Monday, March 26, 2012
Typo in LSB
A sharp was left out of the music. At least, it was in the first printings of the hymnal. Wide Open Stand the Gates is LSB 639. Same tune at LSB 674, Jerusalem, O City Fair and High. In the last score of 639, middle measure, the G is supposed to be sharped. It's the same run of notes as occurs twice earlier in the hymn. In 674, the G needs adjustment in the second measure of the last score, where the three notes are tied.
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I think the last G was not sharped because of it's placement in the verses and the time given each note. The hymn is divided into pairs of verses. In the first two pairs the G needs to be raised to lead to the long held A. In the final pairing the G is an eighth note embellishment leading to a quarter note A which leads on to the next part. This last pairing is musically treated as one longer phrase and is resolved at the last note. Because the G is only used to get from E to A and not used as a leading tone it stays in the key of the whole piece.
ReplyDeleteLSB 639
"Wide open stand the gates adorned with pearl,
While round God's golden throne(G# to half note A)
The choirs of saints in endless circles curl,
And joyous praise the Son! (G# to half note A)
They watch Him now descending
To visit waiting earth.
The Lord of Life unending (G natural to A)
Brings dying hope new birth!"
But look at ELH 541 and TLH 619. Same tune. That G is sharped.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at "Lord keep us steadfast" (TLH 261, LSB 655). In TLH the penultimate note is raised because using a leading tone is what we are used to hearing. For LSB (and LW) the note was restored to the original melody which used a natural. I'm guessing the natural G in "Wide open stand the gates" is a restoration, but I don't have access to the hymn in its original printing. Playing it through sounds ok either way, but when analyzing the chords and rational for raising notes I prefer leaving that last G as a natural. (Our church still uses TLH so we're stuck with the sharp.)
ReplyDeleteI've got my pen ready if I do need to write that G# into my LSB. Too bad my husband only collects hymnals written in English. I would love to have all the hymn tunes and settings in their original printing.
Where ARE the settings from once-upon-a-time? All my old German hymnals are words-only.
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me, I do have an accompaniment book for the Choralbuch from my Grandmother. I will take a look at it.
DeleteAs it turns out I have three different editions of the accompaniment to the German Choralbuch. Each one is a little different on this particular hymn.
ReplyDeleteWow. Thanks for looking, anyway.
ReplyDeleteMehrstimmiges Choralbuch su dem Kirchengesangbuch sur Evangelisch-Lutherische Gemeinden, CPH, 1906.
ReplyDeleteNo. 92
Same tune, but in a different key. The note in question is raised.
Choralbuch fur Evanelisch-Lutherische Gemeinden im Russischen Reiche, published in St. Petersburg, 1899.
No. 119, Slightly different melody in first, third, and fifth verses but with the same basic contour. The note in question is not raised, but remains G natural.
Choralbuch zum Gebrauche fur evangelische Gemeinden in Rusland, published in Moscow by Jurgenson, 1857.
No. 71. In a different key with some rhythmic differences. There is no run of eighth notes in the place in question, but only an interval of a fourth.