Christoph Graupner & Bach

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Christoph Graupner & Bach

Graupner Seven Last Words

Douglas Cowling wrote (July 17, 2008):
Kim Patrick Clow wrote:
< Graupner's series of cantatas based on "Christ's Seven Last Words on the Cross" is top notch music. I understand some of these cantatas will be released on CD shortly. >
I heard a live concert of the Graupner on CBC Radio from Montreal and it is sensational. Let us know when the recording is released.

OT: "Gelber Tod"

Kim Patrick Clow wrote (January 28, 2009):
I know there are quite a few specialists here, so I'll go ahead and ask for some help. A friend of mine is doing transcriptions of Graupner cantata texts (mostly by Johann Konrad Lichtenberg (I believe he was the court pastor at Darmstadt) and ran into a cantata with the chorale "Komm Sterblicher, betrachte mich."

This chorale is rather morose, even by the German baroque standards:

du lebst, ich lebt auf Erden.
Was du jetzt bist, das war auch ich,
was ich bin, wirst du werden.
Du musst hernach, ich bin vorhin;
ach! denke nicht in deinem Sinn,
dass du nicht dürfest sterben.

2. Bereite dich, stirb ab der Welt,
denk auf die letzten Stunden;
wenn man den Tod verächtlich hält,
wird er sehr oft gefunden.
Es ist die Reihe heut an mir,
wer weiß, vielleicht gilt s morgen dir,
ja wohl noch diesen Abend.

In the 6. verse the death speaks of the "gelbe Tod":

6. Sprich nicht: ich bin frisch und gesund,
mir schmeckt auch noch das Essen.
Ach! es wird wohl jetzt diese Stund
dein Sarg dir abgemessen.
Es schneidet dir der gelbe Tod
ja täglich in die Hand das Brot.
Bereite dich zum Sterben!

Translated:
"Don't say: I'm fresh and sane,
and I enjoy the meal.
Ouh, during this hour
your coffin will be measured (for your figure).
The yellow death cuts
daily the bread into your hand.
Be prepared to die!"

Shudder

Anyway, does anyone on the list have a detailed understanding of what "Gelber Tod" would mean? The friend who is doing the German transcriptions is a native German speaker, and excels at reading 18th century handwriting, but this rather arcane expression has eluded him. Any leads or ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!

Jane Newble wrote (January 28, 2009):
[To Kim Patrick Clow] I can only think that it would be called yellow death because the of bad liver function causing jaundice. This could be caused by cancer or yellow fever, or malaria, or even misuse of alcohol/drugs.

Perhaps liver-cancer in an age when not much was known about it, or yellow fever, seem the most likely. Yellow fever epidemics broke out in the 1700's in Italy, France, Spain and England, which would have been in the later part of Graupner's life. It was calle the "Yellow Plague" in the early Middle Ages.
Interesting text!!

Douglas Cowling wrote (January 28, 2009):
[To Jane Newble] Wow! And we complain when Bach set "Die ganze Welt ist nur ein Hospital"!

Joel Figen wrote (January 29, 2009):
Kim Patrick Clow wrote:
< 6. Sprich nicht: ich bin frisch und gesund,
mir schmeckt auch noch das Essen.
Ach! es wird wohl jetzt diese Stund
dein Sarg dir abgemessen.
Es schneidet dir der gelbe Tod
ja täglich in die Hand das Brot.
Bereite dich zum Sterben!
Translated:
"Don't say: I'm fresh and sane,
and I enjoy the meal.
Ouh, during this hour
your coffin will be measured (for your figure).
The yellow death cuts
daily the bread into your hand.
Be prepared to die!"
Shudder >
I'm thinking it refers to economic conditions, and very possibly to some historical ruler or official who was stingy as all get out. Perhaps he had blond hair or jaundice, or lived in a yellow house.

also: I can't help being reminded of a child's scary song: did you ever think, when the hearse rolls by that you may be the next to die.....

William Rowland (Ludwig) wrote (January 29, 2009):
[To Joel Figen] Ach ja! What mobid thoughts. Surely Bach did not write a Cantata with a libretto like this?

