Item Info

Scripts/Text: Fraktur; German script; Roman script
Language: German
Weiser Number: 197
Physical Description: 185 p; 18mo; oblong format
Material: Leather; pressed paper; laid paper; tempera; water colors; read and black ink; thread
Watermark: Letter fragments (top portion of R or P ?) on lower inner margins of leaves 1-9
Category: Tune Booklet (Notenbüchlein)
Media Type: Manuscripts
Source: Rare Book Department
Notes:

Accompanying Materials Laid or Tipped In:

2 wove paper fragments:
     Fragment 1: Note in graphite pencil 1050 in a      
     rectangle
     Fragment 2: 1807, 33 in a circle and 1050 in a    
     rectangle.

Binding:

Quarter leather with pressed decorated boards

Biographical Note:

David Kulp (1777-1834), formerly known as the Bucks County Brown Leaf Artist, studied under Johann Adam Eyer (1755-1855) from 1782-1786, and like him became a school teacher. He taught at the Deep Run and Plumstead schools from 1801 to ca. 1819. Kulp had a copybook that he kept from 1806-1822, and challenged anyone to exceed his writing skills: “David Kulp, his hand and pen, Beet [sic] it if you can.” As a Fraktur artist and penman, he designed and wrote with controlled architectural precision, but never lost the natural artistic flow of the work.

Full Title Translation:

This Harmonious Tune Booklet Belongs to Anna Landes Written 5 May 1807

Physical Description:

[1-4] 5 [6] 7 [8] 9-11 [12] 13-61 [62] 63 [64] 65-69 [70] 71-89 [90] 91 [92] 93-103 [104] 105-135 [136-185]
 

Notes:

N. B. See also FLP B-1050

Notes:

Scope and Content:

This tune booklet was made for Anna Landes on May 5, 1807 by her teacher David Kulp, and is organized alphabetically with each letter entry marked by an appropriate ornamented capital letter.

Staves are drawn by hand, and are either in black or red ink. There is no regular format for entries. Two staves are devoted to rudimentary musical instruction at the beginning of the booklet on page 7.  The entries for the hymn titles and melody incipits also begin on page 7. The first stave introduces semitones (soprano clef; C Major; 2/4 ), and begins on the leading tone ascending in half steps to end at an interval of an octave and a fourth from the tonic note. Intervals at the third follow stepwise from the tonic to the octave, a perfect fourth, major third, minor third, perfect fifth, perfect fourth. The second stave includes intervals at the octave, major seventh, major sixth, major third, minor third, perfect fourth, major third, minor third, minor third, perfect fifth, perfect fourth, major second, major second. Intervals at the fifth follow beginning on the tonic to the octave above, minor third, perfect fifth, perfect fourth, major second, major second.

There are over 320 hymn titles/musical incipits plus several appended hymn texts with all verses included. In these cases a reference is given where to locate the music rather than giving the hymn title/music incipit. Verses are also sometimes written out under the title and melody. For examples see page 31 Christus ist mein schatz auf Erden...and page 98 Steh Ephraim besinne dich, Du eilst in dein Verderben... Another phenomenon is simply to write out verses wherever space is available. For an example see pages 114-115 Weiche banger schmerz und Vergönn dem H[ertz]...where the verse appears at the bottom of p.114, and the hymn title and single melody incipit line as the fourth entry of p. 115.  If one finds verses written out on the one side of an open page, chances are the hymn title and melody incipit will be on the other side:  Welt Gute nacht, ich Eil dem H.[immel zu...] is on p. 118, the hymn title and single melody incipit line as the second entry on p. 119.

Beginning with p. 122 several verses are written out without any reference to a hymn title/melody incipit: See pp. 122-124, six verses from Egÿpten Gute nacht...; pp. 125-126 six verses from O fröhliche stunden o herliche zeit...; pp. 127-128 seventeen verses from Jesu las mich mit Verlangen...; pp. 129-132 twelve verses from Herr was hast Du im Sinn...Please note that on p. 132 a comment is added: Dieses ist Eine Lamentation über die Cometon im Jahr 1762 und 1784 Geschrieben den 18ten Februari anno 1827 [Poetry by Paul Gerhardt]. On pp. 133-135 there are eight verses from Wilt Du bald Ein todter werden.  Wilt Du bald Ein todter werden...Geschrieben den 25 Fe[b]ruary 1827.

The date for creation of title page is 5/5/1807. However, there are three additional inscriptions on p 46 Geschrieben den 27ten Februari 1825; p. 132 Geschrieben den 18ten Februari anno 1827; and p. 134 Geschrieben den 27ten Fe[b]ruary 1827. The remaining pages (136-184) that follow are blank. This indicates that entries were made for twenty years from 1807-1827.
 

Notes:

Title Description:

Hand-drawn; hand-colored; hand-lettered. The main text in Fraktur and German script is enclosed within a circle and in the center of the document. Two lines in Fraktur are written along the outer perimeter of the circle, one on each side: Lerne Wie du kanst allein [left side of circle] Singer buch Und Tempel seÿn [right side of circle]. The phrases are taken from the first verse of a poem found on page one of the Marburg Hymnal.  Another phrase wie ein blümlein bald Vergeht so ist Unser leben (As a flower soon withers, so are our lives) appears at the top of the circle and is separated from the tune booklet titles by double red horizontal lines infilled with yellow. It comes from a poem by Michael Franck (1609-1667) entitled Ach, wie nichtig, ach, wie flüchtig. The circle is flanked on each side by a stylized symmetrical long-stemmed flower. Two flower buds extending in opposite directions and connected by a tendril fill the space above the circle at the head and below the circle at the tail of the page. The entire document is framed by a highly decorative border.

