Ferdinand Rebay and the Sonata Paradigm

Luiz Mantovani, Universidade do Estado de Santa CatarinaFollow

Keywords

Ferdinand Rebay, sonata, chamber music, Wiener Musikakademie, Gerta Hammerschmid, IGV

Abstract

With an output of over thirty sonatas or sonata-structured works, Viennese composer Ferdinand Rebay (1880–1953) may be considered among the most significant composers of guitar sonatas; as yet, however, little has been written to place Rebay’s sonatas in historical context. Departing from a review of a guitar concert held in Vienna in 1925, which clearly indicates a shift in the perception of the instrument’s role and capabilities among mainstream audiences, I begin this investigation exploring the guitar club environment in German-speaking territories around the turn of the century, with a focus on the activities of the IGV (Internationale Gitarristenverband; International Association of Guitarists). Equally important was the implementation of the guitar curriculum at the Wiener Musikakademie in 1923 by Jakob Ortner (1879–1959), because it opened a window for chamber music collaboration and attracted the interest of non-guitarist composers such as Rebay. I highlight the role of Rebay’s niece, guitarist Gerta Hammerschmid (1906–1985), as an advocate for her uncle’s music—speculating, however, that her controlling attitude may have limited Rebay’s music from reaching beyond its Viennese sphere. After examining the constructed values of the post-Beethoven sonata and its domestic ramifications in the nineteenth century, I delve into Rebay’s extensive collection of sonatas, especially those for chamber music ensembles, and discuss its reception among Viennese musicians and critics alike. A final section outlines some of the main characteristics of Rebay’s sonatas by providing a structural overview of a significant subset—namely, the six sonatas for woodwind instruments and guitar—and demonstrating their connections to the Romantic amateur chamber sonata.