Joseph Kelemen, Stertzing Organ (1702, Erfurt-Büßleben),
Crapp Organ (1722, Pappenheim)
In the Southern and Northern German Organ Schools, Johann Pachelbel has a
special status. Although the Nuremberg-born composer probably never set foot
in Northern Germany, some of his works are very Northern German in style. He
was also a friend of Johann Ambrosius Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach’s father,
as well as the teacher of the latter’s oldest son Johann Christoph. In addition,
Johann Pachelbel is said to have studied the Southern German organ style with
Johann Casper Kerll from 1673–75 in Vienna.
Joseph Kelemen has chosen two instruments for this recording: the St. Petri
organ in Erfurt-Büßleben, built by G.Ch. Stertzing in 1702, and the Crapp organ
in Pappenheim from 1720, which is still in exemplary original condition. The
instruments have different types of intonation: the Stertzing organ in Büßleben is
still conservative mean tone, as was frequently the case around 1700, while the
Pappenheim Crapp organ with its original well-tempered intonation points toward
the future.
Johann Pachelbel (1653–1706)
Organ Works
And does it not have the unfeigned appearance
/ that eternal heavenly joy could
not be better represented than through
music (which masters and rules the soul
/ the most noble and almost Godly part
of man) / verily, that it is the right-hand
crown and the most magnificent throne of
all other arts…
Johann Pachelbel, Preface to Hexachordum
Apollinis, Nuremberg 1699
Johann Pachelbel was born in 1653 in
Nuremberg, where he received his first
musical instruction from Heinrich Schwemmer
(1621–96) and Georg Caspar Wecker
(1632–95). According to the report by Johann
Mattheson
1 Pachelbel spent time in Vienna
between 1673 and 1675, where he is said to
have studied with as well as stood in for cathedral
organist Johann Caspar Kerll (1627–
93) at St. Stephan’s cathedral (although the
Vienna Cathedral Archives contain no records
on this). After a short period in 1677 as court
organist in Eisenach, Pachelbel was given a
position at the Erfurt Predigerkirche in 1678.
From 1690 to 1692, he was the organist at the
court of Duchess Magdalena Sibylla in Stuttgart,
and from 1692 to 1695 the city organist
in Gotha, before being appointed successor to
his teacher Wecker at the St. Sebaldus Church
of his home city Nuremberg in 1695. Pachelbel
died in Nuremberg in 1706.
In addition to around sixty sacred vocal
works and some instrumental compositions,
Pachelbel primarily composed music for keyboard
instruments, like his Southern German
colleague Johann Jacob Froberger (1616–67).
In the context of the major 17th century German
organ schools (Northern and Southern
Germany) Pachelbel’s style is unique. His stay
in Vienna acquainted him with the Southern
German style, which finds its expression in
his organ-point toccatas and fugues. And although
Pachelbel never visited Northern Germany,
some of his works, e.g. some chorales,
can be thoroughly placed within the Northern
German stylistic realm
2. The title page of his
Hexachordum Apollinis, published in 1699,
shows that he was thoroughly familiar with
both stylistic directions. It is dedicated to
both the Viennese organist Ferdinand Tobias
Richter (ca. 1649–1711) as well as to the most
important Northern German organ composer
of the time: Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707).
But Pachelbel also had close ties to the
Bach family. He was a friend of Johann Ambrosius
Bach (1645–95), the father of Johann
Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) and the teacher
of Ambrosius Bach’s oldest son Johann Christoph
(1671–1721). Because the latter is presumed
to be the most important teacher of his
youngest brother Johann Sebastian, Pachelbel
significantly influenced the development
of following generations of keyboard music.
Copies of his organ works were found well
into the 19th century, making Pachelbel one of
the best accepted organ composers ever.
The instruments
The organ in St. Petri in Erfurt-Büssleben was
originally built for the St. Petri Benedictine monastery
on the Erfurt Petersberg by organ-builder
Georg Christoph Stertzing (1660–1717). The
oldest building in Erfurt (construction began
in
1103), St. Peter’s Church dominated the city’s
skyline with its high twin towers (c.f. illustration
on page 9, the fourth tower from the left). In the
course of secularization, which began in 1802,
the church’s entire inventory was sold. At an
auction in 1811, the organ was bought for the
Büssleben parish for 900 talers. It nearly didn’t
fit in the organ balcony: the coat of arms which
had originally crowned the organ cabinet had
to be affixed to the wall adjacent to the instrument.
