Bach - a musical bookplate-cryptogram in music notation
It
is not always simple for an exlibris artist to present the multitude of
biographic references, like occupation, the tendencies and the hobbies
of the commission provider all in one place. Again and again the owners
of exlibris wish to state and show their homage and dedication to a person
of literature, the arts, or from music.
For the artist there are numerous possibilities to fulfill such a wish,
perhaps with a portrait of the honored person, through a quotation from
their literary works, or if it is about a composer, maybe through musical
notation from one of their compositions. One interesting form of this,
to indicate the reference to a composer or musician, is found on musical
bookplates on which a sequence of notation as the minimal musical reference,
the motif -provides further information, and relates thus specifically
the name of the honored person himself.
In this way, the note sequence of B-A-C-H not only demonstrates the owner’s love for music, but refers to, when one reads the musical notes as letters, making up the name of the especially treasured composer – Johann Sebastian Bach. The puzzle-game with the notes B-A-C-H originates from the composer himself. Johann Sebastian Bach himself has composed a Prelude with Fugue (BWV 898), and from then on, there are an unbelievable number of compositions which, to honor him, apply his name as a musical motif. In this way it is quite understandable that exlibris collectors will be keen and able to feel attachment through this musical cryptogram and its relation to Bach’s music.*
Translator’s Note: The H is a musical letter in the German notation. Its English equivalent is a B, thus H mol is an B.
An
especially beautiful example for this is the bookplate for Hermine Freiberger
by Hans Schaefer. The etching shows the portrait of J. S. Bach, framed
by the initial F is the famous notation line on the left above. The text
“For the happy Event 1963” indicates the birth of Hermine
Freiberger’s daughter, Edith in that year. Hermine Freiberger was
born in Munich, sang in the Bach-Choir in Munich under the direction of
Karl Marx. Even though she had no professional vocal training, she was
still allowed to accept and sing solo parts. A few years before the Second
World War she moved to Bayreuth, and in 1951 she took part as a member
of the choir in the reopening of the Bayreuth Festspiele with the Ninth
Symphony of Beethoven, led by Wilhelm Furtwängler. She sang with
great joy for many years in the special choir of the Festspiele under
the direction of Hans Knappersbusch and Wolfgang Sawallisch. As a member
of the Ladies’ Choir she became acquainted with Betty Schaefer,
the wife of the exlibris artist Hans Schaefer. Out of this shared activity
a friendship developed of many years, and her bookplate was created during
this time.
The Ex Musicis for the lady in Graz, Inge Ertel, was made by the well known Styrian artist Hans Hauke. Professor Ertel studied the organ and the piano, and she taught at the Graz Conservatory the piano, general music studies, musical phrasing, and also basic music education for children for 42 years. The notation sequence B-A-C-H floats a homage over the pipe-organ to the great composer.
Two beautiful musical bookplates were created for Alexander Wunderer, the famous oboe player of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. One of these was made by Willy Stukhard, whose main occupation was flute player of the Stage Orchestra of the State Opera, and who was the “favorite substitute player” of the Vienna Philharmonic. The second exlibris originates from the hand of Hans Ranzoni, Jr. and is a wonderfully delicate engraving, typical of the style of the Cossmann School. The well known notation sequence B-A-C-H entwines, embraces like a ribbon, a not lesser famous literary quotation from Goethe’s „Faust II“ , over which meadow flowers, wild roses and thistles refer to the loving close relation of the owner to Nature. Prof. Alexander Wunderer, born 11-4-1877 in Vienna, was accepted at age 23 into the Capella Band of the State Opera and also into the Imperial and Royal Court Musical Band led by Gustav Mahler, which since 1908 remained as an Association of the Vienna Philharmonic. He served for this orchestra from 1923 to 1932 as Managing Director and from 1932 on as Honorary Director. Outside and beyond these activities Wunderer was a member of the Wind player Association of the Vienna Philharmonic and a Professor at the Vienna Music Academy, co-founder and director of the Bach-Community Authority. In the Archives of the Vienna Philharmonic is an oil painting by Ludwig Michaler shows the musician with his oboe. In the background of this painting there is -- an affection shown again toward the great composer – a portrait of J.S.Bach is to be seen. Alexander Wunderer died on 29-12-1955.
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The most cunning, and for the layperson perhaps the most difficult to decipher, is the depiction of the name "Bach" – namely with one single note – that can be found on the exlibris of Carl Friedrich Mistlbacher for Robert Aschauer. In a medallion-like frame the Treble-clef from left to right the H transformed through the signature b is a B . From top to bottom is the Tenor-clef of A , and from right to left the Alto-clef presents the C . And when seen from the bottom to the top, the observer will read and recognize the H in the Treble-clef. This cryptogram is embraces by the roots of a tall-grown tree – symbolically not only for the respect that J.S. Bach is given by musicians and composers that he enjoyed and enjoys, but also a symbol for the fact that they use and apply the works of Bach as an example and as nourishment for their own creations. About the artist and the owner of this bookplate the author of this article has unfortunately no further known information.
