Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-09
Discovery OF Missing Music,
he London Telegram. Jan. 25.


Great excitment has been created in
German musical circles by the discovery,
in an old country mansion belonging to
the noble Saxon family Of Witzthun, of a
large number of manuscript compositions
by John Sebastian Bach, hitherto believed
to have been irretrievably lost. All the
works produced by the illustrious author
of the Eight and Forty in the course
of his long and musically fruitful life are
recorded, severally and collectively, in
MIXERS admirable work. the I'M usical
Library" and hundreds Of the compo-
sittons therein mentioned have hitherto
been mysteriously missing. Nothing
was known Of their destruction, by acct
dent or otherwise; they were simply IN
discoverable. Among them were works
of the first magnitude, in which it is
believed that Bach's surprising genius
found its most cx.lted expression, such
as the Passion according to SAINTS Mark
and Luke, and the grand Christmas ora
torlos. A theory has long been ventila-
ted in the musical press Of Germany to
the effect that, were an exhaustive search
instituted through all the districts ana
places at one time or another inhabited or
visited by Bach, it could not fail to be
productive OF some profoundly interest
ing discovery. Robert Franz, the we'll
known composer, aud editor Of Bach S
works, determined to undertake this en-
terprise, and set about it in the most
minute and painstaking manner imagin-
able. He went from town to village, and
from village to country house, examining
garrets and cellars, and turning over
vast accommodations Of inconceivable rub
bish, but in vain. until he came to
Schloss Witzthun. There, walking through
the park towards the house, he No.
ticed that the stakes to which the young
fruit and ornamental trees had been tied
were padded with paper, instead of
leather rags, generally used in Germany
to prevent young trees from chatting
against the poles by which they are sup.
ported and kept straight. He went close
to one Of the saplings,, animated, as he
himself admits, more by idle curiosity
than by any hope connected with the i'm
mediate purpose of his, mission. What
was his Joy, what his horror, upon recog-
nizing Bach's we'll. known and beautiful
notation upon the paper padding! He
eagerly inquired of the gardener who was
accompanying him through the grounds
whence he had obtained the manuscript
The man replied phlegmatically, up in
the loft under the roof there are several
trunks full OF old music, which was OF
no use to anybody, 80 I took it to wrap
round the trees, as the paper was thick
and strong, and did just as we'll for my
purpose as leather or linen rags. I have
been using it up for long while. and am
very we'll satisfied with it. There is a
good lot of it still left :" Franz rushed
up to the loft, and found there one trunk.
as yet unopened, which, when he raised
the lid, he perceived to be crammed full
Of manuscript music. This treasure
proved to consist of no fewer than $50
violin sonatas by the great contrapuntist.
1t appears only too probable that the
glorious "Passion Music" several
Christmas oratorios and many other
precious compositions have been fused
up'' BY the Witzthun gardener, happily
unconscious of vandalism which canno,
fail to send cold shudder down the back
of every musician who hears of it. Rain
and snow have expunged from this in
estimable padding some of the nobiesl
music that ever issued from the brain OF
mighty master; but we may heartily
felicitate the excellent musician to whom
the world owes the discovery Of this
splendid addition to its collection of tone
gems, that SO many of Bach's missing
works have been saved from the barbar-
Gus determination with which they were
Immediately threatened.
"Wife! wife our cows dead--choked
with turnip." II told you so. I always
know'd she'd choke herself with them
turnips." But it was pumpkin darneo
big one." "Wal, it's all the same.
know'd all along how it would be
Nobody but ninny like you would feed 8
COW on pumpkins that wasn't chopt
The pumpkins was chopt. And 'twan1
the pumpkins neither that choked her
Twas the tray-the end ont is sticking
out of hermouth now.' "Ugh! ugh! There
goes my bread tray. No longer ago thar
yesterday, l told you the COW woulc
break that tray!''
The fashion plates that come from Paris
are cOlored mostly in the nrisOn bv female