But the move of the organ proved to be
a stroke of luck, however, because St. Peter’s
Church was completely burned down after
Prussian bombardment in 1813.
Like Pachelbel, Eisenach native Stertzing
also had close contact to the Bach family, various
of whose members performed at three of
Stertzing’s instruments. Stertzing worked closely
with Johann Christoph Bach (the cousin of Johann
Sebastian’s father Johann Ambrosius); in
1696, they collaborated on the disposition of the
organ in the Church of St. George in Eisenach.
Altogether, Stertzing built some ten organs,
of which only the instrument in Erfurt-
Büssleben’s St. Petri has survived.
In 1701, Stertzing was commissioned by
the city of Eisenach to travel to Magdeburg
to study the latter’s cathedral organ
3 as well
as two large instruments of the famous Hamburg
organ-builder Arp Schnitger (1648–1719).
Schnitger would have stayed several times in
Magdeburg during the first years of the 18th
century, because he completed his work on
the organ in St. Jacobi in 1703. Stertzing and
Schnitger might have met during this time,
although no evidence for such conjecture exists.
It is certain, however, that in Magdeburg,
Stertzing obtained profound insights in the
Northern German school of organ-building.
The Büssleben instrument, the only remaining
Thuringian organ from Pachelbel’s
time, was altered a number of times during
its 300-year history. During its restoration in
1999–2002 and 2005, carried out under historical
aspects by the Alexander Schuke organbuilder’s
shop (Potsdam), 20 of 28 stops could
be completed with the existing pipe ranks (for
exact information, see disposition on p. 22).
Noteworthy for the organ’s sound are its
three Quintadena stops. Even the Nachthorn
of the Brustwerk – heard in Variation 2 [31] of
the Aria tertia – is despite its name a 4’ Quintadena.
The Traversa 8’ (= Transverse flute) of
the Brustwerk was added to the instrument
circa 50 years after its construction by an
anonymous builder. The stop fits into the overall
organ sound well, however, which justifies
its use in this program, i.e. beginning in measure
160 of the Ciacona in f [03].
The Mixtures have a brilliant character;
from c1, the Brustwerk Mixtur no longer repeats,
enabling the greatest possible transparency
of polyphony in the plenum. One
of the organ’s further special features is its
“breathing” wind, i.e. that produced by a human
bellows operator, which gives the organ
sound its vitality.
The Augustinian Eremite Church of the Holy
Spirit was founded in 1372 by Count von Pappenheim,
but its monastery dissolved in 1550.
Since then, it belongs to the descendants of
the founding family, and is currently in the
property of Countess Iniga von und zu Egloffstein.
The builder of this church organ cannot be
conclusively determined.
Johann Christoph Crapp (?–1755/60), was
born in Erfurt and moved to Middle Franconia.
Records show that he resided in Pappenheim
between 1719 and 1722, and because the organ
in the monastery church was built during
this time, he is considered to be its builder.
The so-called Crapp organ in Pappenheim
– Middle Franconia’s most valuable historical
organ – is impressive particularly due to its
exemplary original condition: its mechanism,
console including stop-knobs, all pipes including
intonation as well as three bellows are all
original. The lower case as well as the pedalboard
(see illustration on page 21) is richly
decorated with wood inlay. The toeboard of
the Principal 8’ previously contained a Gamba
8’; when the Principal was added is unknown,
but this could have been some 50 years after
the instrument’s creation.
The organ’s Southern German elements include
its lack of reeds as well as a limited pedal
range, which only allows supporting tones
to be played. Complicated pedal lines would
have been impossible on the Pappenheim organ
due to the slow reaction of the pedals; furthermore,
the lowest and highest pedals must
be played with the outside edge of the foot
because the wooden ends of the pedal keys
impede the usual manner of playing. Of particular
note are two characteristic (wooden)
stops: the soft Coppel 8’ heard in the Fuge in
d [13] and the Kleingedackt 4’ used in the Partita
6 [22] of the chorale prelude Was Gott tut
das ist wohlgetan. The individual sound of the
4’ stop could be best described as “sweet”.
