The organ of the Lutheran Church, Nemescsó (1789)
The organ of the Lutheran Church, Nemescsó (1789)
Daniel Croner
Tabulatura
The activities of Daniel Croner (1656-1740) are linked
with the town of Brassó (Kronstadt) situated in a Saxon inhabited
region of Transylvania which once formed a part of Hungary. Croner was
a Lutheran pastor and later an ex-dean. He studied theology in Breslau
and Wittenberg in Germany. Very little is known as yet about his life,
one thing, however, is certain – his composing and collecting work has
been preserved in several tablature volumes. This record includes the
full material of the first of these volumes.
The first tablature volume consists of two parts. The first bears the
inscription "Tabulatura Fugarum, Praeludiorum,Canzonarum, /
Tocatarum et Phantasiarum. / Comparata Daniele Cronero Coronense, /
Transylvano, / Anno: 1681. Die 30. Janu / Wratislavia". Its
material is written in what is known as the "new German tablature" (die
neue deutsche Orgaltabulatur) mode of notation. It contains six
unnumbered "Applicaturs" as well as seventy pieces. Five of these
latter works were given names and thus their authorship is hardly, or
not at all questionable. Closer examination, however, has cast light on
the fact that the material in Croner's tablature book comprises pieces
covering much wider limits of time than assumed by its first
researchers. and believed by Andreas Porfetye who issued part of the
material of the volume in modern music notation (1). It has thereby
turned out that its roots reach back to the turn of the 16th and 17th
centuries. One piece (we shall return to it later) is by Giovanni
Gabrieli (1557-1613), the chorale adaptation No. 1 is probably based on
a work of Jan Pieterszon Sweelinck (1562-1621), while the basic
material consists of a copy of the tablature publication of Johann
Erasmus Kindermann (1616-1655), "Harmonia organica", issued in 1645 in
Nuremberg (2).
The inscription of Part Two is the following: "Tabulatura / Num:
12. Praeambulorum und / einem Capriccio Von eben 12. Va- / riationen:
Durch alle Claves und To- / nos auff Clavichordien und Spinetten / zu
gebrauchen, gesetzt von / Johann George Kittelen / Weltberühmbten
Churf. Hoff / Organisten in Dreßden. / Anno: / 1682. Mense Majo."
And at the right bottom: "Wittenbergae / Aõ: 1682. d. 16. Maj. /
Scrib: Dan: Cro: C. T. St. / mp."
The person of "Johann Georg Kittel" indicated in Croner's inscription
could not be unambiguously identified to this day. Apel's supposition
appears to be the most satisfactory (3), who attributed the cycle
copied by Croner to the Dresden musician, Johann Heinrich Kittel
(1652-1682). As regards the cycle let us note that it is the earliest
known series before J. S. Bach's "Wohltemperiertes Klavier", which goes
through all the keys – or at least in this case 12 of them – in
"Praeludium" form.
Within the limited space at our disposal we shall try to give an
outline survey of Croner's collection. In view of the fact that on the
records we have adhered to the original numbering of the tablature,
here we refer only to digits in the following abbreviation: C/1-2-3,
etc. the identity with the above mentioned Kindermann pieces is
indicated by the numbering used in the modern Complete Edition,
abbreviated as K/1-2-3, etc.
Part One
C/1. A two-part (bicinium) elaboration of the popular Lutheran
chorale, in close relationship with, but considerably simpler than,
Sweelinck's arrangement of the same melody – also in a bicinium form. A
product of the early 17th century North German school.
C/2. A canzona of typically Italian origin which, however, could
have been written even by a Southern German master of Hans Leo Haßler
or Christian Erbach's school. Attention should be drawn here to the
fact that Croner's titles very often do not coincide with the real
content of the work. This piece has a restricted, three-part
construction despite its title, "Praeludium".
C/4. In spite of its lively broken triad theme the work also
follows the Italian (or Southern German) style of around 1620-40.
