recommendation. Sibelius subsequently was awarded a state pension as compensation (for more, see Goss, 2009, pp. 226–230).
Notes, references, and sources
editNotes
References
- ^ a b Tawaststjerna 2008a, p. 30.
- ^ Hillila & Hong 1997, p. 158.
- ^ Hillila & Hong 1997, p. 445.
- ^ Tawaststjerna 2008a, p. 31.
- ^ Tawaststjerna 2008a, pp. 192–193, 197.
- ^ Goss 2009, pp. 226–230.
- ^ Siltanen 2020, p. 15.
- ^ a b c d e f g Siltanen 2020, p. 17.
- ^ a b c Hufvudstadsbladet, No. 66 1918, p. 8.
- ^ a b Siltanen 2020, p. 18.
- ^ Tawaststjerna 2008a, p. 190.
Sources
Books
- Barnett, Andrew (2007). Sibelius. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-16397-1.
- Goss, Glenda Dawn (2009). Sibelius: A Composer's Life and the Awakening of Finland. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-00547-8.
- Tawaststjerna, Erik (2008) [1965/1967; trans. 1976]. Sibelius: Volume I, 1865–1905. Translated by Layton, Robert. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-24772-1.
Newspapers
- Bis [Wasenius, Karl] [in Finnish] (2 June 1918). "Richard Faltin [död]" [Richard Faltin [dead]]. Hufvudstadsbladet (in Swedish). No. 66. p. 8.
- E. K. [Katila, Evert] [in Finnish] (2 June 1918). "Richard Faltin [kuollut]" [Richard Faltin [dead]]. Uusi Suometar (in Finnish). No. 75. p. 10.
- W. (2 June 1918). "Richard Faltin [kuollut]" [Richard Faltin [dead]]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). No. 71. p. 7.