On an unknown prelude and fugue by Gottfried Kirchhoff: 1 Recovering some lost pages of his output Maxim Serebrennikov Celebrating the 325th anniversary of vatory, respectively.6 In 2008 one more ber of the commission for the revelation tion, enabling us to distinguish Pachel- Gottfried Kirchhoff’s birth unknown prelude and fugue by Kirch- and studying of Monuments of Ger- bel’s name from the names of members hoff was discovered in the manuscript man Musical Art (Denkmäler deutscher of Bach family. Introduction Mus. Ms. 11605, which is housed in Tonkunst), uncovered in the Mylau The Prelude and Fugue in C Minor In 2010 J. S. Bach, G. F. Handel, and the music department of the State church archives a rich collection of or- was fi rst published in 1977 in the 39th D. Scarlatti, who were born 325 years Library in Berlin (Staatsbibliothek gan works composed by the old German volume of Corpus of Early Keyboard ago, once again were the main fi gures of zu Berlin, Preussischer Kulturbesitz, masters. The value of this fi nd was dif- Music—the series founded by the Amer- the musical calendar. Once again thou- Musikabteilung).7 Additionally, in 2009 fi cult to overestimate: the manuscript ican Institute of Musicology.13 Since then sands of performers and scholars strove the composer was honored through the contained not only works of composers the pieces have been reproduced mul- to express their reverence for the genius naming of a music school in Bitterfeld, to that time unknown, but also unknown tiple times in other editions.14 Thanks of these artists. Once again millions of not far from his birthplace. works by well-known composers.9 to these publications, the cycle became listeners and readers were eager to enjoy This is not to say that researchers have Today this collection is still housed accessible not only to musicians world- their great works. answered all regarding the life and work in the Mylau church archives, listed as wide, but also strengthened its position How often, though, in celebrating of Kirchhoff; quite the opposite—many MS H 3a. The manuscript is a book of as being a work by Pachelbel. these masters, we forget their contem- questions remain. The greatest mystery considerable thickness (101 leaves) in Recently, however, Pachelbel’s author- poraries, possibly having no less sacri- at present is the fate of the composer’s upright format (c. 21 × 33 cm) and hard ship of this polyphonic cycle has come fi cially served their art. Alas, the names oeuvre. Kirchhoff dedicated his en- cardboard binding, covered with colored under growing suspicion, given how of these other musicians are frequently tire life to music: from 1693 to 1709, paper. The front cover of the binding strongly the style of writing in the pieces lost among the pages of history or alto- he studied organ and composition in carries the inscription “TABLATURE differs from that of other preludes and gether disappear without a trace. But it is Halle under Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow | Book | 1750” (“TABULATUR | Buch | fugues by the composer. Thus, in the precisely their activity that laid the solid (1663–1712); from 1709 to 1711, he was 1750”), which is at the very least a mis- 2004 publication of The Thematic Cat- foundation on which the masters con- Kapellmeister at the court of the Duke of leading identifi er. In fact, the Mylau alogue of the Musical Works of Johann structed their monuments. Holstein-Glücksburg; from 1711 to 1714, Tablature Book does not contain a single Pachelbel, these two pieces received the Until recent times, the name of Gott- he served as organist at the church of St. example of tablature notation. The date cautionary note “Ascription Questioned,” fried Kirchhoff (1685–1746) was known Benedict in Quedlinburg; and, from 1714 “1750” also does not correspond to the and in the new edition of the composer’s only to a small circle of specialists. to his death, Kirchhoff held the position real time of the manuscript’s creation. Complete Works for Keyboard Instru- Meanwhile his contemporaries highly of Director Musices and organist at Our In 1984 the Mylau Tablature Book ments they are shifted to the appendix valued his output and enthusiastically Lady’s Church in Halle. Even if Kirch- was sent for expert appraisal to the as “dubious.”15 praised his skill on the clavier and organ. hoff was not remarkable for the rate at German Book and Writing Museum As it turns out, the doubts of the re- German organist and theoretician Mar- which he produced works (such as, for (Deutsches Buch- und Schriftmuseum, searchers were not without basis. In tin Heinrich Fuhrmann (1669–1745), example, Georg Philipp Telemann), his Leipzig), where