Unplayable for decades, the organ was made
accessible to the music world again by its
1997 restoration through the G.F. Steinmeyer
organ-building shop of Oettingen.
The instruments have different types of intonation:
the Stertzing organ in Büssleben is still
conservative mean tone, as was frequently
the case around 1700, while the Pappenheim
Crapp organ with its original well-tempered
intonation points toward the future. The mean
tone intonation makes performing pieces in
foreign keys difficult. In this recording, for example,
the Ciacona in f [03] and Vom Himmel
hoch da komm ich her [28] were thus transposed.
The tone D# – a very “grating” tone in
mean tone – is only used four times in the chorale
prelude Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn
[26], which was therefore left in its original key
of G major.
The works and their stops
Most of the pieces recorded here have come
down to us in handwritten form with the exception
of the Aria Tertia [29], which appeared in the
Hexachordum Apollinis, as well as the chorale
preludes [02], [26], [27], [28] and [36]. These were
printed in the collection entitled Acht Choräle,
which appeared during Pachelbel’s lifetime.
Pachelbel’s chorale preludes were chosen according
to their various formal characteristics:
the melodies are sometimes heard in the soprano,
tenor or bass, and the accompanying
voices show different features as well.
Büssleben. The Praeludium in d [01] is
based on Northern German models, and is
more or less in the Buxtehude style. It has various
sections with differing characters, without,
however, the fugue typical for the Northern
German style. Pachelbel’s prelude begins
with a long pedal solo that goes immediately
into cascade-like figuration in the manual. The
rapidly descending 32nd-note passages in the
middle of the composition are very elegant
(m. 33). After a quiet interlude (m. 46) and powerful
chords (m. 62), we hear a free passage in
parallel thirds (m. 80), before the piece moves
towards its strong close with a renewed pedal
entrance in the last three measures. Of the
overall twelve different plenum registrations
in the program, this prelude uses five (uncoupled
and coupled).
The chorale prelude Wir glauben all an
einen Gott [02] (likewise oriented on Northern
German models) consists of a richly colored
melody, stopped with the Brustwerk Quinte
over the supporting accompaniment of the
Oberwerk 8’ Principals in the left hand.
The bass ostinato of the Ciacona in f [03]
includes two repetitions of the four-measure
subject f E-flat D-flat C. Because of their
obvious buildup of tension, ostinato pieces
(= those with constantly repeating themes)
were well loved in the baroque. The moving
composition performed here (with 21 variations)
is one of seven that Pachelbel wrote in
this genre. Quintadena sounds dominate the
stops; through this a certain degree of dynamics
was not exceeded.
The Magnificat fugues heard here illuminate
the alternatim practices of St. Sebald in
Nuremberg. The Magnificat, the Marian hymn,
was performed there in alternation between
the organ and the choir. The organ played
the odd verses i (Magnificat), ii, v, vi, ix, xi
(Gloria Patri), with the choir singing the even
verses.
Verses i and xi were usually improvised
by the organist in plenum, as is done
here. The verses inbetween, from Pachelbel’s
Magnificat octavi toni [05–08] are fugues,
each in a different style.
The Ricercar in C [10] is built around the
ascending pentachord c-d-e-f-g. After presentation
of the thematic material, it is surrounded
in the second half of the piece by
parallel thirds.
Pappenheim. The plenum composition
Toccata in C [11] lives from its ornamented figuration
over an organ point – as is frequently
found in Pachelbel’s music. The origin of this
composition style is Kerll’s Toccata sesta – the
first work of this type north of the Alps. Even
if it cannot be directly proven that Pachelbel
studied with Kerll, Pachelbel’s toccatas make
such a supposition likely.
The theme of the Ricercar in c [12], very
similar to its major-variant [10], is an ascending
chromatic line. The beginning of the ricercari
lets us make an interesting comparison of both
Principal 8’ stops used (i.e. in Büssleben and
Pappenheim). The contrapuntal structure of
the latter ricercar is illuminated in the following
sections with an economical use of stops.
