THE BERLIN GAMBA BOOK Chorale Variations Dietmar Berger, Viola da Gamba Original sources The Berlin Gamba Book Chorale variations for solo viola da gamba by an anonymous 17th-century master Annotations for Anonymous Master, Gamba-Chorals for Lyra Viol solo, This world première recording presents the so-called When adapting the chorales for viola da gamba, the Edition Walhall, Magdeburg, 2006 by Konrad Ruhland chorale settings from the Berlin Gamba Book, whose rarity author tried to ensure that they were as well adapted to alone makes them an especially precious part of the the instrument as possible. Taking the normal tuning of CD 1 CD 2 repertoire for unaccompanied viola da gamba. It is the six-stringed gamba as a starting point, the melody was therefore all the more regrettable that we know only the given a simple harmony comprising a second line, double- 1 T & M: Nicolaus Decius 1522, GL no. 457, EG no. 179 1 ? initials of the arranger, J.R.; they adorn the back page of stopping and simple chords. The arranger mostly contents 2 T: Michael Weiße 1531; M: Leipzig ca. 1500, EG no. 77 2 T: Erfurter Enchidion 1524; M: Klugsches Gesangbuch the manuscript, which was produced in Berlin. These himself with notating the harmonized chorale melody – 3 T: Vienna ca. 1495; M: Johann Leisentritt 1562, GL Nr. 1543 initials recur twice in the manuscript — at the head of an roughly 12 to 20 bars. To three pieces, however, he added 188, EKG no. 410 3 T: Nicolaus Selnecker; M: ? Allemande (p. 169), and above the piece “Tonec Polsky” a variation. These are the chorales Christus der uns selig 4 T: known since 15th century, medieval Cantio Dies est 4 T: Johann Franck 1653; M: Johann Crüger 1653 (p. 139). The first page of the leather-bound manuscript macht (CD 1 2), Da Jesus an dem Kreutze stund (CD 1 laetitiae, G no. 137, EKG no. 18 5 T: Chant book (manuscript) 1665, German carries the date 1674 – this was probably added later in 3) and Christum wir sollen loben schon (CD 2 2). Herr 5 T: Medingen ca. 1380; M: Medingen ca. 1460, GL no. Volksliederarchiv, Freiburg another hand – and on the next page there is a note straff mich nicht in deinem Zorn (CD 2 3) contains a 130, EG no. 23, Christmas carol 6 T: Martin Luther 1539, Tischgesänge (songs) of the “Pièces pour la viola da gamba”. In 1880 the manuscript phrase described by the author as a “clausula finalis” – a 6 ? monk of Salzburg, 1396 was purchased, together with other titles, and removed simple, written-out concluding phrase. These variations 7 T: Catholic hymnal Vienna n.d.; M: ?, German 7 T: ?; M: Justus Jonas, Klugsches Gesangbuch 1535 from Berlin to Paris, where it is preserved in the are really improvisations conforming to contemporary Volksliederarchiv, Freiburg 8 T: Ernst Christoph Homburg, Naumburg, 1658/59; M: ? Bibliothèque Nationale under the accession number 22344 practice that have been noted down, and together with the 8 T: Johann Berwaldt, Leipzig 1586; M: Michael 9 ? (from a “Vente [sale] à Berlin” according to the accession particular choice of pieces in the manuscript, they afford Praetorius 1610, EG no. 451, EKG no. 342 0 T: Athanas. Fritsch; M: Joh. Rudolf Ahle 1662 catalogue). Apart from the chorale settings that interest us the best opportunity of gaining a deeper insight into the 9 ? ! ? here, the collection of 270 folios contains other pieces by personality of the anonymous gambist J.R. and his 0 T & M: Valentin Triller 1555, in all protestant hymnals, @ ? rare 17th-century composers such as Du Buisson musical world. tune of Queen Maria from Hungary # T: Johann Heermann 1630; M: Johann Crüger 1640, (pp.185ff), Verdufen (pp.212ff) and Hotman (pp.267ff). ! ? GL no. 180, EG no. 81 It is legitimate to suppose that it was a Prussian Chorale Variations for Gamba Solo @ T: Daniel Wülffer, Görlitz 1663; M: M. Janus 1663, no. 95 $ T: Friedrich von Spee 1628; M: Würzburg 1628, amateur of the viola da gamba who wrote and collected # T: Nicolaus Decius 1531; M: N. Decius 1532, Erfurt GL no. 188 the chorales – someone who, over many years, brought As observed above, the chorale settings for 1542, GL no. 470, EG no. 190 % T: Joachim Neander 1680; M: Stralsund 1665, both passion and discernment to bear in assembling all unaccompanied solo viola da gamba are extremely $ ? GL no. 258, EG 316 the pieces of music that seemed to him important and unusual, and for this reason alone attract the interest of % T: J. Georg Albinus ca. 1640, ^ T: Paul Gerhardt 1677; M: after H. Isaac’s Innsbruck ich arranging them for his instrument. He was probably gamba players and others with an interest in music. This M: Johann Rosenmüller 1655 muss dich lassen, 15th century, GL no. 659, EG no. 477 particularly interested in hymns, for the chorale settings is particularly true of the three chorale settings with an ^ ? & T: Johann Franck (1616-1677); M: Geneva Psalter crop up at regular intervals in the manuscript