museum staff member March 2008 we discovered a forcible recalling Kirchhoff’s playing, wrote: “I long period of professional activity must Gertraude Spoer determined that in the argument in F. W. Marpurg’s Treatise later heard the well-known Mr. Kirchhof have produced an imposing quantity of eighteenth century the manuscript had on Fugue (1753–1754), which disclaims play the organ in Halle, and his fi ngers works. Despite this, all Kirchhoff’s com- undergone restoration, during which Pachelbel’s authorship of the Prelude and so mastered the charms of music that I positions known at present can be count- the original binding was replaced by the Fugue in C Minor located in MS H 3a. cried out, ‘What a shame that the hands ed on the fi ngers of one hand. What has current one. Subsequently, the inscrip- of these two keyboard players in Leipzig happened to all the rest? tion “TABULATUR | Buch | 1750” be- F. W. Marpurg’s Treatise on Fugue and Halle must some day turn to dust!’”2 Possibly, the passage of time did not longs to a later time than the manuscript as a key to ascription And further: “In my time, when in 1692 I spare Kirchhoff’s manuscripts, and a itself. More than likely, this misleading F. W. Marpurg’s two-part Treatise on was studying in Halle, Zachow was fl our- large portion was lost to natural calami- title was added shortly following the Fugue was, in its time, truly an extraor- ishing there, whom I heard on Sundays ties (fi re, fl ooding, etc.). Possibly, the change of binding. Furthermore, based dinary theoretical work. It was the fi rst with a true hunger and thirst; and if I had composer had little regard for his own on study of the paper’s watermarks, paper to be dedicated entirely to fugue. to travel there again, and there were no creations and did not attempt to save Spoer concluded that manuscript MS At the same time, it was the most fun- bridge over the [river] Saale, and I could them for later generations. Possibly, H 3a was made around the year 1725.10 damental work on fugue, which general- not reach the city, then truly I would the fault for the loss of certain of these Unfortunately, the copyist has never ized and summed up all the knowledge swim across the river like Leander for compositions falls on Wilhelm Friede- been identifi ed. of fugue acquired by musical theory and his Hero, even to hear renowned pupils mann Bach, who succeeded Kirchhoff The contents of the Mylau Tablature practice to the middle of the eighteenth of his such as Mr. Kirchhoff.”3 as Director Musices and organist at Our Book are truly impressive with respect to century. Lastly, it was the richest treatise The unexpected discovery of L’A.B.C. Lady’s Church in Halle.8 volume: the manuscript contains 176 piec- with respect to the amount and breadth Musical in 2002 served as a new impulse Nevertheless, hope remains for the es, dominated by preludes and fugues. of musical material ever collected into for studying Kirchhoff’s life and works.4 restoration of at least some portion of The composers include such names as one resource. The quantity of music ex- The fi rst monograph on Kirchhoff was Kirchhoff’s oeuvre. This is confi rmed by Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706), Johann amples used by Marpurg to illustrate his published in 2004, along with the new unexpected discoveries of recent years, Krieger (1652–1735), Johann Kuhnau theses is so great that they constituted edition of L’A.B.C. Musical.5 In 2005 one of which we shall discuss here. (1660–1722), Andreas Kniller (1649– the whole two-volume appendices for and 2006, L’A.B.C. Musical became the 1724), Nikolaus Vetter (1666–1734), each part of the treatise. Marpurg’s eru- subject of two master’s theses, which The Mylau Tablature Book Andreas Werckmeister (1645–1706), dition defi es imagination even today: the were defended at the St. Petersburg In 1910, Georg Schünemann (1884– Christian Friedrich Witt (1660–1717), appended musical examples include, be- Conservatory and at the Kiev Conser- 1945), German musicologist and mem- and Gottfried Pestel (1654–1732). It is, yond those samples composed by Mar- however, these names alone that are not- purg himself, close to 500 excerpts from ed in the manuscript. Many pieces were the works of more than 50 composers.16 written anonymously, and the majority In the score appendix for the second of these remain unattributed.11 Further- part of the treatise (Tab. III, Fig. 1), more, those attributions that are given in Marpurg several times quotes a theme, the manuscript are not always credible. which is surprisingly similar to the theme of the C-minor fugue from the Praelud: ex. C. dis â Monsieur Mylau manuscript. The ascription here, Bach.