Das Wohltemperierte Klavier; der Versuch einer Synopsis by Johann Nepomuk DavidReview by: Klaus SpeerNotes, Second Series, Vol. 19, No. 4 (Sep., 1962), pp. 623-624Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/894625 .

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ten years ago, Mr. Sumner has brought his material into better balance than was the case in the first and second editions. There are only minor omissions and changes in the previous text, but a sub- stantial amount of new material has been added. This consists of 11 new plates, more than 30 new specifications, a quite arbitrary list of 74 "chief composers of organ music," a page of observations on the rebuilding of old organs, and a sup- plement of 166 items to the bibliography. It is nice to report that Frotscher's classic writings on the history of the organ have finally found their way into the list. Three pages have been added to chapter three to take brief notice of the Netherland school of builders, the material being derived from M. A. Vente's recent Die Brabanter Orgel. About 40 entries have been added to the glossary of organ stops and there are numerous minor corrections and addi- tions throughout.

The most valuable section of the book is what amounts to an annotated check- list of English organ-builders from the 10th century to the present. This list is enlarged in the present edition. The complete specifications for one hundred organs, given in an appendix, also represent a very convenient reference source.

As other reviewers of the two previous editions have pointed out (see NOTES for March 1953 & June 1956), the over- whelming emphasis on English organs makes the title of the book somewhat of a misnomer. For a book that purports without qualification to be a history of the organ to have 121 of the 241 pages of the historical section devoted to the English organ would seem to indicate a certain bias on the part of the author. This lopsided attitude is also reflected in the collection of specifications, where 34 of the 100 examples are English. Although the author says in his new preface that "in the post-war world the most striking features of the organ and its music have been the remarkable developments in the North American con- tinent," these striking features are al- lotted in the text only a single paragraph half of which is nothing more than a

ten years ago, Mr. Sumner has brought his material into better balance than was the case in the first and second editions. There are only minor omissions and changes in the previous text, but a sub- stantial amount of new material has been added. This consists of 11 new plates, more than 30 new specifications, a quite arbitrary list of 74 "chief composers of organ music," a page of observations on the rebuilding of old organs, and a sup- plement of 166 items to the bibliography. It is nice to report that Frotscher's classic writings on the history of the organ have finally found their way into the list. Three pages have been added to chapter three to take brief notice of the Netherland school of builders, the material being derived from M. A. Vente's recent Die Brabanter Orgel. About 40 entries have been added to the glossary of organ stops and there are numerous minor corrections and addi- tions throughout.

The most valuable section of the book is what amounts to an annotated check- list of English organ-builders from the 10th century to the present. This list is enlarged in the present edition. The complete specifications for one hundred organs, given in an appendix, also represent a very convenient reference source.

As other reviewers of the two previous editions have pointed out (see NOTES for March 1953 & June 1956), the over- whelming emphasis on English organs makes the title of the book somewhat of a misnomer. For a book that purports without qualification to be a history of the organ to have 121 of the 241 pages of the historical section devoted to the English organ would seem to indicate a certain bias on the part of the author. This lopsided attitude is also reflected in the collection of specifications, where 34 of the 100 examples are English. Although the author says in his new preface that "in the post-war world the most striking features of the organ and its music have been the remarkable developments in the North American con- tinent," these striking features are al- lotted in the text only a single paragraph half of which is nothing more than a

listing of the principal organ-builders in the United States and Canada.

Nevertheless, this is still the most com- prehensive and reliable work in English on the subject and the little chapter on performance and technique is one of the best I know of in any language.

RICHARD KEITH

Das Wohltemperierte Klavier; der Versuch einer Synopsis. Von Johann Nepomuk David. G6ttingen: Van- denhoeck & Ruprecht, [1962]. [92 p., music; DM15.-]

". . The present study attempts to deal with musical unity and to prove (1) that the entire material of a fugue has grown out of its subject and depends on it substantially; (2) to show and trace musical relationships between prel- ude and fugue; and (3) to report the findings of comparisons between move- ments of the same key in parts I and II

. ." This paragraph from the introduc- tion (p. 6) ends with the statement that harmonic detail is mostly ignored in this book because it has been covered by almost all previous studies.

