Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 1.djvu/363

CHORAGUS. practices ceased; the instruments were dispersed, and their remnant finally broken up by the authorities as old lumber; and no Choragus has either conducted or sung in the Music School within the memory of man. The history of this well-meant endowment may point either to the indifference and mismanagement of a University, or to the doubtful vitality of official attempts to foster a free art. Of late years the Choragus has been charged, along with the Professor, with the conduct of the examinations for musical degrees. The emoluments of the office, derived in part from the above-mentioned endowment, in part from fees paid on examination, amount in all to an insignificant total. [ C. A. F. ]

CHORALE (Ger. Choral, and Corale), a sacred choral song (cantus choralis) which may almost be said to belong exclusively to the reformed church of Germany, in which it originated. Luther introduced a popular element into worship by writing hymns in the vernacular and wedding them to rhythmic music, which should appeal to the people in a new and more lively sense than the old fashioned unrhythmic church music. The effect was as great (with all due respect to the different quality of the lever) as the Marseillaise in France or Lillibullero in England, or Auber's Masaniello and the Brabançonne in Brussels; for it cannot be doubted that no insignificant share in the rapid spread of the new ideas was owing to these inspiriting and vigorous hymns, which seemed to burst from the hearts of the enthusiastic and earnest men of whom Luther was the chief. The movement passed rapidly over Germany, and produced in a short time a literature of sacred hymns and tunes which cannot be surpassed for dignity and simple devotional earnestness. Luther and his friend Walther brought out a collection at Erfurt in 1524, which was called the 'Enchiridion,' or hand-book. Though not absolutely the first, it was the most important early collection, and had a preface by Luther himself. A great number of collections appeared about the same time in various parts of Germany, and continued to appear till the latter part of the 17th century, when, from political as well as religious circumstances, the stream of production became sluggish, and then shortly stopped altogether.

The sources of the chorales were various; great numbers were original, but many were adapted from the old church tunes, and some were from altogether secular sources. For instance, the chorale 'Der Du bist drei' is from the ancient 'O beata lux Trinitatis'; and 'Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr,' which Mendelssohn uses in a modified form in 'St. Paul,' is also baaed upon a hymn of the Roman church. On the other hand 'Herr Christ der einig' Gott's Sohn' is taken from a secular tune 'Ich hört' ein Fräulein klagen'; and 'Herzlich thut mich verlangen,' which appears several times in Bach's 'Matthäus-Passion'—for instance to the words 'O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden'—is taken from a secular tune 'Mein Gemuth ist mir verwirret.' Of many of them it is difficult to fix the origin. That generally known in England as Luther's Hymn (Es ist gewisslich) cannot with probability be attributed to him; but there seems no doubt that the famous 'Ein' feste Burg,' which Meyerbeer took as the text of 'The Huguenots,' and Mendelssohn used in his Reformation Symphony, Wagner in his 'Kaiser Marsch,' and Bach in various ways in his Cantata to the same words, is really by the great reformer. The most prolific composer of chorales was Johann Crüger, who was born some time after Luther's death. One of his, 'Nun danket alle Gott,' is best known in England from its use by Mendelssohn in his 'Lobgesang.'

The chorale which Mendelssohn uses in 'St. Paul,' at the death of Stephen, is by Georg Neuinark, who also wrote the original words to it. In the preface to Bennett and Goldschmidt's 'Chorale-book for England' this tune is said to have been so popular that in the course of a century after its first appearance no less than 400 hymns had been written to it.

A very famous collection of tunes was published in Paris in 1565 by Claude Goudimel. Most of these soon found their way into the German collections, and became naturalised. Among them was the tune known in England as the 'Old Hundredth.' Its first appearance seems to have been in a French translation of the Psalms with music by Marot and Beza, published at Lyons in 1563. Many of the tunes in Goudimel's collection were from secular sources.

The custom of accompanying chorales on the organ, and of playing and writing what were called figured chorales, caused great strides to be made in the development of harmony and counterpoint, and also in the art of playing the organ; so that by the latter part of the 17th century Germany possessed the finest school of organists in Europe, one also not likely to be surpassed in modern times. [ C. H. H. P. ]

CHORAL FANTASIA. A composition of Beethoven's (op. 80) in C minor, for piano solo, orchestra, solo quartet and chorus. It is in two sections—an 'Adagio' and a 'Finale, Allegro.' The Adagio is for piano solo in the style of an improvisation; indeed it was actually extemporised by Beethoven at the first performance, and not written down till long after. The Orchestra then joins, and the Finale is founded on the melody of an early song of Beethoven's—'Gegenliebe'—being the second part of 'Seufzer eines Ungeliebten' (1795)—first, variations for piano and orchestra, Allegro; then an Adagio; then a Marcia, assai vivace; and lastly, an Allegretto in which the solo voices and chorus sing the air to words by Kuffner in praise of music. The form of the piece appears to be entirely original, and it derives a special interest from its being a precursor of the Choral Symphony. In both the finales are variations; the themes of the two are strikingly alike; certain passages in the vocal part of the Fantasia predict those in the Symphony (compare 'und Kraft vermühlen' with 'überm Sternenzelt'); and lastly, there is