Johann Mattheson’s Der vollkommene Capellmeister A Revised Translation with Critical Commentary by Ernest C. Harriss UMI RESEARCH PRESS on en ‘The Second Part of Der Vollkommene Capelimeister. In which the Composition of a Melody, Together with the Particulars sand Characteristics of It, ‘Are Taught, Chapter One. Examination and the Care ‘of the Human Voice. In the preceding part we have dealt with thse elements which are more concerned with reflection dhan with the performance of musi, ‘hough this indeed substantially cleared the way for actual practice. a Phonology. however, really constitutes the starting point for singing, and i a disipline which teaches a thorough knowledge of the human ice and its apparatis, how to put it in a good condition, how to ‘mainsin this condition, and how to obsere and tune the perepoble diference beeen intervals, with their characteristics in the Voie, in ‘more natural way than has previously been done. 4 (One easy perceives that a rather large par of phonology perains to natural scence, insofar a Us to be used and applied to te art OF singing. Whoever wants ro compose pieces which can be sung well must, be able to sing wel himself, have sung well ofa les, i his oie were naturally deficient, possess a thorough knowiedge of singing. I i much beter if ably and knowledge, consideration and erecuton stand together, than If one or another af them is aking. Whoever wats (0 sing well realy must invesgatediigently eventhing which perains to the voice, is eonservation and tending, and must wan, direct regulate,0 Der wollkommeneCapellmeistr Par IT ‘maser and sustain i, parcualy if he warts t head a Copel capably and wants to have good male or female singe. Many voces are beau in youth, However, especialy the male ones change with the waxing of years so that al flexibility, line. and suppleness is lst in the proces This (5 called mutation and is 3 meaning of the word maton, which is essential to know, and which hithero was not present in detonate. a5 Hence, tere are no soprano voices more permanent than those possessed by the Female sex, which in this case is wonderflly consent, ‘hough one tends otherwise to accuse it of fekleness. Tt happens at lads change their voies so very much when they become adblescents however, sexually mature maidens and women do not. Kirche sates this insuicent case: Because the reproductive vessels of the daughters ave not so essevaly subjogued the instruments of the voice as with the sons, Here the uth is rather that with the lst-aamed. the songly increasing ardors and humors generally enlarge and distend all of the cs and canals ofthe body. This does not have such @ good eet is manifest with the Female sex abou che same tine ~6- As is easly ten, the natural acretion and relesse of the ardor and Ihumors, hence also the enlargement of the pasages and docs inthe throat whence undeniably derives the lowering of pitch, ie impeded in astra by the eariy removal of those organs fom which all ofthe ferle ‘humors come, and indeed before the power of enlargement ofthis lst appears. a Other voices, which can scarcely be used in youth, later often become the stongest, most skied, and mest sonerous, wid) the increasing maturity of the males. During mutation the soiled descant Yoice usually fas to a tenor and che alto to the bass. Hence nae proceeds in an orderly manner hee, through ocaves, and the veils of the windpipe enlarge in doubled proparion, without being mathematically mesure, 3 However, just as one can in some degree came to the ai of ature in al matters dhrough ar, there are also cerain external and intemal Chapter One ue means 19 aid voices and to remove the roush quality and superuous thick humors from them, therefore polishing, empering, strengthening, and preserving them. Such knowledge was of such consequence in olden times that there was a special profession made of it Nowadays, many rusicnns sereely Know the name, let alone its proper meaning. However, the lan singers sl ein a lise of i and, a5 fr 26 Tknow, are quite alone in doing so. They have als used i © some extent, not ‘without benefit, Friel will confirm this ‘Among the German singe, I have known no greater phonologist than the famous Cspelimeser Bimmlet, who, if he were to singin the veing, would abstain during the day ftom the usual midday meal and would from time to time consume someting fennel, sich se tea Meanwhile, he would practice consanty atthe elavichord with a gentle and light Singing through of his par. He would also devote such Gilgen to this tha he would always perforn in a new way, with alered, wellconsdered embellishments. Some years ago there was also ‘an Englsh singer bythe name of Abel who was held in very hgh esteem snd who was heard in Holland as well as in Hamburg. etc, with great applause, He ponsesed several secrets