Kim Patrick Clow wrote (January 29, 2009):
[To Ludwig] This is a chorale USED by Graupner in a cantata, not the cantata text-- but I agree there isn't anything quite as descriptive in Bach's cantatas or chorales. BUT there is a morose fascination with death in his music (common the period actually). In fact John Eliot Gardiner explains this in the 2000 Pilgrim tour DVD (I think the segment was shot in the St. Thomas Church cemetary).

James Atkind Pritchard wrote (February 3, 2009):
[To Kim Patrick Clow, regarding his orofinal message] The mention of cutting suggests to me "Crocea Mors", which means "Yellow Death". According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Historia Regum Britanniae" (Book 4, Chapter 4) "Crocea Mors" was the name of the sword of Julius Caesar. It was said to be mortal to every body that was wounded with it:

* http://tinyurl.com/c89hz4

* It also appears in Jasper Fisher's "Fuimus Troes", which was published in 1633:

* http://tinyurl.com/d32urp

* No idea to what extent Geoffrey of Monmouth or Jasper Fisher would have been read in eighteenth-century Germany.

Of course to identify "der gelbe Tod" with a sword is not to preclude its also being identified with a disease.

Graupner GW472

Continue of discussion from: Cantata BWV 142 - Discussions

John Pike wrote (April 4, 2009):
Kim Patrick Clow wrote:
<< Certainly seems to be the case for Christoph Graupner, he used it in several pieces including a large A major orchestral suite for flute/oboe/viola d'amore and strings. I call it "The Lovey Dovey Suite" ;)
You can hear some excerpted movements using my edition here: http://arsantiguapresents.com/tag/joyce-alper/ James Atkins Pritchard wrote:
< Kim, this Graupner is very beautiful. Thank you so much. >
I agree. Lovely music.

In all seriousness, I think Kim should be honoured by the Germans for his unique services to German music (especially Telemann and Graupner). Without all his hard and excellent work, much of this music would be lost, probably forever. How does one go about recommending someone for a German award/honour? (I was thinking about recommending someone in the UK for a Queens honour recently but the process is so complex that I have had to put it on hold after writing a reference due to lack of time to do all the other necessary stuff. :-(

A review in BBC Music Magazine a few months ago of Genevieve Soly's latest recording of harpsichord Music by Graupner was awarded 5* (the highest) and was awarded best disc in the instrumental section that month. The reviewer also remarked on how fine the music was. Does she use your editions, Kim?

Kim Patrick Clow wrote (April 6, 2009):
John Pike wrote:
> A review in BBC Music Magazine a few months ago of Genevieve Soly's latest recording of harpsichord Music by Graupner was awarded 5* (the highest) and was awarded best disc in the instrumental section that month. The reviewer also remarked on how fine the music was. Does she use your editions, Kim? <
Thanks for such kind words John, it's so thoughtful, but I couldn't do what I do without help and advice from a lot of friends (e.g. Monica Steger who's researched and finishing a dissertation on Graupner's secular cantatas, or Dr. Berhard Schmitt who is helping transcribe the 1400 cantata texts, and most of all my editor/publisher Brian Clark of Prima la Music!, who agreed to take on the complete Graupner ouvertures and sinfonia project.

But I'm most grateful for kind folks such as yourself and others here on the Bach cantatas who share such a deep passion for good music and are open to new discoveries and ideas. I don't want to edit music that just sits on a library shelf gathering dust. Music is meant to be performaned and shared and listened to and talked about! I'm most grateful for Aryeh's willingness to allow that in this fantastic forum!

Genevieve Soly uses Graupner's own edition of the harpsichord suites I believe; and has prepared a modern performing edition that will be published shortly, if it's not already.