Similar to the previous ricercar, the theme of
the gentle Fuga in d [13] consists of chromatic
line – in this case, however, descending.
The dominating affect of the Toccata in c
[14] could be considered – despite its fast passages
– as dolor
4 . The numerous 32nd-notes
in the descant of the toccata drive hastily forwards,
not finding their repose until the final
chord. In contrast, the Fuge in C [15] sets a
joyful tone. Its character is determined by the
repetition of tones in the subject, which may
have caused someone to note “Nightingale”
in one of the handwritten copies. Was Gott tut,
das ist wohlgetan [16] is a set of chorale variations
which begins with the chorale played in
four voices. The chorale proceeds through the
nine variations with ever-smaller note values
(diminutio), with the sound often being determined
by individual stops, before the final
Partita (= variation in the baroque) comes to a
close in the festive plenum.
Büssleben. After an introductory fugal section,
the melody of the chorale prelude Herr
Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn [26] enters in the
pedal (m. 34) and is played in the left hand one
octave higher colla parte as reinforcement. The
chorale prelude (stopped in plenum) provides the
opportunity to compare the plena of the Stertzing
and the Crapp organs; the latter in the previous
Partita 9 [25] Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan.
The stops (Oberwerk Trombetta 8’ and Octav
4’) of Nun lob mein Seel den Herren [27], in
which the chorale melody is in the tenor, benefit
from the special intonation of the Oberwerk
Trompete, which is somewhat softer in the discant.
This makes it easier for the chorale to be
heard in the tenor. The chorale prelude Vom
Himmel hoch da komm ich her [28] radiates a
Christmas-like mood, particularly through its
lively 12/8 rhythm, which is underscored in
this recording by silvery “Southern German”
registration
5.
The arias from the Hexachordum Apollinis
are series of variations over themes composed
by Pachelbel. The work is one of the
first collections using self-composed themes
as the foundation for the variations. After the
Aria [29], six variations – primarily rhythmic –
are heard in the Aria Tertia.
The chorale prelude Jesus Christus, unser
Heiland, der von uns den Gotteszorn wandt
[36], which Pachelbel called a bicinium, uses a
somewhat antiquated compositional technique;
it is reminiscent of Northern German composer
Samuel Scheidt (1587–1654). The stops have
been correspondingly chosen to fit this “archaic”
sound (a reed mixture in both descant
and bass). The chorale melody is heard first in
the upper, then in the lower voice.
Due to the lack of a Flöte 4’ in the Stertzing
organ, this register was emulated – so to
speak – in the Brustwerk through the octave
transposition of the Waldflöte 2’ for the chorale
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern [37].
The chorale melody, stopped with the sweetly
tuned Cornett 2’, is heard in the pedal.
The festive Toccata in C [38] at the end of
the recording is played with a coupled great
plenum using all three mixtures as a thirdsounding
rank.
Joseph Kelemen
Translation: Elizabeth Gahbler
| 1 | | Johann Mattheson, Grundlage einer Ehren-Pforte,
Hamburg 1740, Lipmannssohn, Berlin 1910, p. 244. |
| 2 | | A more extensive explanation of the Northern
and Southern German schools cannot be made
here. See Rudolf Faber & Philip Hartmann (Hrsg.),
Handbuch Orgelmusik, Bärenreiter, Kassel 2002,
pp.49–54. (Michael Belotti) |
| 3 | | III P/45, built in 1603–05 by Heinrich Compenius
(1565–1631). The two Schnitger organs in
Magdeburg were in St. Johannis (III P/62, 1689-
95, Schnitger’s second-largest organ) and St.
Ulrich (III P/48, 1698–1700). |
| 4 | | “Dolor ist eine solche Passion der Seelen/da einer
wegen eines Unglücks oder Zufalls innerlich
betrübt wird.” (“Dolor is an affliction of the soul
when one becomes deeply grieved for a misfortune
or fate.”) Athanasius Kircher, Musurgia
universalis, dt. Ausgabe, Schwäbisch Hall, 1662,
facs. Kassel, 1988, p. 158. |
| 5 | | In Johann Baptist Samber: Continuatio ad Manuductionem,
Salzburg 1707, p.148. |