for keping his ender and natural ako voiee perfect undl a late age. An uncommon moderation and selection in eating and drinking helped this very much. He is mentioned nowhere at all in Books known to me except Rogers caflogue de musique, where a the very bepianing Les Airs dABel pour Ie Concert du oul ate found -10- 1s not unknown to wel-read peopl, thatthe ancient Greeks and Romans mainained special skiled masters for dis who, while hidden from view, by means ofa litle decate pipe reminded and advised not ‘only public orators but mainly actors of when they should aise of srengihen the voice and when they should moderate or loner it and point out mistakes in the other stivides which pertain wo speaking oF Singing. Pechaps the custom that Istene whistle at those who donot petfom well comes from ths practice; just as applause has is source in {he ancient Reman pleut and denotes approval. -uI~ ‘That use ofthe litle pipe was, among other thing, ako 2 part of the job of a voice couch, of whom the greatest singers and orstors made se in order properly to adjust the tone and the enunciation 10 the0 er volkonmene Capelinlstr: Prt IT affection, not, however, in order to be prompted of helped, as the presentday promptes or Soufleurs doin operas and other plays. We ‘ead that Emperor Nero would never go tothe theater without having & ‘honologist Behind him. TRat occurred in the five praiseworthy yeas of his rule -n- As regards the apparatus ofthe human voice, the windpipe consists ‘of varios carlages which ie over one anthers Fngs ot hoops and are fived topeher by. membraneous flexible bands The cartiges are ‘emseies somewhat pliable softer than bones, yet harder than tendons. Two of dem, which are smaller than the ochers and are situated above the firs sings ofthe windppe, constitute with their closing togetber the rim ofthe top ofthis pipe. They bear the name glo, 1. tonguelet This eet produces sound by means of exceedingly subtle openings and ston. a1 (One can also compare the form of this socalled tonguelet withthe ‘mouth ofa litle watering can, yet on a smaller scale; hence soc united arulage is also called carapinem gttalem, fom guts, a drop, Above this there is. yet another larger uppersonguelet, epiponi whose substance may be much softer, perhaps ike parchment, ‘The fom ofthe ‘iplotis is rater lke a wiangula, arched, small membrane, rounded towards the mouth but eoneave on the other side ue eis indubiably tue that such an epiglotis contributes 19 the etcacy and tenderness of sound, especially afar as wis, mordans, et. fare concemed, Ic also conrbvtes much, perhaps more dhan the uvua it the mouth. o everyday pronunciation. However, here the glouis most ‘cerainly does the most and the most important par. Thus nether the lung nor the tongue, neither the thoat nor the pal, he trve cause of the tone. Even les are the teeth and lips, which have no par In this excep that the ft yelds the ai, while the second, afer the sound ab ‘een produced by means of thireen musces trough the cle of the fs above te wide, emis gute Sonecs, cle. pope and unresctedly <1 Thus the unique human gloss is the most sonorous, pleasant, perfect and accurate instrument. Or, o put it beter, itis the single and Chaper One 28 ‘only tue instrument among the ret number of instruments of sound, be they produced through artor though nature: for all these wind or sting instruments, excluding only the violins, ae altogether imprecise ‘compared withthe human voice, even if chey ae perfectly tuned. These word? of avery scholarly mathematician also confirm my though expressed previously? namely that te human voice isthe most beautiful 16 Some have thought thatthe very first step to the practice of singing cannot be made beter than by meats of church songs, since thee one ‘ot only has the opportunity 1 sound one's voice loudly, as must ‘ecesaly be done, but also to hide the errs which occur among the rmuliiude of felow singers. However, because such a secondary purpose Seems to run contrary to the true gals of the eigios service, I might Defer to suggest other means. There are enough opportunites to be ound outside ofthe church <0 For example, one could go 10 lonely place inthe fl, dig a small yet deep hole in te ground, place his mouth over i, and shout int it as foudly and as Tong as ean be done, yet alvays witout forcing. In this ‘way or through similar regular exercises, especially in changing voices, the sounding apparatus wil become smooth and pure, like a wind Insument whieh sounds the more charming the more ics used and Is urged bythe ai -18- We also find quite markedly with tinged instruments that they al, slong as they ate yet new, ae somewhat rough and hard in sound: however, with time and through constant use they become increasingly elighf, One calls such, playing out, and in young