New-York tribune., 1903-05-24

were TO accept the score Of the Passion final
authority the chorale melody sung a cantus
frmus IN the first number would have to be played
on the organ. II is plain that when Bach com
posed that stupen6ous piece he did not
dream of having a sufficiently numerous force
Of singers divide it into three parts.
When he got the singers some occasion
OF special magnitude, presumably, he utilized them
and secured the thrilling effect that We know. He
was more particular than many others in writing
the appogaturas in his recitatives particularly
in those OF arfoso character. either TO insure
certain dramatic effects because he not
able to command finished singers. In doing he
fell under the condemnation. impliedly, of Tosi
eminent authority, who in his book "Opinioni de
Cantori Antichi moderni o sieno Osservazioni
sopra fl Canto fgurato." which was published in
I729 and translated into German by Agricola
HandeIs friend, who was a pupil of Bach for
three years, only decay Of the art in the
fact that some composers Of his time wrote out
the ordinary embellishments which the odd
singers (of thirty forty years before) applied of
their Voition- But 1t is necessary
sumo that Bach forbade everything which he did
not specifically allow. Spitta, who is strongly in
clined TO be strict constructonist on this point
reaches conclusion which deserves 10 be quoted:
It seems safe to conclude that since Bach in
general preferred to write out all the ornaments he
out so very often in the rectatives, he must mean
that they not TO be introduced in all the other
PAGES where tney might, perhaps, De deemed SUIT,
able fear, however, that this summary method
OF proceeding WO0iU haJuly IuiIl MS lEtenupn
Agricoa. whose works we have just been found
ing our opinion to Bach's custom of writing
TONED this as his custom, that We must at the
same time be careful TO distinguish between the
places where supplementary notes essential and
those where they are only accidental and non-es-
sential and that passage which is beautiful may
have the possibility of becoming by many degrees
more beautiful. When Bach wrote out
To that pas 9 We os osn ses s 4 fro S the faot
that very often ne supported the ornament by the
custom was to leave the accents, which must al
ways be dissonances. quite free.
Mr.. Wolfe seemed to be indifferent. at to
feel helpless tn this respect so far his solo
singers were concerned He left them TO their own
devices. but applied an adamantine rule TO his
players The result a lack of uniformity and
consistency. The ungraceful snap of his instrumen
tai appogiaturas which went against the grain
Of his singers, was by them modified, but only
timidly and haf-heartedly. Consequently they never
agreed either with the orchestra each other
except in the case Of Mrs Zimmerman and Mr..
Van YORK in the treatment OF the short trili in
the Domino Deus" of the mass-a circumstance
that explained by the fact that Mrs. thinner
sang at the performance Of the work in Gin
cinnati year ago. which occasion Mr.. Thomas
supplied parts to all the singers with every
belnshment written out precisely as he wished to
have II executed.
Something ought 10 be said about the playing of
the figured bass on the organ. The matter of how
the lacuna in the concerted pieces and arias were
filed pass over; * involves the questions Of the
competency Of the organist and the quality of the
instrument The treatment of the continue in the
dry rectatives Of the ''St. Matthew Passion how
ever, is another matter No doubt Bach used the
organ oftener than the harpsichord in his com
positions for the church; but he also used the
harpsichord. II is written that he had the Gem
which stood in the choir loft Of the Church OF
St Nicholas specially put in order for a perform
ance of the customary Passion service on Good Fri
day, I7A This five years before the Passion
According 10 st. Matthew" was composed; but the
cembalo remained in the church and used up
Bach's death. The autograph Of the "St Matthew
Passion shows the figured bass in sustained notes.
IN the library OF the Berlin Singakademie are pre-
served a complete set Of parts, and among them
two figured basses for organ (Continui pro Organo)
and one for harpsichord Continue pro Clavicem-
balo). ali in the handwriting of Bach.
voice part which is preserved In Bach's hand
writing indicates that he permitted the organist
to play short chords the organ to support the
recitatves Kittel of the last of Bach's pupils
taught Fischer. OF Erfurt, who was heard by Grel,