C/5-6-7. Somewhat scholastic sequence studies (pieces? excerpts
of pieces?) of very simple texture, from the first half of the 17th
century.
C/8-9. It seems to sum up the compositional lessons of the
previous short pieces in a major span.
C/10. Giovanni Gabrieli's work (4). Nevertheless it is worth
noting the manner in which Croner applied certain abbreviations and
here and there, simplifications. The inscription "Fuga ex D" bears out
that the piece obviously in g, in ended in d. (Gabrieli called it
"Canzona".)
C/11. A somewhat rudimentary arrangement of a most ingenious,
canzona-like theme, showing progress in composing practice.
C/12. A real masterwork. Its theme international significance.
(Among others Scheidt also wrote a setting of it in his collection,
"Tabulatura nova" 1624; Part 2, piece No. 3).
C/13. A free toccata indicating Sweelinck's school.
C/14. to C/29. The following short movements must have served as
introductions to congregational church singing. They display every form
of construction technique used in the age, and have the effect of
written improvisations of an organist. The musical material grows into
major compositions only here and there, some of them are nothing more
than merely the setting of the key in which the congregation then could
start their singing.
C/30. This piece deserves special attention. Croner's tablature
volume here coalesces the achievements of the grand Baroque toccata
form in his material. Peculiar harsh dissonances are heard and the
voice leading takes the form of the Baroque "serpentine". This trend is
followed in the next item.
C/31. It is a strongly stylized dance-like piece, not in the
original sense of the dance, however, but in its formal function
acquired within the Baroque suite.
C/32. This piece bearing the inscription "Concordantiae"
represents a backward step to the volume's didactic-pedagogical
purpose: the organist wants to learn (or have the user of the book
learn) how a C major scale should be harmonized. Within the first
section this practice may be termed as "closing the section".
C/33. This is the first piece of the transcription of
Kindermann's publication of 1645 (cf. Note No. 2).
Croner copied 25 of Kindermann's 30 movements in his collection, in the
following order:
from C/33. to C/56. (24 pieces) + C/58. (5)
Croner did not generally copy the pieces by Kindermann in order, and
this makes the collation extremely complicated, therefore here we can
refer only to a few movements. The majority of the pieces on Side 2 are
"Praeambula" – little gems in the twelve ecclesiastical keys used in
the period. They are generally characterized by a freely treated three
or four-part construction. The so-called ecclesiastical keys appear
with a forceful major-minor character-and in this sense they offer a
musical experience free from any archaizing. Their lengths vary between
13 and 20 bars. C/33. (= K/20) deserves special mention. This
is a masterly "Fugue" built on a lively theme. The last two pieces on
Side 2, C/49. + C/50. (= K/15 - K/18) also bear the
inscription "Fugue" in the case of both composers. The former uses the
first two lines of the Lutheran chorale which forms the basic material
for its theme; while the latter is a free, animated and simple fugue.
Side 2 also includes C/38. = K/19. – a free fugue.
C/51. to C/56. include "Magnificat" arrangements, which are
called "Intonations". The first is in the 4th key (hypophrygian),
containing only one "Versus" (in other words, consisting of one
movement). The following 5 movements (C/52. to C/56.)
comprise the last number in Kindermann's publication (K/25), with the
exception of the "Quartus Versus", as indicated also by the
inscriptions (6). It is written in the 8th key (hypomixolydian), which
with Kindermann already closely approaches our G major key.
C/57. A very simple and short "fughetta" built on a splendid
sounding turning theme.
C/58. (= K/23) One of Kindermann's most beautiful chorale
arrangements which has been included in many modern editions.
C/65. Is one of the loveliest Lutheran chorale arrangements of
the collection. All the four lines of the popular melody "Wo Gott zum
Haus nicht gibt sein Gunst" are given first a two- and then a
three-voice elaboration.
C/66. The reference to the author of the piece ("Geor. Frob.")
naturally stands for Johann Jacob Froberger; more exactly it is the
closing fughetta of the Toccata marked Number 19 in the complete
edition (7).