human voices, Shouting out. Hence old fates and violins if they ae otherwise g004, a far preferred co new ones, though these might be made with greater Aliligence.. hiss just the way its withthe human voice. Good Singers woud infact not beso rare among us, especialy altos, if this expedient, seraed shouting out, were not neglected out of ignorance or laziness. a1 If the opportunity ie found where one can put his singing to the test and can give the apparatus of the throat something suitable wo do: then the next concern must be 1 sing at moderate voice in one breath as,Py Der lthommeneCapelimeister: Pot IT Jong as ic is possible without strin, Although this appears to depend ‘more on the condition and good constitution of the fungs than on cur Nolin, yet one can, though palasaking practice, improve so that the ‘breath is sustained longer than usual, $0 the inhaled air is not expelled all at once nor too frequelly, but most sparingly and oaly ltd by litle, since one very carefully holds i back some and is quite sparing wih it ‘Tis isa sk tarough which a singer can excel admirably and one wich the Taian musicians Know masterfully. However, other peopes apply Themselves to this ite or none atl -n- ‘The third praccal consideration for culivating the voice is dat @ singe aply himself, sometimes wit quite a soft then with mediumloud wire, which the Talians eal wo wee, finally progressing trough ‘varios steps with 2 louder and ever louder voice in order to become familar with his abies, since the degrees of softness and loudness of| the human voice are innimerable, The more ofthese which one Knows how to find of to accomplish, the more he wil also move the emotions of hit listeners. ‘Tht # one of those things which wil be astray understood by everyone as an indisputable verity. though T have never encountered a singing masier hereabouts who had. the desire of ‘nowlede co train his charges inthis practice and inthe «vo preceding. ~2I~ Fourth, just as ile concer i taken in our singing school fr nat forming the sound midway in the sping throat, by means of the tongue, oF between the cheeks and lips. This the French greatly despise and eal ‘hunter de la gorge Yeti at fist sufficient and fll breath were drawn land amased deeply from he ches and lungs to the windpipe and tien the tone were given is correct fom through a welhaleulated division of iby te gots and its deieate cle thea, if thas been welMfomed to this poin the hollow of the mouth together with the adequate opening of tmerely permis a favorable passage. -2- “The French cal such hollowing out ofthe voice le revx de fa voi and this on the one hand depends mainly upon the disposition and the wide distension ofthe windpipe, according co wheter this repostory can reain much or lite reserve brea on the other hand, it ls depende ‘on the sklled formation of sound in dhe lower ané upp glottis, In so far as these instruments are capable of appropriate expres. Third, the ‘upper palate must vary smi. Hence the teeth and lips must make as (Chaper One us much room as posible and must not be inthe way a al for they simply ‘have no other function here than, quite modes, to remain secondary. -n- Now as the improvement and the taining of the voice occurs principally through singing lf, aso helped to a certain measure by ood eating habis as well & Some very few medicines. One might Indeed leave the fist t the natrl constitution and modesty of each person and the second to experienced physician, -ue But because in the first pice most men seem deficient in the requisite Knowidge of their body and, what is worse, in dhe never ‘adequately valued moderation, [only want to say this to them at preset: {sued belly i just as useful in singing as In studying. School boys ‘wil Know this asthe plus vener. Further a glass of wine or Poul ‘Nose narms the delicate vice les han dhe couse on, since an excess Of this particularly without a small addition of healthy. boiled wate, rartows fhe pipes widh time and tberwise causes all sons of infirmity in the breast Furher, 2 pure, wel-feemented beer, drunk for is sength land not for please, helps male veies more than sopranos and alts. Finally, overrich foods, among others oly stuf, and indeed all very faitening things ae toe avoided. There may perhaps be many more of sich preventive obserations. ‘These things actually concern the singers land ot the composer as such, Nevertheless, ies necessary for the later to know these things Because they inevitably perain essentially not only to general Knowledge, but ao to the advising, maintenance, and insmvtion of good singers In a Capel, even to appropriate employment tf them. A od commander doesnot think just on his commands but flko on the selection of his soldiers. -3- As regards the medicine of which some eninent socalled vinwotos of bath sexes