Probstück 24 · English translation

Twenty-fourth Probstück §. 1-30. [omitted] In these paragraphs Mattheson is mostly concerned about the notation of chromatic notes and new chromatic keyboard instruments and comments on his long-lasting public dissent with Gottfried Benjamin Hancke. Only the paragraph relevant for the understanding of the Probstück has been translated here (§. 31). §. 31. What should be mentioned in our last Probstück is little, and mostly concerns the fact that the eighth notes, of which three belong to a quarter note, play alone, and to the first of them one plays only what is appropriate or figured. Circumstances do not yet permit the display of much artistry in such keys; nevertheless, at the cadences, namely in the 5th, 16th, and 35th measure, something arpeggiated might be gracefully added. However, like all such embellishments and ornaments throughout, I do not want to consider it as a necessity for an ordinary thorough-bass, but rather as a pleasant and decent addition at a Probe, during practice, and when a suitable occasion offers, because I completely agree with St. Lambert in this place, where he says: If the basses are not overloaded with many notes, but, according to the player's sense, drag and hesitate too much, he may well add other notes and play more figures; as long as he is certain that his additions do not bring any disadvantage to the melody, but especially to the singing voice. For the thorough bass is ordained for nothing other than to assist the singer, but not to hinder or distort his efforts by untimely ringing. There are people who think so highly of themselves that they believe a whole concert of virtuosos is hardly worthy of them, and therefore take great pains to stand out above all the others. These organists clutter their basses with many crooked leaps, embellish everything back and front, and add a hundred kinds of things that are perhaps very beautiful in and of themselves, but nevertheless come at an inappropriate time and are very harmful to the concert, in that they serve nothing else than to testify to the artistic thirst for glory and vanity of the player. Whoever therefore plays in a concert must do it in such a way that he brings honour and pleasure to the whole group, but not that he alone may win the prize. For if each one plays only for himself and for his own sake, it is no longer a concert. §. 32-33. [omitted]