David, a leading contrapuntalist in Germany for several decades, justifies yet another book on the Well-Tempered Clavier by concentrating on the three matters announced above. His main pro- cedure is to show relations by printing different single-line quotations above each other and drawing connecting lines be- tween the two or three or four quota- tions for subject and counterpoint and/or prelude and/or corresponding fugue in the same key.

The entire book shows the composer at work. David seems to try-with all due reverence-to put himself in Bach's position and to imagine how certain passages might have come about in the composer's mind. He attempts to explain, or to understand by verbalizing, the per- fection or eminent suitability of so many fugue subjects by scrutinizing them melodically. Whether in the process of reading his results one learns more about J. S. Bach or about J. N. David seems to this reviewer to matter little. Many of the parallelisms we may have vaguely felt at some time; here is a

listing of the principal organ-builders in the United States and Canada.

Nevertheless, this is still the most com- prehensive and reliable work in English on the subject and the little chapter on performance and technique is one of the best I know of in any language.

RICHARD KEITH

Das Wohltemperierte Klavier; der Versuch einer Synopsis. Von Johann Nepomuk David. G6ttingen: Van- denhoeck & Ruprecht, [1962]. [92 p., music; DM15.-]

". . The present study attempts to deal with musical unity and to prove (1) that the entire material of a fugue has grown out of its subject and depends on it substantially; (2) to show and trace musical relationships between prel- ude and fugue; and (3) to report the findings of comparisons between move- ments of the same key in parts I and II

. ." This paragraph from the introduc- tion (p. 6) ends with the statement that harmonic detail is mostly ignored in this book because it has been covered by almost all previous studies.

David, a leading contrapuntalist in Germany for several decades, justifies yet another book on the Well-Tempered Clavier by concentrating on the three matters announced above. His main pro- cedure is to show relations by printing different single-line quotations above each other and drawing connecting lines be- tween the two or three or four quota- tions for subject and counterpoint and/or prelude and/or corresponding fugue in the same key.

The entire book shows the composer at work. David seems to try-with all due reverence-to put himself in Bach's position and to imagine how certain passages might have come about in the composer's mind. He attempts to explain, or to understand by verbalizing, the per- fection or eminent suitability of so many fugue subjects by scrutinizing them melodically. Whether in the process of reading his results one learns more about J. S. Bach or about J. N. David seems to this reviewer to matter little. Many of the parallelisms we may have vaguely felt at some time; here is a

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man who looked for the causes of such feelings and dared to offer us analyses that often may seem far-fetched but are always feasible. Inaudible sophistries have not been beneath the dignity of many great composers since at least Machaut. It seems that David himself is much occupied with what, in more than one place, he attributes to J. S. Bach: a "search for the laws of tonalities and their power to produce themes" (p. 57).

man who looked for the causes of such feelings and dared to offer us analyses that often may seem far-fetched but are always feasible. Inaudible sophistries have not been beneath the dignity of many great composers since at least Machaut. It seems that David himself is much occupied with what, in more than one place, he attributes to J. S. Bach: a "search for the laws of tonalities and their power to produce themes" (p. 57).

The similarity among fugue subjects in the same key throughout Bach's oeuvre is especially astonishing when one recalls how often he transposed earlier composi- tions when reworking them.

The many quotations in this book can be used without reading all the text; thus much of the book can be studied without an extensive knowledge of Ger- man.

KLAUS SPEER

The similarity among fugue subjects in the same key throughout Bach's oeuvre is especially astonishing when one recalls how often he transposed earlier composi- tions when reworking them.

The many quotations in this book can be used without reading all the text; thus much of the book can be studied without an extensive knowledge of Ger- man.