make use forthe preservation of tet beautiful oie, 1 ‘would advise that one should use Such expedient as Ite as posible and indeed all purfvng and purging things that are the most used, though ‘ot use a all the juleps and the sweet pastries which are commonly but ‘erroneously considered good forthe throat. Fr all these things do in face produce a smacthnes, however, they also produce a slimy sickness land an unpure ibrcty which never ean produce good results in singing. ‘They supply the hungs as well asthe windpip, which is a par of the hungs. with nothing But damp, ekening liquids26 Der vollhommeneCoplimetster: Part IT ~~ A litle twice-baked bread of even 2 spoonful of vinegar are far ‘more advisable her, especially the fis, since they purify, sharpen, col, and dry. have known a eoupl of great female singers. one of whom took only biscuit and the eter ail lemon jie, i the throat needed to be clean and if they were to perform. Many, who were of snother view and who would prefer to take their pleasure with raisins or candy, were amazed by such unseemly erpediens and would not imiate them, ‘especialy the vinegar, and hence alvays came up short In this mater ‘verge ao has merely to examine the parteulas and quale of his Temperament and reject that which is not usefl to him. Moderaion serves a great deal herein prevnatives as well sin expedient; though ot at alin sk a2 ‘Sixth and last, the exterior postion ofthe bods, the movement of te face, the bearing of the head he moving of te hands, and if sung from the musa! score, the holding of it contributes nota ltl wo the inrest and the good effect ofa sager's voice. In all evens, be seldom wil be at his Best if he sits om a chair rather than stands, neler if he ‘bends forward nor backward, stops, much les f he weaves fom one Side to another, as many do. -2t- However, thee is an excepion regarding breath suppor. while siting. If one does not lan back too comforably but sits sisiht and supports the ans, as I have leamed through experience, one can markedly save breath that way. The body & qulcter and has less ‘movement in siting than in sanding. Hence one can susan a tone ‘much longer witout drawing a breath, ia the event this scualy is fonsidered, The supporting of one's arms most not be done withthe jechows but with the hands, and one must sit ike coachman on the carrage box. We have tried i, as have others, and ic has proven to be -p- ‘Many tum ther face so far to the right in singing that the tteners on the left side cannot see them at al. Others do the opposite Is the same wit sanding. Both lps and both feet never naturally rest at the same time, Either the right of le oot bears te weight of the body at ‘ven time; but one can change with skill, Chaper One oa -30- In singing, some throw the head back so hat the sound ascends fico the al where no ener & Others vinully bend it to the chest singing nto the beard, a6 18 sid, and thus miss the real objective, however skilled they may be otherwise. Many cannot hold their hands su, which would be the best inthe absence of proper gestculaton, but IF they make no other absurd moton with them, they have to convey the incrusve pulse in some way of another, This sor of thing wil never pave the way to the listener’ hears. Mos. however, either fom easightedness, which can be excused, or ffom habit which is «0 be ensured, hold the scores so close to the mouth and tothe ees dat the ‘voice is trapped and cannot be heard clearly by anyone except the singer himself especially in large churches. =3i~ ‘This brief presentaon of some important aspects of phonalogy or vocal training may suffice to give an idea of the delivery required and Useful for everyone who aspires to be a pertct Caplimeiser, to ave Some instruction inthe main poison the human singing voit, and to reflect futher on it For thsi fir from eventing which can be said fn this Yet this is sufcen,so that one who is concerned, if not for himself but at las for his present or future studens, might derive soreiing frutfil from i, transmit i, expand it and put it t practice.Chapter Two. ‘On the Qualities which a Musical Director and Composer Must Possess, in Aditon to His True Art. -1- We alo reckon the science of temperament and the mathematical expedient in harmonies a itisie wo the ar -2- ‘otherwise the Fist question wll be: whether a true Capelinister (wil refain from the new and absurd tie, HoF-Composien) if he rams to be appointed to a royal or princely muse establishment and is to head it, would necessarily have to have studied?) We vse the word head wich the qualifeston that a Capellmester would. not actually govern his subordinates in anything but musical matters, Study ako has 2 vatiey of meanings: however, here we tke it as doing at the “niversities that which issuable forthe sequlson of god scholars a3 