Johann Sebastian Bach - booksnow.scholarsportal.info

APPENDIX^ 303III.To Vol. II., p. 188.Document relating to the dispute between the Council and Consistory.IV.Vol. II., p. 193, &c. (referred to as VII.)Five memorials of Kuhnau's, addressed to the Town Counciland tothe University on the following dates: December 4, 1704; March 17,1709; September i, 1710; December 18, 1717 ; and May 29, 1720.A. (Vol. II., p. 203).The first is preserved among the archives of the Town Council ofLeipzig (Consistorialia, Vol. X. Varia, 1619 till 1767, and reminds theirworships that he had lately applied to them on the subject of thetrumpets in the two principal churches which by long use had becomeworn out, bent, and useless ; so that they had commissioned him to askof Heinrich Pfeiffer, the gatekeeper of St. Thomas's, who is particularlyskilled and experienced in the making of such instruments, the lowestprice of a complete set of four, a qitart-posaune {i.e., a low trombone),tenor, alto and treble trombone, and how much he would allow for theold set of three.He goes on to say that the price of such instruments has doubledwithin a few years ; that he had laid Heinrich Pfeiffer's estimate andspecification before their Morships, and had humbly petitioned them toorder a new set for all three churches. He then begs that to saveexpense a case may be made to hold six violins, which have to becarried to church, and that a Colochon {Colascione or Calichon) with acase may be provided as being an indispensable instrument which theyare forced to borrow, not possessing one in either church, and mentionsthat Marcus Büchner is particularly " happy " in making them. Thisinstrument was also known as the Italian lute, and Baron describes itas simply a bass viol lute.He laments the diminution of numbers in the singers in the churchesin consequence of their finding it more lucrative to sing in the opera,(see p. 205), and recommends to their worships' consideration certaindetails of arrangement, tending, as he hopes, to remedy the evil byplacing more power in his hands, as he already had to appoint thehymns for all three churches (see p. 232).The memorial is addressed to D. Job. Alexander Christen, Governorof the School of St. Thomas, and burgomaster in office.B. (p. 280).In the next memorial he appeals to their " paternal care and interestin the wellbeing of the churches and schools " to consider certain pointsto which he proceeds to draw their attention as follows :I. The school violin is much broken, and so ill fitted for daily practice