Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11
M u S &C
BY HELEN FETTER.

/, Mrs. Katherine B. Parker and
Gerrit s. Miller, jr.
y X 4 X
TT is always interesting to gel
one composers views of a. :
other, when they show a broad
mindedness and appreciation Of
the valuable qualities in the 9TH
er's work. Such an appreciation
of Bach was written by Richard
Wagner, whose name likewise has
been closely associated with Leip-
zig, the German city where Bach
spent many Of his most produc-
tive years as organist and choir
master Of st. Thomas.
Wagner said:
IF one wishes to fix in his mind the
individual style, force and meaning OF
the German spirit in an unforgettable
picture, he must look sharply and
thoughtfully at the scarcely under
standable appearance of that musical
wonder man, Sebastian Bach. His is
the history of the subjective life of the
German spirit during that terrible cen
fury when as a people they were almost
completely exterminated. Look at his
head, hidden in its foolish perruque;
cantor and organist In little Thuringian
villages, scarcely known even by name,
dragged out q miserable existence, re-
naming so little known that it needed
a whole century to rescue his works
from oblivion. The style of expression
which he uses gives us picture of his
time, dry, stiff, pedantic-one might
call it wig and plat transferred into
notes. And yet, what a world the in
comprehensive Sebastian formed from
these elements! I can only suggest that
we try to find this rich beauty and deep
meaning which SO pervades the music
Of the great Bach"
It has been very difficult for
DR.. Wolfe, conductor Of the Bach
Choir, to secure copies Of the can
tatas which are to be sung at the
festival. According to q recent
interview published in leading
New York paper, Immediately
after the festival last year DR..
Wolfe began a search for cantatas
for use this year.
He went through the go volumes of
Bach's published works and for the first
time selected q program without learn
ing in advance whether copies could be
procured with English text in Leipzig,
Germany.
at transpired that only two of the
cantatas were printed in English and
the rest had ceased to be published al
together. Copies of the two in English
were received In time to use when the
rehearsals began last October, and the
remainder came only gradually as they
were cleared from the press, so that the
last arrived only last month
But, alasl All the text was in Ger
man and had to be translated into
English. There were 5000 copies to
be supplied with English text and,
amazing as it may seem, Miss Kate
Hess, DR.. Wolle's secretary, and Miss
Ella Christine, secretary Of the Bach
Choir, actually inserted the English
translation in all Of the 5000 copies
Stupendous task.
"Dr. Wolfe himself made some Of the
translations, and for others depended
on Charles Sanford Terry's book on
Bach cantata texts. For the fifth can
tata on the program, oh, Praise Je-
hovah Who Reigneth on Earth and in
Heaven he used DR.. Comenius Chitty's
translation of the hymn. DR.. Chitty
was in the past a well known teacher,
organist and choirmaster in Bethlehem,
coming here from winston Salem, N. G.
In speaking Oh the Glme SpenC ana
hard work entailed in securing and pre-
pairing the chorale-cantatas, DR.. Wolfe
sighed as he said, DO you know that
many persons say that only work two
days in the year and take my ease the
rest of the time?'
1.-THE cantatas sung at the festival are
never selected haphazard, but always
with motive. There are some can
tatas, DR.. Wolfe told his interviewer, in
which no chorales are introduced by
Bach, but the 10 selected for the COM
ing festival are all known as chorale-
cantatas. The first and second, third
and fourth are bound together by q
common theme"