Beers! discourses, among overs, dea with such a question, the meaning of which we bave previously found it neeesary to explain, and ‘his author, who likes to debate, sometimes says yes and Sometimes says ‘no? to ithe wits, this quesion is a thorn to many 2 person who cannot justify himself with studies, and conclues ally that a without ‘dios Uke a silken stocking over crooked leg, coated pis which Took like sugar but se like gall or even a mithorse hidden with & lion's nea. a4 ‘An anonymous French auto” says explicdy: a composer will never be prominent in his art ifhe is nota scholar. A painter maybe an Arist; but iP he is not a histor he will produce ar witout the historcally appropriate affection. The same thing can be said of a com pose; his work may be said tobe the achievement ofa diligent master but if he is deficient in scholarship, he cannot have observed the nature Chapter Two 0 of the text, jst ab the painter the passions of his painting. Ber adds this Ici Ome thing o be sil wih te brsh; another to be sie in fexpresion. And in ths he isnot wrong. a5 If however the lower schools donot actually make socalled students; then the universities donot relly make scholar: fori i well, csublshed dhat wisdom and insight may be retrcted neiter to one ferain place nor t a univers, especially if one wants to undersand a thing demonsravely, whichis ve scholarship and cannot be stained well without systematic philosophy but if one wants to lear someting Fighly, this can be done just aswell at home oF in any sort of place lander clever leadership as ata univery, neverteles doing this though Itrichly provides de means a8 well te opportity for schol, i ‘not recommended by many great people, for many valid reasons, when they weigh the advanage and the disadvantage [Now though the discipline are supposedly ed neliher to languages nor to universes, its quite necesary that a composer master Gresk oF at lest Latin so that he might understand the Books on musi, whieh are frequently writen in those tongues. For i i ridiculous for one to Dabber great deal of Lain the way the Jesuits do and to believe that he has thereby allowed all of scholarship. It doesnot follow: because this one oF that one speaks and wes Latin, ergo he has studied oF assembled a lot of learning on essenial concerns ffom 2 higher Scholarship. Similay, not eveyone who can speak Geman Is Ineligen; and therefore not all ubo speak Grek, Hebrew, or Lain are learned. Thus understanding a tongue and being learned init are 0 dierent things. In the fs ease nom occdes means only thou shalt not Li; bot in the second case it means that one sould preserve, protec, sand defend his neighbors lives, Beer writes thus in the sid plac, a1 Languages ae excellent expdiens for scholarship, and if the most important books were clearly wansated or coulé be wansated well nto ‘German, then even the Lower Saon dialet or ay mother tongue could fumish such an expedient. but Because there fs yet a gree deficiency fete, especially in. German, aso because such perfect cansltons of textbooks can hardly be hoped for, not jus because of the many ‘echnial terms but primarily beese of the uve meaning and opinion contained therein; thus Latin s almost indispensable: though the French230 er volkommeneCapelimeisir: Part TT are laudable forerunners in transiting, who can already study the largest par of Knowledge in their own language Fora pot i is very imporant ro be born tothe art of potty: the same iste fora Iyilst since be not only wil have to have brought Into the world one cerain, innate nature for wring his melody but mist be particularly skilled in those aspects of philosophy without which one ‘an be either sound poet aor an adept judge of other poe, For ‘when T speak of 2 poet, then 1 am speaking of more tan 2 great Dhilosophe, of more than a morals, of more than a scholar of loi, of tmore than @ mathematician, ec In ancient times true musilans were so poets, indeed even prophets. This was easier then han now, since most disciplines were in the cradle, as it were, whereas nowadays, with their maturity, each requires is own specialist, -10- ‘Though itis true that one can have inate musical possessing an especialy great poeic spirit; «composer must nevertheless ‘bea versed as posible in the ve at of potty and its base rips since almost eveything with which he deals in the porsic language: he rust have sufficient knowledge of all types of verse so tha, hough Deshaps his libetist has done litle or nothing at all in music (a is fommon) and yet is to compose a poem fora song, he could led the ‘other a helping hand, could help him along, nd coud be, soto speak, philosophical midwife for the bir ofthe idea. -n- For this reason moreover iti quite necessary that, at Hast in an ‘emergency, a composer himself be able to write a g00d verse, o