Tunebooks in General:

The idea of creating such a booklet to teach children the rudiments of musical notation so that they could learn to sing the melodies used in the hymns at church service seems to have been Johann Adam Eyer’s (1755-1837), David Kulp’s teacher. The hymnals used by their parents contained no music, but only the hymn verses with the indication “Mel.” and the title of the hymn tune to which the congregation would sing the text. The metrics, and topic of the poetry usually determined which melodies were chosen.

Eyer’s concept was a practical and useful one, and inspired many other teachers to create tune booklets for their students in which only the melody line of frequently used hymn tunes was written out. Each scholar had a booklet, usually 10.2 x 16.5 cm in size. The teacher created a title page describing the purpose of the booklet, and containing the name of the student, the school attended, and the date of the title’s creation. The empty spaces on the title page were filled in with flowers, birds, and other elements common to Pennsylvania German decorated Fraktur. These titles are absolutely beautiful, and probably inspired the singing scholar to greater endeavors as he learned how to read music and sing the tunes that either the instructor or he would copy into the booklet.

The “singing schools” or singing classes flourished in Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery, Chester and Berks Counties, Pennsylvania from about 1787 to 1845. Singing became a part of the school curriculum, and “singing schools” became popular.
 

Associated Names: Landes, Anna
Provenance: Brenner, Scott Francis, 1903- 1991
Landes, Anna

Bibliography:

Joel D. Alderfer. “ ‘David Kulp, His Hand and Pen, Beet It if You Can’: The Bucks County Brown Leaf Artist Identified” in Cory M. Amsler, ed., Bucks County Fraktur. Kutztown, Pa.: Pennsylvania German Society, 1999, 151-165.

“David Kulp” in Russell D. and Corinne P. Earnest, Papers for Birth Dayes: Guide to the Fraktur Artists and Scriveners. East Berlin, Pa.: Russell D. Earnest Associates, 1997, 2nd ed., vol. 1, 479-481.

Davidisches Psalter=Spiel Oder Sammlung, von Alten und Neuen auserlesenen Geistlichen=Gesängen; wahren Heils=begierigen Seelen insonderheit aber Denen Gemeinden des HERRN, zum gesegneten Gebrauch mit Fleiß zusammen getragen, Nebs darzu nöthig und nützlichen Registern. zm fünftenmal ans Licht gegeben. Büdingen. Gedruckt bey Johan Friedrich Stöhr. 1775, 18. Materien =Register: Vom menschlichen Elend und tiefen Verderben, JEsu, laß mich mit Verlangen, 448 In eigner Melodie. (N. 47.), 412. Retrieved 3 October 2013 from Google Books at 
http://books.google.com/books?id=FME8AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA366&dq=Davidisches+Psalterspiel&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WKBNUrvIBs3yyAH_g4GwAw&sqi=2&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=412&f=false

Kern Geistlicher lieblicher Lieder Dem HErrn mit Hertz und Mund zu singen, Oder Neu-auserlesenes Gesang-Buch, In welchem Tausen derer besten alten und neuen Kirchen-Lieder, deren die meisten nach bekannten Melodien können gesungen werden, enthalten sindö Nebst einem kleinen GebetßBuch, und einem Anhang von Sonn-und Fest-Tags-Collecten. Mit Röm. Kazs. Maj. allergnädigstem PRIVILEGIO nicht nachzudrcuken. Nürnberg, Gedruckt bez Lorentz Bieling, und zu finden bez Georg Lehmann. a. 1733. Retrieved 3 October 2013 from Google Books at
http://books.google.com/books?id=jC1FAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA124&lpg=RA1-PA124&dq=Dennoch+bleib+ich+stets+an+Dir,+M&source=bl&ots=eshnLZfSvI&sig=Ud8QXvZ2xVZshSb3miozdeyfTgA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UPhOUvaSN_D-4APHxYH4Aw&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Dennoch%20bleib%20ich%20stets%20an%20Dir%2C%20M&f=false

Das kleine Davidische Psalterspiel Der Kinder Zions, Von alten und Neuen auserlesenen Geistes=Gesängen; Allen wahren Heyls=begierigen Säuglingen der Weisheit, Insonderheit aber Denen Gemeinden des HErrn, zum Dienst und Gebrauch mit Fleiß zusammen getragen, Und in gegenwärtig=beliebiger Form und Ordnung / Nebst einem doppelten darzu nützlichen und der Materien halben nöthigen Register, ans Licht gegeben. Germantown Gedruckt bey Christoph Saur, 1744.

Marburger Gesang=Buch zur Uebung der Gottseligkeit in 649 Christlichen und Trostreichen Psalmen und Gesängen Hrn. D. Martin Luthers. und anderer Gottseliger Lehrer, Ordentlich in XII. Theile verfasset, Und mit nöthigen Registern auch einer Verzeichniß versehen, unter welche Titul die im Anhang befindlichen Lieder gehörig: Auch zur Beförderung des so Kirchen= als Privat= Gottesdienstes, Mit erbaulichen Morgen= Abend = Buß= Beicht= und Communion=Gebätlein vermehret. Germanton, Gedruckt und zu finden bey Christoph Saur, 1762.

Mary Jane Lederach Hershey. “The Notenbüchlein Tradition in Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Community Schools” in Cory M. Amsler, ed., Bucks County Fraktur. Kutztown, Pa.: Pennsylvania German Society, 1999, 1150149.
 

Creation Place County: Creation Place Note:Based on design characteristics and artist's location
Region/County:[Bucks]
State/Province:[Pennsylvania]

Creation Year (Single Year or Range Begin): 1827
Image Dimensions Width: 9.7 cm
ShelfMark: FLP Borneman Ms. 33
Creator Name: Kulp, David, 1777-1834, attributed to - Decorator
Kulp, David, 1777-1834, attributed to - Scrivener