Stendhal, born Marie Henri Beyle, *23 January 1783 Grenoble, †23 March 1842 Paris, French writer. He lived during a period of great events in French history — from the outbreak of the French Revolution through the Napoleonic era (he participated in the Russian campaign of 1812) to the return of the Bourbons to the throne, during years of social upheaval and national liberation movements across almost all of Europe, which he got to know as a civil servant, holding various positions (including in the army) in France and other countries (Italy, Germany), and as a tourist, during the clash between the supporters of Classicism and Romanticism in the arts. Close observation of a wide spectrum of current political and artistic events influenced Stendhal’s worldview, his ideological and artistic attitude, in which 18th-century rationalism intertwines with 19th-century Romanticism and Realism. Among the galaxy of outstanding French writers (led by Victor Hugo and Honoré de Balzac), Stendhal stood out for his exploration of the complex human psyche; through introspection, he conducted self-analysis and went down in literary history as a leading representative of psychological realism.
He was noted for his extraordinary erudition; his numerous travels and reading of philosophical writings and literary works inspired him to reflect on theatre and music, painting, sculpture and architecture. He considered music to be the art form that best conveyed feelings, appealing to the listener’s imagination and, thanks to its melody, affecting their psyche. He also perceived it as an art form that was a source of pleasure. A lover of dramatic music, he valued Mozart and Rossini, and adored D. Cimarosa. As a regular visitor to musical theatres, he placed vocal works above instrumental ones. The names of Italian opera buffa composers (G. Paisiello, G.B. Pergolesi, S. Mayr) and French comic opera (F.A. Boieldieu, N. Isouard) frequently appear in his letters and diaries.
He published only two works strictly related to music, the first of which (a biography of Haydn published under the penname A.-L.C. Bombet) caused a scandal, as it turned out to be plagiarism of a brochure by Italian writer and librettist G.A. Carpani, Le Haydine ovvero Lettere sulla vita e le opere del celebre maestro Giuseppe Haydn (Milan, 1812); the second, a biography of Rossini rich in anecdotes, is often quoted despite numerous inaccuracies.
Stendhal wrote about music in articles, reviews and accounts of artistic life published in various French magazines (e.g. in the “Journal de Paris”, 1824–27, published posthumously as Notes d’un dilettante) and English magazines (including the “London Magazine” and “New Monthly”), but references to music are scattered throughout almost all of his writings (dissertations on non-musical topics, autobiographical literary works, letters, diaries).
He wrote about music in its broader cultural context, mocking the tastes of the bourgeoisie and vocal idols, spontaneously expressing his opinions and feelings, by provoking applause and outrage, he forced his contemporaries to adopt a critical stance. Even today, Stendhal’s writings are controversial, as alongside brilliant generalisations, they contain shocking examples of ignorance in the field of music, but they nevertheless stimulate reflection on the role of music in a person’s life. Stendhal’s musical thought, which is a manifestation of the dichotomy between emotionalism and rationalism, is a testimony to the penetration of his own “ego”, a unique message about his attitude towards music – “my only love” (The Life of Henry Brulard).
Literatura: Correspondance, 3 vols., ed. H. Martineau and V. Del Litto, Paris 1962–68; Korespondencja (wybór), transl. by H. Szumańska-Grossowa, ed. by I. Wachlowska, Warsaw 1963; Dziennik (wybór z lat 1801–23), transl. by F. Śniatecka-Wowerowa, afterword by M. Dramińska-Joczowa, Warsaw 1971; H. Martineau Le calendrier de Stendhal, Paris 1950; H.C. Jacobs Stendhal und die Musik. Forschungsbericht und kritische Bibliographie 1900–1980, Frankfurt am Main 1983; J.W. Klein Stendhal as Music Critic, “The Musical Quarterly” XXIX, 1943; R. Dollot Stendhal journaliste, Paris 1948; C. Roy Stendhal, Paris 1951, 2nd revised edition Paris 1995; H. Martineau L’Oeuvre de Stendhal. Histoire de ses livres et de sa pensée, Paris 1951 and Le coeur de Stendhal. Histoire de sa vie et des sentiments, 2 vols., Paris 1952, 1953, Polish edition Serce Stendhala, 2 vols., transl. by F. Śniatecka, Warsaw 1961; R. Switzer and R. Williams Stendhal. The Music Critic, “Modern Language Quarterly” XVII, 1956; M. Wood Stendhal, New York 1971; O. Matteini Stendhal e la musica, Turin 1981; J. Mongrédien A propos de Rossini. Une polémique Stendhal-Berton, in: Stendhal e Milano, Proceedings of the 14th International Congress devoted to Stendhal in Milan 1980, ed. A.M. Raugei and D. Boccassini Coen, Florence 1982; S. Dado and P. Vendrix Stendhal et Rossini. Uno studio documentario, “Bollettino del centro Rossiniano di studi” XXXIX, 1999; S. Downes Musical Pleasures and Amorous Passions: Stendhal, the Crystallization Process, and Listening to Rossini and Beethoven, “19th-Century Music” XXVI No. 3 (2003), pp. 235–257; A. Brown Stendhal, London 2008; F. Bronner La Schiassetti: Jacquemont, Rossini, Stendhal – Une saison parisienne au théâtre italien, e-book Paris 2011; A. Opiela La musique dans la pensée et dans l’œuvre de Stendhal et de Nerval, Paris 2015, e-book 2015; A. Manzini Stendhal, London 2019; F. Claudon Stendhal et la musique, Grenoble 2019; A. Guibal Stendhal biographie, Grenoble 2020.