atleast ‘hive auch posi taste that he knows how to choose inteligety and 1 judge poetry for music well Now itis not even necesary tat he bé 2 poet himself but that he demonstatvely judge ii, in a provable way, and show mastery and understanding of it through convincingly sound ‘conclsion -2- Tf one now understands Latin and poetry in this way, ten he should thirdly apply himself to Fearing French and especially alan to Chapter Teo ast such an extent hat he could interpret it And since itis also reasonable ‘hat a Caplimeister would be a gala homme, it nt easy 10 se how this stibute ‘could be. maintained “nowadays without both these languages. Nevertheless 1 would regard Taian as the most essential in this cae, and he who possesses the wo fst requisites in the appropriate ‘measure will beable wo aan dese last ones even sooner. -1- If one were to ask an aspiring Capelineser to compose some susic to Taian or Pench word, especialy since te fst occurs diy, and he did not undersand the iinguage, how would the good man endure? I he adequately undersiod the languages to 2 certain measure, et not the prosody, much les Ue writing, speaking. or reasoning se, {hen he would make the long sylabes shor, the shor ones Tong; the cesuras would impinge upon the meaning’ and the purpose of the rnaraive: consequently he would produce beautiful mibbish. Now since lost everything in chambers and theater s sung in Ialian nowadays, ‘te nt necessary to demonstate further the importance ofthis Ianguage for composer of melodies and choimmaser. Ne “There is for example an ara for Caius for one voke and thorough ‘bass: the later is head fist in the usual way, and has a phrase of nine | ‘measures in forfour time, Then the voice sings te following: Con dolce aurato sia, un voto vezzosete,vezeseti. We write the comma | ‘here just asi oours in the melody; though this is nonsensical: likewise ‘he period. The singer then pauses for thee whole measures while the continuo finishes. When ths Is over the same words ae repeated with the very same melody, since it is so beau, before anything else happens. -1s- [Now the question i whether this could be called inteligent or even iteigibie? All of linguists conuadis: for thee isnot even & Comma smc less a Sentus present, excep that which is fist perceived fom the ‘ext words, which fead thus: sf yago nel mio pelo scolpirsapestt 0 ‘dmor! Here 100 the words have ony half a meaning, and this addition Cannot provide a real conclusion tothe preceding, much less a Da Cap: for the poetic meaning Is this, love has set such beatiflly carved image la his breast, thatthe sun bas never shone on a mare beatifl one Bur tis becomes clear only ffom the remaining words, which ean be ‘understood propery without the preceding, as litle as can the later22 Der volltommeneCapelmetster: art II without the fomer, and are tus: Che mai Bellezza uguale. con tonte Bracie € ante, nom vide i el sean ol col su splendor. =165- Here it should be mentioned that it probably should read: ibe sembiane del sol: which, as is suffienly demoastated by the snfold repedtion of the words sl is nota mistake of the copyst but of the ‘composer, who in fact had been in aly and yet has no ably In alin. making Hberty of cling this omament a Catena dl Tri, te, a tailk ‘hain, This will do until beuer data are found and something more appropriate is conceived. 38- Easier singing masters made much ado ofan embellishment which they called groppe. According to my translation, that is ikea knob ia shster form, T'cannot undersané how it is possible that this word twoppo could mean a cylinder or sphere in Talis; though Printz, Walther, and many others explain it thus in their books. It ceainly comes fiom. Grappa 4. grape. whichis Grape ® in French and English; land it signifies everyhing tn the lieral as well sn the Figurative sense, Which se call 2 chster in Laver Saxon. and English (as in ancient Genan), namely, for example many small berries of other things which are joined closely together or heaped up: a herewith this ornament in Which the notes join togeter -3~ (One commonly would use tis eusteromameat a the cadences of the melody: as nowadays the pentesx numberof embellishments of songs ate found, like farewell compliment, atte end: hence such figures are sully called. cadences: not because they are sich themes, but because they appear thee -0- In this regard we must no iit ourselves to one particular place, but goppos can appear sometimes as a mere incident ornament and sometimes as an inherent or esestal part of the melody, forming entire usages of it these produce not inonsiderable hammoniousnes in the ‘vent the pasion which one wants to express pemis such twising and ‘amin. n4~ As lade as it was necesary above fo present an example in rowion of ils and thei scual form: because not only is the