Finally it should be noted that we were unable to collate pieces C/62.
and C/63. (Johann Ulich), as well as C/67-69. (B.
Meyer), thus we could not decide whether they were unique, or their
concordances feature in other German tablature books. Croner's six
unnumbered "Applicaturs" are heard at the end of Side 3.
In conclusion, Croner's collection offers a glimpse into the process by
which an organist living in the second half of the 17th century
penetrated into the workshop secrets of instrumental performance and
composition. It permits us to learn, together with him, the musical
idiom that prevailed between 1600 and ca. 1680, both contrapuntal and
chordal construction. In accordance with its purpose it is a "serious"
collection, without any trace of a direct dance-like tone, at most in
infinitely stylized form. Each of the pieces shows even pulsation. The
didactic – and together with it the chronological – aspect can be
determined to a certain degree: the style, grade of difficulty and
length of the pieces show definite growth and development. (This is
true even if the line of progress is not entirely unbroken – its basic
trend is definitely perceptible.)
Part Two
The second part of Croner's tablature volume is stylistically so
unified, originating so obviously from one and the same composer, that
it may be reviewed more briefly and simply.
The first 12 preludes that form the backbone of the second part, in the
final analysis-and apart from its great variety of keys already
referred to earlier-follow a single basic principle: the desire to
teach the performer how to play varied chords in 12 keys following each
other in convincing succession, and indeed, in different manners of
chordal performance and broken chords, that is with the right hand, the
left hand, with alternating hands, upwards, downwards, in complementary
motion, etc. The chord progressions used by Croner – or more exactly by
Kittel – usually proceed according to their functional order (that is,
based on attractions). The composer also takes care to introduce the
performer, in addition to the various keys, to the different metrical
forms (2/4, 3/4, 12/8). The second part contains no old material at
all, and it seems to have originated shortly before it was written down
(1670-80?).
The 12 preludes of a quite uniform composing are followed by two more
movements. The first bears the inscription "Capriccio supra Brevem
Bassum: B flat-a-g-f-e flat-d-c-f", which is nothing other than 12
variations to the given notes, constructed with the well-known Baroque
"passacaglia" variation technique. In every case the given tones appear
in the bass-in variation No. 11 richly ornamented – and the cycle
closes with a simple recapitulation of the theme.
The second part of Croner's tablature volume ends with a splendid fugue
in E major which, according to the manuscript was noted down on
November 20, 1684 (this is why the inscription given in the
introduction makes no mention of it).
The last record side offers the listener an animated, lively picture of
the Middle German composing and performing technique of the last third
of the 17th century.
András Pernye
Notes
(1) Altsiebenbürgische Orgelmusik Heft I-II-III. Komponiert um 1680.
Daniel Croner (1655-1740). Aus der Orgel-Tabulatur übertragen von
Andreas Porfetye. Edition Breitkopf und Härtel, Wiesbaden, 1971-1972.
(Note: the date given for Croner's birth is erronous. The correct date
is 1656.)
(2) No copy of Kindermann's tablature book has survived. Its modern
complete edition: Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Bayern, Jahrgang 21-24.
Teil II. Published by: Bertha Antonia Wallner (Augsburg, 1924). Bertha
Antonia Wallner (Augsburg, 1924).
(3) Willi Apel, Geschichte der Orgel- und Klaviermusik bis 1700.
Bärenreiter, Kassel, 1967. S. 632.
(4) G. Gabrieli, Composizioni per organo. Vol. II. (Dalia Libera).
Ricordi, Milano, 1958. p. 49.
(5) The publication mentioned under Note 1. naturally does not know of,
and thus makes no use of the definition of composers.
(6) Kindermann's movement – omitted by Croner – bears the following
inscription: "Echo mit 2 Clavirn." This requirement presumably lay
beyond the technical possibilities inherent in the organs at Croner's
disposal.
(7) J. J. Froberger, Orgel und Klavierwerke, III. Published by: Guido
Adler. Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich, Jahrg. X/2 – Band 21. S.
19.