Prof. Jean.Marie Meignien lives in Troyesin France and plays the Organ for the church of St-Martin-les-Vignes. The organ of this church, depicted on the bookplate, has 4 manual keyboards, 42 register keys - stops, and 2907 pipes, and was built by Damien Doublet in the year 1539. Only after so many rebuildings, renovations and restorations (in the years of 1794, 1842, 1880, 1970) does the organ look like the way that Charles Favet (1899-1982) has engraved it.
Prof. Meignien was already musically gifted as a child, wrote Richard Meignien. He sang in a choir the song of Psalm 113b , the Latin text , which the bookplate frames from left to right -- "Non nobis, domine, non nobis: Sed nomini tuo da gloriam" - "Not us , Oh Lord, not us, but Your name shall be given honor!" (The Book of Psalms, The Old Testament)
He had studied in Paris at the Conservatoire National de Musique, and
functioned later at the «Institut Grégorien» as the
«Maître de Chapelle». The Choral musical notation at
the left top of the exlibris are in remembrance of these times.
Prof. Dr. Karl Schnürl has written as follows about these lines of
musical notations: As far as the line of notation , seen in the left corner
of the bookplate of Meignien, is concerned , one deals with such named
"Roman Choral notes" , that are written on four lines , with
a c-clef on the forth line. The "Quartenotes" of the newer choral
publications (editions) since about 1901, are not incorrect quadrates,
but easily turned upwards. The illustrator of this bookplate has presented
this curvature rather excessively. The person drawing this exlibris has
taken this curvature a bit to excess or "stylistically" renderded
it, through which the signs appear in hooklike forms.
The tone sequence is typical of the beginning of a melody in the first
liturgic form ("doric"), and the tones are c-d-d-a-b-a.
Before the note h in the third space, there ought to
be a b which was left out in the bookplate. Both of the
two first notes are written as related to eachother (as a ligatory tie
or as "Neume", lines written dualtone and descending, also called
"Pes").
On the top at right there is the unmistakably
the well known B A C H scoreline and the star in the
center symbolizes "Maria", for the first name of Jean-Marie.
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As a conclusion for this article would like to present some fine examples from the over 100 different known compositions that apply the tone-sequence of B-A-C-H, quoted from Klaus Schneider:
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel: Fuge über B-A-C-H. Für Orgel. (In: B-A-C-H. Fugen der Familie Bach. Hrsg. von T. Fedtke). Peters, Frankfurt/M. 1984.
Bach, Johann Christian: Sonate für Violine und Klavier B-dur, op.10. Hinrichsen, Ed., London. (Das Kopfthema der Sonate ist J.S.Bachs Partita Nr. 1 in B-dur für Klavier BWV 825 entnommen.)
Beethoven, Ludwig van: J.S.Bach-Fuge b-moll aus dem 1. Teil des Wohltemperierten Klaviers BWV 867. Bearbeitet für 2 Violinen, Viola und 2 Violoncelli, Hess Nr.38. (In Beethoven: Supplemente zur Gesamtausgabe,Bd.6 Hrsg. von Willy Hess.) Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 1963.
Hindemith, Paul: Sonate für Orgel Nr.2 (1937). Schott, Mainz. (Im 3.Satz "Fuge" erscheint das B-A-C-H-Thema in den Takten 32-34 im Bass und in den Takten 70-71 im Alt.)
Reger, Max: Phantasie und Fuge für Orgel über B-A-C-H in Noten ausgeschrieben, op. 46. Universal Edition 1984 Wien.
Schumann, Robert: 6 Fugen über den Namen B-A-C-H, für Orgel oder Pianoforte mit Pedal, op. 60, Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden.
Literatur:
Smend, Friedrich: Johann Sebastian Bach, bei seinem Namen gerufen. Bärenreiter-Verlag Kassel und Basel, 1950.
Schneider Klaus: In honorem J.S.Bach. Musikalische Huldigungen für Johann Sebastian Bach in Form von Variationen, Bearbeitungen und Kompositionen über die Tonfolge B-A-C-H, in Musik und Kirche, Heft 5/1986, Bärenreiter Verlag, Kassel und Basel.
Schnürl, Dr.Karl: Notenschrift als Musiksymbol und Ornament, in Biblos, Beiträge zu Buch, Bibliothek und Schrift. Herausgegeben von der österreichischen Nationalbibliothek, 45,1. Wien 1997, Böhlau Verlag Wien-Köln-Weimar.
300 Jahre Johann Sebastian Bach, Ausstellungskatalog Stuttgart. Verlag Hans Schneider, Tutzing 1985.
Ohne die Hilfe von Dr. Otto Biba, Prof. Kurt Haider, Dr. Clemens Hellsberg, Dr. Claudia Karolyi, Dr. Thomas Leibnitz, Herrn Bernhard Paul und Dr. Karl Schnürl hätte dieser Artikel nicht entstehen können.
Der Autor ist für jeden weiteren Hinweis auf Exlibris mit der B-A-C-H Notenzeile dankbar.
Peter Rath
Copyright: Peter Rath,
Wien 1120, Edelsinnstr. 66/2. Tel. 813 54 14.
Weitere Publikationen von Peter Rath finden Sie unter http://members.aon.at/musikus
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