KLAUS SPEER

CHURCH MUSIC CHURCH MUSIC

One of the most heartening evidences of the renaissance taking place in the field of church music throughout west- ern Christendom is the number of sig- nificant books currently being published on various facets of the subject. Re- newed vitality in the fields of composi- tion and performance of church music began in Europe and Great Britain early in the present century, reaching Ameri- can shores several decades later. From the start, this was accompanied by a sizeable literature from English, French, and German authors. But with the ex- ception of pioneering works by Archi- bald T. Davison, Edward Dickinson, and Charles Winfred Douglas, little that was significant by way of books on church music was published in this country prior to World War II. Since that time, the literature in America has grown steadily. The following eight works have appeared during just the past eighteen months:

Karl Gustav Fellerer: The History of Catholic Church Music (Baltimore: Heli- con Press, 1961; 225 p., 8vo; $7.50) was originally written in German and pub- lished in 1939, with a second edition in 1949. The present English translation has been prepared by Francis A. Brun- ner, C.Ss.R., with a few additional para- graphs mentioning contemporary Ameri- can musicians. The basic work by the distinguished professor of the University of Cologne needs no fresh review. It is good to have it now available for stu- dents who do not read German fluently. For European music down to the year 1900, Fellerer presents a well-balanced

One of the most heartening evidences of the renaissance taking place in the field of church music throughout west- ern Christendom is the number of sig- nificant books currently being published on various facets of the subject. Re- newed vitality in the fields of composi- tion and performance of church music began in Europe and Great Britain early in the present century, reaching Ameri- can shores several decades later. From the start, this was accompanied by a sizeable literature from English, French, and German authors. But with the ex- ception of pioneering works by Archi- bald T. Davison, Edward Dickinson, and Charles Winfred Douglas, little that was significant by way of books on church music was published in this country prior to World War II. Since that time, the literature in America has grown steadily. The following eight works have appeared during just the past eighteen months:

Karl Gustav Fellerer: The History of Catholic Church Music (Baltimore: Heli- con Press, 1961; 225 p., 8vo; $7.50) was originally written in German and pub- lished in 1939, with a second edition in 1949. The present English translation has been prepared by Francis A. Brun- ner, C.Ss.R., with a few additional para- graphs mentioning contemporary Ameri- can musicians. The basic work by the distinguished professor of the University of Cologne needs no fresh review. It is good to have it now available for stu- dents who do not read German fluently. For European music down to the year 1900, Fellerer presents a well-balanced

survey of men and styles, with musical examples. Unfortunately, for the present century and for the new material on American church music the author and translator-editor are content merely to list names with little discussion of styles and no mention or analysis of significant new works. The bibliography is curious- ly uneven. The result is a book which is still but an introduction to the field of older Roman Catholic music. It does not supply the information needed by the serious church musician; in fact, it does little more than bring together information found in the larger general histories of music. This is unfortunate, for there is a real need for a thorough, analytic study of the main-streams of church music-Roman Catholic, Ortho- dox, and Protestant.

Charles L. Etherington: Protestant Worship Music, its History and Practice (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Win- ston, [1962]; 278 p., 8vo) is ostensibly a Protestant counterpart to Fellerer's work. The author does not begin with the Reformation, however, but presents in the first ninety pages a summary of the music history common to all West- ern churches. The summary suffers in that it is no more than the sort which appears in almost all histories of music, especially those of several generations ago. Landini "was a skilled composer, probably for the organ as well as for voices"! "After the death of Tallis in 1585, Byrd was the only outstanding com- poser of church music [in England]"! Besides misstatements of this sort, there are also a number of inaccuracies such

survey of men and styles, with musical examples. Unfortunately, for the present century and for the new material on American church music the author and translator-editor are content merely to list names with little discussion of styles and no mention or analysis of significant new works. The bibliography is curious- ly uneven. The result is a book which is still but an introduction to the field of older Roman Catholic music. It does not supply the information needed by the serious church musician; in fact, it does little more than bring together information found in the larger general histories of music. This is unfortunate, for there is a real need for a thorough, analytic study of the main-streams of church music-Roman Catholic, Ortho- dox, and Protestant.

Charles L. Etherington: Protestant Worship Music, its History and Practice (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Win- ston, [1962]; 278 p., 8vo) is ostensibly a Protestant counterpart to Fellerer's work. The author does not begin with the Reformation, however, but presents in the first ninety pages a summary of the music history common to all West- ern churches. The summary suffers in that it is no more than the sort which appears in almost all histories of music, especially those of several generations ago. Landini "was a skilled composer, probably for the organ as well as for voices"! "After the death of Tallis in 1585, Byrd was the only outstanding com- poser of church music [in England]"! Besides misstatements of this sort, there are also a number of inaccuracies such

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