Section 38. CHEERFUL[1] CHURCH-MUSIC.
Reading edition
Section 38. CHEERFUL[1] CHURCH-MUSIC.
When the poet Carpani inquired[2] of his friend Haydn[3] how it happened[4] that his church-music was[5] always so cheerful, the great composer made[6] the following beautiful reply:
“I cannot make it otherwise[7],” said he, “I[8] write according to the thoughts I feel. When[9] I think of God, my heart is so full of joy that (App. § 16) the[10] notes dance and leap, as it were, from my pen; and since God has given me a cheerful heart, it[11] will be pardoned me that[12] I serve him with a cheerful spirit.”—Rev. R. K. Arvine.
The notes danced and leapt, as it were, from his pen. Die Noten tanzten und hüpften ihm gleichsam aus der Feder.
Notes in this chapter
Note 1 · fröhlich.Note 2 · inquired of = asked.Note 3 · Joseph Haydn (geb. den 31ˢᵗᵉⁿ März 1732 zu Rohrau in Östreich, † den 31ˢᵗᵉⁿ Mai 1809 in Wien) bildete sich durch eigenes Studium in der MusiNote 4 · Use the Pres. Subj. of kommen, since the clause contains an indirect question; see App. §§ 28 and 30.Note 5 · was — cheerful, stets einen so fröhlichen Charakter trage.Note 6 · to make a reply, eine Antwort geben; ‘beautiful’, here sinnig; for the construction see App. § 15.Note 7 · anders; for the place of the negation see App. § 12.Note 8 · Translate the passage ‘I write — feel’ briefly by saying: ‘I write just as (so wie) I feel’, since it would not be in accordance with the geNote 9 · Denke ich an Gott, so ist, etc.; full of, voller.Note 10 · Construe this clause after the following model:Note 11 · so wird man mir hoffentlich verzeihen.Note 12 · that = if.