between added variation, for these demonstrate most clearly the & ? dances, variations etc. The piece headings are in Gothic transformation from hymn to instrumental piece. It is * T: Heinrich Müller, Frankfurt 1659; M: Nicolaus Hasse script. The collection also includes secular songs, a few of conceivable that whoever wrote the chorales for gamba which, such as Nun ist alle meine Lust (CD 2 5), Nun may still have sung the hymns while playing them. I T = Text schleft sie schon (CD 2 9) and Unser müden Augenlider consider that this is unlikely to have been the case with M = Music (CD 2 &), are presented here by way of example. It is the variations, however; here, the instrument completely GL = Gotteslob (German Catholic hymnal) possible to identify sources for the vast majority of the replaces the voice, and the meaning and import of the EG = Neues evangelisches Gesangbuch (new German Protestant hymnal) hymns; they are frequently contained in the Catholic sung text are sacrificed, being replaced by the EKG = Altes evangelisches Gesangbuch (old German Protestant hymnal) Gotteslob and/or the old or new Evangelisches prerequisites and rules of a piece of music for one solo Gesangsbuch (Lutheran hymnal). instrument. It is possible to shed more light on this by looking at two Gut were no longer in any way intended for church use, for Als Verfasser und Sammler der Gambenchoräle Choralvariationen für eine Sologambe other examples of chorale variations dating from roughly they were published (as No. 10) in his collection of sonatas dürfen wir uns einen preußischen Gambenliebhaber the same period as the Berlin Gamba Book, namely the and partitas under the generalized title of “Aria solo”. vorstellen, der mit Leidenschaft und Kenntnis über Jahre Wie oben bereits erwähnt wurde, stellen die Choralsätze variation on Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut (printed in Furthermore, throughout his career Kühnel was employed hinweg alle ihm wichtig erscheinenden Musikstücke für unbegleitete Sologambe eine große Seltenheit dar und 1698) by August Kühnel (164-c.1700) and some of the by secular princes (initially as a “Violdigambist” in the court gesammelt und für sein Instrument bearbeitet hat. Dabei erregen schon aus diesem Grunde das Interesse des variations from Der Fluyten Lust-Hof (1st impression 1644) orchestra of Duke Moritz of Saxony in Zeitz, then as director galt sein besonderes Interesse wohl dem Kirchenlied, Gambisten und des Musikinteressierten. Im besonderen by Jacob van Eyck (c.1590-1657). The latter publication of the instrumentalists in Darmstadt, and finally as court denn regelmäßig tauchen zwischen Tänzen, Variationen Maße trifft das auf die drei Choralsätze mit den contains, for example, Vater unser im Himmelreich, Herr Kapellmeister in Kassel). u. a. die Choralsätze im Manuskript auf. Die Titel über den angefügten Variationen zu (s.o.), denn hier zeigt sich die Gott, dich loben alle wir and Nun lobet Gott im hohen Thron. Although there are only three examples of chorale Stücken sind in alter deutscher Schrift abgefasst. Es sind Veränderung des Kirchenliedes zu einem Instrumental- Whilst Van Eyck’s pieces are intended for unaccompanied variations in the Berlin Gamba Book, and only one per auch weltliche Lieder in der Sammlung enthalten, von stück am deutlichsten. Man mag sich vorstellen, dass der recorder or transverse flute, Kühnel’s variations can, chorale, it is clear that they are different from Kühnel’s and denen einige wenige beispielhaft mit der vorliegenden Verfasser der Gambenchoräle beim Musizieren die Lieder according to his preface, be played on viola da gamba with Van Eyck’s: the tune is “filled out” primarily with steady Aufnahme vorgelegt werden, z.B. „Nun ist alle meine möglicherweise noch mitgesungen hat. Beim Spielen der basso continuo or just on viola da gamba, as preferred. The quaver movement, producing something akin to a Lust“ (CD 2 5), „Nun schleft sie schon“ (CD 2 9) und Variationen halte ich das jedoch für unwahrscheinlich: two musicians’ method of composition is, at least in one meditation. There are no virtuosic passages to arouse the „Unser müden Augenlider“ (CD 2 & ). Für den das Instrument ersetzt jetzt die Stimme vollständig, und respect, very similar: the chorale tune is the starting-point listener’s admiration; instead the intention is to preserve überwiegenden Teil der Kirchenlieder können auf die Bedeutung des gesungenen Wortes und seine for a sequence of variations that increase in tempo, by the solemnity and gravitas which the pieces owe to their Quellenangaben gemacht werden, oftmals sind sie im Botschaft wird verzichtet. An ihre Stelle treten die mastering which enables the instrumentalist to demonstrate ecclesiastical origins as part of divine worship. I have katholischen „Gotteslob“ oder/und im alten bzw neuen Gegebenheiten und Gesetzmäßigkeiten eines Musik- his virtuosity.