Camille Mauclair in
Bohemia (1907)
Text by
Rosemary Yeoland, November 7, 2010. |
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The writer and arts critic, Camille Mauclair went to
Czechoslovakia (Bohemia) in 1907 with Henri Le Sidaner. Whilst Le
Sidaner gave an exhibition of his paintings in the same pavilion
that had shown Auguste Rodin’s work earlier, Mauclair gave a series
of talks. When he had asked what he should talk about, he was told
by Czech officials: “Whatever you want. Our joy above all will be to
hear a French writer speaking purely in French!” The two Frenchmen
were very warmly welcomed, driven by car around the city and treated
to an attendance at the production of the opera Libuse
marking the twenty fifth anniversary of Frédéric Smetena’s death.
They also attended various parties on the island of Zofin where
Slovakian dances were performed.
Of the performance of Smetena’s Libuse at the Théâtre
National Tchèque, Mauclair writes : “j’ai vécu là, deux des plus
belles heures musicales de ma vie” and comments in his Histoire
de la musique européenne 1815-1914 (Paris, 1914, p.209), that
Smetena was the first to raise a national voice in Bohemia and
opened the path for the future of music in this country. Mauclair’s
music text was written with the aim of making his French readers
more aware of the beautiful music that existed outside of France.
As for the music of Anton Dvorak, Mauclair sees the joy and
suffering of the Czech people transcribed into a constant
confrontation of a lamento alternating with humorous caprice
creating a music of great beauty.
He also mentions the composers François Skuhersky, Charles Schebor,
Charles Bendl, Josef Rozkosny, Théodor Bradsky, Edouard Napravnik
and Zdenko Fibich, all unknown in France during the fin-de siècle
epoch.
For Mauclair, the music of Czechoslovakia is very original; the
intimate expression of Bohemia, inspired by popular Czech and
Slovakian lieder, amplified orchestrally without ever losing
the local colour.
References: Mauclair, Camille. Servitude
et grandeur littéraires. (Paris : Ollendorff, 1922).
---. La Religion de la
musique. (Paris : Fischbacher, 1909).
---. Histoire de la
musique européenne 1815-1914. (Paris : Fischbacher, 1914).

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Postcard to B, 14-05-1907.
8 days to go before Mauclair arrives!
Drawing in pencil: Charles Bridge of Prague.. |
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Czech illustrator-painter Strimpl,
French writer and arts critic
Camille Mauclair with, Czech Sculptor Bohumil Kafka.
Drawing/ Caricature by Hugo Boettinger (Dr.Desiderius).
Published in the book:
Hugo Böttinger (Dr. Desiderius): Karrikatury, Praha - J.Otto
- 1910.
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