My grandmother and I were searching for old books we could use for crafting when I came across this one that had a hand written note inside it. I bought it without hesitation (for $1.00) and it wasnt until I got it home I realized it was all in German including the letter. Immediately I began to (to my best ability with zero knowledge of German and only Google Translate to help me) translate it.
Here is what it said in German: Choral und orgel sind nicht fur den organisten sandern orgel und organist samt dem choral sind fűr die Gemeinde da. Seite 45
Mochti daher der organist mě vergessen, dasy ihm ein heiliges amt vertraut, und er deshalf verpflichtet ist alles anfzubieten, um dusch seim Spiel die religiöse Erbauung der Glanbigen zu fördern. Seite 40 Die Orgel tritt immer lütend order begleitend anf. Seite 39
Eine einfache, ungekünstelte choralbegleitung immer die beste, zweckmaśzigste und würdevallste ist. Seite 45
Also lieber organist, spiele demen choral einfach, ohne Vorschläge, Zwischentöne, Triller, ect, streng nach dem choral buche ab! Seite 46
Erste Erfordermis, dasz der organist imstande ist, der choral glatt und ohne Anstosz und takt gemäsz zu spielen. Es choral gelunden spielt, daz er dem Zeilenschlüssen die mötige Aufmerksamkeit schenkt, und dasz er versteht, dem Gemeinde, gesang nicht nur zu begleiten, sondern ihn auch zu luten. Seite 46
Töne in den Mittelstimmen, die mehreren akkorden eigen sind liegen läszt. Dies darf dagegin nicht in der melodie führereuden Stimme und auch nicht im Basse geschehen. S. 46 Im ersterem galle wïrde dadurch die Melodie geäudert, Im letzteren würden Rhythmus und Takt fïrdie singende Gemeinde unklar werden.
Die Orgel im Gottesdienst, G.C.A. Käppel
And here is what Google translated it to: Choir and organ are not for the organist sandern organ and organist together with the chorale are there for the community. Page 45
The organist must therefore forget that he is trusted by a holy office, and he is therefore obliged to offer everything in order to promote the religious edification of the faithful. Page 40 The organ always starts in a ventilating or accompanying manner. Page 39
A simple, unaffected choral accompaniment is always the best, most practical and most dignified. Page 45
So dear organist, just play their chorale, without suggestions, overtones, trills, ect, strictly according to the choral book! Page 46
The first requirement is that the organist is able to play the chorale smoothly and without bumps and tact. It plays chorale well, paying special attention to the line closings, and that he understands, the community, not only to accompany singing, but also to sing it. Page 46
There are no tones in the middle voices that are characteristic of several chords. This must not happen in the melody leading voice or in the bass. P. 46 In the former, the melody would be changed, in the latter, rhythm and rhythm would become unclear for the singing community.
The organ in the service, G.C.A. Käppel
I researched "G.C.A. Käppel" and found a "Georg Chrisoph Albert Käppel" that seems to fit the context of the note. The most I could find on him was this old Lutheran blog post: https://lutheranmuseum.com/2017/08/25/another-wittenberg-musician
The book this note was in is, as I said, in German too, which wouldn't be a problem if the font wasnt so hard to read.
Basically I'm coming here to see if anyone can tell me if they know about this person or if this note has any significance... and if there is anyone I should give it to or if it is possible worth anything? I know that might be a stretch but any information about this would be very VERY much appreciated.
If more context is needed, I can try to answer additional questions.
Hey, german here. The translations from google are almost correct, however I read over them and made some corrections to maybe make some more sense. Maybe post a picture of the note for a better translation since you seem to have misinterpreted some letters which makes it quite hard to understand and also explains why google had a hard time translating some of it. (This might include some mistakes aswell as some sentences I could not translate since I had to guess some of the words.)
"Choral and Organ are not there for the organist, but Organ and Organist aswell as choral are there for the congregation. Page 45"
"Therefore, may the organist never forget that he is entrusted with a holy duty, and is therefore obliged to muster everything to further the religious edification of the believers. Page 40"
"The organ always appears leading or accompanying (other instruments). Page 39" (I'm not sure what "lütend" is supposed to mean, but it might be "führend" which would translate to "leading")
"A simple, genuine Choral accompaniment is always the best, most expedient and most dignified. Page 45"
"So, dear organist, simply play the choral, without proposals, nuances, warble (?), etc. strictly according to the book. Page 46"
"The first requirement is that the organist is able to play the choral smoothly and without inducement (?) and according to the beat. (Es choral gelungen spielt (?)), that he pays the necessary attention to the key, and that he understands to not only accompany the singning of the congregation but to lead it too. Page 46" (Again, I think what you interpreted as "lute" which is not a word might actually say "führen" which would translate to "lead")
I can't really provide a better translation than google to the last paragraph since the sentences seem to make very little sense. Still, I hope these corrections provide some more insights.
As far as "G. C. A. Käppel" goes, I did some research and you seem to be right. I found this article about "Georg Christopher Albert Käppel" who wrote the book "Die Orgel im Gottesdienst" (The organ during service) among some other books. It also mentions something about Wittenberg which seems to align with the blog post you already found.
So, I'm guessing these are passages from G. C. A. Käppel's book "Die Orgel im Gottesdienst" that someone copied, probably because they were writing some paper about the topic and then forgot them inside the book. However, without a date on them we can't really know when these notes were taken.
I can’t help with the translation of the text, because my German is not good enough, but I can still help with explaining its meaning. The Lutheran church has a collected body of hymn tunes called chorale melodies, and Lutheran organists have a long tradition of playing preludes on them and accompanying the congregation in various ways. The most famous of these organists was J. S. Bach, who left behind a body of work that includes several collections of chorale preludes, including the Orgelbüchlein, which are rather charming and worth a listen.
These preludes treat the chorale melodies in several ways, including ornamenting them with trills and other decorations, playing them in canon, or setting them in different voices (eg. in the alto rather than the soprano). There is adventurous use of harmony in some cases. The note that you have found seems to be an instruction to the to the organist in question that he should not treat the chorale tunes in elaborate ways such as these, particularly when leading the congregation. As an organist myself, I can agree that a congregation does often need a simple accompaniment, but that does not stop me admiring the work of the likes of Bach.
If I recall correctly, The New Bach Reader by Christoph Wolff includes a copy of Bach’s contract at Arnstadt, which details his duties as organist in a manner not too far removed from that in the note you found. Bach was also admonished by the authorities at Arnstadt for playing chorales in a manner that was considered too adventurous, and perhaps this latter organist who was the recipient of the note you found was a kindred spirit.
The site bach-cantatas.com is an excellent resource for information about chorale melodies and their provenance, by the way.
Perhaps a local professor of music might find your note to be of interest? Particularly one interested in sacred music or organ music.
Edit: having read the other translation offered by the other redditor (sorry, would acknowledge but I’m editing this on mobile), I wonder if what you have found are notes made by someone learning to play the organ for liturgical use. I initially formed the impression that it was a letter of admonishment, but perhaps it is more a record of someone intending not to fall into such apparent pitfalls.
This sounds like the page in the front of the Methodist Hymnal written by John Wesley on how to sing properly to be a good christian. It says not to sing too loudly, which shows hubris, and not too quietly, which would put off other people, but to aim to be even with everyone else around you.
It's the tone that's so similar, even the word choices. How to be godly and humble and an invisible part of a greater whole.
I think German Protestants are Lutherans, which is very similar to Methodists.