John Pike wrote (April 6, 2009):
Kim Patrick Clow wrote:
< Thanks for such kind wordsJohn, it's so thoughtful, but I couldn't do what I do without help and advice from a lot of friends (e.g. Monica Steger who's researched and finishing a dissertation on Graupner's secular cantatas, or Dr. Berhard Schmitt who is helping transcribe the 1400 cantata texts, and most of all my editor/publisher Brian Clark of Prima la Music!, who agreed to take on the complete Graupner ouvertures and sinfonia project. >
Well many thanks and congratulations to everyone involved in this splendid project then!

OT: Early Music America Magazine

Kim Patrick Clow wrote (May 28, 2009):
Early Music America's Summer issue has been published, and my three page article on Christoph Graupner appeared. My article aside, this issue is really good with articles on Harry Christophers taking over the Handel-Haydn Society of Boston, plus a great article on Mendelssohn's performances of Bach's passions.

EMA has made a copy of my article available for free on their website and the link is: http://www.earlymusic.org/sample-article-advertiser-index-current-issue

Douglas Cowling wrote (May 28, 2009):
[To Kim Patrick Clow] Congratulations Kim! Great article. Without you on this list, Graupner would still be just a name in footnote for me.

Ed Myskowski wrote (May 29, 2009):
Douglas wrote:
< Congratulations Kim! Great article. Without you on this list, Graupner would still be just a name in footnote for me. >
Although I did not yet access the article, I did previously take the opportunity to snag a couple Graupner CDs, after Kim's suggestions. I second Dougs thought: Graupner is no longer just a footnote to Bach, on this list, thanks to Kim.

As always, thanks to the moderator for carefully managing the edges of relevance to Bach.

John Pike wrote (June 2, 2009):
[To Kim Patrick Clow] I add my congratulations to those of Doug and others on a superlatively good article; interesting, comprehensive, and well-researched. Most of all, thanks largely to you and your colleagues, Graupner's music can once again take its rightful place in the canon.

Many congratulations

OT: Question about abbreviation on 18^th century cantata scores

Kim Patrick Clow wrote (November 4, 2009):
Frequently on Christoph Graupner scores, he writes J.N.J.M.N. (then the feast day for the cantata).

Could someone provide me with the written out text and a translation?

Thanks so much,

Douglas Cowling wrote (November 5, 2009):
Kim Patrick Clow wrote:
< J.N.J.M.N >
I've never seen the abbreviation, but if it's an intercessory petition similar to J.J. ( = Jesu help), it might be a text such as:

Jesu Nostri Judex Miserere Nobis ( = Jesu, our judge, have mercy upon us)

I'll post the question on a liturgical history forum and see if someone recognizes it.

Christoph Graupner / Bach and the Brandenburgs concert series

Kim Patrick Clow wrote (November 11, 2009):
Christoph Graupner in Philadelphia

Tempesta di Mare <http://www.tempestadimare.org/>, one of the finest baroque orchestras in the United States, will perform the American première of Christoph Graupner's Ouverture for Recorder, Strings, and Basso continuo in F major, GWV 447 on December 19 & 20, 2009. Gwyn Roberts will be the recorder soloist. For more information on tickets and reservations, please visit their website.

Ed Myskowski wrote (November 11, 2009):
Christoph Graupner in Philadelphia

Stretch, re Bach relevance, no?

Response, re Reiche references?

Kim Patrick Clow wrote (November 11, 2009):
Ed Myskowski wrote:
< Stretch, re Bach relevance, no? >
Golly no, since the concerts are performing all the Brandenburg Concerti with music of Bach's peers, to show influences that affected baroque composers (this was outlined on the link to Tempesta di Mare's website).

< Response, re Reiche references? >
Yes, that Herr Reiche played a mean trumpet (apparently).

Evan Cortens wrote (November 11, 2009):
[To Kim Patrick Clow] Thanks for the message and the link; this looks like an amazing orchestra and an excellent series! The musicians listed there are all excellent, I only regret that four hours is a little too far to drive for an evening concert. (As it happens, I'll be in Philly this weekend though, for the AMS conference.)

The three pre-concert chats also look great; Marissen, Kevorkian and Zohn are all top-notch scholars!

Thanks again,

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Last update: �November 14, 2009 �10:31:16